The Hindu : Sport : Shanil, Manju claim honours

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Saturday, Jul 05, 2008
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Sport

Sport - Sports : General

Shanil, Manju claim honours

Principal Correspondent

KOCHI: As a little girl, A.B. Manju was a good sprinter. She even won medals at State-level inter-school athletics meets. One day, when she was 13, a gym opened near her home in Thiruvananthapuram. The trainers there persuaded the young girl to take up powerlifting, luring her with the promise that she would be a national star in her new sport.

It did not take long for Manju to hang up her spikes and race through powerlifting’s national ladder. She began winning junior and a little later, senior national titles. Manju, a former junior and senior world bronze medallist, is currently the ‘Strongwoman’ of the country.

A cakewalk

It was virtually a cakewalk for the 31-year-old, now representing Alappuzha, in the RSC State senior championship at the Regional Sports Centre here on Thursday evening.

Manju, a mother of three children, won the ‘Strongwoman of Kerala’ title — which is arrived at by calculating the strength-to-weight ratio of the lifters — without much fuss. She had won the 60kg gold earlier.

The results (read as district, squat, benchpress, deadlift and total): Men: 82.5kg: 1. V.G. Varghese (Tsr, 285, 140, 275 = 700kg), 2. Melvin Vincent (Tsr), 3. K. Ajitkumar (Kzd); 90kg & 100kg: 1. C.L. Gireesh (Tsr, 310, 132.5, 275 = 717.5kg ), 2. Karthik (Alp), 3. A. Prasal (Kzd); 110kg: 1. Girish Haridas (Tsr, 270, 155, 230 = 655), 2. T. Prabosh (Kzd).

125kg: 1. N.J. Jimson (Ekm, 305, 175, 277.5 = 757.5 kg), 2. M. Mariappan (Tvm); Above 125kg: 1. M.R. Bachu (Kzd, 330, 159.5, 295 = 784.5kg), 2. A. Ansar (Tsr), 3. Nirmal Benny (Mlp).

Women: 48kg: 1. Ruby Thomas (Tsr, 125, 47.5, 160 = 332.5 kg), 2. Shinta Joseph (Ktm), 3. M.S. Aishwarya (Wyd); 52kg: 1. Pushpamma Joseph (Alp, 115, 65, 120 = 300kg), 2. Anjana U. Rajan (Ktm), 3. Anju Arown Ross (Kze); 56kg: 1. P. Sheri (Kzd, 145, 70, 170 = 385kg), 2. Abitha Karun (Kzd), 3. Thushara Kala (Ktm); 60kg: 1. A.B. Manju (Alp, 187.5, 97.5, 200 = 485kg), 2. Linu Elizabeth (Kzd), 3. Jojitha Joy (Ktm); 67.5kg: 1. K.R. Rajimol (Ktm, 50, 25, 80 = 155).

Sub-junior boys: 82.5kg: 1. Renjith Mohan Kumar (Tsr, 190, 117.5, 215 = 522.5kg), 2. G. Sageesh (Kzd), 3. G. Ayoslal (Klm); 90kg: 1. E. Aswin Mohan (Kzd, 160, 82.5, 175 = 417.5 kg), 2. R. Varun (Klm), 3. Mohammed Sufiyan (Mlp).

Sub-junior girls: 44kg: 1. Anu Theresa (Kzd, 55, 25, 80 = 160kg), 2. M.S. Aishwarya (Wyd), 3. Linda Thomas (Ekm); 48kg: 1. Sumi George (Ekm, 60, 20, 60 = 140kg), 2. Anitha Babu (Ekm); 52kg: 1. S. Shakhiya (Alp, 70, 30, 95 = 195kg), 2. Anju Arown Ross (Kzd), 3. P.G. Divya (Ekm).

56kg: 1. C.P. Ayisha Nazeera (Kzd, 80, 35, 95, 210kg), 2. Reshma Johny (Ekm), 3. Reshma Vincent (Ekm); 60kg: 1. Linu Elizabeth (Kzd, 87.5, 37.5, 110 = 235kg), 2. Philomina Siliya (Ekm); 67.5kg: 1. Salooja Beegam (Kzd, 65, 30, 90 = 185kg), 2. T.P. Abisha (Kzd).

Overall championship: 1. Kozhikode (121 pts), 2. Thrissur (84), 3. Ernakulam (84).

Team championships, seniors: Men: Thrissur (72). Women: Kozhikode (66); Sub-juniors: Boys: Thrissur (63). Girls: Kozhikode (72).

Best powerlifters, seniors: Strongman: P.S. Shanil (Thrissur). Strongwoman: A.B. Manju (Alappuzha); Sub-juniors: Strongboy: Ronald Varghese (Ekm). Stronggirl: Linu Elizabeth (Kzd).