India – Karnataka’s Sindhushree G stole the spotlight with a record-breaking performance as several Indian athletes achieved the qualification standards for the 2026 Asian Games on the second day of the 65th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
The 26-year-old pole vaulter clinched the gold medal after clearing 4.25 metres, setting a new national record and comfortably surpassing the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) Asian Games qualification mark of 4.10 metres. In the process, she eclipsed the previous national record of 4.23 metres, set recently by Baranica, who claimed the silver medal with a best effort of 4.20 metres.
Sindhushree also rewrote the championship record of 4.10 metres, established by Pavithra Venkatesh in 2023. Delighted with her achievement, she said her primary objective was to secure qualification for the Asian Games, while the national record came as an added reward for her hard work and preparation.
Madhya Pradesh’s Nitika Akare finished third with a clearance of 4.10 metres, making it a memorable event as all three medal winners crossed the Asian Games qualification standard.
The championships witnessed an impressive display of talent, with as many as 17 athletes meeting the AFI qualification benchmarks for the Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19.
The women’s 200m and 800m events also produced remarkable performances, with the top three finishers in both races clocking times faster than the Asian Games qualifying standards. Similarly, all three medallists in the women’s shot put earned qualification for the continental showpiece.
In the men’s 200m, Odisha sprinter Animesh Kujur emerged as the lone athlete to breach the qualification mark of 20.88 seconds. He sprinted to gold in 20.74 seconds, reinforcing his status as one of India’s fastest runners.
The men’s 800m delivered an exciting contest, with Kerala’s Mohammed Afsal winning the gold medal in 1 minute 48.57 seconds, narrowly ahead of Haryana’s Krishan Kumar, who finished second in 1 minute 48.82 seconds. Both athletes successfully achieved the Asian Games qualifying standard of 1:48.80.
Looking ahead, Afsal expressed his ambition to further improve his fitness and target a sub-1:45 timing in the 800m, underlining his determination to compete at a higher international level.
With national records falling and multiple athletes securing qualification, the championships have provided a major boost to India’s preparations for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.
