India sweeps javelin throw at Asian Games, Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Kumar Jena win gold and silver

The pride of India, Neeraj Chopra, has once again showcased his exceptional talent by clinching the gold medal in Javelin throw at the Asian Games 2023. This victory comes after a series of challenges during the event. In a remarkable turn of events, another Indian athlete, Kishore Kumar Jena, secured the silver medal in the same category.

Golden victory

In what appeared to be a cakewalk for India, Chopra, India's most promising contender at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, claimed another gold medal, while Jena gave him a great fight and won the the silver medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Wednesday (October 4).

Neeraj's journey to this gold medal was far from smooth, not due to his performance or competitors but rather due to technical glitches and questionable decisions made by game officials.

During Neeraj Chopra's first attempt in the javelin throw, a technical issue nullified the throw, requiring him to retake it. His second throw fell short of the 80-metre mark, but the scoreboard displayed a distance of 82.38 meters, which was where he initially landed the javelin.

To add to the intrigue, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, one of Neeraj's formidable rivals, withdrew from the 2023 Asian Games men's javelin throw event just one day prior.

Chopra's gold medal propelled India's medal tally to an all-time high of 80 medals, with four full days of events still remaining at the Asian Games.

Jena's brilliant feat

In addition to Neeraj Chopra's outstanding performance, another Indian athlete, Kishore Kumar Jena from Odisha, secured the silver medal in the same javelin throw category alongside Neeraj, with a final top distance of 87.54 meters.

Jena's performance was truly impressive, and at one point, the Odisha native even led the leaderboard after the first three attempts, achieving a remarkable throw of 86.77 meters.

It is evident that the Javelin throw event was thoroughly dominated by the Indian contingent.