Shot putter Toor, 1500m runner Jinson crash out in qualification round in World Championships
Doha: India's Asian Games gold medallist duo of shot putter Tejinder Pal Singh Toor and 1500m runner Jinson Johnson crashed out of the World Athletics Championships in the qualification round here on Thursday.
The 24-year-old Toor produced season's best effort of 20.43m to finish eighth in the qualification round Group B and 18th overall out of 34 competitors while Jinson ran a below par 3 minutes 39.86 seconds to end 10th in his first round heats and 34th overall out of 43 runners.
Toor was the first to take the field but with eight shot putters from Group A having already touched the automatic final round qualifying mark of 20.90m, it was a difficult task for Toor, who has a personal best -- also national record -- of 20.75m, to make the cut.
He opened with a 20.43m, bettering his earlier season's best of 20.36m, but fouled his next attempt.
Pressure mounted on him as three competitors from Group B touched the automatic qualifying mark in their first attempt while another shot putter did the same in the second round.
That meant Toor will have to touch 20.90m and rewrite his own national record in his third and final attempt if he has to qualify for the finals.
But it was too tough a task for Toor as he could only come up with a 19.55m effort to crash out of the championships.
Those who touched 20.90m or at least 12 best performers were to make it to the final and eventually 12 shot putters from Group A and Group B combined were able to cross the automatic qualifying mark for the finals.
Reigning world champion and 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist Tomas Walsh of New Zealand led the finalists with a throw of 21.92m.
Toor had won a gold in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta with his national record setting effort of 20.75m. He also won a gold in the Asian Championships at the same venue in April with a throw of 20.22m.
It was more disappointment for India as the 28-year-old Jinson, who broke his own national record just last month with a time of 3:35.24, failed to preserve enough energy for the home stretch as he was overtaken by one competitor after another to run more than four seconds outside his best timing.
He was among the leading five till the final bell but he fell behind towards the end. The top six from each of the three heats and the next six fastest advanced to the semifinals.
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Integrity of electoral process severely compromised, Cong to soon launch movement: CWC
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress Working Committee met here on Friday and adopted a resolution alleging the integrity of the entire electoral process was being severely compromised against which the party would soon launch a movement.
In the resolution of the top body of the Congress, the party said free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that was being called into "serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission".
The CWC, which met amid the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, said the session has been a washout so far because of the Narendra Modi government's "stubborn refusal" to have an immediate discussion on three pressing national issues -- "the recent revelations regarding corruption by a business group, and the violence in Manipur and Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal".
Asked why the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution does not name the business group, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "The answer is the Adani group".
"The CWC believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission.
"Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take these up these public concerns as a national movement," the resolution stated.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Ramesh and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, party general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the party discussed the political situation in the country for four-and-half hours and adopted the resolution.
He said the CWC has decided to constitute internal committees to look into electoral performance and organisational matters.
About the Assembly polls results in Maharashtra, Venugopal said the electoral outcome in the state was "beyond normal understanding and it appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation".
