India’s rising pole vault talent Kavinraja S, the 2025 U20 Federation Cup champion, had a journey he won’t forget anytime soon, and not for the right reasons. Fresh from Bhubaneswar after competing at the indoor nationals, where he won gold in the U20 category, Kavinraja instead found himself stranded at a railway station with his poles and no clear way home.
According to a report by NNIS Sports, the young vaulter was stuck for over 12 hours at Rajahmundry railway station while trying to travel back with his equipment. What should have been a routine return trip quickly spiralled into a frustrating ordeal.
Because here’s the thing with pole vault, you don’t just travel with a kitbag, you travel with what is essentially a long, awkward, bendy piece of equipment that doesn’t exactly fit into Indian train compartments. And this time, it became the centre of the problem.
WHAT HAPPENED TO KAVINRAJA?
The trouble began on what should have been a straightforward return from a successful outing in Bhubaneswar, where Kavinraja had added another U20 gold to his growing list of achievements.
With no space inside the train coach to accommodate the poles, Kavinraja and fellow athletes had to improvise, tying them securely to the outside near the window. Initially, there were no objections from railway staff at Rajahmundry, and things appeared manageable.
But mid-journey, things took a turn.
The ropes securing the poles were reportedly cut while the train was in motion. It was only when one of the athletes noticed the situation unfolding that alarm bells rang, leading to an emergency chain pull to stop the train.
What followed was hours of uncertainty. Kavinraja and others were left stranded, dealing not just with delays but also the fear of losing essential equipment, something no pole vaulter can afford.
WHO IS KAVINRAJA AND WHY SHOULD YOU KNOW HIM ?
If the name isn’t familiar yet, it probably will be soon.
Kavinraja is one of India’s most promising young pole vaulters, quietly building a reputation in a discipline where the country is still growing. Hailing from Salem, Tamil Nadu, he began as a decathlete before finding his rhythm, quite literally, in pole vault.
His rise has been steady and impressive. He consistently clears around the 5m mark and has delivered strong performances across national competitions.
At the U-20 Federation Cup 2026, he cleared 5.12m, breaking his own meet record and even taking a shot at 5.21m, a height that would have matched the national U-20 record. He’s already crossed Asian and World U-20 qualification standards, a sign of where he’s headed.
Off the field, his story adds more depth. Coming from a modest background, Kavinraja often speaks about chasing the sport not just for himself, but to fulfil his father’s unrealised dreams.
And that’s where the contrast hits hardest. At a time when India talks about chasing bigger medal tallies on the global stage, it’s athletes like Kavinraja who are expected to deliver those moments.
Yet, for now, the image isn’t of a rising champion on a runway.
It’s of one standing stranded at a railway station, holding onto his poles, waiting for the system to catch up.
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