Parvej Khan finishes seventh in NCAA Championships

National Games gold medallist Parvej Khan finished seventh in the one mile track event’s final in the NCAA Championships of the United States in Boston, one of the most competitive collegiate competitions in the world.

Khan clocked 4 minutes 03.05 seconds to finish seventh on Saturday, having become the first Indian to qualify for the final of a track event in the NCAA Championships.

The 19-year-old Indian clocked 3 minutes 57.126 seconds to finish third in the preliminary run.

The USA’s Luke Houser finished first with a timing of 4 minutes 01.72 seconds while Australian Adam Spencer came second in 4 minutes 01.92 seconds.

Lucas Bons (4:02.12) of the US was third.

Khan was representing the University of Florida as he earned a college scholarship there last year.

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Khan, who belongs to a farming family in Mewat region in Haryana, had won the 1500m gold in the 2022 National Games with a new personal best of 3.40.89 in Gandhinagar.

One mile run though is not popular among Indian athletes and is not in the Olympic and World Championships programmes.

Three Indians — Tejaswin Shankar (2018 and 2022 in high jump), Mohinder Singh Gill (triple jump) and Vikas Gowda (2006 in discus throw) — have all won gold at the NCAA championships.