<p>M R Poovamma and Sajeesh Joseph were the stars for India in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix series, winning gold medals with excellent performances here on Tuesday.</p>.<p>Poovamma ducked under the 53-second barrier for the first time in her career, clocking 52.94 seconds for the gold in the women’s 400M. Sajeesh, meanwhile, won the 800M in 1:47.78, slightly off his personal best of 1:47.45.</p>.<p>Both the athletes, however, failed to touch the Olympic qualification standards. <br />For the 21-year-old Poovamma, the standard to meet in the 400M is 52.35 while in the men’s 800M, the norm is 1:46.30.<br /><br />Also producing a career-best show was high jumper Sahana Kumari. Sahana, who had crossed 1.88M in the Federation Cup, improved it by a centimetre to win silver behind Svetlana Radzivil of Uzebkistan on a countback. Sahana’s target is 1.92, the Olympic ‘B’ standard.<br /><br />No other Indian contender came close to the marks on the day. </p>.<p>Triple jumper Renjith Maheswary, who had qualified for London in the Federation Cup last month with a 16.85M leap, barely crossed 16M on the day, winning the bronze with a 16.03M effort.<br /><br />The relay teams too were unimpressive. <br /><br />The men’s 4x400M squad of Bibin Mathew, Jitin Paul, S K Mortaja and P Kunhumohammad clocked 3:08.00 for the gold while the 4x100M team finished third behind Hong Kong and China in 39.51 seconds.<br /><br />The women’s longer relay team, featuring Saraswati Chand, Debashree Mazumdar, Ratandeep Kaur, Poovamma clocked a mediocre 3:38.76 for the gold.<br /><br />Mayookha Johny was fourth in women’s long jump with a 6.31M leap while Sinimole Paulose, who is focusing on the 1500M, won bronze in the 800M in an encouraging 2:03.19.<br /><br />Results: 100M: Peimeng Zhang (China) 10.48 seconds, 1; Sadaruwan Shehan Abepitiyage (Sri Lanka) 10.52, 2; Reza Ghazemi (Iran) 10.65, 3.<br /><br />400M: Sajad Hashemiahan (Iran) 46.73 seconds, 1; Ahmed Al-Majribi (Oman) 46.79, 2; Amarasekara S Prasanna (Sri Lanka) 47.52, 3.<br /><br />800M: Sajeesh Joseph (India) 1:47.78, 1; Taes Adnan (Iraq) 1:48.36, 2; Ghamnada Ram (India) 1:48.71, 3.<br /><br />110M hurdles: Abdulaziz Almandeel (Kuwait) 13.58 seconds, 1; Fan Jiang (China) 13.78, 2; Taekyong Park (Korea) 13.89, 3.<br /><br />High jump: WP Manjula Kumara (Sri Lanka) 2.23 metres, 1; Keyvan Ghanbarzade (Iran) 2.23, 2; Ghazal Najd Eddin (Syria) 2.19, 3.</p>.<p>Long jump: Arzandeh Mohammad (Iran) 7.68 metres, 1; Li Jinzhe (China) 7.68, 2; Alhaddad Saleh (Kuwait) 7.48, 3.<br /><br />Triple jump: Roman Valiyev (Kazakhstan) 16.55 metres, 1; Yevgenily Ektov (Kazakhstan) 16.37, 2; Renjith Maheswary (India) 16.03, 3.<br /><br />Javelin throw: Ivan Zaytcev (Uzbekistan) 80.25 metres, 1; Shokujonov Bobur (Uzbekistan) 73.97, 2; Tarzumanov Rinat (Uzbekistan) 72.52.<br /><br />4x100M relay: Hong Kong (39.28 seconds) 1; China (39.48) 2; India (39.51), 3. 4x400M relay: India (Bibin Mathew, Jitin Paul, SK Mortaja, Kunhumohammad) 3:08.00, 1; Korea (3:12.57) 2; Thailand (3:13.44) 3.