On the final day of the Asian Athletics Championships 2023 (Sunday, 16 July) in Bangkok (Thailand), Indian women’s shot putters brought two medals for the country. In the women’s shot put, Abha Khatua won the silver medal, and Manpreet Kaur clinched the bronze medal.
Chinese Song Jiayuan won the gold medal in the women’s shot put event with her best throw of the day of 18.88m. In the meantime, Khatua equalled the national record with 18.06m, and her joint-national record holder Kaur managed a distance of 17.00m to earn the medals.
Who is Abha Khatua?
In the Asian Athletics Championships 2023, 28-year-old Khatua won her first medal in an international event. The National Championships 2019 gold medalist shot putter finished fifth position in the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2023 last February.
Who is Manpreet Kaur?
The 33-year-old Kaur is a popular shot putter, who was previously lonely holding the national record before Khatua’s latest achievement in the Asian Athletics Championships 2023. Kaur achieved the 18.06m mark during the 61st Inter-State Athletics Championships 2023.
In the Asian Athletics Championships 2017, Kaur won the gold medal (18.28m) in the women’s shot put. She also won the crown in the South Asian Games 2016.
Shot Putter Kaur has won National Championships six times.
