– by Pratyusha Mukherjee, Aichi-Nagoya, Japan
Baranica Elangovan’s historic bronze medal at the Asian Games has given Indian pole vault a new sense of belief, while inspiring her long-time coach Milber Bertrand Russell to set bigger targets for his ward.
The 29-year-old from Tamil Nadu created history at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games by becoming the first Indian pole-vaulter, male or female, to win a medal at the Asian Games. Her bronze also marked India’s first medal in pole vault at the Olympics, Asian Games or Commonwealth Games.
Baranica cleared 4.15m to share the bronze with Kazakhstan’s Polina. Japan’s Misaki Morota won gold with 4.55m, while China’s Niu Chunge took silver after clearing 4.50m.
The medal was unexpected, even for Baranica, who had entered her Asian Games debut with the modest aim of improving her personal best.
“No one was expecting me to win a medal. I only wanted to improve my personal best but I ended up on the podium. At least I have opened India’s account at the Asian Games and I thank my support team and family for this,” Baranica told Sports Authorityof India.
For Russell, however, the bronze is only the beginning.
“For me, this medal is not the destination. It is the beginning of the next chapter for Baranica,” he said.
“We came to Nagoya with a realistic approach. We knew the competition would be very strong and that every athlete would be capable of performing at a high level. Our target was to take the competition one height at a time and focus on the process rather than thinking too much about the medal.
“We believed Baranica had the potential to fight for a medal, but we also knew that she had to execute well on the day. She showed a lot of fighting spirit and eventually won the medal.”
Russell now wants Baranica to consistently raise her personal best and move towards the 4.40-4.50m range.
“The next targets will be to consistently improve her personal best and move towards the 4.40-4.50m level. Beyond that, we want her to compete strongly at major international competitions and continue improving her position at the world level,” he said.
Baranica’s rise has been closely linked with Russell, who helped turn her into a national-level athlete after she moved away from basketball.
“I am a pole-vaulter by chance and it was my coach who brought me to this level,” Baranica said.
Her previous best of 4.23m had been the national record before G. Sindhusree Ganesha raised the mark to 4.25m.
Russell believes Baranica’s Asian Games success could also bring greater attention to an event that has traditionally remained in the shadow of javelin, discus and shot put in India.
“When Indian athletes start performing well at international competitions, people begin to notice the event. Baranica winning an Asian Games medal will hopefully encourage more young athletes, coaches, and academies to take up the event,” he said.
The coach also hopes the breakthrough will lead to better support and infrastructure for pole vault, including improved facilities, equipment, coaching and more competition opportunities for young athletes.
For Baranica, the immediate task is to build on her breakthrough. Russell wants her to become stronger, improve the consistency of her approach and take-off, and develop greater speed and power while gaining more experience at the highest international level.
After Neeraj Chopra’s success helped put javelin firmly in the Indian sporting spotlight, Baranica’s historic bronze could provide pole vault with a similar boost.
For Russell, the message is clear: the Nagoya medal is not the finish line, but the starting point for a more ambitious chapter.
