<p>Renjith leapt to 17.00 metres, just off his national record of 17.04M, to push back the challenge of Kazakhstan’s Asian champion Roman Valiyev and China’s Wu Bo. India claimed four gold medals on the day and of the lot, Renjith’s shone brightest, given the nature of the competition.<br /><br />SK Mortaja in the 400M, Om Prakash Singh in shot put and Krishna Poonia in women’s discus were the other Indian champions as the hosts improved their Pune haul of three gold by a shade. India also won three silver and four bronze medals on the day.<br /><br />Renjith had started the season superbly with a 16.97M effort in the Open Nationals in Kochi and in the first leg of the AGP in Pune, he seized the gold with 16.84. <br /><br />The real big one that eluded him on those two occasions arrived on the new track here, in the fourth round. <br /><br />After opening with a 16.49, the 25-year-old powered to 16.98 in the second, dipped to 16.52 in the third and then delivered the jump of the evening to dash his rivals’ hopes. Valiyev struck form late to pick silver at 16.93 while Bo, hurt by a series of fouls, settled for the bronze, just a centimetre behind.<br /><br />“The conditions were excellent but I couldn’t really take advantage of it; I could have reached 17.20 today but for fouling the last jump,” said Renjith after reaching his second best legal effort. He had a wind-aided 17.19 at the Asian Championships in Amman in 2007. “Hopefully, I can do better in Chennai (in the third leg on June 9).”<br /><br /> Amarjeet Singh, India’s other entry, came up with his best performance in two years (16.60) to take the fourth spot.<br /><br />Easy winner<br />Mortaja was an easy winner in the 400, timing 47.38 seconds, while Krishna went past 60M in discus, her 61.64 helping her tower above Harwant Kaur (59.67) and Seema Antil (58.81). “I am okay with the effort, it certainly could have been better. I have still not touched my best,” said Krishna.<br /><br /> Om Prakash maintained his consistency in the shot put ring with a 19.80M putt to reverse the Pune result, where China’s Zhang Jun had pipped him to the gold. Jun (19.53) took silver on Saturday.<br /><br />Asian 100M champion Zhang Peimeng of China bounced back to form, winning the gold in 10.31 seconds. India’s Abdul Najeeb Qureshi clocked an impressive personal best of 10.38 for the fifth spot. <br /><br />There was a national record to close out the programme, with the Indian 4x100 relay team comprising Rahmatullah Molla, Qureshi, Shameer Mon and Ritesh Anand timing 39.23 seconds in the open events. The previous mark of 39.36 was set by the national team at the Busan Asiad in 2002.<br /><br />In the absence of Tintu Luka, Kazakhstan’s Margarita Matsko won the 800M in 2:04.97.<br /><br />Results:<br />Men: 100M: Zhang Peimeng (China) 10.31 seconds, 1; Lai Chun Ho (Hong Kong) 10.32, 2; Babakat Al Harti (Oman) 10.36, 3. <br /><br />400M: SK Mortaja (India) 47.38 seconds, 1; Nelson Stone (Papua New Guinea) 47.54, 2; P Kunhumuhammed (India) 47.61, 3.<br /><br />800M: Sajad Moradi (Iran) 1:49.24, 1; Pankaj Dimri (India) 1:49.47, 2; Amir Moradi (Iran) 1:49.64, 3.