India’s middle-distance runner, P.U. Chitra won the country’s third gold medal in 1500m race, at the Asian Athletics Championship 2019, happening in Doha, Qatar, after Gomathi Marimithu (800m) and Tajinder Pal Singh (men’s shot put).
At Khalifa Stadium, on Wednesday, the 23 year old Chitra clocked 4:14:56 secs, becoming the first Indian athlete to defend her Asian Athletics Championships in the ongoing meet.
She received a warm welcome at the Coimbatore airport on Friday, where District Sports Council President K Premkumar, State Sports Council Representative M Ramachandran, and Executive Committee Members A Thulasidas, P.C. Eliamma and T. K. Henry were present to felicitate her.
This sportsman from Kerala was the defending champion in the event, but things were difficult for her, especially with runners like Bahrain’s under 18 World Champion Gashaw Tiget and Yavi Winfred.
But Chitra brilliantly overtook Yavi on the last curve, who had already won gold twice here, and then beat Tiget on the home stretch to grab the gold and get herself place in this year’s World Championship happening in Doha, this September. And notably, Chitra was beaten to third by Gashaw Tiget during her bronze medal winning run at Asian Games 2018.
The records have Chitra winning the 1500m race in 2017 Asian Athletics Championship held in Bhubaneshwar.
After staying at her hometown of Mundur for two days, she left for the national coaching camp, Ooty, on Sunday.
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