Qosanov Memorial athletics: Navjeet Dhillon wins gold at Kazakhstan meet-Andhravilas

Qosanov Memorial athletics: Navjeet Dhillon wins gold at Kazakhstan meet

Almaty (Kazakhstan), June 26 - Indian women's discus thrower Navjeet Dhillon clinched the gold medal at the Qosanov Memorial 2022 athletics meet, here on Saturday.

Navjeet, who is looking to seal her place in the Indian team for Commonwealth Games, won the women's discus throw with a 56.24m effort. Local athlete Karina Vasilyeva (44.61m) and Uzbekistan's Yulianna Shchukina (40.48m) followed Navjeet Dhillon on the podium.

A Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Navjeet has been provisionally named in India's athletics squad for the Birmingham 2022 Games. However, she will have to produce good results in competitions ahead of the quadrennial event to confirm her CWG spot, according to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

Meanwhile, Dutee Chand produced a season-best 11.38s to top the 100m heats but failed to repeat the performance in the finals.

Dutee, who has been selected in the 4x100m relay team for CWG, clocked 11.49s in the 100m final to finish second behind Olga Safronova of Kazakhstan, who claimed gold in 11.40s. India's MV Jilna came third in 11.61s.

Meanwhile, Hima Das and Srabani Nanda, who were slated to compete in the 100m race, did not travel for the Almaty meet after visa complications. Tokyo Olympian Arokia Rajiv also did not start the 400m race.

In the men's 400m race, Tokyo Olympian and national record holder Muhammed Anas Yahiya followed Kazakhstan's Mixail Litvin (46.04s) to come second in 46.27s. Muhammed Ajmal came fourth in 46.93s.

On the other hand, Muhammed Anas Yahiya's brother Muhammed Anees Yahiya won the men's long jump event with an 8.04m leap. It was the fifth tournament this year where Muhammed Anees Yahiya had crossed the eight-metre mark.

Overall, India won 14 medals on the day, including seven golds, an olympics.com report said.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor, a national record holder in men's shot put, will have to produce good results in his event on Sunday to seal his place in the Commonwealth Games.Tokyo Olympian Dhanalakshmi Sekar will also be among the top Indian athletes competing on Sunday at the Qosanov Memorial 2022 athletics, which is a World Athletics bronze-level event.

--IANS

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(IANS)

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