State junior athletics championship: Pune’s best failed to beat qualifying mark
August 27, 2019, Pune, Mumbai
Local athletes helped Pune beat 32 other districts from Maharashtra in the 35th Maharashtra State Junior (U-20) Athletics Championship 2019, held at the Balewadi Sports Complex on August 24 and 25.
The under-20 Pune boys finished first with 99 points, 46 points ahead of Satara in second place, while the under-20 Pune girls notched 87 points, 22 points ahead of second placed Nashik.
The athletes who have finished first and second in their respective events, but failed to level or beat the qualifying mark set at the championship will not qualify for the nationals. However, they will get a chance to beat the mark again, in a West zonal meet, which will include athletes from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Goa. The event is tentatively set to take place in Alwar, Rajasthan, and is expected to start in after a few weeks. The date for the commencement of the meet has not been officially announced yet.
Finishing first in the state, but failing to qualify for the nationals is the predominant storyline at this year’s Junior (U-20) Athletics Championship.
