In Ranchi, India opened the 4th South Asian Athletics Federation (SAAF) Senior Athletics Championships with a bang, sweeping three gold medals on the first day at the Birsa Munda Football Stadium.
The excitement began with Prince Kumar, a constable in the Uttar Pradesh Police, who broke the opening ceremony’s “first‑gold” moment in the men’s 5000 m. Running a clean 14:22.17, he edged out Sri Lanka’s Vakshan Vicknaraj (14:23.21) for the top spot, while Nepal’s Mukesh Bahadur Pal claimed bronze.
Across the aisle, India doubled up on the women’s 5000 m. Sanjana Singh clinched gold and her teammate Seema took silver, giving India a clean 1‑2 finish in the distance race.
The day’s headline thrower was Samardeep Singh Gill, India’s flag‑bearer at the opening ceremony. He dominated the men’s shot put with a 19.59‑metre effort, leading fellow Indian Ravi Kumar (17.95 m) and Sri Lanka’s Mithunraj (bronze). In the women’s shot put, Dinesh V of India captured silver at 16.14 m, just 5 cm shy of Sri Lanka’s Ashmika Keshan’s winning throw.
India’s early medals set a clear tone: the country aims to stay the regional powerhouse in athletics.
The championships kicked off later that evening with a grand opening at the same stadium, marking Jharkhand’s first international athletics event in nearly 15 years. The ceremony, themed “Culture Meets Courage,” combined a vibrant parade of participating nations with a showcase of 500 tribal and folk performers, leaving the packed venue roaring for the Indian contingent.
With surging performances in track and field, India has clearly shown why it remains a dominant force in South Asian athletics.
Source: ianslive
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