Hima, Sojan win gold in IGP, barely three competitors compete in multiple events
Star sprinter Hima Das clocked 23.79 seconds to win gold in the Indian Grand Prix-A athletics event in 200m, while long jumper Ansi Sojan grabbed headlines with a best effort of 6.49m here on Monday. Assam’s Hima won gold in the women’s 200m race beating Maharashtra’s Aishwarya Kailash Mishra (24.81) and Kerala’s VK Vismaya (24.82) at the Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education here. Meanwhile, Sojan cleared the long jump of over six meters and won with a best effort of 6.49m, which is higher than the Asian Games qualifying standard of 6.45m.
However, very few top athletes are participating in this event. In many events only three athletes were competing. There were only two competitors in the women’s high jump and the men’s triple jump, four in the men’s 400 m hurdles, and three in the women’s 400 m hurdles. Three participants took part in women’s shot put, three in women’s 800m and three in women’s 5000m. Krishan Kumar of Haryana topped the men’s 800m race. He clocked one minute 47.26 seconds.
The Army sprinter clocked well below the Asian Games qualifying standard of 1:49.05. In the men’s 5000m race, three runners from Uttar Pradesh subbed the Asian Games qualifying standard of 14 minutes. Abhishek Pal (13:51.14) clocked his personal best. Gulveer Singh came second and Mohammad Noor Hasan came third.
