Answaf, Rahna emerge fastest athletes of Kerala School Games

Ernakulam lad Answaf K Asharaf and GV Raja trainee Rahna Raghu E P emerged the fastest athletes of Kerala School Games at the Maharaja's College athletics tracks in Kochi on Friday.

Meet records in the 100m races remained intact but they came under serious threat in the senior and junior boys' finals.

Answaf clocked 10.81 seconds to strike gold in the senior boys' 100m final. The student of St Stephen's HSS Keerampara was quicker than the rest as he was the only one who managed to finish under 11 seconds. But a 13-year-old record of 10.70 seconds held by Jijin Vijayan was untouched.

Palakkad sprinter J Nivedkrishna so nearly eclipsed the junior boys' 100m meet record of 10.90 seconds set in 1988 by Ram Kumar of GV Raja Sports School. Nivedkrishna (10.98) too ran under 11 seconds, the only one in the junior boys' final. Jeo Issac Sebastian of Kunnamkulam, Thrissur (11.19) and Athul T M of Mararikulam in Alappuzha (11.23) bagged second and third places respectively.

The senior girls' 100 m final was so tight with the top four separated by merely 0.16 seconds. Rahna edged the pack with 12.62 while Adhithya Aji (12.72) of Thirunavaya in Malappuram and Amanika H (12.77) of Adoor in Pathanamthitta completed the podium.

In the sub-junior 100 m races, Niyaz Ahmad B A of Kasaragod (12.40) and Devapriya Shaibu of Idukki (13.17) took gold. Sreya R of Alappuzha was clocked the fastest (12.54) in junior girls' 100m event.