Tintu, Mayookha shine at Asian All-Star Athletics Meet

NEW DELHI - India’s Tintu Luka and Mayookha Johney’s performance in the women’s 800 metres and long jump events respectively stood out on the first day of the Asian All-Star Athletics Meet, a test event for the Commonwealth Games, at the remodelled Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here Thursday.

The meet is in its third edition, but like in the past, has attracted very few top athletes of Asia.

Tintu, the talented prodigy of P.T Usha, ran her personal best clocking 2:01.24 seconds to win the gold. She was ahead of her season compatriot Sinimol Paulose (2:04.58) and Ayako Jinouchi of Japan (2:05.51 secs), who won the silver and bronze respectively. The 21-year-old Tintu surpassed her previous best of 2:01.92.

Tintu could have timed better had there been someone to push her, said Usha.

“She was quite fast in the first 400 metres, but then slowed down. You need someone to push you. It was as if she was was running alone. She could do better,” Usha said with Luka by her side.

Usha said she was confident that Luka would be at her best in the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in November in China.

Tintu clocked 2:01.61 secs at the National Athletics Championship at Bangalore in May.

“She began the season with a performance close to her best and today she got her personal best. She has immense potential and she will only improve. She is very hard working,” Usha said.

“She will be competing in at least two events before the Commonwealth Games. She needs more exposure, more competition,” she added.

Mayookha, who came back this season after being out for

one-and-a-half years with an ankle injury, produced her best with a jump of 6.64 meters to win the gold. Yuliya Tarasova (6.49m) of Uzbekistan and India’s M.A. Prajusha (6.30m) came second and third.

Mayookha surpassed her best of 6.49m she achieved at the Bangalore nationals.

“It is not easy to perform when you are coming back from injury. I have done well in the last two tournaments and it is a good sign for me,” Mayookha said.

India’s star discus thrower Vikas Gowda, who is based in US, won the gold, but was nowhere near his best.

Gowda, who made a come back with a performance of 63.22m this season, said he was disappointed with his performance.

“I am not at all happy. It was slippery after the rain and I could not give my best,” said Gowda, who was participating here after three years. “I will go back to US and train there, participate in a few tournaments and try to reach my peak at the Commonwealth Games.”

The discus throw event was an all-Indian affair with Arjun Singh (47.54m) and Arpinder Singh 47.22 winning the silver and bronze medal respectively.

In the women’s 100 metres hurdles, Gayathri Govindraj won the silver by clocking 13.82 seconds behind Kazakh Anastassiya Soprunova, who won the gold in 13.66 secs. The bronze went to Uzbekistan’s Anastasiya Proshkina (13.84 secs).

Hari Shankar Roy won the bronze for India in the men’s high jump with a lead of 2.15m.

In the women’s 400 metres, India’s Mandeep Kaur won the gold in 52.29secs and her compatriot Juana Murmu took bronze with 53.17 secs. Julia Gavrilova of Kazakhstan took the silver in 52.93 secs.

In the men’s 800 metres, Jospeh Sajeesh of India won the gold (1:48.92) while Ghamanda Ram (1:50.25) took the silver.

In the javelin throw, India had a 1-2 finish with Kashinath Naik (74.21m) winning the gold and Samarjeet Singh (72.49m) the silver.

The men’s long jump was an all-Indian affair with Ankit Sharma winning the gold (7.61m), Maha Singh (7.50) the silver and Harikrishanan (7.50m) the bronze.

In the women’s shot put, Seema Antil, who has been stuggling of late, finished fourth (13.81m).