Manipur emerge overall champions of 41st National Masters Athletic Championship
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 14 2020: Hosts Manipur were crowned overall champions at the 41st National Masters Athletic Championship-2020 held at Khuman Lampak Main Stadium under the aegis of Master Athletics Federation of India with a collection of 777 points.

Assam which won the men's team title with 334 points finished second overall with another 333 points gathered by the women's team.

Manipur emerge overall champions of 41st National Masters Athletic Championship

Manipur men's team on the other hand were second as Assam topped the tally while the women's team with 453 points emerge champions.

Interestingly, Tamil Nadu finished overall third with 405 points total, 270 by men's team and 135 by women's team.

Education Minister and president Manipur Olympic Association, Th Radheshyam; Youth Affairs and Sports Minister, Letpao Haokip; Stan Perkins, president of World Master Athletics, Stan Perkins, Wilma Parkein, woman representative, World Master Athletics; David Premnath, secretary general, Master Athletics Federation of India and L Ajit Singh, vice chairman organising committee and president of Athletic Association of Manipur graced the closing ceremony of the National event as dignitaries who also feted the champions, runners up and third placed units.

More than 8000 athletes from across States of India participated at this National championship.

Last day events
Govindaraj S earned Tamil Nadu a gold medal in the men's 100 m event for above 40 years with a time of 11.6 seconds as Kerala's Vinu KR (11.7 s) and Benny K Mammen (11.8 s) finished second and third.

In the men's above 45 years 10,000 m race, Manipur's N Basanta Singh earned silver by clocking 40:18.4 which was ten seconds behind first place Somjibhai Hathila of Gujarat.

Hurdles
In the women's 100 m hurdles for above 35 years, Assam's Binapani Devi emerged on top with 21.6 seconds effort as Pranab Gogoi (18.5 s) and Sunil Nayak (19 s) bagged gold and silver medals respectively for Assam in the men's above 50 years 100 m hurdles event.

The above 55 years men's 100 m hurdles title also went to Assam's Narayan Jaishy to reach home in 19.6 seconds while Jagadeesh R of West Bengal earned the above 60 men's gold with a time of 18.1 seconds.

In the above 65 years men's 100 m hurdles event, Costao Fernandes finished first with 20 seconds effort as Manipur's Th Letpu Kom was second with 20.5 seconds.

Tamil Nadu's Yuvaraj was also seen winning the men's 35 + 110 m hurdles event with a time of 15.6 seconds while his compatriot, Sathyamoorthy S-LIC earned the 40+ men's first place with 20.6 seconds effort as Brinston Miranda of Maharashtra finished first in the above 45 years category with best time of 16.8 seconds.

In the 300 m hurdles for men above 60 years, Jagadeesh R (50.8 s) and Tamil Nadu's P Govindaraju (53s) of Tamil Nadu finished first and second as Manipur's Thoudam Mohor was third in 53.8 seconds.

Kh Premlata Devi took 20.7 seconds to fetch the 80 m hurdles event for women above 55 years while Ph Purnimashi Devi claimed the silver medal with a time of 23.6 seconds.

Abujam Sandhyarani also won a silver medal in the women's 60+ 80 m hurdles with a time of 23.4 seconds as W Tamu finished third with a time of 23.7 seconds to win a bronze medal before Phurishabam Tamphamani won a gold medal with a time of 23.4 seconds in the women's 65+ category.

Kh Manichand Singh (70+ men's : 15.7 seconds) and Longjam Bhubon (75+ men : 17.1 seconds) also added gold medals to Manipur's tally on the last day.

1500 m race
The day also saw Manipur's Ningombam Sunita Devi bag 1500 m title for 35+ women's surging home in 5 minutes 59.7 seconds before T Shamungou Meitei took the above 35 years men's crown by covering the same distance in 4 minutes 42.3 seconds.

Assam's Rekha Gogoi reached home in 6 minutes 34.9 second to take the above 40 years women's gold.

