Athletics
Indian javelin throwers dominate Lebanon National Championship
Kishore Kumar Jena, Annu Rani, and Shivpal Singh finished on the podium at Lebanon National Championships in Beirut.
Kishore Kumar Jena (Source: Odisha Sports)
Indian javelin throwers Kishore Kumar Jena and Annu Rani dominated the Lebanon National Championship in Beirut on Friday as the duo made top-of-the-podium finishes in their respective fields.
In men's javelin throw, Kishore won the gold medal with a throw of 78.96m, while his compatriot Shivpal settled for silver with a 73.34m throw.
This was the first-ever international tournament for the Odisha youngster, Kishore.
In the women's category, Annu won the gold medal with a throw of 55.32m. It was a sub-par throw considering Annu's personal best is 63.24m.
The tournament was important for the Indian athletes with qualification for World Championships in Budapest at stake. After winning the gold medal, Kishore is now precariously placed at the 36th spot, and he will be hoping to stay there till July 30 - the qualification deadline - to secure a place for his first-ever world championships.
Shivapal, however, is far away from qualification at the moment given his lack of participation in tournaments this year. He needs to breach the automatic qualification mark of 85.20m.
National record holder, Annu Rani is placed 29th at the moment, and she has more or less secured the qualification for her event.
