BENGALURU: Pole vaulter Dev Meena, and triple jumper Abdulla Aboobacker shone on Day 1 of the Indian Open Jumps competition at the Anju Bobby High Performance Centre on Saturday.
While Aboobacker and Praveen Chithravel locked horns in a gripping triple jump contest, the pole vault arena produced equally thrilling moments with Meena and Kuldeep Kumar, both representing Madhya Pradesh, giving a run for their money.
In the triple-jump pit, Aboobacker had the upper hand.Representing the Air Force, Aboobacker got his rhythm right in his third attempt to take home the gold medal with a distance of 16.83m. he improved his mark from 16.05m in the first attempt to 16.57m in his second. Chithravel's 16.78m leap earned him silver in the season-opening competition. “He got some good speed and strength, but needs to improve his ankle work, which we are focusing on now in training,” Chithravel's coach and former Cuban triple jumper Yoandri Betanzos said.
For the pole vault event, the crossbar was set at 5.25 metres for the decisive attempts. Both athletes cleared it successfully, leaving them as the final two competitors in the competition. For Kuldeep Kumar, this breakthrough jump represented a significant new personal best, surpassing his previous mark of 5.15 metres.
Meena, who holds the national record of 5.40m, used the event as a confident season opener. After securing the win at 5.25m, he pushed further. After successfully clearing 5.35m, he narrowly missed out on bettering his national record. Kuldeep, meanwhile, fell short at 5.35m after three attempts.
"We had to prepare well. Both (Meena & Kuldeep) of us came with the mindset to clear the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games cut-offs," he told this daily.
He also called on the government to improve the condition of stadiums and facilities across India to better support athletes' training and development. He also comes a few months after a horror train journey where his pole-vault equipment was a subject of debate, “I have not yet received any help from the ministry. I didn’t take any chances (on travelling via train). This time, I took flight to Bengaluru,” he said.
Adding to the day's highlights, 18-year-old Nithya Shree V, from Kaggalahalli village in Budigere achieved a podium finish in the U-18 women's triple jump category. Her father is a farmer, and she dedicated her success to her coach and parents for their unwavering support.
Select results: Men High jump: Sarvesh Kushare 2.16m, Aaditya Raghuvanshi 2.13m, Swadhin Kumar Majhi ; Triple jump: Abdulla Aboobacker 16.83m, Praveen Chithravel 16.78m, Gailey Venister 16.48m.
Men: Pole vault: Dev Meena 5.25m, Kuldeep Kumar 5.25m, M Gowtham 5.10m.
