Sindhushree Breaks Women's Pole Vault National Record at Interstate Championships; Baranica Elangovan and Nitika Akare Also Seal Asian Games Qualification
The women's pole vault competition at the 2026 National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar turned into one of the highlights of the meet, with Karnataka's G. Sindhushree rewriting the Indian record books by clearing 4.25 metres to establish a new national record.
The remarkable leap eclipsed the previous national record of 4.23m, which had been set earlier this year by Baranica Elangovan, and also secured Sindhushree's qualification for the 2026 Asian Games.
Adding to the significance of the event, both Baranica Elangovan and Nitika Akare also cleared the Asian Games qualification standards, making it a memorable day for Indian women's pole vault.
Competing under pressure against some of the country's best vaulters, Sindhushree produced the defining performance of her career when she successfully negotiated the bar at 4.25m. The clearance not only earned her the gold medal but also established a new benchmark in Indian athletics, surpassing Baranica Elangovan's previous national record of 4.23m. The achievement reflects the rapid progress Indian women's pole vault has made in recent years, with athletes consistently pushing the national standard higher and challenging one another to greater heights.
By crossing 4.25m, Sindhushree also comfortably exceeded the Asian Games qualification mark, ensuring her place among India's leading medal hopefuls for the continental competition.
Although she surrendered her national record to Sindhushree, Baranica Elangovan still had plenty to celebrate in Bhubaneswar. The accomplished vaulter successfully cleared 4.15 metres, matching the qualification standard required for the 2026 Asian Games and guaranteeing her place in the Indian squad. Even more impressive was the manner in which she achieved the mark. Baranica cleared both 4.10m and 4.15m on her first attempts, demonstrating consistency and technical excellence under competition conditions.
Her 4.15m clearance also improved upon the previous meet record of 4.10m that had been established by Pavithra Venkatesh in 2023, further underlining the quality of the competition.
Having held the national record earlier this year, Baranica remains one of India's most experienced and dependable pole vaulters heading into the international season.
The strong performances were not limited to Sindhushree and Baranica. Representing Madhya Pradesh, Nitika Akare also enjoyed an excellent competition by clearing 4.10 metres, equalling her personal best while achieving the Asian Games qualification standard. Nitika's result highlighted her growing consistency and rewarded months of dedicated preparation under coach Ghanshyam, who has also guided national record-holding pole vaulter Dev Meena to success.
Matching her career-best mark on such an important stage reflects Nitika's ability to perform under pressure and positions her as another strong option for India in future international competitions.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the competition was not just the new national record but the collective standard displayed by India's leading women pole vaulters. In previous years, crossing the four-metre barrier itself was considered a significant milestone. Now, Indian athletes are regularly clearing heights well beyond that mark, with multiple competitors comfortably achieving the qualification standards for major championships.
The simultaneous success of Sindhushree, Baranica and Nitika points to increasing depth in the discipline and suggests that healthy domestic competition is helping drive higher performances. Such progress is encouraging for Indian athletics administrators and coaches, who have invested in expanding technical events beyond the country's traditional strengths in track disciplines and javelin.
With the Asian Games approaching, India's women's pole vault contingent appears to be in excellent form. Sindhushree enters the continental season with renewed confidence after becoming the national record holder, while Baranica Elangovan has once again demonstrated her consistency by clearing qualification marks with ease. Nitika Akare's emergence adds further depth and creates healthy competition within the national setup.
The performances in Bhubaneswar also illustrate a broader trend in Indian athletics, where athletes are increasingly using domestic competitions to achieve qualification standards rather than relying solely on overseas meets.
As preparations continue for the Asian Games, the rivalry between Sindhushree and Baranica could become one of the most compelling storylines in Indian field events. More importantly, their success signals that Indian women's pole vault is entering a new era, with multiple athletes capable of pushing national standards higher and competing confidently on the continental stage.
For Indian athletics fans, the record-breaking competition in Bhubaneswar may well be remembered as the moment the country's women pole vaulters collectively announced their arrival as a force to be reckoned with.
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