Kuldeep Kumar, an Indian pole vaulter from Madhya Pradesh, broke the men's national pole vault record by clearing 5.41 meters at the inaugural Indian Indoor Open Combined Events and Pole Vault Competition held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This achievement surpassed the previous national record of 5.40 meters set by Dev Kumar Meena last year and also improved the national indoor record of 5.30 meters established by Reegan G earlier in March. Kumar successfully cleared the record height on his first attempt but was unable to surpass 5.46 meters in subsequent attempts. Dev Kumar Meena, who has been a strong competitor in the sport, struggled during the event and secured a bronze medal with a height of 5.20 meters, failing to clear 5.35 meters despite three attempts. Reegan G finished second with a mark of 5.25 meters. Both Meena and Kumar have been training together at the same venue in Madhya Pradesh for over two years, and Meena expressed excitement over the new record set by Kumar, emphasizing the importance of aiming for new goals.