India’s Suraj Panwar Wins Silver In Men’s 5,000 Meter Race Walk At Youth Olympics

India's Suraj Panwar clinched a silver in men's 5,000-metre race walk event in the ongoing Youth Olympic Games to open the country's medal account in athletics.

Panwar won the stage two competition by clocking 20 minutes and 35.87 seconds on Monday night but finished second overall.

In a new format, there are no finals in track and field (except 4 kilometre cross-country) in the Youth Olympics and each event is held twice, with results from both rounds counting towards the final standings.

Panwar, 17, had finished second in the first stage in 20 minutes 23.30 seconds, behind Patin Oscar of Ecuador.

Oscar, who finished second in stage two, won the gold with timings of 20 minutes 13.69 seconds and 20 minutes 38.17 seconds.

Panwar's total time of 40 minutes 59.17 seconds was over seven minutes slower than Oscar's 40 minutes 51.86 seconds. Puerto Rico's Jan Moreu finished third to claim the bronze.

This is India's first athletics medal in this edition and third overall. Arjun (men's discus throw) and Durgesh Kumar (men's 400-metre hurdles) had won a silver each in the inaugural edition in 2010.

“It's a great feeling. I am very happy to have won a medal. I had put in a lot of hard work for the games. It's my first medal for India,” Panwar said.