Tamil Nadu successfully defended its title of overall champion as the 33rd National Masters athletics meet concluded here on Sunday. The Tamil Nadu team finished with 742 points, with two of its athletes rewriting records on the final day of the championships.
Both records came in the women's pole vault event. In the 40-plus category, E. Rajeshwari cleared a height of 2.6m to significantly improve on Ranju Devi's 1.45 from last year. The 42-year-old, an Inspector of Police from Chennai, also took home a silver from shot put and a bronze from discus throw.
The second of the records arrived in the 55-plus category where T. Rukmini Devi managed 1.4m to sink Kusum Gogoi's mark of 0.75. “I had worked hard but I didn't expect a record,” the 55-year-old Indian Overseas Bank officer confessed.
The results (winners only):
Men: 5000m: 85-plus: Tebram (Har) 42:01.3s; 80-plus: B.D. Khojageer (Kar) 28:20.1; 75-plus: Hori Lal (Har) 25:28.0; 70-plus: D. Varadhan (TN) 25:48.11; 65-plus: Gurudayal Singh (Raj) 22:50.0; 60-plus: C. Selvaraj (TN) 19:20.4; 55-plus: Satpal Singh (Har) 19:06.1; 50-plus: Pawan Dhangar (Cht) 19:03.6; 45-plus: Dinesh Kumar (Del) 18:35.9; 40-plus: Ramesh Kumar Yadav (UP) 17:54.8; 35-plus: Peer Mohammed (Cht) 17:25.1.
Discus throw: 65-plus: S. Anbhanandam (TN) 35.79m; 60-plus: A.N. Pandey (UP) 35.6; 50-plus: Subhasis Dutta (WB) 38.98; 45-plus: Raminder Singh (Pun) 35.99; 40-plus: P. Kumar (Kar) 36.96; 35-plus: Hari Kishan (Har) 43.83.
Women: 5000m: 70-plus: Vasan Hiralaxmi Rambhai (Guj) 42:57.5s; 65-plus: T. Ibemhal Devi (Man) 31:20.8; 60-plus: T. Akasini Devi (Man) 28:20.3; 55-plus: Rajam Gopi (Ker) 28:43.9; 50-plus: Ila Dutta Singh (WB) 29:12.4; 45-plus: Mina Bordoloi (Asm) 22:36.8; 40-plus: Bula Mandal (WB) 25:50.8; 35-plus: Bhagwati (Del) 21:20.9.
Discus throw: 60-plus: Ana Julieta Fernandes (Goa) 18.48m; 50-plus: G. Toppo (Cht) 23.71.
Pole vault: 55-plus: T. Rukmini Devi (TN) 1.4m, NMR (Old: Kusum Gogoi, 0.75, 2011); 45-plus: K.P. Shanthi (TN) 1.3; 40-plus: E. Rajeshwari (TN) 2.6, NMR (Old: Ranju Devi, 1.45, 2011).