THE SMILE SAYS IT ALL: A delighted Mandar A. Divase of Police after setting a new record in the senior National swimming on Thursday. — Photo: Mahesh Harilal

THRISSUR: Phew! One could almost hear Shikha Tandon whistle that loudly after her scorching pace left the ten-year-old 200m backstroke record battered and bruised at the 59th senior National swimming here on Thursday evening.

She had been talking about this record for the last few weeks, had told us to be prepared for it but still, when the moment came, it came as a jolt, such was the power.

``I gave it my all. I'm unable to stand now,'' exclaimed the 19-year-old wonder from Karnataka a few minutes after emerging from the pool.

Fierce determination

Shikha had missed her own National record on Wednesday evening while wearing the `fastest woman' crown and on Thursday, one could notice the determination on her pretty face at the crowded Aquatic Centre when she got set for the start.

``I was definitely very, very hungry,'' she said after chopping off nearly one and half seconds from Sangeetha Rani's 1995 mark.

Shikha now holds seven National records (Indian best timings) and, according to the Swimming Federation of India officials here, is the first Indian woman to carry so many simultaneously.

``She's amazing,'' said the SFI Secretary Virendra Nanavati. She sure is. Just last month, Shikha became the country's first woman to win a short-course medal (bronze) at the Asian Indoor Games in Bangkok.

Such was Shikha's pace that Assam's young and talented Fariah Zaman and Kerala's broad-shouldered Sony Cyriac were in an entirely different world this evening, finishing nearly six seconds behind the Mahavir Jain College (Bangalore) student.

Gutsy effort

Just a few hours earlier, Police's Mandar Divase, Shikha's fellow-trainee at the K.C. Reddy Swim Centre, overcame a painful shoulder and broke his own year-old 1,500m meet record.

Mandar was returning to competition after taking a three-month break after injuring his shoulder during practice.

``It still hurts, I was in pain throughout the race,'' said the 19-year-old BSF star who hails from Kolhapur in Maharashtra.

``He was racing against all odds. We almost thought he wouldn't make it,'' said Nihar Ameen, his KCR Centre coach.

The results (finals): Men: 1,500m freestyle: 1. Mandar A. Divase (Pol, 16:32.44s new meet record; OR 16:33.60, own, 2004), 2. Rohit R. Hawaldar (Karn, 16:44.50), 3. Merwyn Chen (Del, 17:04.66).

100m butterfly: 1. Arjun Muralidharan (Pol, 57.02s), 2. Veerdhaval Dhade (Mah, 58.43), 3. K. Rajiv (Rly, 58.72).

200m back stroke: 1. Akhar Ali Mir (Rly, 2:12.43s), 2. N.A. Sandeep (Karn, 2:12.91), 3. Srinand Srinivas (Karn, 2:16.76).

Waterpolo (league): Railways bt Maharashtra 10-7; Police bt Punjab 11-2; Bengal bt Manipur 8-1.

Semifinal line-up: Services v Bengal; Railways v Police.

Women: 800m freestyle: 1. Aarti Ghorphade (Mah, 9:57.76s), 2. Awani A. Sawant (Pol, 9:59.78), 3. M. Kshipra (Karn, 10:04.23).

100m butterfly: 1. C. Subha (Karn, 1:05.32s), 2. Richa Mishra (Pol, 1:06.21), 3. Lekha Kamat (Mah, 1:08.14).

200m back stroke: 1. Shikha Tandon (Karn, 2:26.66s, new Natl record, OR 2:28.06s by Sangeeta Rani, Delhi, 1995), 2. Fariah Zaman (Asm, 2:32.45), 3. Sony Cyriac (Ker, 2:32.76).

Diving: highboard: 1. Yogita S. Walunge (Rly, 359.10 pts), 2. Mamoni Mondal (Rly, 344.80), 3. Rashmi Das (Pol, 343.30).

Waterpolo: women's semifinal line-up: Kerala v Bengal; Police v Maharashtra.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail