Asian Games 2023 Day 8 Highlights: 12 Medals in Athletics Including 2 Gold; India Claim Historic Silver in Badminton

Avinash Sable was in a league of his own as he cruised to victory in men’s 5000m steeplechase and won India’s first track and field gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor then added to the tally just minutes later as he successfully defended the gold he won at Jakarta 2018. Earlier, the men’s shooting trap team of Kynan Darius Chenai, Zoravar Singh Sandhu and Prithviraj Tondaiman won gold. Further, silvers were won by Harmilan Bains (women’s 1500m), Murali Sreeshankar (men’s long jump), Ajay Kumar Saroj (men’s 1500m) and Jyothi Yarraji (women’s 100m hurdles), with the latter running a race that was riddled with controversy and almost getting disqualified as well. Bronze medal was won by Jinson Johnson (men’s 1500m), Chenai (men’s trap) and rather surprisingly by world champion Nikhat Zareen, who lose the boxing women’s 50kg semifinal. Earlier, India clinched gold in the men’s trap team shooting event on Day 8 of the ongoing Asian Games 2023, on Sunday in Hangzhou.

The Indian trap shooting team, consisting of Chenai, Sandhu and Tondaiman, helped India bag 361 points, which was enough to claim top spot in the team event. In individual qualificaion, Kynan (1st) and Zoravar (4th) made it to the final. Zoravar finished in fifth position and Kynan won bronze in the final. Meanwhile, the India also got silver in women’s trap team event. The team consisted of Manisha Keer, Preeti Rajak and Rajeshwari Kumari. But only Keer qualified for the final of the individual women’s trap event, where she finished in sixth position. India finish their shooting campaign at the Asian Games with their best-ever performance, registering 22 medals (7 gold, 9 silver and 6 bronze).

In golf, Aditi Ashok bagged silver in women’s individual as India finished 4th in the team event. Ashok, who was leading overnight, stumbled on the final day, as Thailand’s Yubol Arpichaya held her nerves to overtake the India and grab gold. Meanwhile, title contender Jyothi Yarraji failed to qualify for the women’s 200m final, after finishing third in her heat. Defending champion Swapna Barman currently sits in fourth place in women’s heptathlon, with the deciding 800m round yet to take place. Nandini Agasara is fifth in the same event. Also, Amlan Borgohain qualified for the men’s 200m final. Parveen built on her form and defeated Uzbekistan’s Sitora in the women’s 57kg boxing quarterfinal, to enter the semifinals and also guarantee a medal for India. The women’s hockey team were held to a 1-1 draw by South Korea.

Catch the Live Updates of Day 8 of Asian Games 2023:

India’s medal tally-

Gold: 13

Silver: 21

Bronze: 19

Results-

Athletics: Avinash Sable wins GOLD in men’s 300m steeplechase

Tajinder Pal Singh Toor wins GOLD in men’s shot put, second consecutive Asian Games gold medal for him

Harmilan Bains wins SILVER in women’s 1500m

Murali Sreeshankar wins SILVER men’s long jump

Nandini Agasara wins BRONZE in women’s heptathlon

Seema Punia wins BRONZE in women’s discus throw

Badminton: Indian men’s team win SILVER after 3-2 loss to China in final

Golf: Aditi Ashok bags SILVER in women’s individual

India finish in 4th position in women’s team

Shooting: India win SILVER in women’s trap team

Manisha Keer finishes sixth in women’s trap final

India win GOLD in men’s trap team

Zoravar Singh Sandhu fifth in men’s trap final

Kynan Darius Chenai wins BRONZE in men’s trap final

Hockey: India women held to 1-1 draw against South Korea

Boxing: Parveen defeats Uzbekistan’s Sitora in women’s 57kg quarterfinal, enters semis and guarantees medal

Nikhat Zareen loses in women’s 50kg semifinal, secures BRONZE

Squash: India beat Phillipines 2-0 in mixed doubles Pool D

India beat South Korea 2-0 in mixed doubles Pool A

Canoe Sprint: Megha Pradeep qualifies for canoe sprint 200m women’s semifinals, after finishing in fifth place in her heats

Soniya Devi finishes in fourth place in the women’s kayak single 500m heats, enters semis

Kurash: Aditya Sanjay Dhopaokar loses to Afghanistan’s Hassan Baiqara Rasooli in men’s 81kg round of 16

Squash: In his round of 32 squash fixture, India’s Mahesh Mangaonkar defeated Philippines’ Jonathan Reyes 3-0

In their mixed doubles Pool A fixture, India’s Dipika Pallikal, Harinder Pal Singh defeated Pakistan’s Mehwish Ali, Noor Zaman 2-0