Haryana’s Pooja delivered the performance of her career at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2026, winning the women’s heptathlon title with 5,619 points and surpassing the Asian Games qualification standard of 5,605 points.
The all-rounder produced a remarkable display of consistency across all seven disciplines, registering five personal bests during the competition. Her outstanding performances culminated in a memorable victory at India’s premier domestic athletics championship, securing both the national title and a place at the upcoming Asian Games.
Pooja began her campaign strongly with 14.48s in the 100m hurdles, earning 912 points, before clearing 1.73m in the high jump to add 891 points. She then produced a personal best of 11.61m in the shot put, collecting 635 points.
Her momentum continued with another lifetime best of 26.15s in the 200m, which earned 784 points. In the long jump, she recorded a personal best of 5.78m for 783 points, followed by another breakthrough performance in the javelin throw, where she achieved 44.88m, adding 761 points to her tally.
Heading into the final event, the 800m, Pooja required a strong performance to reach the Asian Games qualification standard. Rising to the occasion, she produced yet another personal best, clocking 2:17.85s to take her overall score to 5,619 points, comfortably surpassing the required benchmark.
Her ability to deliver five personal bests in seven events highlights the exceptional quality of her performance and reflects the progress she has made as a combined-events athlete. Saving one of her finest competitions for the biggest domestic meet of the season demonstrated both her consistency and competitive temperament.
With the Interstate title secured and Asian Games qualification achieved, Pooja has firmly established herself among India’s leading heptathletes. Her outstanding all-round display stands as one of the most impressive performances of the championships and provides a significant boost for Indian combined events ahead of the continental competition.
Haryana’s Pooja is on the verge of a memorable performance at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2026, leading the women’s heptathlon standings with 4,766 points after the completion of six events.
The all-rounder has enjoyed an outstanding competition so far, delivering consistent performances across multiple disciplines while registering four personal bests during the first six events. Her impressive display has placed her at the top of the leaderboard heading into the decisive 800m, the final event of the heptathlon.
Pooja began her campaign with a 14.48s run in the 100m hurdles, earning 912 points, before clearing 1.73m in the high jump to add 891 points. She continued her strong run with a personal best of 11.61m in the shot put, collecting 635 points.
Her momentum carried into the track events, where she clocked a personal best of 26.15s in the 200m for 784 points. In the long jump, another lifetime best of 5.78m earned her 783 points, while she concluded the sixth event with yet another personal best in the javelin throw, recording 44.88m to collect 761 points.
With four personal bests already achieved during the competition, Pooja has demonstrated remarkable consistency and composure under pressure. Her performances across the six disciplines have positioned her within reach of a major milestone.
The focus now shifts to the concluding 800m, where she will need a performance close to her personal best of 2:18.58 to reach the Asian Games qualification standard of 5,605 points. The final race will determine whether her exceptional all-round effort translates into a place at the continental event.
Having already produced one of the finest competitions of her career, Pooja now stands just one race away from potentially securing Asian Games qualification. All eyes will be on the 800m as she looks to complete an outstanding heptathlon campaign with one final big performance.
India produced a dominant performance in the men’s decathlon at the U20 Asian Athletics Championships 2026, clinching both gold and silver in one of the most demanding events in athletics.
The star of the competition was Rahul Jakhar, who delivered a sensational all-round performance to win gold with a massive tally of 7185 points. In the process, the young Indian shattered the U20 national record and moved to the top of the U20 world rankings for the season.
Adding to India’s celebrations, compatriot Upkar secured silver with 6854 points, ensuring a remarkable one-two finish for the country.
Final standings:
Rahul Jakhar (India) — 7185 points
Upkar (India) — 6854 points
Askar Omirzak (Kazakhstan) — 6774 points
What made Rahul’s performance even more impressive was the sheer consistency across two exhausting days of competition.
The young decathlete registered personal bests in seven out of the ten events — a remarkable indicator not just of talent, but of composure under pressure. The decathlon tests every aspect of an athlete: speed, endurance, strength, technique and mental resilience. To peak across multiple disciplines in a championship setting is rare even at elite level.
Rahul’s score now places him among the most exciting junior combined-event athletes emerging globally this season.
India has traditionally struggled to produce elite-level decathletes despite occasional flashes of promise. Events like the decathlon require access to high-quality coaching, technical infrastructure and long-term athlete development systems across multiple disciplines simultaneously — something difficult to sustain in many athletics programmes.
That is why performances like Rahul’s carry significance beyond just medals.
The rise of athletes like Tejaswin Shankar at senior level had already sparked fresh interest in combined events in India. Now, Rahul Jakhar’s breakthrough suggests another generation may be emerging behind him.
The silver medal by Upkar further highlighted India’s growing depth in the event. Scoring 6854 points at the U20 level is itself a highly competitive performance and underlined how strongly India competed throughout the two days.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect for Indian athletics is that both athletes are still extremely young.
Combined-event athletes often mature later than specialists because mastering ten disciplines takes years of technical development. Strong junior performances therefore become important indicators of long-term potential rather than immediate finished products.
For Rahul, the next challenge will be transitioning these scores onto bigger stages and eventually pushing toward senior international standards.
But for now, Indian athletics can celebrate a rare and emphatic statement in one of track and field’s toughest events.
A gold medal, a silver medal, a national record and the world-leading U20 score of the season — it was a memorable two days for India’s future decathlon stars.
Tejaswin Shankar becomes the first Indian ever to cross 8000 points in Decathlon!!!
Tejaswin has completed the Federation Cup 2026 decathlon with a massive 8057 points, becoming the first Indian in history to breach the 8000-point mark.
A historic performance from India’s national record holder, rewriting the standards of combined events in the country.
What a day it has been for Indian athletics — 100m national record, sub-45s, and now an 8000+ decathlete.
He also breached the CWG qualification standards
Results after 8 events:
–110m Hurdles – 14.23s (945 pts)
– Discus Throw – 37.90m (622 pts)
– Pole Vault – 4.20m (673 pts)
Tejaswin Shankar now moves to 6751 points after 8 events.
Two events still left Javelin Throw and 1500m – 1249 points away from the 8000-point mark – 1036 points away from the CWG qualification standard (7787 pts) – 1075 points away from his own national record (7826 pts)
India’s national record holder Tejaswin Shankar made an impressive start to the decathlon competition at the Federation Cup Athletics Championships in Ranchi, leading the standings after the first three events with 2575 points.
Tejaswin, who has increasingly established himself as one of India’s premier all-round athletes, registered personal best performances in both the 100m and long jump during the morning session.
The 26-year-old clocked 10.77s in the 100m before producing a strong leap of 7.67m in the long jump, both lifetime bests that significantly boosted his early points tally. He then followed it up with a solid 13.31m effort in the shot put to maintain his lead in the standings.
The strong opening session underlined Tejaswin’s growing development in the decathlon, an event that demands consistency across ten disciplines spread over two days.
The Federation Cup is serving as an important competition for athletes targeting international qualification standards ahead of major events next season. Tejaswin is currently chasing the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification mark of 7787 points.
Already India’s national record holder in the decathlon, Tejaswin’s form in Ranchi will be closely watched, particularly because improvements in sprinting and jumping events can significantly influence overall scoring potential in combined events competitions.
Known originally for his achievements in high jump, Tejaswin has successfully transitioned into one of India’s leading decathletes, bringing greater attention to combined events in Indian athletics.
