Nagoya
Indian sprinter Harita Bhadra won bronze in the women’s 200 metres at the Asian Games on Sunday, clocking 23.20 seconds in a close finish. The Maharashtra athlete edged Japan’s Abigeirufuka Ido by just one hundredth of a second to take third place. Singapore’s Veronica Shanti Pereira won gold in 22.78 seconds, while China’s Chen Yujie claimed silver in 22.93 seconds. Bhadra was among six athletes added late to India’s squad for the Aichi–Nagoya Games. Her bronze gave India a place on the podium in one of track and field’s shortest races, where the smallest margin can decide a medal. She had reached the final after finishing second in her heat in 23.31 seconds. In the medal race, she improved on that time by 0.11 seconds. Her finish proved decisive as she held off the Japanese runner at the line. The race was Pereira’s from the front. The Singapore sprinter broke 23 seconds to secure gold, with Chen following for silver. Behind them, Bhadra’s battle for bronze remained tight until the finish, making her narrow advantage over Ido the defining moment of India’s race. For Bhadra, the medal capped a rapid turn from late squad inclusion to Asian Games medallist. It also rewarded an improved performance when it mattered most: her final was faster than her qualifying run, and every fraction of a second counted. Her result adds to India’s athletics campaign in Nagoya, where the track and field events run from September 23 to 29. The bronze gives the team a result to celebrate as more Indian athletes continue their events at the Games.
