Chennai, Apr 15 (PTI) Several top athletes, including long jumpers Jeswin Aldrin and Shaili Singh, began their domestic season at the Indian Open Meet but some of them showed rustiness and were beaten by less fancied opponents here on Tuesday.

The one-day meet assumed significance as it was held just few days ahead of the April 21-24 Federation Cup in Kochi, which is the final selection event for the Asian Championships to be held next month in Korea.

Aldrin as well as other national record holders Tejas Shirse (men’s 110m hurdles) and Muhammed Anas Yahiya (men’s 400m) failed to win their respective events. Toor ended on top but with a mediocre performance.

Shaili, however, was the exception as she won the women’s long jump with a creditable 6.45m effort in her last attempt. She was representing Uttar Pradesh in the meet.

Shirse of Reliance was beaten by R Manav of Railways in a stunning upset. Manav clocked 13.94 seconds to emerge on top while Shirse could manage 13.96 seconds, well below his national record time of 13.41 seconds.

In men’s 200m, Animesh Kujur ran 20.63 seconds in the preliminary race but could only clock 21.14 seconds in the final. National record holder Amlan Borgohain (20.52) did not enter the meet.

Kujur (10.56 seconds) was beaten in the men’s 100m race by Pranav Pramod Gurav of Railways, who ran 10.38 seconds in the final. The national record of 10.20 seconds stands in the name of Gurindervir Singh.

Anas ran 45.21 seconds in the men’s 400m preliminary round but did not start in the final race. Amoj Jacob did not finish the final race.

Rising long jumper Aditya Kumar Singh (PB: 8.01m) cleared 7.74m to win the men’s event while national record holder Aldrin — 8.42m in 2023 — was a distant seventh with an effort of 7.36m which he came up in his first attempt.

Aldrin could not register a legal jump in his remaining five attempts.

Asian Games silver medallist javelin thrower Kishore Jena of Odisha also began his season with a below-par effort of 75.99m as he was pushed to second place by Railways’ Yashvir Singh (77.49m).

Another national record holder, Toor won the men’s shot put event but with a below-par effort of 17.61m which he came up with in first attempt. He fouled the next two attempts and then let go of the remaining three.

His national record stands at 21.77m which was registered in 2023. PTI PDS PDS DDV