Nagoya, Sept 28:
India’s Harita Bhadra won the bronze medal in the women’s 200m at the Asian Games, clocking 23.20 seconds in the final in Nagoya on Sunday.
Her performance added another athletics medal to India’s growing tally at the Games.
Bhadra finished third in a closely contested final. She edged Japan’s Ido Abigeirufuka, who finished fourth with a timing of 23.21 seconds, giving the Indian athlete the bronze by a narrow margin of just 0.01 seconds.
Singapore’s Shanti Pereira won the gold medal with a season-best time of 22.78 seconds, while China’s Chen Yujie took the silver in 22.93 seconds. Pereira therefore finished comfortably ahead of the field, while the battle for the remaining podium places was much tighter.
The other Indian athlete in the final, Unnathi Aiyappa Bolland, finished sixth with a time of 23.48 seconds. The presence of two Indians in the final itself marked a strong showing in the event, with Bhadra going on to secure India’s medal.
Bhadra’s bronze was part of a productive day for Indian athletics at the Asian Games. Along with her medal, India also secured silver medals through Sarvesh Kushare in the men’s high jump and Ancy Sojan Edappilly in the women’s long jump, making it a significant day for the country’s track and field contingent.