Indian Athletics – News – Suriya upsets Preeja in 10,000m – / By Ram. Murali Krishnan /

Chennai, 10 September 2012 – The 52nd edition of the National Open championships got off at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here today.The first event of the day, women’s 10000m, witnessed reigning Asian Games champion Preeja Sreedharan being pushed to second spot by her Railway teammate Suriya Loganathan.   

Preeja did the front running in the initial stages of the race before letting Monika Athare from Life Insurance Corporation of India to take charge for a few laps.  Preeja did regain the lead when the race entered the final phase.  However, the gritty Suriya powered in the last 200m to win the race in a personal best 35 minutes 18.2 secs. Preeja, the national record holder and defending champion, managed only the second spot in a close 35:19.4 while Monika finished third in 35:25.5. The 22-year-old Suriya, hails from Pudukottai and working in Southern Railways, had already won the Inter-Railway title at Bhopal two weeks ago. Kavita Raut, the training-partner of Preeja, could not finish the race.

The men’s race was won by Inderjeet of Oil and Natural Gas Commission in a time of 29:42.76 in yet another closely contested race.  Services runner Kheta Ram, like in the last edition at Kolkata, have retained the second spot (29:44.00) while defending champion Suresh Kumar of ONGC finished third in 29:44.73.

With defending champions Mayookha Johny and Harwant Kaur did not take part, the women’s long jump and discus throw events have become an open affair.

Former Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist Shraddha Ghule (Maharashtra) took the title in long jump with a personal best 6.36m while LIC’s Delphin Rani was a shade away in 6.32m for the silver.

In discus throw, Railway’s Pramila went one place up from her last year’s effort as she snatched the gold hurled the disc to 49.08m.   Similarly Uttar Pradesh’s Annu Rani, who was third last year, emerged champion in women’s javelin throw by setting out the spear to a distance of 49.58m and in that process beaten the defending champion S. Saraswathy of Railways to second place.

Results:

MEN:

10,000m: 1. Inderjeet (ONGC) 29:42.76; 2. Kheta Ram (Services) 29:44.00; 3. Suresh Kumar (ONGC) 29:44.73;
Pole Vault: 1. K.P. Bimin (Railways) 4.95; 2. Bineesh Jacob (Gujarat) 4.70; 3. Parveen (Haryana) 4.70;

WOMEN:

10,000m: 1. L. Suriya (Railways) 35:18.2; 2. Preeja Sreedharan (Railways) 35:19.4; 3. Monika Athare (LIC) 35:25.5;
Long Jump: 1. Shraddha Ghule (Maharashtra) 6.36m; 2. S. Delphin Rani (LIC) 6.32m; 3. Susan K. Joy (Railways) 5.99m;
Discus Throw: 1. Pramila (Railways) 49.08m; 2. Praveen Kumari (Rajasthan) 47.05m; 3. Navjeet Kaur Dhillon (ONGC) 46.45m;
Javelin Throw: 1. Annu Rani (Uttar Pradesh) 49.58; 2. S. Saraswathy (Railways) 48.66; 3. Aarti Maurya (Uttar Pradesh) 46.48.

/ Ram. Murali Krishnan /

Indian Athletics – News