Swimming
Bengaluru: The problems were plenty for Karnataka at the Senior National Aquatics Championships, following a mass exodus and injuries to some of the key swimmers, but the spunky youngsters led by Pooja R. Alva and Damini K. Gowda, stamped their class yet again.
On the concluding day of the five-day championship in Thiruvananthapuram, Karnataka were crowed the overall champions for the record 23rd time. Trailing Maharashtra by 10 points at the start of the day on Sunday, Pooja and Damini came up with stellar performances to guide the team.
In the 200 metres individual medley event, teenage talent Damini was in fine form as she touched pad in 2:28:77, ahead of the Tamil Nadu duo of A.V.Jayaveena and V.K.R.Meenakshi who settled for the silver and bronze respectively .
In the keenly contested 50 metre butterfly sprint, seasoned Pooja put her experience to good use as she fought hard to finish on top.
The Basvanagudi Aquatic Centre swimmer came home in 29.65 seconds to finish ahead of Shivani Kataria (29:79) of Haryana and Maharashtra's Avantika Chavan (29.80).
Karnataka bagged three other medals on the final day with Saurabh Sangvekar claiming a silver in 800 metres freestyle event, while Arvind M col lected a bronze in the 200 metres individual medley event.
Siya Manjeshwar with a bronze in the 100 metres freestyle event finished the medal's tally .
RSPB's Sandeep Sejwal and Gujarat's teen sensation Maana Patel were adjudged the best male and female swimmers respectively .
Results: Men: 800M FS: 1. Sajan Prakash (RSPB) 8:20:94, 2. Saurabh Sangvekar (Kar) 8:27:73, 3. Mandar Divase (Pol) 8:32:19; 200M IM: 1.
Madhu P S (SSCB) 2:09:38, 2.
Sandeep Sejwal (RSPB) 2:10:08, 3.
Arvind M (Kar) 2:10:39; 100M FS: 1.
Aaron D'souza (RSPB) 51:55, 2.
Anshul Kothari (Guj) 52:26, 3. Arjun J.P (RSPB) 53:09.
Women: 200M IM: 1. Damini K.
Gowda (Kar) 2:28:77, 2. A. V.
Jayaveena (TN) 2:29:90, 3. VKR Meenakshi (TN) 2:30:08; 50M BF: 1.
Pooja R. Alva (Kar) 29.65, 2. Shivani Kataria (Har) 29:79, 3. Avantika Chavan (Mah) 29.80; 100M FS: 1.
Shivani Kataria (Har) 58:92, Aditi Dhumatkar (Mah) 58:95, 3. Siya Manjeshwar (Kar) 1:01:41.
Overall Team Championship: 1.
Karnataka 217 pts, 2. Maharashtra 200 pts, 3. RSPB187 pts, 4. Tamil Nadu 108 pts, 5. SSCB 61.
Team Championship: Men: RSPB 187 Pts; Women: Maharashtra 164 pts Individual champions: Men: Sandeep Sejwal (RSPB, 26 Points, two records); Women: Maana Patel (Gujarat, three records, one Indian best performance)
( Source : dc )
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