Long Jumper M. Sreeshankar sharted the limelight with Baranica Elangovan as the only ones to script new meet records on the opening day of the SNG 61st National Inter-State Athletics Championships at the Nehru Stadium here on Friday.
Sreeshankar’s 8.01m effort not only broke the meet mark of 8.00m set by Prem Kumar in Chennai in 2013 but also led 12 qualifiers for the final. With Kerala Muhammed Anees Yahiya and Jeswin Aldrin (Tamil Nadu) also had impressive jumps in the qualifying, with 7.85m and 7.71m respectively, setting the stage for an explosive final.
Baranica Elangovan led a Tamil Nadu sweep of women’s Pole Vault medals, the third final of the opening day of the five-day Championships that is deemed as a selection trial for the Commonwealth Games. Baranica Elangovan cleared 4.05m to take the gold and the meet record from Khyati Vakharia who set it at 4.00m in Guwahati in 2018.
The men’s 10000m final produced an exciting finish, with five runners changing gears with about a lap and a half left for the finish. Abhishek Pal, who made the move to take pole position from being fourth at that stage, held on emerge winner. His Uttar Pradesh team-mate Gulveer Singh stayed on Abhishek Pal’s heels till the finish to take the silver medal.
Sanjivani Baburao Jadhav (Maharashtra) won the women’s 25-lapper with a measure of comfort.
Harjit Singh (Punjab) beat Amlan Borgohain (Assam) in the men’s 100m semifinals, clocking 10.37 seconds. Tamil Nadu’s K Elakkiyadasan and B Sivakumar won the other semifinals in 10.46 seconds and 10.48 seconds respectively. Amlan Borgohain had been the fastest in the first round, breaking the beam in 10.51 seconds.
Odjsha team-mates Dutee Chand and Srabani Nanda were the fastest qualifiers for the women’s 100m with times of 11.40 seconds and 11.49 seconds respectively in their respective semifinals. Hima Das (Assam) and Himashree Roy (West Bengal) were second to Srabani Nanda and Dutee Chand with times of 11.54 seconds and 11.61 seconds.
Noah Nirmal Tom (Kerala) beat South Asian Games 2019 champion Aruna Dharshana (Sri Lanka) in the men’s 400m semifinals. He clocked 46.14 seconds while Dharshana came home in 46.34 seconds. Amoj Jacob (Delhi), who won the other semifinal heats, was the second fastest quartermiler of the day, clocking 46.27 seconds, while Muhammed Ajmal beat Kerala team-mate Muhammed Anas Yahiya to the second spot.
Rupal Chaudhary (Uttar Pradesh) and Priya H Mohan (Karnataka) showed consistency as they were the only women’s quarter-milers who clocked sub-53-second times on their way to the semifinals. Haryana’s Summy and Kiran Pahal won their heats in 53.16 seconds and 54.66 seconds respectively.
The results (finals):
Men
10000m: 1. Abhishek Pal (Uttar Pradesh) 29:55.51; 2. Gulveer Singh (Uttar Pradesh) 29:55.71; 3. Dharmender (Rajasthan) 29:55.84.
Women
10000m: 1. Sanjivani Baburao Jadhav (Maharashtra) 33:16.43; 2. Prajakta Godbole (Maharashtra) 33:59.34; 3. Kavita Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 35:00.33.
Pole Vault: 1. Baranica Elangovan (Tamil Nadu) 4.05m (New Meet Record. Old: 4.00m, Khyati Vakharia, Guwahati, 2018); 2. Rosy Meena Paulraj (Tamil Nadu) 4.00; 3. Pavithra Venkatesh (Tamil Nadu) 3.90.