<br /><br />Women: <br /><br />100M: Guzel Khubbieva (Uzbekistan) 11.39 seconds, 1; Yongli Wei (China) 11.60, 2; Vu Thi Huong (Vietnam) 11.79, 3.<br /><br />400M: Poovamma M R (India) 52.94 seconds, 1; Toosi Maryam (Iran) 52.95, 2; Rasnayaka Mdiyanselage CS (Sri Lanka) 53.57, 3.<br /><br />800M: Truong Thanh Hang (Vietnam) 2:02.15, 1; Anna Sidorova (Uzbekistan) 2:02.22, 2; Sinimole Paulose (India) 2:03.19, 3<br /><br />100M hurdles: Sun Yawei (China) 13.31 seconds, 1; Dadeh Erawati (Indonesia) 13.33, 2; Jung Hyelim (Korea) 13.34, 3.<br /><br />400M hurdles: Nataliya Asanova (Uzbekistan) 57.20 seconds, 1; Tatyana Azarova (Kazhakstan) 57.71, 2; Merril Christine Sonali (Sri Lanka) 58.20, 3. High jump: Svetlana Radzivil (Uzbekistan) 1.89 metres, 1; Sahana Kumari (India) 1.89, 2; Duong Thi Viet Anh (Vietnam) 1.86, 3.<br /><br />Long jump: Juliya Tarasova (Uzbekistan) 6.46 metres, 1; Lu Minjia (China) 6.39, 2; Marestella Torres (Philippines) 6.37, 3.<br /><br />Shot put: Safiya Burkhanova (Uzbekistan) 16.28 metres, 1; Alexandra Fisher (Kazhakstan) 16.12, 2; Thongchao Sawitri (Thailand) 13.71, 3.<br /><br />Discus throw: Insaeng Subenrat (Thailand) 52.75 metres, 1; Juthaporn Krasaeyan (Thailand) 40.42, 2; Charuwan Sroisena (Thailand) 36.57, 3. 4x100M relay: China (44.06 seconds) 1; Thailand ‘A’ (44.57) 2; Thailand ‘B’ (46.00) 3.<br /><br />4x400M relay: India (Saraswati Chand, Debashree Mazumdar, Ratandeep Kaur, MR Poovamma) 3:38.76, 1; Thailand (3:52.69) 2.</p>
<p>M R Poovamma and Sajeesh Joseph were the stars for India in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix series, winning gold medals with excellent performances here on Tuesday.</p>.<p>Poovamma ducked under the 53-second barrier for the first time in her career, clocking 52.94 seconds for the gold in the women’s 400M. Sajeesh, meanwhile, won the 800M in 1:47.78, slightly off his personal best of 1:47.45.</p>.<p>Both the athletes, however, failed to touch the Olympic qualification standards. <br />For the 21-year-old Poovamma, the standard to meet in the 400M is 52.35 while in the men’s 800M, the norm is 1:46.30.<br /><br />Also producing a career-best show was high jumper Sahana Kumari. Sahana, who had crossed 1.88M in the Federation Cup, improved it by a centimetre to win silver behind Svetlana Radzivil of Uzebkistan on a countback. Sahana’s target is 1.92, the Olympic ‘B’ standard.<br /><br />No other Indian contender came close to the marks on the day. </p>.<p>Triple jumper Renjith Maheswary, who had qualified for London in the Federation Cup last month with a 16.85M leap, barely crossed 16M on the day, winning the bronze with a 16.03M effort.<br /><br />The relay teams too were unimpressive. <br /><br />The men’s 4x400M squad of Bibin Mathew, Jitin Paul, S K Mortaja and P Kunhumohammad clocked 3:08.00 for the gold while the 4x100M team finished third behind Hong Kong and China in 39.51 seconds.<br /><br />The women’s longer relay team, featuring Saraswati Chand, Debashree Mazumdar, Ratandeep Kaur, Poovamma clocked a mediocre 3:38.76 for the gold.