<br /><br />110M hurdles: Fawaz Al Shammari (Kuwait) 13.62 seconds, 1; Ji Wei (China) 13.73, 2; Jamras Rittidet (Thailand) 13.98, 3.s<br /><br />Long jump: Yu Zhengwei (China) 8.12 metres, 1; Konstantin Safronov (Kazakhstan) 8.06, 2; Supanara Sukhavasti (Thailand) 8.04, 3.<br /><br />Triple jump: Renjith Maheswary (India) 17.00 metres, 1; Roman Valiyev (Kazakhstan) 16.93, 2; Wu Bo (China) 16.92, 3.<br /><br />High jump: Lee Hup Wei (Malaysia) 2.24 metres, 1; Wang Chen (China) 2.20, 2; Vitaly Tsykunov (Kazakhstan) 2.15, 3.<br /><br />Shot put: Om Prakash Singh (India) 19.80 metres, 1; Zhang Jun (China) 19.53, 2; Saurav Vij (India) 19.15, 3.s<br /><br />Women: 100M: Guzel Khubbieva (Uzbekistan) 11.55 seconds, 1; Toea Wisil (Papua New Guinea) 11.61, 2; HM Jyothi (India) 11.67, 3.<br /><br />400M: Chandrikia S Rasanayaka (Sri Lanka) 54.04 seconds, 1; Treewadee Yongphan (Thailand) 54.92, 2; Salome Dell (Papua New Guinea) 55.54, 3.<br /><br />800M: Margarita Matsko (Kazakhstan) 2:04.97, 1; Sushma Devi (India) 2:05.15, 2; Viktoria Yalovtseva (Kazakhstan) 2:05.91, 3.<br /><br />100M hurdles: Anasstasiya Suprunova (Kazakhstan) 13.31 seconds, 1; Dedeh Erawati (Indonesia) 13.38, 2; Sheena Atilano (Philippines) 13.98, 3. <br /><br />High jump: Svetlana Radzivil (Uzbekistan) 1.93 metres, 1; Anna Ustinova (Kazakhstan) 1.93, 2; Wandia Boonwan (Thailand) 1.80, 3.<br /><br />Triple jump: Aleksandra Kotlyarova (Uzbekistan) 14.08 metres, 1; Liu Yanan (China) 13.91, 2; Valeriya Kanatova (Uzbekistan) 13.89, 3.<br /><br />Shot put: Liu Xiangrong (China) 18.03 metres, 1; Chia Ying Lin (Chinese Taipei) 15.88, 2;s Chia Ying Lin (Chinese Taipei) 14.60, 3.<br /><br />Discus: Krishna Poonia (India) 61.64 metres, 1; Harwant Kaur (India) 59.67, 2; Seema Antil (India) 58.81, 3.</p>
<p>Renjith leapt to 17.00 metres, just off his national record of 17.04M, to push back the challenge of Kazakhstan’s Asian champion Roman Valiyev and China’s Wu Bo. India claimed four gold medals on the day and of the lot, Renjith’s shone brightest, given the nature of the competition.<br /><br />SK Mortaja in the 400M, Om Prakash Singh in shot put and Krishna Poonia in women’s discus were the other Indian champions as the hosts improved their Pune haul of three gold by a shade. India also won three silver and four bronze medals on the day.<br /><br />Renjith had started the season superbly with a 16.97M effort in the Open Nationals in Kochi and in the first leg of the AGP in Pune, he seized the gold with 16.84. <br /><br />The real big one that eluded him on those two occasions arrived on the new track here, in the fourth round. <br /><br />After opening with a 16.49, the 25-year-old powered to 16.98 in the second, dipped to 16.52 in the third and then delivered the jump of the evening to dash his rivals’ hopes. Valiyev struck form late to pick silver at 16.93 while Bo, hurt by a series of fouls, settled for the bronze, just a centimetre behind.<br /><br />“The conditions were excellent but I couldn’t really take advantage of it; I could have reached 17.20 today but for fouling the last jump,” said Renjith after reaching his second best legal effort. He had a wind-aided 17.19 at the Asian Championships in Amman in 2007. “Hopefully, I can do better in Chennai (in the third leg on June 9).”<br /><br /> Amarjeet Singh, India’s other entry, came up with his best performance in two years (16.60) to take the fourth spot.