Jhuma Khatun leaves the field in her wake en route to winning the girls' U-20 1500m race at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday. Telegraph pictures

Calcutta: With all events getting delayed following the opening ceremony of the 56th State Athletics Championships, Soma Biswas had to endure a long wait. When the women’s shot put event finally got underway, the star athlete was slow to get into her rhythm.

The best she managed was 12.53 metres, and it wasn’t enough for a victory. Archana Mondal beat Soma to that honour, with a heave of 12.98.

Shot put is not Soma’s favourite event. The fact that she has gone above this distance just once proves it. So it was hardly a debacle as she geared up for the Asian Games qualification meets to be held in the next two months. But for Archana, it counted as a major success, having come against an Asian Games gold-medallist.

Archana apart, Manisha Dey, Jhuma Khatun and Sibani Bhumij grabbed honours on Day I. The trio battled a slippery track and damp field to rewrite meet records in their respective events.

Manisha did 13.03 metres in triple jump to better the previous mark of 12.86. Second-placed Kalpana Das was way behind at 12.30.

Jhuma won the 1500 metres in the girls’ U-20 category, clocking 4 minutes, 35.1 seconds. Her timing clipped off more than seven seconds off the previous record.

Sibani topped the girls’ Under-20 triple jump with an effort of 12.06 metres, eclipsing the mark of 11.58.

Earlier, West Bengal Athletics Association president Prasun Mukherjee said after inaugurating the meet that an East Zone Championship is being planned next month.

RESULTS

Women’s 1500m: 1.Sujata Samanta 4:44.5, 2. China Bhattacharjee 4:51.4, 3. Dipa Roy 4:51.7; Women’s javelin: 1. Tia Das 36.59m, 2. Shikha Patra 36.17m, 3. Anandamoyee Mondal 35.70; Women’s shot put: 1. Archana Mondal 12.98m, 2. Soma Biswas 12.53m, 3. Ratna Naskar 11.48m; Women’s 200m: 1. Ranjita Roy 24.5, 2. Rakhi Saha 25.5, 3. Sangita Bera 27.2; Women’s triple jump: 1. Manisha Dey 13.03 metres (NMR), 2. Kalpana Das 12.30, 3. Mamoni Roy 11.85; Women’s 10,000m: 1. Pampa Chanda 37:9.7, 2. Roma Ghosh 40:38.6, 3. Neha Khatun 41:07.6; Girls’ U-20 1500m: 1. Jhuma Khatun 4:35.1 (NMR), 2. Pratima Tudu 4:45.3, 3. Babli Halder 5:05.1. Girls’ U-18 5000m: 1. Rekha Mondal 5:04.8, 2. Sumitra Bayen 5:14.9, 3. Baby Khatun 5:17.7; Girls’ U-18 triple jump: 1. Sibani Bhumij 12.06 metres (NMR), 2. Sumitra Roy 10.99, 3. Rakhi Sarkar 10.55; Girls’ U-18 shot put: 1. Sharmila Dey 10.76 metres, 2. Rini Das 8.57, 3. Mitali Basu 8.44; Girls’ U-16 2000m: 1. Sahanara Khatun 6:58.0, 2. Sumati Das 7:07.3, 3. Fulan Khatun 7:29.0; Boys’ U-16 2000m: 1. Raju Santra 6:03.0, 2. Kartik Biswas 6:08.3, 3. Sumanta Burman 6:12.1