India’s Chopra lives up to star billing at Asiad

World and Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra conjured up a mammoth throw to win javelin gold in style at the Asian Games in Hangzhou yesterday.Chopra’s successful defence of his crown sealed a memorable day for India, their 81 medals in total their best in Games history and with four days still to go. Chopra was under pressure after teammate Kishore Kumar Jena produced a huge personal best of 86.77 metres, which he would later improve to 87.54m and eventual silver.But Chopra responded with a season-best 88.88m - longer than the 88.17m that won him the world title at Budapest in August and the 87.58m that earned gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.He was delighted though for his compatriot. "I was feeling great for him. We hugged each other as we both won medals for India,” said Chopra. "We have to push ourselves as well as each other. I had a feeling that I would have a good day today.”His title defence opened controversially. He hurled close to the 85m line on his first throw and pumped the air in celebration, but his score didn’t register and a lengthy delay followed. Chopra eventually threw again, making 82.38m, then improved to 84.49m. But Kumar Jena, who was fifth in Budapest, then produced his all-time best to put the pressure on, before Chopra hit back. "I had some issues in the first throw. There may have been a technical problem or they may not have measured my first throw properly,” he said of the delay. "This is the first time this has happened to me in a competition. The rule is for six throws, but I threw seven times.”Chopra’s job was made easier after his chief rival, Pakistan ace Arshad Nadeem, pulled out on Tuesday with a knee injury. Kumar Jena was content to finish behind his "idol”. "Keep watching, you will see more of us in the future too,” he warned.India’s medal-laden day started when they defeated archery powerhouses South Korea, who had dominated the sport at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, snaring four of the five golds. But the Koreans were no match for India in the gold-medal match of the mixed-team compound event, the Indian duo of Ojas Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam squeezing to victory 159-158.North Korea won their fifth weightlifting gold in Hangzhou – and the country’s ninth overall – when Ri Chong Song finished streets ahead of the field in the men’s 81kg division. Ri sealed gold with a 364kg total, then failed with two world record clean and jerk attempts at 210kg.Hong Kong’s Yang Qianyu streaked to gold in the women’s cycling road race, on what she said later was her last Asian Games. Yang sniffled and fought back tears on the podium. "Today I feel like my life is complete,” said the 30-year-old.There was a surprise in the badminton last 16, with Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia fighting back from a game down to defeat world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn 10-21, 21-19, 21-6. "Everyone could see I was very exhausted,” said the Thai.China have enjoyed a hugely successful Games on home soil, capturing 171 golds and counting, but they suffered a rare setback in the men’s basketball semi-finals. The Philippines fought back at the death to triumph 77-76 – and leave the watching Chinese basketball star Yao Ming looking disgusted. In other action, China’s Wang Chunyu was dethroned as women’s 800m champion by Sri Lanka’s Tharushi Karunarathna, who ran a storming 2:03.20. It was enough to edge India’s Harmilan Bains with Wang taking bronze.In contrast, Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew, who was sixth at the Tokyo Olympics, was a successful title defender with his 13:17.41 in the 5,000m, a new Games record.India’s Avinash Sable, who won the 3,000m steeplechase, came second and fellow Bahraini Dawit Fikadu third. Uzbekistan’s Sharifa Davronova was crowned triple jump champion with a new personal best 14.09m. India won the men’s 4x400m relay and Bahrain took out the women’s race.