<br /><br />Easy winner<br />Mortaja was an easy winner in the 400, timing 47.38 seconds, while Krishna went past 60M in discus, her 61.64 helping her tower above Harwant Kaur (59.67) and Seema Antil (58.81). “I am okay with the effort, it certainly could have been better. I have still not touched my best,” said Krishna.<br /><br /> Om Prakash maintained his consistency in the shot put ring with a 19.80M putt to reverse the Pune result, where China’s Zhang Jun had pipped him to the gold. Jun (19.53) took silver on Saturday.<br /><br />Asian 100M champion Zhang Peimeng of China bounced back to form, winning the gold in 10.31 seconds. India’s Abdul Najeeb Qureshi clocked an impressive personal best of 10.38 for the fifth spot. <br /><br />There was a national record to close out the programme, with the Indian 4x100 relay team comprising Rahmatullah Molla, Qureshi, Shameer Mon and Ritesh Anand timing 39.23 seconds in the open events. The previous mark of 39.36 was set by the national team at the Busan Asiad in 2002.<br /><br />In the absence of Tintu Luka, Kazakhstan’s Margarita Matsko won the 800M in 2:04.97.<br /><br />Results:<br />Men: 100M: Zhang Peimeng (China) 10.31 seconds, 1; Lai Chun Ho (Hong Kong) 10.32, 2; Babakat Al Harti (Oman) 10.36, 3. <br /><br />400M: SK Mortaja (India) 47.38 seconds, 1; Nelson Stone (Papua New Guinea) 47.54, 2; P Kunhumuhammed (India) 47.61, 3.<br /><br />800M: Sajad Moradi (Iran) 1:49.24, 1; Pankaj Dimri (India) 1:49.47, 2; Amir Moradi (Iran) 1:49.64, 3.<br /><br />110M hurdles: Fawaz Al Shammari (Kuwait) 13.62 seconds, 1; Ji Wei (China) 13.73, 2; Jamras Rittidet (Thailand) 13.98, 3.s<br /><br />Long jump: Yu Zhengwei (China) 8.12 metres, 1; Konstantin Safronov (Kazakhstan) 8.06, 2; Supanara Sukhavasti (Thailand) 8.04, 3.<br /><br />Triple jump: Renjith Maheswary (India) 17.00 metres, 1; Roman Valiyev (Kazakhstan) 16.93, 2; Wu Bo (China) 16.92, 3.<br /><br />High jump: Lee Hup Wei (Malaysia) 2.24 metres, 1; Wang Chen (China) 2.20, 2; Vitaly Tsykunov (Kazakhstan) 2.15, 3.<br /><br />Shot put: Om Prakash Singh (India) 19.80 metres, 1; Zhang Jun (China) 19.53, 2; Saurav Vij (India) 19.15, 3.s<br /><br />Women: 100M: Guzel Khubbieva (Uzbekistan) 11.55 seconds, 1; Toea Wisil (Papua New Guinea) 11.61, 2; HM Jyothi (India) 11.67, 3.<br /><br />400M: Chandrikia S Rasanayaka (Sri Lanka) 54.04 seconds, 1; Treewadee Yongphan (Thailand) 54.92, 2; Salome Dell (Papua New Guinea) 55.54, 3.<br /><br />800M: Margarita Matsko (Kazakhstan) 2:04.97, 1; Sushma Devi (India) 2:05.15, 2; Viktoria Yalovtseva (Kazakhstan) 2:05.91, 3.<br /><br />100M hurdles: Anasstasiya Suprunova (Kazakhstan) 13.31 seconds, 1; Dedeh Erawati (Indonesia) 13.38, 2; Sheena Atilano (Philippines) 13.98, 3. <br /><br />High jump: Svetlana Radzivil (Uzbekistan) 1.93 metres, 1; Anna Ustinova (Kazakhstan) 1.93, 2; Wandia Boonwan (Thailand) 1.80, 3.<br /><br />Triple jump: Aleksandra Kotlyarova (Uzbekistan) 14.08 metres, 1; Liu Yanan (China) 13.91, 2; Valeriya Kanatova (Uzbekistan) 13.89, 3.<br /><br />Shot put: Liu Xiangrong (China) 18.03 metres, 1; Chia Ying Lin (Chinese Taipei) 15.88, 2;s Chia Ying Lin (Chinese Taipei) 14.60, 3.<br /><br />Discus: Krishna Poonia (India) 61.64 metres, 1; Harwant Kaur (India) 59.67, 2; Seema Antil (India) 58.81, 3.</p>
