Telugu girls shine; double for Nandini
Agasara Nandini won two medals while Jeevanji Deepthi and Kunja Rajitha bagged a medal each as Telugu girls did well at the ongoing 20th National Federation Cup Under 20 Athletics Championship at Nadiad in Gujarat on Friday.
Telangana’s Nandini hurtled to gold in the 100 metres hurdles in 13.97 seconds, a timing that also earned her qualification for the World Junior Athletics Championships to be held from August 2 to 7 in Cali, Colombia.
Later, Nandini took silver in the long jump behind last year’s World Junior Championships silver medallist Shaili Singh of Uttar Pradesh. Shaili, who trains with long jump legend Anju Bobby George, cleared 6.11 metres while Nandini leapt to 5.92.
Deepthi, also of Telangana, clocked 12.17 seconds to secure a silver in the women’s 100 metres, behind Priyanka Sikarwar (11.88 secs) of Uttar Pradesh.
In the women’s 400 metres, Rajitha of Andhra Pradesh clinched bronze with a time of 56.32 seconds. Rupal of Uttar Pradesh took gold in 52.48, pipping the fancied Priya Mohan (52.49) of Karnataka by one-hundredth of a second. Rajitha is likely to get selected on the 4x400m relay team for the World Junior Championships.
All three athletes train at the Gachibowli Stadium and are supported by SAI Gopichand Mytrah social welfare project.
Nandini is also a student at the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society. Apart from Nandini, 13 others secured World U-20 Championships qualification marks — Rupal and Priya Mohan (400m); Rohit Kumar Yadav, Babubhai Bariod and Sachin Singh Bohra (men’s 10000m); Aman Khokhar (men’s
100m), Madhavendra Shekhawat, M. Krishik and A. Graceson Jeeva (men’s 110m hurdles); Chandrashekar (men’s long jump), Sanyam and Sawan (men’s shot put) and Vivek (men’s javelin throw).