Asian U-20 athletics: Rezoana stars as India finish third

Rising star Rezoana Mallick Heena won two gold and one bronze as India finished an impressive third in the overall medal tally at the Asian U-20 Athletics Championships in Yecheon, Korea which ended on Wednesday.

India won two more gold on the final day – Laxita Vinod Sandila in the women’s 1500m and the women’s 4x400m relay team. It swelled India’s medals tally to 19 -- six gold, seven silver and six bronze. Japan with 23 medals (14-4-5) topped the charts. China finished second (19 – 11-5-3).

Sandila clocked 4 minutes 24.23 seconds in the women’s 1500m for India's fifth gold. 400m runner Rezoana then anchored the women’s longer relay team to victory, clocking 3:40.49. Anushka Dattatray Kumbhar, Riya Nitin Patil and Kanista Teena ran the other legs. Kazakhstan won silver (3:46.19) and Korea (3:47.46) the bronze.

Rezoana, the Asian U-18 champion who trains under the Bengaluru-based Arun Ajay, had won the 400m gold on the opening day (53.31 secs). She also won bronze in mixed relay (4X400m).

The men’s 4x400m relay team took silver, clocking 3:08.78 secs.

In men’s 5000m, Shivaji Parashu Madappagoudra won silver clocking 14 minutes, 49.05 seconds. Mehdi Hasan took bronze in the men’s 1500m (3:56.01).

A 45-member Indian team, including 19 women, competed in the June 4-7 meet.

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