00:01These are pole-walters Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar cramming the equipment into an e-rickshaw
00:06just hours after jointly setting a new national record of 5.45 metres at the 2026 Federation
00:13Cup in Ranchi.
00:14Earlier this year, the two athletes were reportedly asked to get off a train at Panvale station
00:18while returning from a competition because of their pole-walt equipment.
00:22In a video shared afterward, Meena and Yadav said they were left stranded at the station
00:26for nearly five hours as they tried to explain that the poles were essential for their sport.
00:31The off-field apathy stands in sharp contrast to the sheer brilliance the duo displayed on
00:36track in Ranchi.
00:3720-year-old Dev Meena, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, has emerged as one of India's brightest
00:41young pole-walt talents after winning bronze at the Asian Under-20 Championships and registering
00:47multiple national record-breaking jumps.
00:49Alongside him, 21-year-old Kuldeep Kumar has also become one of India's rising stars in
00:54pole-walt.
00:55Earlier in May 2026, Kuldeep cleared 5.41 metres to break the previous national record
01:01of 5.40 metres held by Dev Meena, becoming India's new national record holder in men's
01:07pole-walt.
01:08The Walters had just qualified for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, but even after reaching
01:13the top level of Indian athletics, the athletes were still seen transporting their 5-metre-long
01:19fiberglass poles on a cramped e-riksha.
01:21The image of national record holders managing their own equipment off track has reignited
01:27questions about the basic logistical support extended to India's athletes beyond competition.
01:33long.
01:34Long.
01:34Long.
01:35Long.
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