Indian race walkers Manju Rani and Ram Baboo won the bronze medal in the inaugural 35km mixed team event at the Asian Games. The pair clocked a combined time of 5 hours, 51 minutes, and 14 seconds to finish third behind China, who clocked 5:16:41, and Japan, with a time of 5:22:11. With this, they won the 70th medal for India and equalled the nation’s best-ever medal tally at the Asiad.
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India had won 70 medals in the previous edition at Jakarta. In the 35km mixed team race walk event, the times of the male and female athletes, who finish the race are added in order to determine the medal winners.
Ram Baboo finished fourth with a time of 2:42:11. Manju Rani clocked 3:09.03 to finish sixth among the female athletes. However their combined timing helped them seal a podium finish. Both Ram Baboo and Manju Rani are national record holders.
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Mixed Team Racewalking made its debut in Asian Games
24-year old Ram set the national record in the 35km race walk, with a time of 2:29:56 in March. Manju set her national record of 2:57:54 while winning the National race walk championships in February this year.
This Mixed Team Racewalking made its debut at the Asian Games this year and will also feature in the 2024 Paris Olympics. In India, the event was introduced only a couple of years ago.
