Kerala probably enjoyed one of its best days in swimming in recent memory as it rode on Sajan Prakash’s brilliance to win two gold medals on the opening day of the swimming events of the National Games at the Mihir Sen Plaza here on Sunday.
The Railway import, Sajan was obviously the hero for Kerala as he won the 100m butterfly gold with a new games record and later played a big role in the State’s 4x100m relay gold.
Sajan also won a sliver in 200m freestyle event. Kerala’s good show continued when Pooja Alva won a bronze in 100m buttefly and the women’s 4x100m relay squad won an unexpected bronze.
Aaron D’Souza, who is aiming for a record haul of medals, got his campaign off to a flying start as he led from start- to-finish to win the men’s 200m freestyle in a new games record of 1:52.06s.
Aaron broke Virdhwal Khade old record (1:53.91s) set in Ranchi in 2011. There was little doubt about the outcome of the race when Aaron got off to a good start and took the lead half-way into the first lap.
By the end of the third lap, Aaron had taken a sizeable lead over Kerala’s Sajan Prakash who made an all-out effort to catch up with the leader but ended second best with a time of 1:53.27s.
National champion Saurabh Sangvekar finished a disappointing third in 1:54.58 which was way behind his personal best.
However, 10 minutes later Sajan won the eagerly-awaited gold for Kerala as he extracted sweet revenge by toppling Aaron D’Souza to win 100m butterfly event in a new games record of 0:55.03s. Sajan broke Virdhwal Khade’s old mark of 0:55.56 set in 2011.
In fact Sajan trailed Aaron at the end of the first 50m but made a strong surge in the last 20m to move past Aaron to win the gold. Aaron clocked 0:55.18 for the silver while Supriya Mondal finished third.
Shivani sparkles National champion Shivani Kataria lived up to the pre-race billing as she left teenage sensation Maana Patel and existing record-holder Richa Mishra to win women's 200m freestyle event in new record of 2:07.46s. It was another race in which the eventual winner led from the start to finish and Shivani broke Richa Mishra’s old mak (2:09.53). Monique Gandhi of Maharashtra overtook V. Malavika to finish second.
However, Richa Mishra salvaged some pride as she staged a fine comeback to win the women’s 50m butterfly. Richa was in fourth spot at the end of the first lap but she made up with a great effort in the homestretch and went past the leader Jyotsna Pansare to finish in 1:05.38s which was way behind her own record. Kerala’s Pooja Alva won a bronze much to delight of the crowd.
In men’s 4x100m relay, Kerala was lying third when Sajan came on as the third swimmer and by the time he finished his race he had given a sizeable lead as cushion for the last swimmer Sharma S.P. Nair, who warded off a stiff challenge from the last Maharashtra swimmer to win the second gold for Kerala.
The Kerala squad also set a new record in the process.
The results: Men: 200m freestyle: 1. Aaron D’Souza (MP) (1:52.06 - NGR; 0R-1:53.91, Virdhawal Khade, 2011), 2. Sajan Prakash (Ker) (1:53.27), 3. Saurabh Sangvekar (Mah) (1:54.58).
100m butterfly: 1. Sajan Prakash (Ker) (0:55.03 - NGR; OR- 0:55.56, Virdhawal Khade, 2011), 2. Supriya Mondal (Ben) (0:55.18), 3. Aaron D’Souza (MP) (0:55.33).
4x100m relay: 1. Kerala (3:32.33 - NGR; OR - 3:37.47, Karnataka, 2011), 2. Maharashtra (3:33.10), 3. Madhya Pradesh (3:33.17).
Women: 200m freestyle: 1. Shivani Kataria (Har) (2:07.46 - NGR; OR - 2:09.53, Richa Mishra, 2011), 2. Monique Gandhi (Mah) (2:09.44), 3. V. Malavika (Kar) (2:09.09).
100m butterfly: 1. Richa Mishra (MP) (1:05.38), 2. Jyotsna Pansare (Mah) (1:05.46), 3. Pooja Alwa (1:05.49).
4x100m freestyle: 1. Maharashtra (4:04.57 - NGR; OR - 4:09.68, Karnataka, 2011), 2. Karnataka (4:06.51), 3. Kerala (4:12.40).
