Akshdeep Singh who broke the men’s 20km national record in the National race walking championships in Ranchi on Tuesday. Photo: AFI
| Photo Credit: AFI
Priyanka Goswami, the women’s 20km gold medallist (white) followed by silver winner Bhawna Jat at the National race walking championships in Ranchi on Tuesday. Photo: AFI
| Photo Credit:
AFI
Punjab’s Akshdeep Singh produced a big surprise as he broke the national record and grabbed the men’s 20km gold at the 10th National race walking championships in Ranchi on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old Akshdeep’s time, 1.19.55s (previous best 1:26.10), also saw him achieve the qualification standard for this year’s World Championships in Budapest and next year Paris Olympics (entry standard 1:20.10s).
Uttarakhand’s Suraj Panwar, the silver medallist, also bettered the national record but he missed the Worlds and Olympics entry standard by one second. Sandeep Kumar, the national record holder, three-time National champion and last year’s Commonwealth Games 10km bronze medallist, finished seventh (1:23.28).
Uttar Pradesh’s Olympian Priyanka Goswami, the women’s national record holder and Commonwealth Games 10km silver medallist, won the gold comfortably and also qualified for Budapest and Paris while former national record holder Bhawna Jat took the silver with a personal best time.
The results: Men: 20km: 1. Akshdeep Singh (Pun) 1:19.55s NR, OR 1:20:16, Sandeep Kumar, 2021; 2. Suraj Panwar (Utk) 1:20.11 BR; 3. Vikash Singh (Del) 1:21.08.
Under-20 (10km): 1. Aditya Negi (Utk) 41:33ss, 2. Babendra Singh (Utk) 42:17, Himanshu Kumar (Utk) 43:13.
Women: 1. Priyanka Goswami (UP) 1:28.50s, Bhawna Jat (Raj) 1:29:44, 3. Sonal Sukhwal (Raj) 1:31.03.
Under-20 (10km): 1. Mansi Negi (Utk) 49.01s NR, OR 49.28, Reshma Patel, 2021; 2. Aarti (Har) 49.54, 3. Indu (Har) 50.01.