Chennai: The second day of National Inter-State Athletics championships witnessed celebrations for some and disappointment for others.
It was a golden moment for Tamil Nadu athletes, especially to those who hails from the Prime Sports Academy, as two of their wards excelled on the Wednesday evening. Long jumper Kumaravel Premkumar, returned after a short training stint in the United States, achieved his aim of joining the magical 8 metre club!
Prem Kumar avenged his defeat to M. Arshad in the last edition of the championships at Hyderabad where the Karnataka boy won the gold by 1 cm (7.42 to 7.41m). Prem started this evening with a first round 7.58m to leading the fray and improved it with 7.62 on the second and 7.75m on his fifth jump.
Arshad sent a warning with his fifth round 7.85m that pushed the TN star to take his final jump seriously. With the support of the home-crowd he made it BIG at last and the small bunch about 80 fans who were sitting alongside the jumping pit erupted when the official announced “8 metres”, a new meet mark and unique personal best for Prem Kumar.
With today’s jump Prem Kumar become the fourth Indian athlete to cross the 8m mark. National record-holder Amrit Pal Singh (8.08 in 2004), Teheran Asian Games winner T.C. Yohannan (8.07 in 1974) and Asian championship silver medallist Sanjay Kumar Rai (8.03 in 2000) achieved this honour earlier.
In spite of his best effort, Prem Kumar missed the World championships qualification by 10 cm. “I am confident of making the podium in the Asian championships and also claim a berth to the Worlds at Pune” he told after the event.
Prem’s club-mate and comeback girl Gayathri won the women’s 100m hurdles in a thrilling finish. The Chennai-based M.B.A. graduate, returning to national scene after two years, proved she is still a woman to beat.
“It was my first competition after the 2010 Commonwealth Games” said the 22-year-old. Gayathri, holding the national junior records in both triple jump and 100m hurdles, managed to pip Hemasree Jayabal—her club mate in Prime Sports Academy—at the post with a time of 13.97 secs. Hemasree, the bronze medallist in Asian junior championships at Hanoi three years ago and winner of this year’s Federation Cup at Patiala, clocked a personal best 14.04s on Wednesday evening. The bronze went to K.V. Sajitha of Kerala in 14.33s while her state-mate and favourite M.M. Anchu
did not finish the race.
In the absence of national record-holder Siddhanth Thingalaya, Kerala boy Pinto Mathew was an easy victor in 110m hurdles. It was the first senior title for Pinto at the national level. It was indeed a great improvement from his fourth place finish at the last edition in Hyderabad.
In the 800m, Tintu Luka defends her title with a modest 2:04.14 while her Kerala teammate Sajeesh Joseph took the men’s race in 1:49.04. Defending champion Ghamanda Ram (Rajasthan) finished outside the medal bracket in the fifth position.
The biggest upset of the meet came from the shot put circle where Olympian Om Prakash Singh finished third and was almost two-and-half metres behind his personal best. His Haryana state-mate Inderjeet Singh was a surprise winner with 18.92m heave. Om Prakash returned only 18.30m for the bronze.
In the much anticipated 400m, Kerala quarter-miler Kunhu Muhammed retained his position in the men’s race with a time of 46.71 secs while Karnataka’s M.R. Poovamma clocked 52.85m to pocket the gold.
National record-holder Sahana Kumari also successfully defends her title in the women’s high jump when she sailed over 1.88m. However she failed in all her three attempts to clear the next height – 1.92m – which is also the “B” qualification standard for Moscow.
U.P. lad Krishna Kumar set out the spear to 74.80m to win the men’s javelin throw.