KOBE (AFP) - Bahrain secured first and second places in the both men's and women's 10,000-metres on the opening day of the Asian Athletics Championships on Thursday. Mahboob Ali Hasan Mahboob defended his title recording a time of 28:35.49 while his compatriot Bilisuma Shugi Gelasa fended off the challenge from Japanese runners Akinobu Murasawa and Tsuyoshi Ugachi to take silver. Shitaye Eshete Habtegebrel, who had to be satisfied with a bronze in the Asian Games, took gold with a time of 32:47.80 in the women's 10,000m, with Kareema Jasim Saleh second and Asian Games champion Preeja Sreedharan of India in third. Athletics fans at the Kobe Universiade Stadium are keenly awaiting the appearance of Chinese star hurdler Liu Xiang, the former world record holder, in the 110-metre hurdles. But they faced disappointment when the championships' other box-office draw, Qatar's Francis Samuel Adelebari, the only Asian athlete to have run the 100 metres in under 10.00 seconds, withdrew from the showpiece track event in the semi-finals due to injury. China notched a one-two finish in the women's javelin throw with Liu Chunhua winning in 58.05m and Wang Ping taking the silver in 55.80m. Earlier in the discus, Ehsan Hadidi of Iran won his fourth consecutive title and first gold medal of the week with a throw of 62.27m, beating India's Vikas Gowda and Wu Jian of China. Japan's Masumi Aya enjoyed her first continental title winning the women's hammer throw with a mark of 67.19m ahead of China's Liu Tingting and compatriot Yuka Murohushi. In other action, India's Mayookha Johny jumped 6.56m to win the women's long jump, beating Lu Minjia of China into second and Japan's Saeko Okayama into third, while the men's pole vault was postponed until Friday (today) due to rain.