Just a few days ago, Vikas Gowda was not even sure of coming here for the 17th Asian Games. He had injured his shoulder while lifting weights at his training base in the US and was thinking of cancelling the trip.
On Tuesday night, despite not being fully fit, Gowda managed a silver in the men’s discus at the Asiad main stadium here. Iran’s Ehsan Hadadi, the London Olympic silver medallist and Asian record holder, won the gold with a best effort 65.11m to complete a hat-trick of triumphs at these continental Games.
Commonwealth Games champion Gowda, who took a bronze in Guangzhou four years ago, produced his day’s best of 62.58 in the second throw to bring India’s lone medal in athletics for the day.
“At one stage I was even thinking of cancelling the trip, I couldn’t do even around 50m on Monday last week,” said the 31-year-old. “I was feeling a little better the next ay and on Thursday, I had a little bit of stiffness but I thought this is the Asian Games and I came. It was a last-minute decision.”
No excuses
Gowda, the country’s brightest hope for a medal here, fouled his last three throws today but he did not hand out the fitness problem as an excuse for that.
“I don’t want to give it as an excuse, there was no pain today. I still think I could have done a lot better, I think I can fix the problem,” said the Mysore-born thrower.
“I just struggled with my technique today, it wasn’t really picking well. So, I was not really consistent today. I usually don’t foul very much, my rhythm was way off today.”
Hadadi, who had training in Russia and Germany this year, had been very inconsistent this season but he managed to come good when it mattered the most.
“This is a lucky competition for me. All the season I was not so good but I’m happy,” said the 29-year-old. “I’ve won three Asiad golds and I hope after the next two Asian Games, I can go to sleep.”
Li Jinzhe delights
Meanwhile, there was a shocker in the men’s long jump with China’s Li Jinzhe, who came very close to the Asian record with a best of 8.47m this season, taking the gold with just 8.01m.
“I believe that there are high and lows in life but I also believe that a lot depends on training,” said Jinzhe, who has been suffering a strange slide this season. “Of course, I think I’m very lucky.”
China picked up the men’s 110m hurdles gold too through Xie Wenjun, the country’s big hope to take over from its superstar Liu Xiang, in 13.36s. India’s Siddhanth Thingalaya finished sixth in the event in 13.73s.
Meanwhile, Tintu Luka and Sushma Devi qualified for the women’s 800m final while Sajeesh Joseph (1:49.90) progressed to the title round in the men’s section.
Luka, the Asian leader, won the first heat in 2:04.28 while Devi was third in the next one, a fast heat which Kazakhstan’s Asiad defending champion Margarita Mukasheva, who is making a comeback of sorts, took in 2:02.83.
Jithin makes it
Defending champion Joseph Abraham failed to make the final in the men’s 400m hurdles after finishing third in his heat in 51.04s while National champion Jithin Paul (51.76) made the cut after taking the second spot in the next heat.
Ashwini Akkunji, the women’s 400m hurdles winner at the Guangzhou Asiad, also qualified for the final by finishing second in her heat in 57.67s.
The results:
Men: 110m hurdles: 1. Xie Wenjun (Chn) 13.36s; 2. Kim Byoungjun (Kor) 13.43; 3. Jamras Rittidet (Tha) 13.61.
1,500m: 1. Mohammed Al Garni (Qat) 3:40.23s; 2. Ramzi Rasheed (Brn) 3:40.95; 3. Adnan Taes Agar (Irq) 3:42.50.
Long jump: 1. Li Jinzhe (Chn) 8.01m; 2. Kim Deokhyeon (Kor) 7.90; 3. Gao Xinglong (Chn) 7.86.
Discus: 1. Ehsan Hadadi (Iri) 65.11m; 2. Vikas Gowda (Ind) 62.58; 3. Dheeb Ahmed Mohammed (Qat) 61.25.
Women: Pole vault: 1. Li Ling (Chn) 4.35m (Games record, OR 4.35); 2. Abiko Tomomi (Jpn) 4.25; 3. Lim Eunji (Kor) 4.15.
Heptathlon: 1. Ekaterina Voronina (Uzb) 5,912 pts; 2. Wang Qingling (Chn) 5,856; 3. Yuliya Tarasova (Uzb) 5,482; 4. Susmita Singa Roy (Ind) 5,194; 5. Swapna Barman (Ind) 5,178.
