AFI Media
Patiala, February 18: Dutee Chand breezed to 100m victory in 11.51 seconds and hogged the limelight in the Indian Grand Prix I Athletics at the Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports here on Thursday. It was the first national-level track and field for seniors meet since the National Open Athletics Championships in Ranchi in October 2019.
With the cream of Indian athletics gearing up for the AFI Federation Cup to be held here next month, the Grand Prix I showed that the athletes were in good fettle. A number of personal bests was evidence of the shape that the athletes have kept themselves in, mindful of the fact that in the Olympic year they would use such a meet as part of their preparation for the task ahead.
Kerala’s Muhammad Anas Yahiya, the leading 400m runner in the country, took part in the 100m and finished a creditable second in 10.70 seconds, two-hundredths of a second behind Krishnakumar Satish Rane (Maharashtra). Amiya Kumar Mallick (Odisha) won the slower B Race in 10.89 seconds to take the third place overall.
S Arokia Rajiv (Tamil Nadu) showed a good turn of speed in the men’s 200m, winning the B race in 21.40 seconds to edge out Shashank Shinde (Chhattisgarh) as the fastest over the distance on Thursday. Shashank Shinde has stopped the clock at 22.21 seconds in the A race after Noah Nirmal Tom (Kerala) pulled up injured inside the first 25m.
In the women’s 200m, Anjali Devi (Haryana) ran out a comfortable winner against sprinter Kaveri Laxmana Gouda Patil (Karnataka) and fellow quarter-mile specialist Subha Venkatesan (Tamil Nadu). While Anjali’s time of 23.57 seconds was a shade below her best of 23.44 seconds, Kaveri Patil (24.45) and Subha Venkatesan (24.59) produces personal bests.
Long jumper Yugant Singh (Uttar Pradesh) marked his return to competitive athletics after four years with a personal best leap of 7.62m to edge out Haryana’s Sahil Mahabali who had taken the lead after two rounds with a 7.59m effort. The 23-yer-old Yugant Singh’s previous best was 7.58m back in the National Open Championship in September 2015.
The women’s Long Jump competition also saw a personal best for Marena George. The 25-year-old heptathlete had a best effort of 6.11m on her second try to improve on her previous best of 6.01m. Opening with a 5.81m – good enough to give her victory – she produced other legal jumps of 5.81, 5.88, 5.88 and 5.91 to dominate the event.
MR Poovamma (Karnataka) did well to beat fellow National camper Kiran Pahal (Haryana) by more than a second in the women’s 400m. The coaching staff could be pleased with 30-year-old Poovamma’s time today. For, through the year 2019, she had only four faster races than the 53.45 seconds she clocked today.
In the men’s race, policeman P Naganathan (Tamil Nadu) and Services’ Angrej Singh, representing, Haryana outpaced National campers Gajanand Mistry (Gujarat) and KS Jeevan (Karnataka). Naganathan won with a time of 47.32 seconds while Angrej Singh’s 47.59 left Gajanand Mistry in third place with a time of 47.97.
Ayyasamy Dharun, who has a personal best of 48.80 seconds in the 400m Hurdles, warmed up for the season ahead with a victory in 51.33 seconds. He held back a challenge from Uttar Pradesh’s Aftab Alam, winning by a mere three-hundredths of a second. He did not strain himself and cruised to victory.
The results (finals)
Men
100m: 1. Krishnakumar Satish Rane (Maharashtra) 10.68 seconds; 2. Muhammad Anas Yahiya (Kerala) 10.70; 3. Amiya Kumar Mallick (Odisha) 10.89.
200m: 1. Arokia Rajiv (Tamil Nadu) 21.40 seconds; 2. Shashank Shinde (Chhattisgarh) 22.21; 3. Sunil Jat (Rajasthan) 22.26.
400m: 1. P Naganathan (Tamil Nadu) 47.32 seconds; 2. Angrej Singh (Haryana) 47.59; 3. Gajanand Mistry (Gujarat) 47.97.
800m: 1. Ankesh Chaudhary (Himachal Pradesh) 1:52.82 ; 2. Devender Kumar (Haryana) 1:53.20; 3. Surender Chahal (Haryana) 1:57.02.
5000m: 1. Kishan Narsi Tadvi (Maharashtra) 14:52.70; 2. E Nagaraja (Karnataka) 18:48.41.
400m Hurdles: 1. Ayyasamy Dharun (Tamil Nadu) 51.33 seconds; 2. Aftab Alam (Uttar Pradesh) 51.56; 3. K Sathish (Tamil Nadu) 52.12.
Long Jump: 1. Yugant Singh (Uttar Pradesh) 7.62m; 2. Sahil Mahabali (Haryana) 7.59; 3. R Swaminathan (Tamil Nadu) 7.30.
Triple Jump: 1. Eldhose Paul (Kerala) 16.56m; 2. Karthik Unnikrishnan (Kerala) 16.20; 3. Mohammed Salahuddin (Tamil Nadu) 15.77.
Shot Put: 1. Sahib Sahib (Delhi) 17.67m; 2. Juber Malik (Haryana) 16.96.
Women
100m: 1. Dutee Chand (Odisha) 11.51 seconds; 2. AT Daneshwari (Karnataka) 11.86; 3. Diandra Dudley Valladares (Maharashtra) 11.97.
200m: 1. Anjali Devi (Haryana) 23.57 seconds; 2. Kaveri Laxmana Gouda Patil (Karnataka) 24.45; 3. Subha Venkatesan (Tamil Nadu) 24.59.
400m: 1. MR Poovama (Karnataka) 53.45; 2. Kiran Pahal (Haryana) 54.88; 3. Nancy (Haryana) 55.40.
800m: 1. Chanda (Delhi) 2:04.91; 2. Lili Das (West Bengal) 2:97.03; 3. Urvashi (Haryana) 2:14.76.
Long Jump: 1.Marena George (Kerala) 6.11m; 2. Sonu Kumari (Haryana) 5.69m; 3. Tanushree (Rajasthan) 5.54.
Shot put: 1. Kachnar Chaudhary (Rajasthan) 14.38m; 2. Tunlai Sameswar Nazary (Assam) 13.62; 3. Rimpy Dabas (Delhi) 9.44.
Discus Throw: 1. Suravi Biswas (West Bengal) 48.97m; 2. Jhuma Basu (West Bengal) 44.20.
