Neeraj Chopra created history becoming first Indian gold medal winner in javelin throw at Asian Games.
Neeraj Chopra created history on Monday becoming the first Indian javelin thrower to clinch an Asian Games gold. The 20-year-old Neeraj, a farmer's son from a village near Panipat in Haryana, shattered his own national record by clearing a distance of 88.06m in his third attempt to seal the gold.
Neeraj's gold is India's only second medal in javelin throw in Asian Games history after Gurtej Singh won a bronze in 1982 in New Delhi.
Liu Qizhen of China was a distance second with a best throw of 82.22m while Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem won the bronze with a 80.75 effort.
The youngster, who was India's flagbearer at the opening ceremony, was billed as one of the nation's top gold contenders and he delivered the goods.
The Commonwealth Games and reigning Asian champion completely dominated the competition as he bettered his own national record of 87.43 which he had come up with in Doha during the first leg of the Diamond League series in May. None of the competitors in the field had a 85-plus throw this season.
Neeraj, the world junior record holder of 86.48, has been in tremendous form this season as has consistently crossed the 85m mark.
He won the Federation Cup in March with 85.94m, clinched a gold in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games with a throw of 86.47m, before the 87.43 effort in Doha. Before coming here, he had 85.17 and 85.69 in France and Finland during his preparations for the Asian Games.
Neeraj on Monday also equalled the iconic Milkha Singh to become just the second athlete in history of Indian sports to win gold in the same year at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. Milkha Singh, the flying sikh, had achieved the remarkable feat in 1958.
Singh won gold at the Asian Games 1958, which were held in Tokyo, in the 200m and 400m events. In Cardiff at the Commonwealth Games that very year, he finished first in the 440 yards race.
The sprint legend congratulated Neeraj Chopra and other Indian track and field medal winners on their outstanding performance at the ongoing Asian Games.
"I would like to congratulate Neeraj and all the medal winners in athletics. Their performance has been exceptional in the Asian Games," Singh told PTI.
Singh said the Indian athletes should now aim for a medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"The standard of Indian athletes is improving day by day. Now we should target medals in the Olympics," said Singh.
Reminiscing his two gold medals in the 400m and 4x400m relay events in the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, Singh said that he was delighted to see youngsters bringing laurels for the country.
"Even I won two gold medals in this venue at Jakarta back in 1962 and I am very happy to see Indian youngsters performing so well," he said.
(With PTI Inputs)
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