Long jumper M. Sreeshankar recently described the Asian Games as more important than the Olympics for Indian competitors because of higher medal totals and substantial cash prizes. This incentive drove intense efforts at the sole selection event, the National Inter-State Athletics Championships held in Bhubaneswar. Two lesser-known athletes stood out by setting unexpected national marks and securing places on the Asian Games team. Eighteen-year-old hammer thrower Anushka Yadav and twenty-five-year-old pole vaulter Sindhushree G. each produced career-best results under pressure. Anushka, from a farming family in Uttar Pradesh, began training at age twelve under her father’s guidance and later worked with specialist coaches. After recovering from a knee injury, she threw 67.02 metres in Bhubaneswar, breaking the nine-year-old national record twice and improving her personal best by more than four metres. The mark ranks her among Asia’s top twelve throwers this season. She also qualified for the World Under-20 Championships. Sindhushree, a former quarter-miler, switched to pole vault with her late father’s encouragement. After his passing she continued training with family support and limited resources. At the championships she cleared 4.25 metres, surpassing the previous national record by two centimetres. She used a borrowed pole and credited her coach for the progress. Both athletes now prepare for the Asian Games in September.
