The Hindu : Sport / Archery : Tarundeep, Dola in good form

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Friday, Jun 25, 2004

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Sport - Archery

Tarundeep, Dola in good form

By Our Sports Reporter

MEERUT, JUNE 24. National champion Harish Chand Kerai and Satyadev Prasad blundered in the first Olympic round after the modest showing in the two 70m ranking rounds, leaving the race to the Olympic qualification more interesting.

Kerai exited at the first hurdle when Olympian Limba Ram caused the biggest upset of the day, winning 165-159 here on Thursday. Two rounds later, Prasad lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual finalist, Jayant Talukdar, 101-105.

Both Kerai and Prasad, and Majhi Sawaiyan, are locked in a three-way battle for two Olympic spots. The top spot was more or less secured by the ever-consistent Tarundeep Rai of the Army Sports Institute (ASI).

Rai started shooting 330 and 325 in the 70 metre ranking rounds and grabbed the first position and the maximum 32 points. A bonus point for crossing 650-plus score in the two rounds of 36 arrows each, was all the more welcome. Viswas was second at 646 while Talukdar took the third position.

Prasad, who last week made it to the quarterfinals in the German Grand Prix at Wyhl, disappointed with rounds of 309 and 326 that fetched him sixth position. Kerai was even lower, at eighth with an aggregate of 633.

In the first Olympic round, Rai progressed virtually unchallenged till the final. From the bottom half, junior archer Talukdar wrote an impressive chapter in his career resume by beating India No. 3 Majhi Sawaiyan 109-103 in the semifinals.

The final extended to the second play-off arrow, as Rai and Talukdar were tied 110-110 after 12 arrows each. In the first play-off shot, Talukdar scored 10 but Rai held his nerves to match his opponent. Next, Rai came up with 9 and the under pressure Talukdar strayed into 5.

With two more Olympic rounds remaining to be played, the race to the top three should force many nail-biting moments. There is some extra twist in the tale with Prasad, who missed the Delhi leg due to shoulder injury, forced to rely on his scores in the four tournaments.

The results: Men: First Olympic round:

Final: Tarundeep Rai (ASI) bt Jayant Talukdar (Jhar) 110 (10, 9)-110 (10,5); Third-place play-off: Shivnath Nagesia (ITBP) bt Majhi Sawaiyan (Jhar) 107-106; Semifinals: Rai bt Nagesia 110-106; Talukdar bt Sawaiyan 109-103; Quarterfinals: Rai bt Kailash (UP) 111-106; Nagesia bt Goutam Singh (ASI) 106-104; Talukdar bt Satyadev Prasad (ITBP) 105-101; Sawaiyan bt Viswas (ASI) 108-107.

70m rounds (two rounds of 36 arrows each): 1. Rai (330, 325) 655; 2. Viswas (326, 320) 646; 3. Talukdar (319, 323) 642; 4. Goutam Singh (320, 318) 638; 5. Nagesia (319, 318) 637; 6. Prasad (309, 326) 635; 7. Sawaiyan (320, 313) 633; 8. Harish Chand Kerai (ASI) (321, 312) 633; 9. N. Ravinder (AP) (320, 311) 631; 10. Nand Kishore (ASI) (316, 314) 630.

Women: First Olympic round:

Final: Dola Banerjee (Jhar) bt Sumangala (UP) 111-104; Third-place play-off: Bansara Lindhar (Jhar) bt Anima Basumatarytri (Asm) 95-92; semifinals: Dola bt Bansara 104-102; Sumangala bt Anima 98-91; quarterfinals: Dola bt Manjudha Soy (Jhar) 100-99; Bansara bt Reena Kumari (Jhar) 110-106; Sumangala bt Sushma (UP) 100-98; Anima bt Chekrovolu Swuro (Nag) 104-100.

70m rounds (two rounds of 36 arrows each): 1. Dola (311, 310) 621; 2. Chekrovolu (307, 296) 603; 3. Sushma (306, 294) 600; 4. Reena (303, 295) 598; 5. Bansara (290, 286) 576; 6. Sumangala (294, 281) 575; 7. Devashree Deshmukh (Mah) (303, 261) 564; 8. Bhagyabati Chanu (Man) (286, 264) 550; 9. Manjudha (286, 263) 549; 10. Anima (278, 270) 548.

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