Dev Meena soars to a new high

Soaring high: Dev Kumar Meena set the first National athletics record of this edition while retaining his National Games gold. | PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

Short work: Tajinderpal Singh Toor comfortably won the men’s shot put gold with an opening effort. | PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

Extra special: Niharika Bashisht won the women’s triple jump, her maiden gold in a National competition. | PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

Dev Kumar Meena switched from the quartermile to pole vault just three years ago and he now appears to be in a big hurry to make up for the lost time.

The 19-year-old from Madhya Pradesh broke the pole vault National record, raising it by one centimetre to 5.32m, while retaining the gold in the National Games athletics at the Ganga Stadium here on Monday. It was the first National record in athletics in these Games here and in the process, Dev also improved his personal best by 12cm.

After sailing over Tamil Nadu’s S. Siva’s National record, Dev became a bit ambitious. He went for 5.40m next but kept kicking the bar down every time.

“It was my new Cuban coach Angel Garcia Esteban’s decision to go for 5.40,” said Dev. Ghyanshyam Yadav been coaching Dev for the last few years at the MP athletics academy and Esteban, a former Cuban National champion, will begin working on the youngster soon.

Meanwhile Asian and Asian Games champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor comfortably won the men’s shot put gold with an opening effort of 19.74m.

“I’ve recovered from the injury which had been troubling me and I will begin focusing on the Worlds this year,” said the Olympian, a former Asian record holder, who holds the National record with 21.77m.

There was a big surprise in the women’s hammer throw where UP’s Anuksha Yadav improved her personal best by more than six metres as she broke the Games record and beat record-holder Tanya Chaudhary for the gold. And in women’s triple jump, Punjab’s Niharika Vashisht won her maiden gold in a National competition shocking defending champion N.V. Sheena and another leading name, Poorva Sawant.

The results: Men: 3000m steeple chase: 1. Sumit Kumar (Ser) 8:46.26s, 2. Rohit Verma (Ser) 8:49.01, 3. Shankar Lal Swami (Har) 8:49.39. 4x400m relay: 1. Tamil Nadu (3:10.61s), 2. Uttarakhand (3:10.85), 3. Services (3:10.90). Pole vault: 1. Dev Kumar Meena (Pun) 5.32m National record, OR 5.31 by TN’s S. Siva, 2022; 2. G. Reegan (TN) 5.00, 3. Kuldeep Kumar (UP) 5.00. Shot put: 1. Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Pun) 19.74m, 2. Samardeep Singh Gill (MP) 19.38, 3. Prabhkirpal Singh (Pun) 19.04.

Women: 3000m steeple chase: 1. Ankita (Utk) 9:53.63s, 2. Manju Yadav (MP) 10:15.70, 3. Rebi Paul (UP) 10:37.15. 4x400m relay: 1. Punjab (3:41.77s), 2. Karnataka (3:43.89), 3. Haryana (3:45.83). Triple jump: 1. Niharika Vashisht (Pun) 13.37m, 2. N.V. Sheena (Ker) 13.19, 3. Sandra Babu (Ker) 13.12. Hammer throw: 1. Anuksha Yadav (UP) 62.89m MR, OR Tanya Chaudhary’s 62.47m 2023; 2. Tanya Chaudhary (UP) 59.74, 3. Nandni (UP) 58.89.