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Indian athletes delivered several notable performances at the National Open Athletics Championships in New Delhi on October 10, 2026, with Baranica Elangovan winning the women's pole vault and Mubassina Mohammed securing a narrow victory over Shaili Singh in the women's long jump.
Baranica cleared 4.10 metres to win the pole vault, continuing a strong season following her historic bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Games. In the long jump, Mubassina produced a best effort of 6.38m, just one centimetre ahead of Shaili, who finished second with 6.37m.
The day's action also featured a Railways victory in the mixed 4×400m relay and a meet record from teenage hammer thrower Anushka Yadav.
Baranica Elangovan continued her impressive 2026 campaign by winning the women's pole vault in Delhi with a clearance of 4.10m.
The Tamil Nadu athlete made history at the Asian Games earlier in the season, becoming the first Indian pole vaulter to win an Asian Games medal. She cleared 4.15m to claim bronze, sharing third place with Kazakhstan's Polina Ivanova.
Baranica also set a national indoor record earlier in 2026, first clearing 4.22m in March before improving the mark to 4.23m in May. Her performances have helped raise the profile of women's pole vault in India.
At the National Open meet, Mariya Jaison finished second with 3.90m, while G. Sindhushree took third place with 3.80m.
Reflecting on the long season, Baranica said she wanted to finish on a high note.
The women's long jump produced one of the closest contests of the day.
Mubassina Mohammed of Lakshadweep won with a best jump of 6.38m, edging out Shaili Singh, who recorded 6.37m. The margin of victory was just one centimetre.
Mubassina, 20, has a personal best of 6.53m and has enjoyed a promising season. The National Open title marked an important domestic achievement for the athlete representing ONGC.
Shaili, one of India's prominent young long jumpers, had to settle for second place, while Nidhi finished third with 6.28m.
The result underlined the competitive depth developing in Indian women's long jump, where small differences in execution can determine the final standings.
Railways secured victory in the mixed 4×400m relay with a time of 3:21.60.
Kiran Pahal delivered a strong anchor leg, helping the team finish ahead of Haryana, which clocked 3:22.43. Rajasthan came third in 3:25.54.
K. Avinash, Sonia Baishya and Vikrant Panchal joined Pahal in the winning Railways quartet.
Pahal was also part of India's women's 4×400m relay team that won gold at the 2026 Asian Games, adding further significance to her performance in Delhi.
Eighteen-year-old Anushka Yadav produced one of the standout performances of the championships in the women's hammer throw.
She recorded a throw of 66.53m, breaking the previous meet record of 64.42m set by Manju Bala five years earlier.
Anushka entered the competition with a personal best of 67.02m and had finished fifth at the Asian Games earlier in the season. Her latest performance demonstrated her continued progress among India's leading hammer throwers.
Railways athlete Rohit won the men's high jump by clearing 2.19m.
His teammate Jesse Sandesh finished second with 2.16m, while Madhya Pradesh's Aaditya Raghuvanshi placed third on countback.
Commonwealth Games and Asian Games silver medallist Sarvesh Kushare had entered the competition but did not compete.
The performances in Delhi highlighted the depth of Indian athletics across field events and relays.
Baranica's continued consistency, Mubassina's narrow long jump victory and Anushka's record-breaking throw provided different examples of athletes building on strong seasons. The relay victory also demonstrated Railways' strength in middle-distance and team events.
With younger athletes continuing to improve and established competitors maintaining their form, the National Open championships offered another important opportunity to assess India's domestic athletics talent.
| Event | Winner | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Women's pole vault | Baranica Elangovan | 4.10m |
| Women's long jump | Mubassina Mohammed | 6.38m |
| Mixed 4×400m relay | Railways | 3:21.60 |
| Women's hammer throw | Anushka Yadav | 66.53m |
| Men's high jump | Rohit | 2.19m |
Hindustan Times — Baranica wins pole vault, Mubassina pips Shaili in long jump
https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/baranica-wins-pole-vault-mubassina-pips-shaili-in-long-jump-101791649357232.html
Primary source for the National Open Athletics Championships results, athlete performances, placings and reported comments.
World Athletics — Baranica Elangovan athlete profile
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/baranica-elangoan-14859017
Background reference for Baranica's athletics profile and recorded personal bests.
Athletics Federation of India — National athletics records and competition information
https://indianathletics.in/
Official reference for checking national athletics records and competition updates.
