By Our Special Correspondent
Ronaldo Singh on Wednesday scripted history as he became the first Indian cyclist to win a silver in a continental tournament in the senior category by finishing second in the sprint event on the concluding day of the Asian Track Championship here.
Ronaldo’s feat was the best performance by any Indian cyclist in a continental championship. He gave a tough fight to Japan’s experienced rider Kento Yamasaki but finished with silver.
Yamasaki defeated Ronaldo in back-to-back races to finish at the top of the podium. Kazakhstan’s Andrey Chugay won the bronze in the event.
“This (Ronaldo’s silver) was the first silver won by an Indian in Asian Championships. No Indian has won a gold in our history, so his silver winning feat is the best ever performance by an Indian in continental championships,” Cycling Federation of India chairman Onkar Singh told PTI. Singh is also the secretary general of Asian Cycling Confederation.
Ronaldo’s silver on Wednesday was his third medal of the championships. He had earlier won bronze medals in 1km time trial and team sprint events.
In the morning, Ronaldo defeated Kazakhstan’s Chugay in the semifinal. The Indian lost the first race but bounced back to win the next two to storm into the final.
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