ON A ROLL: India's Mandar Divase, who set a new Games record in the 1500m freestyle event.

COLOMBO: It was an eventful day in the South Asian Games on Tuesday. Incessant rain brought two interruptions in the swimming pool, but Indians excelled with records.

At the shooting range, World champion Navanath Faratade kept his reputation with a gold and a new record to boot in the10m air rifle. India added five gold medals to its kitty on Tuesday.

Navanath's World championship mark was 596, but that did not matter. In the prevailing conditions, his 591-mark was an effort that brought him the gold. He also helped India win the team gold with a new Games record. Interestingly, the second-placed P.T. Ragunath also fired 591, but the record stood in Navanath's name. The earlier mark was in the name of Bangladesh's Md. Asif (590) set in 2004. The final score of 695.1 is also a new Games record, credited to Navanath.

Equally creditable was Amanpreet Singh's gold with a new record of 559 in the 50m pistol, an event which actually got over on Monday, but the result was held over a pending disposal of a protest by India over a `double shot' which had been ignored in the Indian's score. The jury accepted the protest and Amanpreet got the nine additional points he deserved.

Manager Balshanmugham spoke highly of the `rich talent' who has already proved his mettle in international meets earlier. Incidentally his 559 is a big improvement over the 548-mark set by Samaresh Jung in 2004.

In the 50m prone rifle, the lone women's event, India missed the individual gold, but Meena, Rajkumari and T. Pooja accumulated 1739 points for the team gold.

Poncha wins gold

In swimming, Rehan Poncha, who failed to win a gold medal on Monday, came back strongly to win the 200m IM with a new record. He clocked 2:11.22s, eclipsing compatriot Abhijith's 2:11.27 set in 1995. It was another good day for the Indian swimmers.

In table tennis, which saw scenes at the Indian National championship almost repeating, the Indians bagged three gold and as many silver medals in the doubles events. Sharath Kamal had the most profitable day, bagging two gold medals.

Second win for India

In hockey, India notched up its second win, with a whopping 9-1 margin over Sri Lanka, at Matale. The scorers for India were Michael (3rd), Ragunath (4th pc), Bhupinder Singh Chandi (7th), Senthil (14th),Virender (22nd); Raghunath (38th, penalty stroke) Adam Sinclair (40th), William Xalxo (42nd pc), Bhupinder Singh Chandi (53rd). For Lanka, Vikramasinghe scored in the 61st minute off a penalty stroke. In another match, Pakistan beat Bangladesh 5-2.

Akhil bags gold

Boxing is a sport where Pakistan reaps gold like no other and the relentless run could be checked only by one Indian — Akhil Kumar — at the midway stage of the final programme in the South Asian Games on Tuesday night.

Akhil, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist, too needed some sprightly punching towards the end stage to stop Pakistan's Abid Baloch and the winning margin was just one point (26-25).

The Indian challenge included Commonwealth medallists and Asian championship medallists but that did not matter. Once the Railwayman won the gold there was understandable sense of relief in the Indian camp.

At the end of five bouts, Pakistan had won four gold medals.

The results: Shooting: men: 10 m air rifle: 1. Navanath Faratade (Ind) 695.1 (591+104.1) NR, prev 590 Md. Asif, BD, 2004; 2.P.T. Ragunath (Ind) 693.3 (591+102.3); 3. Imam Hossain (BD) (note 695.1 NR, prev 693.6 Md Asif, 2004); team: India 1765 (Raghunath 591, Navanath 91, Fulchand Bangar 583); 2. Bangladesh 1760; 3. Pakistan 1743; 50m pistol: 1. Amanpreet Singh (Ind) 648.2 (559+89.2); 2. E.M. Senanayake (SL) 629.7; 3.Muhamad Boota (Pak) 626; women: 50m prone rifle: 1. Nilmini Illangarathna (SL) 588; 2. Meena 584; Rajkumari 584; team: 1. India 1739 (Meena, Rajkumari, T. Pooja 571); 2. Sri Lanka 1735;3. Pakistan 1667.

Swimming: men: 1,500m freestyle: 1. Mandar Divase (Ind) 916:17.58 s, NR, prev 16:30.83, Mandar, 2004); 2. Rohit Havaldar (Ind) (16:43.59); 3. Mahboob Ali (Pak) (17:48.31); 200m IM: 1. Rehan Poncha (Ind) (2:11.22s, NR, prev 2:11.27 Abhijith (Ind), 95); 2. Nisar Ahmed (Pak) (2:16.26); 3. Rubel Rana (BD) (2:16.62); 100 m free: 1. Virdhaval Khade (Ind) 52.71s (NR, prev 53.53, Sujith Ind, 2004); 2. Daniel Lee (SL) (55.75); 3. Rezaul (BD) 55.83s; 200 m butterfly: 1. Arjun Muralidharan, Ind) (2:05.06 NR, prev 2;07.10, RehanPoncha, Ind 2004); 2. Rehan Poncha (Ind) (2:07.33); 3. Nasir Ali (Pak) (2:12.97).

Women: 200 m breaststroke: 1. Mayumi Raheem (SL) (2;45.24 NR, prev 2:50.95, Zeba Wadia, Ind, 1999); 2.Tejaswini (Ind) (2:46.72); 3. Doli Akther (BD) (2:58.17); 400m free: 1. Kishipra Mahajan (Ind) (4:40.72); 2. Pooja Alva (Ind) (4:42.98); 3. Kiran Khan (Pak) (4:54.56); 200m back: 1. Fariha Zaman (Ind) (2:31.49 (NR, prev 2:31.96, Nisha Millet, Ind, 90; 2. Madhavi Giri (Ind) (2:2.45; 3 Kiran Khan (Pak) (2:40.49); 4x200 m free: 1. India (Neeraja, Surabhi, Kishipra, Pooja ) 9:18.76; 2. Sri Lanka 9:38.41; Pakistan 9:53.40.

Table tennis: final: doubles: men: Sharath Kamal/ Soumyadeep Roy bt Subajit Saha/ Pathik Mehta 11-7, 11-5, 4-11, 11-8; women: Poulomi Ghatak/ Mouma Das bt Kasturi Chakraborty/ Nandita Saha 11-5, 11-13, 11-7, 11-8; mixed: Sharath Kamal/ Poulomi Ghatak bt Soumyadeep/ Mouma 11-3, 12-14, 11-7, 11-6.

Boxing (finals): 48 kg: Muhamad Nisar Khan (Pak) bt Sanjay Kishan Kolte (Ind) 22-20 rtd III; 51 kg: Nauman Karim (Pak) bt T.B. Harsha Kumara (SL) 23-17 on pts; 54 kg: Akhil Kumar (Ind) bt Abid Baloch (Pak) 26-25 on points; 57 kg: Mehrullah Lasi (Pak) bt Anthresh Lalit Lakra (Ind) 26-6 on points: 60 kg: Syed Asghar Ali (Pak) bt Jai Bhagwan (Ind) 22-19 on points.

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