Keen tussle for Champion School

Thiruvananthapuram: The 64th State School Athletics is headed for an exciting finish. The sway the Kothamangalam schools had over the Champion School title seems to be ending as new schools have perched themselves on top of the leaderboard. Ideal HSS, Kadakassery in Malappuram have placed itself at the top of the points table with 53 points while Kalladi HS, Kumaramputhur in Palakkad are second with 41 points. St Joseph’s HS Pulloorampara in Kozhikode are third with 31 points.
Mar Basil HSS, Kothamangalam, the reigning champions, are in fourth place at 31 points while their arch-rivals St George HSS, Kothamangalam are struggling at 28th spot with just five points.
Tuesday, the final day of the meet, will witness 24 finals and the performance of the athletes from these schools will decide the champion school of the 64th edition.
Defending champions Palakkad seems to have ensured the title for the champion district as they are on top with 206 points, leaving second-placed Malappuram a distant second with 110 points. Monday saw two meet records being shattered in the throwing pit at University Stadium. Aiswarya Suresh of Ideal EHSS, Kadakassery in Malappuram won gold in the senior girls’ javelin throw with a record throw of 38.16m and setting a meet record.
She bettered the meet record set by Thaleetha Kummi Sunil in 2019. Later, Servan KC of GHSS Kuttamath in Kasaragod broke a 14-year-old record in junior boys' discus throw. Servan threw the discus to a distance of 50.93m to erase the record set by Mohammed Ijas in 2008. He dominated the event as Ajith K of Ideal HSS, who finished second, could only clear a distance of 37.32m. Aswin C of KHMH Alathiyur, Malappuram won bronze with an effort of 35.65m.