Athletics back on track with three new meet records at junior Fed Cup

Indian athletics is back on track with three new meet records on the opening day of the 18th National Federation Cup Junior (U-20) Athletics Championships here on Monday.

The first national level competition in track and field since the COVID-19-induced lockdown in March 2020 had the best possible start with Haryana’s Yashvir Singh bettering Neeraj Chopra’s six-year-old mark in javelin throw. The 19-year-old had a best attempt of 78.68m to go past Chopra’s 76.91m throw. All five of his valid throws went past 75m.

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Sunil Dawar of Madhya Pradesh and Ankita of Uttarakhand also entered the record books. The 18-year-old Ankita completed the 5000m in 16:37.90 to retain the title she won in 2019; this time by lowering Suman Rani’s 2018 record of 17:02.67. She completed a personal double by adding the 1500m gold in 4:27.54.

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Dawar, meanwhile, won the 1500m in 3:48.54, improving on the old meet record of 3:51.16 by Shashi Bhushan Singh in 2015.

The results:

Men

100m: 1. Saurabh Rajesh Naitam (Mah, 10.51s), 2. Abhin B Devadiga (Kar, 10.54), 3. Aaditya Tomar (UP, 10.89); 1500m: 1. Sunil Dawar (MP, 3:48.54), 2. Sree Kiran (TN, 3:55.17), 3. Mohammed Nur Hasan (UP, 3:55.21); 10000m: 1. M Sathish Kumar (TN, 30:17.47), 2. Sushant Manohar Jedhe (Mah, 31:22.14), 3. Amaresh Kumar Prajapat (Del, 31:23.96); Javelin Throw: 1. Yashvir Singh (Har, 78.68m), 2. Jay Kumar (UP, 72.29), 3. Kunwar Ajai Raj Singh Rai (Pun, 66.38).

Women

100m: 1. Taranjeet Kaur (Del, 11.70s), 2. Anjali PD Dileesh (Ker, 11.88), 3. Sudeshna Hanmant Shiva (Mah, 11.91); 1500m: 1. Ankita (Utk, 4:27.54), 2. Pooja (Har, 4:28.61), 3. Megha (Har, 4:44.75); 5000m: 1. Ankita (Utk, 16:37.90), 2. Chatru Gumnaram (Raj, 17:06.03), 3. Supriti Kachhap (Jha, 17:08.30); High Jump: 1. Tanu (Har, 1.66m), 2. Kevinaa Ashwine Annavi (TN, 1.63), 3. Sphurti Subhash Mane (Mah, 1.60); Shot Put: 1. Rekha (Har, 14.14m), 2. Kavita Kumari (Raj, 13.23), 3. Simranjeet Kaur (Del, 12.53).