Tuesday, Oct 08, 2002
Tuesday, Oct 08, 2002 |
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Asian Games
By K.P. Mohan
A DREAM COME TRUE: Anju George shows off her prized possession, the women's long jump gold medal she won on the opening day of the athletics events on Monday. — Photos: V. Sudershan
That Anju could win the gold, her first medal in the Asian Games on her debut, at only 6.53 metres should tell the story about the low-key competition. But no one was complaining; not the Indians anyway. On this opening day of the athletics programme, when things were not really rolling India's way, with Gulab Chand dropping out past the half-way mark in the 10,000 metres and Gurmeet Kaur ending up fourth in javelin, Anju's gold was the elixir that the team was searching for. Suddenly, everyone was congratulating everyone else among the batch of Indians, including journalists, who had sat through the tense moments in the stands adjacent to the long jump pit on the far side of the Busan Asiad Main Stadium. Anju's husband and coach, Bobby George gave himself the luxury of a nervous smile as he answered the questions from mediamen. ``After that 6.53, with just one round to go I was confident,'' said Anju later. She had opened with a 6.45 and that stood as the leading mark through the competition before Anju herself bettered it. Kazakh Yelena Kashcheyeva, who had beaten Anju in all the three Asian Grand Prix meets this season and who was expected to be her closest challenger, never really got going. She ended up third behind Japanese Maho Hanaoka, who had a 6.47 on her fifth jump, coming after Anju's 6.53. Anju herself was not at her best. "Somehow the runway reaction was poor, the bounce was missing. I had done much better on the outside grounds in training, but inside it looked different. The winds and the cold also mattered,'' said Anju. The temperature hovered around the 18 degrees Celsius. Anju fouled her third and fourth attempts and then the sixth, by which time the gold was her's. She waved to fellow athletes, coaches and officials. Moments earlier, Kashcheyeva had also fouled her sixth jump, knelt and perhaps shed a tear or two before waving to the crowds and retreating. She could take the bronze at 6.30, the same as Filipino Elmira Gabito, only because she had another of 6.30 as her second best. The Filipino had a 6.25. Tears might also have been threatening to well up in Anju's eyes as the National anthem was played and the tricolour hoisted after the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Secretary, Randhir Singh, presented the medals, in front of large number of Indians including the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President, Suresh Kalmadi. ``I cannot explain the kind of feeling that I experienced as the National anthem was played. It was a rare feeling. I wanted to weep but suppressed my tears,'' said Anju. ``This is my first international gold medal and I am very happy that it has come in the Asian Games. The competition was not up to expectations. Something was missing,'' said the 26-year-old Kerala woman who represents Tamil Nadu and Customs.
Usha's advice
This is India's first gold medal in this event in the Asian Games. The best till now had been the silver medals won by Angel Mary Joseph (1978) and Mercy Kuttan (1982). They were not here to cherish the moment, though another veteran was, the one and only P.T. Usha. The sprint queen had told Anju just as she went into the competition to jump as though she was competing in a National meet. Anju had equalled her National mark only last month in Delhi, at the National Open, with a jump of 6.74 metres. That jump had put Anju at the top of the Asian lists this season. More than that, it had given her the kind of confidence that was required to pull off a gold at this level. Her confidence had gained considerably after she became the first Indian woman to win a medal, a bronze, at the Commonwealth Games athletics. From a 5.98 jumper in 1996 Anju's rise had been encouraging but she stagnated a little before blossoming fully under the coaching of husband Robert Bobby George. Quite understandably and expectedly, Anju gave all the credit to Bobby for her success. Bobby, younger brother of the late volleyball great Jimmy George, and also a long jumper-triple jumper whose bright career was cut short because of injuries, had always felt, through these past few months, that the gold was within Anju's reach. Being a man who aims high, he might not be satisfied with his wife's performance on Monday, though he, just like any other Indian, will savour the gold and the moment. ``Bobby told me to go for the seven-metre mark,'' said Anju as husband and wife obliged autograph hunters, journalists and television crews after a medal ceremony in front of empty stands. Bobby as well as many others feel that Anju has it in her to reach the seven-metre mark. Now on, the aim, even as the Kottayam girl gets ready for the triple jump competition here, will be the Athens Olympics in 2004. To come back to India's woes on a day like this might sound rather anti-climactic. But then there was no escaping the inevitable for Gulab Chand and the resultant debate that should wake our experts up. The day he failed to respond to the kick of the rest, at the National Open in Delhi, in the 5000 metres, Gulab had looked a man who was not fit to perform at this level. It was, however, explained that he had suffered some ankle pain and he was otherwise fit. He ran a fitness trial (3000m) at Patiala and he was "declared fit'' by a panel. Today, as he trudged along rather half-heartedly behind the main contenders in the 10,000 metres, it was clear that India's most dreaded `kicker' will be nowhere in the eventual standings. After lying tenth much of the time through 5000 metres, Gulab also knew where he would end up. He quietly dropped out of the race.
