Indian sports wrap, April 8: India retains men’s individual and team gold in Asia-Oceania 24-hr ultra-running c’ships

ATHLETICS

India retains men’s individual and team gold in Asia-Oceania 24-hr ultra-running c’ships

Amar Singh Devanda smashed his own national record en route retaining the individual gold medal and helping the men’s team to finish on top of the podium for the second consecutive edition of the IAU 24-hr Asia-Oceania Ultrarunning Championships in Canberra, Australia.

Devanda completed a distance of 272.537 km in the 24-hour run to win the gold in the competition which ended on Sunday.

He had also won a gold in the previous edition held in Bengaluru in 2022 by completing a distance of 257.618 km.

Devanda rewrote his national record by nearly 15 km, according to information provided by the Athletics Federation of India.

Among other Indians in the fray, Ullas Narayana finished third by completing a distance of 245.574 km while Saurav Ranjan was fourth with 240.137 km.

The Indian men’s team also retained the gold medal with a combined total distance of 758.248 km.

The results of the best three competitors from a country are added to the team rankings.

The Australian team was second with 719.560 km while New Zealand was third with 636.679 km.

India had won the men’s team gold medal in 2022 in Bengaluru with a total distance of 738.359 km.

In the women’s section, Shashi Mehta was the best-placed Indian at eighth in the individual competition with a total distance of 190.772 km.

The Indian women’s team of Mehta, Meenal Kotak and Preeti Lala finished fourth by completing a total distance of 527.354 km.

Australia (666.580 km) won the women’s team gold, while New Zealand (568.401 km) and Chinese Taipei (551.686 km) took silver and bronze respectively.

Indian women’s team had won silver in the 2022 edition.

-PTI

MORE SPORTS

PCI signs three-year-deal with Shrachi Group

The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) has signed a three-year deal with city-based Shrachi Group.

“This partnership will go a long way to helping us do our best in Paris. I am confident the Paris Paralympics will be a watershed in the history of Indian sport,” said PCI president Devendra Jhajharia.

-Team Sportstar