Hailu Mekkonen of Ethiopia (no.49) (© Getty Images)
Kazakhstan bagged three gold medals while China, South Africa and Ethiopia took two each on the opening day of the inaugural Afro-Asian Games athletic events in the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, Gachibowli, today.
Of the ten finals contested on the first of the three-day competition here in the Andra Pradesh state capital, both Asia and African continents had an equal share of success by winning five gold medals each. China (2) and Kazakhstan (3) made up Asia’s total while gold medallists for Africa came from South Africa (2), Ethiopia (2) and Kenya (1). Africans won all three medals in two events but Asians were unable to sweep the board in that manner in any event.
Ethiopians secured both the gold and silver medals in the men's 5000m - Hailu Mekonnen a former holder of the World Indoor Two Miles best won in a slow 13:49.08, enough though to beat compatriot Markos Geneti (13:49.61) who he sprinted past in the last 50 metres of the race. Kenya’s Dennis Keter was third completing the African sweep.
Though gold also went to Ethiopia in the women's 1500m there was a suprise for favourite Kutre Dulecha as she was out kicked by 20 year-old compatriot Birhane Hirpassa (PB 4:07) after the two East Africans had pulled clear of India's Sunita Rani, the Asian Games champion with two laps remaining. The winning time of Hirpassa was 4:17.36, and Dulecha finished second in 4:18.14. India's Madhuri Singh (4:22.32) was third just ahead of Rani who crossed the line in fourth (4:22.60) nursing a leg injury.
In the absence of top sprinters from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the men's 400m gold medal was won by Kenya’s recently crowned African Games champion Ezra Sambu with 45.04. Sugath Tillakaratne, a former Asian Games gold medallist from Sri Lanka, was no where near his top form and had to settle for the bronze in a 45.99, behind Senegal’s silver medallist Nagmeldin Ali (45.44).
South African Estie Wittsock returned a timing of 52.09 seconds to take the women's 400m title. She had her own way all the way to end an easy winner with nearly a one-second lead ahead of Nigerian silver medallist Doris Jacob (53.08), in the notable the absence of reigning Asian Games gold medallist Damayanthi Darsha. Sri Lankan Darsha, who won back to back gold medals at 1998 and 2002 Asian Games in women's 400m is nursing a leg injury and also missed the recent IAAF World Championships in Paris.
In the men's 400m hurdles Yevgeniy Meleshenko (Kazakhstan) took the win in 49.66 and was the only man inside 50 seconds, and was followed home by Ibou Faye (Senegal) and Osita Okagu (Nigeria) who the next two places respectively. India’s Vara Prasad Reddy Pureddy (51.31) ended a distant fourth.
Wednesday (29) will be the second day of the Afro-Asian Games Athletics competition and a total of 17 more finals will be held.
Dinesh Weerawansa for the IAAF
Leading Results:
Men:
400m: 1. Ezra Sambu (Kenya) 45.04; 2. Nagmeldin Ali (Sudan) 45.44; 3. Sugath Tillakaratne (Sri Lanka) 45.99.
400m Hurdles: 1. Yevgeniy Meleshenko (Kazakhstan) 49.66; 2. Ibou Faye (Senegal) 50.08; 3. Osita Okagu (Nigeria) 50.87.
5000m: 1. Hailu Mekonnen (Ethiopia) 13:49.08; 2. Markos Geneti (Ethiopia) 13:49.61; 3. Dennis Keter (Kenya) 13:50.41.
Pole Vault: 1. Griogoriy Yegorov (Kazakhstan) 5.25m; 2. Karim Charles (Senegal) 5.05; 3. Rafik Mett (Algeria) 4.95.
Women:
400m: 1. Estie Wittsock (South Africa) 52.09; 2. Doris Jacob (Nigeria) 53.08; 3. Wasana Winatho (Thailand) 53.88.
1500m: 1. Birhane Hirpassa (Ethiopia) 4:17.36 sec.; 2. Kutre Dulecha (Ethiopia) 4:18.14.; 3. Madhuri Singh (India) 4:22.32.
Javelin: 1. Sunette Vijoen (South Africa) 55.49m; 2. Gurmeet Kaur (India) 53.37; 3. Xiaoyan Ha (China) 51.96.
Triple Jump: 1. Qiuyan Huang (China) 13.50m; 2. Tatyana Bocharova (Kazakhstan) 13.34; 3. Silamata Alima Popoola (Nigeria) 13.00.
High Jump: 1. Marina Aitova (Kazakhstan) 1.88m; 2. Bobby Aloysius (India) 1.88; 3. Marisca Gerfenbach (South Africa) 1.75.
Hammer throw: 1. Yinghui Liu (China) 68.03; 2. Wei Zhad (China) 65.22; 3. Marwa Hussain Ahmed (Egypt) 60.60.
