New Delhi: Putting a doping scandal behind him, shot-putter Saurabh Vij qualified for the final along with compatriot Om Prakash on the first day of the athletics event at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday.
Saurabh recorded 17.16m, which was nowhere near his season's best of 20.65m, while Prakash had a throw of 18.48m.
Saurabh was provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after he tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexanamine.
But the Delhi boy was included in the side at the last moment after the suspension was lifted by NADA's disciplinary panel when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) asked NADA to take a lenient view as methylhexanamine has been shifted from 'non-specified' to 'specified' category in its 2011 list of prohibited substances.
Saurabh said he was desperate to win the gold and prove that he was innocent.
"I was not in the perfect frame of mind when I took the field. But I gave my best and am looking to win a medal tomorrow," Saurabh told IANS.
There was some more good news for India, as Manjeet Kaur (52.75s) and Mandeep Kaur (52.48s) qualified for the semifinal of the women's 400 metres.
In the women's 100m, Geetha Sathi (11.80s) and Jyothi Manjunath (11.81s) also made the semi-finals while Abdual Najeeb Qureshi qualified for the men's semifinal in the same event by clocking a personal best of 10.30s.
Meanwhile, Uganda's Moses Ndiema Kipsiro won the first gold medal from the track and field event in the men's 5000m by clocking 13:31.25 minutes and Kenyans bagged the silver and bronze.
Eliud Kipchoge won the silver with a timing of 13:31.32m while Mark Kosgey Kiptoo got the bronze by clocking 13:32.58m.
In para athletics, Australia's Lousie Ellery bagged the shot-put gold with 1110 points while the silver went to Jess Hamill with 979 points. England's Gemma Presscott finished third with 952 points.
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