AFI Media
New Delhi
It was another eventful day at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Monday as Indian athletes won three silver and one bronze medal to swell the tally to 16, two of them gold.
India’s 28 years old Asian champion, Parul Chaudhary, set the tone for the day by winning silver in women’s 3000m steeplechase. While Priti claimed bronze behind Parul.
Long jumper Ancy Sojan and the 4x400m mixed relay team added two more silver medals to the tally.
After a slow start Ancy gradually moved up the ladder to claim silver in long jump, it was a disappointing day for promising long jumper Shaili Singh as she finished fifth.
Tejaswin Shankar was leading Day-One in decathlon (100m, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m). He collected 4260 points.
“I have a healthy lead. Will go back to the village and recover to prepare for the second day as the decathlon is all about ten events,” Shankar said.
In the women’s pole vault, Pavithra Vengatesh finished sixth. She cleared 4m.
Earlier, the morning session was quite productive. Both Sarvesh Anil Kushare and Jesse Sandesh advanced to the final round of the men’s high. In the qualification both Kushare and Sanesh cleared 2.10m to finish in ninth place. Top 12 or 2.26m was the automatic qualification mark.
Krishan Kumar (1:49. 45 secs) and Muhammed Afzal (1:46.76 secs) also qualified for the men’s 800m final.
It was smooth sailing for both Santhosh Kumar (49.28 secs) and Yashas P (49.61 secs) into the medal round of the men’s 400m hurdles.
The most exciting event of the day turned out to be the women’s 400m hurdles heat. India’s Vithya Ramaraj clocked 55.42 seconds, a personal best, to equal the long standing national record of PT Usha set at 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Sinchal Kaveram, the second Indian in the women’s low hurdles clocked 58.62 secs in heat and failed to progress to the final.
Results
Women
Ancy Sojan (long jump–silver 6.63m)
Shaili Singh (long jump –fifth 6.48m)
Parul Chaudhary (3000m steeplechase—silver 9:27.63); Priti (bronze 9:43.32)
Mixed 4x400m relay (silver 3:14.34 seconds)
Amlan Borgohain (200m sixth 20.98 secs)