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Anil, Aruna claim bronze as China dominates opening day

By K.P. Mohan

India's Aruna Devi, who won a bronze, leads the gold medal winner, Sun Yingjie of China and silver medallist Sri Lanka's Sujeewa Jayasena in the women's 10000m event at the Asian athletics championships in Manila on Saturday. — Photo: V. Sudershan

MANILA SEPT 20. China swept the four gold medals at stake on the opening day of the 15th Asian athletics championships with the marvellous Sun Yingjie making a mockery of a six-woman field in the 10,000 metres at the Rizal Memorial Stadium here on Saturday.

India had some cause for cheer as well as disappointment as Aruna Devi clinched the bronze in the 10,000m while Anil Kumar, who arrived only last night, missed the silver by the proverbial whisker in the discus throw event. Just one centimetre separated the Indian from Iranian Abbas Samimi.

It was a repeat of the Busan Asian Games medals in men's discus with Wu Tao of China taking the gold at 61.43m, Samimi the silver at 59.51 and Anil the bronze with 59.50. The Iranian who had won all the Asian Grand Prix legs earlier this season, was a last-minute inclusion here.

Anil Kumar was a disappointed man after losing the silver to Samimi. The Indian who has been training in Szombathely, Hungary, for the past two seasons, could not be traced by the officials in charge of medals ceremony despite announcements over the PA system.

Sun Yingjie's prowess over the distance events is all too well known. The double gold medallist at the last Asian Games and the bronze winner in the 10,00m at the recent World championships, could take things easy and yet clock a 32:37.04.

"I am tired,'' said the 24-year-old Chinese who had run a 5000m only eight days ago in Shanghai after having competed in both the distance events in the World Championships in Paris, ending up with the bronze in the longer event.

Sun Yingjie finished around 600 metres ahead of Sri Lankan Sujeewa Jayasena, who led up to seven laps before the Chinese took over then lapped both the Indian and the Sri Lankan. She had more than three laps to spare from Aruna Devi.

Having seen the Chinese and the Sri Lankan make rapid progress upfront and the three Filipinos, who filled up the field, of little consequence, Aruna Devi kept up her slow pace to make sure that the bronze was her's. The Manipur girl had won a bronze and a silver in the same event in past Asian championships.

China's other gold medals came from triple jumper Huanq Qiuyan who posted a championship record of 14.39m, and shot putter Li Meiju who reached a distance of 18.45 metres. Huang Qiuyan also holds the continental record at 14.72m. India's Manisha Dey finished ninth in triple jump with 12.83m.

National record holder Gurpreet Singh qualified for the 110m hurdles final, coming second to Korean Park Tae-Yong in a heat in which only three finished out of four starters. Gurpreet's 14.22 was a relaxed effort since there was no one pushing him. The Punjab youngster who clocked 14.07 in Lucknow is capable of a better show on his debut at the Asians.

The other Indian in the fray in the men's high hurdles, Naunidh Singh, went out, finishing fifth and last in his heat, though he clocked a 14.17. Chinese Wu Youja won the heat in 13.78 while in the third heat, another Chinese, Shi Dongpeng, a finalist at the Paris Worlds, came first in 13.82s.

Both the women quartermilers, S. Geetha and Sagardeep Kaur went out in the heats, Geetha coming sixth in one heat in 55.80s with Sagardeep dropping out at the 200metre mark in another, probably conserving herself for the relay.

However, K. J. Manojlal, despite finishing fourth in a men's 400m heat (46.87s) progressed as one of the `best losers'. The Indian men's 4x400m quartet qualified for the final while the male sprinters, Anil Kumar and Sanjay Ghosh made it into the semifinals.

The results:

Men's discus: 1. Wu Tao (Chn) 61.43m, 2. Abbas Samimi (Iri) 59.51, 3. Anil Kumar (Ind) 59.50.

Women's 10,000m: 1. Sun Yingjie (Chn) 32:37.04, 2. Sujeewa Nilmani Jayasena (Sri) 34:46.99, 3. L. Aruna Devi (Ind) 37:23.28.

Women's triple jump: 1. Huang Qiyuan (Chn) 14.39m (NMR, old 14.11m,, 2. Anastasiya Juravleva (Uzb) 14.21, 3. Zhang Hao (Chn) 13.63.

Women's shot put: 1. Li Meiju (Chn) 18.45m, 2. Li Fengfeng (Chn) 18.07, 3. Mori Chinatsu (Jpn) 17.80.

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