Jauna, Dutee make Asian Games cut

It was a nervous start. But I managed to handle the pressure. When I entered the home straight, I couldn’t see my rivals. That was when I realised I was coming first. JAUNA MURMU, 400m hurdler

Seven athletes achieved the qualifying mark for Jakarta Asian Games on the opening day of the National Inter State Athletics Championships here on Tuesday. Odisha’s Jauna Murmu set the ball rolling by earning the berth in 400m hurdles. Her winning time of 57.02 secs was inside the qualifying mark of 57.52 secs and bettered the meet record of 57.21 secs. It was the season’s best for Jauna though her personal best is 56.86 secs, clocked while finishing fourth in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. “Hopefully this time it should be a podium finish,” she said. Juana feels the confidence boost will help improve her timing before the Asian Games. In January 2017, she quit the came under the Games qualification mark of 50.80 secs. Favourite A Dharun (49.58 secs) won, followed by Santhosh Kumar T (50.10 secs) and Jashanjot Singh (50.64secs). Only the top two will make it to the squad as per norms.

Dharun, who braved a hamstring niggle, said staying focused in the race was the difference. “It was challenging as Santhosh and Jashanjot were breathing down my neck. Somehow, I found that inner strength to surge ahead of them in the last 50m.”

Discus t hrower Sandeep Kumari of Haryana achieved the Games mark of 57m with a best throw of 58.41m. Seema Punia has been exempted from participating in this final qualifying event here and assured entry in the Games.

Sanjeevani Jadhav of Maharashtra made the cut in women’s 5,000m, winning in 15:38.78 secs to eclipse the meet mark of 15:46.92 secs. The qualifying time was 15:45 secs. Hammer thrower Sarita R Singh of Uttar Pradesh qualified with a winning throw of 63.28m. She also bettered the meet record of 63.22m. The qualifying mark was 60m.

In the preliminary rounds of women’s 200m, Dutee Chand of Odisha was the fastest with the time of 23.45 secs, better than the qualifying mark of 23.50 secs. As expected, home favourite Hima Das (24.02) and Srabani Nanda (24.04 secs) were the other prominent runners to advance to the final slated for Wednesday.

Despite having their office in the Indira Gandhi International Stadium, the National Anti Doping Agency officials did not subject the medal winners to dope test immediately.

PASSPORT ISSUE

The Athletics Federation of India could face embarrassment again as Sandeep Kumari, who qualified by winning the women’s discus, may not be able to go to Jakarta. Sandeep did not provide her passport details before the deadline of April 30 set by AFI to send the list to the Asian Games organising committee. It could mean AFI may not be able to get her entry. The deadline for furnishing entries by name is June 30.

Sandeep’s coach Rinku Sangwan said she had no idea her ward had to send the details in April. “For us she had qualified for Asian Games,” she said.