Ravinder hurls the javelin to a new mark

September 28, 2016 11:47 pm | Updated November 01, 2016 09:34 pm IST - LUCKNOW:

Ashwini Akkunji wins 400m; Arokya Rajeev and Manpreet reign

CHASING GLORY: Ajay Kumar Saroj leads the pack on his way to winning the 1500m.

CHASING GLORY: Ajay Kumar Saroj leads the pack on his way to winning the 1500m.

It isn’t often that a record in an event is broken twice over on the same day but Ravinder Singh and Shivpal Singh managed to do so in the men’s javelin throw at the 56th National Open athletics championships here on Wednesday.

Coming back from injury, Ravinder managed a throw of 79.04 metres to go past the meet record of 77.67 set by Neeraj Chopra last year. Shivpal, who placed second, also managed to go past with a throw of 77.72 metres. Ravinder’s previous best was 78.11m at the inter-State championships in Hyderabad earlier this year

The day also saw Ashwini Akkunji return to form in the 400m, an event she had largely neglected in the last few years while concentrating on the 4x400m relay, with a season’s best of 53.25 seconds.

“I have made some changes to my technique, including the arm bend and release, while working with throwing coach Garry Calvert since moving to Bangalore recently. I was trying to execute those changes during the heats also yesterday but could not keep my balance. Today it worked out much better,” Ravinder told The Hindu .

Australian Calvert had joined the Indian team in February this year and was instrumental in Chopra’s gold-winning performance at the Under-20 World Championships recently.

Saying he was targeting going past 80m mark, Ravinder admitted he was yet to get the technique right consistently and said he was not preparing for any specific competition at the moment.

Work on the technique

“My main aim is to work on my technique and train hard with Calvert. If I do that consistently, results will come themselves regardless of the competition,” said Ravinder, who spent four years (2009-13) in Melbourne — doubling up as a taxi driver while pursuing diploma as a motor mechanic and training simultaneously — before returning home.

Injury in 2014 before the Commonwealth Games halted his training for a couple of years but the 30-year old is thankful to the Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) for constant support.

“I know it is not common in India to seek inspiration from someone younger than you. But I feel Neeraj has done something really special for Indian athletics and he is an inspiration. At 19, he has won a World Championship only through hard work and there is no shame in accepting that he has set a new standard for Indian athletes. I wish to do something similar,” he said.

Ashwini, meanwhile, bettered her performance this year (53.98, Poland) and ran the second fastest lap of her career after 2011.

“For most athletes coming here, it is because of department pressure. But I have chosen to come here to improve on my own timing and work on my running,” she said adding that she was looking to concentrate more on the individual event in the coming months.

Only five Indians who went to Rio Olympics have arrived here, including Ashwini, with Khushbir Kaur not starting the 20km walk.

The day also saw both individual athletes and teams win in events that they have struggled in in the last few editions. While H.M. Jyothi won her second 100m title in the competition after a gap of eight years, Abhishek Shetty got the Railways gold in the decathlon after 18 years.

Arokya Rajeev completed his hat-trick of titles in the 400m and Manpreet Kaur made it four in a row in shot put.

The results:

Men: 100m: 1. Sanjeeth (SSCB, 10.55s), 2. Anuroop John (Ker, 10.63), Manikanda Raj (RSPB, 10.63); 400m: 1. Arokya Rajeev (SSCB, 46.70), 2. Sumeet Kumar (Man, 47.13), 3. Noah Nirmal Tom (SSCB, 47.28); 1500m: 1. Ajay Saroj (RSPB, 3:51.82), 2. Sandeep Kumar (SSCB, 3:52.21), 3. Siddhant Adhikari (SSCB, 3:52.56); 110m hurdles: 1. Akhil Jhonson (SSCB, 14.10), 2. Pinto Mathew A (RSPB, 14.24), 3. Shiva Kumar (SSCB, 14.28).

Long jump: 1. Md Anees (Ker, 7.65m), 2. Jinesh VO (SSCB, 7.50), 3. Bikramjit Singh (Pun, 7.49); Javelin: 1. Ravinder Singh (RSPB, 79.04), 2. Shivpal Singh (SSCB, 77.72), 3. Davender Singh (SSCB, 76.41); Decathlon: 1. Abhishek Shetty (RSPB, 6991 pts.); 2. Daya Ram (SSCB, 6954), 3. Boota Singh (SSCB, 6892).

Women: 100m: 1. H.M. Jyothi (Kar, 11.57s), Reena George (Kar, 11.78), Neethu Mathew (LIC, 12.06); 400m: 1. Ashwini Akkunji (Kar, 53.25), 2. Santosh Kumari (AIPCB, 54.13), 3. Sarita Gayakwad (Guj, 54.56); 1500m: 1. Lili Das (WB, 4:20.91), 2. Pratima Tudu (WB, 4:23.08), 3. Chitra PU (Ker, 4:24.33); 100m hurdles: 1. Purnima Hembram (RSPB, 13.96), 2. Sugina M (Ker, 14.06), 3. Sumandeep Kaur (MP, 14.18); 20km walk: Soumya B (AIPCB, 1:44:32), 2. Priyanka (ONGC, 1:49:56), 3. Shanti Kumari (RSPB, 1:52:58).

Shot put: 1. Manpreet Kaur (RSPB, 16.22m), 2. Navjeet Kaur (ONGC, 14.26), 3. Kiranjot Kaur (Pun, 13.53); Hammer throw: 1. Sarita Singh (RSPB, 60.35), 2. Minakshi (AIPCB, 55.87), 3. Poonam Devi (RSPB, 54.59).

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