The Indian duo, who previously finished 11th in the Tokyo Olympics, exceeded expectations by earning a coveted spot on the podium in the highly competitive event.
Asian Games Day 1
In a display of immense skill and determination, the Indian Army men clocked an impressive time of 6 minutes and 28.18 seconds in the Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls Final A, securing India’s second silver medal of the day.
However, it was the Chinese pair of Fan Junjie and Sun Man who claimed the top spot by clocking a remarkable time of 6 minutes and 23.16 seconds. With this victory, China added another gold to its tally in the Asian Games. Uzbekistan settled for the bronze medal with a time of 6 minutes and 33.42 seconds.
Throughout the contest, the Indian duo kept the hosts, China, on their toes as they were in close pursuit throughout the race. With just 500 metres to go, China managed to create a gap, building a lead of 2.73 seconds, which ultimately secured their gold medal position. Uzbekistan maintained a consistent performance, securing their place on the podium.
This silver medal marks India’s second success at the 19th Asian Games, following the impressive performance of the trio consisting of Ramita, Mehuli Ghosh, and Ashi Chouksey, who secured silver in the women’s 10m air rifle team event earlier in the competition.
The trio achieved a total score of 1886 at the end of the qualification round, with Ramita (631.9) finishing second and Mehuli (630.8) fifth. Both Ramita and Mehuli qualified for the individual finals, with China’s Han Jiayu setting a new Qualification Asian Record of 634.1, surpassing the previous mark set by her compatriot Zhao Ruozhu in New Delhi in 2019.
(With inputs from ANI)