Latest news with #AvinashSable
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Avinash Sable's family in Beed celebrates historic win in Asian Athletics Championship
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Athlete Avinash Sable made the country proud on multiple occasions, but his latest gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championship left an indelible mark — not just on Indian athletics, but also on his family waiting quietly in a remote corner of Maharashtra. Two kilometres off the nearest village road, in a small farmhouse near Mandva village in Beed's Ashti tehsil, Sable's family lives a life of quiet perseverance. Avinash is the eldest of the three children of farmer couple Mukund and Vaishali Sable. In conversation with TOI, Avinash's mother recalled the last time she saw him — during Diwali. "He's been working hard for over 10 years. I feel sad when he doesn't come home for months. We hardly even get to talk to him over the phone. I share one mobile phone with my husband. I last spoke to him more than a month ago and at that time he had told us that he was going to travel a long distance to participate in the matches," she said. But the sorrow of not being able to talk to him for over one month turned to joy when they received the news of his gold medal — India's first in the event in 36 years. "After we heard he had won a gold for India, our sadness turned into happiness. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo We've been told he's competing far away. We're now just waiting for him to call. We did not even get to speak to him after he won the latest gold medal for India," Vaishali said. While Sable previously brought home several medals, this particular victory carries special weight for both the nation and his loved ones back home. The achievement brought hordes of villagers to Sables' doorstep. His father Mukund added, "We are illiterate. It was our younger son Yogesh, who studied beyond 15 classes (graduate), saw the news on his mobile phone and told us what Avinash did. We feel very proud of him." Sables are marginal farmers in the remote hamlet bordering Ahilyanagar district. Despite their elder son's achievement, life remains unchanged in many ways—marked by hard work on their five acres' farm in an arid region, with lack of access to road, and limited means of communication. Proud of the recognition that Avinash's achievement has brought to the family, Vaishali said, "Once you reach Beed, ask anyone for Avinash Sable's home and people will guide you. The only problem is that there is no motorable road to our modest house we constructed on our farm." The couple said they had reached out to many in the administration as well as people's representatives with a request to construct a road, but in vain.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Pooja, 18, leaps into history as India's youngest Asian Champion, aims even higher
India, with eight gold medals, has already registered its best performance abroad with one day of competitions yet to go underway at the Asian Athletics Championships. There's been a double gold in men's 5,000m and 10,000m, the 4x400m women's and mixed relay sides have triumphed, and Avinash Sable has won in the men's 3000m steeplechase. Additionally, Nandini Agasara won the women's heptathlon, and Jyothi Yarraji conquered the women's 100m hurdles. But of all the medals won so far, perhaps none are as impressive as the one won by Pooja in the women's high jump. 'The greatest performance from an Indian perspective at AAC2025 in Gumi for me is Pooja's,' Tejaswin Shankar, national record holder in men's high jump and decathlon and a silver medallist at this year's Asian Championships, posted on X. At just 18, Pooja, from Bosti village in Haryana's Fatehbad district cleared a new personal best of 1.89m to beat a quality field and become India's youngest ever Asian champion. It's a result that took even national coach Radhakrishnan Nair by surprise. He said, 'I thought she would improve on her personal best (1.85m), but I wasn't thinking she would win the gold,' he said after the event. Tough challenge Pooja had no illusions of the challenge she was up against, even a day ahead of the women's high jump event at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships. All but one of the 13 other competitors was older than her. Many were far more accomplished, too. Pooja had jumped a personal best of 1.85m at last month's Open athletics meet in Nadiad. Five of her opponents had better jumps than that. For the favourites, one would probably have been looking at two-time Olympian Nadezhda Dubovitskaya of Kazakhstan, who had a personal best clearance of 2m. Uzbekistan's Safina Sadulaeva had a personal best of 1.97m and had made the final of the Paris Olympics last year. Nagisa Takahashi of Japan and Yelizaveta Matveyeva of Kazakhstan both had made clearances of 1.92m. There was plenty going wrong as well. During her first practice session in Gumi, Pooja ripped her jumping cleats. She patched the tear as best she could with medical tape but there was no guarantee of the repair job lasting long. Pooja continued to train in her old, torn kicks (in picture) ahead of the continental competition in Gumi. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Despite everything, Pooja wasn't nervous at all. 'Neither of us were nervous,' says 38-year-old Balwan Singh who has coached her from the time she first started to jump as a 10 year old. 