Tashina hogs the limelight

CHANDIGARH, Oct 27: The highlight of the day was a new meet record in the women's 100 metres backstroke event on the inaugural day of the...

CHANDIGARH, Oct 27: The highlight of the day was a new meet record in the women’s 100 metres backstroke event on the inaugural day of the All India Inter-University aquatic championship at the Punjab University Swimming Pool here today. While in the men’s section last year’s runners-up Calicut University, Calicut began their campaign on a promising note, winning two gold medals. A Rameshan won both the medal for the Calicut team.

It was a keen contest in the women’s 100 metres backstroke event. All the three medalist — Tashina Singh of Bangalore University, Sumy Cirac of Mahatama Gandhi University, Kottayam and Rakhi Mehra of Delhi University, were neck and neck in the closing stages of the race. But it was Tashina Singh, a post graduate student, who took the day’s honour by clocking 1:13.41 seconds to breaking the old meet mark of 1:15.39 established by Pallavi Dutt of Delhi University in 1993. The other two swimmers also came under the old mark. Sumy timed 1:14.16 to win the second place followed closely by Rakhi who clocked 1:14.93.

S Sumisha beat all opposition to claim the gold medal in the women’s 200 metres freestyle event to win the first gold of the meet for Calicut varsity, who are defending the title. She clocked 2:25.50. Rakhi Mehra of Delhi was second (2:27.97) while Deepali Patil of Pune University was third (2:36.02).

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A Rameshan, a pre-degree student of St Thomas College, Trichur got his first gold in the 1,500 metres freestyle event by clocking 18:47.99. His team mate K Rajesh took the second spot with 19:08.59. Jaspreet Singh of Panjab University was third in 19:28.70.

The lanky swimmer from Trichur also made a splash in the men’s 200 metres butterfly event. After a slow start, A Rameshan stroked powerfully to snatch his second gold of the day. He clocked 2:26.26. Milind Kapikare of IIT, Mumbai and CC Sajaith of Calicut were second and third respectively in 2:29.22 and 2:32.12 seconds.

However, last year’s champion Dinesh Dahiya of Panjab University was pushed to sixth place.

Defending champions in the men’s section, Madras University, also opened their account by claiming one gold, which came in the 100 metres backstroke event. Advit Pandit plunged to win the event in 1:06.50. AK Shivadasan of Calicut was second in 1:07.95. R Sarath Chandran of Kerala University was third in 1:11.06.

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In the men’s water polo event, most of the encounters held proved to be one-sided affairs.

Results
Water polo: Punjab University, Chandigarh bt Barkatullah University, Bhopal 13-0; Delhi University, Delhi bt Calicut University, Calicut 7-6; Amaravati University, Amaravati bt Gujrat University, Ahmedabad 9-0; Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra bt Osmania University, Hyderabad 10-3; Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar bt Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam 7-2.