Udayachal's Harita, Jamnabai's Ahaan emerge fastest U-16 girl and boy respectively after 100m, 200m domination
Jamnabai's Ahaan Chhatwal (left) during the U-16 100m final at University Pavilion, Marine Lines yesterday. Pics/Sameer Markande
Harita Bhadra, 15, of Udayachal HS (Vikhroli) and Ahaan Chhatwal, 14, of Jamnabai Narsee School (Juhu-Vile Parle) emerged as the fastest girl and boy respectively. They both sprinted to gold in the girls' and boys' U-16 100 metres events on the concluding day of the Mumbai Schools Sports Association-organised annual inter-school athletic championship at University Pavilion yesterday.
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They also completed a sprint double having won the 200-metre gold on the first day of competition. Producing another strong race Harita scorched the tracks and won comfortably with a time of 12.5 secs and equalled the meet record set by Nicole Franco of St Joseph's Convent (Bandra) last year. Nicole, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury, took silver in 13.1 secs. Harita had also matched Nicole's 200 metres record.
Udayachal's Harita Bhadra
Ahaan, who had clinched gold in the 400 metres on Saturday, dominated the race from the start and had enough reserve energy as he came up with a late burst to breast the tape with a time of 11.8 secs, which was his personal best. “It was a good race. I was confident and led from the start. But second placed Yash Padloskar of Parle Tilak (Vile Parle) made a late charge and threatened to overtake me, but I managed to hold him off and clocked my best time,” Ahaan told mid-day after the race.
More glory for Pranjali
Meanwhile, Pranjali Patil of Udayachal continued to bask in glory and clinched gold in the girls' U-16 high jump. Pranjali, who earlier set meet records in 100 metres hurdles and the long jump events, cleared the bar at a height of 1.40 metres to pick up her third gold medal of the meet. Later, Pranjali and Harita along with Saroj Chavan and Poorva Sawant showed excellent teamwork and perfect exchange of batons as they powered Udayachal to winning the gold and the quartet also smashed the 4x100 metres meet and state records.
New record
Udayachal School finished with a new record time of 51.0 secs which was faster from the previous meet record of 51.6 secs set by their girls last year and the state record of 51.2 secs. Pranjali and Krish Solanki of Children's Academy (Malad) were later declared as the best girl and boy athletes of the meet. Ahaan was presented with the Jal D Pardivala trophy for emerging as the fastest athlete in the senior boys category and Harita received the MY Siddiki Memorial trophy for finishing as the fastest athlete in the senior girls category.
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