3rd_Asian indoor championships

Doha, February 17, 2008 – Qatar's Sultan Zaman made the hosts nation proud by taking gold in 3000m on the concluding day of the third edition of Asian Indoor Athletic Championship 2008 held at Aspire, the Academy for Sports Excellence.

The Qatari ace clocked 7:49.31s to register a berth for the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championship in Valencia starting in March. Zaman was 16secs ahead of Surendra Singh of India for silver, while James Kurui of Qatar finished third in 7:50.76s.

"It is a good platform for the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championship in Valencia starting in March," said Zaman. "I was confident in today's race and when you are running in front of your home crowd it definitely boosts the moral," added Zaman.

Zaman was 10.54s behind to miss the Asian and Championship record set by compatriot Saif Saaeed Shaheen in Pattaya 2006.

With the Valencia Games one month away, Zaman is feeling the heat of the games, "I need to improve and perform better to be able to compete in the big championships lined-up this year," revealed the 23-year-old Zaman.

Qatari athletes also gathered a bronze in 4x400m men's by clocking 3:17.93s. Gold went to Saudi Arabia, while the Indians settled with silver.

The Saudis also claimed the championship record with 3:14.25s, beating the 2006 record of 3:15.53s set by Thailand national team.

Qatar

team was led by Ali Adam, Bashir Daham, Sulaiman Azmy, Sagayroon Mahamed, Bala Musaab, and Kamal Abubaker.

Kamal Abubaker had also participated in 800m, where he finished fifth with 1:49,86s.

In Friday's 1500m men final turned out to be the hottest race of the day. Qatar’s Ali Thamer led the pack of six runners from start to finish. He was threatened by India’s World Military Games medallist Chatholi Hamza in the last 50m but on the final straight Thamer emerged strong leaving behind Hamza, won the second Gold medal for host Qatar with a record timing of 3:40.86s.

India’s C. Hamza finished on the second place with 3:41.18s while Kamal Abubaker from Qatar took bronze in 3:42.50. In this race first three runners bettered the championship record. Defending champion Bashir Daham finished on the 5th place.

In the overall medals tally, Qatar finished at fourth position with three gold, and four bronze. India took the top honours with 17 medals overall, ahead of China with nine and Kazakhstan finished at third with 14 medals.

An athletic delegation from Qatar will head to Tanzania for a training camp in preparation for 2008 Beijing Olympic Games after their participation in Valencia and Qatar Grand Prix in May.

Final Day Results

Men

800m: 1. Yusuf Saad Kamel (Bahrain) 1:48.03secs (ECR), 2. Ehsan Mohajershojei (Iran), 3. Masato Yokota (Japan)

3,000m: 1. Sultan Zaman (Qatar) 7:49.31, 2. Surendra Singh (India), 3. James Kurui (Qatar)

4x400m: Saudi Arabia (Yonas Alhosah, Ali Saad Alderaan, Ismail Alsabani, Edrees Hawsawi) 3:14.25 (CR), 2. India (Baby Bineesh Balliym, Gurvinder Pal Singh, Pankaj Virender Kumar, Aboobacker Tannickkal), 3. Qatar (Mohammed Sagayroon, Adam Ali, Musaab Bella, Azmy Sulaiman)

Shot Put: 1. Gholoum Ahmed (Kuwait) 18.55, 2. Prakash Karhana (India), 3. Guang Yao Yong (China)

Long Jump: 1. Mohammed Alkhauwaildi (Saudi Arabia) 8.24 (AR), 2. Saleh Alhadad (Kuwait), 3. Taher Alsaba Hisain (Saudi Arabia)

Heptathlon: 1. Vinod Joseph (India) 5,561 points, 2. Hadi Sepehrzad (Iran), 3. Hiromasa Tanaka (Japan)

Women

800m: Final: 1. Sinimol Paulose (India) 2:03.43 (CR), 2. Sushma Devi (India), 3. Margarita Matsko (Kazakhstan)

4x400m Women - Final: 1. India (Mandeep Kaur, Manjeet Kaur, Sini Jose, Chitra Soman) 3:37.36 (AR), 2. Kazakhstan (Tatyana Azarova, Marina Mastyonko, Viktoriya Yalovtsava, Anna gavryushenko), 3. Thailand (Jutamass Tawoncharoen, Saowalee Kaewchvay, Kunya Harnthong, Treewadee Yongphan).

High Jump: 1. Tatiana Efimenka (Kyrgyzstan) 1.191m, 2. Anna Ustinova (Kazakhstan), 3. Yektarina Yevseyeva (Kazakhstan)