Avinash Sable ended the 58th Open National Athletics Championships (ONAC) with a new National Record erasing the 37-year-old mark in the men’s 3000m steeplechase here at Kalinga Stadium today. Sabale representing Serivices clocked 8:29.80 seconds to go past the old mark of 8:30.88 seconds recorded by Gopal Saini in Tokyo in 1981.
Another star performer of the competition was Services sprinter Sanjit became the second athlete to bag a double, adding the 200m title to the 100m gold he had won earlier in the competition.
Meanwhile Asian Games medalists Arpinder Singh and Dharun Ayyasamy lived up to their reputations, winning their respective events. Arpinder, who had become the first Indian triple jumper to claim a gold medal at the Asian Games when he won his event in Jakarta and then a bronze medal at the Continental Cup earlier this month, added the Open national gold to his kitty with an effort of 16.62m.
Asian Games silver medalist Dharun Ayyasamy set a new Meet Record on the way to winning a gold medal in the men’s 400m hurdles event. ONGC athlete Ayyasamy clocked 49.67 seconds to erase the old mark of 50.16 seconds set by Santhosh Kumar at the 2017 edition of the tournament.
The women’s 400m hurdles was won by Railways athlete Anju Rani who clocked 57.63 seconds. In the absence of star thrower Neeraj Kumar, the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw went at a relatively short distance of 76.42m. That throw was recorded by Abhishek Singh of Services.
M Sreeshankar, who established a New National Record in javelin throw, was adjudged the best male athlete of the championship, while best female athlete award was claimed by 400m gold medallist Anjali Devi Kundu of Haryana. Railways won the team title with 300 points, while Services and Punjab finished second and third with 198 and 64 points respectively.
Among Odisha athletes, Divya Shandilya and Urja Bhuyan finished 10th and 11th in women’s hammer throw with efforts of 44.72m and 39.29m respectively. Sprinter Amiya Kumar Mallick was disqualified in men’s 200m finals. Odisha athletes failed to win any medal in this championship. However, Odisha women sprinter Jauna Murmu secured silver medal for her employers ONGC in 4x400m relay.
Odisha Finance Minister Shashi Bhushan Behera graced the closing ceremony as chief guest. Sports Minister Chandra Sarathi Behera, Sports Secretary Vishal Dev, Director R Vineelkrishna and Athletics Federation of India secretary CK Valson were present on the occasion as guests. Gold, silver and bronze medal winners were given cash prizes of Rs 10,000, Rs 7,500 and Rs 5,000 by the Odisha Government.
RESULTS:
WOMEN: Hammer throw: 1. Sarita P Singh (Rlys, 59.84m), 2. Jyoti (Rlys, 56.04m), 3. Poonam Devi (Haryana, 55.81m). 400m Hurdles: 1. Anju Rani (Rlys, 0:57.63), 2. Arpitha (Rlys, 0:58.34), 3. Veerpal Kaur (Punjab, 0:58.36). High jump: 1. Jyothi (Rlys, 1.76m), 2. Angel P Devasia (ONGC, 1.76m), 3. Jinu Maria Manuel (Kerala, 1.73m). 200m Run: 1. Reena George (Karnataka, 0:24.10), 2. Chavi Sharavath (Rlys, 0:24.23), 3. Rosalin Lewis (Maharashtra, 0:24.68). 800m Run: 1. Twinkle Chaudhary (ONGC, 2:07.43), 2. Archana Adhav (Maharashtra, 2:07.46), 3. Gomathi M (Tamil Nadu, 2:08.59). 3000m Steeplechase: 1. Chinta Yadav (Rlys, 10:10.19), 2. Sugandha Gurjar (Police, 10:27.80), 3. Richa Bhadauriya (Manipur, 10:28.37). 4x400m Relay: 1. Railways (Anju Rani, Farhena Parveen, Arpitha, Chavi Sharavath, 3:40.61), 2. ONGC (Soniya Baishya, Rajni Nagar, Twinkle Chaudhary, Jauna Murmu, 3:43.23), 3. Delhi (Radha Chaudhary, Divya Pandey, Neha, Pooja, 3:45.74). Heptathlon: 1. Liksy Joseph (Rlys, 5271), 2. Mareena George (Kerala, 4966), 3. Somyia (Rlys, 4848).
MEN: 400m Hurdles: 1. Dharun Ayyasamy (ONGC, 0:49.67*NMR), 2. Jaibir MP (Services, 0:50.02*NMR), 3. Jashanjot Singh (Rlys, 0:50.25). Javelin throw: 1. Abhishek Singh (Services, 76.42m), 2. Vipin Kasana (UP, 76.05m), 3. Sahil Silwal (Haryana, 75.38m). Triple jump: 1. Arpinder Singh (ONGC, 16.62m), 2. Arivu Selvam D (Services, 16.22m), 3. Navjot Singh (Punjab, 16.06m). 200m Run: 1. Sanjeet (Services, 0:21.30), 2. Gurlal Singh (Punjab, 0:21.66), 3. K Ashok (Services, 0:21.66). 800m Run: 1. Md Afsal P (Services, 1:54.50), 2. Vishamber Kolekar (Rlys, 1:55.03), 3. Beant Singh (Rlys, 1:55.36). 3000m Steeplechase: 1. Avinash Sable (Services, 8:29.80*NMR, NNR), 2. Rakesh Kumar Swami (Services, 8:47.31), 3. Durga Bahadur Budha (Services, 8:48.29). 4x400m Relay: 1. Services (3:09.83), 2. Railways (3:10.39), 3. Manipur (3:11.11).
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PHOTO: Avinash Sable on his way to a New National Record in men’s 3000m steeplechase event at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on Sept 28, 2018.