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There are performances that win competitions, and then there are performances that change the conversation. Tajinderpal Singh Toor’s 21.03m throw at the Indian Athletics Series-4 belongs firmly in the second category.
On paper, it is a winning mark. In reality, it is something more, a signal that one of India’s most accomplished field athletes has found his way back.
For nearly three years, the 21-metre barrier had remained untouched by Toor. In shot put, that number is not just a statistic; it is a benchmark that separates the good from the elite. Crossing it again is less about one throw and more about restoring belief both personal and public.
“I’m really happy to have crossed 21 metres again after three years,” Toor said, acknowledging a phase where performances did not match expectations.
His series in New Delhi told its own story. There was no desperation, no reliance on a single big effort. Instead, there was control multiple throws beyond 20 metres, gradual build-up, and finally, the breakthrough at 21.03m. That kind of consistency is often a better indicator of form than a one-off big throw.
But numbers alone do not capture the journey behind this performance.
The past two years have been difficult. Injuries disrupted rhythm, including an ankle issue that forced him to step away from training for months. “I had to stop training for 5–6 months… my body became very unfit,” he admitted.
There were also personal challenges, moments that do not appear in result sheets but leave a lasting impact. In such phases, athletes often face not just physical setbacks, but public doubt. Toor did too.
“People say it’s over for me… but why should I leave?” he asked.
That question defines this comeback.
What makes this performance significant is not just the distance, but the direction. It places Toor back among Asia’s leading shot putters at a time when competition on the continent is steadily rising. It also restores India’s presence in an event that saw a dip last season, when even the 20m mark went untouched domestically.
Yet, Toor himself is not satisfied.
“The throw I’ve been achieving in training, I haven’t managed to replicate it in competition yet,” he said, making it clear that 21.03m is not his end goal.
That mindset may be the most important takeaway. For an athlete who already owns the national record (21.77m), this phase is not about proving ability, it is about chasing excellence again.
There is also a larger vision at play. Toor wants to raise the standard of Indian shot put. “I want to set such a big Indian record that even 21 metres starts to look like a small mark,” he said.
That ambition goes beyond individual success. It speaks to a shift in mindset from competing within limits to redefining them. For now, the message is simple and clear.
21 metres is no longer a memory for Toor. It is once again his starting point.

Tanya Chaudhary hadn’t even planned to compete. Recovering from a fever, the expectation was simple: rest, reset, move on. Instead, she showed up—and took control of the women’s hammer throw at the Indian Athletics Series – 3.

Her series told the story of someone finding rhythm on the fly. 58.09m to open. Then 61.29m—the winning mark. Another over 60m at 60.70m. A miss. And finally, 59.27m to close.

First place, comfortably.

There was no perfect build-up, no ideal conditions. Just execution. Chaudhary crossed the 60m mark twice, a benchmark that matters, especially when the body isn’t fully there.

She later told Nnis Sports that competing wasn’t even part of the plan. But once inside the circle, that changed. The throws weren’t just enough—they were decisive.

Shaili Singh is currently leading the women’s long jump after three rounds at the Indian Athletics Series in New Delhi.

She recorded a best jump of 6.24m in her second attempt and chose to pass her third attempt.

Mubassina Mohammed is in second place with a best of 6.05m, achieved in her third attempt.

So far, these are the only two athletes to have crossed the 6m mark in the competition.

Series so far:
• Mubassina — 5.98m, foul, 6.05m
• Shaili — foul, 6.24m, pass

The competition remains open heading into the remaining rounds.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) will host the 1st Indian Indoor Open Combined Events & Pole Vault Competition 2026 on May 2–3 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The competition promises high drama with India’s top pole vaulters in peak form:

With multiple athletes performing at record-breaking levels, the Bhubaneswar meet is set to be a showcase of India’s indoor athletics talent.

Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has made an indelible mark early in the athletics season. At the Champions Track and Field meet in Diyagama, Pathirage unleashed a monumental throw of 89.37m. This remarkable performance did not just secure victory; it established a new personal best, set a meet record, and instantly became the world-leading mark for the event. With this single effort, Pathirage has surged into the elite ranks of Asian javelin throwers, placing him alongside celebrated names like Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem.

