National Games 2025: Chanda shines in women’s 800m with new PB and Games record; Yarraji, Chithravel, Afsal win gold
K.M. Chanda looked at the giant screen a few times, unable to believe her gold-winning time of 2:00.82s in the women’s 800m in the 38th National Games at the Ganga Stadium, here on Tuesday.
“I was not expecting that at all,” the Asian Championship silver medallist told Sportstar after her stunning season-opener that bettered her three-year-old Games record and her personal best (previous 2:01.16s).
Delhi’s Chanda, who is coached by Olympian O.P. Jaisha in Bengaluru, had picked up plenty of lessons while watching the Paris Olympics and tried using them here.
“I noticed that athletes were running the opening lap in 58, 59 seconds and going all out in the last 150m, and I tried to do that,” said Chanda. She played a patient waiting game, shadowing race leader Amandeep Kaur for a part of the two-lapper, before breaking away just before the penultimate corner. She collapsed in exhaustion after crossing the finish line.
“I will try to go below two minutes this season,” she said.
Meanwhile, National record-holder Praveen Chithravel (17.37m) led a Tamil Nadu 1-2 in the men’s triple jump with Mohammed Salahuddin. Chithravel’s gold came with a fourth-round effort of 16.50m.
“I didn’t expect anything here, for the start of the season to be this is good,” said Chithravel, who trains at the JSW’s IIS centre at Ballari.
Asian Games silver medallist Mohammed Afsal worked his way from the back of the pack to win the men’s 800m, while Asian silver medallist Jyothi Yarraji made sure everybody noticed her stylish hairdo as she cruised to the women’s 200m gold to add to the 100m hurdles title she had won earlier. Odisha’s Animesh Kujur completed a 100-200m double and now has three golds, including one in the sprint relay.
The race walk, which was first scrapped from the Games schedule before making a return after much pressure from host Uttarakhand, saw the first six bettering the Games record in the men’s 20km event with Services’ Servin Sebastian beating Paris Olympian Suraj Panwar for the gold. The women walkers were only offered a 10km event, last held in 1999, and all nine finishers bettered the Games record.
The results:
Men: 200m: 1. Animesh Kujur (Odi) 20.58s, 2. Ragul Kumar (TN) 21.06, 3. B. Nithin (TN) 21.07. 800m: 1. Mohammed Afsal (Ser) 1:49.13s, 2. Anu Kumar (Utk) 1:49.19, 3. Prakash Gagade (Ser) 1:49.58. Triple jump: 1. Praveen Chithravel (TN) 16.50m, 2. Mohammed Salahuddin (TN) 16.01, 3. Mohammed Muhassin (Ker) 15.57. Hammer throw: 1. Taranveer Singh (Ser) 66.64m, 2. Damneet Singh (Pun) 64.71, 3. Praveen Kumar (Raj) 64.42. 20km race walk: 1. Servin Sebastian (Ser) 1:21.23s MR, OR Gurmeet Singh’s 1:23.26, 2011; 2. Suraj Panwar (Utk) 1:21.34 BR; 3. Amanjot Singh (Pun) 1:21.42.
Women: 200m: 1. Jyothi Yarraji (AP) 23.35s, 2. Unnathi Aiyappa (Kar) 23.70, 3. Nithya Gandhe (Tel) 23.76. 800m: 1. K.M. Chanda (Del) 2:00.82s MR, OR own 2:01.58 2022; 2. Twinkle Chaudhary (Pun) 2:03.46, 3. Amandeep Kaur (Pun) 2:04.76. 10km walk: 1. Ravina (Har) 45.52.00s MR, OR Baladevi’s 51:56.00s 1999; 2. Shalini (Utk) 46:12.00, 3. Munita Prajapati (UP) 46:23.00. Heptathlon: 1. Agasara Nandini (Tel) 5601 prts, 2. Pooja (Har) 4999, 3. S. Deepika (TN) 4939.