Bhubaneswar, Jun 25 (PTI) Unheralded Karnataka pole vaulter G Sindhushree stole the spotlight with an unexpected national record, clinching the gold medal and also a ticket to the Asian Games on the second day of the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships here on Thursday.
The 25-year-old, hailing from a family of modest means at Bhadra in Shimoga district, cleared 4.25m to better Tamil Nadu athlete Baranica Elangovan’s one-month old previous national record of 4.20m. Baranica finished second with 4.20m, while Madhya Pradesh’s Nitika Akare got the bronze with 4.10m.
All the three medal winners breached the Asian Games qualifying height of 4.10m set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Each country can send a maximum of two athletes in a track and field event in the Asian Games.
Sindhushree bettered his personal best by 25cm. Her earlier personal best was 4m during the Indian Athletics Series 6 in Chennai in May. She has won just one medal in a major domestic championships so far — a silver in 2023 National Inter-State Championships at the same venue here with a performance of 3.80m.
An emotional Sindhushree later dedicated his gold and expected ticket to the Asian Games to her father who died of heart attack in 2022. Her father was an electrician who had encouraged her to take up sports. After his death, her mother, who worked as a tailor, found it difficult to run the family and support Sindhushree in her sporting career.
“What I achieved today is all because of my father who is no more,” she said, holding a photo of her father.
“Every morning, he would take me for running and he wanted me to play for the country in international events. I am going to fulfil his dream with the Asian Games (participation).
“Now, my mother takes care of my sister who is studying, and so my grandfather supports me financially for doing sports. I have no sponsors, no job and it’s difficult to manage. I am hoping that I can get a job after my performance now,” she said.
She could not even buy a proper pole for herself for competition. She was using a shorter pole before coming here.
“I was using a shorter pole earlier, that was why I could not do well in earlier competitions like the Federation Cup. Luckily, I came here with a longer (of optimum length) one which was actually given to me by a friend of mine. That is why I am doing better here,” she said.
Initially, Sindhushree was a 400m runner, but a local coach made her to shift to pole vault.
Animesh, Harshita win 200m gold ======================= National record holder Animesh Kujur of Odisha stamped his authority in the men’s 200m, clocking 20.74 seconds to win gold and breach the Asian Games qualifying time of 20.88 seconds. He had already bettered the qualifying time when he clocked 20.87 seconds in his heat race earlier in the day. His national record stands at 20.32 seconds.
Harita Bhadra of Maharashtra took gold in the women’s 200m with a personal best time of 23.14 seconds and bettered the Asian Games qualifying time of 23.70m.
Karnataka’s Unnathi Bollanda and Prakruthi Roopa finished second and third respectively with times of 23.40 seconds and 20.58 seconds. Both also breached the Asian Games qualifying time.
In women’s shot put, Haryana’s Manpreet Kaur (17.75m), Tamil Nadu’s Krishna Jayasankar (16.96m) and Delhi’s Srishti Vig (16.96m) won gold, silver and bronze respectively. All the three bettered the Asian Games qualifying mark of 16.25m.
In the women’s 800m also, Tamil Nadu’s Gowthami Jayaraman (2:04.17), Haryana’s Pooja (2:04.37) and Uttarakhand’s Lili Das (2:04.59) finished first, second and third respectively. All the three bettered the Asian Games qualifying mark of 2:05.21.
The men’s 800m gold was won by national record holder Mohammed Afsal of Kerala who clocked 1 minute and 48.57 seconds to breach the Asian Games qualifying time of 1:48.80.
“Under this heat and humidity, I am all right with my time. But I am hoping to do better in the Asian Games. I am confident that I can do sub-1:44.00,” said Afsal whose national record stands at 1:44.93.
“Moreover, I was having sore tendons on my feet, though it is more or less all right now.” The men’s decathlon gold went to N Thowfeeq of Kerala, who accumulated 7276 points in the gruelling 10-event discipline competed over two days. Kushal Mohite of Maharashtra was second with a total of 7251 points. Both breached the Asian Games qualifying total of 7250 points.
National record holder decathlete Tejaswin Shankar did not participate in the National Inter-State Championships as he was given exemption by the AFI and he is expected to be considered for selection for the Asian Games squad.
Servin Sebastian of Tamil Nadu won the men’s half marathon race walk event, clocking 1 hour, 31 minute and 49 seconds, well outside the Asian Games qualifying time of 1:25:37.00. PTI PDS PDS AH AH
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