Al-Otaibi takes gold
The race was won by the 22-year-old Saudi Arabian Moukhled Al-Otaibi in 28:41.89. A rank outsider against the likes of Qatari Ahmed Ibrahim Warsama and Japanese Tomoo Tsubota, who eventually finished seventh, Al-Otaibi made his move from 200 metres out and held out on the straight. As he finished, looking back twice on either side, Al-Otaibi blew a few kisses to the ecstacy of the Saudi Arabians. Behind him, the 36-year-old Warsama finished with yet another silver, just as he had done four years ago. The Qatari had won the Asian title in Colombo and was the favourite to win here. But he had not reckoned with the `kick' that Al-Otaibi had nor could he have imagined that the youngster will be unrelenting on the home straight. Warsama timed 28:43.53 while Abdulhak Zakaria of Bahrain, who came third, timed 28:46.11. South Korean Lee Young-Sun retained her javelin gold with a best of 58.87 that came on her opening throw. Chinese Liang Lili took the silver, 10 cm behind while her team-mate Ha Xiaoyan had the bronze at 58.29. Gurmeet Kaur, managing a 54.78 on her second attempt, could get only the fourth place. She was considered a sure medal winner, though she had not reached the qualifying mark of 56.00m back home, the closest being 55.22 at the last set of trials in Patiala and the best in a competition being the 54.99m she had at Ludhiana. She had won the bronze at the Bangkok Asiad four years ago. K.M. Beenamol and Madhuri Singh went through to the final of the women's 800 metres winning their heats in 2:08.74 and 2:08.65 respectively. They were stretched over the straight with Beenamol being given the same time as Chinese Wang Yuanping who finished second. Madhuri had to make a final surge to claim her heat. However, the manner in which Paramjeet Singh made it into the semifinals of the men's 400 metres held out little hope. The National record holder, entered here in the individual event without having attained the qualifying norm, came in fourth in a heat at 47.58 secs suggested that further progress would be difficult. P. Ramachandran, India's second entry in the event, did better, clocking 46.79 to come second behind Sri Lankan Rohan Pradeep Kumara in the second heat. The two top favourites, Fawzi Al-Shammari of Kuwait and Hamdan Al-Bishi of Saudi Arabia were curiously clubbed in one heat. The Saudi won in 45.26 with Al-Shammari taking the second place in 46.17. The third heat was won by Sri Lankan Sugath Tillakeratne, the defending champion. India kept itself in the hunt for a medal in heptathlon as J.J. Shobha and Soma Biswas were tied at second place at 3387 points behind the leader, Shen Shengfei of China, at 3484, after the first day's events. Both the Indians were below par in high jump, Shobha reaching 1.62 and Soma 1.65. The defending champion, Svetlana Kazanina of Kazakhstan was at fourth, with 3291. The results: Men: 10,000m: 1. Moukhled Al-Otaibi (KSA) 28:41.89; 2. Ahmed Ibrahim Warsama (Qat) 28:43.53; 3. Abdulhak Zakaria (BRN) 28:46.11. 20km walk: 1. Valeriy Borisov (Kaz) 1:24:20; 2. Yu Cahohong (Chn) 1:24.23; 3. Satoshi Yanagisawa (Jpn) 1:25.33. Women: Long jump: 1. Anju B. George (Ind) 6.53m; 2. Maho Hanaoka (Jpn) 6.47; 3. Yelena Kashcheyeva (Kaz) 6.30. Javelin: 1. Lee Young Sun (Kor) 58.87m; 2. Liang Lili (Chn) 58.77; 3. Ha Xiaoyan (Chn) 58.29.
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