Junior athletics: Gayathry and Beant Singh hog the limelight

Both of them set national and meet records on the opening day

Gayathry Siva Kumar took home the girls’ under-14 high jump gold. PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR

Kerala’s Gayathry Siva Kumar and Haryana’s Beant Singh hogged the limelight by creating both national and meet records at the Jio 30th National junior athletics championship at IGMC stadium here on Wednesday.

Gayathry bettered her own record in the girls’ under-14 high jump with an effort of 1.61 metres.

She held the earlier records — 1.55 (meet record) in 29th edition at Bangalore in 2013 and 1.59 (national record) at the inter-zonal meet at Kochi 2013. However, Gayathry failed in her effort to clear 1.63m.

Beant Singh, on the other hand, led the field from the start to win the boys’ under-16 1,000m race in 2:27.87 seconds, bettering Maharashtra’s Mandeep Goyat’s effort of 2:31.23 set in 2010.

Another record

Delhi’s Rahul registered a new meet record in the boys’ under-18 1,500m by clocking 3:55.28. The earlier record stood in the name of Andhra’s Pandala Trinath (3:56.01).

Kerala’s P.U. Chitra continued her consistent performance by winning the girls’ under-20 1,500m gold in 4:35.45.

Haryana and Kerala dominated the opening day by garnering 55 and 46 points respectively.

The results: Boys: U-14: 600m: 1. Vasim Tomar (UP) 1:26.11s; 2. Bharath (TN) 1:27.53; 3. Bijay Xalxo (Ori) 1:28:05; Long jump: 1. M. Bhagwan Kripa (Kar) 6.05m; 2. A. Koteswara Rao (AP) 5.94; 3. P. Pandu Naik (Tel) 5.91.

U-16: 1,000m: 1. Beant Singh (Har) 2:27.87s — NR (Old: NR 2:31.23 & MR 2:31.23); 2. Pawan Kumar (Utk) 2:32.80; 3. Sunil (Har) 2:33.86; Discus: 1. Amit (Har) 51.30m; 2. Abhay Gupta (Har) 49.42; 3. Yashwant (Bih) 47.16; High Jump: 1. Tejaswin Shankar (Del) 1.97m; 2. Shanawaz (Del) 1.90; 3. Parveen (Har) 1.90.

U-18: 1,500m: K. Rahul (Del) 3:55.28s; 2. Dinesh Lathwal (Har) 4:00.43; 3. Sarban Kumar (Bih) 4:06.82.

U-20: 1,500m: 1. Ajay Kumar Saroj (Asm) 3:59.93s; 2. Shashi Bhushan Singh (WB) 4:03.26; 3. Twinkel Tomy (Ker) 4:05.04; Shot put: 1. Naveen (Har) 18.00m; 2. Prince Upadhyay (UP) 17.37; 3. Monu (Har) 16.99.

Girls: U-14: 600m:  1. Aswathy Binu (Ker) 1:39.78s; 2. Kiranjot Kaur (Pun) 1:40.81; 3. Guari Kotoal (Utk) 1:44.27;  High Jump: 1. Gayathry Siva Kumar (Ker) 1.61m — NR (Old: NR 1.59 & MR 1.55); 2. Pratibha Kumari (Jha) 1.47; 3. A. Kevinaa Ashwini (TN) 1.44.

Triathlon: 1. Aparna Roy (Ker) 1,591 points; 2. Anya Hemant Hegde (Mah) 1,464; 3. J. Sowjanya (AP) 1,451.

U-16: 1 ,000m : 1. Durga Pramod Deore (Mah) 2:57.83s; 2. L. Samyasri (TN) 2:58.08; 3. Nitu Kumari (Jha) 3:00.61.

U-18: 1,500m: 1. Nandini Gupt (UP) 4:40.57s; 2. Lili Das (WB) 4:41.41; 3. Lekha Unni (Ker) 4:43.06.

U-20: 1,500m: 1. P.U. Chitra (Ker) 4:35.45s; 2. Sugandha Kumari (Bih) 4:36.56; 3. Athira Sasi (Ker) 4:41.84; Discus: 1. Mahalakshmi (TN) 41.69m; 2. J.S. Priyanka (Kar) 41.44; 3. Kamal Preet Kaur (Pun) 40.19.