India’s rising javelin thrower Kishore Jena said he is keen to leave his mark in the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, which is set to begin on September 23. Jena was thrust into the spotlight with a personal best of 84.77m in Budapest. On a night when, for the first time in the history of Indian track and field, three countrymen competed together in the final of a single event at the World Athletics Championships, the Odisha athlete put on a show to remember, hurling the spear to a distance of 84.77m, a personal best.
Despite making his debut at the World Championships, he showed little signs of nerves.
Sharing his future goals with ANI, Jena said, “My goal is to do something for the country and take Odisha forward. The World Championships was uncharted territory for me and I didn’t feel any pressure of expectations. However, the experience I gathered at the event will help me in the Asian Games. I am just thinking about Asian games and I want to perform well there.”
At the World Athletics Championships 2023, Neeraj Chopra made history after he captured India’s first-ever gold medal and edged out Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem by less than a metre in the final of the men’s javelin throw event in Budapest.
Neeraj recorded his best throw of 88.17 m in his second attempt and managed to keep his lead intact till the very end. Kishore Jena (best of 84.77 m) finished fifth while DP Manu (best of 84.14 m) finished sixth.
Jena also gave Neeraj Chopra, who took home the gold, credit for inspiring him throughout the competition. During the javelin throw final on Sunday in Budapest, he claimed that Neeraj’s motivational words inspired him to perform at his very best.
“Neeraj Chopra is a great human being and as a player he is amazing. Everyone respects him as a player. During the game, we chatted with each other about what to do and what are the problems. He keeps telling and supporting too. For me and the entire country, it was a matter of pride that we won World Championship gold in Javelin. Ever since Neeraj bhai won the Olympic gold medal the sport has become famous and hope it continues,” Jena added.
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