National Games: Jyothi Yarraji, Ram Baboo hog limelight as athletics events conclude

When Ram Baboo set a new national record in a 35km race walk, Andhra Pradesh’s Jyothi Yarraji, the 100m women’s champion, got a rare double of gold medals by winning the 100m hurdles.

Jyothi Yarraji of Andhra Pradesh won the gold medal in women’s 100m hurdles at the 36th National Games in Gandhinagar on October 4, 2022. | Photo Credit: V.V. Krishnan

Uttar Pradesh athlete Ram Baboo clocked 2 hours 36 minutes and 34 seconds to set a new National record for 35km race walk on the concluding day of athletics competitions at the National Games here on Tuesday.

In a race introduced last year and made its National Games debut this time, 23-year-old Ram Baboo’s mark helped him beat Haryana's Juned Khan, who clocked 2:40:51.00 here and held the National record of 2:40:16.00 made at the National Race Walking championships in Ranchi this year, comfortably.

Andhra Pradesh’s Jyothi Yarraji, the 100m women’s champion, got a rare double of gold medals by winning the 100m hurdles. She became the first Indian female to clock a sub-13 seconds time (12.79 seconds) in the hurdles. But her performance could not be considered for record purposes due to the wind assistance beyond the permissible limit of 2m/s.

Jyothi had faced a similar situation in the Federation Cup in Thenhipalam, Kozhikode, earlier this year when she finished in 13.09 seconds. She improved her performance to create the National record at 13.04 seconds in the Harry Schutling Games in the Dutch city of Vught.

Amlan Borgohain, the 100m winner, also claimed the 200m gold with a time of 20.55.

The Assam runner broke the 200m mark twice, first in the heats and then in the final. Four runners cracked the 21-second barrier in the final.

The Results (finals):

Men: 200m: Amlan Borgohain (Asm) 20.55 (GR, Old: 21.06, Amlan Borgohain, Gandhinagar, 2022); 2. Abhin B Devadiga (Kar) 20.89; 3. Muhammed Ajmal (SSCB) 20.97; 800m: 1. Mohammed Afsal (SSCB) 1:46.30; 2. Krishan Kumar (SSCB) 1:47.19; 3. Ankesh Chaudhary (SSCB) 1:47.35; 3000m steeplechase: 1. Shankar Lal Swami (SSCB) 8:43.05; 2. Balkishan (SSCB) 8:43.14; 3. Prince Raj Mishra (Sik) 8:47.15; 110m hurdles: 1. Tejas Shirke (Mah) 13.84m; 2. Surendhar Jayakumar (TN) 14.07; 3. Tarundeep Singh (SSCB) 14.19; 400m hurdles: 1. T. Santhosh Kumar (SSCB) 49.49 (GR, Old: 50.38, Ranchi, 2011); 2. M.P. Jabir (SSCB) 50.57; 3. K. Sathish (TN) 50.70; Javelin throw: 1. D.P. Manu (SSCB) 80.71m; 2. Rohit Yadav (UP) 79.78; 3. Abhishek Drall (Del) 79.01; 35km race walk: 1. Ram Baboo (UP) 2:36:34.00 (NR, Old: 2:40:16.00, Juned Khan, Ranchi, 2022); 2. Juned Khan (Har) 2:40:51.00; 3. Chandan Singh (SSCB) 2:44:02.00.

Women: 200m: 1. Archana Suseendran (TN) 23.06 (GR, Old: 23.86, Shiny Wilson, Pune, 1994); 2. Hima Das (Asm) 23.61; 3. Srabani Nanda (Odi) 23.64; 800m: 1. K.M. Chanda (Del) 2:01.58 (GR, Old: 2:01.86, Tintu Luka, Thiruvananthapuram, 2015); 2. Twinkle Chaudhary (Pun) 2:03.95; 3. Radha Chaudhary (Del) 2:04.32; 3000m steeplechase: 1. Parul Chaudhary (UP) 9:56.65; 2. Komal Jagdale (Mah) 10:00.22; 3. Priti Lamba (Har) 10:02.94; 100m hurdles: 1. Jyothi Yarraji (AP) 12.79; 2. Agasara Nandini (Tel) 13.38; 3. Sapna Kumari (Jha) 13.42; 400m hurdles: 1. Vithya Ramaraj (TN) 56.57 (GR, Old: 57.75, Udaya Lakshmi, Ludhiana, 2001); 2. R. Arathi (Ker) 58.57; 3. Sinchal Kaveramma (Kar) 58.74; Javelin throw: 1. Annu Rani (UP) 54.56m; 2. Rashmi K. Shetty (AP) 53.97; 3. Shilpa Rani (Har) 51.93; 35km race walk: 1. Payal (Utk) 3;11:23.00; 2. Manju Rani (Pun) 3:22:32.00; 3. Puja Pramanik (WB) 3:33:56.00.