UP farmer's daughter Rupal becomes first Indian to win twin medals at World U-20 Athletics
Cali (Colombia) (PTI): Rupal Chaudhary created history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win two medals at the World U20 Athletics Championship as she followed up her 4x400m relay silver with a bronze medal in the women's 400m here.
Hailing from a family with modest means, her father being a small time farmer in Shahpur Jainpur village in UP's Meerut district, the 17-year-old has been in incredible form having run as many as four 400m races in just three days.
Rupal clocked 51.85 seconds to finish third behind Yemi Mary John (51.50) of Great Britain and Damaris Mutunga (51.71) of Kenya on Thursday night.
On Tuesday, she had won a silver as part of the 4x400m relay quartet that finished second behind USA with an Asian junior record time of 3:17.76s.
On the same day, she ran her individual 400m first round heat before featuring in the semi-finals on Wednesday and final on Thursday. She ran her personal best time twice in the championships, first a 52.27s in semi-finals before bettering it in the final.
Earlier this year, Rupal stunned pre-race favourite Priya Mohan of Karnataka to clinch the gold medal in the women's 400m at the National U-20 Federation Cup Athletics Championships here on Friday.
Rupal is the second Indian to have won a medal in the women's 400m after Hima Das clinched a historic gold in the 2018 edition of the championships in Finland with a time of 51.46s.
Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was the first Indian to win a gold in the championships in 2016 in Poland.
Rupal's bronze is India's ninth medal overall from the championships, which was earlier known as World Junior Championships. In the last edition in Nairobi in 2021, India had won three medals -- 2 silver, 1 bronze.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Four arrested for pre-Christmas vandalism in Assam school
Guwahati (PTI): Four people associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal were arrested for vandalising decorative items used for Christmas celebrations at a school and damaging festive articles in shops in Assam’s Nalbari district, police said.
The arrests were made on Thursday, a senior officer said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed the police personnel for their prompt action and asserted that his government was committed to "maintaining peace, communal harmony, and ensuring the safety of all institutions and citizens across the state".
ALSO READ: Indian student shot dead near University of Toronto campus
The incident took place on Wednesday when the accused allegedly entered St Mary’s School in Panigaon village under the Belsor police station limits and burnt and damaged decorative items meant for Christmas celebrations.
"Miscreants who vandalised the school have been arrested. They entered the premises unlawfully," the officer said.
He added that the accused vandalised outer decorations, lights, plant pots, and other articles, as well as set some items on fire, resulting in loss of property.
"In connection with the vandalism at St. Mary’s English School, Panigaon, under Belsor Police Station, Nalbari district, the miscreants involved have been arrested. Assam Police acted promptly, and further action will be taken strictly as per law. We are fully committed to maintaining peace, communal harmony, and ensuring the safety of all institutions and citizens across the state," the CM said on X.
"A case has been registered at Belsor police station. Further investigation is going on. We are trying to identify some more people who were involved," the officer said.
The arrested persons are VHP Nalbari district secretary Bhaskar Deka, parishad's district vice-president Manash Jyoti Patgiri and assistant secretary Biju Dutta, along with Bajrang Dal's district convenor Nayan Talukdar, he added.
They had raised 'Jai Shree Ram' slogans and warned the school authorities not to organise Christmas celebrations on the school premises on Thursday, the officer said.
The accused also went to various shops selling Christmas goods in Nalbari town and set fire to some items near the Jain Mandir.
They also entered several shopping malls and business establishments selling Christmas items and burnt the goods, he added.
