Gumi, 27  May 

`National record holder Gulveer Singh opened India's gold medal account with a top finish in the men's 10,000m race on the opening day of the Asian Athletics Championships here on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old Asian Games bronze-medallist clocked 28 minutes 38.63 seconds to win the gold. His national record, which he had set earlier in the year, stands at 27:00.22.

Japan's Mebuki Suzuki (28:43.84) took the silver while Bahrain's Albert Kibichi Rop (28:46.82) won the bronze.

Earlier in the day, Servin Sebastian claimed India's first medal with a bronze in the men's 20km race walk event, clocking 1 hour 21 minutes and 13.60 seconds.

China's Wang Zhaozhao (1:20:36.90) and Japan's Kento Yoshikawa (1:20:44.90) won the gold and silver respectively.

Sebastian's timing was just shy of his personal best of 1:21:23sec, set earlier this year for a gold at the Uttarakhand National Games in February.

Amit, the other Indian in the field, finished fifth with a time of 1:22:14.30.

India has sent a 58-strong contingent for the event, where the country won 27 medals in the previous edition.