By IANS
Macau : India struck it rich with one gold, three silvers and four bronzes Thursday as the athletics competition at the second Asian Indoor Games here came to an end.
With a bronze medal from classical chess, won by Dronavalli Harika, it was India’s best day in the Games.
It took India’s collection at the Games to six golds, six silvers and six bronzes, placing India fifth in the overall tally. China lead with 45 golds, 21 silvers and 19 bronzes. The Games come to an end Saturday.
Heptathlete P.J. Vinod won the multi-event for India’s only gold of the day, while Sinimol Paulose won her second medal, a silver, in 800m after the gold in metric mile.
Preeja Sreedharan came second in women’s 3000m and Surendra Singh added a silver in men’s 3000m.
Anthony Vijila was third in women’s 800m, behind team mate Sinimol, while the women’s 4 x 400m were also third as was men’s 800m runner Rajeev Ramesan. Sunil Kumar added one more bronze in men’s 3000m.
Vinod totalled 5561 points as compared to second place Kazhak Pavel Dubitskiy who had 5432 points. Boonkete Chalon of Thailand was third with 5046 points.
Sinimol lost a close final to Liu Qing of China, who timed 2:06.13 as compared to the Indians. Sinimol timed 2:06.32 and Vijila 2:06.75.
Ramesan timed 1:50.87 as the top two, Mohammed Ali Azemi of Kuwait (1:49.62) and Iran’s Ehsan Mohajershojaei (1:50.22), broke the existing Games record.
Preeja timed 9:27.62, a new Games record, but was still second to China’s Chen Xiaofeng who clocked 9:23.11.
Surendra Kumar lost a close final in 3000m to Kenya born Qatari Charles Kett Koech who clocked 8:04.69, a new Games mark. Surendra clocked 8:04.99 and Sunil timed 8:10.77 for the bronze.
Jose Anu Mariam, Vijila Anthony, Sini Jose and Poovama Raju Machettira clocked 3:41.09 for the bronze in women’s 4 x 400m, while the gold went to Kazhakstan in 3:37.59, another new meet record.
In men’s high jump Hari Shankar Roy cleared 2.18m and broke the old Games record but still finished fourth. Ahmed Al Mannai Rashid of Qatar took the gold with a best of 2.24m.
Shot-putter Saurabh Vij failed to make the final eight with a best of 16.75m as the gold medal went to Sultan Al Beshi of Qatar with a best of 18.99m, a new meet record.
The Indian men’s 4 x 400m team finished fifth in 3:16.81 while the gold medal went to Saudi Arabia in 3:11.29.