Pune district claims team championship in cross country meet

Pune, Dec 17 (UNI) Hosts Pune District retained the overall team championship but gutsy long-distance athletes from the rural areas continued their supremacy and captured the gold in the Women's (four km) and Boys under-20 (eight km) races on the second day of the state cross country championship which concluded here today.

While Parshuram Bhoie of Kolhapur and Vijaymala Patil of Sangli won the men's 12-km and women's 8-km races on the opening day yesterday, today Jyoti Gavade of Parbhani won the women's 4-km race clocking 14 minutes 21.1 seconds. The boys under-20 (8-km) race was won by Bhau Lambar of Sindhudurg who overcame a strong field producing a time of 24 minutes and 25 seconds.

The men's 4-km race, which saw stiff competition, was won by gritty Ashok Kumbhare of Mumbai City district who stopped the clock at 11 minutes and 11.6 seconds. Mohammed Yunus Shaikh of Pune and his teammate Naresh Kumar bagged the silver and the bronze medals.

Making full use of the real cross country course of Parvati Panchgaon, Lambar surprised the field by setting the pace right from the start and won by a handsome margin.

Anil Pawar of Pune took the sliver with a time of 25:9.1 while Prashant Surve of Satara bagged the bronze clocking 25:12.2.

Following are the results: Men's (4-km): Ashok Kumbhare (Mum-city) (11: 11.6) 1, Mohammed Yunus Shaikh (Pune) (11:22.5) 2, Naresh Kumar (Pune) (11:22.5) 3, Pranjal Gogai (Pune) (11:29.5) 4, Sachin Patil (Mum-City) (11:42.8) 5, Shatrugnah Dhrav (Mum-City) (11:47.8) 6.

Women's (4-km): Jyoti Gavate (Parbhani) (14:21.1) 1, Anupama Patil (Mum-Sub) (14:34.1) 2, Deepali Naidu (Nag) (14:44.3) 3, Amruta Mane (Pune) (14.49.2) 4, Mangal Pardi (Sangli) (15:18.6) 5, Sushma Bele (Nag) (15:31.4) 6.

Boys Under-20 (8-km): Bhau Lambar (Sindhudurg) (24:25.00) 1, Anil Pawar (Pune) (25:9.1) 2, Prashant Surve (Satara) (25:12.2) 3, Avdesh Kumar (Pune) (25:28.4) 4, Ranjit C K (Pune) (25:34.8) 5, Balu Nimbekar (Nashik) (25:39.7) 6.

UNI