"Sher ki ek dahaad" - Fans celebrate as Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena secure gold and silver medals at Asian Games 2023

It was a double delight for India in the men's javelin throw at the 2023 Asian Games as Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Kumar Jena secured the gold and silver medals, respectively, in Hangzhou, China, on Wednesday, October 4.

The event wasn't without its share of unusual drama for both Neeraj and Kishore. The former started the event on an infuriating note as there was a delay after his first attempt, with the scorecard failing to update his effort.

Although Neeraj's javelin landed beyond the 85m mark, the actual distance could not be ascertained and he was eventually asked to retake his first attempt. After starting by clocking the 82.38m mark, he improved in his second throw with an 84.49m effort.

Compatriot Kishore Jena, on the other hand, started with an 81.26m effort before a foul was called on his second attempt. After protests, it was deemed that he did not commit a foul and was given the 79.76m he achieved.

In his third attempt, he then had a massive 86.77-meter throw, which saw him replace Neeraj at the top spot. However, the Olympic champion immediately bounced back by clocking 88.88m, which was also a season's best for the world champion.

The final attempts saw both Neeraj and Kishore fail to improve, though it did not matter in the end as they sealed the gold and silver medals by a big margin. Japan's Roderick Genki Dean finished a distant third and took home the bronze medal with a best effort of 82.68 meters.

Fans took to social media to celebrate Neeraj and Kishore's 1-2 finish at the Asian Games, with one fan symbolically equating the two to the roar of lions.

"Sher ki ek dahaad (roar of a lion)," said a fan.

"The Goat has taken don't forget Kishore kumar the Rabbit is behind let the 2 of them have good Olympics," said another fan.

Here are some more fan reactions to Neeraj Chopra and Kichore Jena winning the gold and silver medals in Hangzhou, China:

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