The Hindu : Sharma sets a new meet record

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 23, 2003

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Sport - Athletics

Sharma sets a new meet record

By Our Special Correspondent

Andhra Pradesh's Sunny Sharma winning the 800m in the boys' under-20 event of the South Zone junior athletic championship in Chennai on Friday.

CHENNAI AUG 22. Entertainment and competition together amidst a light drizzle and the floodlit Nehru stadium presented a peculiar atmosphere for the start of the South Zone junior athletics meet on Friday. The meet is being sponsored by the Meenakshiammal Medical, Dental, Para-medical and Engineering Colleges.

Only six races were programmed for the inaugural day, all 800 m in the three age categories — under-20, 18 and 16— in the two sections. The organisers decided on the novelty of having a cultural programme in between a race.

Setting the tempo in this setting was P. Sunny Sharma of Andhra Pradesh with a new meet record in the 800 m event. The two-lap race saw Karnataka's Vineet Mann jump into the lead initially before the two Kerala lads taking turns to be a step behind. It was only nearing the 600m mark that Sharma showed his enterprise as he drew away to ensure a win.

It was a remarkable effort and clocking 1:52.5 seconds, he clipped 0.5 sec from the existing meet mark of K.J. Manojlal of Kerala set in 1997 at Thiruvananthapuram.

Perhaps the wet track had to do with it for the runs from then on failed to produce the sparkle for any new marks. Though Vijila of Kerala will particularly remember her start to finish effort in the u-18 section. For showing the kind of pacing that brought focus on Sunny earlier, Sivanagaraju earned it in the under-18 with his late surge that pushed his two Kerala rivals Pradeep and Githin well behind.

R. Mahalakshmi of Karnataka then rounded off the day's programme with a new mark in the under-16 section with a 2:17.2 s effort. She thus eclipsed the 1995 mark of P. Radhika who had set 2:19.5.

The meet was earlier inaugurated by Ms. Meenakshmi Ammal, a representative of the sponsors.

The results:

Boys: U-20: 800m: 1. P. Sunny Sharma (AP) 1:52.5 (NMR); 2. R. Rajeev (Kerala) 3. K.J. Arun (Kerala); U-18: 1. Sivanagaraju (AP) 1:58.6s ; 2. Pradeep Gokul (Ker) 3. Githin Cleetus (Ker); U-16: 1. P.V. Aneesh (Ker) 2:00.6s; 2. P.V. Ajesh (Ker) 3. Chandrasekhar (AP).

Girls: U-20: 800m: 1. Harini Chandrasekhar (Kar) 2:20.4; 2. H.S. Greeshma (Kar) 3. Sibitha P. Sebastin (Ker); U-18: 1. Vijila (Ker) 2:16.0; 2. N.C. Mohana (TN); 3. Anju Mathew (Ker); U-16: 1. R. Mahalakshmi (Kar) 2:17.2 s (NMR); 2. K.P. Sowmiya (Kar0 3. S.Dhivya (TN).

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