The opening day of the National Open athletics championships at the rain-soaked Birsa Munda Stadium in Morabadi delivered its share of drama. Bhairabi Roy showcased remarkable resilience, battling through initial venue confusion to secure the women’s triple jump gold. Meanwhile, national record-holding pole vaulter Dev Meena had a less fortunate outing, finishing a surprising third.
Just three weeks after achieving a personal best of 13.39m at the inter-Railway meet, the 30-year-old Bhairabi, who recently relocated her training from Kolkata to Mumbai to recover from a hamstring injury, proved her mettle. Her fifth attempt of 13.10m was enough to edge out Poorva Sawant by a mere five centimeters, sealing her victory.
Reflecting on her win, Bhairabi expressed mixed feelings. “I definitely could have performed better,” she stated, recounting the stressful start to her day. “I mistakenly arrived at a different stadium with the same name, which led to a nine-kilometer trek through heavy traffic. By the time I reached, I had no time to warm up, and the rain had made the track incredibly sluggish.” Despite the hurdles, she remains optimistic about adding another medal in the long jump.
The men’s pole vault event was particularly challenging, plagued by poor lighting that hindered athletes’ visibility of the box and bar. Adding to the difficulties, the persistent rain forced a temporary halt to the competition, disrupting the athletes’ rhythm. Despite these tough conditions, the top four competitors managed to clear 5.10m, albeit after numerous unsuccessful tries.
Ultimately, M. Gowtham claimed the pole vault gold, with Rambeer, Dev Meena, and former national record holder Siva S. rounding out the top positions. In the women’s 5,000m race, World University Games silver medalist Seema showed her class, overtaking 18-year-old Sanjana Singh in the final lap to win gold with a time of 16:01.27s. Despite missing gold, Sanjana celebrated a commendable personal best of 16:03.23s, a truly satisfying achievement.
Earlier in the 100m semifinals, Manikanta Hoblidhar made headlines by matching his own 2023 meet record of 10.23 seconds, establishing himself as the fastest male sprinter of the day so far.
Here are the top results from the day’s finals:
- Men’s 5000m: Prince Kumar (AIP) with a time of 14:06.57s
- Men’s Pole Vault: M. Gowtham, clearing 5.10m
- Women’s 5000m: Seema (HP), clocking 16:01.27s
- Women’s Triple Jump: Bhairabi Roy (Rlys), leaping 13.10m
- Women’s Discus: Seema (Har), with a throw of 55.26m