South Asian Junior Athletics Championships 2024 Day 1 Results: Pooja, Siddharth Choudhary Break Meet Records for Gold Medals

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The Indian contingent made an impressive start on the opening day of the South Asian Junior Athletics Championships 2024 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, with standout performances from Pooja and Siddharth Choudhary, who both claimed gold medals in record-breaking fashion.

The three-day event saw India assert its dominance, especially in field events, while Sri Lanka shone in the middle-distance races. In the women's high jump, Pooja clinched the gold with a stellar jump of 1.80m, surpassing the previous meet record of 1.75m.

South Asian Junior Athletics Championships Day 1 Results

Men

• 100m: Wijesinghe Merone (Sri Lanka) 10.41 seconds (meet record, previous 10.61 seconds), Weeraratna Dineth (Sri Lanka) 10.49 seconds, Mruthyam Rajaram (India) 10.56 seconds.
• 800m: HD Shavindu Awishka (Sri Lanka) 1:49.83 seconds (meet record, previous record 1:52.99), Vinod Kumar (India) 1:50.07 seconds, Bopanna Klappa (India) 1:50.45 seconds.
• Shot put: Siddharth Choudhary (India) 19.19m (meet record, previous record 18.53m), Anurag Singh Kaler (India) 18.91m, AW Jayavi Ranhidha (Sri Lanka) 15.62m.

Women

• 100m: Abinaya Rajarajan (India) 11.77 seconds (meet record, previous record 11.92 seconds), V Sudheeksha (India) 11.92 seconds, S Wijetungage (Sri Lanka) 12.04 seconds.
• 800m: MGT Abhisheka Premasiri (Sri Lanka) 2:10.17 seconds, Laxmi Priya Kisan (India) 2:10.87 seconds, UM Sansala Himashani S (Sri Lanka) 2:12.13 seconds.
• High jump: Pooja (India) 1.80m (meet record, previous meet record 1.75m), DK Timeshi (Sri Lanka) 1.65m, VP Nethra Samadi (Sri Lanka) 1.65m.

Despite attempting to improve her national U20 record of 1.83m set earlier this year at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Peru, Pooja narrowly missed clearing 1.84m. Her gold marked a significant highlight of the competition's first day.

Siddharth Choudhary, competing in the men's shot put, continued the Indian gold rush with a powerful throw of 19.19m, breaking the previous meet record of 18.53m. His compatriot, Anurag Singh Kaler, also impressed with a silver-winning throw of 18.91m, as India claimed the top two spots in the event.

In the sprints, India celebrated a 1-2 finish in the women's 100m dash. Abinaya Rajarajan set a new meet record with a time of 11.77 seconds, while her teammate V Sudheeksha finished close behind in 11.92 seconds, tying the previous record. On the men's side, Sri Lanka's Wijesinghe Merone stole the show, clocking 10.41 seconds to break the men's 100m meet record, with fellow Sri Lankan Weeraratna Dineth taking silver.

The 800m events saw Sri Lanka dominate, with HD Shavindu Awishka and MGT Abhisheka Premasiri winning gold in the men's and women's races, respectively. Both races also saw new meet records set, further demonstrating the competitive level of the event.

Dr. Lalit Bhanot, president of the South Asian Athletics Federation (SAAF), emphasized the importance of regional competitions like this, stating, "Regional events offer athletes the chance to compete at a high level with less travel and more localized support." He also announced future plans, including the senior SAAF athletics meet next month in Ranchi, India, and the 2024 SAAF cross-country event in Pakistan.

With all seven SAAF nations represented, the South Asian Junior Athletics Championships offer a vital platform for young athletes to showcase their talent and compete at the regional level. The competition is expected to further intensify over the next two days as athletes continue to push their limits and chase more records.