Dev Meena soars to a new high

Dev Kumar Meena breaks pole vault National record at National Games, while Tajinderpal Singh Toor wins shot put gold.

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.