Assam’s Hima Das, who turned 18 last Friday, clocked a personal best 23.59s for the women’s 200m gold at the invitational athletics meet, a test event for this year’s Asian Games, in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The time was the second fastest in the world this year in the under-20 age group and easily made the entry standard (24.20s) for this year’s under-20 Worlds in Finland.
However, one is not sure whether the Jakarta meet can be counted as a qualification meet for the Worlds.
Efforts to contact C.K. Valson, the Athletics Federation of India Secretary who is now in Jakarta, proved futile.
Hima, the National Open champion, had finished fifth in the under-18 Worlds in Nairobi last year.
Meanwhile Tamil Nadu’s G. Lakshmanan, a double gold medallist at last year’s Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar, and L. Suriya made it a 5000m double for India.
Lakshmanan won the men’s gold comfortably and National champion Suriya, despite being the lone runner in the women’s event, clocked a personal best.
Sheena wins
N.V. Sheena bagged the women’s triple jump gold as India won all the events it featured in on Tuesday.
The results (gold medallists and Indians only):
Men: 200m: 1. Yang Chun-Han (Tpe) 20.88s. 5000m: 1. G. Lakshmanan (Ind) 13:56.30s. Pole vault: 1. Richsan Fauzan (Ina) 4.90.
Hammer: 1. Jackie Wong (Mas) 64.96m.
Women: 200m: 1. Hima Das (Ind) 23.59s. 5000m: 1. L. Suriya (Ind) 15:39.18s.
Triple jump: 1. N.V. Sheena (Ind) 13.33m. Javelin: 1. H.L. Nadeesha (Sri) 55.13m.
