Date:10/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/10/stories/2006111008022000.htm

Sport - Archery

Talukdar's joy short-lived

Special Correspondent

Jayanta Talukdar

JAMSHEDPUR: Indian ace Jayanta Talukdar was disqualified on technical grounds and would not take further part in the second Commonwealth archery championship, which began at the J.R.D. Tata Sports Complex here on Thursday. Talukdar, who equalled the World 70m (36 arrows) record earlier in the morning, was handed out the judgement for raising his bow too high and was pulled up in his quarterfinal contest against Chris Lewkowski of Australia in the men's individual recurve section.

Big blow

The disqualification meant, Talukdar, World No. 4, would not be available for the team championship as well. He was first warned by an Indian judge for the breach of rule before the issue was drawn to the attention of the two foreign judges, Neil Demmock of England and J. Ban Ari of Israel, by the Aussie camp, who upheld the protest.

Later the decision was endorsed by the jury. At the end of the contest, both Talukdar and Lewkowski were tied at 104. The decision meant that only two Indians Tarundeep Rai and Mangal Singh would be competing in the semifinals against Chris Lewkowski of England and Simon Needham of Scotland respectively.

Even as the afternoon turned sour for the Indian camp and its supporters, the morning was one of joy.

Talukdar, showing tremendous form under prefect conditions, equalled the World record by shooting 347 points out of 360. He equalled the mark set by Choi Young Kwang of Korea in Hongseong (Korea) in 2002.

Jhano excels

Jhano Hansdah, competing in the women's compound event missed the World record by a point. She scored 348 out of 360. The World record of 349 stands in the name of Valerie Fabre of France set in Charlton in Great Britain, in 2005.

Dola Banerjee and Reena Kumari reached the semifinals of the women's individual recurve event and face each other while Naomi Folkard of England would take on compatriot Alison Williamson in the other semifinal.

All the Indians were eliminated either in the first round or in the pre-quarterfinals in the men's compound event. In the women's compound event, Jhano would take on Linda Garner of England while Manjudha Soy would clash with Andrea Gales, also of England.