Karnataka's Dhaneshwari likely to take Hima's place in Indian 4x100m relay team
Patiala: Injured Hima Das' place in the women's 100m relay final on Tuesday is likely to be taken by Karnataka's AT Dhaneshwari as the Indian quartet makes a final bid for Olympics qualification during the ongoing National Inter-State Championships here.
Dhaneshwari had finished fifth in the 100m dash, won by S Dhanalakshmi of Tamil Nadu on Saturday, with a time of 11.71 seconds.
The other members of the quartet will be national record holder Dutee Chand, Dhanalkshmi and Archana Suseendran. Dutee had finished fourth and Archana third in the final on Saturday.
Hima sustained a hamstring injury while running the 100m heats on Saturday and is unlikely to take further part in the championships, unless she makes a dramatic recovery in the next 48 hours.
She is, however, listed among eight finalists for the 200m race to be run on Tuesday. The heat races for the 200m were not held on Sunday after Dutee, Dhanalakshmi and Archana pulled out.
The Athletics Federation of India said direct final will be held on Tuesday.
The absence of Dhanalakshmi and Archana could be to give them enough time to rest, while Dutee is recovering from a minor muscle tightness.
Dutee, who finished fourth in the 100m dash won by Dhanalakshmi, was seen having some discomfort after crossing the finishing line on Saturday.
"It is a minor issue, jut tightness in glutes (muscles of buttocks). She is is not running 200m but will run 4x100m relay," Dutee's coach N Ramesh said.
Dutee is expected to make it to Tokyo Games 100m sprint on the basis of world rankings though she could not breach the qualifying standard of 11.15 seconds. She is currently sitting pretty at 41st place in the Road to Tokyo list as 56 competitors will run in the event.
She had clocked 11.17 seconds to better her own national record during the Indian Grand Prix 4 earlier this month.
For the women's 4x100m relay, the Indian quartet will have to clock below 43.04 seconds to have any chances of qualifying for the Olympics, which opens on July 23.
The women's 4x100m relay final is also scheduled for Tuesday.
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Two held for 'firing' at BJP leader's house in Bengal
Kolkata (PTI): A day before the counting of votes for the West Bengal assembly elections, two persons were arrested on Sunday for allegedly being involved in a firing incident outside the residence of a BJP leader in North 24 Parganas district, police said.
BJP leader Kundan Singh lodged a police complaint, alleging that a few gunmen fired at his house in the Noapara constituency around Saturday midnight.
Based on the CCTV footage, the two accused were apprehended, a senior officer said.
BJP's Noapara candidate Arjun Singh, in a post on social media, claimed that around 12.05 am, two armed miscreants arrived on a motorcycle at the residence of Kundan Singh, a BJP functionary and secretary of the Barrackpore organisational district, with an "intent to kill him".
According to the BJP leader, the accused are residents of Garulia and are known criminals.
Their names as offenders had been submitted to the Election Commission, he said.
The police officer did not specify whether the two arrested persons were the same individuals named by Arjun Singh.
According to the complaint, one round of firing took place outside Kundan Singh's house, triggering panic in the area.
The BJP candidate also questioned the role of the police, claiming that one of the accused had been detained by the police on the polling day but was later released in the evening.
The Noapara assembly seat went to the polls on April 29.
Several BJP leaders alleged that attempts were being made to create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the counting and weaken the organisation of the opposition parties.
The counting of votes will take place on May 4. Polling for the West Bengal assembly elections was held on April 23 and April 29.
The BJP urged the Election Commission to intervene immediately to ensure peaceful counting.
TMC candidate Somnath Shyam rubbished Arjun Singh’s allegation, claiming that the BJP nominee had orchestrated the firing incident to divert attention from imminent defeat.
“Arjun Singh knows all the gangsters in the Barrackpore belt. Everyone knows about his links with the underworld. Let the police investigate the incident,” Shyam said.
