Indian athletes Animesh Kujur and Harita Bhadra delivered stellar performances at the inaugural Indian Athletics Final Series in New Delhi, clinching multiple titles and setting personal bests, signalling strong preparations for the upcoming Asian Games.
Key Points
- Animesh Kujur achieved a double victory, securing both the men's 100m (10.21s) and 200m (20.59s) titles at the Indian Athletics Final Series.
- Harita Bhadra delivered a standout performance, winning the women's 100m in 11.22s, marking the second-fastest time ever by an Indian woman in the event.
- Both Harita Bhadra and Abinaya Rajarajan (11.31s) recorded personal bests in the women's 100m, securing a 1-2 finish.
- Asian Games-bound athletes like Ancy Sojan, Mohammed Afsal, and Karthik Unnikrishnan also dominated their respective events, clinching top spots.
- The event served as a crucial preparation for many of India's top athletes, who delivered solid showings ahead of the upcoming Asian Games.
The inaugural Indian Athletics Final Series in New Delhi saw Animesh Kujur set his marker for the Asian Games by claiming both 100m and 200m titles in a remarkable double, reaching the finish line in 10.21s and 20.59s, respectively on Thursday.
Harita Bhadra's Record-Breaking Performance
Harita Bhadra delivered one of the all-time great performances by an Indian athlete en route the women’s 100m title by clocking 11.22s, the second-fastest time ever by an Indian woman over the distance. Animesh and Gurindervir Singh (10.32s) registered a 1-2 finish in the men’s 100m, while Harita and Abinaya Rajarajan (11.31s) doing the same in the women’s 100m event. Both Harita and Abinaya clocked their personal bests. Harita, who trains at the Jio Institute in Navi Mumbai, has been among the most improved athletes this year and has regularly notched podium placings across both the 100m and 200m events at the national level, according to a press release from Reliance Foundation.
Asian Games Preparations
There was a clean sweep of the podium in the men’s 200m event as Animesh was closely followed by Jishnu Prasad (20.63s) and Abhay Singh (21.04s). Among the Asian Games-bound athletes, Ancy Sojan (women’s long jump), Mohammed Afsal (men’s 800m), Karthik Unnikrishnan (men’s triple jump), Anu Raghavan (women’s 400m hurdles) and Aadarsh Ram (men’s high jump) dominated their events to clinch the top spot. Krishna Jayasankar (women’s shot put), Damneet Singh (men’s hammer throw), Baranica Elangovan (women’s pole vault) and Anushka Yadav (women’s hammer throw), who will all next be in action at the Asian Games, finished second in their respective events on a day that saw many of India’s finest gear up for the Asian Games in some style with solid showings.
