SHADAB Pathan is setting track on fire. The 20-year-old athlete from Track Star Athletics Club, claimed his second gold medal of the competition to keep Nagpur district’s flag flying high in the State Senior Athletics Championship being held in Pune. After stunning Asian Youth champion Kisan Tadvi in the 5000m race on the opening day, the ever improving athlete pushed behind 30-year-old international medal winning athlete Kalidas Hiwre and Nashik’s Dinesh in the 10000m competition on Saturday to claim his second yellow metal of the competition. Shadab pipped Hiwre by four minutes and five seconds to win the gold medal in 30 minutes and 24.57 seconds. Hiwre finished with a timing of 30 minutes and 28.62 seconds to settle with a bronze medal behind Dinesh who won silver with a timing of 30 minutes 26.62 seconds. Nagpur district’s women athlete too were not far behind as Prajakta Godbole lived to her reputation clinching the gold medal in 10000m race.

 

In the evening session, Neha Dhabale won the gold in the Under-20 hurdled with a timing of 1 minute and 6.7 seconds. She continued her fine form and won a bronze medal in 400 metres race. The World University Games athlete Prajakta clinched the yellow metal in 34 minutes 11.09 seconds. The silver medal went to Resha Kewte of Satara (38.00.29) while Akansha Shelar finished third (39.00.82). Prajakta’s cousin sister Prachi Godbole of Track Star Club finished fourth. In the women’s 1500 metres race, Yamini Thakre, who works with Police Department, clinched the bronze medal. Riya Dohatre, who had won a silver medal in women’s 3000m, finished fourth in 1500m. Members of Nagpur District Athletics Association congratulated all the medal winners.