Who is Dev Meena? All you need to know about the national record holder in pole vault

Dev Meena put his best foot forward in the 2025 National Games by setting the national record in the pole vault. The 19-year-old cleared 5.32 meters, surpassing the previous record of 5.31 set by Subramani Siva, who won the gold medal in the 2022 National Games in Gujarat.

Hailing from Madhya Pradesh’s Shifod village in the Dewas district, Meena started his career in pole vault in 2021 at the Tatya Tope Academy in Bhopal under his coach Ghanshyam Yadav.

In 2023, Meena took major steps in his career. The teenager bagged the bronze medal in the Asian U20 Championships that took place in Dubai after clearing 5.10 meters. In the U23 meet in Patna, Meena didn’t let himself down, clearing 5.20 meters.

In 2024, Meena upped his game and clinched the gold medal at the Senior National Federation Cup. The youngster also showed his caliber at the U20 World Championships in Lima.

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Dev Meena is excellent in training: Coach Angel Eduardo Garcia

Meena’s Cuban coach, Angel Eduardo Garcia, praised the Indian athlete for reaping the rewards after he gave his best effort in training sessions.

"It's very good. The conditions of the competition were favorable, and this is my first experience here in India. I think there is a lot of talent, and if they work hard, they will go a long way. Dev jumped his best today, and he is excellent in training,” Garcia was quoted as saying by My Khel.

The Cuban coach also advised Meena to focus more on speed, energy, and gym training. He said that Meena has the potential to go past 5.60 meters.

Despite his impressive performance in the National Games, Meena failed to qualify for the Asian Athletics Championship, as the qualification mark set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) was 5.51 meters.