The Hindu : Sport / Athletics : Tintu Luka races to a record double; Reshmi Bose has it easy in long jump

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Tintu Luka races to a record double; Reshmi Bose has it easy in long jump

Principal Correspondent

— Photo: H. Vibhu

Tintu Luka.

KOCHI: She had been away from the 400m the entire season, working on clipping away the seconds in the two-lapper. Tintu Luka returned to the quartermile at the 52nd Kerala State senior and junior athletics championships at the Maharaja’s Stadium here on Saturday.

And a little later, she ran away with the under-20 girls’ State record, leaving her rivals to watch in awe from a good distance.

“That is my best time ever … I’ve never run faster,” said the 19-year-old who was all smiles this evening.

Proud coach

Her famous coach, P.T. Usha, was all smiles too. “For a change, since it was the fag end of the season, I told Tintu to concentrate on the 400,” said the former Asian queen from Kozhikode. “Next season, we’ll be giving more importance to speed. She should be running in 53.2 or probably below 53.”

Records missing

While Tintu, among the country’s brightest juniors, raised the bar impressively and produced her second meet record of this championship, the Kerala State Athletics Association failed to rise to the occasion.

“We don’t have the State open records, we just maintain meet records,” said the State association secretary, M. Velayudhan Kutty. “We made an effort, but it’s too complicated. We don’t have many old records too,” said Tony Daniel, a seasoned State and national association official.

Happy return

Earlier, Thiruvananthapuram’s C.T. Raji, billed as the State’s big hope when she broke Usha’s sprint hurdles record at the State schools meet five years ago, only to fade away later, returned to competition after a long break.

To her joy, she found that she had lost none of her rhythm when she coasted to victory in the women’s 100m hurdles. “It’s nice to be back,” said the 20-year-old varsities national champion who lost two years following an ankle injury and back pain in 2005.

With Mayookha Johny setting the synthetic track on fire in her last few outings here, a lot was expected from the women’s long jump. Sadly, the top girls, including Mayookha and M.A. Prajusha kept away from the meet and the fare was low-key in the event today, with Reshmi Bose taking an easy gold without even touching six metres.

The results:

Men: 400m: 1. Mohammed Anees (Ekm) 49.34s; 2. K.P. Daison (Tsr); 3. P.S. Sreejith (Tsr). 5,000m: 1. V.K. Anilkumar (Pkd) 15:48.2s; 2. Shijo Thankachan (Ktm); 3. K.S. Renjith (Pta). 10,000m: 1. Shijo Thankachan 33:21.2s; 2. V.K. Anilkumar; 3. Shijo Jose (Kzd). 110m hurdles: 1. Nibu George (Ekm) 15.06s; 2. Joyal Joseph (Ktm); 3. E.P. Rashid (Pkd). High jump: 1. Prince Jose (Ekm) 2.08m; 2. P. Shankar (Tvm); 3. Manoj Thomas (Ekm). Decathlon: 1. V.V. Raneesh (Ktm) 6,334 pts; 2. Dhaneesh Stephen (Ktm); 3. P. Riju (Tsr).

Boys, under-20: 400m: 1. Jithin Paul (Tsr) 48.3s; 2. Vikas Chandran (Ekm); 3. M.N. Manukumar (Tsr). 5,000m: 1. R. Rajesh (Wyd) 15:13.6s (NMR; OR: Girish Kumar, Klm, 15:39.4, 1996); 2. K.S. Sujumon (Pkd); 3. K.S. Manukumar (Ktm). 10,000m: 1. R. Rajesh (Wyd) 31:23.05s (NMR, OR: K.M. Asokan, Pkd, 33s, 1995); 2. K.S. Sujumon (Pkd); 3. T. Muhammed Ali (Wyd). 110m hurdles: 1. K.T. Irfan (Kzd) 50:5.8; 2. T.P. Sanal Kumar (Pkd); 3. C. Sujith (Pkd). High jump: 1. Alphin Mathew (Tsr, 1.95m); 2. Jessin J. Varghese (Ekm); 3. Jossin George (Knr). Shot put: 1. Mahi Mohan (Tsr) 13.04m; 2. M.I. Inshad (Ekm); 3. Arjun Kuriakose (Ekm). Decathlon: 1. A. Mubarak (Tvm) 6,171 pts (NMR, OR: C.M. Manoj, Ekm, 5,991, 2000). 4 x 100m relay: 1. Tsr (42.96); 2. Ktm (43.74); 3. Alp (45.57).

