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Uttar Pradesh athletes help India finish No. 2 in Asia Masters meet in China
India bagged 146 medals at the 20th Asia Masters Athletics Championships in China. Uttar Pradesh athletes shone in the meet that saw 20 countries in action
A septuagenarian from Allahabad has bagged four bronze medals for India in the recently concluded 20th Asia Masters Athletics Championship held in Rugao, China. The performance of Shivnath, 76, has helped India bag 146 medals, including 37 golds, 43 silvers and 66 bronze. India finished second behind hosts China.
Twenty countries participated in the meet held between September 24 and September 28. The 200-odd member Indian contingent had four athletes from Uttar Pradesh, who between them won seven medals, including two gold.
Seventy-year-old PN Mishra of Gorakhpur won gold in hammer throw, Saifai’s 35-year-old Siddharth Krishna bagged bronze in 5 km walk and 35-year-old Lal Bahadur Yadav of Kanpur won a gold in hammer throw. Shivnath won bronze medals in 200m and 80m hurdles, 4x100m and 4x400m relay races.
A former flying officer of Indian Air Force (IAF), Shivnath is an international athlete and a national champion in steeplechase in Masters Athletics Championship in 2013 and 2014 held in Bangalore and Coimbatore, respectively.
Buoyed over his China success, the Mutthiganj locality resident is already looking forward to participate in the World Masters Athletics to be held next year.
“I am ecstatic over winning the four bronze medals. I participated against doctor’s advice and overcame osteoporosis to win the medals. Now I plan to gear up for the World Masters Athletics 2018 and have already finalised my preparation plans,” shared Shivnath, a father of three sons. He retired from IAF in 1996.
IMPRESSIVE RUN
The grand dad has many impressive records to his credit after he started participating in Indira Marathon in 2000.
Shivnath had secured fifth position in 4x100 meter relay race in the 21st World Masters Athletics Championship held in Leon, France in 2015. He finished 6th and 13th in the 4x400m relay race and 2,000m steeplechase, respectively.
As per the guidelines of Masters Athletics, anyone over the age of 35 can take part in the event with the only entry requirement being that participants must wear his/her country’s uniform and be signed up with a temporary Masters Athletics Membership.
Senior vice-president, Masters Athletics Federation of India— an affiliated unit of World Masters Athletics — KN Tiwari praised the performances of these veteran athletes.
“Shivnath is a great ambassador of sports and his performance along with that of other veterans is a great motivation for all Indian sportspersons,” he added.
