Stellar Performances by Triple Jumpers on Day Three of National Inter-State Athletics Championship

Bhubaneswar, June 27: The third day of the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championship at Kalinga Stadium showcased remarkable performances from 13 emerging athletes, including six male triple jumpers, who surpassed the qualification standards for the Asian Games in Japan.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) will finalize the team for the Asian Games after the conclusion of the Bhubaneswar competition. Each track and field event will feature two athletes.

The evening session commenced with the hammer throw events. Damneet Singh from Punjab clinched the gold medal with a throw of 69.72 meters, exceeding the Asian Games qualification mark of 69.12 meters. Praveen Kumar from Rajasthan secured the silver medal with a throw of 69.58 meters, qualifying him for the Asian Games as well.

Following the hammer throw finals, the discus throw arena witnessed outstanding performances. Three throwers from Haryana—Seema, Sanya Yadav, and Nidhi—finished in that order, all surpassing the Asian Games qualification mark of 55.48 meters.

The men’s triple jump was the third field event, where the top six jumpers achieved the Asian Games qualification mark of 16.28 meters. Praveen Chithravela won the gold medal with an impressive jump of 16.92 meters.

In a standout performance, national record holder Tejas Shirse easily won the men’s 110-meter hurdles race with a time of 13.61 seconds, bettering the Asian Games qualification time of 13.63 seconds.

In the women’s 400-meter hurdles heats, Vithya Ramraj from Tamil Nadu clocked 56.69 seconds, keeping her hopes alive for a spot in the Asian Games.

Results from Day Three:

Men:
– 110 Meter Hurdles (Asian Games qualifying time 13.63 seconds): Tejas Shirse (Maharashtra) 13.61 seconds, Manav R (Tamil Nadu) 13.66 seconds, Krishik M (Karnataka) 13.69 seconds.
– Hammer Throw (Asian Games qualifying mark 69.12 meters): Damneet Singh (Punjab) 69.72 meters, Praveen Kumar (Rajasthan) 69.58 meters, Ashish Jakhad (Haryana) 67.61 meters.
– Triple Jump (Asian Games qualifying mark 16.28 meters): Praveen Chithravela (Tamil Nadu) 16.92 meters, Karthik U (Kerala) 16.80 meters, Selva Prabhu (Tamil Nadu) 16.79 meters.
– 4×100 Meter Relay: Odisha 39.92 seconds, Tamil Nadu 40.02 seconds, Maharashtra 40.37 seconds.

Women:
– Discus Throw (Asian Games qualifying mark 55.48 meters): Seema (Haryana) 59.73 meters, Sanya Yadav (Haryana) 56.05 meters, Nidhi (Haryana) 55.92 meters.
– 21 Kilometer Race Walk (Asian Games qualifying time 1:37:20.00): Munita Prajapati (Uttar Pradesh) 1:45:05.00, Reshma Patel (Uttar Pradesh) 1:45:48.00, Sejala Anil Singh (Maharashtra) 1:46:31.00.
– 4×100 Meter Relay: Karnataka 44.75 seconds, Tamil Nadu 45.07 seconds, Maharashtra 46.21 seconds. The Odisha women’s team did not finish the race.
– Mixed 4×400 Meter Relay: Tamil Nadu 3:23.51 seconds, Punjab 3:23.54 seconds, Rajasthan 3:23.85 seconds.