Asian Games 2023: Harmilan Bains, Chanda (800m), 4x400m men's relay team through to final

Tejaswin Shankar sits pretty in the podium in men's decathlon.

Indian decathlete Tejaswin Shankar has displayed impressive performance at the Asian Games 2023 in the decathlon in day 1 yesterday. He kicked off day 2 by securing the 5th position in the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.78 seconds. Despite this finish, he continued to lead the men's decathlon with a total of 5136 points after 6 events.

In the discus throw event, he achieved a personal best of 39.28m. Further in the javelin throw event he recorded another personal best mark of 4.10m and this outstanding performance bolstered his overall standing with a total of 643 points and is in the No. 2 position with two more events to go.

However, he faces a formidable challenge from China's Qihao Sun, who is at the top currently with 6522 points. As the competition intensifies, Tejaswin Shankar's resilience and determination are on full display which makes him a contender to watch in the coming events.

Middle distance runner Harmilan Bains has left her mark at the Asian Games by winning the silver medal in the women's 1500m race. She continued her campaign in the 800m heat 2 and secured her place in the final by finishing first with a time of 2:06.62. On the other hand, India's Chanda Kumari also qualified for the final by clinching the top spot in heat 1 with a time of 2:07.38. Both of the athletes have set the stage for an exciting final event.

To conclude the morning session , India's men's 4x400m relay team clinched the top spot and secured a well-deserved place in the final. The formidable quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Nihal Joel William, Amoj Jacob and Mijo Chacko Kurian showcased teamwork and speed and clocked a time of 3:03.81. This outstanding performance not only guarantees them a spot in the final but also raises hopes for a triumphant finish building on their exceptional showing in the recently concluded World championships.

The Indian team is undoubtedly in top form and fans eagerly anticipate their upcoming race in the finals. Moreover their rival Japan men's 4x400m relay team did not start the race in the heats and thus India will be firm favourites to clinch gold.