Kasaragod: Nearly a month after creating the National School record, shot-putter from Kasaragod Anupriya VS broke the Games Record at the Khelo India Youth Games 2023 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Outdoor Stadium in Chennai.
Anupriya, who is five months short of 18 years, created the Khelo India Youth Games Record with a throw of 17.22 metres. She broke the record of 17.07 metres, set by Haryana's Vidhi at the previous edition of the Khelo India Youth Games held at Bhopal in February 2023. Vidhi was then 18 years and one month old. Anupriya came second in that event with a throw of 15.01 metres.
At the 67th National School Athletics Tournament held at Chandrapur in Maharashtra, Anupriya became the first under-18 athlete to breach the 17-metre mark. She created a National School Record with a throw of 17.40 metres.
In August 2023, she won a bronze medal for India at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago with a throw of 15.62 metres.
At the Khelo India Youth Games being held in Chennai, she created the record of 17.22 metres in her fifth throw on Tuesday, January 23.
Gurleen Kaur of Punjab bagged the silver medal with a throw of 16.38 metres, and Tamanna of Haryana won the bronze medal with a throw of 16.35 metres.
Of the three, Anupriya is the youngest. "I approached the game intending to break the record as it is my final Khelo India Youth Games. Thankfully, I won the gold with a new record," said Anupriya, who trains at KC Throws Academy, a 1,100 sqft arena, in Cheruvathur panchayat of Kasaragod.
Her coach Gireesh KC, who is producing several medal winners, said Anupriya has set a target of breaching the 18-metre mark by the time she turns 18 years old. "18 at 18 is her target. It is achievable. Her 'practice best' is 17.65 metres," he said.
The shot put for under-18 weighs 3kg, and for under-20 weighs 4kg. "She has already started practising with 4kg," he said.
