Beyond 5.45m: Unseen struggle of India’s pole vaulters

RANCHI: It was quite a sight watching pole vaulters Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar struggle to get their poles onto an electric rickshaw outside Birsa Munda Stadium just hours after jointly setting the national record of 5.45m on the third day of the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition here on Sunday.With hardly anyone around, the trio of Dev, his brother Raj and Kuldeep managed to load the poles onto the rickshaw only after assuring the driver that they were just ‘plastic pipes’. In reality, there were 10 poles worth nearly Rs 15 lakh, equipment not even manufactured in India and sourced from a US company, UCS Spirit, with a delivery time of 30-35 days. This, however, isn’t a one-off incident.“Every time we book four or five rickshaws hoping that someone will agree to take us, because drivers are worried about getting into trouble for carrying poles like this,” said Dev, who won the title on countback on Sunday night and qualified for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July. The bigger concern, however, arises once the vehicle starts moving.“We brief the driver, monitor the surroundings and tell them to drive slowly. If they’re at 40 kmph, we ask them to slow down to 20. If they’re using their phones, we tell them to focus on the road,” said their coach Ghanshyam Yadav, a day after his wards made history. “Sometimes it takes longer to reach the venue, but safety is more important than speed.”To minimise risk, they start early from their hotel, often more than an hour before other athletes. Even Tejaswin Shankar faced a similar concern while travelling back with the poles strapped atop a car after his decathlon event on Saturday, even telling the driver, “Try not to hit the brake too often.”While local travel is one challenge, transporting the poles by train is another concern.Two recent incidents highlight the issue. In January, Kuldeep and Dev were removed from a train and briefly detained at Panvel station after ticket examiners objected to the poles being carried inside the coach, calling them “steel pipes”.Last month, Railway Protection Force personnel cut the ropes securing Tamil Nadu athletes’ poles to a train window as they returned from a meet. To save the equipment, U20 Federation Cup champion Kavinraja jumped off the moving train along with two others.These issues also affect their performance, and keeping this in mind, the athletes travelled by air for the Ranchi meet although it’s not a sustainable solution for all.“All our expenses are being taken care of by the Madhya Pradesh government, so it’s fine for us. But what about athletes at the grassroots level?” asked Ghanshyam.He has a suggestion for the sports and railway authorities.“We would request better logistical support, especially during competitions. For example, trains could have additional coaches or better facilities for athletes travelling with equipment. Even a little priority would make a big difference,” said the former pole vaulter.“Athletes don’t just compete for themselves; they represent their state and country. When they win medals, everyone celebrates, so some support at the early stages is very important.”It’s certainly a valid suggestion. Not only would better arrangements help them stay fresh, but it would also ease their travel concerns.