CWG Athletics: Injury robs Prajusha of gold in women’s long jumpead)

NEW DELHI - A strained calf muscle prevented M.A Prajusha from winning a rare gold for India in the track and field meet and she had to be content with a silver in the women’s long jump at the Commonwealth Games here Sunday.

Till the start of the last round, the 23-year-old Kerala girl was leading the field, courtesy her best throw of 6.47 metre in the fourth round.

However, a calf muscle strain led to the Thrissur-born Railway employee having a fowl jump in the fifth and a poor 6.26m in her final attempt.

The over 40,000-strong Sunday crowd at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium waited with baited breath as five of the jumpers failed to better Prajusha’s show, but ultimately Alice Falaiye of Canada overtook Prajusha in her sixth and last attempt by jumping 6.50 metre.

As Prajusha - whose personal best in the event is 6.55 m - started gearing up for her last jump, the crowd backed her full-throttle, but the calf injury prevented her from going flat out and the chances of a gold evaporated.

Tabia Charles of Canada took the bronze with a lunge of 6.24 metres.

“I am very happy. But due to the calf problem I could not do well in the last two jumps,” Prajusha, who had finished fourth in the triple jump Friday, said after her event.