Anju leads TN to relay Gold on lacklustre day

Chennai, Nov 4 (UNI) Tamil Nadu women's relay team stole the show winning the gold even as the field events failed to produce any record breaking performances on the penultimate day of the 46th Inter-State National Athletics Championships here today.

International Anju George, returning to run the Relay after a gap of four years, led Tamil Nadu to a win over a strong Karnataka quartet spearheaded by Olympian G G Pramila. Nagalakshmi, Jessy and N Sharada, were the other runners for Tamil Nadu.

The AFI team led by Delhi sprinter Poonam Toumar placed first with Poonam's final burst in the fourth lap left Anju far behind.

But the AFI team, as President Lalit Bhanot informed the media, was only running on trial basis.''We are trying out different combinations for the Doha Asiad'', he said.

A beaming Anju told the media that she was running in a relay after the National Games in Hyderabad.

Kerala took the Bronze.

Both the throws, Javelin and discus also failed to produce any new records, meet or national.

In javelin, in the absence of the reigning national champion J K Bishnoi, Delhi's Sunil Gowswami emerged the Gold winner with the best throw of 70.07 m. His only competitor Kerala's Lijeesh Kumar won the silver throwing the spear to 69.82 m, way behind. UP's Gajendar, who took the Bronze, running Lijeesh close at 69.49 m.

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