Indian athletes kicked off their Taiwan Open campaign in spectacular fashion on Saturday, bagging six gold medals on the opening day of the competition.
The gold rush began with Pooja, who dominated the women’s 1500m final, clocking 4:11.65 to take the top spot. The 22-year-old middle-distance runner is in fine form—she recently clinched silver in the same event at the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea, along with a bronze in the 800m.
Next up, Abdulla Aboobacker added to the tally with a strong performance in the men’s triple jump, registering a leap of 16.21m on his third attempt to seal gold.
India also ruled the sprint hurdles. Jyoti Yarraji delivered a thrilling finish in the women’s 100m hurdles, clocking 12.99 seconds. Trailing going into the final hurdle, Jyoti dug deep and surged ahead with a powerful final push to snatch the win.
In the men’s 110m hurdles, Tejas Shirse delivered a confident run, securing gold with a Season’s Best of 13.52 seconds. He looked in control throughout the race, and though he narrowly missed his own national record of 13.41 seconds, it was a solid and composed effort.
Both Indian 4x100m relay teams capped off the day in style.
- The women’s team—Sudheeksha V, Abhinaya Rajarajan, Sneha SS, and Nithya Gandhe—stormed to victory in 44.07 seconds, not just taking gold but also setting a championship record.
- The men’s quartet—Gurindervir Singh, Animeesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidhar, and Amlan Borgohain—clocked 38.75 seconds, their second-best time this year, to claim gold ahead of a strong field.
It was a day to remember for Indian athletics, with performances that promise more medals in the days ahead.
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