National Inter-State Athletics 2024: Olympic-Bound Kiran Pahal Steals the show, Muhammad Anas Bags Gold in 400m; Gurindervir Singh emerges fastest man

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Panchkula, June 29: Day two of the National Inter-State Athletics Championships 2024 witnessed some stunning performances on Friday (June 29) where the meet's sensation Kiran Pahal and Gurinder Veer Singh stole the show here at Tau Devi Lal Stadium.

Olympic-bound Kiran Pahal from Haryana once again captured the spotlight with her remarkable pace, clinching the gold in the women's 400m race with a time of 50.92 seconds. This achievement mirrored her qualifying performance for the Paris Games during the semifinals.

The 23-year-old athlete had astounded everyone by breaching the Olympic qualifying time of 50.95 seconds, clocking in at 50.92 seconds in the semifinals on Thursday (June 27).

On Friday, the Sonipat girl led the race from start to finish, leaving second-placed Deepanshi (52.01), also from Haryana, trailing at least five meters behind. Andhra Pradesh's Jyothika Sri Danda, a key member of the women's 4x400m relay team that secured a spot at the Paris Games last month, finished third in 52.11.

Punjab's Gurindervir Singh Sprints to Glory

Punjab's Gurindervir Singh emerged as the fastest man of the championships, winning the 100m dash with a time of 10.32 seconds. Odisha's Animesh Kujur (10.46s) and Assam's Amaln Borgohain (10.49s) took silver and bronze, respectively. The trio made the competition interesting with their presence and aspire to form a good relay team at the athletics camp.

Singh, who struggled last year without a podium finish, expressed his satisfaction at making a comeback. "Many people had written me off, saying I would not be able to come back below 10.50 seconds. But I am back now," Singh said. After overcoming intestinal problems that affected his performance, he plans to train at the Reliance Foundation in Bhubaneswar post-Olympics.

Promising Performances in Men's Events

In the men's 1500m race, Parvej Khan of Haryana lived up to expectations by securing the gold with a time of 3:42.95. Although the Olympic qualifying time of 3:33.50 remained out of reach, the 19-year-old Khan showcased his potential. Initially behind one competitor at the bell for the last lap, he sprinted from the final bend, celebrating with a fist pump as he crossed the finish line.

"I wanted to qualify for the Olympics but could not achieve it. My season is almost over, and next year, I will try to do well in competitions like the Asian Championships, and then in the Asian Games (2026)," said Khan, who comes from a farming family in the Mewat region of Haryana and is currently studying at the University of Florida on scholarships.

Women's Sprint and Middle-Distance Races

Karnataka's SS Sneha claimed the title of the fastest woman in the championships, clocking 11.62 seconds to win the women's 100m final. In the women's 1500m race, Lili Das of West Bengal triumphed with a time of 4:13.87, pushing national record holder KM Deeksha to third place.

Delhi's Chanda secured second place with a time of 4:14.85, while Deeksha, who set the national record of 4:02.50 last month in the USA, finished with a disappointing 4:18.38.

Close Finishes and Field Events

The men's 400m final witnessed a photo finish between Muhammed Anas and Muhammed Ajmal. Anas, the national record holder with a time of 45.21 seconds, narrowly edged out Ajmal, winning in 45.926 seconds compared to Ajmal's 45.929 seconds.

In the women's shot put event, Abha Khatua of Maharashtra secured gold with a throw of 17.63m, adding to her Federation Cup title from last month. Khatua had set a national record of 18.41m in the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar.