New Delhi, Jan. 24 -- Typically two weeks before an athletics meet, pole vault coach Ghanshyam Yadav, aside from overseeing the final leg of preparation of his trainees, gets busy with something more pressing. From scouring train schedules to arranging for written recommendations from his employer, the coach has his hands full. His immediate objective is to ensure his vaulters get to travel with their poles.The challenge to get poles to the venue, Yadav said, is sometimes more daunting than the competition itself. "The nervousness is real. Getting the poles to the venue in the right shape and form is critical to performance," Yadav said. Earlier this week, a bunch of Yadav's trainees, returning from All India Inter-University Championship in Mangaluru, were held at Panvel railway station. Their equipment was deemed too heavy and hence unauthorised to be carried in the passenger compartment. The six-hour fracas resulted in the coach and athletes missing a train and furnishing a fine of Rs 1865. The Bhopal-bound athletes can take solace from the fact that their plight is universal. From world record holder Armand Duplantis to double Olympic medallist Katie Moon, the logistical nightmare to carry poles has spared none. While the likes of Duplantis can afford to circumnavigate the issue - he is known to stash poles at his training base in the US and in Europe, where he mostly competes - not everyone has the means or methods to do that. For Indian athletes competing in domestic events, the most viable option is to lug their poles in crowded trains. "It was the same when I competed. We used to plan in advance, which train to board, what time to board, how many poles to carry and so on," said former vaulter VS Surekha. Now employed with the Railways, Surekha was one of the officials Yadav had called up for help while stranded in Panvel. "The passengers are usually accommodating, but this is certainly not the ideal way to move around. There is, however, no other alternative," she said. While the majority of athletes travel by third AC or second AC for domestic meets, their poles are precariously arranged in sleeper or general class compartments on overhead fans. Sometimes, poles are tied to windows of sleeper/general compartments and either the coach or one of the athletes makes regular trips to the compartment to check on the poles. The problem is compounded when athletes have to switch trains. "Most of the age-group meets are not held in metros, which means we have to change trains once or twice. Sometimes, we travel by buses where the handling of poles is a major concern," said Yadav. The length of poles typically varies between 4-5.2m, and vaulters usually travel with 4-5 poles of varying heights and flex, depending on their technique and style. Any mishandling can decisively disturb the pole's flexibility, which can impact the thrust a vaulter gets in the air after anchoring the pole. "The equipment is usually custom made for elite athletes and costs upwards of Rs.2 lakh, which means even the fellow athletes are reluctant to lend it," said decathlete Tejaswin Shankar. "First thing is to check what aircraft it is because regular A320s can't accommodate the poles," he said. That done, he goes through the special baggage policy of the airlines, reaches the airport "at least 4 hours in advance," convinces the security to get past the entry gate, haggles with the airline staff, pays the excess baggage, and "prays the equipment reaches the venue" because the poles are placed in the cargo. The awkward glances and queries spill over to the road as well with taxi drivers and hotels reluctant to accommodate the "dangerous looking equipment." "We often have to pay extra to taxi drivers to move around with the equipment," Yadav said. The solution, he suggests, lies in a uniform equipment transfer policy for trains and domestic airlines. "Ideally, a letter or circular should be issued by the sports ministry for the relevant transport authorities ensuring a safe passage for our equipment," he added. Till then, the gap between India's pole vaulting aspirations and reality will remain poles apart....