Asian Games 2023: 3 talking points from Day 11
Asian Games 2023 continued today in Hangzhou, with the Indian athletes winning more medals and taking the nation's medal tally past 80. At the end of Day 11, India holds the fourth position in the Asian Games 2023 standings, with a total of 81 medals.
Out of 81, 18 are gold, 31 are silver medals, and the other 32 are bronze medals. India won 12 medals today, with three of them being gold medals. India's golden boy Neeraj Chopra made the nation proud again by winning yet another gold medal in javelin throw.
The Indian quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi and Rajesh Ramesh finished first in the men's 4x400m relay to clinch a gold medal. Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Ojas Pravin Deotale won a gold medal for the nation in the Mixed team compound archery team event.
Now that the 11th day of Asian Games 2023 is in the history books, here's a look at the three biggest talking points of the day.
#1 Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Kumar Jena fight for a gold medal at Asian Games 2023
In one of the rarest moments in Indian sports history, two Indian athletes competed for a gold medal in the men's javelin throw event at Asian Games 2023. Neeraj Chopra was the favorite to bring home the gold, especially with Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem ruled out of the competition.
While it was expected to be a cakewalk for Neeraj Chopra, his compatriot Kishore Kumar Jena brought his 'A' game to the table and gave Chopra a run for his money. Jena touched 86.77m in his third attempt and overtook Chopra on the leaderboard.
Chopra bounced back with a season-best throw of 88.88m to regain the top position. Jena then set a new personal record with a 87.54m throw in his fourth attempt. Eventually, Chopra won the gold, while Jena secured a silver medal for the nation.
#2 A controversy happened during Neeraj Chopra's throw in the Asian Games 2023 final
The men's javelin throw final at Asian Games started with a controversy. Neeraj Chopra threw the javelin without any infractions, and it covered a distance of around 85m. However, the organizers could not count the distance because the machine malfunctioned.
Due to the technical glitch, Neeraj's first throw was not considered. The Indian javelin thrower was asked to throw again. His throw covered a distance of 82.38m, leaving Neeraj and his fans disappointed. There was an officiating error related to a throw from Jena as well.
#3 Harmilan Bains wins a silver medal in the same sport as her mother
Sportskeeda-supported athlete Harmilan Bains made history by winning her second medal at Asian Games 2023. Bains won a silver medal in the women's 1500m event on Sunday. She won another silver medal today by finishing second in the women's 800m race.
Bains joined her mother Madhuri Singh in an elite club of female Indian athletes to have won a medal in the 800m race at the Asian Games. Madhuri also won a silver medal in the women's 800m race back in the 2002 edition of the Asian Games hosted by Busan.