40 years ago, October 1, 1986: First-ever Asiad gold for Usha
On October 1, 1986, India claimed its first-ever Asian Games gold medal in track and field history. P T Usha achieved this feat in the women's 400m hurdles event, setting a record time. She demonstrated her prowess in the subsequent 200m semifinals, leaving no doubt that American athlete Lydia de Vega could not replicate her success and secure a record six gold medals.
However, tragedy struck in Delhi as a spurious liquor incident claimed the lives of a husband, wife and two others over the past 24 hours. The victims, identified as Shankar (35) and Champa (28), both from Gujarat, succumbed to poisoning after consuming adulterated spirits. Meanwhile, at a surprise summit in Iceland, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan agreed to meet for a two-day conference on October 11 and 12.
Gorbachev plans to visit the United States later this year, following their initial meeting in Geneva last November. In a development closer to home, the United Nations General Assembly witnessed an exchange between India and Pakistan regarding Kashmir after four years of silence. Pakistani Foreign Minister Sahabzada Yaqub Khan raised the contentious issue during the forum's proceedings.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
