Nepal´s run at the 16th Asian Games (Asiad) ended after Bhandari´s had a hamstring problem on his left foot after he covered a distance of 35 km. He even failed to complete the full distance of 42.192 km in the marathon. [break]
Following Bhandari´s exit Nepal has finished Asiad run with only a bronze medal earned by pugilist Deepak Maharjan.
“My leg started aching after I covered a distance of 32 kms. I tried hard to cover more distance but failed, a disappointed Bhandari said.
Volunteers rushed Bhandari towards the health camp after Bhandari collapsed suddenly. He was unable to run again.
South Korean Ji Young-Jun won the title completing the distance in 2 hours 11 minutes 11 seconds while Japan´s Yukihiro Kitako finished second clocking 2 hours 12 minutes 46 seconds during the race held at noon. Likewise, Qatar´s Mubarakh Shami secured bronze with the timing of 2 hours 12 minutes 53 seconds.
Ethopian Haile Gebrselassie holds the marathon world record with the timing of 2 hours 3 minutes 59 seconds. The Asian record is in the name of Toshinari Takaoka of Japan. He had set the Asian record during Chicago Marathon in 2002 while Gebrselassie has made the world record at Berlin Marathon in 2008.
Making a good start Bhandari had finished the initial five kms in 16.08 seconds and was in the 12th position among 22 competitors and had taken 32 minutes 16 seconds for another five kms and was still in the 12th spot until he had completed the 15 kms. He had moved to 11th place until he had finished 20 kms clocking 1 hour 4 minutes 39 seconds. He had taken 1 hour 58 minutes 59 seconds to complete 35 km before he collapsed at the track maintaining his 11th position.
“He had maintained good timing till he covered 35 kms and we had expected he would finish it with better than previous timing. It is unfortunate that he could not finish the race,” coach Pushpa Raj Ojha said.
Despite experiencing hamstring problem for the first time during the 11th South Asian Games in Dhaka, Bhandari had finished the race and secured gold medal clocking 1 hour 59 minutes. However, he was denied the new record due to the host´s mistakes. The marathon was later declared as race road after it was conducted in wrong track with a distance less than the actual marathon distance of 42.102 kms.
I am really disappointed today. I had prepared for this event for long. I was even unable to finish the race as I had problems during the race,” Bhandari said adding, “I had planned to set a new South Asian record. But I could not.”
Baikuntha Manandhar holds the South Asian record with the timing of 2 hours 15 minutes 3 seconds. “To run during the noon was really a difficult task. Though not a national record I could have bettered my own record,” Bhandari said.
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