Manikanta Hoblidhar made a fine comeback from injury, winning the men’s 100m final in 10.25 seconds at the National Open Athletics Championships at the JLN Stadium on Friday.
The Karnataka sprinter was a key member of the Indian sprint team that brought the showpiece 100m into focus with a series of national record-breaking performances over the past few seasons. Manikanta started the trend in 2023, clocking 10.23 seconds, before improving his mark to 10.19 seconds at the National Open meet last year.
Animesh Kujur and current national record holder Gurindervir Singh lowered the mark further last season, but Manikanta was sidelined because of an injury. He pulled his hamstring during the National Open Relay Competition in March, ending his season. The injury also meant he missed major international events.
Reflecting on the setback, Manikanta described it as a very tough period. He noted that the grade 2 hamstring tear put him out of action when he was performing at his peak, and although he competed at a state meet in September, this marked his first major domestic competition back.
Lalu Prasad Bhoi, representing Railways, gave Manikanta a strong challenge before the winner pulled away in the home stretch. Lalu clocked 10.43 seconds to secure the silver medal, while Laukik Melge of SSCB claimed the bronze in 10.45 seconds.
Another athlete making a successful return from injury was Railways competitor Moumita Mandal, who captured the women’s 100m hurdles title in 13.48 seconds and celebrated her victory with a somersault. A shoulder injury had previously sidelined her from action.
New faces also emerged victorious in the 400m events. Anjli of Haryana took the women's title in 53.37 seconds, outpacing established competitors Priya Mohan and Priya Thakur. In the men's division, Akash Raj of Tamil Nadu won with a time of 46.24 seconds, narrowly defeating Vikrant Panchal and Mijo Kurian.
In field events, shot putter Manpreet Kaur secured the gold medal with a throw of 17.07m, finishing comfortably ahead of Srishti Vij. Meanwhile, the men's triple jump gold went to Sebastian VS with a leap of 16.54m.
Earlier in the program, Suraj Panwar claimed victory in the men's half marathon race walk with a time of 1:30:48.00, and Ankita triumphed in the women's 1500m race by clocking 4:13.18.