Priyanka Goswami on Saturday created history by becaming the first Indian woman to win a medal in race walk with a silver in 10,000m event. With her silver, India’s medal count at the Commonwealth Games 2022 rose to 28. 

Goswami clocked a personal best time of 43:38.83s to finish second behind Jemima Montag (42:34.30) of Australia. Emily Wamusyi Ngii (43:50.86) of Kenya took the bronze.

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The other Indian in the fray, Bhawna Jat finished eighth and last with a personal best time of 47:14.13.

Harminder Singh was the first Indian to win a medal in race walk — a bronze — in the 20km event in 2010 CWG in Delhi.

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Talking about her historic feat after the event, Goswami said, “This is the first Commonwealth Games medal in walking for an Indian woman so I’m really pleased to have created a piece of history.”

“I wasn’t thinking about the Australian (gold medallist Jemima Montag), when you look at what we did at the Olympics in Tokyo and the world championships last month she is a better walker than me. I just concentrated on my own race and I hope to close the gap on her (in the future) step-by-step,” the silver medallist added. 

Asked about the mascots and fingernails she was having, Priyanka Goswami said, “I have a Lord Krishna and I take him with me to every competition and he brought me luck today.

“I have also painted my nails with the flags of the country where I compete so I have England for the Commonwealth Games, Japan for the Olympic Games, Spain because I raced there and some other flags as well.”

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“Asian games and Olympics next.”

Meanwhile, Avinash Sable broke his own national record to win a silver in the men’s 3000m steeplechase. With the two silver, the Indian athletics team’s medal count swelled to four and it has already gone past the number in 2018 Gold Coast where the country had won a gold, silver and bronze each in track and field.