Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Neeraj Chopra wins javelin gold at Asian Games

India’s first Olympic athletics champion threw 88.88 metres, more than 0.70m further than Budapest where the 25-year-old claimed the country’s first title in track and field.

Neeraj Chopra wins javelin gold at Asian Games

INDIAN trailblazer Neeraj Chopra added Asian Games gold to his Olympic and world titles in javelin on Wednesday (4) as his nation celebrated its biggest medal haul at the continental showpiece in Hangzhou.

India's first Olympic athletics champion threw 88.88 metres, more than 0.70m further than Budapest where the 25-year-old claimed the country's first title in track and field.


He was challenged by silver-winning team mate Kishore Jena, who threw a personal best of 87.54m to draw out Chopra's winning effort at the Hangzhou Olympic stadium.

There was less suspense in the high jump, though, where Qatari great Mutaz Barshim clinched his third Asian Games gold, 13 years after his first in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

The triple world champion, who owns the second highest jump of all-time (2.43 metres), cleared 2.35m before missing all three attempts at 2.37m.

South Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok was runner-up with a jump of 2.33m.

India surged past their previous record of 70 Asian Games medals from Jakarta five years ago. Archers Ojas Pravin Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam secured the 71st by winning the mixed team compound event.

"We are celebrating our best-ever medal tally, a testament to the unparalleled dedication, grit and sporting spirit of our athletes," India prime minister Narendra Modi wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The rising Asian power has work to do to catch China, though, with the hosts having sailed past 300 medals and won more than 170 golds.

China's Li Qian, runner-up in women's middleweight boxing at the Tokyo Olympics, beat India's world champion Lovlina Borgohain for the 66-75kg division title.

Li turned the tables on Borgohain who beat the Chinese boxer in the semi-finals on the way to the middleweight world championship in March.

The Games were hit by a second doping case, with Saudi Arabian distance runner Yousef Mohammed Alasiri, who tested positive for darbepoetin, provisionally banned.

Darbepoetin is a re-engineered form of erythropoietin, also known as EPO, a common blood-booster.

Alasiri, 34, was entered in the men's 5,000 and 10,000m events but did not start either.

China completed a sweep of the race walking events, picking up gold in the mixed team 35km early on Wednesday, with Japan taking silver ahead of bronze-winning India.

Chinese walkers dominated the men's and women's individual events, taking gold and silver in each.

Myanmar claimed their first gold of the Games, beating Indonesia for the men's quadrant title in sepak takraw, the traditional kick volleyball sport popular in Southeast Asia.

Four-times Asian Cup champions Japan ended Hong Kong's dream run to the semi-finals and will play either South Korea or Uzbekistan for the gold.

Test-playing nation Bangladesh had a huge scare in the cricket in the quarter-finals against Malaysia but a death bowling masterclass by all-rounder Afif Hossain secured a two-run win in the T20 match.

Malaysia needed five runs from the last over but Hossain, who took three wickets, conceded only two, ensuring Bangladesh will meet Games debutants India in the semi-finals.

Afghanistan, who knocked Sri Lanka out with an eight-run win, will meet Pakistan in the other semi-final.

(Reuters)

More For You

Gill-Shubman-Getty

Shubman Gill anchored India’s innings with a century, helping them post 356 after being sent in to bat. (Photo: Getty Images)

Gill’s ton leads India to 3-0 ODI series sweep over England

INDIA secured a 142-run victory over England in the third ODI on Wednesday, completing a 3-0 series sweep at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Shubman Gill anchored India’s innings with a century, helping them post 356 after being sent in to bat.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah, named the 2024 International Cricketer of the Year, has been sidelined since sustaining a lower back injury during the Sydney Test in January. (Photo: BCCI)

Bumrah ruled out of India's Champions Trophy squad, Harshit Rana named replacement

INDIA's Champions Trophy campaign suffered a setback as fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the tournament due to an ongoing injury.

Bumrah, named the 2024 International Cricketer of the Year, has been sidelined since sustaining a lower back injury during the Sydney Test in January. The injury also kept him out of the white-ball series against England.

Keep ReadingShow less
shubman-gill-bcci

Shubman Gill plays a shot during the 3rd ODI between India and England in Ahmedabad. (Photo credit: BCCI)

England bowl first in Ahmedabad ODI as India rest key players

ENGLAND captain Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to bowl against India in the third one-day international in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

England, trailing 2-0 in the three-match series, are aiming for a win ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rohit-Sharma-BCCI

Rohit brought up his 32nd ODI hundred with a six off Rashid but was dismissed soon after, caught by Rashid off a Livingstone full toss. (Photo: BCCI)

Rohit’s century powers India to ODI series win over England

INDIA secured the ODI series against England with a four-wicket win in the second match on Sunday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead ahead of the Champions Trophy. Captain Rohit Sharma led the chase with a 90-ball 119, helping India reach the 305-run target in 44.3 overs.

A floodlight failure delayed India’s innings for 30 minutes, but it did not affect Rohit, who struck seven sixes and 12 fours. Earlier, England posted 304 all out with one ball remaining, opting to bat first at Barabati Stadium.

Keep ReadingShow less
Northern-Superchargers-Getty

Ben Stokes and Matthew Short of Northern Superchargers walk out to bat during The Hundred match between Manchester Originals and Northern Superchargers on August 11, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Sunrisers Hyderabad to acquire Northern Superchargers in £100 million deal

INDIAN Premier League franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad is set to become the first full owners of an English Hundred team after agreeing to buy Yorkshire’s Northern Superchargers for a reported £100 million.

The Sun Group will be the third IPL-linked investor in the eight-team Hundred competition, following Reliance Industries, which owns Mumbai Indians, and RPSG, which runs Lucknow Super Giants.

Keep ReadingShow less