Minimol-Srimati pair finish sixth

BANGKOK, DEC 11: India8217;s Minimol Kuttappan and Srimati Sardar finished a distant sixth in the women8217;s k-2 500m final of the Asian Games canoeing and Kayaking competition at the Map Pracham Reservoir today.

Minimol and Srimati found themselves outclassed by the rest of the field in the six-team final and clocked 2 minutes, 7.24 seconds 8211; more than seven seconds behind fifth-placed Ri-Jong Sim and Ri Myong-Bok of North Korea 8211; in the event in which the gold was grabbed by the Chinese pair of Gao Beibi and Zhong Hongyan in 1 minute, 54.64 seconds.

Minimol and Srimati had come up with an excellent effort clocking 1:56.67 to enter the final yesterday and given India hopes of achieving a medal only to return empty-handed from a strong field. The Indian pair had finished second behind Kazakhstan8217;s Natalya Sergeyeva and Tatyana Sergina, who took the silver today in 1:57.28, in the first semifinal of the event yesterday.

The bronze was bagged by Uzebkistan duo of Tatyana Levina and Oksana Shpiganevich in 1:59.42.