In a dramatic turn of events during the men's javelin throw final at the Asian Games on October 4, India's top athletes faced unexpected challenges that raised eyebrows and sparked allegations. India clinched the top two positions on the podium, with Neeraj Chopra marking a season-best throw of 88.88m and Kishore Jena closely trailing at 87.54m. However, their journey to this success was marred by unforeseen interruptions.
Neeraj Chopra, after executing his first throw, anticipated his recorded distance on the scoreboard. Bafflingly, despite a prolonged wait, the board displayed no results. Upon seeking clarification, it emerged that a technical glitch had failed to capture his throw's distance. Consequently, Chopra had to replicate his inaugural throw, introducing an unforeseen element to the contest.
Kishore Jena faced a similar hiccup when his legitimate second throw was inexplicably nullified.
Responding to these anomalies, Anju Bobby George, Vice President of the Athletics Federation of India, shared her grievances with the media. Expressing her concerns, she remarked, "I think it's a calculative move. I think they're trying to cheat us. Neeraj is an Olympic champion that's why he threw. We knew winning in China would be difficult because they do all these mischiefs," as reported by Sportstar.
This isn't the sole incident that has stirred controversy at the Games. On October 1, during the women's 100m hurdles final, Indian sprinter Jyothi Yarraji faced another perplexing situation. Initially flagged for a false start and later reinstated, she was told her race timing wouldn't be officially recognized. Despite this setback, Yarraji participated alongside China's Wu Yanni, another runner initially disqualified. Yarraji's evident frustration post-race captured the event's tense atmosphere.
Subsequent reviews granted Yarraji the silver medal for the women's 100m hurdles final.
These instances have cast shadows over the Asian Games' procedural integrity, triggering conversations about ensuring fairness and transparency in future events.
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