SHIVPAL, SUDHA SEAL ASIAD SPOTS EN ROUTE TO GOLD

Guwahati: Unheralded Shivpal Singh of Uttar Pradesh sprang a surprise with a big throw in the men’s javelin while veteran 3,000m steeplechaser Sudha Singh ran her best race in two years as both booked Asian Games berths with gold medal winning efforts on the third day of the 58th national inter state senior athletics championships, here on Thursday. Shivpal cleared 82.28m in his final throw — his personal best — to clinch gold and better the Asian Games qualification mark of 81m. It was a jump of 2.5m from his previous earlier best of 79.77m which he did in 2016. For veteran Sudha, who won a gold in 2010 Asian Games in this event, it was a sort of coming back where she belonged as she clocked 9: 39.69. Meanwhile, 2014 Asian Games silver medallist Lalita Babar pulled out of the event midway into the second lap. In the men’s 3,000m steeplechase, Naveen Kumar qualified for the Asian Games by clocking 8: 39.42, enough to win the gold. B. Chethan of Karnataka was also another surprise winner who also booked an Asian Games berth by clearing 2.25m, the exact qualifying height. Earlier, quarter- miler Nirmala Shroran clocked an impressive 52.36 seconds in her first competitive race in nearly a year to breach the qualifying mark of the Asian Games in one of the women’s 400m heats. Odisha’s Dutee Chand also qualified for the Asian Games in women’s 100m dash as she clocked 11.42 in one of the heats. The qualifying time set by the AFI for this event is 11.67.