Asian Track Cycling Championships: Cyclists begin with bang, win 10 medals

New Delhi, June 18

It seems hosts India put behind all the negativity surrounding them as they bagged 10 medals, including a gold in the para event, on the first day of the Asian Track Cycling Championships.

The team had been bogged down by a sexual harassment controversy involving the former chief coach of the sprint team in the weeks before the prestigious tournament. On Friday, the hosts were left embarrassed as some of the foreign staff was seen wiping the track after the roof started to leak following rains.

The gold was won by Jyoti Gaderaya in Para Women C1-C5 500m time trial event, where she clocked 58.283 seconds to beat teammate Geeta Rao. Since there were only two competitors, only the gold was awarded.

In other events, the hosts won a silver, besides six bronze medals in the senior and junior events. India opened the account with a silver in the junior women’s 4km team pursuit event. The team comprising Pooja Danole, Himanshi Singh, Reet Kapoor and Jasmeek Kaur Sekhon clocked 4 minutes and 54.034 seconds to lose the final to South Korea. The Koreans — Kim Chaeyeon, Cheon Yunyeong, Kim Eunsong and An Yeongseo — clocked 4:47.360s to win gold. Kazakhstan bagged bronze.

In the senior women’s 4km team pursuit, Rejiye Kh Devi, Chayanika Gogoi, Meenakshi and Monika Jat beat the Uzbek team of Evgeniya Golotina, Madina Kakhkhorova, Margarita Misyurina and Yanina Kuskova to win bronze with a timing of 4:44.699s.

In the junior men’s 4 km team pursuit, the team of Niraj Kumar, Birjit Yumnam, Aashirwad Saxena and Gurnoor Poonia finished third to win bronze with a timing of 4:22.737s. Kazakhstan and South Korea finished first and second, respectively.

India won another bronze in the senior men’s 4km team pursuit event. The chief coach of endurance team, VN Singh, was happy with the progress made. “India has progressed a lot in the endurance events. Aeound eight years ago it was difficult to complete the race but now the scenario has changed and Indian riders are not only completing the races but also winning medals,” Singh said.

In the women’s senior team sprint event, India’s Trishya Paul, Shushikala Agashe and Mayuri Lute won bronze with a timing 50.438s.