South Asian Junior Athletics Championships: India Crowned Champions

India emerged overall champions at the South Asian Junior Athletics Championships even though Sri Lanka snatched gold from the home team in the men's 4x100m relay on the concluding day in Chennai on Friday. (More Sports News)

India won 48 medals (21 gold, 22 silver and 5 bronze) with Sri Lanka (9 gold, 9 silver, 17 bronze) finishing second. Bangladesh was distant third with three bronze medals.

The Sri Lankans, however, upstaged the Indians in the men's 4x100m relay race with individual 100m dash champion W Merone Julian anchoring the island nation to victory with a meet record of 40.28 seconds. The previous record was 41.27 seconds set in 2007.

The Indian team settled for silver with 40.76 seconds.

However, the Indian women's 4x100m relay team comfortably won gold with a meet record of 45.08 seconds. The previous record was 46.23 seconds. Sri Lanka took home silver.

India dominated middle distance races and throwing events on the final day, while Sri Lanka had an edge in the sprints.

South Asian Junior Athletics Championships Results

Women: 200m: Unnathi Aiyappa (India) 23.91 seconds (meet record; previous record 24.32 seconds by A Suseendran set in 2013), Nancy (India) 24.11 seconds, Neeru Pahtak (India) 24.91 seconds.

1500m: Vineeta Gurjar (India) 4:33.63 seconds, Laxita Vinod Sandilea (India) 4:37.61 seconds, T K G H Dulanji (Sri Lanka) 4:39.01 seconds.

Shot put: Tamanna (India) 14.43m, Pooja Kumari (India) 14.02m, H Isali Malkethmi (Sri Lanka) 10.68m.

Javelin: Deepika (India) 54.98m (meet record previous S Choudhary 48.08m), Poonam (India) 51.21m, W G Nisansala (Sri Lanka) 35.02m.

4x100m relay: India (Nancy, Abinaya Rajarajan, N Cornelio, V Sudheeksha) 45.08 (meet record, previous record 46.23 seconds), Sri Lanka (H Sithmini Ranasgal, P Ransini Perera, K Shanani Rashma, S Shanella Anne) 46.48 seconds, Maldives (Hawa Muznna Faiz, Ziva Moosa Shafeeu, Ahinna Nizaar, Mariyam RU) 48.04 seconds.

4X400m relay: India (Sanchin Sangle, Sandra Mol Sabu, Kanista Teena, Neeru Pahtak) 3:44.35 seconds, Sri Lanka (A Wijethunga, G Sashini Bhagya, D Pravindi, K Takshima) 3:49.99 seconds, Bangladesh (Nusrat Jahan Runa, Azmi K, Mim Akter, Sumaiya Akter) 3:57.37 seconds.

Men: 200m: R Indusara Vindushan (Sri Lanka) 21.33 seconds (meet record, previous H eashan 21.44 seconds), Pratik Maharana (India) 21.41 seconds, W M Koushan Thamel (Sri Lanka) 21.44 seconds.

1500m: Priyanshu (India) 3:53.22 seconds, Rahul Sarnaliya (India) 3:53.64 seconds, T W M Prashan Buddika (Sri Lanka) 4:03.79 seconds.

Triple jump: D M H Kavinda (Sri Lanka) 15.09m, M D S Hansaka (Sri Lanka) 14.92m, Md Tamim Hossain (Bangladesh) 14.75m.

Javelin: Rohan Yadav (India) 69.22m, Dipanshu Sharma (India) 68.85m, U G B Dhilhara (Sri Lanka) 62.22m.

4x100m relay: Sri Lanka (W M Koushan, R Vidushan, W Dineth Induwara, W Merone Julian) 40.28 seconds (meet record, previous record 41.27 seconds set in 2007), India (Pratik Maharana, Mahendra Santa, Karthikeyam S, D Mruthyam) 40.76 seconds, Maldives (Hussain Zeek Suad, M ZU IZ Suad, I Nizaar, M Shamin) 41.98 seconds.

4 x400m relay: Sri Lanka (U Nethsara, G W Jathya Kirulu, J Shashintha Silva, S Rajakaruna) 3:09.27 seconds, India (Abiram P, Vinod Kumar Banoth, Ankul, Jay Kumar) 3:11.14 seconds, Bangladesh (B Sheikh, Md Hafizur Raman, M Al Sobur, Md Aslam Sikder) 3:21.50 seconds.