Nisha creates a splash at the Games

Bangalore, June 4: Karnataka could not have asked for a better start to their campaign in swimming at these Games. Three gold, two silver, ...

Bangalore, June 4: Karnataka could not have asked for a better start to their campaign in swimming at these Games. Three gold, two silver, two bronze and one of them a National record time, a host of new Games records were the way things went at the Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre pool.

J Abhijit, the State’s golden boy, began the day with a bang. He went for the gold and came out of the pool bettering the National record in the 200m Individual Medley. Not only did he beat the Games record — 2:19.70 set by Reza Shirazi way back in 1985 —

but also lopped off a huge chunk of his own personal best and National record of 2:14.20, clocked at the 1995 Calcutta Nationals, by timing 2:11.79.

Sebastian Xavier of Kerala was off the blocks first and led through the butterfly leg, but, past the turn, the powerful backstroker that he is, Abhijit caught up and finished the first 100 in under one minute. Sebastian tried to make up in the breast stroke leg but once again Abhijit, a good finisher, left him with no chance in the freestyle. Sebastian had to settle for a silver in 2:15.26. Hakimuddin got a bronze for Karnataka in 2:18.19, as the first four came, including Shibu Sebastian of Service (2:18.26), came under the Games record.

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Nisha Millet of Karnataka took centrestage thereafter. The 14-year old schoolgirl came up with a spunky performance that had her coach Nihar Amin ecstatic. Six seconds off her best time in an event which is not her favourite one was indeed creditable. The 200 m backstroke looked like going teammate Abhinaya Shetty’s way with Nisha Millet trailing right through.Abhinaya had a comfortable lead with 50m splits of 0.45s, 1:12s and 1:55s. Nisha, who went past the 100 in 1:14, gave her all in the last 15 metres, with her strong finish doing the trick. She rewrote the Games record of 2:37.31 standing in the name of Karnataka’s Ashima Shetty since 1994, clocking 2:30.82s. Abhinaya (2:32.59) and Naina Sen (Delhi) 2:36.59, second and third respectively, both bettering the meet record.

That finish probably took a lot out of young Nisha and perhaps cost her a personal best in the 100 freestyle. Her time of 2:12.12, however, did get her the gold and a meet record, erasing Anita Sood’s 2:17.56 set in 1985. But she was still behind her best of 2:11.46 clocked at the Indore Nationals. “The kid had got two golds in meet record times. So I can’t really complain,” remarked Nihar.

Another Karnataka swimmer, Meghana Narayan, kept pace with her for all of a lap and half but was distracted by her goggles which fell off halfway through. She finished second in 2:16:58, which was also better than the Games record, and Tejaswi Shetty was third in 2:17.81s.

Sebastian Xavier made up for his earlier disappointment with a gold winning effort in the only other final of the day 100m breaststroke. He pipped Harinder Singh of Delhi clocking 1:09.51 in a a new Games record time but fell short of his best, 1:08.52s. In the second lap he faced opposition from Harinder with Abhijit fast closing in but Sebastian held on to his lead while Harinder kept his second position holding off Abhijit’s challenge for a time of 1:11.18. Abhijit bronze medal winning time was 1:11.27.