Gold medallists suffer miserable fate right after victory:Champion Dev Meena struggles to transport poles, was deboarded from train in Mumbai

In the Athletics Federation Cup held in Ranchi, Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar of Bhopal set a new national record in Men’s Pole Vault by making an identical jump of 5.45 meters. However, just a few hours later, both had to carry their fiberglass poles on an e-rickshaw to their hotel. On Tuesday, the photo of Dev and Kuldeep, in which they are loading 5-foot-long poles onto an e-rickshaw, remained a topic of discussion. The plight of the athletes can be clearly seen in this picture. Meanwhile, Dev and Kuldeep have qualified for the Commonwealth Games 2026, which are to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23. Panvel Station TC had deboarded them from the train This year, both were deboarded from the train by a TC at Panvel station while returning from the All India Inter University Championship. Officials said that such long poles could not be carried in the bogie. Madhya Pradesh Sports Minister Vishwas Sarang had taken cognisance of this matter and had talked about getting permission from the railway for the athlete to carry the pole. Fibreglass poles are very delicate These special poles used in pole vault are so long and sensitive that they are not easy to handle and transport from one place to another. Their maintenance requires great care to avoid any scratches or pressure. Both jumped 5.45 metres, Dev got gold Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar both jumped an identical 5.45 meters. However, Dev Meena received the gold, and Kuldeep received the silver. This is because when two or more athletes jump to the same height, the winner is considered to be the athlete who took fewer attempts. Who is Dev Meena? 19-year-old Dev Kumar Meena, hailing from Silphodkheda, a small village in Khategaon tehsil of Madhya Pradesh, is India’s emerging pole-vaulter. He broke his own national record by clearing 5.32 metres at the Uttarakhand National Games in February 2025 and then 5.35 metres at the National Federation Senior Athletics Championship in April 2025. With this performance, he became India’s national record holder in men’s pole vault.