Bhubaneswar, June 24 (IANS) Teenager Anushka Yadav stole the spotlight on the opening day of the 56th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2026 in Bhubaneswar, shattering the women’s hammer throw national record and securing qualification for the 2026 Asian Games with a sensational performance at the Kalinga Stadium on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old produced a series of impressive throws. She started with 62.07m, easily surpassing the Asian Games qualifying mark of 61.72m. She then improved to 65.64m before achieving the best throw of her career on her final attempt, sending the hammer to 67.02m.

This effort broke the long-standing national record of 65.25m set by Sarita Singh nine years ago and made Anushka the new national record holder for India. Her remarkable performance also highlighted her as one of the nation’s most exciting young talents in field events.

The day also saw another national record in the men’s pole vault. Dev Kumar Meena continued his impressive rise by clearing 5.46m. This mark improved the national record he had shared with Kuldeep Kumar at 5.45m and met the Asian Games qualification standard. It was Dev’s second consecutive performance breaking the national record, showcasing the rapid growth of Indian pole vaulting.

This achievement for Dev Meena came just a month after he shared the national record with Kuldeep Kumar at the Federation Cup in Ranchi, where both athletes cleared 5.45m. By going one centimetre higher in Bhubaneswar, Dev now holds the national record alone.

This accomplishment marks Dev’s second consecutive national record-breaking performance. It also showcases the impressive progress in Indian men’s pole vault. Notably, the national record has been improved five times in less than two years, showing the increasing depth and competitiveness in this event.

Dev showed impressive consistency throughout the competition, successfully clearing the bar at 5.46m. This not only rewrote the record books but also strengthened his standing ahead of important international events.

In the women’s triple jump, I. Isha Elango achieved a personal-best leap of 13.89m to assert her dominance in the event. She had already exceeded the Asian Games qualifying standard of 13.34m with a jump of 13.67m earlier in the competition. Elango’s best effort placed her third on India’s all-time list and made her the fourth-best performer in Asia this season.

Earlier, India’s hurdles queen Jyothi Yarraji wasted no time in making a mark on her return after a lengthy injury layoff as she achieved the qualifying standard for the upcoming Asian Games 2026 with a controlled run in the opening heats of the women’s 100m.

The 26-year-old, who hails from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, clocked a competitive 3.14 seconds in her first race of the season.

–IANS

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