'Before the competition, I texted her to remind her 'no one expects you to win. So just go have fun. If you do your best, you will win,' he says. Pooja started with a clearance at 1.70m and made successful jumps at 1.75 and 1.80m. She brought down the bar once at 1.83m before clearing it on the second attempt, and then repeated the sequence at 1.86m, which itself was a new personal best and a new Indian junior national record. With the bar set to 1.89m, just four competitors were left. 'At that point, my only thought was that I shouldn't finish fourth,' she says. That wouldn't happen. Pooja made the jump in her very first attempt and then watched all of her more storied opponents fail their three attempts. ' Unko uda dia! (I blew them away)' she would excitedly tell Balwan after the competition. Pooja, having secured the crown, went for the national record of 1.92m, set by Sahana Kumari in 2012. Those watching live – the field events at the Asian Championships on Friday weren't broadcast anywhere – say she came very close, barely grazing the bar in her last attempt. 'I could have got it. I nearly got it,' she complained later. READ: Asian Athletics Championships 2025, Medals Tally: India continues in second place with eight golds after day four Coach Balwan says 1.92 was probably too much at this point of time for her. 'At the start of the year, I had a target for her of jumping 1.90m. She would have actually gone for 1.90m but her shoe was torn and we weren't sure if it would last all those jumps,' he says. While Pooja might be disappointed at the miss at 1.92, it's impressive enough that Pooja's made it as far as she already has. Where she was born and raised, it's not easy being a woman. The female literacy rate is only around 46 per cent. But Pooja is blessed with supportive parents. Her father Hansraj, who had hopes of becoming a kabaddi player himself, had to work as a mason to support his family. When Pooja showed enthusiasm towards sport, he supported her. She trained for two years as a yoga athlete and then, spotting her natural athleticism and flexibility, coach Balwant Singh, who runs a private academy out of the government school in the neighbouring village of Parta, started to train her as a high jumper. Impressive rise How well the partnership of Balwant and Pooja has worked out is nothing short of a miracle. He was a former 800m runner himself and had never coached or competed in the high jump. The academy where Pooja trained barely had any equipment. 'We didn't have a jump mat. So, we filled sacks with agricultural waste (mostly rice husk) and jumped on that,' she recalls. Her parents and coach's support somewhat made up for the lack of facilities. Her father would sometimes take loans to send her to competitions while Balwan would chip in with funds for diet if the family ran short. Her talent was precocious and Pooja was making a name for herself in Indian track and field circles from 2023 itself, when as a 16-year-old she won a gold at the Asian Youth Championships with a then Youth National record of 1.82m. She's improved steadily since then. 'When she did 1.82m for the first time at the Asian Championships, she was at the start of her growth as a jumper. The challenge for her has been to maintain it and not have any drop offs in performance. I'm proud that we have managed this. She's been very regular with her training. She doesn't miss any workouts,' says Balwan. Indeed at the Asian Championships, Balwan was expecting an improvement in her personal best at the very least. 'When she jumped 1.82m ( at the Asian U-18 championships) she was jumping around 1.65m and 1.70m in practice. In two years her practice jumps have increased to 1.80m. I had actually told her before she left that if she stayed focussed and jumped to her potential, she would jump 1.88m,' he says. ALSO READ: Heptathlon explained: Events, order, points system, records The potential loss of focus for Pooja, who was only going to her second senior international competition ( she had previously competed at the 2023 Asian Championships) wasn't a trivial concern. When you think about all she's accomplished already, it's easy to forget Pooja is still very much a kid. 'I might be the champion, but behind it, I'm still a kid. I'm equally naughty as well,' she'd say after the competition. But any chance of tomfoolery were nipped soon enough. Being the youngest in the Indian team, Pooja had plenty of her seniors looking out for her. 'I can't say enough good things about Tejaswin Shankar. He really looked out for her. Even though he had his own event, he was giving her a lot of advice during her training. (high jumper) Sarvesh Kusare was also guiding her. They'd make sure to connect me on the phone with her. Everyone in the team was really helpful,' says Balwan. Higher goals Perhaps they know just what a prospect Pooja is as well. With a jump of 1.89m and the Asian Championship gold under her belt, Pooja is looking to clear bigger obstacles. As her target heights increase, the challenge will get harder for her. At 1.70cm tall, Pooja is relatively small for a high jumper. (the shortest of the finalists at the Paris Olympics were Uzbek Safina Sadullayeva and France's Nawal Meniker – both of whom are 178cm tall. None of the others are shorter than 181cm). Coach Balwan refuses to think that physical limitation will keep her down. 'There was an American high jumper (Inika) McPherson who was only 163cm tall and she jumped 1.96m. And there was (Olympic men's high jump champion) Stefan Holm who was very short (1.81cm) for a men's high jumper. So, it is possible,' he says. Pooja will continue to jump as high as she can. She'll be competing at the World University Games in July and coach Balwan says her next big goal will be to compete and medal at the Junior World Championships next year. But Pooja is dreaming even bigger. 'My target is the next Olympic Games. It's my dream to qualify and win a gold there,' she says.
