India’s Harmilan Bains produced a fine run to clinch a silver in the women’s 800m race, her second medal in this Asian Games here on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old from Mahilpur town in the Hoshiyarpur district of Punjab clocked an impressive timing of 2:03.75 to bag the silver in a highly competitive race.
The gold went to Sri Lanka's Tharushi Dissanayaka, who touched the tape at a time of 2:03.20. The bronze went to China’s Chunyu Wang.
In the Busan Asian Games 21 years ago, Harmilan's mother Madhuri Singh had won a silver medal in 800 metres. The daughter wanted to go one up on her mother by winning the gold.
Though Harmilan fell short of her target, she still has bragging rights over her mother as she now has two silver medals at the Asian Games, the other being in the 1500 metres.
Harmilan was pushed by her mother to take up athletics. And she now targets a gold medal in the next Asian Games and securing the qualification mark for next year's Paris Olympic Games.
The quartet of Vithya Ramraj, Aishwarya Mishra, Prachi and Subha Venkatesan claimed a silver in women's 4x400m relay. They came up with an effort of 3:27.85 to finish second, while Bahrain dished out a Games record effort of 3:27:65 to claim the top position. Sri Lanka won the bronze with a timing of 3:30:88.
India’s Vithya Ramraj, Prachi, Subha Venkatesan and Aishwarya Mishra with their 4X400m relay silver medals in Hangzhou on Wednesday. PTI photo
India's long-distance runner Avinash Sable continued his impressive run, securing a silver medal in men's 5000m. The 29-year-old produced an effort of 13:21.09 to finish second in a spectacular race. Bahrain's Birhanu Yemataw Balew had a Games record of 13:17:40 to win the gold, while his compatriot Dawit Fikadu Admasu bagged the bronze with a season-best of 13:25:63.
Sable thus added another medal to his 3000m steeplechase gold which he had claimed last week.
Earlier during the day, Indian race walkers Manju Rani and Ram Baboo won the bronze medal in the inaugural 35km mixed team event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a series of posts on X, lauded the medal winners. President Droupadi Murmu also hailed the medal winners.
Saudi Arabian distance runner Yousef Mohammed Alasiri, who tested positive for darbepoetin and was provisionally suspended. Darbepoetin is a re-engineered form of erythropoietin, a common blood-booster.
AFI upset
Anju Bobby George, the senior vice president of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) accused the officials of deliberately targeting the Indians.
This was after javelin gold medal winner Neeraj Chopra's first throw was not measured.
"They are trying to cheat us. Neeraj's first throw was a very good throw and it was a kind of disturbance. We called Neeraj to protest there itself," the legendary long jumper alleged.
Anju reckoned that winning in China is difficult as their officials are always up for some "mischief" and disturb the athletes. "Winning in China is very difficult so though we are best runner, thrower, jumper they will do all such mischief and disturb our athletes."
"Winning in China is very difficult so though we are best runner, thrower, jumper they will do all such mischief."
Chopra was told he would get another attempt even though rules says a thrower can have only six. Anju also alleged that Chinese officials are deliberately targeting Indians. "I don't know why they are doing this."
With inputs from PTI, Reuters
