Why India’s Pole Vaulters Are Going Viral - And How That’s a Problem

The sports story in India is simple - We want the gold, but we won't carry the poles. The nation will celebrate the height, but the Railways will penalize the length.

At times it feels that the pole vaulters biggest hurdle isn't the bar at 5.40m; it's the length of carbon fibre that the TTE refuses to visualise as a dream. Sadly, we have turned our elite athletes into beggars at the luggage counter, forced to trade their dignity while the nation does it's once every 4-year cycle of muted applause.

Standing on a platform for five hours, being 'harassed' by officials who have no empathy should also be made part of the training. For the athlete, it's trauma. It tells them that they are a nuisance, not a national asset.

Federation sits quiet. SAI has

a studied silence. While the IOA is busy dreaming of the CWG and Olympic Games.

https://x.com/nnis_sports/status/2013253623288049743?s=20

No one will pick the pole vault. Mondo looks good on TV, lets cheer him there. If you're talented, run fast, belong to rural Punjab or MP, one look at the vaulters stuck at the station and you will go for the 100m sprint. Or slip on a pair of boxing gloves.

Why? Because you can carry your shoes in a backpack. You can carry your singlet in a pocket. You don't need the system's permission to travel.

We are trying to build world class stadiums with third-class logistical systems.

Every time Dev Meena is forced off a train, a dozen junior vaulters decide to quit. The loss is immeasurable.