China made its mark in style on the opening day of the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, claiming five of the six gold medals up for grabs. It was a promising start for India and Japan as well, with India securing one gold and a bronze while Japan bagged a trio of silvers and two bronzes. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Taipei, and Kazakhstan each made their mark on the podium, showcasing the growing depth of talent across Asia.
The men’s 20km walk saw China’s Wang Zhaozhao stride to victory in 1:20.37, closely pursued by Japan’s Kento Yoshikawa (1:20.46) and India’s Servin Sebasthiyan (1:21.14). China continued to assert its presence in the women’s equivalent, where Yin Hang (1:30.44) and Ma Li (1:32.08) secured a commanding one-two finish, with Kazakhstan’s Yasmina Toxanbayeva (1:32.22) clinching the bronze.
Chinese athletes shone in several other women’s events. In the javelin, Su Lingdan (63.29m) took gold, while Japan’s Momone Ueda (59.39m) and Sae Takemoto (58.94m) earned their place on the podium. In the hammer throw, Ji Li (72.98m) prevailed over compatriot Li Jiangyan (69.13m), with Taipei’s Ya Chien Yu (64.25m) taking bronze. Meanwhile, in the triple jump, Li Yi (13.80m) edged out Uzbekistan’s Sharifa Davronova (13.74m) and Japan’s Mariko Morimoto (13.65m) in a closely fought contest.
Breaking China’s near-total grip on the gold medals, India emerged victorious in the men’s 10,000m. Gulveer Singh’s tenacious run in 28:38.63 saw him hold off fierce competition from Japan’s Mebuki Suzuki (28:43.84) and Bahrain’s Albert Kibichi Rop (28:46.82) in a thrilling showdown.
Beyond the medal events, the day also saw heated action in several heats and semifinals. The men’s 1500m witnessed strong performances from athletes like Japan’s Nanami Arai, India’s Yoonus Shah, and Iran’s Seyedamir Zamanpour, all of whom advanced to the final. In the men’s 400m, athletes like Qatar’s Ammar Ismail Y Ibrahim, Malaysia’s Umar Osman, Sri Lanka’s Kalinga Kumarage Hewa Kumarage, and Japan’s Fuga Sato secured their spots. Meanwhile, the men’s 100m featured commanding displays from, among others, Thailand’s Puripol Boonson, Japan’s Hiroki Yanagita, Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Abkar M Mohammed, and South Korea’s Minjun Seo, each moving through the heats with ease. There was plenty for the home crowd to cheer for as Sanghyeok Woo progressed to the men’s high jump final, alongside athletes like Taipei’s Chao Hsuan Fu, Oman’s Fatek Bait Jaboob, and India’s Sarvesh Anil Kushare. In the grueling decathlon, athletes like Japan’s Yuma Maruyama, India’s Tejaswin Shankar, and Taipei’s Chia Hsuan Cho displayed remarkable endurance, completing five of their ten events.
The women proved equally formidable. In the 400m, Japan’s Nanako Matsumoto, India’s Rupal Rupal, UAE’s Aminat Kamarudeen, and Uzbekistan’s Jonbibi Hukmova were among those that delivered standout performances. Meanwhile, in the 100m, Singapore’s defending champion Veronica Shanti Pereira demonstrated her prowess, alongside athletes like China’s Liang Xiaojing, Japan’s Aiha Yamagata, and Vietnam’s Tran Thi Nhi Yen.
A thrilling first day set the tone for the rest of the competition, as Asia’s brightest athletic talents took center stage. Yet amidst the intense competition, it was fitting that General Dahlan Al-Hamad, President of the Asian Athletics, speaking at the opening ceremony at night, spoke about how athletics must not be just about wins, medals and records. Expressing thanks to the many people that have contributed to the sport (athletes, coaches, families, media, spectators), he stressed how athletics is, at heart, about the celebration of the human spirit.
Comments are closed.