Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai : The opening day of the 64th Senior National Inter-State Athletics Championships at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium witnessed a whirlwind of new records and electrifying performances. Seema from Himachal Pradesh set the tone in the women’s 5000m by clinching gold with a time of 15:42.64, surpassing the previous meet record set in 2017. In a display of raw speed, Tamil Nadu’s Tamil Arasu stormed the men’s 100m with a record-shattering 10.22s, bettering the old mark from 2021, while Dhanalakshmi marked her competitive comeback in the women’s 100m, clocking an impressive 11.36s to take the title.
The men’s pole vault final delivered the evening’s most dramatic scene, as Tamil Nadu’s Reegan G and M Gowtham soared to joint gold medals, both clearing a new meet record of 5.20m. The previous mark, set just last year, was left behind as both athletes attempted higher leaps but narrowly missed, shaking hands after a tense but good-natured duel. Their shared triumph lit up the stadium and captured the spirit of sportsmanship that defines this prestigious competition.
The host state’s athletes put on a show to remember, dominating sprints and field events alike. Devyaniba Zala from Gujarat led the women’s 400m semis, while promising local stars were poised for podium finishes in the following days. As day one closed, Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium had seen records tumble, careers revived, and ambitions raised—setting a thrilling tone for the rest of the championship.
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