Shot-putter Tajinder Toor qualifies for Tokyo Olympics with record-breaking show at IGP 4
Patiala, Jun 21: Shot-putter Tajinder Singh Toor qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a new national record at the Indian Grand Prix 4 here on a day when the national women's 4x100m relay team and sprinter Dutee Chand also breached the previous best marks in the country.
Toor crossed the Olympic Qualification mark with a throw of 21.49m and broke his own National Record. The Olympic Qualifying effort in this event is 21.10m.
The previous record, which was also in Toor's name, stood at 20.92m and was set in 2019.
The women's relay team, however, failed to place itself inside the Olympic qualifying bracket despite the record effort of its own.
The quartet of Hima Das, Dutee Chand, S Dhanalakshmi and Archana Suseendran clocked 43.37 seconds to win the race ahead of India 'B' team (48.02 seconds) and Maldives (50.74) in the three team race.
The Indian team bettered the previous record of 43.42 seconds set in 2016 in Almaty by the quartet of Merlin K Joseph, H M Jyothi, Srabani Nanda and Dutee.
But the quartet failed to clock below 43.05 seconds needed to be among the top 16 teams in the Road to Tokyo list. Sixteen team will run in the women's 4x100m relay race in Tokyo Games.
India was placed 22nd before Monday's race on the basis of its 43.81 seconds performance during the 2019 Asian Championships. Monday's 43.37 seconds will take India to the 20th spot.
Olympic-bound Kamalpreet Kaur bettered her earlier national record mark in women's discus throw by hurling the iron disc to a distance of 66.59m.
But her performance will not be counted as the new national record as she was the lone competitor in the event.
"As per rules, for national record purposes, the number of competitors should at least be three. So, her performance will not be counted as national record. But it will be considered for other purposes like ranking," AFI Secretary Ravinder Chaudhry told PTI.
Kaur had become the country's first woman discus thrower to breach the 65m mark with a national record mark of 65.06m during the Federation Cup here in March, which also booked her a spot in the Tokyo Olympics.
Her performance on Monday will place her 8th in the Road to Tokyo list, and could put her in the medal contention bracket.
The bronze medal winners in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics came up with 66.38m and 65.34m efforts respectively.
Sprinter Dutee Chand also shattered a national record in the women's 100m event. She completed the race in 11.17seconds. However, the Olympic Qualification time in this event is 11.15s.
The previous record was 11.21 seconds, also created by Dutee.
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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.
