Bhopal, August 07 (Pervez Bari): Girl swimmers created four National records, which included in two relay races, and equalled one on the opening day of the 38th National Junior Aquatic Championship which got underway here in Bhopal at Prakash Tarun Pushkar swimming pool on Friday. While Karnataka swimmers hogged the limelight as they led in the medals tally in the 16 events that were decided on the first day.
Priyanka Priyadarshini of Delhi shattered her own record in the 100-meter breaststroke category in the Group I by clocking 1:17.77 minutes (her previous record being 1:19.31 minutes) to fish gold medal. In Group II 100-meter breaststroke category AV Jayaveena of Tamil Nadu broke Priyanka’s record of 1:20.32 minutes by registering a timing of 1:19.02 to win gold. While Ananya Panigrahi of Maharashtra equalled the individual meet record of Fariha Zaman in 100-metre backstroke in group I by clocking 1:09.03 minutes.
Two other records were re-written in 4×100 meter freestyle relay races by the girls. In Group I Karnataka quartet of Arhatha Magavi, Tulasi R. Haritsa Sneha T. & Pratima Kollali anchored to gold medal with a national record of 4:11.60 minutes. They lowered the record of 04:15.51 minutes created by their own state team in 2007. The Tamil Nadu quartet of R. Sushmitha, VKR Meenakshi, Kavya Gopalakrishnan & Anusha Mehta bettered meet record with a timing of 4:14.52 minutes to take silver medal. Maharashtra quartet won the bronze by clocking 04:20.20 minutes.
In Group II 4×100 meter freestyle relay race Maharashtra girls quartet of Monique Gandhi, Akanksha Buchade, Avantika Chavan & Aakanksha Vora lowered the National record of 04:21.97 minutes created by their own state’s team in 2010 with a timing of 04:18.13. Karnataka’s quartet of Ashritha N. Bharadwaj, Siya Manjeshwar, Abhijna A. & Malavika V. bettered meet record by clocking 04:18.45 minutes to win silver medal. Tamil Nadu team won the bronze medal with a timing of 04:27.77.
Hosts Madhya Pradesh had a lone success when Rohitash Dubey won a bronze medal in the 200-meter freestyle boys event by clocking 2:07.48.
The championship is being organised jointly by the Madhya Pradesh Swimming Association and state Sports and Youth Welfare Department. As many as 800 swimmers from 26 states are participating in the championship. Youths of two age groups 13-14 years and 15-17 years are taking part in the competitions. A total of 80 events will be held during the competitions. As many as 150 officials will extend their support for successful performance of the competitions.
Meanwhile, state Chief Minister Mr. Shivraj Singh while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the championship declared that Madhya Pradesh will soon have a swimming academy.
Mr. Chouhan said that budding talents in swimming would be provided all possible facilities. There is no dearth of funds for building sports infrastructure. He urged the participants to bring laurels to the country in international events.
The Chief Minister announced open the championship. National swimmer Himanshu Dhakar took an oath on behalf of the participating swimmers. Patron of National Swimming Federation Mr. Virendra Nanavati welcomed the guests. Chairman of the Board for Conservation of Bovine Animals, Shiv Choube, Mayor Bhopal Mrs. Krishna Gaur, president of Madhya Pradesh Swimming Association Mr. Bhavani Shankar Sharma, Director sports Mr. Sanjay Choudhary were present. Secretary of organizing committee Mr. Piyush Sharma proposed a vote of thank.
Some of the results as follows:
Boys:
Group I: 200m freestyle: 1. Saurabh Sangvekar (Mah) (1:55.42); 2. Jaywant Vijay Kumar (TN) (1:58.64); 3. A. Ajay (Kar) (2:00.67). 100m backstroke: 1. B. Pranam (Kar) (1:02.03); 2. V. Turbo (Ker) (1:02.03); 3. Sujay Shah (Guj) (1:03.05). 100m breaststroke: 1. Akash Rohit (Kar) (1:09.91), 2. Neil Contractor (Guj) (1:09.98); 3. S. Arun (Ker) (1:11.25). 4x100m freestyle relay: 1. Karnataka (3:44.87); 2. Gujarat (3:46.95); 3. Tamil Nadu (3:53.30).
Group II: 200m freestyle: 1. S.K. Adrash Narayan (TN) (2:06.25); 2. Vendant Rao (Mah) (2:07.09); 3. Rohitash Dubey (MP) (2:07.48). 100m backstroke: 1. T. Sethu Manickavel (TN) (1:05.31); 2. P. Kumaresh Pandian (TN) (1:07.25); 3. Akash Debnath (Ben) (1:07.65). 100m breaststroke: 1. S.P. Lakhith (Kar) (1:13.80), 2. Viraj Prabhu (Mah) (1:14.66); 3. Akshay Prasad (Mah) (1:15.61). 4x100m freestyle relay: 1. Tamil Nadu (4:04.15), 2. Maharashtra (4:04.69), 3. Karnataka (4:07.37).
Girls:
Group I: 200m freestyle: 1. Anusha Mehta (TN) (2:11.24); 2. Pratima Kollali (Kar) (2:13.32); 3. Arhatha Magavi (Kar) (2:13.44). 100m backstroke:1. Ananya Panigrahi (Mah) (1:09.03) (equalled record of Fariha Zaman, 2006); 2. Jyotsna Pansare (Mah) (1:09.04); 3. R. Sushmitha (TN) 1:09.29). 100m breaststroke: 1. Priyanka Priyadarshini (Del) (1.17.77, NMR, improved her own time of 1.19.31, set in heats, 2011); 2. Bhoomi R. Motwani (Mah) (1:19.91); 3. M. Raghavi (TN) (1:19.94). 4x100m freestyle relay: 1. Karnataka (4:11.60, NMR, old 4:15.51, own record set in 2007), 2. Tamil Nadu (4:14.52); 3. Maharashtra (4:20.20).
Group II: 200m freestyle: 1. Shivani Kataria (Har) (2:13.49); 2. Monique Gandhi (Mah) (2:15.08); 3. V. Malavika (Kar) (2:15.39). 100m backstroke: 1. Avantika Chavan (Mah) (1:13.03); 2. Rhea Castelino (AP) (1:14.89); 3. Sahithya Alva (Kar) (1:15.13). 100m breaststroke: 1. A.V. Jayaveena (TN) (1:19.02, NMR, old 1:20.32, Priyanka Priyadarshini in 2010). 4x100m freestyle relay: 1. Maharashtra (4:18.13, NMR, 4:21.97, own record set in 2010); 2. Karnataka (4:18.45); 3. Tamil Nadu (4:27.77). (pervezbari@eth.net)