Under-18: 400m: 1. U.N. Arun Kumar (Ktm) 49.4s; 2. K.C. Rahul (Tsr); 3. John Willington (Ktm). 110m hurdles: 1. Nelrin Joy (Kzd) 15.06s; 2. R. Binu (Ekm); 3. Jithu Johny (Pkd). 10,000m walk: 1. Elson Bomman (Ktm) 51:13.2s (NMR; OR: M.M. Soman, Pkd, 51:33.8, 1993); 2. K.R. Roshil (Pkd); 3. Nithin P. Asok (Ktm). High jump: 1. Arun S. Kumar (Tvm) 2.01m (NMR; OR: Jithin C. Thomas, Tvm, 1.95, 2006); 2. Jismon Cherian (Tsr); 3. Sujith Kuttan (Ktm). Shot put: 1. K.A. Joseph (Ktm) 13.79m; 2. Sanal Joychen (Tvm); 3. Emerson Joseph (Ktm). Discus: 1. I. Ijas (Ekm) 42.52m; 2. Jaffer Khan (Klm); 3. Bibin Mohanan (Ktm). Octathlon: 1. Arun S. Kumar (Tvm) 5,601 pts (NMR; OR: S. Akhil, Ekm, 5129, 2007); 2. S. Akhil (Tvm); 3. Nelrin Roy (Kzd).

Under-16: 300m: 1. Alex Shaji (Ktm) 36.87s; 2. R.S. Arun Raj (Tvm); 3. Nikhil Soman (Ktm). 400m: 1. T. Sawantharaj (Ekm) 51.49s; 2. E. Anees Rahman (Mlp) 52.02; 3. R.S. Arun Raj (Tvm). 3,000m: 1. F. Jijomon (Ekm) 9:24.7s; 2. V.J. Prasad (Pkd); 3. Ajmal Ridwan (Mlp). 100m hurdles: 1. E. Anees Rahman (Mlp) 14.53s; 2. P.H. Akhil (Alp); 3. T. Sawanthraj (Ekm). 5,000m walk: 1. Littish Joseph (Ktm) 23:55.4s (NMR; OR: K.R. Reghu, Pkd, 25:5.3s, 2004); 2. M. Mithun (Pkd); 3. Varghese Joseph (Ktm). High jump: 1. V.J. Jismon (Ekm) 1.79m; 2. Abin K. Noble (Mlp); 3. Varun Varghese (Wyd).

Women: 400m: 1. N.K. Jaseera (Tsr) 55.96s; 2. Leena Cherian (Pta); 3. Selin K. John (Pta). 5,000m: 1. P.M. Sinimol (Ktm) 18:42.6s; 2. P. Sreena (Pkd); 3. Jijimol Jacob (Ktm). 10,000m: 1. P.M. Sinimol (Ktm) 40:21.61s; 2. P. Sreena (Pkd); 3. Ann Mary Jose (Ktm). 100m hurdles: 1. C.T. Raji (Tvm) 14.7s; 2. M.P. Sinimole (Tvm); 3. Jojimol Joseph (Ktm). High jump: 1. Tessymol Joseph (Tvm) 1.79m (NMR; OR: P.S. Bindu, Tvm, 1.75, 1991); 2. Geethu Scaria (Tsr); 3. K.D. Singhu (Tsr). Pole vault: 1. R. Jisha (Ktm) 3.40m (NMR; OR: own, 2.80, 2004); 2. N.H. Hidayath (Ekm); 3. P.R. Rathimol (Tsr). Discus: 1. Anitha Abraham (Ekm) 35.03m; 2. Neethu Joseph (Ktm); 3. N. Jayanthi (Pkd). Javelin: 1. K. Fathima (Pkd) 35.11m; 2. P.C. Karthika (Ktm); 3. M.D. Soumyamol (Ktm). 4x100m relay: 1. Ktm (48.64s); 2. Pkd (49.26); 3. Pta (49.31).

