Eighteen-year-old Anushka Yadav produced the performance of the day at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, rewriting the Indian record books in the women’s hammer throw at the Kalinga Stadium on Wednesday (June 24).
The Uttar Pradesh athlete launched the hammer to a stunning 67.02m in her final attempt to break the national record, meet record and Asian Games qualification standard in one sensational outing.
Anushka surpassed the previous national record of 65.25m set by Sarita Singh in 2017, while also eclipsing the meet record of 65.03m. Her winning mark comfortably cleared the Asian Games qualification standard of 61.72m.
Already the holder of the U20 national record and National Games record, the Baghpat athlete further strengthened her credentials as one of India’s brightest athletics prospects.
What made the performance even more remarkable was the consistency she displayed throughout the competition. Anushka crossed the national record mark as early as her second attempt before producing an even bigger throw in the final round.
Her series read: 62.07m, 65.64m (National Record), 64.81m, 61.89m, Foul, and 67.02m (National Record).
Having already broken the long-standing national mark in the second round, Anushka saved her best for last, unleashing the biggest throw ever by an Indian woman in the event to cap a memorable evening.
Jyothi Yarraji Makes Winning Return in Bhubaneswar
Another major talking point on the opening day was the return of national record holder Jyothi Yarraji after nearly a year away from competition due to injury.
The Andhra Pradesh hurdler showed little sign of rust as she clocked 12.99 seconds to win the women’s 100m hurdles title and comfortably breach the Asian Games qualification standard of 13.34 seconds.
India’s hurdles queen had been sidelined for almost a year with a serious injury, making her successful comeback one of the most encouraging stories of the championships.
Tamil Nadu’s Nandhini Kongan also impressed in the event, clocking 13.24 seconds to equal her personal best and secure Asian Games qualification.
Dev Meena Breaks Pole Vault National Record
The men’s pole vault witnessed another record-breaking performance as Madhya Pradesh’s Dev Meena cleared 5.46m to set a new national record.
The mark bettered the previous national record of 5.45m and also surpassed the meet record of 5.20m. Meena’s clearance additionally secured him qualification for the Asian Games, with the standard set at 5.45m.
“I was confident that I would get a good shot. I was confident, so I got a 5’6″,” the MP athlete told myKhel.
“I have done a lot. I have to make my family proud. That is very important. And, I have to make my coach proud,” the 20-year-old long jumper added further. His performance added another national record to a highly productive opening day for Indian athletics.
Asha Ilango Rewrites Meet Record
Tamil Nadu’s I. Asha Ilango emerged victorious in the women’s triple jump with a leap of 13.89m. The effort broke the meet record of 13.72m and comfortably surpassed the Asian Games qualification mark of 13.34m, earning her a spot among India’s leading contenders for the continental event.
Gulveer Singh Wins 5000m Gold
In the morning session on Day 1, Asian Championships medallist Gulveer Singh claimed gold in the men’s 5000m after producing a strong finish in the closing stages of the race.
The Uttar Pradesh runner clocked 13:52.92 to finish ahead of defending champion Abhishek Pal (13:54.18) and Harmanjot Singh (13:54.60).
Despite securing the title, Gulveer was unable to meet the Asian Games qualification standard of 13:39.18 and will now look towards the 1500m later in the championships.
Seema Takes Women’s 5000m Crown
Himachal Pradesh’s Seema won the women’s 5000m title with a time of 16:11.04. While she comfortably secured the gold medal, her performance remained outside the Asian Games qualification standard of 15:36.58.
Fast Times in Men’s 800m Heats
The men’s 800m heats delivered several notable performances, with multiple athletes going under the Asian Games qualification standard of 1:48.80.
Among those who achieved the mark were:
- Mogali Venkatram Re – 1:47.46
- Mohammed P – 1:47.49
- Krishan Kumar – 1:47.57
The performances set the stage for a highly competitive final.
Thowfeeq Leads Decathlon
In the men’s decathlon, Kerala’s Thowfeeq N finished Day 1 at the top of the standings with 3855 points after five events.
With two national records, multiple meet records and a host of Asian Games qualification standards achieved, the opening day of the championships provided a strong indication that Indian athletics is building impressive momentum ahead of the 2026 Asian Games.