Shenoy lead gold haul

Padmashree Taranath Shenoy was the star performer as Maharashtra had a field day with as many as 11 record-breaking efforts - seven in men and four in women- on the second and final day of the Senate Royale National Masters Swimming Championships, held at Andheri Sports Complex here on Sunday.

Taranath Shenoy, who is visually impaired swimmer was awarded Padmashree in 1990 and has also earned a spate of honours in his long swimming career. The manner in which he won the men’s 400m freestyle event in the 45-49 age groups in a record-breaking time of 6:03.36 seconds, showed his fitness and class in abundance. On Saturday, too, he had broken the 200m freestyle record of Services’ Balram Singh’s 2006 (2:50.76) with a timing of 2:46.15 secs.

Sharing the day’s glory with Taranath, was another Maharashtra swimmer, Sukjit Kaur. Apart from winning the freestyle 100m, 200m, 50m in record-breaking timing, she ended in all with six golds, which included two in medley and freestyle relays. What’s more interesting is that like Taranath, she too has been a long distance swimmer. And to top it all, she played for Bombay University in water-polo and volleyball and represented Maharashtra in triathlon.

Winners: WOMEN: (30-34) 50m backstroke: Sukhjit Kaur (Maha) - 00:42.00 (00:56.38). 100m (35-39) Breast stroke: Sayali Thosar (Maha) -01:47.83 (01:48.85). 50m Butterfly: Nandita Kapoor (Karnataka) - 00:49.00 (00:54.91). 400m Freestyle: Nandita Kapoor - 08:34.00 (09:14.08). (40-44): 50m Backstroke: Rani Anisa Appukutan (TN) -00:45.62 (00:51.01). 100m Breast stroke: Shiney Varghese (YN) -01:58.88 (02:07.63). 50m.