Uttarakhand and Punjab athletes showcased outstanding performances in the women's athletics events at the National Games. Ankita from Uttarakhand secured gold in the women's 3000m steeplechase, clocking a time of 9 minutes and 53.63 seconds.
Sports News: Dev Kumar Meena of Madhya Pradesh created history at the National Games 2025, winning gold in the men's pole vault with a national record-breaking jump of 5.32 meters. Competing in Dehradun, Dev successfully defended his 2023 title, surpassing S Shiva's national record of 5.31 meters set at the 2022 Gujarat National Games.
The 19-year-old Dev's performance bettered his previous best of 5.20 meters achieved at the India Open Under-23 competition in Patna. On the third day of the athletics competitions, eight gold medals were at stake, with Punjab winning three, while Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, the Army, Tamil Nadu, and the host state Uttarakhand each secured one gold medal.
Uttar Pradesh's Anushka Yadav Makes History in Shot Put
After breaking the national record in the men's pole vault, Dev Kumar Meena stated that the journey to this achievement was long and arduous. Coming from a farming family, Dev credited his family and coach as the biggest pillars of his success. He expressed his desire to achieve something extraordinary and succeeded in making history at the National Games. Tamil Nadu's G. Regan won the silver medal with a 5-meter performance, and Uttar Pradesh's Kuldeep Kumar secured the bronze medal with a 5-meter jump.
In the women's hammer throw, Uttar Pradesh's Anushka Yadav won gold with a Games record throw of 62.89 meters, surpassing the 2023 National Games record (62.47 meters) set by her state-mate Tanya Chaudhary. Anushka's achievement marks another proud moment for Uttar Pradesh's athletics.
Other Medal Winners
On Monday, Uttar Pradesh's Tanya Chaudhary won silver in the women's hammer throw with a 59.74-meter throw, while her state-mate Nandini secured bronze with a 58.89-meter performance. In the men's shot put, national record holder Tejinder Pal Singh Toor of Punjab won gold with a 19.74-meter throw. Last year's champion, Madhya Pradesh's Samardeep Singh Gill, won silver with 19.38 meters, and Punjab's Prabhkirpal Singh won bronze with a 19.04-meter throw.
Andhra Pradesh's Jyothi Yarraji, who won gold in the women's 100m hurdles on Sunday, qualified for the 200m final with a time of 23.85 seconds in her heat. The Army's Sumit Kumar won gold in the men's 3000m steeplechase with a time of 8 minutes and 46.26 seconds. Additionally, the Tamil Nadu 4x400m relay team (Gitsun Dharmare, Akash Babu, Vasan, and Ashwin Krishna) also secured a victory.
