New Delhi: National record holder discus
thrower Seema Antil became the third Indian to qualify for
next month`s Berlin World Athletics Championships by crossing
`B` qualifying standard while winning gold in the Loughborough
European Permit Meet at Leicestershire.
Antil threw the discus to a distance of 59.28m, better
than Berlin `B` standard of 58.50m at Loughborough University
yesterday.
The Orissa athlete holds the national record of 64.64m.
Compatriot Krishna Poonia, who had qualified for the
August 15-23 Berlin event during the second leg of Indian
Grand Prix in Coimbatore in May, was second with an effort of
57.96m.
Antil, who had been overshadowed by Poonia this season as
she came second most of the time in the five legs of Indian
Grand Prix events, made it to Berlin just six days before the
qualification deadline of August 3.
Men`s 400m runner Joseph Abraham is the third Indian who
will compete in Berlin. He had qualified for Berlin during the
third leg of Indian Grand Prix event in Chennai in May.
Other Indians who won gold at Loughborough include
women`s high jumper Sahna Kumari who cleared 1.75m while
Maliakkal Anthony Prajusha won silver in women`s long jump
with a leap of 6.17m.
In men`s shot put, Saurabh Vij won a silver with a throw
of 17.17m while Satyender Singh was third with an effort of
17.04m.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, July 30, 2009, 20:49
