National Games: Dev Meena's Pole vault record and other top performers

The 38th National Games, for over a fortnight, has amused fans with exemplary displays of athleticism, skill, and tenacity, as athletes all over the country fought hard across multiple sporting disciplines. 

In the end, with 68 gold medals, the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) won the title, its fifth in the last six years. 

With fans following in earnest the action that unraveled, they were treated to some breathtaking performances across disciplines. 

We at The Bridge have curated the list of best performers at the 2025 National Games. 

Suruchi Phogat, shooting

Suruchi Phogat has turned heads at the National Games 2025, winning two golds at the women's 10m air pistol and the mixed team 10m air pistol events respectively. 

After an excellent National Championships in January, where she won three gold medals, she has replicated her excellence at the National Games as well. 

The women's 10m air pistol, in particular, was an event that showcased her potential. 

She and fellow shooter Palak Gulia had an intense fight for the gold medal, but Suruchi held her nerve against the seasoned shooter and Asian Games medalist to take home the gold. 

In a field that Manu Bhaker has made her own, Suruchi is slowly carving a niche for herself, and she is one to look out for in the future. 

Animesh Kujur, athletics

Athletics started on February 8th at the National Games and in the track events, Animesh Kujur made headlines with a brilliant triple gold. 

Starting with a gold in the men's 100m, he then went on to win another gold medal in the men's 4x100m relay. 

To cap it off, he also won gold in the men's 200m event, clocking a personal best of 20.58s and ending his National Games with a triple gold. 

The 22-year-old has been making waves in the athletics circuits, and last year he came very close to breaking the national records in the 100m and 200m at the India Open U-23 Athletics Championships. 

Dev Meena, athletics

Dev Meena won't forget the 2025 National Games for a long time. 

The formerly 400m runner, who took to pole vaulting, has been consistently doing well in the domestic circuit, and his crowning moment came at the Pole Vault event. 

Coming into the event as the defending champion, as expected, he won the gold medal but in the process, also broke the national record. 

With a 5.32m jump, he broke the previous national record of 5.31m held by Siva Subramani, who set it in 2022. 

Hailing from a small village with very limited facilities in Madhya Pradesh, Dev has taken the world by storm, and he has just begun. 

Dhinidhi Desinghu, swimming

Dhinidhi Desinghu captured the spotlight when she became one of the two swimmers from India at the Paris Olympics. 

At just 14, she became the youngest Olympian in the country, and at the National Games, she showed her prowess and the abundance of talent she has. 

She won a total of 11 medals at the 2025 National Games, nine of which were gold, in a performance that stunned everyone. 

Five of the nine golds came in individual events, making her feat even more impressive. 

With age on her side, Dhinidhi has the potential to put India on the international swimming map. 

Srihari Nataraj, swimming

Srihari Nataraj has dominated the Indian swimming circuit for many years, and it was no different at the National Games. 

He won a total of ten medals, nine golds, and a silver, narrowly missing out on the tenth gold to Mihir Ambre in the 50m freestyle event. 

His dominance at the National Games showcases just how good he is, and why he was a worthy pick for the 2024 Paris Olympics along with Dhinidhi. 

Apart from the athletes mentioned above, there have been remarkable performances from so many more throughout the tournament. 

Narmada Raju of Tamil Nadu showcased her brilliance in the women's 10m air rifle shooting, winning gold with a score of 254.4, just 0.1 shy of the world record score. 

Satish Kumar was outstanding in the badminton tournament as well, winning two golds, one in men's singles and one more in the mixed doubles with fellow Tamil Nadu shuttler Aadya Variyath. 

Sathiyan G proved his mettle with a table tennis paddle, winning three medals at the Table Tennis event, including a gold in the men's doubles. 

Sachin Yadav made a name for himself in the Javelin event, unleashing a mammoth 84.39m throw to win gold, breaking a near-decade-long National Games record. 

Over fifteen days, the Gameas have showcased the immense talent pool present in this country, and with many more tournaments to come this year, these are names we will be hearing of again.