Palakkad sprints ahead on day one

Kochi: Palakkad dominated first day of the event by bagging one third of the medals on offer, to be in the lead with 44 points
There were thrills and spills aplenty as defending champions Palakkad stole a march over challengers Ernakulam in the 57th state schools athletics championship that got underway at the Maharaja's College ground here on Saturday.

There were 18 finals on the first day and it was the daring athletes of Mundur and Kumaramputhur who came out on top pipping the roaring champs of Mar Basil and St. George’s.

Palakkad bagged one third of the medals on offer. With three silver medals and five bronze to add to their tally, the champion district is in the lead with 44 points.

And for them success lay in every nook and corner. Nikhil Neethin struck gold in the senior boys discus throw while in the long jump pit, Rakhil A. G.

got his due. Jisha V.V. and Chithra P.U. won the 400 m and 3000 m races and a young Prejeetha P. C. was unstop
pable in the sub-junior 400 m.

For the host district it wasn’t a bad day at the office either. Nikhila Manohar and Jincy Benny were in top form in discus and shotput, as Ernakulam refused to give up its supremacy in the throws event.

As arch-rivals Palakkad and Ernakulam tackled each other, Kozhikode and Idukki made significant progress, bagging two gold medals each.

Wayanad, Malappuram, Thrissur and Kannur added one to their pockets.