Punjab’s Kunwar Ajai Raj Singh Rana finishes 5th in javelin; Shaili Singh in long jump final
Nairobi, August 20
Up-and-coming long jumper Shaili Singh lived up to the expectations as she made it to the finals after topping the qualification round with an effort of 6.40 metres in the U-20 World Athletics Championships here today.
The 17-year-old Shaili, considered one of the brightest upcoming stars in Indian athletics, achieved her best of the day in her third and final jump after starting off with a 6.34m in Group B. Her second jump was 5.98m.
She was one of three long jumpers who secured automatic qualification, set at 6.35m, for the final.
Shaili is considered a medal prospect but Sunday’s final is expected to be a tough affair with some of the world’s best making the cut.
Sweden’s 18-year-old Maja Askag, who had won the European U-20 title last month, qualified as second best overall after winning Group A with a best jump of 6.39m.
Lissandra Maysa Campos (6.36m) of Brazil, Shantae Foreman (6.27m) of Jamaica and Mariia Horielova (6.24m) of Ukraine, who qualified as third, fourth and fifth, respectively, have jumped beyond 6.40m this season.
Shaili, who had won the long jump event at the National (Senior) Inter-State Championships in June with an effort of 6.48m, is the current U-18 world No. 2 and U-20 national record holder.
The Jhansi-born athlete was raised by a single mother who worked as a tailor. She currently trains at the academy of celebrated long jumper Anju Bobby George in Bengaluru. She is coached by Anju’s husband Bobby George.
Rana misses bronze
In men’s javelin throw final, Kunwar Ajai Raj Singh Rana raised hopes of winning a medal briefly with his second best throw of the year before finishing fifth.
The 19-year-old Rana rose to the bronze medal position with his 73.68m fourth-round throw, his best of the day, but Nigeria’s Chnecherem Nnamdi regained the third place with a 74.48m response.
In the fifth round, Poland’s Eryk Kolodziejczak also bettered the Indian’s best throw to nudge ahead of Rana into fourth place. At the recent National Federation Cup junior U20 athletics championships held at Sangrur, Punjab, Rana had won gold with a best throw of 74.75m.
Jay Kumar, who had finished second behind Rana at the Sangrur event, took the sixth place with a best effort of 70.74m.
In other events, Nandini Agasara made it to the women’s 100m hurdles semifinals after finishing fourth in her heat in 14.18 seconds. Though she clocked 14.16s in the semifinals, her journey ended there as she was sixth in her race. Shanmuga Srinivas Nalubothu (men’s 200m), Sunil Joliya (men’s 3000m steeplechase), Tejas Shirse (men’s 110m hurdles) and Pooja (women’s 1500m) failed to progress. — PTI
