Indian Athletics – News – 20th Asian Athletics Championships – Looking back at DELHI-1989/ By Ram. Murali Krishnan /

Pune, India – 1 July 2013 – While everyone is busy in preparing themselves for tomorrow’s opening ceremony of 20th edition of Asian continental championships in Pune, I rewind my memories to look back at the 8th edition of the biennial meet held in the Indian capital some twenty-four years ago.

At that time everything in Delhi was young, as also me and the young AFI Secretary Lalit Kumar Bhanot.    It was indeed the first major international meet I was attending.  I had to travel from my home on a train for nearly 48 hours to reach Delhi through a cyclone-hit Andhra Pradesh.

The Asian Track & Field Championships, or ATF in short-term, have commenced on Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthday (November 14) and ended after six glorious days on Smt. Indira Gandhi’s birthday (Nov 19).

Teams from 34 countries took part in 40 events.  Although there were no continental records, athletes from different parts of Asia showed their enthusiasm in delivering memorable performances which was reflected in 16 new meet records created in Delhi’s magnificent Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium constructed for the 1982 Asian Games.

Of the records set, women accounted for 11 while P.T. Usha once again proved her mettle by eclipsed the meet marks in 200m (23.27s), 400m (51.90s), 400m hurdles (56.14s) and anchored the Indian 4 x 400m relay quartet to another marvellous record time of 3:32.95.

There was a gold rush by the supreme Chinese athletes as they went home with a whooping 22 gold besides 15 silver and 6 bronze medals. Thanks to Usha & Co., which enable the host country to garner 22 medals (7 gold, 9 silver and 6 bronze).

P.T. Usha – the Star of Asian Championships

No one in the Asian continent ever matched the golden harvest of Indian sprint queen P.T. Usha.  She is having the incredible record of 23 medals from the Asian championships, which include 14 gold medals, during a period of 15 years from 1983-1998.

Usha provided a stunner by taking 5 gold medals in a single championship at Jakarta in 1985.  On home-soil she collected 4 gold and 2 silver medals in 1989. 

Although Usha hung her spikes long ago she made her presence felt at that the athletics arena through her wards and prodigy Tintu Luka is one of the leading medal prospects in the forthcoming Pune edition of the Asian championships this week.

/ Ram. Murali Krishnan /

 Indian Athletics – News