India bags three gold medals on opening day of SAAF Championships

India began the 4th SAAF Senior Athletics Championships in Ranchi with three gold medals through Prince Kumar, Sanjana Singh, and Samardeep Singh Gill, alongside a grand cultural opening ceremony

Ranchi: India made a dominant start at the 4th South Asian Athletics Federation (SAAF) Senior Athletics Championships at the Birsa Munda Football Stadium, Ranchi, clinching multiple medals, including three gold, on the opening day.

In the Men’s 5000m Race, Prince Kumar clocked 14:22.17 seconds to secure India’s first gold of the championship. Currently serving with the Uttar Pradesh Police, Prince outpaced Sri Lanka’s Vakshan Vicknaraj (14:23.21) and Nepal’s Mukesh Bahadur Pal (14:25.25), who settled for silver and bronze respectively.

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India continued its strong show in the Women’s 5000m Race, where Sanjana Singh clinched gold and compatriot Seema bagged silver, ensuring a 1–2 finish for the host nation.

Adding to the tally, Samardeep Singh Gill, India’s Flag-bearer at the opening ceremony, dominated the Men’s Shot Put with a best throw of 19.59 metres. Fellow Indian Ravi Kumar took silver (17.95 m), while Sri Lanka’s Mithunraj won bronze.

In the Women’s Shot Put, India’s Dinesh V narrowly missed gold, claiming silver with 16.14 metres, just 5 cm short of Sri Lanka’s Ashmika Keshan, who topped the event.

The evening saw a grand Opening Ceremony that marked Jharkhand’s return as an international athletics host after nearly 15 years. The stadium, filled to capacity, witnessed vibrant cultural performances under the theme “Culture Meets Courage”, with over 500 artists showcasing Jharkhand’s Tribal and Folk Heritage. The March-past of participating nations drew loud cheers, with the loudest applause reserved for the Indian Contingent, led by flag-bearer Samardeep Singh Gill.