Odisha's Sarun Payasingh Clinches Gold at Indian Athletics Series in Ranchi
Odisha's national indoor champion, Sarun Payasingh, continued his impressive form by winning the gold medal in the men's long jump event at the fourth leg of the Indian Athletics Series in Ranchi on Sunday. The athlete from Kalahandi district achieved a leap of 7.46 meters, showcasing his consistency and skill on the field.
Payasingh's Journey and Future Goals
Last month, Payasingh grabbed gold with a remarkable jump of 7.80 meters at the inaugural National Indoor Championships held in Bhubaneswar. Now, he is setting his sights on making the cut for the upcoming Asian Games. "I am happy because I wasn't completely fit but managed to win the gold medal. However, my main target now is to perform well at the Federation Cup and make it to the Asian Games," said Payasingh after his victory.
Training under Athletics Project Odisha and coach Sundeep Sen, the 25-year-old acknowledges areas for improvement. "I need to work on achieving more height during my jumps. But this is still the middle of the season, and I am confident of doing well in the coming days," he added, expressing optimism about his future performances.
Other Notable Performances in the Competition
In the men's long jump event, Muhammed Anees secured the silver medal with a jump of 7.19 meters, while Urvish P took bronze with 7.08 meters. The women's section saw Ancy Sojan, who also triumphed at the National Indoors, continue her good form by winning gold with a leap of 6.45 meters. Odisha's Manisha Merel (5.78m) and West Bengal's Bidisha Kundu (5.73m) completed the podium in second and third place, respectively.
In other events, Tamil Nadu's international hurdler Vithya Ramraj, representing Railways, dominated the women's 400m hurdles with a time of 57.02 seconds. Maharashtra high jumper Sarvesh Anil Kushare, a World Championships finalist, won gold in the high jump with a best effort of 2.19 meters. Jharkhand's Afroz Ahmad (2.13m) and West Bengal's Md Nayeem (2.05m) finished second and third, respectively.
Track Events Highlights
Odisha's Mousumi Roy stole the show in the track events, winning both the women's 100m and 200m races with timings of 11.83 seconds and 24.79 seconds, respectively. In the men's 200m, Odisha's Mahendra Santa emerged victorious with a time of 21.96 seconds. The men's 100m title went to Aniket of Maharashtra, who raced to victory in 10.60 seconds.
This leg of the Indian Athletics Series highlighted the rising talent in Indian athletics, with athletes from various states showcasing their prowess and setting the stage for future competitions like the Federation Cup and Asian Games.
