Sindhushree G Shatters National Record at National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships

At the 65th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships, Karnataka's Sindhushree G made headlines by breaking the national pole vault record, achieving a height of 4.25m. This remarkable feat not only secured her a gold medal but also qualified her for the upcoming Asian Games. Alongside her, several other athletes met the qualification standards, showcasing impressive performances across various events. The championships, held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, highlighted the growing talent in Indian athletics as athletes aimed for glory in the Asian Games set to begin in September.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 26, 2026, 00:27 IST

Record-Breaking Performances at Kalinga Stadium

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) - On June 26, Karnataka's pole vaulter Sindhushree G was among numerous athletes who met the qualification standards for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games during the second day of the 65th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships held at Kalinga Stadium.

Seventeen athletes successfully achieved the qualification criteria set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for the upcoming Asian Games, which commence on September 19. Sindhushree, 26, notably excelled, setting a new national record of 4.25m, surpassing the Asian Games qualification mark of 4.10m. The previous record of 4.23m was held by Baranica, who secured the silver medal with a height of 4.20m.

In addition to her gold medal, Sindhushree broke the meet record of 4.10m established by Pavithra Venkatesh in 2023. Expressing her joy, Sindhushree stated, “I was mentally prepared to secure my spot for the Asian Games. Training hard paid off, and breaking the national record was an unexpected bonus.”

Nitika Akare from Madhya Pradesh clinched the bronze medal with a height of 4.10m, also achieving the Asian Games qualification mark.

In the women's 200m and 800m events, all top three finishers surpassed the Asian Games qualification standards. The medalists in the women's shot put also met the required marks for the Games.

Odisha's Animesh Kujur was the standout performer in the men's 200m, clocking 20.74 seconds to meet the Asian Games qualification time of 20.88 seconds.

In the men's 800m, Mohammed Afsal from Kerala won with a time of 1:48.57 seconds, followed closely by Krishan Kumar from Haryana at 1:48.82 seconds, both exceeding the qualification time of 1:48.80 seconds. Afsal remarked, “I aim to enhance my fitness to achieve a time below 1:45 in the 800m soon.”

Results from Day 2 of the 65th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships:

Men:

200m (AG Q Time 20.88 seconds): Animesh Kujur (Odisha) 20.74 seconds, Dondapathi Mruthy Jayaram (Odisha) 20.97 secs, Jishnu Prasad PK (Kerala) 21.18 secs.

800m (AG Q Time 1:48.80 seconds): Mohammed Afsal P (Kerala) 1:48.57 secs, Krishan Kumar (Haryana) 1:48.82 secs, Prathamesh Deore (Maharashtra) 1:48.89 secs.

Discus throw (AG Q Mark 60.13m): Kirpal Singh (Chandigarh) 57.37m, Nirbhay Singh (Haryana) 55.26m, Arjun (Delhi) 54.90m.

21km race walk (AG Q Time 1:25:37.00): Sevin Sebastian (Tamil Nadu) 1:31:49.00, Sachin Bohra (Uttarakhand) 1:32:10.00, Ningthoukhongja (Manipur) 1:32:24.00.

Decathlon (AG Q Mark 7250 points): Thowfeeq N (Kerala) 7276 points, Kushal Mohite (Maharashtra) 7251 points, Jasbir Nayak (Odisha) 7131 points.

Women:

200m (AG Q Time 23.70 seconds): Harita Bhadra (Maharashtra) 23.14 seconds, Unnathi Bollanda (Karnataka) 23.40 seconds, Prakruthi Poopa Rao (Karnataka) 23.58 seconds.

800m (AG Q Time 2:05.21 seconds): Gowthami Jayaraman (Tamil Nadu) 2:04.17, Pooja (Haryana) 2:04.37 secs, Lili Das (Uttarakhand) 2:04.59 secs.

Shot put (AG Q Mark 16.25m): Manpreet Kaur (Haryana) 17.75m, Krishna Jayashankar (Tamil Nadu) 16.69m, Srishti Vig (Delhi) 16.96m.

Pole vault (AG Q Mark 4.10m): Sindhushree G (Karnataka) 4.25m (NR previous national record 4.23m set by Baranica), Baranica Elangovan (Tamil Nadu) 4.20m, Nitika Akare (Madhya Pradesh) 4.10m.