New Delhi: For a sport that is still finding its feet and wheels in the country, Deborah has been the only name doing the round so far after her scintillating performance at Hero Asian Cycling Championships. Now you can add Manorama Devi to the list.
Indian cycling’s poster girl Deborah and Manorama just made the Hero Asian Cycling Championship sweeter by bagging the second medal for the country at the IG velodrome here on day four of the Championships.
Today, Manorama and Deborah created history by combining together to win India a historic second medal at the Championships by staving off a stiff challenge from the Malaysian pair of Shahwati Farihah and Alissa Nurul in the Team Sprint event. The Indian pair clocked 38.645 while the Malaysian pair clocked 38.793. However, it was Chinese Taipei team who smashed the championship record – clocking 37.219 while Koreans bagged the silver.
In fact, the Malaysian pair had a better timing than the Indians in the qualification but when it mattered most, Deborah and Manorama upped the ante to clinch the bronze, taking the medal tally to two for India.
India has never won more than one medal in the Asian Cycling Championships. India’s best performance till date was the lone silver medal the women team won way back in 2005 when the Championship was last held in the country in Ludhiana.
Manipur’s Manorama, for whom it was her first medal in an international meet, said after her medal winning performance, ‘’I am very happy to have won a medal for the country. Credit goes to my elder sister, my coach Ibomcha Motum and my uncle Ingenjao who must be praying for me to do well in Manipur.'' However, Manorama did not forget to appreciate her partner. ''Ofcourse, without Deborah it would not have been possible,’’ she added.
Deborah, who became the first Indian to win 2 medals and has a chance to win a gold or silver tomorrow, was all praise for her partner. “The understanding we have between us paid off. We had practiced together coming into this championship and at the velodrome here. We can only improve from here on.’’
The 16-year-old Manorama, who was introduced to cycling by an uncle who lives in the neighborhood around 4 years back, says, ‘I admire and look up to MC Marykom, who is also from my state. I would love to win many more medals for cycling like how she did for boxing.’’
India had more reason to cheer on Sunday as Deborah and Manorama also qualified for the finals of the women junior Keirin event. Deborah and Manorama will have a chance to win yet another medal in Keirin event on Monday.
Tomorrow will be the most anticipated day for Indians as ‘wonderkid’ Deborah aims for gold when she takes on Korean Yeonhee Jang in the Women Junior Sprint category on the final day of the track championships.
KOREA LEADS MEDAL TALLY
Meanwhile, the Koreans continued their dominating performance at the Hero Asian Cycling Championships, leading the medals tally with 10 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze. Hong Kong is second in the chart with 5 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze while Taipei displaced Malaysia from the third spot with 2 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze at the end of day 4. India is placed ninth in the medal table with 2 bronze.
March 10 Results
500 m Time Trial- Women Elite
Wai Sze LEE Hong Kong 34.310 (New Championship Record - NCR)
Jingjing SHI China 35.088
Fatehah Mustara Malaysia 35.581
1 km Trail- Men Elite
Won Gu Jun Korea 1:03.904
Kenta Inake Japan 1:04.816
Shih Hsin Hsiao Taipei 1:05.033
Team Sprint - Women Junior
Shiou Yu Cheng & Ting Yu Hung Taipei 37.219
Sarang IM & Yeonhee Jang Korea 37.563
Deborah & Manorama Devi India 38.645
Team Sprint - Women Elite
Jingjing Shi & Xuemei Li China 34.199 (NCR)
Kanako kase & Ryoko Nakagawa Japan 35.731
Hyeonji Hong & Hyejin Lee Korea 35.540
Omnium 6 – Women Elite
Mei Yu Hsiao Taipei (10 points)
Minami Lee Korea (15 points)
Minami Uwano Japan (18 points )
Omnium 6- Men Elite
Artyom Zakharov Kazakhstan (18 points )
Shuang Shan China (21 points )
Kazushige Kuboki Japan (24 points )
By Indian Sports News Network
