New Delhi: Bengal athlete Saraswati Saha (who represents Railways) won the best women’s athlete award in the 42nd National Open athletics championships Monday. Meanwhile, Anju Bobby George of Tamil Nadu sent a warning to her rivals in the Pusan Asian Games when she leapt to a distance of 6.74m to equal her own national record in women’s long jump.

Apart from Anju’s superb performance, Railways athletes KJ Manojlal won the best athlete award in the men’s section. Services won the overall title in the men’s section while Railways clinched the honour in the women’s.

Anju’s effort in the pit was all more the praiseworthy as she was hospitalised in Bangalore just three days back with a bout of viral fever.In the women’s 800m, Beenamol won in 2:02.18 seconds with Madhuri Singh finising a close second.

Harminder Singh set a new meet record in the men’s javelin touching a distance of 77.39m.