BHUBANESWAR: There seems to be no stopping India’s pole vaulters.After Dev Meena broke the men’s national record on Tuesday, it was Karnataka’s Sindhushree G who rewrote the women’s mark on the second day of the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships at the Kalinga Stadium here on Thursday.The diminutive athlete, who stands just 156cm tall, cleared 4.25m to better the previous national record of 4.23m held by Baranica Elangovan. In the process, she also qualified for Asian Games, having comfortably surpassed the qualifying mark of 4.10m.As for Baranica, she failed to clear 4.25m in three attempts and settled for silver with a best effort of 4.20m. Madhya Pradesh’s Nitika Akare finished third and also achieved the qualifying standard of 4.10m.Yet, even amid the celebrations, Sindhushree could not help but think of her father, R Ganesh, who had been her biggest supporter during her formative years but will not be around to see her represent India in Japan.“My family did not have any sporting background, so they did not support my decision at first. Also, because I am a girl, they were hesitant to let me take up sport,” she said, holding a picture of her father.“But my father stood up for me. He fought with everyone and enrolled me at the Sports Authority of India centre in Bengaluru in 2016.”However, Ganesh later died in 2022 following a heart attack, leaving Sindhushree’s mother and sister to navigate difficult circumstances. With her grandfather, Krishnappa, stepping in to support the family, Sindhushree was able to continue pursuing her sporting dream.Interestingly, Sindhushree arrived in Bhubaneswar with a pole that belonged to a friend and that made a huge difference.“Her earlier pole had become loose, so we were looking for a stiffer pole that would suit her better. Fortunately, her friend Rahul, who is also a national-level pole vaulter, had one. He had mistakenly bought a pole that wasn’t ideal for him but turned out to be perfect for her,” said coach Vijesh MM.He believes Sindhushree, who qualified for World University Games last year but failed to register a mark, still has plenty of room for improvement. But ahead of Asiad, rather than making technical changes, he wants to focus on providing the right support.Meanwhile, among the other major results, Animesh Kujur won the men’s 200m in 20.74s to seal his place in Japan. In the women’s 200m, 800m and shot put, all three medallists achieved the qualifying standard.Kerala’s Mohammed Afsal clinched the men’s 800m title in 1:48.57 and also booked his place, while Tejas Shirse secured qualification during the heats of the men’s 110m hurdles. In the decathlon, Kerala’s Thowfeeq N and Maharashtra’s Kushal Mohite also made the cut.