Anil, Usha triumph

Alva’s Moodbidri’s Anil Kumar and Vidyanagar Sports School, Bengaluru’s R Usha bagged the gold in the men’s and women’s events respectively in the Deccan Athletic Club’s KA Nettakallappa memorial road races, sponsored by Deccan Herald and Prajavani, here on Sunday.

In the men’s 12-km race, Anil, who faced a stiff challenge from Mysuru’s Chetan and Bengaluru’s Nanjudappa in the early part of the race, eventually finished first in 42 minutes and 8.43 seconds. For Anil, a second year pre-university student, it was his maiden gold at the Nettakallappa races. Chetan bagged silver in 42:8.50 and Nanjudappa settled for bronze in 42:8.60.

Participating in the event for the fourth time, Usha clocked 24:58 to emerge champion in the women’s 6 km run. In the 2014 edition in Ballari, Usha had bagged the bronze.

NITTE Sports Club’s Suma came a distant second in 25:12 while Vidyanagara Sports School Malleshwari Rathod clinched bronze in a time of 25:13.

In the boys’ 2.5 km contest, local lad S Tejas, a trainee of the Sports Authority of India (Bengaluru), bagged the top honour.

Tejas, who had won a gold three years ago in Ballari, clocked 7:59 to take home the yellow metal. Basant R (8:37) of St Lawrence, Bengaluru, and NITTE Sports Club’s Nitesh (8:40) completed the podium.

In the corresponding girls’ race, Arpitha EB, a trainee of Shivamogga’s Vidyanagar Sports School, came first. The first year pre-university student of Yelahanka Government college clocked 8:33 to bag the top spot.

Bangalore’s Priyanka C, a student of New St Mary’s High School, took the silver in a time of 8:38 and her school-mate Aishwarya L (8:57) settled for bronze. District Commissioner Deepti Aditya distributed the prizes.

Results: Men: 12 km: Anil Kumar (Alva’s Moodbidri) 42:8.43, 1; Chetan GJ (Mysuru) 42:8.50, 2; M Nanjudappa (Bengaluru) 42:8.60, 3.

Boys: 2.5 km: S Tejas (Chikkaballapur) 7:59, 1; Basanth R (St Lawrence, Bengaluru) 8:37, 2; Nitesh (NITTE Sports Club, Udupi) 8:40, 3. 

Women: 6 km: R Usha (Vidyanagar Sports School, Bengaluru) 24:58, 1; Suma (NITTE Sports) 25:12, 2; Malleshwari R Rathod (Vidyanagar Sports School) 25:13, 3.
Girls: 2.5km: Arpitha EB (Vidyanagar Sports School) 8:33, 1; Priyanka C (New St Mary’s High School) 8:38, 2; Aishwarya L (New St Mary’s) 8:57, 3.