Inderjeet Singh makes history, becomes first Indian to bag athletics gold at World Universiade

Gwangju (Korea): Star athlete Inderjeet Singh scripted history as he became the first Indian to clinch a gold in athletics in the World University Games by winning the men’s shot put event in Gwangju, Korea on Wednesday. Indian men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol team also bagged a bronze to take India’s medal count to four (one gold, one silver, two bronze) on the fifth day of competition. [caption id=“attachment_2334284” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Inderjeet Singh. AFP[/caption] It was not an easy outing for the Asian champion Inderjeet as he won the event with his final throw of 20.27m at the Gwangju Universiade Main Stadium to open India’s gold medal account in the Games. The 27-year-old Inderjeet was at second spot after the fifth and penultimate throw as he had a 19.80m best throw till then before he came up with 20.27m in his final attempt to run away with the gold and better the colour of the medal from silver he won in the last edition in 2013 in Russia to yellow this time. Andrei Marius Gag of Romania bagged the silver with a best throw of 19.92m while Alexander Bulanov of Russia took the bronze with 19.84m. The Haryana shot putter has had a phenomenal year with five gold medals in all five international events he has participated thus far in 2015. He had won Asian Championships in China with 20.41m before bagging a gold in each of the three legs of the Asian Grand Prix in Thailand last month. He won a bronze in the Asian Games last year with 19.63m. “I would like to thank the Almighty, my family and my coach Mr Pritam Singh for their support. I am looking forward to the World Athletics Championship in China next month, where I hope to better my personal best,” said Inderjeet, who is being supported by Anglian Medal Hunt Company, after winning the gold. In men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol team event, the Indian trio of Achal Pratap Singh Grewal, Amrender Pal Singh Chauhan and Akshay Jain won the bronze behind the Russian and Korean shooters who won gold and silver, respectively. PTI