Avinash Sable faces Japanese challenge on his way to distance double at Hangzhou Asian Games

Navneet Singh

New Delhi

India’s 3,000m steeplechase Commonwealth silver medallist Avinash Sable is likely to face a strong Japanese challenge during the Hangzhou Asian Games starting September 23 in China. The Indian distance runner will compete in both steeplechase and the 5,000m in China.

The track and field competition will take place from September 29 to October 5. Sable’s personal best of 8:11.20 seconds was clocked on his way to winning a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

His season best time of 8:11.63 seconds in steeplechase was clocked at the Silesia Diamond League. He finished sixth, but achieved the 2024 Paris Olympic Games qualification time of 8:15.

Sable was eliminated in the preliminary round of the 3,000m steeplechase at the just concluded Budapest World Athletics Championships. He finished seventh in his heat while the top five advanced to the medal round.

“Despite good preparation, I missed the final,” Sable said after the heats in Budapest. “Hope not to repeat the same mistake in future.”

At the Hangzhou Asian Games, Sable will compete in both the 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m track races. The steeplechase final is scheduled for October 1, while the 5,000m final is on October 4.

Japan’s 21-year-old Ryuji Miura, whose personal best of 8:09.91, a national record clocked on June 9 in Paris, will be one of the main rivals of Sable in the 3,000m steeplechase. Having a background of 1,500m (3:36.59 seconds), Miura has a strong finish too.

The second Japanese in fray in the steeplechase will be Ryoma Aoki, 26. He was a finalist in the steeplechase during the Worlds and has a season best of 8:24.77.

Apart from the Japanese, the Indian runner will also have to tackle Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew in the men’s 5,000m track race. Balew's season best of 13:01.41 was clocked in June in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Ahead of the Asian Games, focus will be on Sable as he competes in his fifth 3,000m steeplechase event at the Diamond League Final scheduled to be held on September 16 and 17 in Eugene.