Nithin races to sprint double; Haryana reach hockey final
Youngster cruises to U-21 200m gold two days after winning 100m
PUNE: Nithin Scidanandh took serious interest in athletics only four years back and since then has been on the fast track, quite literally. After medals at the junior South Asian Championship and junior nationals, the Tamil Nadu teenager on Sunday ended as the fastest athlete of the Khelo India Youth Games here.
On Sunday, he clocked a personal best timing 21.57 seconds to clinch the U-21 200m gold medal on the last day of athletics. This came after his 10.76 seconds dash in the U-21 100m saw him winning his first gold here two days back.
However, Nithin knows that the road ahead will be tougher. “My next target is to do 200m under 21 seconds. The national records stands at 20.63 seconds (Muhammed Anas) and I want to break that,” the 19-year-old B. Com student of Vivekananda College, Chennai, said.
To make further progress, he wants to give up the 100m discipline. “I want to concentrate of 200m and 400m. Realistically, I don’t think I will be able to do 100m in under 10 seconds, which is required to do well at the top level. My personal best do far in 100m has been 10.70 seconds. I think my age is right to make the transition to 400m,” he said.
In 200m, Nithin was followed by Jharkhand’s Amit Yadav (21.73 seconds) and Kerala’s Abhinav Chalangode (21.76 seconds). Apart from Nithin’s gold, another Tamil Nadu athlete P David (U-17 long jump, 7.13m) finished on top. In other events of the day, Maharashtra and Punjab won three gold medals while Karnataka took two medals.
SHOOTING STAR
Devanshi Rana, ace pistol shooter Jaspal’s daughter, won the U-21 women’s 25m pistol gold holding off a challenge by HaryPatil
ana’s Anjali Choudhary.
The final went down to the wire with the Delhi girl triumphing 24-23 over Anjali Choudhary for the gold. Abhidnya Ashok (Maharashtra) took the bronze. West Bengal’s Mehuli Ghosh became the first double gold medallist in shooting as she teamed up with 10-year-old Abhinav Shaw in the 10m air rifle mixed team event for the gold.
In mixed trap, Manisha Keer teamed with Anwer Hassan Khan to win claim her second gold medal of the event. She had earlier won gold in women’s trap.
MAHA SHUTTLERS RULE
On the last day in badminton, Maharashtra shuttlers returned home with two gold medals with Aarya Rahul Deshpande and Ananya Sachin Phadke winning the U-17 girls doubles final and Aman Farogh Sanjay winning the U-21 singles title. Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana and Chattisgarh got one gold each.
HARYANA IN FINAL
In the U-21 Men’s category Haryana and Odisha won their respective semi-finals to set up a title clash in hockey. Haryana defeated Punjab 3-1 while Odisha edged past Uttar Pradesh 2-1.
In gymnastics, Maharashtra wrapped up the U-21 category with nine medals on the last day of the competition.