Mysore, June 2: The most striking aspect of a sporting event is the victory of a dark horse. When Punjab's Rajinder Prasad and Haryana's Punam Chhabra emerged as the best gymnasts of the fourth National Games on Monday, it was victory for the unfancied.

Rajinder and Punam pipped fancied opponents to win the individual all-round championships in men's and womne's sections respectively at the ovan like Chamundi Vihar indoor stadium.

Rajinder had the more accomplished Ajit Jarande to beat while Punam had to overcome the mights of Sucharitha Manna and Jeshwanth Kaur, but the ease with which the duo demolished the opposition was a tribute to the theory of unpredictability of sport.

Rajinder emerged as the champion in the men's section amassing 51.80 points with his best effort coming on the horizontal with 8.825 points.Punam totalled 31.381 to clinch the title.

Sundari Mondal of West Bengal took the silver with 30.806 points and Jaswant finished third with 30.449 points.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.