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Yogeshwar provides golden touch

By The Assam Tribune

INCHEON, Sept 28 (PTI): Star wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt notched up India�s fourth gold medal, while Khushbir Kaur became the first woman from the country to win a medal in 20km Race Walking by clinching a silver as India shot up to ninth in overall standings on the ninth day of competitions in the 17th Asian Games here today.

Besides, tennis players accounted for three bronze medals through Yuki Bhambri (men�s singles and men�s doubles with Divij Sharan) and Sania Mirza and Prarthana Thombare (women�s doubles). M R Poovamma and Rajiv Arokia won a bronze each in men�s and women�s 400m race respectively while Manju Bala added another medal of same hue in women�s hammer throw.

It was yet another joyful day for the Indian contingent after yesterday�s rich haul of 10 medals and have now broken into the top 10 for the first time since the multi-discipline extravaganza began on September 19.

With the addition of eight more medals today, India are placed ninth in the table with a collection of four gold, five silver and 26 bronze. China continued to maintain their supremacy with a tally of 216 (105-63-48), followed by South Korea (42-48-47) and Japan (34-46-46).

Medals won today aside, India can look forward to rich haul in the coming days as well. The men�s doubles tennis pair of Sanam Singh and Saketh Myneni as well as mixed doubles team of Myneni and Sania also assured themselves of at least a silver by advancing to the final.

Yogeshwar was star performer of the day as he better his 2006 edition bronze in style with a couple of splendid bouts. The Olympic bronze-medallist was trailing all through in his semifinal bout before coming good in the last few seconds to enter the final.

In the summit clash, Yogeshwar defeated Zalimkhan Yusupov of Tajikistan to expectedly pick the gold.

In tennis, Yuki clinched India�s lone singles� medal settling for a bronze in the men�s event after unforced errors cost him the semifinal against Japan�s Yoshihito Nishioka. A profligate Yuki lost 6-3 2-6 1-6 in one hour and 46 minutes.

The pair of Sania and Thombare also settled for a bronze after losing their women�s doubles semifinal to Chinese Taipei�s Chin Wei Chan and Su Wei Hsiehin. The fifth seeded Indian combo put up a brave fight before going down 6-7 (1-7), 6-2, 10-4 to the Chinese Taipei duo, seeded second.

Divij Sharan and Yuki Bhambri also bagged bronze after losing the men�s doubles semifinals to Yongkyu Lim and Hyeon Chung 6-7 (8), 7-6 (6), 9-11.

Saketh Myneni got himself in line for two gold medals by reaching the finals of both men�s doubles and mixed doubles events. Saketh and Sanam Singh overcame experienced Thai twins Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana 4-6, 6-3, 10-6 in the men�s doubles semifinals, which lasted 67 minutes.

Later in the day, the big-serving Myneni combined with seasoned doubles exponent Sania to reach the mixed doubles summit clash with a convincing 6-1, 6-3 win over Chinese pair of Zie Zheng and Ze Zhang.

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