Railways retains men's title

MANGALORE hosted a major sporting event after a gap of eight years when the 29th senior National powerlifting championship for men and 21st edition for women was held at the Town Hall. Incidentally, the city was hosting the event after a decade, having hosted it previously in 1993.

MANGALORE hosted a major sporting event after a gap of eight years when the 29th senior National powerlifting championship for men and 21st edition for women was held at the Town Hall. Incidentally, the city was hosting the event after a decade, having hosted it previously in 1993.

Despite the plethora of national records set, mostly by men, this event would be remembered long for an ungainly controversy involving veteran powerlifter, Sarala Shetty of Banking Sports Board and the Indian Powerlifting Federation. Barring this unsavoury episode, the event, co-sponsored by Mangalore City Corporation went off without any hitch.

The competition was also all about grit. As the competitors pushed aside lack of organisational or institutional support for the sport as such.

Performances of Seena of Kerala, local lass Geeta Bai, Suresh of Kerala exemplified that perseverance helps produce results.

Mayor K. Diwakar inaugurated the event. V. Loganathan of Indian Railways set two national records on the opening day of the competition and the following day, in the 56 kg category. P. Suresh (Kerala), Sudha Prabhu (Karnataka), N. Anbu (Rlys), Binod Kumar Patra (Jharkhand) also set new national records in their respective divisions.

V. Raja (Rlys) was the lone record setter on day two in the 82.5-kg category. In fact, the string of performances of the Railway powerlifters only ensured the prediction of their chief coach, V. Xavier of his team wining six golds and retaining the men's team championship for the fifth year, coming true.

The highlight of the competition was a plethora of records in the men's plus-125-kg category on the last day where Harjinder Kumar of Punjab set three new national records, breaking his own in benchpress, breaking team-mate Susheel Kumar's record in total and deadlift. Shahnawaz of Railways smashed Susheel's deadlift record too.

Incidentally, Susheel Kumar who was around was forced to watch the event from the sidelines. Suffering from a crippling hip-joint problem, Susheel said "he was angry with himself for being forced to miss the event through an injury." At the same time, he uttered the prophetic words — "I'll be back" while savouring the success of team-mate Harjinder.

Kerala and Tamil Nadu finished second and third, respectively in the men's team championships with 54 points each. Kerala edged out TN for the second spot based on its higher placed finishing in the event. In the inter-state men's championships, Kerala was the top placed team with 66 points followed by Tamil Nadu with 60 points and Punjab third with 55 points.

In the women's edition, Kerala upstaged last year's team champions, Andhra. Host, Karnataka finished second on the strength of performances by Sudha, Nayana Sriyan, B.H. Bharathi and Geeta Bai.

Incidentally, Seena and Loganathan were adjudged Strongwoman and Strongman respectively. Kerala also finished overall champions of the meet with 120 points, followed by Punjab and Tamil Nadu with 86 points each, Punjab edging out TN, on higher number of medals won. Karnataka had the distinction of being adjudged the best dressed and disciplined team.

The results:

Women: 44 kg: 1. Pushpamma Joseph (Kerala) Squat 115 kg + Bench press 60 kg + Deadlift 132.5 kg, Total 307.5 kg, 2. Roopa (Kar) 122.5 + 50+ 120 = 292.5, 3. Sudha Kumari (Bih) 112.5 + 55+ 112.5 = 280. 48 kg: 1. Sudha Prabhu (Kar) 137.5 + 77.5 + 147.5 = 362.5, 2. Ch.V.S.N.L. Renuka (AP) 132.5 + 62.5 + 130 = 325, 3. Saraswathi Gunjal (Maharashtra) 120 + 52.5 + 135 = 207.5 (National record by Sudha Prabhu in bench press beating old record of 75 kg set by V. Kargoankar of Maharashtra).

52 kg: 1. Seena S. (Ker) 167.5 + 72.5 + 170 = 410, 2. Nayana Sriyan (Kar) 137.5 + 70 + 125 = 332.5, 3. Pushpalatha (UP) 137.5 + 47.5 + 130 = 315.

56 kg: 1. P. Sheri (Ker) 150 + 70 + 165 = 385, 2. P.S. Bhanu (TN) 160 + 70 + 155 = 385, 3. B.H. Bharathi (Kar) 157.5 + 67.5 + 157.5 = 382.5.

60 kg: 1. Manjula (Kar) 152.5 + 72.5 + 150 = 375, 2. Jyothi (AP) 127.5 + 62.5 + 145 = 335, 3. Indira Salian (Kar) 135 + 50 + 140 = 325.

67.5 kg: 1. Mandeep Kumar (Pun) 195 + 80 + 180 = 455, 2. Jiji P. (Ker) 155 + 65 + 160 = 380, 3. Lekha (Ker) 150 + 77.5 + 152.5 = 380.

75 kg: 1. Bhagwat Madhuri (MP) 175 + 97.5 + 182.5 = 455, 2. A.B. Manju (Ker) 172.5 + 95 + 177.5 = 445, 3. Geeta Dongre (MP) 170 + 95 + 177.5 = 437.5.

82.5 kg: 1. Blessy Job (Rly) 185 + 72.5 + 190 = 447.5, 2. Sunita Rani (Pun) 170 + 87.5 + 150 = 407.5, 3. Saritha Z.P. Menezes (Kar) 155 + 72.5 + 160 = 387.5.

