Srabani runs in Jamaica meet, first Indian to participate in competition amid pandemic

Ace sprinter Srabani Nanda has become the first Indian track and field athlete to participate in a competition amid the COVID-19 pandemic, running in a meet in Jamaica alongside some of the world's best. The 29-year-old Nanda competed in the 100m race at the Velocity Fest meeting at Jamaica College on Sunday, representing the MVP Track club. She won heat two in 11.78 seconds for a third-place finish overall. Apart from Nanda, the Velocity Fest also had double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce competing.

Srabani runs in Jamaica meet

Reigning Olympic champion Thompson, also representing MVP Track Club, was the overall winner in 11.19 seconds. Fraser-Pryce, representing Nike, won the women's 200m in 22.74 seconds. Former 100m world champion Yohan Blake won the men's 200m in 20.62 seconds.

The Velocity Fest was Jamaica's first track-and-field event since March. Nanda has a personal best of 11.45 in 100m and 23.07 in 200m. She took part in the 2016 Olympics and finished sixth in her heat. She was part of the bronze-winning 4x100m relay quartet in the 2017 Asian Championships. She had also won a 200m gold and a 100m silver in the 2016 South Asian Games. 

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