Priyadharshini and Aman clinch Gold

India tops table with 50 medals
Haryana’s 400m hurdler Aman and Tamil Nadu triple jumper Priyadharshini Suresh came up with personal bests as they struck gold in the South Asian junior athletics championships here on Sunday.

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While Aman’s time of 52.56s (qualifying standard: 53s) helped him qualify for this July’s under-20 World championships in Finland, Chennai’s Priyadharshini was unlucky as her best jump of 12.90m was wind-assisted (entry standard: 12.85m) and hence will not count for qualification.

Another Tamil Nadu girl — discus thrower Karuniya Muthu Ramalingam — made the under-20 Worlds grade despite finishing second. Her throw of 48.58m was better than the Finland entry standard of 48m. Punjab’s Arpandeep Kaur Bajwa, the gold medallist, had booked a berth in the junior Federation Cup in Coimbatore recently.

India topped the medal table with 20 gold, 22 silver and 8 bronze medals.

The results (gold medallists and Indians only):

Boys: 200m: 1. S. Aruna Darshana (Sri) 21.50s, 2. Nithin S. Balakumar (Ind) 21.63, 3. Akash Kumar (Ind) 21.86; 800m: 1. D.M.H.S. Karunarathna (Sri) 1:53.35s, 3. Abhinanth Sunderesan (Ind) 1:53.97, 5. Amandeep Kumar (Ind) 1:55.78; 5000m: 1. Ajay Kumar Bind (Ind) 15:08.40s, 2. Gurpreet (Ind) 15:32.53.

4x400m relay: 1. Sri Lanka (3:08.21s MR, OR 3:14.56); 400m hurdles: 1. P.M.P.L. Kodikara (Sri) (52.56s MR, OR 52.91); 2. Aman (Ind) 52.56 BR; 3. Dhval Mahesh Utekar (Ind) 53.35; Shot put: 1. Ashish Bhalothia (Ind) 18.53m MR, OR 17.89; 2. Sahib Singh (Ind) 17.75.

Girls: 200m: 1. Amasha de Silva (Sri) 24.70s, 4. Subha Venkatesan (Ind) 25.15s, 5. Rosalin Lewis (Ind) 25.27; 800m: Shayamali Kumarasinghe (Sri) (2:07.73s MR, OR 2:08.38); 2. Durga Pramod Deore (Ind) 2:09.27, 3. Ankita Chahal (Ind) 2:09.91.

3000m: 1. Poonam Dinkar Sonune (Ind) 9:50.21s, 2. Savita Pal (Ind) 10:04.21; 4x400m relay: 1. Sri Lanka (3:43.31s MR, OR 3:50.27), 2. India (3:46.08 BR).

400m hurdles: Nanhi Chaudhary (Ind) 1:02.06s, 2. Sunil Kumari (Ind) 1:02.45; High jump: 1. Gracena Slistus Mery (Ind) 1.70m, 3. Abhinaya Shetty (Ind) 1.60.

Triple jump: 1. Priyadharshini Suresh (Ind) (12.90m MR, OR 12.68); 2. Khushbeen Waraich (Ind) 12.59; Javelin: 1. Sanjana Choudhary (Ind) (48.08m MR, OR 41.69).

Discus: 1. Arpandeep Kaur Bajwa (Ind) 48.60s MR, OR 45.79; 2. Karuniya Muthu Ramalingam (Ind) 48.58.

Saturday’s result: Boys: 100m: 1. Prajwal Ravi (Ind) 10.81s, 3. Akash Kumar (Ind) 10.89; 4x100m relay: 1. India (42.85s).