Asian Games: Doughty Seema bags 10,000m bronze; silver in mixed longer relay

New Delhi: The spark the Indian athletes needed to push themselves at the Asian Games came from Seema Kumari, the long-distance runner from Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, who pulled off a stunning bronze medal in a world class 10000m field to open India’s track and field campaign in Aichi-Nagoya.

The diminutive Seema was almost dwarfed by four tall and sturdy runners of Kenyan origin who were competing for their adopted Asian nations, in the leading pack, but strong legs and a big heart kept driving her and as she finished behind Yavi Winfred of Bahrain and Tanaka Nozomi of Japan.

She dropped down totally exhausted, and was helped back on her feet by Nozomi as the two embraced.

Yavi, the reigning 3000m steeplechase Olympic champion, broke into a sprint in the last lap to clock 32:39.18 in the slow race for the gold medal. Tanaka ran a solid race to take silver 32:41.54 secs. Seema had enough in the reserves to finish ahead of Kazakhstan’s Daisy Jepkemei, the Asian Championships gold medallist, and Ruth Jebet, the 2016 Rio Olympics steeplechase champion, to take a surprise bronze medal (32:50.05).

It was a well-fought and tactical race, providing the kind of thrill 25-lap races do. The pace kept changing in different phases but Seema was prepared for everything. She led initially and then stayed with the leading pack, pushing herself whenever the pace increased, never looking out of breath. Or distracted by a piece of paper that seemed to get stuck to her spikes early in the race.

Halfway through the race there were seven runners in the leading bunch which started stretching in the last few laps. Tanaka and Jebet led at different points and Seema was tucked in third place. That was until Yavi made the surge from fourth to leave everyone behind. Seema, realising the urgency, produced a fantastic effort in the last lap. It was the first medal for India in women’s 10000m in 16 years, since the gold-silver finish of Preeja Sreedharan and Kavita Raut at the 2010 Games in Guangzhou.

India’s 4x400m mixed relay team then produced another impressive show winning the silver medal behind Bahrain (3:12.87) in an action-filled race. The quartet of TS Manu, MR Poovamma. TK Vishal and Vithya Ramraj clocked 3:14.46. Manu ran the first leg and the seasoned Poovamma did well to pick up towards the end as she handed the baton to Vishal. The 400m national record holder ran an impressive leg and Vithya gave her all as anchor to beat Vietnam for silver. The Indian mixed relay team has now won silver medals in three successive Asian Games.

But it was Seema who stole the show and gave India the first medal on Day 1 of track and field competitions. A lot will be expected out of India’s athletes with the shooters not having performed to expectations. The only gold medal India have won so far is in women’s cricket.

Seema, 25, has been doing altitude training at Colorado Springs, US under India’s long distance coach Scott Simons. It has taken a long time for her to transform her potential into performance. Her 10000m personal best of 32:02.43 came earlier this year in a meet in the USA.

At the World University Games last year she won the 5000m silver and won gold in the 2024 Asian Cross Country Championships in Hong Kong. Growing up in a village in Chamba district, she has seen struggles from the age of 12 when her father passed away. However, her mother supported her training. Running barefoot in the hills, Seema developed her strength and stamina and stoked her ambition by joining SAI centre, Dharamsala in 2015. She is also entered in 5000m alongside Parul Chaudhary.

Gurindervir, Animesh in 100m semis

In the 100m, national record holder Gurindervir Singh (NR 10.09secs) and Animesh Kujur sailed through to Friday’s semis. Kujur, who has a personal best of 10.14secs, clocked 10.36secs to finish third in his heat behind Piripol Boonson of Thailand (9.95) and China’s Keli Zeng (10.22). Gurindervir could relax midway as he came second in his heats (10.38s), behind Oman’s Malham Al Balushi (10.29s).

The women’s triple jump had two Indians in action. Asha Ilango finished fourth, losing the bronze on countback to China’s Li Yi after both had a best jump of 13.83m. Li’s next best was way better than Asha’s. Niharika Vashisht finished 10th (13m). Uzbekistan’s Sharifa Davronova won gold (14.35m) and China’s Huang Yingying took silver (14.12m).

In heptathlon, K Anamika was seventh with 3177 points after the four events on Day 1, 309 points behind the leader. Pooja is ninth with 3159 points. The long jump, javelin and 800m will be held on Friday. Friday’s events include men’s 10000m final, which features medal contender Gulveer Singh.