 

In an exclusive interview following his historic performance, Pathirage detailed the disciplined mindset and methodical approach that fuelled this breakthrough.

But the story isn’t just the 89.37m figure on the scoreboard. It’s the meticulous, step-by-step architectural process required to build a throw of that magnitude.

“Did I expect this so early? No, not really,” Pathirage told NNIS Sports in an exclusive discussion. “My goal was just to improve my season best by a few meters.”

This understated answer reveals the engine driving his ascent. While outside observers see the explosive anomaly of a near-90-meter throw, Pathirage sees the culmination of a deliberate construction project.

The 2025 season was the laboratory for this consistency. To understand the leap Pathirage has made, one must look at the blueprint of his progression over the last 12 months. This was not a linear spike, but a grinding escalation of his baseline performance.

Just one year ago, crossing the 80-meter barrier was a rare achievement for him—a feat he managed only once in the entire 2024 season. In 2025, that narrative evaporated. He eclipsed 80m in all 11 competitions he entered. He pushed past 85m multiple times. He locked in the Sri Lankan national record.

“We saw good signs in training, but I was really impressed because it came in the final attempt,” Pathirage noted of the Diyagama throw. That ability to deliver standard-setting distances in the clutch is built on thousands of deliberate, basic repetitions. It is a synergy of technical precision, physical load management, and psychological resilience.

When pressed on how he engineered this transformation from a good continental competitor to a global pacesetter, Pathirage deflects to the process.

“After every success, I set a new target,” Pathirage said. “My coach tells me to focus on basics. If you do that, results come automatically.”

When asked the inevitable question—the one regarding the “magical” 90-meter mark—Pathirage remained characteristically detached from the outcome.

“Who knows? The season is still young,” he said calmly. “Let’s see.”

It isn’t an evasion; it’s an acknowledgement that if he continues to follow the process—focusing on health, managing loads, and refining the basics—the big numbers will be the inevitable consequence of that work.

Perhaps his final thought best captures the connection between his personal athletic development and the broader context of his sport in Sri Lanka. It is an understanding that every micro-progression in his game ripples outward.

“When I improve by one centimeter,” Pathirage said, “my nation moves forward by one centimeter.”

 

The 2026 season has started with consistent performances in men’s pole vault across multiple competitions in India and abroad.

At the Indian Athletics Series – 2 held in Jaipur, Dev Meena cleared 5.25m on his first attempt. He later tried 5.35m but could not clear the height and finished second in the competition.

Kuldeep Kumar also cleared 5.25m to take the top position, while Avneesh Kumar finished third with a clearance of 5.00m. This marked the third time in his career that Avneesh has crossed the 5m mark.

Earlier in the season, Dev Meena had opened his campaign at the Indian Open Jumps with a clearance of 5.25m. After that, the bar was raised to 5.35m, where attempts were unsuccessful.

In another major competition, Dev Meena cleared 5.40m at the Nantou Sun Moon Lake International Pole Vault Invitational in Taiwan, equalling the national record. He also attempted 5.50m but was unable to clear it. This was his second competition of the season.

Kuldeep Kumar has shown steady progress this year. He achieved a personal best of 5.25m at the Indian Open Jumps in Bengaluru and has maintained similar performances in consecutive competitions. In the previous season, he had crossed 5.00m in four competitions.

Another notable performance this season came from Reegan Ganesh, who cleared 5.35m at the Indian Athletics Series – 1, becoming one of the top performers in Indian pole vault history.

Compared to previous seasons, where there was a clear gap at the national level, the 2026 season has seen multiple athletes producing similar results around the 5.25m–5.40m range. This has increased competition within the field.

The qualification mark for the Asian Games 2026 stands at 5.45m. So far, no Indian male pole vaulter has achieved this mark. However, multiple athletes have already crossed the Commonwealth Games standard this season.

Selections for upcoming major events will be decided through key domestic competitions. The Federation Cup will determine qualification for the Commonwealth Games, while the Inter-State Championships will play a role in Asian Games selection.

Looking at recent results, consistent performances above 5.00m have become more frequent. The focus now shifts towards achieving higher clearances in the coming months as athletes aim to reach the 5.45m qualification standard.

