By IANS
New Delhi : Chitra K. Soman gave India its first gold medal of the 17th Asian Athletics Championship when she won the 400 metres race beating Japan's Asami Tanno.
Chitra clocked 53.03 seconds while Asami managed 53.20, according to the Athletics Federation of India. Mgnaka of Sri Lanka clocked 54.11 sec to clinch the bronze medal.
"It was quite windy at the 200m and it made me tired by the time I came on the finish front," Chitra said.
"At the end, I put all my efforts and I could not even notice Tanno who was coming closer to me. It's good to win my first Asian Championship individual title."
Anju Bobby George won the silver in the women's long jump by clearing 6.65 metres, which was better than the World Championship qualifying mark. But due to an excess wind speed of 4.1 metres per second she was not considered as having qualified.
Olga Rypakova of Kazakhstan won the gold with a leap of 6.66m on her last attempt.
Earlier in the day, Chitra's compatriot J.J Shobha won the silver medal and Susmita Singha Roy the bronze in the women's heptathlon.
Another Indian, Sinimol Paulose, won silver in the women's 800 metres.