Indian long-distance runner Abhishek Pal secures bronze medal at the Asian Athletics Championships 2023 in Bangkok
Bangkok, Thailand – India’s Abhishek Pal emerged victorious at the Asian Athletics Championships 2023 by winning a bronze medal in the men’s 10,000m race. The event took place on Wednesday at the Suphachalasai National Stadium amidst challenging humid conditions. This remarkable achievement marks Pal’s first international medal for India in a major competition.
With a finishing time of 29:33.26, Abhishek Pal showcased exceptional resilience and skill, bolstering India’s medal tally at the Bangkok meet.
The gold medal in the 10,000m race was clinched by Ren Tazawa of Japan, who completed the race in 29:18.44. Following closely was Shadrack Kimutai Koech of Kazakhstan, securing the silver medal with a timing of 29:31.63. Meanwhile, India’s Gulveer Singh finished fifth in the highly competitive 16-man field, crossing the finish line in 29:53.69.
Although Abhishek Pal’s personal best of 28:54.98, achieved in Gujarat last year, remains impressive, it falls short of India’s national record of 28:02.89. This record, set 15 years ago by Beijing 2008 Olympian Surendra Singh, still stands undefeated.
In the women’s javelin throw, Annu Rani from India narrowly missed out on a bronze medal, finishing in fourth place with a best attempt of 59.10m. Rani’s national record of 63.82m, established last year, is yet to be surpassed this season. The gold medal was won by Marina Saito of Japan with a distance of 61.67m, followed closely by reigning Olympic champion Liu Shiying of China with 61.51m. Sri Lanka’s Dilhani Lekamge secured the bronze medal with a personal best mark of 60.93m.
Muhammed Ajmal and Rajesh Ramesh from India have successfully qualified for the eight-man final in the men’s 400m event after placing fourth and seventh, respectively, in the semi-finals. Ajmal achieved his season-best timing of 45.76, while Ramesh finished with a time of 45.91.
Lili Das concluded the women’s 1500m final in seventh place, clocking in at 4:27.61.
Tejaswin Shankar, a prominent figure in Indian athletics, currently holds the lead in the men’s decathlon event with 4,124 points from five events. Shankar, known for his excellence in the men’s high jump, previously secured a bronze medal in this event at the Commonwealth Games. The remaining five events in the men’s decathlon, as well as the men’s 400m final, are scheduled for Thursday.
The Asian Championships 2023 will culminate on Sunday.
