Date:09/02/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/02/09/stories/2004020903761800.htm

Sport - Archery

Tarundeep rewrites record books

JAMSHEDPUR, FEB. 8 . Archers of Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) dominated the team distance as well as overall individual events in the senior men's FITA round of the 24th Senior National archery championship at the J.R.D. Tata Sports complex here.

SSCB's Tarundeep Rai, who hit the bull's eye in the 90m distance (313 points), 30m distance (352 points) and finished second in 70m (331 points), created a new record in the individual overall distance ranking securing 1320 points eclipsing previous best of 1312 points set at the 13th National championship here in 1992.

Tarundeep also broke the previous record of 351 set at Shillong in 1999 in the 30m distance by scoring 352 points.

SSCB, which created a new record in the team ranking with 3911 points, bettered the previous best of 3824 established at the 21st edition of the championship at Amravati in 2001. Archers Viswash and Harish Ch. Kerai — finished second and third respectively in the individual overall ranking on 1302 and 1300 points.

Rahul Banerjee of Jharkhand and Priyank of Uttar Pradesh topped the table in the 50m and 70m arrow shooting with 327 and 332 points, which is also a new record. The previous best in the 70m distance was set at Kolkata in 1991 at 325 points.

International archer, Sanjeeva Singh of Jharkhand emerged overall champion in men's compound round introduced for the first time in the national championship with 1257 points.

Singh, secretary of the Jharkhand Archery Association (JAA), bagged the top spot in the 90m, 70m, 50m and 30m round.

Naresh Damor of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (1239 points) and N. Arun Kumar of Andhra Pradesh (1178) took the second and third spots in the overall individual section.

Jharkhand's women archers dominated the FITA round with Reena Kumari and Dola Banerjee together creating three new records.

Reena, who top scored in 70m and 50m, shattered the previous best of 317 points scoring 322 points in the 50m distance on Sunday.

The Jharkhand girls' squad comprising Reena, Dola and Bheigya Batichanu bagged the top three positions in 70m in that order. Reena and Dola also finished first and second in 50m.

Dola also created a new record in 60m with 332 points, breaking the earlier record of 328 set at Kolkata in 2001.

Uttar Pradesh's Sumangla notched 347 points in the 30m distance to clinch the first position followed by Reena and Dola on 345 and 343 points respectively.

— PTI