Asian games: Indian women 4X400 relay team wins gold, Ashwini bags 2nd gold

Guangzhou: Indian women's 4X400m relay quartet lived up to expectations by defending the gold medal won in 2006 with AC Ashwini anchoring the team to glory in the Asian Games here today. Running in the third leg, Ashwini, who earlier clinched the yellow metal in the 400m hurdles, gave the Indian team a huge lead over second-placed Kazakhstan for Mandeep Kaur to maintain it till the finishing line in 3min 29.02sec.

In pic: The Indian 4x400 relay team, Manjeet Kaur, Shi Jose, Ashwini Chidananda Akkunji and Mandeep Kaur, celebrate after winning

In the first leg, India's Manjeet Kaur was running second before Sini Jose gave a slender lead for Ashwini to take over. Kazakhstan took the silver in 3:30.03 while China claimed the bronze in 3:30.89. With the gold medal here, the Indian quartet have won their second gold in two months in a multi-sporting event, having won the title in the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, though today's effort was well below 3:27.77 in the CWG.

In 2006 Asian Games, Satti Geetha, Pinki Parmanik, Chitra K Soman and Manjeet Kaur had won the gold in 3:32.95.

Indian men's 4X100m freestyle relay team in final

New Delhi: Oct 4 (PTI)

Led by India's biggest hope in swimming -- Virdhawal Khade, the India quartet clocked 3:28.06 to make a cut for the final of the Men's 4x100m Freestyle relay, after they finished sixth in their event at SPM Aquatics Complex, here today. The other three members of the team are Aaron Dsouza, Arjun Jayaprakash and Anshul Kothari.

India could make their presence felt in two more categories, even as most of them failed to advance further. In men's 50m backstroke, Badrinath Melkote clocked 27.52 to qualify for the semifinals, while Subha Chittaranjan clocked 29.96 to enter the last four stage in women's 50m butterfly. However, India put up a disappointing show in all other categories, including women's 200m freestyle, men's 400m freestyle, women's 200m individual medley, men's 200m butterfly, women's 50m breaststroke, as none of the swimmers could qualify in these events.

Meanwhile, a formidable Australian team, followed by England and Canada have already established their dominance in the pool.