Murali Sreeshankar delivered another strong performance, recording 8.13m in the men’s long jump at the Indian Athletics Series-1 in Bengaluru.

His best jump came in the third attempt, making him the only Indian to cross the 8m mark in the competition.

With this effort, he also became one of the few Asian athletes to breach 8m in 2026.

Returning from injury last season, Sreeshankar has maintained consistency, having crossed the 8m mark in three out of six competitions in 2025.

Ancy Sojan made a strong start to her 2026 outdoor season by winning gold in the women’s long jump at the Indian Athletics Series – 1 in Bengaluru.
She secured the top spot with a jump of 6.54m, which came in her very first attempt. It turned out to be her best mark of the day and set the tone for the competition.
Ancy delivered a consistent series throughout the event: 6.54m, 6.48m, 6.47m, 6.48m, 6.50m, and one foul.
The competition was held at the Kanteerava Stadium, a venue that has been very special for Ancy.
She had earlier registered her personal best of 6.71m at this same stadium in 2024. She also jumped 6.52m here during the Indian Grand Prix. Now, she has added another strong performance of 6.54m at the same ground.
Clearly, Bengaluru continues to be her “happy hunting ground.”
Shaili Singh finished second with a best jump of 6.52m. However, it was not her best outing.
She recorded four consecutive fouls, which affected her rhythm in the competition.
Despite having a personal best of 6.76m, Shaili has crossed the 6.60m mark only once in last year, a 6.64m jump at the Federation Cup. While she won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships last year, her overall performances have been average. This is something that could be a concern going forward.
Today, Moumita Mondal secured third place with a jump of 6.37m, completing the podium.
Ancy has been in impressive form this year. She recently won a bronze medal at the Asian Indoor Championships 2026 with a jump of 6.21m.
This first place is especially important because she had to end her previous season early due to injury. Now, she looks fully fit and confident.
She is currently India’s third-best long jumper and still improving.

Aadarsh Ram’s strong form in 2026 continued as he delivered a brilliant performance at the Indian Athletics Series – 1 in Bengaluru, winning the men’s high jump with a new personal best of 2.23m.

He looked confident and composed throughout the competition, clearing 2.23m with ease to finish comfortably in first place. This mark improved his previous personal best of 2.21m, which he had achieved last year at the Inter-State Athletics Championships, where he won the silver medal.

Aadarsh has been in excellent form this season. Earlier in 2026, he secured the first international medal of his career, winning bronze at the Asian Indoor Championships with a best jump of 2.19m.

Interestingly, Aadarsh was originally set to begin his outdoor season at the Indian Open Jumps competition. However, he had to skip the event due to rehabilitation. Speaking to NNIS Sports, he said, “I will not take part in the Indian Open Jumps as I am undergoing rehabilitation. I will open my outdoor season at the Indian Athletics Series 1 in Bengaluru.”

That decision clearly paid off, as he returned fresh and delivered his best-ever performance.

Meanwhile, World Championships 2025 finalist Sarvesh Kushare also showed signs of regaining form. He cleared a season-best 2.23m at the same competition, matching Aadarsh’s winning mark.

However, Kushare’s 2026 season has been a mixed one so far. He started the year by winning gold at the Indian Open Jumps in Bengaluru with a modest 2.16m. He then competed at the National Indoor Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, where he was surprisingly beaten by local athlete Swadhin Kumar, settling for silver with a jump of 2.15m.

After his impressive performances on the international stage last year, expectations were high from Kushare, but his season has not begun as strongly as anticipated.

Still, his 2.23m effort in Bengaluru is a positive sign and suggests that he is getting back to his best.

With Aadarsh Ram hitting new heights and Sarvesh Kushare finding rhythm again, Indian high jump looks set for an exciting season ahead.

Reagan Ganesh continued his strong start to the season with another personal best, clearing 5.35m at the Indian Series-1.

This comes after his previous PB of 5.30m at the National Indoor Championships, marking back-to-back improvements in two competitions.

With this performance, he moves to second on India’s all-time list, behind Dev Meena (5.40m).

Ganesh also attempted 5.41m, the national record mark, but was unsuccessful.

His early-season form shows consistent progression, with two competitions resulting in two personal bests.

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