Rasipuram schools bag 42 medals at zonal athletics meet

Students from Rasipuram schools won 42 medals, including 17 golds, at the three-day zonal athletics meet for schools held at the district sports ground in Namakkal. In the girls' under-17 category, Class 11 student R. Divya won the 400 m and 800 m races, while the town's relay team set a new meet record in the 4 x 100 m relay. Among the boys, Class 12 student P. Arun won gold in both the long jump and the triple jump. A total of 26 students from the town have qualified for the district-level meet to be held next month. Physical education teachers said the results reflected months of early-morning practice on the municipal ground. Parents and teachers felicitated the medal winners at a small function on Monday, and schools have requested permanent floodlights along the running track so that practice can continue in the evenings during winter.