In a shameful incident, India’s top pole vaulters were forced off a train at Panvel railway station for carrying their vaulting poles, made to wait over four hours and fined.
Amid criticism of the Badminton Association of India’s poorly hosting the Indian Open where matches were halted due to pigeon drops and monkeys were seen in the stands, a new case of apathy against Indian athletes has emerged from Panvel near Mumbai. Two of India’s top pole vaulters – Dev Meena and Kuldeep Yadav – were forced to deboard a train as the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) did not allow them to carry the vaulting poles.
Dev Meena currently holds the Indian national record in pole vault with a 5.40m jump, while Kuldeep is also one of the best athletes in India.
Top Indian pole vaulters shamed at Panvel
The unfortunate incident came to light after NNIS Sports published a video of the incident and shared the footage of the athletes. Both Dev Meena and Kuldeep Yadav were reportedly travelling from Mangaluru to Bhopal after the All India Inter-University Athletics Championships when a TTE forced them to deboard the train at Panvel. Not due to lack of tickets or misconduct, but because he was not happy with them carrying the vaulting poles that cost lakhs of rupees.
As they did not get the permission despite pleading to the TTE, the athletes were stranded at the Panvel Station for four to five hours, missing their connecting train.
“We have been kept waiting here for four to five hours. If this is happening to us, what should I expect for my juniors?” Dev Meena said in a video shared by NNIS Sports. “If these things are still happening to an international-level athlete in India, what can I say?”
🚨 India’s top pole vaulter de-boarded and detained: the 5-metre jump and the 5-hour wait
Pole vault is one of the toughest events in athletics — and travelling with poles makes it even harder.
This time, the challenge came from Indian Railways officials.
Watch how India’s top… pic.twitter.com/l4Hrmf83jS
— nnis Sports (@nnis_sports) January 19, 2026
The athletes were eventually allowed to take a different train after paying a fine and having made to wait over four hours.
“The TTE is saying that passengers have complained, so they can’t allow us to go without paying a fine. We are top pole vaulters and this is happening with us,” said Kuldeep Yadav, who won the gold at the All India Inter-University Athletics Championships with a 5.10m jump.
India’s top pole vaulter Dev Meena pleaded that, for athletes to do well in the sport, the minimum the government can do is allow them to carry their poles without any hiccups to competitions.
“I want to say to Indian Railways that they take some steps so that we can carry our sports equipment. My every pole costs around Rs 2 lakh. We are ready to pay charges, but we need space.”
We only hope that the viral video forces the Indian government to take some quick steps to resolve the issue. But it has definitely exposed how poorly sportspersons continue to be treated in this country, even as we prepare to win the hosting rights for the 2036 Olympics.
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