Indian Athletes Shine at Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships in Dubai

Deepanshu Sharma and Rohan Yadav made India proud at the Asian under-20 athletics championships in Dubai by clinching gold and silver in the men’s javelin throw event. Deepanshu threw an impressive distance of 70.29m, while his fellow Uttar Pradesh State-mate Rohan achieved a best of 70.03m.

In another thrilling event, Priyanshu from UP narrowly missed out on a gold medal in the men’s 1500m race, finishing second to Qatar’s Aitoulghazi with a time of 3:50.85s. India added another silver to its tally through Ritik, who threw 52.23m in the men’s discus throw.

The Indian contingent also saw some promising performances from Prachi Ankush Devkar, who finished fourth in the women’s 3000m, and Laxita Vinod Sandliea and Tanvi Malik, who advanced to the women’s 800m final after the heats. Anushka Dattatray Kumbhar and Sai Sangeetha Dodla made it to the medal round in the women’s 400m, while Aman Choudhary secured a spot in the men’s 400m final, despite being initially named only in the 4x400m relay team.

However, there were some setbacks for the Indian team as well, with Bapi Hansda and P. Abiram missing from the startlist for the individual 400m event. It was reported that Hansda faced passport issues, preventing him from traveling with the team. Efforts are being made to ensure his participation in the 4x400m relay.

The absence of Hansda raised questions, with AFI president Adille Sumariwalla and chief junior national coach N. Ramesh being unavailable for comment on the issue. Despite the challenges, the Indian athletes showcased their talent and determination on the international stage, bringing home medals and making their mark in the Asian athletics championships.