Nitin Gupta was leading the Under-18 boys’ 5,000m race walk at the Asian Youth Athletics Championship in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Just 40 meters before the finish line, he celebrated too soon by raising his arm. This gave China’s Zhu Ninghao the chance to speed past him and win the gold.
Blink-and-Miss Moment Ends in Photo Finish
Zhu Ninghao from China took the gold with a time of 20:21.50. Nitin Gupta missed the top spot by just 0.01 seconds, finishing at 20:21.51. Lo Sheng Qin from Chinese Taipei came in third with 21:37.88.
Brave Aarti Fights Back for a Stunning Bronze in 100m Sprint
In the girls’ 100m race, Aarti showed great determination. Although she had a slow start, she gained speed quickly. She stumbled at the end but still won the bronze medal with a time of 11.93 seconds. China’s Zhang Qian won gold with 11.80 seconds, and Sri Lanka’s Dhanajana Liyanage took silver with 11.92 seconds.
Nitin’s Risky Habit Resurfaces on the International Stage
This was not the first time Nitin celebrated early. The 17-year-old has done this before during national events, including last month in Patna where he won gold in the same way. There, he set a national record of 19:24.48 in the boys’ 5,000m race walk.
Coach Rana Says: “One Big Mistake, One Big Lesson”
Nitin was emotional after the race and spoke to his coach, Basant Rana, a former Olympian. Coach Rana said that in national races, Nitin usually wins by a big margin, so early celebration didn’t affect him before. But on the international stage, such small mistakes can cost medals.
From Small-Town Struggles to the Global Arena
Nitin comes from a humble background in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh. He joined the Army Sports Institute two years ago. Before that, he trained at a local academy and took up small jobs to support himself. His coach shared that Nitin is very motivated and has shown steady progress with hard work.
Powerful Finish by Tannu Earns Silver in 400m Race
Tannu gave a strong performance in the women’s 400m final. She was behind for most of the race but made a late push and finished second with 57.63 seconds. Japan’s Imamine Saki won gold in 57.27 seconds, while China’s Deng Nanxi took bronze in 58.01 seconds. India’s Edwina Jason came in fifth.
Solid Bronze by Nischay in Boys’ Discus Throw
India added another medal with Nischay’s performance in discus throw. His best attempt of 58.85 meters secured him the bronze. China dominated the event with Han Qigeng (63.33m) winning gold and Wan Zhixuan (63.01m) taking silver.
Promising Run by Sayed Sabeer in 400m Final
India’s Sayed Sabeer finished sixth in the boys’ 400m final. He gave a strong effort and completed the race in 49.33 seconds.
