India kick off with 5 medals

Doha, April 21

Javelin thrower Annu Rani and steeplechase runner Avinash Sable won a silver each while 5000m runner Parul Choudhary and quartermiler MR Poovamma grabbed bronze medals on the opening day of the Asian Athletics Championships. 

The 26-year-old Annu, who had won a bronze in the 2017 edition in Bhubaneswar, hurled the spear to a distance of 60.22m to grab the silver. 

China’s Lyu Huihui won the gold with an effort of 65.83m. Annu’s performance was more than two metres short of her national record of 62.34m set at the Federation Cup in Patiala last month which gave her a berth in the World Championships to be held at the same venue in September-October. Sharmila Kumari finished seventh with a best throw of 54.48m. Sable won the silver in the men's 3000m steeplechase with a timing of 8m 30.19s.

Hima injured

Poovamma won the bronze in the women’s 400m by clocking 53.21s in the final. The 28-year-old finished third behind Elina Mikhina (53.19) of Kazakhstan and favourite Salwa Naser (51.34) of Bahrain. Hima Das failed to finish her 400m heat as she suffered a back muscle spasm. 

The 24-year-old Parul finished third in the women’s 5000m race, clocking a personal best of 15m 36.03s. She bettered her personal best of 15:58.35 which she had clocked during the Federation Cup last month. Sanjivani Jadhav finished fourth with a time of 15:41.12. Murli Gavit claimed men's 10,000m bronze with a personal best timing of 28:38.34.

Dutee sets national record

Dutee Chand smashed her own national record in the women’s 100m heats to qualify for the semifinals.

The 23-year-old Dutee clocked 11.28 seconds to win heat No. 4 in the women’s 100m event and qualify for the semifinals. She improved on her previous national record of 11.29s, which she set last year in Guwahati. The Odisha runner, however, could not touch the 11.24s qualification mark for the for the World Championships. Jinson Johnson (men’s 800m), Muhammed Anas and Arokia Rajiv (both men’s 400m), Praveen Chitravel (men’s triple jump) and Gomathi Marimuthu (women’s 1500m) also advanced to the next round of their respective events.

Jinson 2nd in heat

National record holder Johnson clocked 1m 53.43s in the men’s 800m heats to finish second behind Qatar’s Jamal Hairane and qualify for the semifinals. Mohammed Afsal won his 800m heat in 1:52.93 to qualify for the semis. In the women’s 800m, Gomathi Marimuthu clocked 2m 04.96s to finish second in her heat and qualify for the finals. Arokia Rajiv won his 400m heat with a timing of 46.25s to advance to the semifinals while Anas clocked 46.46s.

Day 1

5 Medals: 2 Silver, 3 Bronze

Annu Rani Silver Javelin Throw

Avinash Sable Silver 3000m Steeplechase

Parul Choudhary Bronze 5000m 

MR Poovamma Bronze 400m 

MK Gavit Bronze 10,000m