Calcutta: When medal-winning athletes are a rare breed in Bengal, the state got and ‘lost’ a golden girl, Asha Roy, in the National Open Athletics Championships, which concluded at the Salt Lake Stadium and the Sports Authority of India complex, here, on Tuesday.
Asha, who won a gold medal in the 100 metres on Sunday, ran the fastest in 200m (24.36 seconds) and also anchored Bengal’s 4x100m relay team, which won the silver (47.49 seconds) on Tuesday. She, thus, became the first from Bengal to win two gold in the Open meet.
In a gesture to appreciate her wins, the Railways offered her a job, which she could not refuse. “I am glad to win two gold for my state. But I also have to secure my future,” said Asha, who confirmed that she has competed in her last meet for Bengal.
However, she has a long way to go in order to achieve the Olympic ‘B’ qualifying mark in 200m, which is set at 23.30 seconds. “I did not intend to compete in 200 metres, but it was on my coach (Prabir Chandra)’s insistence that I ran. Now, there is no turning back... I will only concentrate only on 100 and 200 metres and try to qualify for the Olympics,” said Asha. “The track gave me some advantage as I used to practice here. This track is lucky for me,” Asha said
The track also proved lucky for Siddhanth Thingaliya (110m hurdles), Sahana Kumari (High Jump) and S Bindu (800m).
Siddhanth, who held the earlier national record of 13.81 in inter-state meet in Patiala last year, continued to raise the bar by clocking 13.77 seconds.
Sahana and Bindu, meanwhile, bettered their own records. Sahana jumped as high as 1.83m in her first attempt to eclipse her mark of 1.82 (set four years ago) while Bindu notched the second meet record with a timing of 2:08.40, shattering Tintu Luka’s last year mark of 2:10.61.
Asian Games silver medallist Kavita Raut, in absence of Preeja Sreedharan, won the gold in 5000m, clocking 16 minute 46.40 seconds.
Railways topped the medal chart with 17 gold, 13 silver and eight bronze medals and Thingalaya's employers, ONGC, finished second with a creditable haul of 8-5-4. Arpinder Singh and Mayookha Johny were declared the best athletes of the meet.
Results (only winners)
Men: 200m: Joseph M.G. (SSCB; 21.28s); 800m: Sajesh Joseph (Rlys; 1:50.28s); 5000m: Pritam Bind (ONGC; 14:23.18); 110m hurdles: Siddhanth Thingalaya (ONGC; 13.77); Long jump: Ratish Kumar (SSCB; 7.70); Javelin throw: Rajendra Singh (Rlys; 75.74); 4x100m: Railways (Balamurugan T., Ritesh Anand, Swami P. Muthu and B. G. Nagraj; 41.30); 41.35); 4x400m relay: SSCB (R. K. George, Jibin S., Khunu Mohammad and S. K. Mortaza, 3:10.02)
Women: 200m: Asha Roy (Ben; 24.36); 800m: Bindu S R (Rlys; 2:08.40); 5000m: Kavita Raut (ONGC; 16:46.40); 100m hurdles: Anchu M M (Rlys; 13.90); High jump: Sahana Kumari (Rlys; 1.83); Shot put: S Saraswati (Rlys; 13.23); 4x100m: Railways (N Sudha, S Geetha, Priya P K and Arjuna Khatun; 47.26); 4x400m: Kerala (Albymol K V, Arya C, C S Sindhyamol and Anu R; 3:50.77)
