High Jumper Starli sets meet record, Anju wins Long jump gold

New Delhi, Mar 3 (UNI) Tamilnadu's promising young hugh jumper Benedict Starli set a new meet while ace woman long jumper Anju George clinched the gold sans record in the 12th Federation Cup National Athletics championship here today.

ATF gold medal winner and National record holder Manjit Kaur retained her 400m title while P Anil Kumar and Deepthi Jose emerged fastest man and woman respectively in the competition but all returned poor timings.

Twenty one-year-old Benedict Starli, a product of the junior development programme, cleared 2.13 mts in his first attempt to erase seven year old meet mark of 2.11 set by Thomas S Rail.

However Bendeict's effort fell well short of the existing National record of 2.25, which is in the name of Hari Shankar Roy. Kerala's Rosan K R with an effort of 2.10 came close second to Bendict.

India's medal hope at the Melbourne commonwealth Games long jumper Anju George cleared 6.47 to win the gold, but her performance was much below her own National record of 6.83 and meet record of 6.59.

Anju leapt to gold in her last attempt, having earlier recording jumps of 6.31, 6.32, 6.33, 6.36 and 6.29.

Thirty two-year-old army man P Anil kumar and Kerala's Deepthi Jose won the men and women's 100m golds though their timings were not very encouraging.

Anil gave below par performance clocking 10.44, though the National record is 10.30 which is in his name. The meet record is 10.35.

Tamilnadu's Senthil Murugan was second in 10.81.

Deepthi timed 11.91 for a gold in Women's 100m but she was no where near the National record 11.38 and meet record 11.39.Both are in the name of Rachita Mistry.

Haryana's Anil Kumar threw Javelin to 75.89 mts but his this gold medal winning effort was far behind the National record (79.68) and meet record (78.79).

In women's section ATF Gold medal winner and National record holder Manjit Kaur returned a poor time of 52.04 to retain 400m gold. Her best-the national record-is 51.05 and the meet mark is 51.81 created by M Benamol.

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