Elite Indian athletes began their quest for the 2026 Asian Games quotas on the first day of the Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on Tuesday.

National record holder Jyothi Yarraji, returning from a long injury break, was the star attraction of the day as she started her 2026 season at the Kalinga Stadium.

On the other hand, Dev Meena, Kuldeep Kumar and G Reegan were fighting hard for the Asian Games quota in the intense men’s pole vault final.

As it happened: