National U-23 Athletics Championships: Ajeet Kumar, KM Deeksha clinch gold in 1500m

New Delhi: Ajeet Kumar from Gujarat and KM Deeksha, representing Madhya Pradesh, won the men’s and women’s 1500m event on the opening day of the inaugural National U-23 Athletics Championships on Monday. Ajeet clocked his personal best time 3:47.31 in the 1500m, sprinting away in the final lap after being within sniffing distance of Ishu Solanki (Haryana) who led at the bell. Prince Kumar, who won silver in the men’s 5000m in the morning, picked up bronze behind Harendra Kumar (Delhi). In the women’s 1500m, Deeksha (4:14.02) bettered her personal best by seven seconds to outrun KM Chanda (4:15.08) of Delhi in the final lap. Kiran Baliyan of UP, who won the women’s shot put at the National Open Championships in Warangal with a 16.99m effort, was an easy winner with a best of 16.11m. Each of her six efforts were better than the best that others managed. Kachnar Chaudhary’s last-ditch attempt fetched her silver at 14.71m, ahead of Karnataka’s Ambika (14.21m). In the morning, Maharashtra’s distance runners Adesh Yadav and Komal Chandrakant Jagdale won the men’s and women’s 5000m titles respectively with a measure of comfort but in contrasting styles. Later, Parshant Singh Kanhaiya (Haryana) equalled his personal best of 5.10m to win the men’s Pole Vault gold. Haryana men Ayush Dabas (47.31 seconds) and Vikrant Panchal (47.42) won their respective men’s 400m semifinals but Tamil Nadu’s Surendar Selvamani (47.38), running his first event at the national level in more than 20 months, came up with a personal best time as the final promises a close contest between the trio. West Bengal’s Mohammed Hossain was another who dipped in under 48 seconds in the semifinals while Karnataka’s Nihal Joel William (48.00) and Punjab’s Karanpreet Singh (48.01) went pretty close to achieving that as well. Delhi’s Taranjeet Kaur (11.72 seconds) and Karnataka’s AT Daneshwari (11.73) were the fastest qualifiers for the women’s 100m final. Telangana’s Nithya Gandhe (11.91) and Maharashtra’s Avantika Narale (11.97) were others who caught the eye in the heats. In the men’s 100m semifinals, Shashikanth Angadi of Karnataka was the fastest in 10.53 seconds. In long jump, Sherin Abdul Gaffoor (Tamil Nadu) had a qualifying leap of 6.31m. Pooja Saini (Rajasthan), R Punitha (Tamil Nadu) and Sandra Babu (Kerala) also recorded jumps over the 6m mark. Three others went past the 5.90m mark that was good to get them into the final rather comfortably. The results (finals): Men 1500m: 1. Ajeet Kumar (Gujarat) 3:47.31; 2. Harendra Kumar (Delhi) 3:49.30; 3. Prince Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) 3:51.88. 5000m: 1. Adesh Yadav (Maharashtra) 14:12.36; 2. Prince Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) 14:17.37; 3. Ajay (Haryana) 14:21.44. Pole Vault: 1. Prashant Kanhaiya (Haryana) 5.10m; 2. AK Siddharth (Kerala) 4.85; 3. Amit (Rajasthan) 4.85, Women 1500m: 1. KM Deeksha (Madhya Pradesh) 4:14.02; 2. K M Chanda (Delhi) 4:15.08; 3. Radha (Uttarakhand) 4:31.98. 5000m: 1. Komal Chandrakant Jagdale (Maharashtra) 16:03.53; 2. Sonika (Haryana) 17:00.46; 3. Badho (Haryana) 17:40.41. Shot put: 1. Kiran Baliyan (Uttar Pradesh) 16.11m; 2. Kachnar Chaudhary (Rajasthan) 14.71; 3. Ambika (Karnataka) 14.21.