Odisha javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena made the State and the country proud by bagging a historic silver medal in the 19th Asian Games at HOC Stadium in Hangzhou, China today. With a new personal best throw of 87.54 metres, Jena not only won the silver medal, but also qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Olympic and World Champion Neeraj Chopra made it one-two for India, grabbing the gold medal with a season-best effort of 88.88 metres. The bronze medal was secured by Japanese thrower Roderick Genki Dean with a throw of 82.68 metres.
The mens javelin competition turned out to be a sensational show, dominated by Chopra and Jena. The duo led the field in turn, surpassing each others performance before Chopra clinched the gold in his fourth attempt of 88.88.
Chopra started his campaign with a modest 81.26m and bettered it with 84.49m in his second attempt. Jena made an impressive start, throwing the spear to a distance of 81.26m. But in his second attempt, the Odisha thrower could manage 79.76m.