Sarun Payasingh and Baranica Elangovan Shine at National Indoor Athletics Championships
Highlights from the Inaugural Championships
The inaugural National Indoor Athletics Championships kicked off with a spotlight on triple jump record holder Praveen Chithravel, but it was Sarun Payasingh and Baranica Elangovan who truly captivated the audience.
Sarun, a 25-year-old from Odisha, clinched the gold medal in the men's long jump with a remarkable leap of 7.80 meters, marking his personal best on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Baranica became the star of the day as she surpassed the previous National Record of 4.21 meters set by Rosy Meena Paulraj, achieving a new record by one centimeter.
Following her record-breaking jump, Baranica embraced her coach Milbur Rusell in a heartfelt moment, celebrating three years of hard work and perseverance after recovering from a serious knee injury.
Baranica expressed her emotions, stating, 'It was an emotional day for both of us. The hug explains what all we have been through together.' Her Kerala teammates, Blessy Kunjumon and Mariya Jaison, secured second and third places with jumps of 3.95m and 3.80m, respectively.
Under Milbur's guidance since 2016, Baranica noted, 'I have been close to the mark recently. My previous best was 4.15m, but the indoor setup here in Kalinga, my second home, helped me achieve this extraordinary mark.'
Earlier in the day, Sarun, hailing from Paikapada village in Kalahandi district, outperformed Chithravel on his home ground.
After a shaky start with a failed first attempt, Sarun took the lead with a jump of 7.80m on his second try, much to the delight of local fans. He surpassed Chithravel's second attempt of 7.78m, while Chithravel's final attempt of 7.55m sealed Sarun's victory as the first-ever National Indoor long jump champion.
Sarun credited his coach, Sandeep Sen, saying, 'I do whatever my coach tells me. I am the body, and he is the brain in this partnership.' When asked about the pressure of competing against Chithravel, he remarked that it was never a topic of discussion.
He added, 'I focus on surpassing my personal best. My previous best was 7.78m, and my next goal is to break the 8-meter barrier.'
Sen explained that they had to adjust Sarun's technique to improve performance, stating, 'I felt he was leaping too far after the jump. We switched to the cycling technique, which helps with forward motion and stability. He adapted quickly, and we are now seeing positive results.'
Results: Men: (800m) Md Afsal (Air Force) 1:47.86s, Kalyan JR (Karnataka) 1:53.98s, S Karmakar (West Bengal) 1:56.98s; (3,000m): S Parashuram (Reliance) 8:09.88s, Vinod Singh (MP) 8:16.93s, Rahul Verma (Chhattisgarh) 8:18.21s; (60m hurdles): Krishik M (Karnataka) 7.71s, Rathish P (Reliance) 7.84s, M Lazan (JSW) 8.00s; (long jump): Sarun Payasingh (Odisha) 7.80m, P Chithravel (JSW) 7.78m, David P (Railway) 7.69m; (shot put): R Kumar (BSF) 17.17m, A Ghildiyal (Uttarakhand) 16.92m, Balaji (TN) 16.74m.
Women: (3,000m) Priyanka C (Karnataka) 9:42.05s, Kajal Rangnath (Guj) 9:44.01s, Sushmita Tigga (Odisha) 10:22.30s; (shot put): Rekha (NCOE Patiala) 15.63m, Mayuri Arade (Karnataka) 9.15m; (long jump): Anamika KA (JSW) 6.05m, Manisha Merel (Odisha) 6.04m, Sherin A (JSW) 5.92m.