Unnathi Aiyappa Targets Asian Games Medal
Indian sprinter Unnathi Aiyappa has expressed her ambition to secure a medal at the upcoming Asian Games after qualifying in the 200-meter event. Speaking after the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, the Karnataka athlete reflected on her performance in the women's 4x100m relay and emphasized the critical role of smooth baton exchanges.
"I'm a 100-meter and 200-meter sprinter. I'm from Karnataka, and we just finished the 4x100 girls relay. We were very confident with our team because it was a pretty good team. We just needed our baton exchanges to come good, we don't train together. We just got 1 hour for the warm-up, and we did some two, three baton exchanges. I have qualified for the Asians in the 200 meters. I'm hoping to get a medal at the Asian Games," Aiyappa said.
Amiya Kumar Mallick on Odisha Relay Team
Experienced sprinter Amiya Kumar Mallick praised the Odisha men's 4x100m relay team for their gold-medal performance on home turf, while acknowledging areas for improvement. He noted that despite minor issues with baton exchanges, the team's consistency could help achieve desired timings.
"At the 2022 event, Odisha's 4x100m relay team dominated the national competition. It is a fresh team comprising elite athletes; while there were some minor issues with the baton exchange, these can be rectified. We are delighted to have won the gold medal on home turf. We are especially grateful to the Odisha State Government's Sports Department, the Athletics Federation of India, and the Athletics Association of Odisha. Regarding our target, we had hoped for a specific timing, but that is part of the game. I believe that if the team continues to perform consistently, the desired timing will eventually come. Currently, the national team hasn't qualified for the Asian Games yet," Mallick stated.
Thirteen Athletes Breach Asian Games Qualification Marks
On the third day of the championships at Kalinga Stadium, 13 athletes achieved qualification marks for the Japan Asian Games, including six triple jumpers. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) selection committee will finalize the contingent after the event, with two athletes per track and field event.
In the hammer throw, Punjab's Damneet Singh won gold with a throw of 69.72m, surpassing the qualification mark of 69.12m. Rajasthan's Praveen Kumar also qualified with a silver-winning effort of 69.58m.
The discus throw saw Haryana athletes dominate, with Seema, Sanya Yadav, and Nidhi finishing in that order, all bettering the Asian Games qualification mark of 55.48m.
In men's triple jump, the top six jumpers exceeded the 16.28m qualification mark. Praveen Chithravel claimed gold with an opening jump of 16.92m.
National record holder Tejas Shrise won the men's 110m hurdles comfortably in 13.61 seconds, beating the qualification time of 13.63 seconds.
In women's 400m hurdles heats, Tamil Nadu's Vithya Ramraj posted 56.69 seconds, staying on course for an Asian Games berth.
