Rameshwori all the way

KIRTI PATIL

THE genial Manipuri girl, Rameshwori Devi, shrugged off her bridesmaid tag and cornered a slice of history for herself at the sixth National Games cycling competition.

Five gold medals, a national record, and the pleasure of putting Manipur on top of the tally with eight titles - became the new additions to her resume.

If Rameshwori was the overall runaway winner, Sukhjinder Singh and Jefferson Singh, both of Punjab, became the top gold medallists in the men's section - winning three each. The host should thank Sukhjinder and Jefferson and the imports from Manipur and Andaman and Nicobar Islands who helped Punjab retain its second position with five gold medals, edging Services to the third spot.

No one doubted the capabilities of Manipur, but it was Punjab, which managed a coup of sorts. Punjab had banned 12 top cyclists for indiscipline just before the Games, including its top medal winner in the 1999 Imphal Games, Kulbir Singh. The host, however, had an alternate plan. Resident Manipuri cyclists at the NIS, Patiala and the employees of the Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala, were the saviours for Punjab. Manipur, though, was hardly concerned with a few of its cyclists appearing for Punjab. The talent available with Manipur, particularly in the women's section, was far better than the rest in the fray.

What caught the imagination was the ease with which Rameshwori went about her task. In winning the 3,000-metre Individual Pursuit, Rameshwori broke a long-standing record. With the timing of 4 minutes and 26.188 seconds, she bettered the old mark of 4:27.600, which stood in the name of K. Premapati Devi, also of Manipur. Premapati had set the record at the Senior National championships in 1991, incidently at the same Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) velodrome in Ludhiana.

Later that day, Rameshwori led Manipur to another gold, in winning the 3,000-metre Team Pursuit. Manipur's dominance was such that the Punjab women were lapped, in the sixth lap. The winning team comprised Rameshwori, G. Geetanjali Devi, N. Choba Devi and I. Gotamani Devi.

As luck would have it, Manipur men set a new Games record in the 4,000m Team Pursuit, but failed to strike gold. In winning the semifinal race, the Manipur team comprising Ch. Premjit Singh, K. Inder Kumar Singh, Th. Aimson Singh and N. Budha Singh, clocked 4 minutes 55.809 seconds bettering the old mark of 4:58.00, set by Punjab in Imphal.

In the final, however, the Manipur men fell to the guiles of the host. The Punjab team comprising Sukhjinder Singh, Rajpaul Chauhan, Jefferson Singh and Harjot Singh, clocked 4 minutes 57.280 seconds. Lead racer Sukhjinder got enough boost from pacer Harjot Singh, who left the remaining three to complete the race having done his job to perfection.

The results:Men:

1,500m Team Time Trial: 1. Punjab (Hitraj Singh, Sukhjinder Singh, Rajpaul Chauhan, Jefferson Singh) 1 min 46.134 secs (NMR); 2. Manipur (Premjit Singh, K. Inder Kumar Singh, Th. Aimson Singh, Kh. Probin Singh) 1:48.347; 3. Services (Sandeep Malik, Jorawar Singh, Dharmender, Paramjeet Singh) 1:50.698.

1,000m Time Trial: 1. Ch. Premjit Singh (Mnp) 1 min 12.567 secs; 2. K. Inderkumar Singh (Mnp) 1:12.690; 3. Vishnuchand (Ker) 1:14.110.

4000m Individual Pursuit: 1. Shiv Ram Choudhary (Raj) 5 mins 21.978 secs; 2. Jeeta Ram Choudhary (Raj) 5:24.633; 3. Sandeep Malik (Services) 5:23.957.

1,000m Sprint: 1. K. Inder Kumar Singh (Mnp) 11.818 secs; 2. Vishnu Chand (Ker) 12.409; 3. Ajesh T. Thomas (Ker) 12.699.

