Teenager Salem wins Qatar’s first medal at Asian Athletics

Doha: Teenager Yaser Salem won Qatar’s first medal, a silver in 5000M, at the 22nd Asian Athletics Championship in Bhubaneswar, India, on Thursday.

Salem, 19, put up an impressive performance and clocked 14:55.89 to open Qatar’s account at the four-day meet. Govindan Lakshmanan of the hosts finished in 14:54.48 to claim gold while Tariq Ahmed Al Amri of Saudi Arabia took bronze.

In discus throw, Iran’s Ehsan Hadadi, the London Olympics silver medallist, won a fifth Asian title with an effort of 61.67M. Malaysian youngster Mohd Irfan Shamsuddin took silver while India’s Vikas Gowda, who won back-to-back Asian titles in 2013 and 2015, won bronze.

Manpreet Kaur claimed India’s second gold, in women’s shot put with an effort of 18.28M, to help them lead the medals table with two gold one silver and four bronze after the first day.

China also have two gold, courtesy of Li Lingwei (63.06) in women’s javelin throw and pole vaulter Ding Bangchao, who was an easy winner at 5.65M.