Girls, under-20: 400m: 1. Tintu Luka (Kzd) 54.29s (NMR; OR: V.T. Smithamol, Tsr, 55.4, 2000); 2. Anu Mariam Jose (Knr); 3. V.J. Sona (Knr). 5,000m: 1. V.S. Sukanya (Pkd) 18:52.3s; Princy Chacko (Ekm); 3. Manju Mathew (Ktm). 100m hurdles: M.S. Darsana (Kzd); 2. P.M. Manju (Ktm); 3. K.V. Sajitha (Knr). 10,000m walk: 1. U. Renju (Pta) 56:34s (NMR; OR: Jolly Joseph, Ekm, 59:15.8s, 2006); 2. B. Soumya (Ktm); 3. Blessy (Mlp). Long jump: 1. S. Aparna (Pta) 5.56m; 2. Ambily Sivan (Ktm); 3. V.P. Subila (Tsr). High jump: 1. M.D. Tintu (Ekm); 2. V.G. Renukamol (Ktm); 3. Dona K. Augustine (Ekm). Pole vault: 1. T. Sithara (Ktm) 3.20m (NMR; OR: own, 3m, 2007); 2. R. Remya (Ktm); 3. Dona K. Augustine (Ekm). Discus: 1. Neethu Joseph (Ktm) 33.69m; 2. N. Jayanthi (Pkd); 3. Dhanya Treesa Abraham (Ktm). Javelin: 1. K. Sajitha (Tvm) 35.62m); 2. P. C. Karthika (Ktm); 3. Lilly Eldhose (Mlp). 4x100m relay: 1. Tsr (49.29s); 2. Pta (49.57); 3. Pkd (49.77).

Under-18: 400m: 1. C. Aryua (Tsr) 56.16s (NMR; OR: A. Vijila, Knr, 56.4, 2003); 2. Chinchu Jose (Knr); 3. Aswathi Mohanan (Kzd). 3,000m: 1. V.V. Sobha (Pkd) 10:23.5s (NMR; OR: V.S. Sukanya, Pkd, 10:33.6, 2007); 2. Riya Thomas (Knr); 3. N.M. Resna (Knr). 100m hurdles: 1. Jyothi Krishna (Knr) 15.32s; 2. Divya Paul (Tsr); 3. Reshma Sara Raji (Tvm). 5,000m walk: 1. K.M. Meeshma (Pkd) 26:38.7s; 2. P. Renuka (Kzd); 3. R. Jijimol (Pkd). Long jump: 1. Uma Thuman (Alp) 5.50m; 2. V. Neena (Knr); 3. Prismi Rajan (Knr). Pole vault: 1. K.C. Dija (Knr) 3.15m (NMR; OR: Simi Jose, Knr, 2.65, 2006); 2. K.K. Anoosha (Ekm); 3. M.K. Sinju Prakash (Knr). Discus: 1. Toniya Chacko (Ekm) 29.16m; 2. Antrisa Varghese (Klm); 3. U. Nithya (Pkd). Javelin: 1. B. Biji Mohanan (Klm) 37.92m; 2. Haily John (Ktm); 3. K.K. Anoosha (Ekm).

Under-16: 300m: 1. N.V. Sheena (Tsr) 41.78s; 2. K. Aparna (Tvm); 3. Arunima Mathew (Pkd). 400m: 1. R. Anu (Knr) 57.13s (NMR; OR: C.S. Sindhyamol, Knr, 57.9, 2007); 2. Nikhila Joseph (Kzd); 3. Anju Varghese (Kzd). 3,000m: 1. M.D. Thara (Pkd) 10:33.7s; 2. Resin George (Ktm); 3. Sereena Sunny (Idk). 100m hurdles: 1. P.G. Adheena (Klm) 15.9s; 2. K.S. Aswani (Idk); 3. M. Sugina (Knr). 3,000m walk: 1. P.A. Priya (Pkd) 16:39.2s; 2. V.A. Archana (Pkd); 3. Ashwini Babu (Kzd). Long jump: 1. M. Priyanka (Klm) 4.90m; 2. S. Anitha (Pkd); 3. V. Krishanya (Knr). Discus: 1. Reema Nath (Klm) 28.05m; 2. N. Amrutha (Knr); 3. Christeena Ani (Ekm). Javelin: 1. Reshma Ravindran (Knr) 28.05m; 2. C.H. Anu (Pkd); 3. N. Amrutha (Knr).