NEW DELHI: India's long wait for an athletics gold at the Commonwealth Games is over. Fiftytwo years after the great Milkha Singh gave the country its first triumph in Cardiff, Krishna Poonia brought its second gold, in the women's discus, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Monday evening.
With Harwant Kaur and Seema Antil taking the silver and bronze, India celebrated its first sweep of all the medals in Commonwealth Games history.
“It's fantastic…what could be better than this,” said the 28-year-old Haryana-born Railway star, Poonia, who was the Doha Asian Games bronze medallist. She was fifth at the last Games in Melbourne.
“I dedicate this to all Indians. With this I think we have wiped out everything bad that had happened before the Games.”
Milkha Singh, who won his gold in the 440 yards event at the 1958 Games, was overjoyed too.
“It's a big thing for India,” said the 75-year-old. “Now that we have won this gold, it should inspire our athletes in a big way.”
But while the country celebrated Poonia's gold, there was disappointment with the young Tintu Luka finishing without a medal, and in the sixth spot, in the women's 800m.
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