Schoolgirl spotlight

The meet had, as per The Times of India of December 16, 2005, 2,400-odd entries from 123 schools. At the 112th Annual Inter School Athletic Championship of the Mumbai School Sports Association from December 15-18, 2005, young Karen Mistry, Scherezade Contractor, Sanaya Ichhaporia, Roshni Dadachanji and Leanne Pavri competed with the best from schools all over Bombay to stand on the rostrum with medals in running, long jump and high jump.

Nine-year-old Karen Mistry of Girton High School set a new meet record, (NMR) with her timing of 14.8 sec in the 100 m in the girls under-10. When she sprinted over the line in 7.7 sec in the 50 m, it was a NMR as well, fetching her also the best girl athlete of the championship award.

Clockwise from top left: Mistry, Ichhaporia, Dadachanji and Contractor

In the girls under-12, Sanaya Ichhaporia of Christ Church picked up gold in the 200 m with a time of 29.1 sec and gold in the 100 m as well with a 14.0 sec sprint. Just a few days earlier Ichhaporia’s timing of 14.0 sec at the Bombay City District Annual Athletics Championship had seen her erase a record which had stood for 24 years!

Scherezade Contractor of St Anne’s, Fort saw silvers in the 100 m and 200 m in girls under-14. Contractor had a fifth place finish in the triathlon (100 m, long jump and 800 m) at the national level earlier in Madras in the girls under-14.

A long jump of 3.44 m brought Roshni Dadachanji of J. B. Petit School the gold in the girls under-10.

Teenaged Leanne Pavri of Convent of Jesus and Mary was on a high with a 1.45 m gold winning high jump in the girls under-16, as per press reports on the various events of the meet held at the University Stadium. Pavri had also won the high jump gold at the state meet in Aurangabad in November.