Uttarakhand’s Anu Kumar and Haryana’s Pooja became double gold medallists in individual athletics event, while Nisar Ahmad of Delhi emerged as the fastest boy of the meet, despite running an all-out 100m twice in a span of 20 minutes at the inaugural Khelo India School Games (KISG).

That talent exists countrywide was the best exemplified by the medal distribution on Friday, when three states – Delhi, Maharashtra and Haryana – won two golds each and six other states won one each.

Advertisement

Delhi sprinter Nisar Ahmad, who had to postpone his training trip to Jamaica in order to compete at the Khelo India School Games, ran the 100m twice in a span of 20 minutes. He was so focussed that he did not hear the recall whistle following a false start and he went all out in 10.77 seconds. The race was pushed to 20 minutes later to allow the athletes time to recover.

When the final was re-scheduled Karan Hegiste of Karnataka, expected to provide Nisar a tough contest, was disqualified because of another false start. The race finally got underway and Nisar sprinted away to glory in 10.76 seconds with another Karnataka athlete VA Shashikanth second in 10.90s and Haryana’s Govind Kumar third in 10.95s.

Nisar received the gold medal from Olympic silver medallist and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore and he was thrilled to receive the medal from the Sports Minister. Also on Friday Anu became the first Boys individual double gold medallist as he added the 800m gold to the 1500m he won on the first day. Adding to the achievement was that he also clocked a personal best of 1:52.08 bettering his previous best of 1:53.59 by more than one and a half seconds. The previous best was set while winning a silver medal at the World School Games in France.

Another athlete to complete a golden double was Pooja of Haryana, who added the Discus gold medal to the Shot Put she won earlier. Pooja had a best of 41.01m with Tamil Nadu’s Ajenci Susan, who was once again relegated to the silver. She had a best of 40.43m and Uttar Pradesh’s Nikita Verma won the bronze with 39.27m.

Giving Gujarat a fine gold in 3,000m was Makwana Vishal in 8:48.79, who pipped Sandeep Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) to second place in 8:49.52. The bronze went to Siddharth Phor of Uttarakhand in 8:53.53.

Nisar said, “I want to use this scholarship to explode the myth that Indians cannot run below 10 seconds. I had to delay my trip to Jamaica and it affected my training and will now leave tomorrow. But I am comfortable and I am happy I was able to compete and win. The first time I was so focussed that I did not hear the recall whistle.”

Nisar, who skipped the 200m added, “I was expecting a challenge from Karan Hegiste, but he was unfortunately disqualified for a false start. He is also very good.”

An elated 800-1500m winner Anu said ” I will utilise the scholarship, if I get it, to become India’s first athletic Olympic medalist with a world record,” confirming that the athletes are all excited about the scholarships that are coming their way.

Anu, who hails from Maharana Pratap Sports College, Dehradun, said, “I spoke to my principal (Manoj Kumar) this morning, and he has been motivating me. He advised me to do front running and I was able to do it for the first time. Also, my coach. Lokesh, who is here was very inspirational.”

Two other impressive winners included Odisha’s Punga Soren, ran a brilliant Heat of 14.24 in the morning only to better it in the afternoon by claiming the 110m hurdles Gold with 14.12 seconds.

Rubina Yadav of Haryana was an impressive winner in the Girls High Jump clearing an impressive 1.76 m to push the fancied Kerala girl Gayathry who failed to clear 1.70 m and finished with the silver.

Maharashtra’s Tai Bamhane (Girls 800m), Avantika Narale of Maharashtra (Girls 100m),  Delhi’s Shahnawaz Khan (Boys high jump), Madhya Pradesh’s Ikram Ali Khan (Boys Discus Throw), Seema (Girls 300m) and Kerala’s Aparna Roy (100 m Hurdles) were the other winners.

Athletics Results – Feb 2:

Boys

100m: 1. Nisar Ahmed (Delhi) 10.76 seconds; 2. Shashikanth V A (Karnataka) 10.90; 3. Govind Kumar (Haryana) 10.95.

800m: 1. Anu Kumar (Uttarakhand) 1:52.08; 2. N Sree Kiran (Tamil Nadu) 1:54.13; Vaseem Tomar (Uttar Pradesh) 1:55.78.

3000m:  1. Makwana Vishal (Gujarat) 8:48.79; 2. Sandeep Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) 8:49.52; 3. Siddharth Phor (Uttarakhand) 8:53.53

110m hurdles:  1. Punga Soren (Odisha) 14.12 seconds; 2. Aditya Prakash (Jharkhand) 14.30; 3. G Nishanthraja (Tamil Nadu) 14.57.

Discus Throw: 1. Ikram Ali Khan (Madhya Pradesh) 51.39m, 2. Dhanvir Singh (Punjab) 50.64, 3. Nagendra Annappa Naik (Karnataka) 50.01.

High jump: 1. Shahnawaz Khan (Delhi) 2.01m, 2. Mandeep Nain (Haryana) 1.98, 3. Suraj Kumar (Jharkhand) 1.90.

Girls

100m: 1. Avantika Narale (Maharashtra) 12.35 seconds; 2. R Giridharani (Tamil Nadu) 12.49; 3. M Santra Teresa Martin (Tamil Nadu) 12.61.

800m: 1. Tai Bamhane (Maharashtra) 2:13.37; 2. Priscilla Daniel (Kerala) 2:13.91; Sandra A S (Kerala) 2:15.92.

3000m: 1. Seema (Himachal Pradesh) 10:15.15; 2. Antima Pal (Uttar Pradesh) 10:18.19; 3. Kajal Shamu (Uttar Pradesh) 10:22.56.

100m hurdles: 1. Aparna Roy (Kerala) 14.02 seconds; 2. PM Tabitha (Tamil Nadu) 14.36; 3. Pratibha Kumari (Jharkhand) 14.54.

Discus Throw:  1. Pooja (Haryana) 41.01m, 2. A Jenci Susan (Tamil Nadu) 40.43, 3. Nitika Verma (Uttar Pradesh) 39.27.

High Jump: 1. Rubina Yadav (Haryana) 1.76m, 2. Gayathry Siva Kumar (Kerala) 1.65m, 3. SB Supriya (Karnataka) 1.65.