KOZHIKODE, APR 21,
Dutee Chand broke her own national record as she qualified for the women’s 100m semifinal in the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships at the Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, on Sunday.
Dutee was the fastest qualifier as she clocked 11.28s in the heats, breaking her own national record of 11.29s set in Guwahati last year.
However, there was a big setback for the Indian team with junior World champion and Asian Games silver medallist Hima Das failing to finish the women’s 400m semifinal.
The 19-year-old suffered back pain and pulled out halfway through the race. Hima is also the national record holder with 50.79s clocked in the Jakarta Asiad last year.The other quartermiler, M.R. Poovamma qualified for the final clocking 52.46s as she finished Bahrain’s Salwa Naser (52.29).
Muhammad Anas made the semifinal in the men’s 400m finishing third in his heats in 46.36s along with Arokia Rajiv, who moved up from fifth around the 200m mark to win his heat 46.25s.Jinson Johnson progressed to the men’s 800m semifinal as he finished second behind host Qatar’s Jamal Hairane, clocking 1:53.43.
Meanwhile, Gomathi Marimuthu entered the women’s 800m final as she finished second in her heats, clocking 2:04.96s.
Praveen Chithravel moved to the men’s triple jump final after finishing ninth in the qualification round with 15.66m. China’s Zhu Yaming, who produced an indoor 17.35m back home in February, led the qualifiers with 16.52m.