Mint
2 days ago
- Sport
- Mint
Asian athletics championship: Indian medal tally at 14 as Avinash, Jyothi win gold
India added six more medals to their tally at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 on Thursday, taking their total haul to 14. The day's events saw Indian athletes clinch three golds, two silvers, and a bronze. Olympians Avinash Sable and Jyothi Yarraji led the charge, each claiming gold in their respective events. Sable triumphed in the men's 3000m steeplechase, while Yarraji crossed the finish line first in the women's 100m hurdles. In another standout performance, the Indian women's 4x400m relay team successfully defended their title, securing yet another gold for the country, as reported by India's strong showing continues to solidify their position as a dominant force in the continental athletics arena. Sable, who secured the silver medal in the Asian Athletics Championships 2019, secured the gold six years later with a season's best timing of 8:20.92, with the rest of the podium completed by Japan's Yutaro Niinae (8:24.41) and Qatar's Zakaria Elahlaami (8:27.12). The current Asian Games champion Sable is the first Indian to secure a 3000 m men's steeplechase gold at the Asian Athletics Championships after 36 years, with the first being the Arjuna Award recipient Deena Ram back in 1989. Jyothi backed the second gold of the day, successfully defending her women's 100m hurdles title by clocking a new championship record time of 12.96 seconds. The second and third spots were taken by Japan's Yumi Tanaka and China's Wu Yanni with the times of 13.07 (.061) and 13.07(.068), respectively. The Indian quartet of Jisna Mathew, Rupal Chaudhary, Kunja Rajitha and Subha Venkatesan bagged the women's 4x400m relay gold with season-best timings of 3:34.18. This was India's first gold medal in the category since 2013 when the quartet of Nirmala Sheoran, Tintu Luka, Anu Mariam Jose and Poovamma Raju Machettira finished on top of the podium in Balewadi, Pune. Rupal and Subha helped India in defending their mixed 4x400m relay team title on Wednesday. However, the men's 4x400m relay team bagged a silver after the grouping of Jay Kumar, Dharmveer Choudhary, Manu Thekkinalil Saji, and Vishal TK clocked the timing of 3:03.67., The gold medal went to Qatar with timings of 3:03.5,2 and China landed the bronze after clocking 3:03.73. In the women's long jump event, two Indian athletes made it to the podium as Asian Games runners-up Ancy Sojan (6.33 m) got the silver medal and the Asian Championships silver medalist Shaili Singh (6.30 m) got the bronze. Ancy's third jump gave her the medal, while Shaili's first attempt gave her the bronze. Iran's Reihaneh Mobini Arani took home the gold with a 6.40 m jump. (With inputs from news agency ANI)
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First Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Asian Athletics Championships 2025: Jyothi Yarraji, Avinash Sable add to gold rush as Indian women win 4x400m relay
Jyothi Yarraji and Avinash Sable won gold in women's 100m hurdles and men's 3000m steeplechase respectively while the quartet of Jisna Mathew, Rupal Chaudhary, Kunja Rajitha and Subha Venkatesan delivered India their second relay gold at the event in Gumi, South Korea. read more Jyothi Yarraji and Avinash Sable won gold in women's 100m hurdles and men's 3000m steeplechase respectively. AP/Reuters It rained gold for India at the Asian Athletics Championships on Thursday as the country's fastest woman hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, seasoned steeplechase runner Avinash Sable and the 4x400m women's relay team delivered stupendous performances to finish on top in Gumi, South Korea. After Jyothi and Sable set the tone, the quartet of Jisna Mathew, Rupal Chaudhary, Kunja Rajitha and Subha Venkatesan clinched the gold medal in the women's 4x400m relay event after clocking their season-best time (3:34.18sec) to extend India's dominance on the third competition day of the continental championship. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Vietnam took silver with 3:34.77sec, while Sri Lanka settled for the bronze with 3:36.67sec. This was the 10th gold overall for India in the event and first since 2013. Overall, India snared three gold, two silver and a bronze medal on Thursday taking their overall tally to 14 after proceedings were disrupted by a massive thunderstorm. India are currently placed second in the overall standings behind China, who have 21 medals including 12 gold. The men's 4x400m relay team of Jay Kumar, Dharmveer Choudhary, Manu Thekkinalil Saji and Vishal TK also looked to be on course for a gold medal before settling for silver with a timing of 3:03.67sec which was their best performance so far. Qatar (3:03.52sec) won the gold medal, while China (3:03.73sec) ended the race with bronze in the men's 4x400m relay. Earlier, on his way to victory with a season-best performance, Sable became the first Indian man in 36 years to win a gold medal in steeplechase at the Asian Championships. Tula Maanla Re Sable! 