Dongguan (China): Gopi Thonakal became the first Indian man to win the Asian Marathon Championships after he achieved the feat in the 16th edition of the prestigious event here Sunday.
Thonakal clocked 2 hours, 15 minutes and 48 seconds to clinch the gold. Andrey Petrov of Uzbekistan bagged the silver with a timing of 2:15:51s, while Byambalev Tseveenravdan (2:16:14s) of Mongolia won bronze.
The 29-year-old from Wayanad district of Kerala had won the New Delhi Marathon with a time of 2:15:37s earlier this year. He was 28th in the London World Championships in August with a timing of 2:17:13s.
“I am proud to have won a gold medal for my country and also the first Indian to have achieved the distinction,” Thonakal told this agency after his triumph. “I was confident of clocking a very good time today (Sunday). I had a lot in my tank and I feel I could have run a faster time,” he added.
Asked about his chances in big events next year, including the Asian Games, Thonakal said, “Now that I have won the Asian Championships, naturally I can look forward to winning a medal in the Asian Games also. But you never know, I will give it my best, let us hope for the best.”
Thonakal is the first Indian male runner to have won the Asian Marathon Championship gold. Vijay Singh (1988) and Deep Chand (2010) have earlier won a bronze each. Two Indian women have won gold in the event. They are Asha Agarwal (1985) and Sunita Godara (1992).
Press Trust of India