Rajasthan’s Chuki Birda set a new national record in women’s U20 pole vault after clearing 3.91 metres at the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai on October 24. Her clearance at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium surpassed the previous national record of 3.90m set by Vanshika Ghanghas in 2025.
Birda also broke the existing meet record of 3.80m, winning gold ahead of Kerala’s Jeena Basil, who cleared 3.80m, and Madhya Pradesh’s Tanishka Dayma, who managed 3.50m. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) officially recorded Birda’s effort as both a national record and meet record.
Breaking Two Records
Birda improved the national benchmark by one centimetre, while simultaneously moving beyond the existing championship mark. AFI’s official results show that she won the event with 932 points, followed by Basil with 898 points and Dayma with 807 points. Basil’s 3.80m clearance matched the previous meet record, but Birda went higher to establish the new benchmark.
The performance came on the second day of the championships and was one of four record-breaking efforts reported that day. AFI said Telangana’s Lodenge Ramu broke the U18 men’s 400m national record, while Uttar Pradesh’s Tanu Chaudhary set a new meet record in the U18 women’s 400m. Tamil Nadu’s Tharanesh C also improved the boys’ U16 shot-put record.
Surpassing A 2025 Mark
Birda’s record came after Vanshika Ghanghas cleared 3.90m in Prayagraj in June 2025, setting the previous national mark. AFI’s official results from that competition show Ghanghas winning with 3.90m, while Birda finished third after clearing 3.50m.
That progression makes Birda’s latest performance particularly significant. She has now moved from a 3.50m clearance at the 2025 U20 Federation Championships to 3.91m at the national junior championships in 2026 — an improvement of 41 centimetres over that documented performance.
The 2026 championships were held from October 23 to 27 at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and featured 1,901 athletes across 98 events, according to the AFI.
From Kabaddi To Pole Vault
Birda’s journey to the national record has been unconventional. A profile published after her record describes how the 19-year-old initially played kabaddi before moving into running and hurdles and eventually pole vault. Her mentor, government-school teacher Ram Nivas Sahu, said her speed first caught his attention after she was asked to run as a school punishment.
Sahu said they initially knew little about pole vault and began learning its basics through videos on YouTube. Support later came through Nidhi Chaudhari, an IAS officer and Sahu’s former classmate, and the Mumbai-based Parmarth Seva Samiti, which he said provided equipment worth ₹10 lakh. Birda now trains in Haryana under Captain Ramdari Singh.
Birda also spoke about the challenges behind the record. She said she had suffered injuries two or three times and that reaching 3.91m had taken considerable time. She credited her parents for supporting her and said she hopes to perform well at the senior level next year.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Birda’s national record marks an important transition point in her junior career. Her 3.91m clearance has established a new domestic benchmark, but she will soon face the challenge of carrying that momentum into senior athletics, where competition and performance standards become considerably tougher.
Her story also highlights the role that mentors, coaches, equipment and sustained competition can play in developing athletes outside the country’s most established sporting pathways. From a school punishment that revealed her running ability to learning the basics of pole vault through online videos, Birda’s progression has been shaped by a combination of opportunity, support and persistence.
The record itself is now officially recognised by the AFI, while Birda’s own comments show that she sees it as a step towards her next goal rather than an endpoint. As young athletes continue to push India’s national records higher, what more should be done to help them make the transition from promising juniors to successful senior athletes on the international stage?
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