Kuwaiti athlete Mohammed Mutlaq Al-Azmi claimed victory on Friday in the men's 1500 meters at the 19th Asian Athletics Championships. Al-Azmi stopped the clock at 3:42.49,41 - seconds ahead of Iranian runner-up Sajad Morad. Speaking to reporters after the run, Al-Azmi said, "Since I (had) enough preparation, I was in good condition. Despite such hot and humid weather, I (had) a good race. By my winning the gold medal, it will bring more interest to this event in Kuwait. That was my first challenge for 1500 meters. I will run 800 meters tomorrow. I want to win the gold medal for 800m in the World Championships in South Korea's Daegu." The four-day meet began on Thursday at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium, western Japan.