Gurmit Singh on the other hand earned Punjab a gold in the 40+ men's event by taking 4:45.3 while Manipur's Kh Premjit finished second taking 4:51.3.Padma Vati of Delhi ran 7:35.5 to take the 45+ women's 1500 m top place as Somjibhai Hathila (4:46.3) and N Basanta Singh (5:10.8) finished first and second in the above 45 years men's event.

Manipur's M Indira then earned another gold medal for the State by finishing on top with 7:01.9 time in the women's 50+ 1500 m race while Maharashtra's Smita Sakpal (7:13.9) and Haryana's Sudesh Kumari (8:02.3) finish second and third.

Birendra PD Sahu of Jharkhand took 5:10.7 to bag the above 50 years men's 1500 m first place while Kerala's Sirajudheen T (5:23.2) and Manipur's Nongmaithem Bheigya-chandra (5:28.5) were second and third.

L Sobhabati on the other hand took the women's 55 years crown with a time of 6:47.4 while Assam's Anima (6:58.4) and Manipur's O Gomti (7:34.3) finished second and third.

O Loken Singh also added a silver medal to Manipur's tally by finishing second in the men's 60+ event with a time of 6 minutes 2.5 seconds as Haryana's Prakash Chander Dahiya bagged the gold medal by taking 6 minutes 1.9 seconds.

Manipur's Sapam Manimohon Singh also bagged a gold medal in the 75+ event where he ran 7:48.4 and S Manihar finished second with a time of 7:48.6 .

4x400 m (relay)
Manipur finished third clocking 6:31.2 in the 35+ men's 4x400 m (relay) event to bag a bronze medal as Goa (6:20.1) and Haryana (6:20.5) were first and second.

Manipur's 40+ men however claimed the gold by taking 6 minutes 47.3 seconds while Tamil Nadu and Haryana finished second and third.

45+ women also earned Manipur a gold medal in 4x400 m (relay) event by taking 8 minutes 1.3 seconds while Kerala finished second with a time of 8 minutes 54.3 seconds.

Tamil Nadu on the other hand claimed the 45+ men's gold with a time of 4:27.1 as Manipur finished second by taking 4 minutes 30.2 seconds.

Manipur's 55+ men (6 minutes 4.7 seconds), 60+ women (7:38.1), 60+ men (4:46.1), 65+ women (7:28.4), 70+ women (9:10.4), 70+ men (5:50.5) and 75 + women (11:06.9) also won gold medals.

400 m race
Ningombam Sunita also claimed another gold medal for Manipur in the 400 m race for above 35 years women by taking 1 minute 12.2 seconds while Lukram Athouba Meitei won a silver medal in the men's 35 + category with a time of 55.1 seconds.

L Sobhabati Devi also earned Manipur a gold medal in the 55+ women's 400 m event with a time of 1 minutes 21.2 seconds while Th Tananbi Devi finished second with 1:27.8 timing to win a silver medal.

M Pramo also won a gold medal finishing first with a time of 1:28.1 in the 60+ women's category as Ch Thambalshang claimed the 65+ women's gold taking 1 minutes 43.1 seconds.

L Imocha on the other hand claimed the 65+ men's gold covering the distance in 1 minutes 9.3 seconds.

In 70+ women's category
Thoudam Akashini Devi took 1:46.3 to win a silver and M Yaima Singh finished second in the 70+ men's event with a time of 1:17.2.L Pramodini (2:40.1) and Th Ibemnungshi (2:15.1) and Kh Lalbabu Singh (1:28.5) also claimed gold medals for Manipur in the 75+ women, 80+ women and 85+ men categories respectively.

5 km walk
Th Ibemnungshi of Manipur also won a gold medal in the 80+ women's 5 km walk with a time of 42:40.4 .

5000 m
Kh Premjit of Manipur won a silver medal in the 40+ men 5000 m race with a time of 18:08.3 as N Basanta also settled for a silver in the 45+ men's category with a time of 19 minutes 22.1 seconds.