What is 'lane infringement' that cost India's Gulveer Singh 3000m gold in Asian Indoor Championships?

Gulveer Singh (Pic: @SAI_Media/X)

Much to the dismay of the entire Indian sporting fraternity, India's Gulveer Singh lost his men's 3000m gold medal in the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships after he was disqualified for 'lane infringement'.

Gulveer had clocked 8 minutes 07.48 seconds to finish on top of the podium in the 3000m final, a non Olympic athletics event, late on Monday. He was later disqualified for lane infringement and a late night 'appeal' by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) was also rejected.

"Yes, it was ruled that Gulveer committed lane infringement. Of course, AFI protested but the protest was rejected," a coach, who is with the team, told PTI.

"The jury said they have enough evidence to conclude that Gulveer made lane infringement."

Various clauses of technical rules 17.2 and 17.3 provides for how an athlete can commit lane infringement and under what circumstances he or she may not be disqualified.

Also Read: Prize money from carrom triumph, a Godsend for Farooquee

Technical Rule 17.2.3 says: "In all races run in lanes (or any part of a race run in lanes), each athlete shall keep within their allocated lane from start to finish and, when running on a bend, shall not step or run on or inside the left-hand lane line or in the case of the inside lane, the kerb or line marking the border of the inside of the track."

Keneshbekov Nursultan of Kyrgystan, who had finished second with a time of 8:08.85s, was awarded the gold.

Jalil Naseri (8:09.39) of Iran, the original third-place finisher, took the silver and Frolovskiy (8:17.17) of Kazakhstan bagged the bronze.

With the loss of the gold won by Gulveer, India ended their campaign with three gold and one silver.

Ace shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, 100m hurdler Jyothi Yarraji and Harmilan Bains (1500m) had won a gold medal each on the first day of competitions on Saturday. Toor and Yarraji had smashed their own national records.

On Monday, Ankita had won a silver medal in women's 3000m race with a timing of 9:26.22s.

India had won one gold, six silver and one bronze in the last edition of the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.

(With agency inputs)