Amit Khatri won silver medal in men’s 10,000 metres race walk event to clinch India’s second medal at the World U-20 Athletics Championship in Nairobi on Saturday.
The 17-year-old Khatri, the national record holder and world U-20 season leader, clocked 42 minute 17.94 seconds to finish second behind Kenya’s Heristone Wanyoni (42:10.84) on the fourth and penultimate day of the championships.
The mixed 4x400m relay team had won a bronze on the first day of the competition on Wednesday.
Priya Mohan came up with a personal best time of 52.77 seconds in the women’s 400m final but was beaten to the podium by Kenya’s Sylvia Chelangat by 0.54 seconds.
Son of a havildar-ranked Indian defence force personnel from Ismaila village in Haryana’s Rohtak district, Khatri was leading after the 9,000m mark but local athlete Wanyoni pulled ahead with less than two laps left in the race to win gold with a personal best time. Paul McGrath of Spain won the bronze.
The high altitude conditions in the Kenyan capital had affected Khatri’s performance as he struggled for breath. Nairobi is at an altitude of around 1,800m from sea level.
“It is not the result I expected but I am happy with the silver medal. Even though I came here five days before the event to acclimatise, the high altitude affected me,” Khatri said later. “At some point in the race, I could not breathe properly.”
It was also the youngster’s first international competition.
Coach Chandan Singh said Khatri’s Kenyan rival had the advantage as he knew the local high altitude conditions.
“I feel Khatri could have won the gold but the high altitude conditions affected him. Khatri was leading for most part of the race but the Kenyan took a sudden lead with one and half laps to go. That took him by surprise,” he said.
Chandan said Khatri’s aim is to qualify for the 2024 Olympics.
“He can become a top race walker in the country in the next few years but he will need funds going ahead. So, I request SAI (Sports Authority of India) to include him in the TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme),” Chandan added. “The aim is to prepare him for the 2024 Olympics. But he has no sponsor, nobody to back him financially.”
