Asian Games Live | Kartik Kumar, Gulveer Singh win silver and bronze in 10,000m race
Shooting: Sarabjot Singh and Divya TS win silver in 10m Air Pistol mixed team event
Birthday boy Sarabjot Singh and Divya TS faltered towards the end to let gold slip out of their hands in the 10m air pistol mixed team but the silver took India's medal count from the shooting range to 19 at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday (September 30).
India have so far won six gold, eight silver and five bronze at the Asian Games, their best-ever showing in the continental showpiece.
The Indian pair was beaten to the gold medal by world champion marksman Zhang Bowen and compatriot Jiang Ranxin, who emerged 16-14 victors in the shoot-off for the top podium finish.
Sarabjot, who turned 22 on Saturday (September 30), had won the men's 10m air pistol team gold with Arjun Singh Cheema and Shiva Narwal on Thursday (September 28). He looked on course to bring India its seventh gold in the mixed team event partnering Divya, but a few poor shots during the latter part of the shoot-off undid the good work done in the qualification round by the pair.
"I was a little bit nervous. There was too much shooting pressure," said Sarabjot when asked about scoring a 9.9 on his crucial final shot.
"I practise belly breathing, before the match and after." Divya, who won her second silver medal, was pleased with her performance.
"It does feel good. We did a great job today. Thanks to my teammate as well. We gave it our best. I like the way I fought well in the finals. I really loved my shooting today, from my first shot to my last shot."
The shooter from Karnataka, who also won a silver in women's 10m air pistol team event, said she is now hoping to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
"Next year is a big year. Working consistently and getting there (Paris) is very important. I'm trying to qualify and I'm preparing my best. We have very good, supporting coaches here. I'm very thankful to everybody who has supported my journey so far," she said.
In the mixed team 10m air pistol event, the top-six teams in qualification enter the medal round but only the No.1 and No.2 placed teams play the shoot-off for gold, while teams placed between No.3 and No.6 compete for two bronze medals.
The South Korean pair of Lee Wonho and Kim Bomi defeated the Japanese duo of Morikawa Seiji and Yamada Satoko 16-8 for the first bronze, while Iranian shooters Amir Joharikhou and Haniyeh Rostamiyan defeated the Pakistani pair of Joseph Gulfam and Talat Kishmala 16-14 for the second bronze.
Shot putter Kiran Baliyan wins India's first athletics medal in Asian Games
Kiran Baliyan became the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games medal in shot put event in 72 years as she picked up a bronze on the opening day of competitions here on Friday.
The 24-year-old Baliyan hurled the iron ball to a distance of 17.36m in her third attempt for her best effort of the day to open India's medal account.
Baliyan thus became only the second Indian to win a medal in women's shot put in Asian Games after Barbara Webster, an Anglo-Indian from then Bombay, won a bronze in the inaugural edition in New Delhi in 1951.
Baliyan has a season's as well as personal best of 17.92m which she had produced while finishing second in the Indian Grand Prix 5 in Chandigarh on September 10.
"I did not know the history (first Indian woman shot putter to win an Asian Games medal after 1951). My focus was to produce my best performance. I could not do that and I am not happy with my performance. But I won a medal, so I am very happy," she said later.
Nikhat Zareen bags Olympic quota and medal
Nikhat Zareen secured a Paris Olympic quota place by reaching the semifinal of the Asian Games on Friday, a just reward for the indomitable boxer who missed out on the Tokyo Games. The 27-year-old has come a long way since pleading for a "fair trial" for a shot at competing at the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers four years ago. The Telengana boxer is now a two-time world champion, Commonwealth Games champion and an Asian Games medal winner.
Earning an Olympic quota was Nikhat's top priority at Hangzhou. On Friday, she achieved that by cantering to the (50kg) semifinals with a first round RSC (referee stops contest) win over Jordan's Nassar Hanan. "I'm really happy to have won this quarterfinal and achieve the Olympic quota. I was looking to get the Olympic quota. Now I have got it, finally, and I am looking forward to winning that gold medal," she said after the win.
