India's Rupal, Pooja win silver; Yoonus bags bronze at Asian Athletics Championships

Women took centre-stage for India on day two of the Asian Athletics Championships with Rupal Chaudhary (400m) and Pooja (1500m) snaring silver medals here on Wednesday. Yoonus Shah's men's 1500m bronze took the country's overall tally to five, including a gold claimed by Gulveer Singh (10,000m) on Tuesday.

Quarter-miler Rupal opened India's account for the day, clocking 52.68 seconds to finish second in the women's 400m final. Fellow Indian Vithya Ramraj was placed fifth with a time of 53.00 seconds.

The gold went to Japan's Nanako Matsumoto (52.17s), while Uzbekistan's Jonbibi Hukmova (52.79s) took bronze.


Pooja followed with another silver, clocking 4:10.83sec in the women's 1500m, just ahead of compatriot Lili Das, who finished fourth (4:13.81sec).

Li Chunhui of China (4:10.58) won the gold while and Japan's Tomaka Kimura ran a season's best time of 4:11.56 to claim the bronze medal.

Rupal had scripted history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win two medals at the World U20 Athletics Championships in 2022, claiming a silver in the 4x400m relay followed by a bronze in the women's 400m events back then.

Hailing from a farming family in Shahpur Jainpur village in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district, the 20-year-old is being seen as a bright prospect.

In the men's 1500m, Yoonus Shah clinched bronze with a time of 3:43.03, pushing India's medal count to five.

Japanese runner Kazuto Lizawa ran a personal best of 3:42.56 to take home the coveted gold medal while South Koreas Jaeung Lee (3:42.79) finished second.

Aside from national record-holder Gulveer's gold, Servin Sebastian clinched the 20km race walk bronze on the opening day of the competition.

In other results, Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi ran a personal best of 45.57s in the men's 400m but that could only fetch him a fourth-place finish.

Long jumpers Shaili Singh and Ancy Sojan qualified for the final of the women's long jump event.

Shaili had a best effort 6.17m, the third best in the 20-woman field. Ancy 6.14m sealed her place in the final.

Hurdler Jyoti Yarraji qualified for the next round after finishing with a time of 13.18secs in her heat. She crossed the line in third position.