Pune: Army sportsman breaks own national record at 3,000 m steeplechase, bags gold

Sable broke his earlier record of 8:21.37 two days go and completed the race in 8:20.20, creating a national record in the category.

Naib Subedar Avinash Sable. (Twitter/Southern Command Indian Army)

Army sportsman Naib Subedar Avinash Sable from the Pune-based Army Sports Institute (ASI) has clinched gold at the Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championship in Patiala by creating a new national record in the 3,000 metres steeplechase. In doing so, Sable has also broken his own previous record.

The 26-year-old steeplechase athlete, who hails from Maharashtra’s Beed district and is from the Fifth Mahar Regiment of the Indian Army, has been trained at the ASI. Naib Subedar Sable broke his earlier record of 8:21.37 two days ago and completed the race in 8:20.20, creating a national record in the category.

Pune headquartered Southern Command said in a tweet, “Federation Cup Sr National Athletics Championship 2021. Nb Sub Avinash Sable of Army Sports Institute, Pune set a new National Record in 3,000 m Steeplechase timing of 8:20.20.” The tweet added, “Subedar Neeraj Chopra created a new meet record of 87.80 m and created a national record in Indian Grand Prix last week.” Sub Chopra, India’s ace javelin thrower is also from the ASI.

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Naib Subedar Sable has come to be known in recent times for breaking his own records. The Army soldier and steeplechaser had already qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the 2019 World Athletics Championship, by beating the qualifying cut-off for the Olympics. He was the first Indian male steeplechaser to reach the World Athletics Championship finals in over 40 years, according to officials.

Sub Neeraj Chopra has also already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.86 m at the Athletics Central North East Meeting League in January last year.

ASI is a premier sports training institute of the Indian Army established in 2001 under the Mission Olympic programme. A multi-disciplinary sports institute, ASI imparts training in seven fields: Archery, Athletics, Boxing, Diving, Wrestling, Fencing and Weightlifting.

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