Asian Games: Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Jena and an Indian 1-2 Finish For The Ages

Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena became the first Indian pair to win gold and silver at the Asian Games.

In a dramatic men's javelin throw final at the 2023 Asian Games on Wednesday night, several elements emerged to make it a completely memorable contest.

There was an embarrassing technical glitch, a human error, ample demonstration of camaraderie and sportsman spirit and at the end result to gladden the billion Indian hearts --- all in less than two hours. At the end of all this at the Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, Indian throwers grabbed gold and silver for an unprecedented result in the history of Indian athletics, and also grabbed an Olympic qualification for Kishore Jena.

"If a third Indian thrower had come here then I am sure he would also be on the victory stand with us,’’ a beaming Neeraj said after the successfully defending his Asian Games title with his season best throw of 88.88m. Neeraj was happy that he will have company in Paris. "It is good that Jena has also qualified for the Olympics. It is always better to have your teammate with you,’’ said.

For the defending champion Neeraj, lease on the title was a foregone conclusion. And after Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem withdrew from the competition at the eleventh hour, it was considered a cakewalk for the Olympic champion. But 28-year-old Kishore Jena, in his first Asiad outing, gave him a scare – briefly though. For Kishore the silver medal was a "dream come true’’ performance. Competing with his idol was itself a "big honour’’ for the Odisha athlete.

"Before meeting him in person I always used to dream about Neeraj Bhai. And when I was selected for the World Championship in Budapest (In August) I was over the moon. "Before Budapest I had never met him so naturally I was very excited,’’ he recalled.

"He had also sent a message to my coach Samarjeet Singh Malhi congratulating him on my selection for the World Championship. But my trip was almost scuttled due to an inordinate delay in my visa for Hungry,’’ recalled Jena. But then Neeraj turned a saviour for the Orissa athlete. He sent a tweet tagging Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar explaining Jena’s plight. And it worked with Jena receiving his visa in time to make the journey.

Neeraj reached Budapest one day after the rest of the Indian athletes, and it was a day too long for Jena. "Waiting for a day was agonising for me,’’ recalled Jena. "But after meeting him I realised it was worth it. He is a very humble and simple person. He gave us a lot of confidence and shared tips. And in the warming up  area, before the event, he  called Manu and me and took a selfie,’’ Jena recalled.

On Wednesday night in Hangzhou, Neeraj again came to Jena’s rescue during the final when the Chinese throwing judge invalidated his second attempt which was clearly a valid throw. Obviously Jena looked puzzled but due to the language barrier couldn’t forcefully explain to the official that he was well within the line even after throwing the javelin. Neeraj immediately went to the Referee and successfully helped argue Jena’s case.

After the competition Neeraj restrained himself from commenting explicitly on the matter but publicly requested the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to investigate these incidents. On the other hand Anju Bobby George, a former top athlete and now a Senior Vice President of the Athletics Federation of India, alleged that China engaged in "cheating". "I think they're trying to cheat us. We knew winning in China would be difficult because they do all this kind of mischief," she said.

The allegations have some substance due to the way Chinese officials handled the situation. If the laser-based electronic distance measurement device that produces accurate, computer-generated measurements for field events, was indeed malfunctioning, the officials should not have allowed the next thrower after Neeraj to go for his attempt unless the glitch was rectified. By allowing the throw they ensured that the mark where Neeraj’s javelin had landed was erased. It’s another matter that Neeraj sportingly agreed for an extra throw.

It is not just Jena, even young Pakistani thrower Yasir Sultan is a member of the Neeraj Fan Club. He finished in fourth place with 78.13 metres and claims to be inspired by the Indian champion. "It was a pleasant surprise when Neeraj Bhai called me to congratulate me for winning a bronze medal in the Bangkok Asian Championship. And the first thing I did on my arrival in Hangzhou was to get a photo with him on the training ground’’ he said.

After a short break, Neeraj will be back to Europe for training. And Jena will also go into the training mode with more vigour and confidence. Till they both meet again in Paris.