The Hindu : Sport / Athletics : Hamza, Bendict and Preeja set meet records

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Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007
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Sport - Athletics

Hamza, Bendict and Preeja set meet records

S. Sabanayakan

Opening ceremony forces some events to be held in dark

— Photo: Sushanta Patronobish

JUMPING TO GLORY: Bendict Starley was in good form as he annexed the high jump title.

JAMSHEDPUR: There was enough drama to keep everybody busy on the first day of the four-day 47th Open National athletic championship at the JRD Tata Sports Complex here on Tuesday.

First the day produced three new meet records in the men’s 1,500m and high jump and in women’s 10,000m run.

This was followed by the opening ceremony during the conduct of the meet that put back other events which forced some of the heats and the women’s long jump to be held in near darkness. Then the much-promised electronic gadgets failed to arrive on time and the track events were completed on hand-timing.

Hamza triumphs

Chatholi Hamza of Services produced the day’s best performance. In clocking 3:39.9s in the men’s 1,500m, the armyman not only upstaged previous meet record of 3: 40.06s set by Bahadur Prasad way back in 1994 but also became the second athlete in Indian athletics history to go under 3:40. The only time such a time recorded was when Bahadur himself set the National record of 3:38.00 at Chennai in 1995.

Hamza, who won the bronze medal at the Military Games at Hyderabad, narrowly missed the Beijing Olympic qualification standard set at 3:39.00.

In a fast paced race, Hamza ran a lone race leading from the front and finished at least 20 to 25 yards ahead of Sajeesh Joseph who finished at the silver place.

Palakkad-based 25-year-old senior clerk with Southern Railway, Preeja Sreedharan, gave a rousing start to the meet with a new meet record in the women’s 10,000m race. Running in a cool, early winter morning, the diminutive lady produced 33: 25.0s to erase her own mark of 34:11.45s set at Delhi last years.

Preeja, who set the National record of 33:19.71s during the Federation Cup at Kolkata this May, said she came here with a hope of breaking her National mark but blamed the slow early pace for not being able to do so.

Starley stars

Bendict Starley of Railways equalled his career best with a clearance of 2.19m in the men’s high jump after his teammate and favourite Hari Shankar Roy managed only 2.15m. In fact, the 23-year-old managed to cross the bar in his third attempt. This erased Roy’s previous best of 2.18m set last year at Delhi. After jumping for joy, Starley tried to clear 2.22 but failed in all three attempts.

Former record holder and current Railway coach, N. Annavi, praised his ward’s strong temperament for the success.

The results:

Men: 1. Chatholi Hamza (Ser) 3:39.9s (NMR, previous 3:40.06s by Bahadur Prasad in 1994), 2. Sajeesh Joseph (Rly) 3:41.7, 3. Pritam Bind (ONGC) 3:42.0.

10,000m: 1. Surender Singh (Ser) 29:04.7s, 2. Sandeep Kumar (Rly) 29:32.4, 3. Soji Mathew (Rly) 29:32.8.

High jump: 1. Bendict Starley (Rly) 2.19m (NMR, previous 2.18m by Hari Shankar Roy of Rly in 2006), 2. Hari Shankar Roy (Rly) 2.15, 3. Vinod Kumar (Rly) 2.03.

Women: 1,500m: 1. Sinimol Paulose (SPSB) 4:15.5s, 2. O.P. Jaisha (Rly) 4:18.6, 3. Sushma Devi (Rly) 4:19.1.

10,000m: 1. Preeja Sheedharan (Rly) 33:25.0s (NMR, previous 34:11.45s by Preeja in 2006), 2. Kavita Raut (Rly) 34:00.5, 3. Preeti L. Rao (Rly) 36:41.5.

Long jump: 1. Resmi Bose (Ker) 6.06m, 2. Prajusha M.A. (Rly) 5.92, 3. J.J. Sobha (Rly) 5.88.

Discus: 1. Krishna Poonia (Rly) 52.34m, 2. Saroj Sihag (PSCB) 49.17, 3. Baljit Kaur (PSCB) 48.60.

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