Kerala’s 16-year-old VS Anupriya broke the girls U18 Shot Put Meet Record and led a host of athletes who met the qualifying standard for the Asian Youth Athletics Championships on the opening day of the 18th AFI National Youth Athletics Championships at the Mahatma Gandhi District Stadium, Ajjarakadu near here, today.
Anupriya claimed the meet mark with her opening effort of 15.36m, improving on the record set at 15.03m by Kachnar Chaudhary in 2016. She then bettered that with an attempt over 15.59m. Each of her six attempts passed the earlier record. Pooja Kumari (Rajasthan) and Gurleen Kaur (Punjab) were other Shot Putters who went past the Asian qualifying standard of 14.92m
As many as 10 U18 boys, including the nine finishers in the 3000m, led by Haryana’s Aman Kumar, and Ritik (Haryana) in Discus Throw, met the qualifying standards. The top four 3000m runners led by Anju Bala (Haryana), Lakshwadeep’s Long Jumper Mubassina Mohammed and Hammer Thrower Neha Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) were among the U18 girls who attained qualifying marks.
The results (finals):
Boys U18
3000m: 1. Aman Kumar (Haryana) 8:35.86; 2. R Yogeshwar (Tamil Nadu) 8:36.10; 3. Vikas Kumar Bhind (Madhya Pradesh) 8:37.33.
Discus Throw: 1. Ritik (Haryana) 56.18m; 2. Abdul Rahaman (Uttar Pradesh) 53.07; 3. Vaibhav (Himachal Pradesh) 51.57.
Girls U18
3000m: 1. Anju Bala (Haryana) 10:20.16; 2. Vanshika (Haryana) 10:23.96; 3. Sonam Parmar (Madhya Pradesh) 10:26.24.
Pole Vault: 1. B Sowndharya Balakrishnan (Tamil Nadu) 3.20m; 2. Manu Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 2.60; 3. Najiya Khan (Rajasthan) 2.50.
Long Jump: 1. Mubassina Mohammed (Lakshadweep) 5.83m; 2. Ramani Kumkum Bharat 5.49; 3. JA Sabreen Thavaomi (Tamil Nadu) 5.48.
Shot Put: 1. VS Anupriya (Kerala) 15.59m (New Meet Record. Old: 15.03, Kachnar Chaudhary, Kozhikode, 2016); 2. Pooja Kumari (Rajasthan) 15.56; 3. Gurleen Kaur (Punjab) 15.20.
Hammer Throw: 1. Neha Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 55.80m; 2. Khushboo (Delhi) 48.94; 3. Deepanshi (Haryana) 46.99.
