Tumpa helps Bengal dethrone Railways

By Our Sports Reporter

AMBALA, AUG. 20. For 15-year-old Tumpa Debnath, her maiden senior National gymnastics championship proved to be a memorable one as she helped Bengal tally 35.65 points and dethrone Railways by a 2.80-point margin for the women's team title at the War Heroes memorial gymnasium here on Sunday.

The winner tallied 162.75, while the runner-up finished at 159.95. Maharashtra, with a total of 149.00, took the third spot.

The display on the balancing beam by Bengal, where it managed a cushion of 1.35 points, was the crucial apparatus. After a slow start, the Bengal girl improved considerably and executed the routines well.

Tumpa, who represented India in the World championship in China earlier this year on the basis of selection trials at Patiala, asserted her class with over-eight scores in all the events.

The X standard student from Nodia district, managed best scores on all the apparatus with 8.95 on the floor exercise and vault being her best. After showing fine control on the beam, Tumpa had a nice elevation on her saltees in the floor, and firm landing on the vault.

The other Bengali girls too looked good on the floor and the vault. Chanchala Chakrabothy came up with fine efforts on the respective apparatus with 8.75 and 8.45. Chanchala, the 17- year- old from Howrah district, too represented the country in China.

The other members of the winning squad were Amrita Sinha, Jhuma Bag, Rakhi Debnath, Dolly Ghosh and Dona Das.

Railways, which had reigning SAARC champion Poonam Chhabra in its ranks, apart from Sundari Mondal, who had gone to China, was let down by the former.

Poonam, who is a senior clerk with the Northern Railway, garnered only 24 points from three events. On the beam, she had a slip, while on the floor, she erred in landing. An effort of 8.15 on the uneven bars was her best score for the day.

Sundari was the pick of the Railways gymnasts, collecting scores of 8.40 on the floor and 8.90 on the vault. Railways could have fared better had Runa Das and Pampa Ghosh done better. Chetna Chahl had 8.30 on the vault, while Lusai Nath collected 8.65 on the same apparatus.

Railways had a lead of 2.80 in the first event, but by the final apparatus, the winner looked in control, thanks to Tumpa and Chanchala.

Maharashtra, represented by current National champion in the floor exercises Mansi Topkar, faded after a good start. Mansi, who had 8.50 each on the floor and the vault, was the only girl with a quality fare.

Meanwhile, Mr. O.P. Bhatia, Executive Director (teams wing), Sports Authority of India (SAI), who was at the venue for the men's team event prize ceremony, said, ``We are contemplating an academy in Gurdaspur and one in the southern part of the country on the same lines as the one in Allahabad.''

The Allahabad Gymnastics Academy, is an associated centre of the SAI, where it provides financial assistance. The academy had three foreign coaches, two from China and one from Russia.

lThe results: Women's team event: 1. Bengal (floor 42.05, balancing beam 39.80, vault 42.35, uneven bars 38.55) 162.75; 2. Railways (floor 40, 10, beam 38.55, vault 42.70, uneven bars 38.60) 159.75; 3. Maharashtra (floor 40.05, beam 38.55, vault 39.45, uneven bars 31.15) 149.00; 4. Punjab 139.10; 5. U.P. 137.6; 6. Haryana 136.75; 7. Andhra Pradesh 133.80; 8. Delhi 118.55; 9. Kerala 111.0; 10. Madhya Pradesh 109.80; 11. Karnataka 96.6.

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