Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar shattered the national pole vault record at the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition, clearing 5.45m. Meena won gold on countback. Both athletes met the Commonwealth Games qualification standard.
Ancy Sojan won gold in the long jump at the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition with a leap of 6.75m, setting a new personal best and meet record. She overcame a hormonal issue that made weight loss difficult, requiring strict diet and training discipline.
Deepak Bhatt of Uttarakhand won the men's 10,000m race at the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition, clocking a personal best. Shivaji Parashuram, who initially finished second, was disqualified for stepping outside the track limits. Several athletes struggled with heat and humidity.
Usain Bolt has warned Australian teenage sprint star Gout Gout that his first year in senior athletics will be challenging, telling the 18-year-old to expect setbacks as he faces the world's best sprinters. Gout, who has already run 200m faster than Bolt did as a teenager, is set to race against the likes of Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek and Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo in 2026. Bolt, who overcame injury struggles and off-track distractions before becoming a world champion at 21, emphasized the importance of handling defeat and having the right support team.
