Geesh, Anju, Neelam set records

By Avinash Nair

BANGALORE, JUNE 23. Expectations of a scorching contest did not materialise. But nevertheless the opening day of the 7th Federation Cup athletics championship did have its moment of truth.

If one expected Sree Kanteerava Stadium to be set alight on Saturday by three set of contestants, it fizzled out. But the men's 400m, in which Southern Railway's Manoj Lal squeezed out a splendid last gasp win, and the women's 100m, with Kavita Pandya establishing her credentials as the rising star with a personal best of 11.62seconds, provided the thrills.

The day threw up three meet records with Kerala's V.V. Geesh Kumar setting the tone with a clearance of 4.80 metres in the men's pole-vault. The effort bettered his own year old mark of 4.75m set in the Lucknow Federation Cup in March 2000.

Geesh started off on a confident note with 4.50 metres and raised the bar to 4.65m, which he cleared with nonchalance. If 4.80 metres looked easy for the strapping 27 year old, employed with the Central Industries Security Force (CISF), 4.90 metres proved a trifle too much and Geesh fouled all his three attempts.

Geesh incidentally is with the pole vault academy, set up by former National champion P.C. Tyagi, in Delhi which of late has been throwing up a good number of jumpers.

Anju Bobby George's clash with arch rival G.G. Pramila in the women's long jump was what every enthusiast looked forward to. Both strived for the extra yard but neither impressed in the run- ups.

Anju landed the gold with a meet record effort of 6.49 metres, which she earned in her second jump. Pramila, despite a steady string of 6.25 plus jumps, could only muster a 6.32 on the day. Shilpa Sequeira of Karnataka leapt to her personal best of 6.04 metres for the bronze.

The one lap event evoked keen following. Satbir Singh and Bhupendra - the two who impressed during the three Domestic Circuit meets - season were expected to give the established one- lappers a run for their money. And it looked like the strong built Satbir would run off at the straight.

But the `diminutive' Manoj Lal, lying at the elbow of the front runner shifted gears just at the nick to pip the Punjab runner at the post. Manoj was timed at 46.90 metres which was just over Paramjit's mark of 46.21 seconds set in Chennai in 1998.

Neelam J. Singh has made the discus event for women her own, with or without World junior champion Seema Antil in the fray. Today the Punjab thrower heaved the disc to a new meet high of 59.14 metres, an improvement over her own record of 58.45m set in 1999. Seema too improved upon her three previous meets but her effort of 58.12m was enough only for the silver.

Delhi's Sandeep Sarkaria and Mumbai girl Kavita Pandya emerged the `fastest man and woman' of the meet. Sandeep, a 22 year old graduate from Delhi awaiting a call up from LIC, had a poor start but caught up with the field at the halfway mark and kept going to stop the clock at 10.40 seconds and better his personal best of 10.50 seconds.

C. Thirugnanadurai was quick off the blocks as is his wont but was stuck in the second gear and could do nothing else, although he did stave off Clifford Joshua's late burst. Clifford achieved his best of 10.47s to finish third.

Kavita surely did not expect much competition. Having won the three legs of the domestic circuit with consummate ease, the Western Railway girl from Mumbai looked like cruising along in lane four. Mukhti Saha of West Bengal gave a fright, dipping in dangerously close in the adjoining lane (three), while V. Pandeeswari (Southern Railway-lane five) also ended up with the identical time of 11.64 seconds but for the third spot.

Jaiveer Singh of Army broke the winning sequence of Navpreet SIngh in the men's shot with an effort of 18.66 metres. Navpreet, who mustered a 18.37 on this day, had swept through the three circuit meets.

Army's Mahendra Kumar and PSEB's Madhuri A. Singh set the tone for the day's performances with a start to finish run in the 1500m for men and women respectively.

The results:

Men: 100m: 1. Sandeep Sarkaria (Del) 10.40s, 2. C. Thirugnanadurai (S. Rly) 10.45s, 3. Clifford Joshua (Kar) 10.47s; 400m: 1. Manoj Lal (S. Rly) 46.90s, 2. Satbir Singh (Pun) 46.96s, 3. Lijo David (S. Rly) 47.10s; 1500m: 1. Mahendra Kumar (Army) 3:56.37s, 2. B.B. Manjunath (CRPF) 3:56.91s, 3. Rajesh Kumar (MP) 3:58.79s; Long jump: 1. Sanjay Rai (WB) 7.58m, 2. Satish Kumar (Del) 7.40m, 3. S. Ramachandran (TN) 7.36m; Pole vault: 1. V.V. Geesh Kumar (Ker) 4.80m (NMR), 2. Jeetender Kumar (U.P.) 4.60m, 3. Ramdhari Singh (Army) 4.50m; Shot put: 1. Jaiveer Singh (Army) 18.66m, 2. Navpreet Singh (Pun) 18.37m, 3. Amit Tyagi (U.P.) 17.43m; Javelin: 1. Md Fazal Ansari (Army) 75.89m, 2. Sunil Goswami (Del) 73.28m, 3. Brahma Dubey (Mah) 72.90m.

Women: 100m: 1. Kavita Pandya (Mah) 11.62s, 2. Mukhti Saha (WB) 11.64s, 3. V. Pandeewari (S. Rly) 11.64s; 400m: 1. K.M. Beenamol (S. Rly) 52.66s, 2. Jincy Philip (CRPF) 53.70s, 3. Soma Biswas (WB) 55.05s; 1500m: 1. Madhuri A. Singh (PSEB) 4:34:56s, 2. K.P. Sudha (CRPF) 4:42.81s, 3. Harjeet Kaur (Pun) 4:46.04s; Long jump: 1. Anju B. George (TN) 6.49m (NMR), 2. G.G. Pramila (S. Rly) 6.32m, 3. Shilpa Sequeira (Kar) 6.04m; Discus: 1. Neelam J. Singh (Pun) 59.14m (NMR), 2. Seema Antil (CRPF) 58.12m, 3. Sugan Yadav (Har) 50.53m.

Anju B. George leaps to a meet record in the women's long jump.

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