National record holder pole vaulter, coach forced by Railways to pay to travel with kits

India’s national pole vault record holder Dev Kumar Meena and his coach Ghanshyam were subjected to a humiliating experience as they had to get off the train after they were not allowed to carry their sports equipment at Panvel Railway Station.

They were initially asked to leave their equipment behind by the Travel Ticket Inspector (TTE) but were allowed entry after much pleading and payment of a fine, the incident sparking outrage on social media.

20-year-old Dev, who broke his national record for the third time with a jump of 5.40 meters at the World University Games held in Germany in July 2025, was returning from the All India Inter-University Championships in Mangaluru with his athlete friend Kuldeep and other teammates, who broke the meet record.

Coach Ghanshyam said, “We were returning from Mangaluru and had to take a train from Panvel to Bhopal. While some players were sitting near the poles outside the station, I went out to eat and the ticket collector asked them to remove the equipment.” he said. PTI Bhasha On Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

“I went and explained that these were pole vaulting poles and showed him our participation certificates and medals, but he said that the equipment should be sent to the luggage compartment,” he said.

Meanwhile, Central Railway CPRO said that none of the railway personnel intended to hurt the sentiments of any player.

“We respect the players. We had requested them to separate the pole from Panvel in the luggage compartment as the dimensions were larger than the permissible limit,” the official said. he said. PTI.

“Contrary to allegations made in social media posts, the truth is that the train was rescheduled for a late run. There was no intention of any railway staff to hurt the sentiments of any player,” he added.

Mr Ghanshyam said the pole vaulting poles were about five meters long and could not fit into the luggage van without risking damage.

“The poles are made of fiberglass and are extremely expensive; one pole costs around ₹2 lakh. There is a danger of it breaking due to the way the luggage is carried. We had six or seven poles with us,” he added.

The coach said athletes often travel in Third AC and carefully place poles over fans in sleeping or general compartments to avoid disturbing passengers.

“There is also a risk of theft, so we have to keep checking for them. We even showed the ticket collector that the poles were not causing any trouble to anyone, but he insisted that we either pay ₹8,000 or leave the poles at the station,” said Mr. Ghanshyam.

“I pleaded with him, asking where I would get ₹8,000 from and how the poles would be moved even if we paid the money.” he added.

In a bid to resolve the issue, Mr Ghanshyam contacted Olympian Ranjit Maheshwari, a railway sports officer in Mumbai, and his wife VS Surekha, also a former pole vaulter.

“Both of them told the ticket collector not to harass the athletes and said it would be a big shame if the issue was aired on social media. We even showed a letter from the sports department of the Madhya Pradesh government stating that it was a sports equipment and permission should be given for its transportation, but it was ignored,” he said.

Due to the distress, the athletes missed the train and after repeated appeals lasting about four to five hours, they were finally allowed to travel after being charged a fine of ₹ 1,875 for carrying 80 kg of equipment, which they paid from their own pockets.

Mr Ghanshyam, who has completed an International Level 1 coaching course and is pursuing a PhD in Physical Education, described the incident as extremely disappointing.

Asian Under-20 bronze medalist Dev echoed his coach’s concerns and called for a permanent solution.

“I am an international athlete and if this is happening to me in India, we can imagine what young athletes are going through. This is not new,” Dev said.

“Just as there are regulations regarding the travel of athletes, there should be clear guidelines and a proper system for transporting athletic equipment such as poles and javelins,” he added.

“We have no complaints against anyone. Our only wish is that an athlete’s equipment reaches the competition safely. Athletes and coaches face many challenges and such incidents only disrupt focus and preparation,” Dev said.

It was published – 21 January 2026 03:37 IST