Asian Athletics Championships: India finish 3rd behind China and Japan with 27 medals

Unheralded Abha Khatua equalled shot put national record while finishing second in a surprise performance while Jyothi Yarraji and Parul Chaudhary clinched their second medals -- both silver -- as India ended their campaign with 27 medals at the Asian Athletics Championships campaign at the third spot in Thailand..

The 28-year-old Khatua made a huge improvement of nearly a metre -- 93 cm -- from her earlier lifetime best of 17.13m as she sent the 4kg iron ball to a distance of 18.06m in her fourth throw to finish second behind Song Jiayuan (18.88m) of China. Her second-best throw of the day was 17.10m.

Veteran Manpreet Kaur, whose national record Khatua equalled on Sunday, took the bronze with a first-round throw of 17m.

Apart from six gold medals, India also won 12 silver and nine bronze medals. India won 13 medals on the final day of the championship which included eight silver and five bronze medals.

Japan finished on top with 37 medals, including 16 Gold medals, while China finished second with 22 medals, including 8 Gold Medals.

In other events, 23-year-old Yarraji, who had become the first Indian to win a 100m hurdles gold in the Asian Championships on Thursday, added a 200m silver to her



kitty on Sunday.

She clocked a personal best time of 23.13 seconds to finish second behind Veronica Shanti Pereira (22.70) of Singapore in the final.

Yarraji's earlier personal best was the 23.29 seconds which she had clocked in the semifinals. She had won gold in the Federation Cup in May in 23.42.

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS AT ASIAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Jyothi Yarraji - Women's 100m hurdles

Abdulla Booobacker - Men's triple jump

Parul Chaudhary - Women's 3000m

Ajay Kumar Saroj - Men's 1500m

Tajinderpal Singh Toor - Men's shot put

Mixed 4x400m relay team

Ace Indian long-distance runner Parul Chaudhary also won her second medal of the championships with a silver in 5000m. Chaudhary, who had won gold in 3000m steeplechase on Friday, clocked 15 minute 52.35 seconds to finish second behind Yuma Yamamoto (15:51.16) of Japan in the 5000m final.

The 28-year-old Chaudhary holds the 5000m national record of 15:10.35.

Ankita won the bronze in 16:03.33 as India secured two medals from the event.

Gulveer Singh picked up a bronze in the men's 5000m race with a time of 13 minute and 48.33 seconds.