4,000m Team Pursuit: 1. Punjab (Sukhjinder Singh, Rajpaul Chauhan, Jefferson Singh, Harjot Singh) 4 mins 57.280 secs; 2. Manipur (Ch. Premjit Singh, K. Inder Kumar Singh, Th. Aimson Singh, N. Budha Singh) 4:58.531; 3. Services (Sandeep Malik, Jorawar Singh, Dharmender, Paramjeet Singh) 4:58.187. (Manipur set New Games Record, winning its semifinal race in 4:55.809, Old - 4:58.000 by Punjab in Imphal, 1999).

30 km Point Race: 1. Sukhjinder Singh (Pun) 39 points; 2. Shiv Ram Chaudhary (Raj) 38; 3. Inderjit Singh (Pun) 17.

30 km Individual Time Trial: 1. Sandeep Malik (Services) 42 mins 52.57 secs; 2. Ramkaran Choudhary (Raj) 43:40.20; 3. Jefferson Singh (Pun) 43:43.36.

70 km Team Time Trial: 1. Services (Dharmender Singh, Jorawar Singh, Paramjeet Singh, Sandeep Malik) 1 hour 34 mins 54.65 secs; 2. Punjab (Hitraj Singh, Inderjit Singh, Jefferson Singh, R. K. Soni 1:37:02.55; 3. Rajasthan (Jeeta Ram Choudhary, Ram Karan Choudhary, Ram Dhan Choudhary, Shiv Ram Choudhary) 1:39:06.82.

120 km Mass Start: 1. Jefferson Singh (Pun) 3 hour 09 mins 28.79 secs; 2. Ram Dhan Choudhary (Raj); 3. Paramjeet Singh (Services).

Women:

1,500m Team Time Trial: 1. Manipur (Ch. Rameshwori Devi, G. Geetanjali Devi, N. Choba Devi, H. Dinita Devi) 2 mins 07.234 secs; 2. Punjab (H. Ranjita Devi, W. Bemcha Devi, Jaswinder Kaur, Rashan Billing) 2:08.736; 3. Maharashtra (Sonali Patil, Pratima Lonari, Minakshi Shinde, Rajshri Kadam) 2:12.696.

500m Time Trial: 1. Ch. Rameshwori Devi (Mnp) 39.244 secs; 2. H. Ranjitha Devi (Pun) 41.364; 3. G. Geetanjali Devi (Mnp) 41.996.

3,000m Individual Pursuit: 1. Ch. Rameshwori Devi (Mnp) 4 mins 26.188 secs (NNR) (Old 4:27.600 by K. Premapati Devi of Manipur in Senior Nationals, 1991); 2. N. Choba Devi (Mnp) 4:35.510; 3. Anitha Andrews (Ker) 4:41.661.

1,000m Sprint: 1. G. Geetanjali Devi (Mnp) 14.409 secs; 2. Cicily (Pun) 14.441; 3. Jaswinder Kaur (Pun) 14.362.

3,000m Team Pursuit: 1. Manipur (Ch. Rameshwori Devi, G. Geetanjali Devi, N. Choba Devi, I. Gotamani Devi) 4 mins 19.392 secs; 2. Punjab (H. Ranjita Devi, W. Bemcha Devi, Jaswinder Kaur, Rasan Billing) 4:31.820; 3. Maharashtra (Sonali Patil, Patima Lonari, Minakshi Shinde, Rajshri Kadam) 4:32.879.

15 kms Point Race: 1. H. Ranjita Devi (Pun) 35 points; 2. Cicily (Pun) 22; 3. N. Choba Devi (Mnp) 22.

15 km Individual Time Trial: 1. Gangu G. Biradar (Kar) 24 mins 22.50 secs; 2. Premlatha V. Sureban (Kar) 24:25.13; 3. W. Bemcha Devi (Pun) 24:30.83.

50 km Mass Start: 1. Ch. Rameshwori Devi (Mnp) 1 hour 38 mins 00.10 secs; 2. Gangu G. Biradar (Kar) and W. Bemcha Devi (Punjab).

Medals tally: Manipur 8 gold - 5 silver - 2 bronze; Punjab 5-6-4; Services 2-0-4; Rajasthan 1-4-1; Karnataka 1-2-0; Kerala 0-1-3; Maharashtra 0-0-2. (Note: Two silver medals were awarded in the 50 km Mass Start for women).