Asian Games: Neeraj Chopra wins javelin gold amid chaos in Hangzhou; Kishore Jena bags silver

India’s Neeraj Chopra successfully defended his javelin throw title at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou as he clinched the gold on Wednesday (Oct 4) amid chaos during the final. Chopra, having won the gold medal at the Jakarta games was the firm favourite to clinch the title having thrown 88.88m in his fourth attempt. It was a double delight for India as Jena Kishore Kumar clinched silver with 87.54m with the bronze going to Japan’s Genki Dean. This is also India’s 17th gold medal, their best tally ever at the Asian Games, having surpassed their previous best of 16 in Jakarta.

Neeraj strikes gold

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Having entered the Asian Games as a favourite, Neeraj on Wednesday stood up to the expectations with his golden arm. In his first attempt, Neeraj threw 82.38m while his second attempt saw him yield 84.49m. However, his medal-winning throw came in the fourth attempt when he attempted 88.88m as he continued his purple patch. His third attempt was a foul while he reached 80.80m in his fifth throw.

At the same time, his Indian compatriot Kishore Jena recorded a personal best of 87.54m to win the silver medal. He threw 81.26m in his first throw while his next throws produced 79.76, 86.77, and 87.54 metres respectively.

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Neeraj now has double gold in the Asian Games along with the Tokyo Olympics, World Athletics Championship, and Commonwealth Games. However, with the Paris Olympics fast approaching his realistic target will be to surpass the 90m mark that has eluded in his career. He currently boasts a best of 89.94m and will look to defend his gold at the Olympics.

India’s record-breaking day

Earlier, India registeredits highest medal tally at Asian Games in a single edition as Indian players continuedto excel at the continental sports event in Hangzhou, China. Competing at the 19th Asian Games, India broke its previous record of 70 medals on Wednesday (Oct 4) as they now march to the 100-medal benchmark, set before the start of the event. The latest achievement coupled with a great finish could see India finish in the top four of the Asian Games.

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