Out of action for a while, a mediocre outing in 2017 with a best throw of 54.11m at the Asian Championships and out of the government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), veteran discus thrower Seema Punia put it all behind to win gold at the 22nd Federation Cup here and book a ticket for the 2018 Commonwealth Games next month.
Consistent
Her winning mark of 61.05m was two metres more than AFI’s guideline of 59m but it was her consistency that would give her confidence going into the home stretch of preparations. There was just one foul throw, two crossed the qualifying mark and two came close to it (58.71 and 58.52).
Navjeet Kaur Dhillon, who also managed to qualify at the recent Indian Grand Prix last week at the same venue, was a distant second with 57.75m.
“We will discuss with the federation and decide where to continue preparations now. I have to go to Delhi tomorrow to get injections for my knee pain. The mark could have been better today but I am struggling with my technique and it will take some time to sort it out,” Seema told The Hindu after her event. She added that this was only her second 60m+ throw in India after her personal best of 64.84m way back in 2004.
“I am only now beginning to get back after injuries. No one can guarantee anything in sports but I hope to change the colour of my medal this time around. My main target though is to come back with a medal, any medal,” said the three-time CWG medallist — one bronze (2010) and two silvers (2006 and 2014).
Day One of the competition also saw a new national record being set though none came close to the CWG mark.
Govindan Lakshmanan managed to better Kheta Ram’s 2014 mark with a timing of 13:47.28 in the men’s 5000m but fell short of the AFI requirement by 22 seconds. Lakshmanan though has another chance when he takes to the track in the 10000m. His sister L. Suriya also took gold in the women’s 5000m with a timing of 15:46.96, almost 37 seconds slower than the required timing.
In men’s pole vault, Siva Subramani set a new national record clearing a height of 5.15m — also a new meet record — bettering his own mark of 5.14m set at the same venue last year, but it was way below the 5.45m mark set for the CWG.
The results: Women:5000m: 1. L. Suriya 15:46.96s, 2. Swati Gadhave 16:07.63, 3. Aarti Patil 16:27.39; Discus: 1. Seema Punia 61.05m, 2. Navjeet Kaur Dhillon 57.75, 3. Kirandeep Kaur 46.08; high jump: 1. Jyoti 1.76m, 2. Angela P. Devasia 1.76, 3. Jinu Maria Manuel 1.76; hammer throw: 1. Sarita R. Singh 63.80m, 2. Gunjan Singh 56.50, 3. Sarbjeet Kaur 55.65m.
Men: 5000m: 1. Govindan Lakshmanan 13:47.28s, 2. Suresh Kumar 13:49.51, 3. Gavit Murli 14:03.04; pole vault: 1. Siva Subramani 5.15m, 2. Anuj 5.10, 3. Kundan Singh 5.00 .
