Anju, Sini steal show, set meet records

Chennai, Nov 2 (UNI) Common Wealth and SAAF game gold winner Anju Boby George bagged the gold as expected in the Senior National Athletics Championship, which began here today in the backdrop of selection for Doha Asian Games next month.

Anju improved on her SAAF jump distance of 6.42 metres and achieved a jump of 6.53 metres in her second effort registering a new meet record.

Anju pushed her nearest rival, another olympian G G Pramila of Karnataka into second place. She lowered Pramila's meet record of 5.52 metres set in July 2000 edition of the nationals.

On a day, when the five finals were held, Jharkand's Sini Mole Paulose also stole the limelight winning the 1,500 metres final, with a new meet record of 4 minutes 10.51 seconds, surpassing Sunitha Ranna's 1,999 record of 4 minutes 12.40 seconds and qualified for Doha Asiad.

Tamil Nadu's S Shanti, who finished, who finished second for the silver, also lowered Sunitha Ranni's timing clocking 4 minutes 11.66 seconds.

Hardeep Kaur of Punjab, won the women's hammer throw event. She won with a heave of 60.79 metres. She erased the standing meet record of 58.36 metres achieved by K Jogeswari Devi of Bengal in July 2000.

National and international champion Navpreet Singh of Punjab bagged the gold in the men's shotput event.

Navpreet, who qualified for Doha Asiad, heaved the iron ball to 18.93 metre, pushing Delhi's Kuldeep Mann(18.18 metres) to second place.

Navpreet, fouled the last four throws. Uttar Pradesh's Sathyendra K Singh won the bronze with 18.09 metres.

In a brief chat with media, soon after her sedate performance, Anju said ''I was aiming for 6.60 metres, but it was not possible on this track'' implying that the track at Nehru Stadium was not in a good condition.

Anju began with a jump of 6.47 m and achieved the Gold winning mark in the second jump. However, her third jump was only 6.37 m.

She fould the next three jumps.

Her rival Pramila, fouled her first jum but thereafter, the Karnataka star's best effort was 6.21 m in the third jump.

The Resutls: Men: Shot Put: 1 Navpreet Singh(Pun) 18.93 sec, 2 Kuldeep Mann (Delhi) 18.18 m, 3 Satyendra K Singh (UP) 18.09 m.

1500 M C Hamza (Ker) 3:42.37 Sec, 2 Sandeep (Har) 3:50.86 Sec, 3 Ravinder (Del) 3:53.64 Sec.

Women: Long Jump: 1 Anju George(TN) 6.53 M NMR,Old recJ J Pramila 6.52 M 2 G G Pramila (Kar) 6.12 M, 3 J J Shobha (AP) 612 M.

1500 M: Sinimol Paulose (Jharkand) 4:10.51 sec, 2 S Shanti (TN) 4:11.66 sec, 3 O P Jaisha (Ker)4:15.97 sec.

Hammer Throw: Hardeep Kaur (Pun) 60.79 M-NMR old K Jobeshwari Devi(WB) 58.36 M July 2000, 2 Archana Bara (Bihar)54.13 m, 3 Pholwati (Delhi)52.51 M.

UNI VV SBA VP0255