KOCHI: A medal may have eluded them but by finishing a creditable fifth in the final of the men's 4x400 relay at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, the Indian quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi and Rajesh Ramesh proved that they belong to the big stage.
After running a blistering 2.59.51 to obliterate the Asian record in men's 4x400 by nearly half a second in the relay heats on Saturday, the Indians had raised hopes of a podium finish. Though they clocked below 3 minutes for the second successive day, the timing of 2.59.92 saw the Indians finishing behind USA, France, Great Britain and Jamaica in what was a high-class field.
