Jakarta, Aug 28: Star Indian athlete Dutee Chand stormed into the women's 200 metres final after topping the semi-finals at the Asian Games here on Tuesday.
But there was disappointment for India in the other semi-final, as rising star Hima Das was disqualified following a false start.
Dutee emerged on top of the overall table after clocking 23 seconds, followed by Bahrain's Edidiong Odiong with a timing of 23.01. China's Lingwei Kong finished third after clocking her personal best of 23.32 seconds.
In the other semi-final that witnessed two false starts, teenaged Hima got a red card and was forced to leave her blocks before Hajar Alkhaldi of Bahrain also met similar fate.
Earlier, Hima clocked 23.47 to finish fourth in Heat 2, just 200th of a second short of a direct semis berth as Marie Knot of the Philippines took the third spot with 23.45.
But the sprinter from Assam earned a berth in the semi-finals as one of the fastest losers in the heats as she was seventh in the overall standings.
Dutee, on the other hand, won Heat 4 with a time of 23.37 seconds which earned her a direct spot in the semi-finals.
She was second in the overall standings at the end of the first round, behind Nigina Sharipova of Uzbekistan, who won Heat 3 with a personal best time of 23.31.
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New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, a CM hopeful, on Wednesday said that social media campaigns and putting up of flexboards wiill not be the deciding factors for selecting the chief minister of Kerala.
Chennithala made the remark in response to reporters queries in Delhi on the intense social media campaign in favour of V D Satheesan as CM on the ground that he led the UDF poll campaign from the front.
"Who should be CM is not decided based on social media campaigns or the flexboards put up by the supporters. It is decided by the high command in accordance with the procedure already in place.
"As part of that two party observers will reach Kerala by evening and they will speak to all the MLAs. After that, the party high command will take a decision," the senior Congress leader said.
He said that the high command will take the decision based on party interests and everyone will accept it.
Chennithala also rejected queries about whether the alleged contest within the party for the CM post will create any displeasure among the voters.
"There will be no displeasure among voters as there is no contest," he contended.
On whether there was a delay in announcing the CM for Kerala, Chennithala said that the chief minister has not been selected in the other state where polls were held.
"So, can it be said that there is a delay in the case of Kerala?" he asked.
He said that he was in Delhi for a meeting with Rahul Gandhi regarding finalisation of the DCC presidents in Maharashtra.