<br /><br />Mayookha Johny was fourth in women’s long jump with a 6.31M leap while Sinimole Paulose, who is focusing on the 1500M, won bronze in the 800M in an encouraging 2:03.19.<br /><br />Results: 100M: Peimeng Zhang (China) 10.48 seconds, 1; Sadaruwan Shehan Abepitiyage (Sri Lanka) 10.52, 2; Reza Ghazemi (Iran) 10.65, 3.<br /><br />400M: Sajad Hashemiahan (Iran) 46.73 seconds, 1; Ahmed Al-Majribi (Oman) 46.79, 2; Amarasekara S Prasanna (Sri Lanka) 47.52, 3.<br /><br />800M: Sajeesh Joseph (India) 1:47.78, 1; Taes Adnan (Iraq) 1:48.36, 2; Ghamnada Ram (India) 1:48.71, 3.<br /><br />110M hurdles: Abdulaziz Almandeel (Kuwait) 13.58 seconds, 1; Fan Jiang (China) 13.78, 2; Taekyong Park (Korea) 13.89, 3.<br /><br />High jump: WP Manjula Kumara (Sri Lanka) 2.23 metres, 1; Keyvan Ghanbarzade (Iran) 2.23, 2; Ghazal Najd Eddin (Syria) 2.19, 3.</p>.<p>Long jump: Arzandeh Mohammad (Iran) 7.68 metres, 1; Li Jinzhe (China) 7.68, 2; Alhaddad Saleh (Kuwait) 7.48, 3.<br /><br />Triple jump: Roman Valiyev (Kazakhstan) 16.55 metres, 1; Yevgenily Ektov (Kazakhstan) 16.37, 2; Renjith Maheswary (India) 16.03, 3.<br /><br />Javelin throw: Ivan Zaytcev (Uzbekistan) 80.25 metres, 1; Shokujonov Bobur (Uzbekistan) 73.97, 2; Tarzumanov Rinat (Uzbekistan) 72.52.<br /><br />4x100M relay: Hong Kong (39.28 seconds) 1; China (39.48) 2; India (39.51), 3. 4x400M relay: India (Bibin Mathew, Jitin Paul, SK Mortaja, Kunhumohammad) 3:08.00, 1; Korea (3:12.57) 2; Thailand (3:13.44) 3.<br /><br />Women: <br /><br />100M: Guzel Khubbieva (Uzbekistan) 11.39 seconds, 1; Yongli Wei (China) 11.60, 2; Vu Thi Huong (Vietnam) 11.79, 3.<br /><br />400M: Poovamma M R (India) 52.94 seconds, 1; Toosi Maryam (Iran) 52.95, 2; Rasnayaka Mdiyanselage CS (Sri Lanka) 53.57, 3.<br /><br />800M: Truong Thanh Hang (Vietnam) 2:02.15, 1; Anna Sidorova (Uzbekistan) 2:02.22, 2; Sinimole Paulose (India) 2:03.19, 3<br /><br />100M hurdles: Sun Yawei (China) 13.31 seconds, 1; Dadeh Erawati (Indonesia) 13.33, 2; Jung Hyelim (Korea) 13.34, 3.<br /><br />400M hurdles: Nataliya Asanova (Uzbekistan) 57.20 seconds, 1; Tatyana Azarova (Kazhakstan) 57.71, 2; Merril Christine Sonali (Sri Lanka) 58.20, 3. High jump: Svetlana Radzivil (Uzbekistan) 1.89 metres, 1; Sahana Kumari (India) 1.89, 2; Duong Thi Viet Anh (Vietnam) 1.86, 3.<br /><br />Long jump: Juliya Tarasova (Uzbekistan) 6.46 metres, 1; Lu Minjia (China) 6.39, 2; Marestella Torres (Philippines) 6.37, 3.<br /><br />Shot put: Safiya Burkhanova (Uzbekistan) 16.28 metres, 1; Alexandra Fisher (Kazhakstan) 16.12, 2; Thongchao Sawitri (Thailand) 13.71, 3.<br /><br />Discus throw: Insaeng Subenrat (Thailand) 52.75 metres, 1; Juthaporn Krasaeyan (Thailand) 40.42, 2; Charuwan Sroisena (Thailand) 36.57, 3. 4x100M relay: China (44.06 seconds) 1; Thailand ‘A’ (44.57) 2; Thailand ‘B’ (46.00) 3.<br /><br />4x400M relay: India (Saraswati Chand, Debashree Mazumdar, Ratandeep Kaur, MR Poovamma) 3:38.76, 1; Thailand (3:52.69) 2.</p>
