Long distance runner Gulveer Singh helped India clinch its first gold medal of the the Asian Athletics Championships as he finished first in the men’s 10,000m race on May 27, Tuesday.
Gulveer clocked a time of 28 minute 38.63 seconds and finished the race way ahead of second-placed Japan’s Mebuki Suziki who registered a time of 28:43.84. Bahrain’s Albert Kibichi Rop won the bronze with a time of 28:46.82). Gulveer’s compatriot Sawan Barwal finished fourth with a time of 28:50.53.
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Gulveer is a National Record holder in the men’s 10,000m race. In March this year he created a new National Record when he finished a 10,000m race in 27:00.22 in the USA. The The 26-year-old also boasts of a bronze medal in the event at the Asian Games. He clinched bronze at the 2023 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China when he finished the race with a time of 28:17.21.
He is also the first India to register a sub 13-minute mark in the in 5000m. He achieved that feat at the Boston University DMR Challenge when he registered a time of 12:59.77 in the event. The feat helped him qualify for this year’s World Athletics Championship to be hosted by Tokyo, Japan.
India’s first medal at the ongoing Asian Athletics Championships, happening in Gumi, South Korea, arrived from the men’s 20km racewalk as Servin Sebastian clinched bronze in the event. Sebastian clocked 1 hour 21 minute and 13.60 seconds to finish third in the competition. He narrowly missed out on the chance of improving his Personal Best record of 1:21:23 in the event which he had created at the Uttarakhand National Games held in February this year.
India has sent a 58-member squad to participate at the Asian Athletics Championship.
Prakhar Sachdeo
The Sportz Planet Desk
