Jakarta, Aug 28 : Indian athletes Dutee Chand and Hima Das qualified for the women's 200 metres semi-finals at the 18th Asian Games here on Tuesday.

Dutee 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.

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 the semi-finals as one of the fastest losers in the heats as she was seventh in the overall standings.

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Sambhal: An excavation team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has unearthed an ancient stepwell, or 'baoli,' in the Chandausi area of Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district. This discovery follows the reopening of a Shiv-Hanuman temple in the district after 46 years.

District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya confirmed the findings, stating that the baoli spans approximately 400 square metres and includes four chambers, with marble floors on the second and third levels and brick construction on the upper floors.

"The excavation revealed a structure recorded as Ah-Baoli Talab, believed to date back over 150 years to the era of the grandfather of Bilari's king. The Nagar Palika team is actively removing topsoil, and around 210 square metres have been uncovered so far, while the remaining area remains encroached. Steps will be taken to clear the encroachments and fully unearth the structure," Pensiya said.

Krishna Kumar Sonkar, Executive Officer of the Municipal Corporation, stated that the excavation began promptly after reports of the underground structure. "We are committed to restoring the baoli and uncovering all its details as the work progresses," Sonkar added.

In a separate development, an ASI team conducted a detailed survey of five shrines and 19 wells across Sambhal, inspecting 24 areas, including the recently reopened ancient temple. The survey, which lasted 8-10 hours, aims to provide a comprehensive report on the district's historical sites.

Efforts to preserve and restore these structures continue, highlighting the rich cultural and historical heritage of Sambhal.