Rucha, Madhuri, Krishna, Pankaja post doubles

Pune, Sep 3 (UNI) Rucha Patil, international long-distance ace Madhuri Gurnule, Krishna Kumar Rana and Pankaja Khole posted profitable doubles each on the concluding day of the Senior Maharashtra State Athletics Championship at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports City Mahalunge-Balewadi near here today.

The slightly-built 16-year-old Rucha a 10th standard student at the Krida Prabhodini here, monopolised the glamourous women's 100 and 200 meters sprints.

Rucha, fresh from her two-and-half month stint at the National Institute for Sports (Patiala), graduated to the women's section and captured the gold in the 200 meters sprint event clocking 26 seconds, getting the better of Kavita Jagtap (Pune) and Deepsri Sawant (Thane) who had to rest content with the silver and bronze respectively.

Rucha had won the gold in the 100 metres sprint yesterday by stopping the clock at 12.5 secs. She, however, could not better her previous best time of 12.3 seconds posted at the Federation Athletic Championship at Chennai.

Talking to UNI, Rucha said she had benefitted immensely from the NIS camp. Mr Gajanan Patil, Rucha's father who is an NIS coach attached to the Krida Prabhodini, said she has set her sights on the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games.

Madhuri Gurnule who won the gold in the demanding 10,000 meteres run for women yesterday, went on to win the gold in the 5,000 metres run today and recorded a double in the meet. The race saw a stiff tussle between Madhuri and her younger sibling, Rashmi.

Madhuri, with her experience, went on to win in a time of 18 minutes and 25:08 seconds. Rashmi and Ashwini Dukandar were placed second and third respectively.

Pankaja Khole of Pune, who had won the gold in the women's triple jump event yesterday with a leap of 10.79 metres, added another gold to her tally by winning the long jump today clearing a distance of 5.35 metres. Pradnya Patil of Satara and Pratibha Jadhav of Pune took the silver and the bronze respectively.

A total prize money of Rs 60,000 has been introduced for the first time in the Rohan Builders-sponsored State meet, forming a part of the ongoing Pune Festival.

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