Jaisha creates new meet record, Preeja sets a new national record

New Delhi, Oct 5 (UNI) Railway's O P Jaisha created a new meet mark with a time of 4:11.83 in women's 1500m run here this evening while earlier her team mate Preeja Sreedharan improved on her national record in the 10000m run with a timing of 34:11.45 sec in the 46th National Open Athletics Championship.

In the men's section also, Railway's Satyendra Singh hogged the limelight winning the shotput gold.

Jaisha overcame a stiff challenge from Sinimol Paulose (Steel Plants) in the crowded field of 19 runners in the 1500m race to emerge winner.

The Railway runner in the process erased the seven year old meet record of 4:16.48 set by Sunita Rani.

Sinimol also bettered Sunita Rani's meet record with a timing of 4:12.24 but had to settle for a silver. Tamil Nadu's S Shanthi finished third with 4:22.93.

In men's shot put, Satyendra Singh cleared the distance of 18.53m in his first attempt and that was enough for him to claim the gold.

Services' Jaiveer Singh with a throw of 17.93m, which he had in his first effort, earned a silver while local favourite Saurabh Vij came third with 17.55m which he had in his fourth attempt.

The national record in this event (20.42m) is held by Shakti Singh, while meet record (19.59m) is in the name of Bahadur Singh.

Late last evening, in the gruelling 10,000m race Preeja rewrote a national record. The winner, who beat teammate Preeti Rao (36:21.65s) and Madhuri Gurnule of LIC (38:08.95 sec.), had clocked 34:27.13 sec at the South Asian Federation Games at Colombo last month.

''My coach feels that I am confident of dipping below 34 minutes but due to today's humid condition I failed short of it but I will break it in the Inter-state at Chennai next month,'' said a jubiliant Preeja after the race.

Earlier in the men's 10,000m final, Surender Singh of Services won the race with a season's leading timing of 29: 30.48 sec. Soji Mathew of Railways came second with a personal best timing of 29:35.48 sec. Another Railwayman Santosh Kumar Patel took the third place with 29:39.71 sec.

Surender planned to clock below 29 minutes and Kashinath Aswale provided him necessary pace of 70 sec per round till 6km but after that his pace started declining without any pacemaker resulting into another wait for sub 29 timing in 10,000m.

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