World Athletics Championships: Avinash Sable fails to qualify for 3000m steeplechase finals

India’s campaign in the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest got off to a poor start with distance runner Avinash Sable failing to qualify for the finals of the men’s 3000-metre steeplechase event.

Sable, who had won silver in the 2019 Asian Championships and the 2022 Commonwealth Games, finished a disappointing seventh in heat number one.

The 28-year-old athlete from Maharashtra, who had trained abroad for several months in the build-up to the event, was expected to make at least the finals of the event even if he did not end up on the podium.

Among the other Indians in action on the opening day of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest are Akashdeep Singh, Vikash Singh and Paramjeet Singh, who will be competing in the men’s 20km race walk event.

Read | Full schedule of Indians in action on Day 1 of World Athletics Championships

Later in the day, Shaili Singh will be competing in Group B of the women’s long jump qualifying round, while Anuj Kumar Saroj will be taking part in the men’s 1500m heats.

The final event of the day featuring Indian athletes is the men’s triple jump qualification, which will feature Abdulla Aboobacker in Group A and Praveen Chithravel and Eldhose Paul in Group B.