Madhya Pradesh vaulter Dev Meena shatters own national record at Inter-State Athletics Championships

Dev Meena, a pole vaulter from Madhya Pradesh, set a new national record at the Inter-State Athletics National Championships held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. He cleared 5.46 metres, surpassing his own previous record of 5.45 metres set at the Federation Cup in Ranchi last month.

Competing in the event, Meena began with a jump of 5 metres and progressed through 5.20 metres and 5.35 metres. After the other competitors had finished, he attempted the record height and succeeded on his final try.

This marks the fifth time Meena has broken the national record and the sixth time he has either broken or equalled it in a span of 16 months, beginning with the National Games last year.

Speaking to The Indian Express after the event, Meena said, “When I started the event as a teenager, my coach Ghanshyam Yadav told me that one day we will qualify for the Asian Games. As a kid just starting the sport, it was a big thing for me. Today, that statement has become a reality.”

Meena's performance has secured him qualification for the upcoming Asian Games.