Asian Athletics C'ships: Gulveer wins 5000m gold; Pooja bags women's high jump gold, Parul breaks women's steeplechase NR

Gumi (South Korea), May 30 (IANS) India's long-distance runner Gulveer Singh clinched his second gold at the Asian Athletics Championships after winning the men’s 5000m with a Championship Record on Friday.

Gulveer, who won the men’s 10,000m gold on the opening day of the competition, clocked 13:24.78 to set a new championship record, surpassing Mohamed Al-Garni’s 13:34.47 set in 2015, to clinch the gold medal in the 5000m race.

The 26-year-old from Uttar Pradesh had previously taken bronze in the same event at the last edition in Bangkok.

In March this year, the Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist bettered his own men’s 10,000m national record, clocking 27:00.22s at The Ten 2025 athletics meet. Earlier this year, Gulveer Singh also pocketed the men’s 3000m indoor national record and the Asian 5000m short track record at an athletics meet in Boston.

In the women's high jump, Pooja clinched a gold medal with a season-best effort of 1.89m. In the process, she also broke her own Under-20 national record. Moreover, the 18-year-old became the second Indian to win a medal in the high jump at the Asian Championships after Bobby Aloysius, who won gold in 2000 and silver in 2002.

Nandini Agasara then added the third gold to the day's tally after winning the women's heptathlon with 5941 points.

Earlier in the day, Parul Chaudhary won silver in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, clocked 9:12.46 and set a new national record. She also held the previous record of 9:13.39, set at the 2025 Doha Diamond League.

Meanwhile, Animesh Kujur stormed into the final of the men's 200m event after finishing second in the semifinal, clocking 20.81s.

India are currently second in the medal tally with 18 medals, including eight gold, seven silver and three bronze, behind China's tally of 24 medals (15 gold, eight silver and three bronze).

--IANS

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