Kerala reigns supreme

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, OCT. 21. Kerala with a tally of 585 points bagged the overall team championship in the South Zone junior athletic championship, which concluded at the Lal Bahadur Stadium here on Saturday. The performances of Pooja Merita Jose and M. Sangeetha both of Tamil Nadu deserve special mention.

Pooja Merita Jose broke her second record in the under-16 girls' category today when she hurled the discuss to a distance of 31.15 metres. The old record was at 30.80m in the name of S. Sangeetha of Tamil Nadu created in 1996.

M. Sangeetha picked up her third gold today (and her second new meet record) in the girls' under-16 pentathlon. She chalked up 2798 pts as against the old record of 2766 pts by V. Sruthi of AP set in 1997.

Mr. P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Minister for Revenue, Govt. of A.P. was the chief guest and gave away the prizes.

lThe results:

Boys: under-20: 10,000m: 1. S. Kumar (Ker) 36m 23.7s, 2. Pradeep Kumar (AP), 3. Sivanathan (TN). 3000m steeplechase: 1. Basavaraj C.D. (Kar) 9m 50.2s, 2. Sudheer Kumar (Kar), 3. Bijo Michael (Ker). Triple jump: 1. D. Sravana Kumar (TN) 15.08m, 2. Praveen Gopal (Ker), 3. Vinodraj (TN). Hammer throw: 1. A. Nagaraju (AP) 42.45m, 2. A. Raj (Ker), 3. Francis (Kar). 4 X 400 relay: 1. Kerala 42.7s, 2. Karnataka, 3. AP. Pole vault: 1. K.K. Biju (Ker) 3.80m, 2. Shvju K. (Kar), 3. Anish K.K. (Kar). 1500m: 1. P. Sammaiah (AP) 4m 11.0s, 2. Jijo George (Ker), 3. Bijo Michael (Ker).

Under-18: 200m: 1. Girish V. (Ker) 22.2s, 2. P. Shankar (Ker), 3. Sashidhar (Kar). 2000m steeplechase: 1. T.P. Kiran (Kar) 6m 20.8s, 2. S. Lingam (AP), 3. Nath (TN). High jump: 1. Jibin Raja (Ker) 1.89m, 2. A. Kumar (TN), 3. T.U. Anil (Kar). Heptathlon: 1. K. Krishna Mohan (AP) 5741 pts. (NMR) (OR 5159 by S.K.Patel of AP), 2. Omesh S. (Ker), 3. Abdul A. (TN). 4 X 100 relays: 1. Kerala 42.7s, 2. Karnataka, 3. Pondicherry. Hammer throw: 1. Melvin P. Jose (Ker) 46.10mts, 2. N. Srinivasulu (AP), 3. Prajesh K.V. (Ker). Pole vault: 1. Sijo Sebastian (Ker) 3.60m (NMR) (OR 3.50m by S. Sanjay of TN), 2. Jinto Kappen (Ker), 3. Ramu K. (TN). 1500m: 1. T.P. Kiran (Kar). 4m 17.7s, 2. Natarajan (TN), 3. Sudheer Kumar (AP).

Under-16: Hammer throw: 1. K. Satishwaran (TN) 49.04m (NMR) (OR 37.65 by Don John of Ker), 2. R. Praveen Kumar (TN), 3. T.R.Ranjith (Ker). Pentathlon: 1. V. Shankar (AP) 3079 pts, 2. S. Krishnam Raju (AP), 3. Basil Paul (Ker). 5-km walk: 1. S. Santosh Reddy (AP) 26m 25.0s. (NMR) (OR 26m 25.0s by K.K.Sajeev of Ker), 2. G. Karthikeyan (TN), 3. A. Ramesh (TN). Discus throw: 1. V. Satish Kumar (TN) 43.30m, 2. K. Satishwaran (TN), 3. B. Manjunath (Kar). Long jump: 1. Clinton K.J. (Ker) 6.98m (NMR) (OR 6.79m by P. Shankar of AP), 2. Pradeep Rufus (TN), 3. E. George (ker). 4 X 100 relay: 1. Karnataka 44.3s, 2. AP, 3. Kerala.

Under-14: Pentathlon: 1. K. Siva Naga Raju (AP) 2716 pts, 2. Ch. Kishore (AP), 3. V. Vinod (TN).

Girls: Under-20: 10,000m: 1. B. Nagamani (AP) 39m 36.3s, 2. B. Pujari (Ker), 3. Panchali P. (TN). 200m: 1. Tharani (TN) 25.3s, 2. Setha K. (TN), 3. Sheetal Kaverappa (Kar). Heptathlon: 1. Rasalin Mary (TN) 4151 pts, 2. Kalyani (AP), 3. Ramya Rao (Kar). 4 X 100 relay: 1. Kerala 49.3s, 2. TN, 3. Karnataka. Shot put: 1. Jisha Jose (Kar) 11.82m, 2. G. Subha (TN), 3. B. Nagamani (AP). High jump: 1. Shahana Kumari (Kar) 1.65m, 2. M. Hepzi Janet (TN), 3. Sonia Joseph (Ker).

Under-18: Triple jump: 1. Priya (TN) 11.60m, 2. V.S. Surekha (TN), 3. M. Joseph (Ker). 200m: 1. Gouramma G.D. (kar) 25.3s, 2. Anu Alex (Ker), 3. Priya (TN). 1500m: 1. S. Ambika (Kar) 5m 0.7s, 2. Vasantha Laxmi (AP), 3. Regimol (Ker). Heptathlon: 1. Manju Poulose (Ker) 4447 pts (NMR) (OR 4103 pts by J.J.Shobha of Kar), 2. Bindu Sri Madhavi (AP), 3. B.L. Bharathi (Kar). High jump: 1. Manju Poulose (Ker) 1.70m (NMR) (OR 1.65m by P.Sheeta of TN), 2. Bindu Sree Madhavi (AP), 3. B.L. Bharathi (Kar). 4 X 100 relay: 1. Kerala 49.5s, 2. Karnataka, 3. TN.

Under 16: Pentathlon: 1. M. Sangeetha (TN) 2798 pts. (NMR) (OR 2766 pts by V. Sruthi of AP), 2. Amutha A. (TN), 3. Sheena Joy (Ker). 3-km walk: 1. S. Pavani (AP) 15m 50.4s. (NMR) (OR 16m 9.5s by V. Saraswathy of AP), 2. Majula (TN), 3. A. Sasi (Ker). Discus throw: 1. Pooja Merita Jose (TN) 31.15m (NMR) (OR 30.80m by S. Sangeetha of TN), 2. Shree Keerthi (AP), 3. N.P. Babitha (Kar). 4 X 100 relay: 1. TN (52.2s), 2. Kerala, 3. AP.

Under 14: Pentathlon: 1. P. Lakshmi (TN) 2444 pts, 2. Surya Kumari (AP), 3. Minny (Kar).

Team titles: Boys: Under-20: Kerala. Under-18: Kerala. Under-16: AP.

Girls: Under-20: TN. Under-18: Karnataka. Under-16: TN.

Overall team title: Kerala 585 pts.

Best athletes: Boys: Under-20: Praveen Gopal (Ker). Under-18: Girish (Ker). Under-16: Gopal (Kar). Under- 14: K. Shva Naga Raju (AP).

Girls: Under-20: G. Subha (TN). Under- 18: Bindu Sree Madhavi (AP). Under-16: M. Sangeetha (TN). Under- 14: P. Laxmi (TN).

The Kerala contingent which bagged the overall honours in the South Zone junior athletic championship, at the Lal Bahadur Stadium here on Saturday.

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Section  : Sport
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