Asian Indoor Games: Chitra, Lakshmanan win gold

Tamil Nadu’s G. Lakshmanan won the men’s 3000m in 8:02.30s while Kerala’s P. U. Chitra took the women’s 1500m title in 4:27.32s.

Kerala’s P. U. Chitra took the women’s 1500m title in 4:27.32s.

Asian champions G. Lakshmanan and P. U. Chitra won gold medals in the athletics events of the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) on Tuesday.

Tamil Nadu’s Lakshmanan, a double gold medallist at the Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar in July, won the men’s 3000m in 8:02.30s while Kerala’s Chitra, who was not cleared by the national body Athletics Federation of India for the recent World Championships in London despite making the cut, took the women’s 1500m title in 4:27.77s.

RIYA WINS FIRST ROUND CLASH

National champion Riya Bhatia blanked Rosalie Molbaleh of Vanuatu in the women’s first round of tennis.

Later, the country’s No.1 singles player, Ankita Raina, prevailed in a three-setter (7-5, 4-6, 6-2) against Katherine Ip of Hong Kong under floodlights on the centre court.