Saujanya eclipses Nirmala's 45-year-old record

BENGALURU: Saujanya KG of Bishop Cotton Women's College erased former star athlete Nirmala Uttaiah's name from the record books on the concluding day of the Bangalore University inter-collegiate athletics meet as she lowered the women's 100m mark to 12.0 seconds at the Sree Kanteeerava Stadium here on Saturday.
Saujanya, who equalled Nirmala's 1971 record last year clocking 12.1 seconds, also won the best athlete award of the meet along with Bharath L of St Joseph's College of Commerce."I was expecting to better the record after equalling it last year. In fact, I was hoping to clock in the region of 11.8 but I could manage only a 12-second flat," Saujanya told STOI.
The 21-year-old, a first year MCom student, has once again set her focus on excelling at the inter-university meet after being hampered by injury for several months last year. "I couldn't perform well at the inter-varsity meet last year as I was injured. Again just before the Federation Cup I got injured. I began full training onlyin August," she said. "My first target is to excel in the inter-varsity meet which is scheduled in Chennai in January."
Former athlete Nirmala was the first Indian woman to bag four gold medals at the Nationals. She had blazed to glory on the loose cinder track at the Kanteerava stadium as a first year BA student of Mount Carmel College in 1971. Nirmala, who started athletics at 16 and quit at 19, excelled at the Kottayam National Inter-State meet in 1972, bagging four gold medals in 100, 200, 400 and 4x100m relay. She also equalled the national record of Steffi D'Souza in women's 100m clocking 12.2 seconds in that meet.
The day's second record came from Govind Solanki who clocked 1 hour, 11:16.5s to win the men's half marathon. Al Ameen won the men's team title with 63 points while Government Women's College took the honours in women's section.
Results (winners): Men: 100m: Bharath L (SJCC, 10.7s); 400m Hurdles: Ragesh MR (Kristu Jayanthi College, 1:01.8s); 3000m Steeple Chase: GR Keerthi Kumar (St. Claret College, 11:26.2s); Half Marathon: Govind Solanki (Seshadripuram Main Col; 1:11:16.5s NMR. Old: Arun MN, RBANMS College 1:13.13s, 2006); 20Km Race Walk: Tabraz Khan (Al-Ameen College, 2:00:01.3s); Triple Jump: Sachin Kumar V (SEA College, 13.38m); Shot Put: Shantharam M Tendulkar (Al-Ameen College, 12.38m); Pole Vault: Abhishek S (National College, Bagepalli 2.70m); 4x400m Relay: Al-Ameen (3:34.0s)
Women: 100m: Saujanya KG (Bishop Cotton Women's Christian Col, 12.0 sec NMR; Old: Nirmala Uttaiah, Mount Carmel (1971) & Saujanya, Bishop Cotton (2015), 12.10s); 400m hurdles:Sumithra V (GFGC, Bangaruthirupathi, 1:25.2s); 3000m Steeple Chase: Megha A (Govt. Womens Col., Kolar 16:04.9s); Half Marathon: Roopa S (GFGC, Bangarutirupathi 1:44.52s); 5km Walk: Swathi N (GFGC, Gowribidanur, 32:01.0s); Triple Jump: G Anjali (Govt. Womens Col., Kolar 9.62m); Discus Throw: Nivetha T (Surana College, 29.35m); Heptathlon: Nandini KN (NMKRV Col. for Women, 3055 points); 4x400m Relay: Swamy Vivekananda Rural FGC Chandapura (5:02.6s).
Awards: Best Athlete: Men: Bharath L (St. Joseph's College of Commerce); Women: Saujanya KG (Bishop Cotton Womens Christian Col). Team Championship: Men: 1. Al-Ameen College Points (63 points), 2. St. Claret College Points (39). Women: 1. Govt. Womens College, Kolar (56); Jyoti Nivas College (41).