Sudha, Tintu bring good news for Indian athletics

India grabbed a silver and bronze through Sudha Singh and Tintu Luka respectively on the final day to end their Asian Athletics Championships campaign with just one gold, two silver and seven bronze medals in Kobe on Sunday.

India grabbed a silver and bronze through Sudha Singh and Tintu Luka respectively on the final day to end their Asian Athletics Championships campaign with just one gold, two silver and seven bronze medals in Kobe today.

HT Image

Sudha, who was bidding to become the first woman to win both Asian Games and Asian Championships, clocked 10:08.52sec, in 3000m steeplechase -- well below her national record timing of 10:10.77secs which she clocked at Guangzhou last year.

A 38-year-old Minori Hayakari of Japan won the gold with a new championship record timing of 9:52.42sec. Thi Phuong Nguyen of Vietnam took bronze in 10:14.94s.

It was yet again a case of Luka failing to win gold in a big international event as she finished third in 800m race with a timing of 2:02.55secs -- well below her national record timing of 1:59.17 which she set last year.

Luka, who had won a bronze in the Asian Games also, made a strong challenge to eventual gold and silver winners Thanh Hang Truong (2:01.41s) of Vietnam and Margarita Matsko (2:02.46) of Kazakhstan towards the end of the race but that was not enough.

Mohamed Mutlak Al-Azimi of Kuwait won the gold in 1:46.15secs to become the only athlete to win both 800 and 1500m at the same Asian Championship.

Al-Azimi, who is in tremendous form this season, beat defending champion Sajad Moradi of Iran who finished on the second place with 1:46.35s.

Xiang wins gold
Former Olympic champion Liu Xiang of China built on his preparations for the world championships by winning the men's 110-meter hurdles.

Liu ran 13.22 seconds in sweltering heat to break his own championship record by .08 and finish comfortably ahead of compatriot Shi Dongpeng.