SAAF Junior Athletics C'ships: India win nine gold medals on the second day

Indian youngsters had a dominant second day in Chennai at the South Asian Junior Championships, securing nine out of ten possible gold medals on Thursday.

India added a total of 19 medals to their tally on the second day, bringing their overall count to 28 medals, including 12 gold, 13 silver, and 3 bronze.

The day, however, started on a sour note for India as Sri Lanka, building on their first-day momentum, won the first gold medal of the day in the men's 110m hurdles.

Despite this, India quickly regained control, achieving consecutive top-2 finishes in the women's 100m hurdles, men's long jump, and women's discus throw.

Unnathi Aiyappa claimed the gold medal in the women's 100m hurdles with a new meet record of 13.93 seconds. She narrowly edged out fellow Indian Sabita Toppo in a photo-finish race, winning by just 0.03 seconds.

One of the highlights of the day was the men's long jump final, where 16-year-old local athlete Jithin Arjunan won the gold medal with a personal best jump of 7.61 meters.

Jay Kumar wins 400m gold

Later in the session, the spotlight shifted to the event's star attractions, Sharuk Khan and Jay Kumar, who both claimed gold medals in the men's 3000m and 400m races, respectively.

Sharuk Khan gained prominence two weeks ago when he broke the Indian U20 national record in the men's 3000m steeplechase at the World U20 Championships.

In his debut 3000m race at the South Asian Championships, he continued his impressive form, winning the gold medal with a time of 8:26.06.

Earlier this month, Jay Kumar made history by becoming the first Indian male quarter-miler to reach the final of the World U20 Championships, where he finished sixth with a commendable time of 46.96 seconds.

At the South Asian Championships, Kumar furthered his success by winning gold in the men's 400m race, improving his personal best to 46.86 seconds.