Abha Khatua Sets New National Shot Put Record at 27th National Federation Senior Athletics Competition

Bhubaneswar: Abha Khatua, the accomplished shot put athlete from Maharashtra, made headlines at the 27th National Federation Senior Athletics Competition held at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium on Monday. The 28-year-old athlete shattered the national record for women’s shot put with an impressive throw of 18.41 meters.

Khatua, who clinched the Asian silver medal, commenced her Olympic year with a formidable throw of 17.56 meters in March in Patiala. However, it was on Monday that she outdid herself, surpassing the previous national record of 18.06 meters in her fifth attempt.

“I have three more domestic competitions in the coming weeks. I should be able to further improve my performance,” Khatua remarked after securing gold with a record-breaking performance in shot put.

While Khatua’s feat grabbed the spotlight, Odisha’s sprinter Animesh Kujur showcased promising talent in the men’s 200m race. Although he narrowly missed breaking the national record, his gold-winning time of 20.62 seconds marked an impressive performance.

“I’m happy that I came so close to improving the national record,” expressed Kujur, emphasizing his confidence in further enhancing his performance during upcoming international exposures in Europe.

In other events, Karnataka’s Unnathi Aiyappa Bolland clinched the women’s 200m gold, edging past Odisha’s Srabani Nanda in an exhilarating race.

Here are the results from some of the key events:

Women:

200m: Unnathi Aiyappa Bolland (Karnataka) – 23.85 seconds
800m: KM Chanda (Delhi) – 2:02.62 seconds
100m hurdles: Nithya Ramraj (Tamil Nadu) – 13.14 seconds
Long jump: Nayana James (Kerala) – 6.53 meters
Men:

200m: Animesh Kujur (Odisha) – 20.62 seconds
800m: Anikesh Chaudhary (Himachal Pradesh) – 1:50.16 seconds
5,000m: Sawan Barwal (Himachal Pradesh) – 13:51.01 seconds
High jump: Chetan B (Karnataka) – 2.09 meters
The competition showcased the remarkable talent of athletes from across the country, setting the stage for an exhilarating athletic season ahead.