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Qatari runner Ammar Ismail won the gold medal in the 400m race Wednesday at the Asian Athletics Championships being held in Gumi, South Korea.
Ammar Ismail won first place with a time of 45.33 seconds, beating Japan's Sato Kentaro, who won the silver medal with a time of 45.50 seconds.
Sri Lanka's Kumarji Kalinga took the bronze medal and placed third in the race.
The 26th edition of the Asian Championships kicked off with the participation of 2,000 athletes from 43 countries across the continent, competing in 26 races and events for men and women at the Gumi track and field.
The event runs until June 1.
The opening ceremony of the championship featured a parade highlighting pride in Asian heritage and a parade of the participating teams.
This was followed by a speech by HE President of the Asian Athletics Federation Dahlan Jumaan Al Hamad, announcing the start of the championship with the participation of the continent's best athletes, including Olympic and world medalists.
The President of the Federation noted that this enhances the value of the competition for medals and records in the current edition, and raises the level of the championship's races and competitions, making them more intense and competitive.
He wished the athletes success in their quest for the colorful medals and qualifying records for the World Championships scheduled for the next September in the Japanese capital, Tokyo.
In his speech, Al Hamad emphasized that the continent's advanced level at the Paris Olympics last year bodes well for Asian athletics, which is on the path to becoming the best in the world.
The Qatari athletics team is participating in the championship with a roster of 17 athletes, most notably hurdler Abderrahman Samba, and promising youngster Saif Abdulsalam, winner of the Best Under-20 Athlete in Asia award in the pole vault.
Bassem Hemeida, the gold medalist in last year's 400m hurdles, is also in attendance, along with Ammar Ismail, Ashraf Hussein, and Salah Younes.
(QNA)