👑 Avinash Sable ended India's 36-year wait for a gold medal in men's 3000m steeplechase with a season's best time of 8:20.29 seconds. 🙌 — Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) May 29, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I was confident of winning gold as I was best in the field,' said Sable, who has already qualified for the World Championships in September. Soon after, Jyothi produced a late burst to clinch her second straight gold medal in this competition with a new championship record of 12.96 seconds. The previous record was 12.99 seconds, achieved by China's Su Yiping in the 2000 edition of the tournament. 'It was a good day. I am happy to break the 13 second barrier this season,' she said after winning the gold medal. Sable clocked 8:20.92sec to claim the top honour, which is also his second Asian medal after a silver in the 2019 edition. It was, however, nowhere close to his national record of 8:09.91sec achieved in 2024. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The last time India won a gold in this event was way back in 1989 when Dina Ram finished on top. Harbel Singh was the first Indian to fetch a men's steeplechase gold at the showpiece back in 1975. In the 2023 edition, Jyothi won the gold medal with an effort of 13.09. But her personal best timing, which is also the national record, is a way better 12.78 seconds. Wah ji, Jyothi Yarraji! 🏃♀️ The Indian hurdler storms to back-to-back 100m hurdles titles at the Asian Athletics Championships with a championship record-breaking 12.96s. 🤩 — Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) May 29, 2025 The Asian Games silver-medallist, nonetheless joined a select club of five athletes to defend gold in the Asian Championships 100m hurdles, the others being Emi Akimoto of Japan (1979, 1981, 1983), Zhang Yu of China (1991, 1993), Su Yinping of China (2003, 2005) and Sun Yawei of China (2009, 2011). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Moments before Jyothi's triumph, Sable lived up to the favourite tag with some ease to consolidate the country's position in the 26th edition of the continental tournament. Japan's Yutaro Niinae, who clinched the silver with 8:24.41sec, was leading at the start of the final lap but the Indian ace produced a brilliant effort to go past him and claim the top prize. The Hangzhou Asian Games gold-medallist continued to stay ahead of the pack with four laps to go but he had two Japanese athletes following him closely. Niinae overtook Sable with three laps remaining, but the Indian had the last laugh. Qatar's Zakaria Elahlaami took the bronze after clocking 8:27.12sec. After Jyothi and Sable's exploits, the quartet of Jisna, Rupal, Kunja and Subha ensured a hat-trick of gold medals for India on the day. The was Rupal's third medal, having won a mixed team gold and an individual 400m silver in the championship. For Subha, it was her second gold after her podium finish in the mixed relay event. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Later, long jumpers Anci Sojan Edapilly (6.33m) and Shaili Singh (6.30m) fetched a silver and bronze respectively, finishing behind Iran's Reihaneh Mobini Arani, who covered 6.40m. It was a poor show by Shaili, whose personal best is 6.76m. However, she might have been hampered by the wet track. Another top finish awaits India on Friday as Nandini Agasara leads the standings after four events with an accumulated score of 3610. In the women's 10,000m final, India's Sanjeevani Jadhav clocked a season's best of 33:08.17sec, finishing fifth, followed closely by Seema in sixth at 33:08.23sec. The event was dominated by Daisy Jepkemei of Kazakhstan (30:48.44), ahead of Japan's Ririrak Hironika (30:56.32) and Mikuni Yada (31:12.21).
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Asian Athletics Championships 2025, Medals Tally: India back in second place with five golds after third day
India moved back to second place in the medals tally on the third day of the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, Korea. Avinash Sable (men's 3000m steeplechase), Jyothi Yarraji (women's 100m hurdles) and the women's 4x400m relay team grabbed three more gold medals for India, overtaking Japan which has four. China leads with 21 medals (12 gold), followed by India, Japan and others. The event ends on May 31. Here's the top five breakdown after day three: Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 China 12 6 3 21 2 India 5 6 3 14 3 Japan 4 9 8 21 4 Qatar 2 0 1 3 5 Iran 2 0 0 2
