Indian men’s and women’s 4x400m teams win silver medals at Asian Relay Championships – Firstpost

The Indian men’s and women’s 4x400m teams won silver medals at the inaugural Asian Relay Championships on Tuesday. Already qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, India has chosen to field understaffed teams. The women’s team of Vithya Ramraj, MR Poovamma, Prachi Choudhary and Rupal Chaudhary clocked 3 minutes 33.55 seconds to finish behind Vietnam (3:30.81) in the women’s 4x400m relay final, which took place amid thunderstorms at the Suphachalasai National Stadium. Japan won the bronze medal in 3:35.45.

The Vietnamese runners were in the lead throughout the race.

Vithya and Prachi were not part of the Indian quartet that clocked 3 minutes and 29.35 seconds to clinch a quota for the Paris Olympics at the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, Bahamas, earlier this month .

Jyothika Sri Dandi and Subha Venkatesan had joined hands with Poovamma and Rupal on this occasion.

The men’s quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Santosh Kumar, Mijo Chacko Kurian and Arokia Rajiv also failed to secure the top spot on the podium as they clocked 3:05.76 to finish second behind Sri Lanka (3:04.48). Vietnam finished third with a time of 3:07.37.

The Sri Lankan team was in the lead after the first leg, but Santosh gave India the lead in the second leg. Chacko kept India in the lead after the third game, but Sri Lanka’s star runner Hewa Kalinga Kumarge overtook Arokia in the home stretch.

Santosh and Chacko were not part of the Indian quartet that clocked 3 minutes and 3.23 seconds to clinch a quota for the Paris Olympics during the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas earlier this month.

Muhammed Ajmal and Amoj Jacob joined forces with Muhammed Anas Yahiya and Arokia Rajiv on this occasion.

Muhammed Ajmal and Amoj Jacob had teamed up with Jyothika Sri Dandi and Subha Venkatesan for the mixed 4x400m race on Monday as India aimed to enter the Paris Olympics category in this event. The quartet was the first choice for the mixed 4x400m team and therefore did not line up on Tuesday in the men’s and women’s relays.

The Indian 4×400 mixed relay team on Monday set a national record by winning the gold medal, but missed the target of entering the qualifying bracket for the Paris Olympics.

The quartet of Muhammed Ajmal, Jyothika Sri Dandi, Amoj Jacob and Subha Venkatesan clocked 3 minutes 14.12 seconds to win the race. The previous national record of 3:14.34 was recorded by the Indian team as they won the silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.

Monday’s timing would put India’s mixed 4x400m team at 21st – up from 23rd previously – in World Athletics’ Road to Paris list when the target was to be at 15th or 16th. place.

India is therefore in a difficult position to qualify for the Olympics as only sixteen teams will participate in the 4x400m mixed relay event in Paris.

India’s goal on Monday was to improve at least 3:13.56 and place 16th, but the country fell short.

With PTI inputs