Mayookha qualifies for World Championships long jump finals

Asian champion Mayookha Johny on Saturday qualified for the women's long jump finals in the World Championships to become only the second Indian to do so after Anju Booby George.

Mayookha, who won gold in last month's Asian Championships in Japan, jumped 6.53m in the qualification round, which she managed in her third effort to finish sixth in Group B but that was enough for her to make it to the finals to be held on Sunday.

Brazilian Maurren Maggi led the time sheet after Saturday's qualification round with 6.86m.

Mayookha, who had a personal best of 6.64m, emulates national record holder Anju Booby George who had won a bronze in the Paris World Championships in 2003.

Anju, who holds the national record of 6.83m in 2004 in Athens Olympics, is India's lone World Championships medallist in track and field history.

Harwant Kaur, another Indian competing on Saturday, however, crashed out in qualifying round of the woman discus event after finishing 10th in a 12-athlete Group A.

Her best throw of the day measured only 56.49m, which came in her second effort. She threw the discus to 55.50m and 52.98m in her other two efforts.

Gurmeet Singh and Babhubhai Panocha will compete in men's 20km race walk on Sunday. Eight Indian athletes are taking part in the World Championships.