Khelo India Youth Games: Yashwant Laveti takes boys’ U-21 hurdles gold

Andhra Pradesh’s Yashwant equals meet record; Rajasthan’s Madhavendra Singh Shekhawat wins boys’ U-17 110m hurdles gold.

Yashwanth Kumar timed 14.10 to equal the meet record of Alden Norohna.

Yashwant Laveti of Andhra Pradesh gave a sparkling performance to bag the boys’ U-21 110m hurdles crown on the final day of athletics in the Khelo India Youth Games here on Tuesday.

Yashwant timed 14.10 to equal the meet record of Alden Norohna and beat Aditya Prakash of Jharkhand by 0.02.

In boys’ U-17 110m hurdles, Rajasthan’s Madhavendra Singh Shekhawat, who trains without a coach at Jaipur, sprang a surprise as he timed 14.44 to claim his maiden gold medal.

Kerala girls shine

Kerala girls secured three of the seven gold medals on offer in the U-21 category.

Aparna Roy (110m hurdles, 13.91) and M. Jisna (high jump, 1.73m) picked up individual gold, while Kerala, comprising Gowrinandana, Priscilla Daniel, K. M. Nibha and A. S. Sandra, clocked 3:48.98 to create a new meet record, bettering Maharashtra’s 3:49.95, and take the 4x400m girls’ U-21 top honour.

Karnataka boy Abhin Devadiga’s 21.33 was good enough to earn him the U-21 200m title with a new meet record (old 21.57, Nitin Balakumar).

Jeevanji Deepthi of Telengana won the U-17 girls’ 200m gold with 24.84. Nandini Agasara, a tea-seller’s daughter, took the girls’ U-17 100m hurdles title timing 14.07.

CYCLING Telangana’s M.Tanishq emerged victorious in boys’ under-21 individual time trial (1000m) with 1:08:352. Maharashtra took boys and girls team sprint crowns. GYMNASTICS Shrsti Manchanda of Delhi (11.90) and Sri Varshinee of Karnataka (12.025) pocketed gold medals in girls’ under-21 floor exercises and vaulting table respectively. SHOOTING Harshwardhan Yadav of Maharashtra grabbed boys’ under-21 25m rapid fire pistol gold with 31 points. Ahvar Rizvi (46) pipped Manavaditya Singh Rathore by two points to win the trap gold. Gurnihal Singh Garcha (52) was the skeet champion. Zeena Khitta (251.3) and Nancy (249.1) were the girls’ under-21 and under-17 winners in 10m air rifle. TABLE TENNIS Fidel Rafeeque Snehit Survajulla (Telangana), Anusha Kutumbale (Madhya Pradesh), Aadarsh Chhetri (Delhi) and Diya Chitale (Maharashtra) emerged as champions in boys’ under-21, girls’ under-21, boys’ under-17 and girls’ under-17 singles categories respectively. Maharashtra got back to the top of the tally with 107 medals, including 26 gold, followed by Haryana with 67.