Asian U-20 Athletics Championships 2023: Sunil Kumar clinches historic gold in decathlon

India have so far bagged 13 medals overall with one day remaining.

The penultimate day of Asian U-20 Athletics Championships 2023 came to an eventful end with India's Sunil Kumar bagging a historic gold medal in men's decathlon after notching up 7003 points. Bushra Khan Gauri (women's 3000m steeplechase) and Pooja (women's high jump) bagged silver medals, whereas the Indian women's 4*100 relay concluded the day with a bronze medal. India has so far bagged 13 medals (gold-4, silver-5, and bronze-4).

Sunil was the lone athlete to bag the gold medal for India. He notched up 3597 points on day 1 and followed it up with 3410 on day 2 to bag the top spot. Sunil was down by 104 points in the final event but made it up by clocking 4:45.72s in the 1500m.

Pooja,16, on the other hand, registered a massive personal of 1.82m in the women's high jump event to secure a silver medal. She had a good chance of breaching the 1.84m mark but couldn't finish the jump successfully.

Only a few Indians in the past have breached the 1.85m+ mark. Pooja if nurtured well can cross the National Record pretty early and simultaneously can achieve more at the World Stage.

The Indian 4*100m relay women's team (Abinaya Rajarajan, Akshaya, Tamanna, Nayana)bagged the bronze medal by clocking 45.36 sec. Bushra Khan Gauri clocked 9:41.45 in the women's 3000m steeplechase to claim the silver medal.

India’s medallists on day 3 of Asian U-20 Athletics Championships 2023

GOLD – Sunil Kumar (Men’s Decathlon) – 7003 points

SILVER – Bushra Khan Gauri (Women’s 3000m Steeplechase) – 9:41.45

SILVER – Pooja (High Jump) – 1.82m

BRONZE – 4*100m women's relay – 45.36 sec