New Delhi, March 12 (Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle): Manorama Devi and Deborah put up a heartening show, as India registered their best-ever performance at the Hero Asian Cycling Championship here.

The girls notched up a silver each on the day, taking the hosts’ medal tally to five. India finished ninth with two silvers and two bronze.

Korea topped the medal chart with 12 gold, seven silver and seven bronze for a total tally of 26 medals.

Manorama Devi emerged from the shadows of poster girl Deborah to become only the second rider from the country to bag a silver in an individual event.

Earlier, the Andaman girl clinched the first silver in the sprint event.

Both Manorama and Deborah were in contention in the eight-lap Keirin race, but it was Manorama who mesmerised the spectators with her resolute run in the last 30 metres to snatch a silver.

 “I had a plan going into the race. But I had to shift to Plan B when I realised that I had a chance of winning a medal in the last lap.

Initially my plan was to go up and come down but I changed the tactics at the last minute which helped me get a silver,” said Manorama.

The girl from Manipur finished 0.131 seconds behind eventual gold winner Shiou Yu Cheng of Taipei but beat Korean Yonhee Jang, who finished with the bronze, by 0.009 seconds.