India’s Mohammed Ashfaq scripted history by breaking the U20 national record in the men’s 400m to book his place in the semifinals at the World Athletics U20 Championships. The 19-year-old produced a sensational run of 45.81 seconds, eclipsing his own previous national record of 46.05 seconds, which he had set earlier this year in April.
Competing in Heat 5 of the opening round, Ashfaq finished second behind USA’s Jayden DeLeon, who clocked 45.63 seconds. Ashfaq’s impressive timing also saw him finish fourth overall across all heats, securing a place in the semifinals.
However, it was disappointment for another Indian runner, Piyush Raj, who failed to progress after finishing fifth in Heat 6 with a timing of 47.78 seconds. He ended 35th overall.
Amanat Kamboj registers personal best in women’s discus
India also had reason to celebrate in the women’s discus throw, where Amanat Kamboj delivered a personal best performance in the final.
The 18-year-old produced a best throw of 53.24m on her very first attempt, which remained her top mark of the competition and earned her a sixth-place finish.
China’s Su Yixin clinched the gold medal with a throw of 61.06m. USA’s Jaslene Massey secured silver with 58.41m, while Cyprus’ Marina Hadjicosta claimed bronze after registering 54.88m.
Basant advances to men’s high jump final
In the men’s high jump, Basant qualified for the final after clearing 2.14m, finishing fifth in Qualification Group A and 11th overall. However, compatriot K Ambriesh could not progress after managing a best clearance of 2.05m. He finished 12th in Qualification Group B and 24th overall, failing to clear 2.10m in all three attempts.
Mixed fortunes for Indian contingent
India endured a tough day in several other events. Anshu missed out on a place in the women’s shot put final after recording a best throw of 15.24m, finishing 14th overall. In the women’s 400m hurdles, Tanu Chaudhary finished fifth in her heat with a timing of 1:00.03, ending 33rd overall and missing qualification for the semifinals.
Amit Kumar also failed to advance in the men’s 400m hurdles after finishing eighth in his heat with a time of 54.01 seconds. Meanwhile, India’s challenge in the men’s triple jump qualification also came to an end. P Royshan finished 25th overall with an effort of 15.20m, while Dhanush Raj placed 34th after registering 14.71m, with both athletes missing out on the final.
Despite mixed results for the Indian contingent, Ashfaq’s record-breaking sprint and Amanat Kamboj’s personal best provided the biggest positives for India on the second day of the World Athletics U20 Championships.
