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Poncha sets 200m butterfly mark
March 31, 2004 21:27 IST
India set the pool ablaze for the second day running, grabbing all the four gold medals at stake, two with new Games records, in the men's swimming events of the ninth SAF Games in Islamabad on Wednesday.
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Rehan Poncha won the 200m butterfly in record time, while T A Sujith collected two gold medals (50m freestyle and 4 x 200m freestyle medley relay).
Akbar Ali Mir, who won the 200m backstroke gold yesterday, swam as the anchor in the 4 x 200m freestyle medley relay for his second gold. Thus, India have won all the eight events that have been decided in the past two days.
There was stiff competition amongst two Indians themselves in the 50m freestyle, which was won by Sujith.
Varun Divgikar led the field but Sujith put his experience to good effect in overtaking the former just ten metres before the finish.
Sujith covered the distance in 24.54 secs and Divgikar took 24.82 secs for the silver. Kazi Monirul Islam (Bangladesh) got the bronze medal.
Rehan Poncha was cynosure of all eyes as he set a new mark in the 200m butterfly, clocking 2 mins 07.10 secs, which eclipsed the old mark of 2.07.68 secs, set by K Suresh
Kumar of India, in Chennai in 1995.
Puneet Rana claimed the gold in 50m breaststroke with a time of 31.00 secs.
The Indian quartet of Amar Muralidharan,Rahul Batra, Sujith and Akbar Ali Mir needed 8 min 05.76 secs to win the 4 x 200m freestyle medley relay and erase the old mark of 8.10.91 secs, set by the Indians in 1995 at Chennai.
Results:
Men finals:
50m Freestyle: 1. T A Sujith (Ind) 24.54 sec; 2. Varun Divgikar (Ind) 24.82 secs; 3. Kazi Monirul Islam (Bang) 25.06 secs.
200m Butterfly: 1. Rehan Poncha (Ind) 2.07.10 secs NGR (Old: K Suresh Kumar- Ind- 2.07.68 secs at Chennai 1995); 2. Zulfiqar Ali (Pak) 2.13.26 secs; 3. Ali Gul (Pak) 2.16.02 secs.
50m Breaststroke: 1. Puneet Rana (Ind) 31.00 secs; 2. Conrad Anthony Francis (SL) 31.35; 3. Kardar Samedul Islam (Bang) 31.55 secs.
4x200m Freestyle Medley Relay: 1. India (Amar Muralidharan, Rahul Batra, Sujith, Akbar Ali Mir) 8.05.76 secs NGR (Old: Indian team- 8.10.91 secs at Chennai, 1995); 2. Pakistan 8.22.43 secs and 3. Bangladesh 8.29.55 secs.