Reliance Foundation Athletes Shine at Indian Athletics Final Series

Outstanding Performances at the Indian Athletics Final Series

The first-ever Indian Athletics Final Series held in New Delhi showcased remarkable talent, with athletes backed by the Reliance Foundation achieving an impressive tally of 10 gold medals, nine silver medals, and five bronze medals. Animesh Kujur made headlines by winning both the 100m and 200m races, clocking in at 10.21 seconds and 20.59 seconds, respectively, setting a strong precedent for the upcoming Asian Games.

Reliance Foundation Athletes Excel in Sprint Events

Harita Bhadra delivered a stellar performance, securing the women's 100m title with a time of 11.22 seconds, marking the second-fastest time recorded by an Indian woman in this event. Training at the Jio Institute in Navi Mumbai, Harita has shown significant improvement this year, consistently achieving podium finishes in both the 100m and 200m events at the national level, as noted in a press release from the Reliance Foundation.

The sprint events were dominated by Reliance Foundation athletes, with Animesh and Gurindervir Singh finishing first and second in the men's 100m, while Harita and Abinaya Rajarajan achieved the same in the women's 100m. Both female athletes recorded personal bests in a highly competitive race. In the men's 200m, Animesh led a clean sweep of the podium, followed by Jishnu Prasad (20.63 seconds) and Abhay Singh (21.04 seconds).

Impressive Results in Other Athletic Events

Several athletes preparing for the Asian Games also excelled, including Ancy Sojan in the women's long jump, Mohammed Afsal in the men's 800m, Karthik Unnikrishnan in the men's triple jump, Anu Raghavan in the women's 400m hurdles, and Aadarsh Ram in the men's high jump, all clinching top honors in their respective events.

Ancy maintained her unbeaten streak with a leap of 6.76 meters in a highly competitive final. Afsal and Anu, both silver medalists from previous Asian Games, secured victories in their events, with Afsal achieving a season-best time of 1:46.40 seconds and Anu finishing in 57.23 seconds.

Lili Das also shone brightly, winning the 800m event with a season-best time of 2:03.41 seconds. In the men's 110m hurdles, Krishik Manjunath triumphed with a time of 13.65 seconds, showcasing his consistent improvement this season.

Karthik and Aadarsh utilized their extensive experience to achieve impressive results of 16.43 meters and 2.18 meters, respectively, despite the absence of some prominent competitors. Meanwhile, Krishna Jayasankar (women's shot put), Damneet Singh (men's hammer throw), Baranica Elangovan (women's pole vault), and Anushka Yadav (women's hammer throw) all finished second in their events, gearing up for the Asian Games with commendable performances.