Hockey: India thrash Malaysia 6-0 in women's Pool A game
India dominated Malaysia in their second women's hockey Pool A match, securing a 6-0 victory. Building on their impressive 13-0 win against Singapore in the opening match, India showcased strong attacking prowess at the Asian Games 2023.
The Indian women's hockey team took control right from the start, with five of the six goals scored in the first half. Coached by Janneke Schopman, the Indian team, ranked seventh in the FIH Rankings, will face the Republic of Korea next on October 1 at 1:30 PM IST.
Track cycling: Esow, David Beckham face setbacks in the men's keirin 7th-12th final
Indian cyclists Esow Alben and David Beckham Elkatohchoongo finished 10th and 11th, respectively, in the men's keirin 7th-12th final following their results in the semi-final at the Asian Games 2023. This marked the conclusion of their campaigns in the competition.
In the men's madison final race at Hangzhou, India's Niraj Kumar and Harshveer Singh Sekhon were ranked eighth but did not finish the race.
Handball: China beats Indian women's team
The Indian women's handball team faced a 37-30 defeat against China in their Group B match at the Asian Games 2023. This marked India's second loss in three group games, eliminating them from the possibility of reaching the semi-finals in Hangzhou.
The upcoming match against Nepal will be India's penultimate Group B fixture, starting at 11:30 AM IST tomorrow.
Athletics: Aishwarya Mishra and Muhammed Ajmal qualify for the 400m final
Indian sprinter Aishwarya Mishra matched her season-best time, completing the women's 400m round 1 in 52.73 seconds at the Asian Games 2023. As the Asian championships bronze medallist, she secured the third position overall and progressed to the final, scheduled for tomorrow at 5:30 PM IST.
Meanwhile, Himanshi Malik missed the final, ranking 15th in the same event with a time of 57.82 seconds.
In the men's 400m first round, Muhammed Ajmal swiftly moved into the final, clocking 45.76 seconds, the second-best time in heat 1 and third-best overall. The final race is set to commence at 5:40 PM IST tomorrow.
However, three-time Asian Games medallist Muhammed Anas Yahiya didn't qualify for the final, finishing third in heat 2 with a time of 46.29 seconds.
Boxing: Nikhat Zareen advances to the semi-finals
Two-time world champion boxer Nikhat Zareen secured a victory in the women's 50kg quarter-final bout at Hangzhou 2023, defeating Jordan's Hanan Nassar after the referee stopped the contest. Zareen, the 27-year-old Indian boxer, won in just 53 seconds, with her opponent receiving three 8-counts.
This triumph marked Zareen's Asian Games debut and guaranteed her a medal. Additionally, India secured a quota for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the women's 50kg weight category due to her success.
Table Tennis: G Sathiyan eliminated in singles round of 16
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, a bronze medallist from the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, suffered a defeat in the men's singles round of 16 at the Asian Games 2023. He lost 11-3, 11-3, 11-6, 11-3 against world No. 2 Wang Chuqin of China. Earlier, Sathiyan was also defeated in his men's doubles match, and he was ousted in the mixed doubles event on Thursday.
In contrast, Sharath Kamal is set to compete in the singles pre-quarterfinal against the eight-time Asian Games medallist, Chih-Yuan Chuang, at Hangzhou.
Badminton: India defeats Nepal, earns spot in the men's team semis
The Indian men's badminton team, comprising Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, and Mithun Manjunath, secured a decisive 3-0 victory against Nepal in the quarter-final match at the Asian Games 2023. All three Indian players won their matches in straight games in Hangzhou, ensuring India another medal in this edition of the games.
In the upcoming semi-final, India will face either Indonesia or the Republic of Korea. It's noteworthy that India has never won a gold or silver medal in the men's team event at the Asian Games, making this a historic opportunity for the team.