By IANS
New Delhi : Chitra K. Soman gave India its first gold medal of the 17th Asian Athletics Championship when she won the women's 400 metres race beating Japan's Asami Tanno in Amman Friday.
Chitra clocked 53.03 seconds while Asami finished in 53.20s, according to Athletics Federation of India.
Mgnaka of Sri Lanka had a time 54.11 sec to clinch the bronze medal.
"It was quite windy at the 200m mark and it made me tired by the time I came on the final straight," 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."
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.