Sreedharan Preeja (IND) on her way to distance double in Kolkata (© Rahul Pawar - Indian Athletics)
Kolkata, IndiaNew records and noteworthy performances brought about many changes in the nation’s all-time lists when the Indian Federation Cup Championships concluded here yesterday (13).
The meet held at the magnificent Yuba Bharathi Krirangan took place from 10 -13 May, and was one of the main chances for qualification for the Indian team for this year’s Asian championships in Beirut and the World championships in Osaka.
Leading the aspirants was Surender Singh of Indian Army, who claimed a distance double by winning the men’s 5000m in 13:51.64 and 10,000m in 28:57.90, both were personal bests which placed him third on the national all-time lists. The top-two marks in the above lists were set in international competitions decades ago while Singh of course delivered his bests on Indian soil.
Two national marks on final day
Sreedharan Preeja produced similar performances of note in the women’s distance races. She won the 5000m on the opening day (10 May) clocking 16:07.93 and went on to better her own national mark at 10,000m with a time of 33:19.71 on Sunday (13). Kavita Raut of Maharashtra aided Preeja, finished a creditable second in both the races. It was Preeja’s fourth national record over 10,000m within a period of one year, with the first coming from her gold winning performance of 34:27.13 at the South Asian Games in Colombo, last August.
Another athlete who improved his own national record was Joseph Abraham. Abraham, representing Central Reserve Police Force, was aiming to dip sub-50 secs in the 400m Hurdles but was just short of his target yesterday with a 50.04 win which surpassed his previous best of 50.22. Abraham took the 400m flat on Saturday in 46.89, in the absence of national record-holder K.M. Binu.
Near to ancient record
Maheswary Renjith of Kerala came close to the national record in the men’s Triple Jump. A 16.72m jump on his second try and 16.36 and 16.60 in the fourth and fifth rounds gave hope of something special on his final attempt but it ended in a foul. So Mohinder Singh Gill’s 16.79m set in 1971, remains the oldest standing national mark in Indian athletics.
Blessed with the support from his home-crowd Hari Shankar Roy sailed over 2.21m in men’s High Jump, but all his attempts at 2.25m, to match his PB, which is also the standing national record were unsuccessful.
Army men excelled
The Indian Army once again proved they are the best among the male athletes of the country, conquering the men’s championship with 129 pts. With the CISM World Military Games, scheduled to be held at Hyderabad (India) in October this year, the Army team showed good form across a range of disciplines, for instance in the men’s 800 and 1500m wherein Francis Sagayaraj and Chatholi Hamza registered career bests of 1:48.27 and 3:41.12 respectively. Hamza was second in 800m with another personal best 1:48.29.
Saurabh Vij of Delhi won his first major senior title by claiming the men’s Shot Put with 18.26m, while P.J. Vinod of Kerala took the Decathlon title by garnered 7004pts.
Among the women, former World Junior bronze medallist Seema Antil continued her winning streak by claiming the Discus Throw (58.09m). In Heptathlon, Sushmita Singha Roy from host-state West Bengal won by a mere four points barely in a hard-fought battle from the second placed M.P. Sinimol of Kerala. Overall, West Bengal (101 pts) took the women’s championship.
Joseph Abraham (400m Hurdles) and Sreedharan Preeja (10,000m) were adjudged as the best athletes of the meet.
Ram. Murali Krishnan for the IAAF
