NEW DELHI, June 18:
Hosts India made a bright start to their campaign at the Asian Track Cycling Championships by bagging 10 medals, including a gold, on the opening day of competitions here today.
The opening day of the 41st Senior, 28th Junior Asian Track and 10th Para Track Cycling Championships witnessed 12 finals out of which four were for Para Championships.
The Indians clinched one silver and six bronze medals in the senior and junior events, while one gold, one silver and one bronze were won in the Para events.
The Indian team opened its tally with a silver medal in the junior women’s 4km team pursuit event with Pooja Dhanole, Himanshi Singh, Reet Kapoor and Jasmeek Kaur Sekhon clocking 4:54.034s against Korean riders KIM Chaeyeon, Cheon Yunyeong, Kim Eunsong, AN Yeongseo, who clocked 4:47.360s to win the gold. Kazakhstan bagged the bronze with a timing of 4:48.872s.
In senior women’s 4km team pursuit event, the Indian riders consisting of Rejiye Kh Devi, Chayanika Gogoi, Meenakshi and Monika Jat outclassed Uzbekistan riders Evegeniya Golotina, Madina Kakhkhorova, Margarita Misyurina, Yania Kuskova to secure a bronze medal by clocking 4:44.699s.
After a gap of 17 years, the Indian team won a medal in the senior women’s category in any Asian Track Cycling Championships. Gold and silver in the event were won by Korea (Jumi Lee, Jieun Shin, Youri Kim, Ahreum Na) and Kazakhstan respectively.
The Indians clinched another bronze when Niraj Kumar, Birjit Yumnam, Aashirwad Saxena and Gurnoor Poonia combined to clock 4:22.737s and finish third in the junior men’s 4km team pursuit event. Kazakhstan won the gold while Korea bagged the silver.
India secured another bronze in the senior men’s 4km team pursuit event. Japan won the gold while Korea bagged the silver.
India chief coach VN Singh was a proud man after the display of the home team on the opening day.
“India has progressed a lot in the endurance events, around 8 years ago it was difficult to complete the race but now the scenario has changed and Indian riders are not only completing the races but also winning the medals,” he said.
In the women’s senior team sprint event, India’s Trishya Paul, Shushikala Agashe and Mayuri Lute, who had accused former chief coach RK Sharma of sexual harassment during a recent training tour of Slovenia, won the bronze medal with a timing 50.438s.
Korea’s Sunyoung CHO, Hae Ji Park and Hyeonseo Hwang won the gold, clocking 49.685s, while Japani’s Riyu Ohta, Yuka Kobayashi and Mina Sato bagged silver with a timing of 49.973s.
In the elite men’s team sprint event, India’s David Beckham, Ronaldo Singh and Rojit Singh won the bronze with a timing of 44.627s. Japan won the gold while Malaysia bagged the silver.
In junior women’s team sprint event, Korean riders Yunseo NA, Doye KIM and Chaeyeon KIM created a new Asian record with a timing of 51.607s to win the gold. Malaysia won the silver while India claimed the bronze.
In the junior men’s team sprint event, Korea won gold, while Kazakhstan and Malaysia bagged silver and bronze respectively. India finished fourth.
In the para women C1-C5 500m time trial event, India’s Jyoti Gaderaya clocked 58.283s to win the gold ahead of teammate Geeta Rao. (PTI)
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