Srikanth and Lakshya make second round
Kerala’s Nayana James recorded a personal best mark, leaping 6.67m to secure the women’s long jump gold at the 3rd Indian Open Jumps Competition held at the Anju Bobby George Foundation here on Wednesday.
On a day when no athlete threatened the 2024
Paris Olympics qualification mark, the 28yearold’s effort stood out, coming nearly seven years after her previous best of 6.55m.
Nayana’s best jump came off her second attempt, leaving the fancied Shaili Singh with a mountain to climb. The 20yearold struggled with her rhythm and could only manage 6.40m.
Nayana’s distance was 16cms off Anju Bobby George’s National record and 19cms behind the Paris mark. But National jumps coach Denis Kapustin, who had a trackside view to the proceedings, termed it the “best jumps result” in recent times.
Another athlete to reach a personal high was Tamil Nadu’s 22yearold Pavithra Venkatesh in women’s pole vault as she scaled 4.15m. It was a sweet result for the 2023 Asian indoor silver medallist, who couldn’t travel to Tehran last month for the 2024 edition as she couldn’t carry her poles via cargo.
“I was happy to get my PB,” Pavithra said. “I went for the National record (4.21m) but couldn’t reach it. But overall I am happy, especially after what happened recently [Tehran fiasco].”
Statemate M. Gowtham scaled 5.10m in the men’s competition — 30cm better than his hitherto best — to emerge first.
In men’s triple jump, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Abdulla
Aboobacker took gold (16.76m) ahead of CWG gold medallist Eldhose Paul (16.45) and Tamil Nadu’s Selva Prabhu (16.32).
The results:
Men: High jump: 1. Jesse Sandesh (Kar) 2.20m, 2. Aadarsh Ram (TN) 2.10, 3. Swadhin Kumar Majhi (Odi) 2.10; Long jump: 1. Muhammed Anees Yahiya (Ker) 7.94m, 2. Aditya Kumar Singh (MP) 7.78, 3. Vishnu Siva Sankar (Del) 7.50.
Triple jump: 1. Abdulla Aboobacker (Ker) 16.76m, 2. Eldhose Paul (Ker) 16.45, 3. Selva
Former champion K. Srikanth and inform Lakshya Sen produced impressive performances to progress to the men’s singles second round of the Swiss Open super 300 badminton tournament on Wednesday.
Srikanth, the former World No. 1, who had claimed the title in 2015, outwitted World No. 24 Chinese Taipei’s Wang Tzu Wei 2117, 2118 in a 43minute contest. It was his sixth win in seven meetings against his opponent.
Later, Lakshya, who had reached backtoback semifinals at French Open and All England Championships over the last two weeks, outlasted Malaysia’s
Prabhu (TN) 16.32; M. Gowtham (TN), 5.10m, 2. G. Reegan (TN) 5.00, 3. Shekhar Kumar Pandey (UP) 4.90. 1.
1. Athira Somaraj (Ker) 1.76m, 2. Kevinaa Ashwine Annavi (TN) 1.74, 3. Khushi (Har) 1.68; Long jump: Nayana James (Ker) 6.67m, 2. Shaili Singh (UP) 6.40, 3. Susmita (Raj) 6.28.
Triple jump: 1. Poorva Hitesh Sawant (Mah) 13.31m, 2. Sharvari Avinash Parule (Mah) 13.31, 3. N.V. Sheena (Ker) 13.18; Pole vault:
1. Pavithra Venkatesh (TN) 4.15m,
2. Mariya Jaison (Ker) 3.80, 3. G. Sindhushree (Kar) 3.80.
Leong Jun Hao 2119, 1521, 2111 in 62 minutes to set up a clash with Chinese Taipei’s Chia Hao Lee.
Srikanth will next face a tough opponent in Malaysia’s top seed Lee Zii Jia.
In women’s doubles, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa, seeded sixth, overcame Indonesia’s Meilysa Trias Puspitasari and Rachel Allessya Rose 2118, 1221, 2119 in a thrilling opener.
Other results:
Women’s doubles: First round: Treesa Jolly & Gayatri Gopichand bt Annie ◣u and Kerry ◣u (USA) 2115, 2112; Ashwini Bhat & Shikha Gautam lost to Yeung Nga Ting & Yeung Pui Lam (HKG) 2113, 1621, 2114.
Rutaparna Panda & Swetaparna Panda lost to Apriyani Rahayu & Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (Ina) 214, 216; Simran Singhi & Ritika Thaker Tria Mayasari & Ribka Sugiarto (Ina) 2117, 217.