Harminder wins bronze in men's 20km walk event

India's Harminder Singh won a surprise bronze medal in men's 20 km walk event to give the country its second medal in athletics in the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in New Delhi on Saturday.

Harminder clocked 1:23.27s, better than his personal best of 1:24.23s, to finish third behind Australians Jared Talent (1:22.18s), who won bronze in 2008 Beijing Olympics, and Luke Adams (1:22.31s) who was the silver medallist in 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

The 26-year-old, who recently shifted to 20km walk from 50km walk race, missed Babu Bhai Panucha's national record of 1:23.06s by a few seconds.

Harminder became the first Indian to win a medal in walk race competition in Commonwealth Games. He is also the only fifth Indian to win CWG medal in athletics after Milkha Singh (gold in men's 440yard race in 195, Praveen Kumar (silver in men's hammer throw in 1966), Mohinder Singh Gill (bronze in men's triple jump in 1970; silver in men's triple jump in 1974) and Suresh Babu (bronze in men's long jump in 197.

India yesterday registered its first medal in athletics at this Commonwealth Games after Kavita Raut finished third in women's 10,000m race.