Daijiworld Media Network- Kochi
Kochi, Apr 22: Army's Sawan Barwal lived up to his pre-race prediction, clinching the gold medal in the men’s 10,000m event at the 28th National Federation Senior Athletics Championship. Barwal’s victory at Kochi’s Maharaja’s College Stadium not only earned him a gold but also secured his qualification for the Asian Athletics Championships, scheduled to be held in Gumi, South Korea, from May 27-31.
Barwal completed the race in 28:57.13, surpassing the Athletics Federation of India’s qualification mark. He also set a new meet record, eclipsing the previous mark of 28:57.90 set by Surendra Singh in 2007.
“I’m happy to have won gold with a meet record and secured a spot for the Asian Championships,” Barwal remarked post-race. While acknowledging his victory, Barwal admitted that he could have pushed himself further, despite taking a commanding lead with five laps to go. “I could have done better, but there was no serious competition,” he said.
Railways’ Abhishek Pal secured the silver medal with a time of 29:14.86, also meeting the qualification standard for the Asian meet. Army's Kiran Matre finished in third place with a timing of 29:47.62.
In the women’s 10,000m race, Maharashtra's international runner Sanjivani Jadhav won the gold with a time of 33:44.43, though she fell short of the Asian qualification standard of 33:24.79. Seema from Himachal Pradesh bagged the silver with a time of 34:55.92, while Uttar Pradesh’s Beby took the bronze, clocking 34:59.67.
In the men’s javelin throw event, Sachin Yadav dominated with a throw of 83.67 metres, showcasing his prowess.
Meanwhile, the men’s 100m race brought some dramatic moments, as Railways' Pranav Pramod defeated Odisha's Animesh Kujur to win the gold with a timing of 10.27 seconds. Kujur clocked 10.32 seconds, while Army’s Manikanta Hoblidhar secured third with a timing of 10.35 seconds. However, Punjab’s Gurindervir Singh, representing Reliance, finished last in the race.
The competition continues to unfold exciting performances as athletes eye qualification for upcoming international meets.