Avinash Sable ended the Open National athletics Championships with a new national record erasing the 37-year-old mark in the men’s 3000m steeplechase.
Sable, representing Services, clocked 8:29.80 seconds at the Kalinga Stadium on Friday to go past the old mark of 8:30.88 seconds recorded by Gopal Saini in Tokyo in 1981.
The 24-year-old beat Services teammate Rakesh Kumar Swami, who clocked 8:47.31 seconds. Durga Bahadur Budha of Services came third, clocking 8:48.29 seconds.
Services sprinter Sanjit added the 200m title to the 100m gold he had won earlier in the competition. Sanjit clocked 21.30 seconds to finish well ahead of Punjab’s Gurlal Singh, who clocked 21.66 seconds. K Ashok of Services finished with a bronze medal.
Meanwhile, Asian Games medalists Arpinder Singh and Dharun Ayyasamy lived up to their reputations at the competitions, winning their respective events.
Singh became the first Indian triple jumper to claim a gold medal at the Asian Games. He was well short of his personal best of 17.17m but his best effort of 16.62m in his second jump of the competition was more than enough to beat Arivu Selvam of Services and Navjot Singh of Punjab who jumped 16.22m and 16.06m respectively.
Asian Games silver medalist Dharun Ayyasamy also lived up to his reputation at the 58th Open National Championships setting a new meet record on the way to winning a gold medal in the men’s 400m hurdles event. ONGC athlete Ayyasamy clocked 49.67 seconds to erase the old mark of 50.16 seconds set by Santhosh Kumar at the 2017 edition of the tournament.
The women’s 400m hurdles was won by Railways athlete Anju Rani, who clocked 57.63 seconds. She was followed closely by another Railways athlete Arpitha, who clocked 58.34 seconds. Punjab’s Veerpal Kaur took the third step of the podium with 58.36 seconds.
Abhishek Singh of Services won the javelin throw gold medal with a 76.42m throw.Uttar Pradesh’s Vipin Kasana took silver with a best throw of 76.05m while Sahil Silwal clinched the bronze medal with a throw of 75.38 m.