Praveen Chithravel is very promising but is also one of the most inconsistent triple jumpers in the National circuit. And injuries have often troubled him.
But everything came together nicely for the 20-year-old from Tamil Nadu on the final day of the 60th National Open at the Nehru Stadium on Sunday. The youngster produced a massive 16.88m, which bettered his personal best by 37cm, in his opener for the gold.
That made him the third best Indian ever, after Renjith Maheswary (17.30) and Arpinder Singh (17.17), and his series had three jumps over 16.70.
Services’ Abdulla Aboobacker (16.84, new PB) and Karthik Unnikrishnan (16.80, equalled PB) took silver and bronze. This is probably the first time three triple jumpers were touching 16.80m or more in a Nationals.
“I’ve not changed anything, everything is the same, only I’ve become stronger mentally and more confident,” Praveen, who trains at JSW’s Inspire Institute of Sport at Vijayanagar, told The Hindu.
“I’ve had a lot of injuries earlier, hamstring at the 2019 Asians and then ankle pain. But I felt good and I think I can do 17m next year.”
Meanwhile Asian Games champion Arpinder, making a comeback from last year’s knee injury, could manage only 15.91 for sixth. “My knee still hurts,” he said.
Later, Assam sprinter Amlan Borgohain clocked a stunning 20.75s — the second fastest time on Indian soil — for the men’s 200m gold in a new meet record time.
And Rajasthan’s Manju Bala, former Asian Games medallist, won the hammer throw in a meet record 64.42m, the second best by an Indian, behind Sarita Romit Singh’s 65.25m.
Railways won the overall title and women’s team championship while Services took the men’s team title.
The results (finals): Men: 200m: 1. Amlan Borgohain (Asm) 20.75s (MR, Old: 20.92, S Arunjith, 2007), 2. Balakumar Nitin (TN) 21.06, 3. N. Shamugha Srinivas (AP) 21.12; 10,000m: 1. Kartik Kumar (Ser) 29:42.63s, 2. Dharmender (Ser) 29:49.56, 3. Shrawan Kumar (Har) 30:01.87; Hammer throw: 1. Damneet Singh (Pun) 65.65m, 2. Bajinder Singh (Pun) 63.29, 3. Sukhdev Singh (Rly) 63.18; Triple Jump: 1. Praveen Chithravel (TN) 16.88m, 2. Abdulla Aboobacker (Ser) 16.84, 3. Karthik Unnikrishnan (Ser) 16.80; 4x400m Relay: 1. Haryana (Pankaj, Sachin, Ayush Dabas, Vikrant Panchal) 3:087.86s, 2. Services 3:09.13, 3. Punjab 3:11.29.
Women: 200m: 1. Archana Suseendran (TN) 23.58s, 2. Taranjeet Kaur (Del) 23.64, 3. Chandra Lekha (Rly) 24.35; 10,000m: 1. Sanjivani Jadhav (Mah) 34:20.03s, 2. Kavita Yadav (Rly) 35:57.46, 3. Jyoti (UP) 36:37.90; Hammer throw: 1. Manju Bala (Raj) 64.42m (MR, Old: 61,67, Hardeep Kaur, 2002), 2. Sarita Singh (Rly) 59.58, 3. Jyoti Rana (Rly) 58.36; Discus throw: 1. Navjeet Kaur (Pun) 54.49m, 2. Nidhi Rani (Rly) 50.87, 3. Gurveer Kaur (Pun) 48.66. 4x400m relay: 1. Haryana (Nancy, Nisha, Nanhi, Kavita) 3:42.82, 2. Police 3:43.01, 3. Delhi 3:43.13.
Best athletes: Men: Praveen Chithravel (triple jump); Women: Harmilan Bains (1500m).
Championships: Overall: Railways (253.5 pts); Men: Services (187.5); Women: Railways (157).
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