October 4 at the Hangzhou Sports Park Stadium witnessed a rather unusual start to the men's javelin final at the Asian Games. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra faced an unforeseen challenge when officials, due to a technical glitch, failed to record his first throw. While the throw seemed to exceed 85m, Chopra's waiting was prolonged as officials were engrossed in an animated discussion about the oversight.
Amidst the unfolding confusion, Chopra was requested to retake his first throw. The original throw, which was marked by officials, got overshadowed when the subsequent competitor was allowed to proceed. As Neeraj took his turn again, the throw, unfortunately, was a tad shorter at 82.38m.
Further adding to the perplexity, another technical blunder surfaced. Kishore Jena's seemingly flawless throw was prematurely flagged as foul. Demonstrating sportsmanship, Neeraj Chopra vehemently argued with the officials in support of Jena, and eventually, the decision was reversed.
Neeraj Chopra Shines Amidst Adversity
Despite the tumultuous commencement, Chopra's indomitable spirit shone through. He successfully defended his Asian Games javelin gold medal by delivering a new season-best throw of 88.88m. Kishore Jena, not to be overshadowed, set two personal bests and clinched the silver with a remarkable throw of 87.54m. The talented Jena also achieved the coveted automatic qualification for the Paris Olympics with a mark of 85.50m. Notably, for a brief moment in the final, Jena held the gold medal position until Chopra's stellar fourth throw seized the title.
Reflecting on the event's unconventional proceedings, Neeraj Chopra remarked, “They didn’t measure it properly. The next athlete threw quickly after me and then they lost the mark. For a while, they kept searching for the point of landing. I went and asked the officials what happened. I knew it was a good throw. I don’t know exactly how far it went but it felt good. Because they couldn’t figure out the mark, they offered to let me do the first throw again."
“The more we delayed, it was ruining the competition for other athletes also. Because there was wind and everyone was getting cold. This is the first time I am seeing something like this. The rule is six but I threw seven."
Despite the initial setbacks, Chopra's optimism prevailed. "I was thinking of 90m, but what to do! There was a lot of trouble with my first throw... No problem. I am happy that I won a medal for my country. 88.88m is a good throw," he concluded.
Kishore Jena's Stellar Rise to Paris 2024
Neeraj Chopra, embodying camaraderie, congratulated Kishore Jena during the competition. Jena's third throw, an impressive 86.77m, briefly positioned him for gold. He later outdid himself, marking a throw of 87.54m.
"And, I am very happy for Kishore Jena today. He was leading, he was throwing very well. I am enjoying the competition. He has also qualified for the Olympics. I was very happy. We were pushing each other," Neeraj said.
"It happens all the time. Even in Diamond Leagues, the competition stretches until the 6th throw. We compete with each other. We have to just believe that we are in it till the last throw. I have the experience, but in the end, Kishore Jena made it a lot more enjoyable. I am very happy for him," he added.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Asian Games 2023: Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Jena clinch historic gold and silver in Javelin Throw as athletes take India's medal tally past 80
Asian Games 2023: Women's 4x400 metre women's team sees silver medal, finish behind Bahrain for India's 78th medal