90 kg: 1. G. Ambili (Ker) 175 + 67.5 + 180 = 422.5, 2. T. Chitra (TN) 180 + 80 + 160 = 420, 3. B. Jyothi (BSB) 167.5 + 82.5 + 150 = 400. + 90 kg: 1. Sampa Guha (WB) 192.5 + 92.5 + 160 = 445, 2. Malika Sharma (Har) 205 + 67.5 + 165 = 437.5, 3. Geeta Bai (Kar) 177.5 + 82.5 + 170 = 430.

Men: 52 kg: 1. P. Suresh (Ker) 217.5 + 130 + 200 = 547.5, 2. K.V. Swamy (TN) 202.5 + 95 + 240 = 537.5, 3. Prakash Garje (Rlys) 210 + 102.5 + 205 = 517.5 (National record by Suresh in benchpress bettering his own record of 122.5 kg; Interstate: 1. P. Suresh (547.5), 2. K.V. Swamy (537.5), 3. S. Thorpe (Mah, 502.5).

56 kg: 1. V. Loganathan (Rlys) 250.5 + 122.5 + 247.5 = 620, 2. Shoby P.J. (Kerala) 215 + 120 + 230 = 567.5, 3. Mahesh Pedamkar (Delhi) 217.5 + 120 + 230 = 567.5 (Two national records by Loganathan in squat and overall total bettering his previous record of 250 kg and 610 kg set in Patiala); Inter-state: 1. Shoby P.J. (567.5), 2. Mahesh Pedamkar (567.5), 3. M. Nagappan T.N. (552.5)

60 kg: 1. N. Anbu (Rlys) 257 + 127.5 + 255 = 640, 2. G. Ravi Kumar (Rlys) 250 + 125+ 257.5 = 632.5, 3. P. Mahindran (TN) 235 + 147.5 + 240 = 622.5) (National record by N. Anbu in squat bettering previous record of M.S. Sudhir of Karnataka of 247.5-kg); Inter-state: 1. P. Mahindran (622.5), 2. A.K. Rajan (Ker, 590), 3. Binod Kumar Patra (Jhark, 585 ) (National record by Patra in bench press bettering P. Mahindran's (TN) mark of 150 kg).

67.5 kg: 1. V.R. Srikumar (OFSCB) 255 + 152.5 + 252.5 = 660, 2. D. Singh (UP) 242.5+140+255 = 637.5, 3. A.S. Kumar (TN) 245 + 132.5 + 257 = 635; Inter-state: 1. D. Singh (637.5), 2. A.S. Kumar (635), 3. K. Masalamani (Pondi, 635).

75 kg: 1. A.K. Kallimutthu (TN) 280 + 147.5 + 287.5 = 715, 2. Ramesh Kumar (Chandigarh) 260 + 172.5 + 272.5 = 705, 3. V.G. Vargeese (Ker) 230 + 150 + 270 = 700 (Inter-state placings same as in open category).

82.5 kg: 1. V. Raja (Rly) 302.5 + 157.5 +320 = 780, 2. Antony Lawrence (Rly) 277.5 + 147.5 + 310 = 735, 3. Hussan Lal (Chandigarh) 275 + 167.5 + 260 = 702.5 (National records by V. Raja in deadlift bettering the record of 310 kg set by Antony Lawrence of TN and in overall total bettering the record of Jeevan Singh of Delhi at 770-kg); Inter-state: 1. Hussan Lal (702.5), 2. C. Naveen Kumar (685), 3. Cristo Jose (680).

90 kg: 1. S. Koteshwar Rao (P&T) 292.5 + 150 + 330 = 772.5, 2. K.B. Mathew (Ker) 285 + 175 + 307.5 = 767.5; Inter-state: 1. K.B. Mathew (767.5) 2. Charan Singh (762.5) 3. Premjit Singh (745).

100 kg: 1. S. Nagarajan (Rly) 327.5 + 177.5 + 302.5 = 807.5, 2. G. Shivraman (P&T) 295 + 175 + 310 = 780. 3. Mandeep Singh (Pun) 310 + 160 + 290 = 760 (National record by Nagarajan in overall total beating his own previous record of 802.5 kg); Inter-state: 1. Mandeep Singh (760), 2. Sanil Kumar (760), 3. S.P. Babu (740).

110 kg: 1. Suresh R. Konar (Rly) 320 + 195 + 317.5 = 832.5, 2. Renjit M. Das (Ker) 310 + 210 + 310 = 830, 3. D. Nelson Adhikalaraj (TN) 327.5 + 215 + 272.5 = 815; Inter-state: 1. Renjit (830) 2. D. Nelson (815) 3. Harjeet Kumar Punjab (775).

125 kg: 1. Ashok Kapoor (Pun) 320 + 200 + 300 = 820, 2. A. Abdul Munaff (TN) 340 + 177.5 + 262.5 = 780, 3. Arvind Kumar Sharma (UP) 290 + 160 + 290 = 740 (Inter-state placings same as in open category).

+125 kg: 1. Harjinder Kumar (Pun) 395 + 240 + 290 = 925, 2. Shannawaz (Rly) 390 + 187.5 + 332.5 = 910, 3. Amit Rai 330 + 165 + 262.5 = 757.5; Inter-state placings: 1. Harjinder Kumar (925), 2. Amit Rai (757.5).