Karnataka’s Sindhushree G., a promising pole vaulter, secured her spot in the Asian Games 2026 by meeting the qualification standards at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar. Sindhushree, aged 26, not only clinched the gold medal but also set a new national record of 4.25m, surpassing the 4.10m Asian Games mark.
Seventeen athletes, including Sindhushree, earned their places for the Asian Games by meeting the criteria set by the Athletics Federation of India. Among them, Nitika Akare from Madhya Pradesh also achieved the 4.10m mark in pole vaulting.
Sindhushree’s remarkable performance included breaking the meet record of 4.10m previously held by Pavithra Venkatesh. Expressing her joy, Sindhushree mentioned her mental preparation for the event and considered the national record as an added bonus.
In other events, athletes excelled by surpassing the Asian Games qualification marks in women’s 200m, 800m, and shot put categories. Animesh Kujur from Odisha stood out in the men’s 200m event, clocking 20.74 seconds to meet the Asian Games mark of 20.88 seconds.
