GOLDEN EFFORT: India's S. Shanthi (No. 316) won the 1,500m, pipping compatriot Sinimol Paulose.

COLOMBO: Tamil Nadu's S. Shanthi picked up her maiden 1500m gold by winning the event in the South Asian Games here on Thursday, as the track event opened up for some early pickings by India.

The Pudukottai girl has won gold and silver medals in the 400 and 800m events in Asia earlier, including the Grand Prix at Bangalore and Pune. But there was great happiness in winning an event she generally does not participate.

The race was decided in the last 90 metres when she seized the lead from compatriot Sinimol Paulose and dashed past the finish line.

Disappointment

As she sank on the track and looked up to the heavens, Shanthi, who is yet to get an employment, would have wished that the time she had clocked would be a new mark. When mediamen told her that she had missed it by .03 seconds, tears filled her eyes.

In the men's section, Hamsa Chatholi beat his strong Sri Lankan rival Wijekoon to take the gold. Wijekoon had looked firmly in control, as he started on a handy pace and kept the others behind.

But nearing the last lap, Hamsa, who hails from Palakkad, showed his intentions and with difficulty surged ahead. With the crowd egging him on, Wijekoon made a gallant attempt in the home stretch but the Indian breezed ahead much to the surprise of the local favourite.

Another Tamil Nadu lad to be in focus was Wayne Pepin who bagged the long jump gold with a 7.73 metre leap in his final attempt.

After fouling in the first two jumps, he was tied with the Sri Lankan Prasad Dharmaratne at 7.46 metres till the penultimate jump before going ahead. India's other entrant Kannan Sasi finished sixth with a best of 6.88 metres.

Lankan stars take 200m

In the 200m races, Sri Lanka took the honours with Susanthika Jayasinghe and Rohan Pradeep Kumara establishing their supremacy in no uncertain way.

Susanthika literally had no opposition, while India's Vishal Saxena made a game try to catch up with Rohan.

The results:

Men: 1500m: 1. Hamsa Chatholi (Ind) 3:44.50s, 2. W.M.C.I. Wijekoon (SL) 3:45.60, 3. P.H. Chamal (SL) 3:53.73; 10,000m: 1. Surender Singh (Ind) 29:41.30s, 2. S. Regunath (Ind) 29:43.09, 3. M. Ajanthan (SL) 31:01.34; Long jump: 1. Wayne Pepin (Ind) 7.73m, 2. N. Prasad Dharmaratne (SL) 7.46, 3. Muhammed Riaz (Pak) 7.31; 200m: 1. Rohan Pradeep Kumara (SL) 21.14s, 2. Vishal Saxena (Ind) 21.51, 3. Muhammad Imran (Pak) 21.52; 10,000m: 1. Surender Singh (Ind) 29:41.30s, 2. R. Sadasivam (Ind) 29:43.09, 3. M. Ajanthan (SL) 31:01.34; Pole vault: 1. Muhammad Ayub (Pak) 4.81m (NR, Old: 4.80m, M.A. Eldo (Ind), Islamabad, 1989), 2. Muhammed Zafar (Pak) 4.70, 3. Vadivelu (Ind) 4.50m.

Women: 1500m: 1. S. Shanthi (Ind) 4:14.26s, 2. Sinimol Paulose (Ind) 4:14.71, 3. D.A. Shanika Samanmali (SL) 4:30.61; Javelin: 1. Nadeeka Lakmali (SL) 50.73m, 2. Anne Maheshi De'Silva (SL) 49.85, 3. Gurmeet Kaur (Ind) 46.45; Shot put: 1. Saroj Sihag (Ind) 14.96m, 2. M.N. Muthunayaka (SL) 14.45, 3. Zeenat Parveen (Pak) 14.07; 200m: 1. Susanthika Jayasinghe (SL) 22.99s, 2. H.P.S. Buddhika (SL) 24.24, 3. Poonam Tomar (Ind) 24.62; 5000m: 1. O.P. Jaisha (Ind) 16:03.11s, 2. D.A. Inoka (SL) 16:37.41, 3. Preeja Shreedharan (Ind) 16:52.51.

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