Indian Athletics – News – 5th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships

 Hangzhou, China – 19 February 2012 – Although Indian athletes did not win any medals today, Suriya Loganathan made an incredible run to clock an impressive Indian indoor best of 9:09.81 for her 8th place in women's 3000m.  Her time was the second best by an Indian woman under any conditions behind Molly Chacko's 9:06.42 from 1994 Hiroshima Asiad.  

 Hails from Pudukottai in Tamil Nadu and employed in Railways, Suriya was running alongside some of the world class runners.  The event was won by last year’s world championship finalist Shitaye Eshete of Bahrain in a new meet record 8:49.27.

Indians had near miss to a medal today as former Asian champion P.J. Vinod, who was trailing in third place on the opening day, finished fourth in men’s heptathlon with 4907 points.  The women’s 800m race saw another fourth place by Tudu Pratima who clocked a moderate 2:13.42. 

 Compete with reigning Asian Games and World Junior champion Mutaz Essa Barshim from Bahrain, Jithin Thomas finished fifth in high jump with a height of 2.15m.   Barshim went on to clear the Asian indoor best and World Leading 2.37 for the gold.

 In women’s pentathlon, Niksy Joseph (3486) and Navpreet Kaur (3434) finished fifth and sixth places respectively.

 Asian champion Mayookha Johny could have an easy winner in long jump here, but preferred some rest before the World Indoor Championships at Istanbul next month and thus the national squad missed a chance to bring home a gold medal. 

 / Ram. Murali Krishnan / 

 Indian Athletics – News