Indian athletics got back on track in style with three new meet records on the opening day of the 18th National Federation Cup Junior (u-20) Championships here on Monday.
The first national-level competition in track and field since the COVID-19 forced lockdown in March last, the three-day event got the best possible start with Haryana’s Yashvir Singh bettering Neeraj Chopra’s six-year old javelin mark.
The 19-year-old Yashvir had a best attempt of 78.68m to go past Neeraj’s 76.91m effort at the 2015 edition in Hyderabad. All five of his valid throws went past 75m.
Also registering new meet records were Sunil Dawar of Madhya Pradesh in 1,500m and Ankita of Uttarakhand in 5,000m.
Ankita’s double
The 18-year-old Ankita completed the 5,000m race in 16:37.90 to retain the title she won in 2019, but this time by lowering Suman Rani’s 2018 record of 17:02.67. She completed a personal double by adding the 1,500m gold in 4:27.54.
Dawar, meanwhile, won the 1,500m in 3:48.54, improving on the old meet record of 3:51.16 by Shashi Bhushan Singh in 2015.
The Khelo India University Games in February last was the last competitive track and field outing in the country.
The results:
Men, 100m: 1. Saurabh Rajesh Naitam (Mah, 10.51s), 2. Abhin B. Devadiga (Kar, 10.54), 3. Aaditya Tomar (UP, 10.89); 1,500m: 1. Sunil Dawar (MP, 3:48.54), 2. Sree Kiran (TN, 3:55.17), 3. Mohammed Nur Hasan (UP, 3:55.21); 10,000m: 1. M Sathish Kumar (TN, 30:17.47), 2. Sushant Manohar Jedhe (Mah, 31:22.14), 3. Amaresh Kumar Prajapat (Del, 31:23.96); Javelin: 1. Yashvir Singh (Har, 78.68m), 2. Jay Kumar (UP, 72.29), 3. Kunwar Ajai Raj Singh Rai (Pun, 66.38).
Women, 100m: 1. Taranjeet Kaur (Del, 11.70s), 2. Anjali P.D. Dileesh (Ker, 11.88), 3. Sudeshna Hanmant Shiva (Mah, 11.91); 1,500m: 1. Ankita (Utk, 4:27.54), 2. Pooja (Har, 4:28.61), 3. Megha (Har, 4:44.75); 5,000m: 1. Ankita (Utk, 16:37.90), 2. Chatru Gumnaram (Raj, 17:06.03), 3. Supriti Kachhap (Jha, 17:08.30).
High Jump: 1. Tanu (Har, 1.66m), 2. Kevinaa Ashwine Annavi (TN, 1.63), 3. Sphurti Subhash Mane (Mah, 1.60); Shot Put: 1. Rekha (Har, 14.14m), 2. Kavita Kumari (Raj, 13.23), 3. Simranjeet Kaur (Del, 12.53) .
