Asiad champion Poovamma stars in National Open Athletics

Asian Games champion runner M. Poovamma led the charge on the second day of the 54th National Open Athletics Championships by winning gold in the women's 400 metre race at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here Monday.

Poovamma, of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), led from the start and had little difficulty in claiming the top spot in 53.59 seconds ahead of Arpitha M. of Karnataka (54.70 seconds) and Life Insurance Corporation's (LIC) Anu Mriyam Jo (55.28 seconds).

Poovamma, who had clinched the 4x400m women's relay gold in Incheon, had won the bronze in 400m at the Asiad. She is currently ranked second in Asia in the 400m category.

Later, Railways' Tintu Luka claimed gold in the women's 800m, clocking 2:3.88, well ahead of ONGC's Sini Ajith Markose (2:06.91) and Tamil Nadu's Gomathi (2:07.03).

Tintu won silver in the category at Incheon and bronze in 2010 Guangzhou. She was also part of the team, along with Poovamma, which won gold in the 4x400m relay in South Korea.

In men's long jump, LIC's Ankit Sharma clinched gold, levelling the meet records for the event, leaping 7.87m ahead of Services' M. Arshad, who managed 7.58m, and Railways' K. Prem Kumar, who jumped 7.53m.

Services Sports Control Board's (SSCB) Kunhu Mohammed resisted stiff competition from Asiad bronze medallist Arokia Rajiv to win the top spot in the men's 400m event, clocking 46.97 seconds. Rajiv came in second with a time of 46.99 seconds while Bibin Mathew came third, clocking 47.83.