Moments after clinching podium finishes at the competition, Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar were seen arranging an Electric Rickshaw to make sure their key equipment, the pole, travels back to their hotel safely. Not only does it look bizarre but also raises a question – what is the AFI doing
Published: May 27, 2026, 5:34 PM IST
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Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar during the 2026 Federation Cup. (Photo credit: Special arrangement)
Imagine being a National Record holder and then having to send your equipment back to the hotel in the most unusual, unethical and embarrassing way possible. Pole Vaulters Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar, who went back and forth against each other in the recently concluded Federation Cup, had to deal with something similar in Ranchi.
The video, which we will be talking about, explains the current state of Indian Athletics. It also says a lot about the seriousness of those organizing such national level events without proper facilities for athletes who eventually have to bare the brunt, almost always.
Months after Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar were denied to travel through train with their poles by an Indian Railways official, the duo were spotted struggling for the same logistical issues, this time, thankfully not in a railway station but in a competition, which is organized by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).
Moments after clinching podium finishes at the competition, Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar were seen arranging an Electric Rickshaw to make sure their key equipment, the pole, travels back to their hotel safely. Not only does it look bizarre but also raises a question – what is the AFI doing?
Watch the video
Both Dev Meena & Kuldeep Kumar broke the National Record in the Pole Vault at the Nationals earlier.
And after creating history, the champions had to carry their poles like this in a rickshaw♂️@kheloindia @AtheltesLife @PTI_News @BBCHindi @afiindia pic.twitter.com/msKtY86dKs
— IES Satish_ (@Satishies1) May 26, 2026
Do they not know that arranging a bus is the least they can do for the athletes? Or have they forgotten about their roles and responsibilities completely? Or should we just say the AFI just doesn’t care about the welfare of athletes unless they are Olympic medalists.
If this is how the federation backs the athletes, then India is far from becoming a holistic sporting nation because this is just one of the issues that has gone viral on social media. In some AFI competitions, there is no water and sometimes no food either.
These questions are worth asking the federation, which is sleeping all throughout the year but wakes up right before major international competitions. Someone like Dev Meena or Kuldeep Kumar should not be going through this, especially after shattering the National Record twice in the space of 10 minutes or so.
Before Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar were spotted shipping their poles over an E-Rickshaw, the duo had set the stage on fire in the Men’s Pole Vault final at the Birsa Munda Stadium which became a national record fest.
Dev Meena struck first, clearing 5.42m to eclipse the national record of 5.41m set just last month by his own training partner, Kuldeep Kumar. Dev barely had time to finish his celebrations before Kuldeep completely flipped the script.
Kuldeep raised the bar by 3 centimeters, soaring 5.45m to instantly reclaim his crown but Dev, in his next attempt, matched the height with another sensational jump.
Eventually, it was Dev Meena who clinched the gold medal on the basis of making fewer misses (8) as compared to Kuldeep Kumar (9).
