Asian Youth Athletics: Akash Yadav, Amit Chaudhry bag gold as India pockets 5 medals on day 1

India enjoyed a great start to their 2022 Asian Youth Athletics Championships campaign, on Thursday, bagging five medals, including two gold on the very first day.

While shot putter Akash Yadav and 1500m runner Amit Chaudhry bagged a gold medal each, women's long jumper Mubssina Mohammed clinched the silver. Siddharth Choudhary, on the other hand, took home the bronze for a double podium in shot put as Kuldeep Kumar struck the same colour in men's pole vault.

The 17-year-old Akash Yadav started with a throw of 18.55m in his first attempt before fouling his second. He then threw 18.10m and 17.54m in his next two attempts before breaching the 19m with a massive throw of 19.34m to bag the gold medal.

Siddharth, on the other hand, started off better but had to settle for the bronze with a best effort of 19m in his final attempt. He missed out on the silver by a mere 1cm as Qatar's Djibrine Ahmat won the silver with 19.01m.

Minutes after the double podium in shot put, Amit Chaudhry ran to gold in Men's 1500m clocking 4:04.59. He finished more than a second clear of the second-placed Sulaiman Assi, who clocked 4:06.36. Kazakhstan's Aibol Omar won the bronze at 4:07.99.

The first athlete from Lakshadweep to win a medal at a national level athletics meet, Mubssina Mohammed won the silver medal with a best of women's 5.91m in women's long jump behind Uzbekistan's Sharifa Davronova. Fellow Indian Divyasri finished sixth with a best leap of 5.64m.

Pole vaulter Kuldeep Kumar rounded off the day for India with a bronze medal with a best of 4.80m. He failed to cross 4.85m to take home the third place on the podium.

The only Indian in fray in men's 400m, Abiram P finished last in heat clocking 52.34s.