Date:27/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/27/stories/2008062761782100.htm

Sport - Swimming

Kanchi Desai hogs the limelight

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: Kanchi Desai of Maharashtra made waves on the opening day of the 25th sub-junior National aquatics meet at the Subhas Sarobar pool here on Thursday.

Kanchi, taking part in the 200m freestyle for girls in group III (11-12 years), produced a late burst to finish in 2:20.10 seconds and better the previous mark of 2:20.80 by Pratima Kollali of Karnataka established last year.

Kanchi was also part of Maharashtra’s 4x50m freestyle quartet which won the gold.

Another swimmer from Maharashtra, Ashwathy Nair, performed a double, bagging the 200 individual medley and 50m backstroke titles, in the girls’ group IV (9-10).

Maharashtra dominated the pool, winning six out of 10 events.

The results: Group III (11-12 years): Boys: 200m freestyle: 1. O. Phani Kumar (AP) 2:18.40s, 2. Akhilesh Ram (Kar) 2:19.08, 3. Karan Jaisingh (Mah) 2:20.31; 50m backstroke: 1. Aravindam (Kar) 34.55, 2. Rishabh Mehra (Del) 35.17, 3. Pranam B. (Kar) 35.20; 4x50m freestyle relay: 1. U.P. 2:02.56, 2. Maharashtra 2:03.95, 3. Tamil Nadu 2:04.40.

Group IV (9-10): 50m backstroke: 1. Ankit Jayant (Mah) 37.44s, 2. P. Mukundhan (TN) 37.79, 3. R. Alagiasingan (Pon) 38.27; 200m IM: 1. Vishawesh Dudham (Mah) 2:51.72, 2. Leander Pillai (Mah) 2:54.83, 3. Mohd. Yaqoob (Kar) 2:56.05.

Group III: Girls: 200m freestyle: 1. Kanchi Desai (Mah) 2:20.10 (NMR), 2. V.K.R. Meenakshi (TN) 2:24.13, 3. Vani Sahani (Del) 2:29.46.

50m backstroke: 1. S. Vilassini (TN) 35.33, 2. Ananya Panigrahi (Mah) 35.47, 3. S. Angel Rose (TN) 35.69; 4x50m freestyle relay: 1. Maharashtra 2:05.63, 2. Tamil Nadu 2:07.53, 3. Karnataka 2:09.40.

Group IV: 50m backstroke: 1. Ashwathy Nair (Mah) 38.52, 2. Yuga Birnale (Mah) 38.66, 3. Sherlyn Devadason (TN) 39.96; 200m IM: 1. Ashwathy Nair (Mah) 2:55.94, 2. Swara Kulkarni (Mah) 2:57.03, 3. Damini K. Gowda (Kar) 2:59.55.

Diving: Highboard: Boys: Group I (16-18): 1. Billol Adhikary (Ben) 385.70 points, 2. Himangsu Tewary (U.P.) 331.85, 3. Rahul (Har) 325.55; Group II (14-15): 1. Y. Hemjit Meitai (Ser) 330.85, 2. Rohan Chandra (Ben) 299.15, 3. Chetan M. Shinde (Mah) 279.90. Girls: Group I: 1. Hrutika Shriram (Mah) 322.85, 2. Neha Anil Naik (Mah) 248.85, 3. Karishma Mohite (Kar) 248.05.

3m springboard: Boys: Group III (12-13): 1. Indrajeet M. Shinde (Mah) 232.90, 2. Supratim Das (Ben) 223.05, 3. D. Ajay (TN) 216.05; Girls: Group III: 1. Swati Vidap (Mah) 213.90, 2. Priyanka (Kar) 164.30, 3. Radhika Apte (MP) 149.70.