Kerala athletes shine with four gold medals at Indian Athletics Series Final
Kerala athletes won four golds at the Indian Athletics Series Final in Delhi, a key Asian Games warm-up, with Ancy Sojan and Tanya Chaudhary setting notable performances.
Kerala athletes won four golds at the Indian Athletics Series Final in Delhi, a key Asian Games warm-up, with Ancy Sojan and Tanya Chaudhary setting notable performances.
Kerala athletes won four golds at the Indian Athletics Series Final in Delhi, a key Asian Games warm-up, with Ancy Sojan and Tanya Chaudhary setting notable performances.
New Delhi: Kerala athletes put on a stellar performance at the Indian Athletics Series Final, clinching four gold medals in a highly competitive event held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. Serving as a crucial preparatory event ahead of the upcoming Asian Games, the tournament saw top-tier talent from across India competing for ultimate glory.
Kerala’s golden run was led by rising star Ancy Sojan, who dominated the women’s long jump with an impressive leap of 6.76 metres. Adding to the state's golden tally, P Mohammed Afsal secured gold in the men’s 800 metres, while U Karthik leapt to victory in the triple jump. Veteran hurdler Anu Raghavan also claimed the top spot on the podium in the women’s 400-metre hurdles. For Afsal, a silver medallist at the previous Asian Games, this victory provides the perfect momentum as he aims for gold at the upcoming games.
A new national record in hammer throw
The final also witnessed a historic moment as Uttar Pradesh’s Tanya Chaudhary smashed the national record in the women’s hammer throw. Chaudhary sent the hammer flying to a spectacular distance of 68.35 metres to write her name in the record books. In doing so, she surpassed the previous national record of 67.02 metres set by her state teammate Anushka Yadav in June. Remarkably, both athletes are part of the Indian squad heading to the upcoming Asian Games.
More medal glory for Kerala
Beyond the gold rush, Kerala's athletes also picked up vital podium finishes in other categories. VK Mohammed Lassan secured a silver medal in the men’s 110-metre hurdles, while C Anjali won bronze in the women’s 100-metre hurdles. TS Manu added to the tally with a bronze medal in the men’s 400-metre race.
The event served as the final competitive warm-up for Indian track and field athletes before the Asian Games scheduled to begin on 19 September. Reflecting the scale of the preparations, 65 out of the 79 athletes selected for the Indian Asian Games athletics contingent participated in the single-day tournament, which featured 30 different disciplines. To motivate the competitors, the Athletics Federation of India awarded a generous total prize pool of ₹65 lakh to the day's winners.