On the ninth day of the Asian Games, India celebrated its success by securing two bronze medals in the speed skating 3000m relay, pushing the nation’s overall medal count beyond 55. The preceding day witnessed an exceptional performance from Indian athletes, resulting in a total of 15 medals, with nine of them earned in athletics.
On the 9th day of the ongoing Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee faced a closely contested defeat in the table tennis women’s doubles semifinal, ultimately securing a bronze medal. The match against North Korea’s Suyong Cha and Sugyong Pak concluded in a narrow 4-3 victory for the North Korean duo (11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 2-11). Unfortunately, the Indian pair couldn’t maintain momentum in the decisive seventh game, resulting in a 2-11 loss. Despite this, there was positive news for India in roller skating. The team comprising Sanjana Bhatuka, Karthika Jagadeeswaran, Heeral Sadhu, and Aaratju Kastury secured a bronze medal in the women’s speed skating 3000m relay team event.
MEDAL CONFIRMED 🔥🔥
ASIAN GAMES 2023 – TABLE TENNIS 🏓
Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee impressively reach the semifinals by defeating the reigning World Champions from China with a score of 3-1 🔥🔥👏👏#AsianGames2022 #AsianGames2023 #AsianGames #TableTennis… pic.twitter.com/U3ibQ86ZXO
— nnis Sports (@nnis_sports) September 30, 2023
Despite the challenging defeat in table tennis, India’s successes in roller skating contributed to the country’s overall medal count on a competitive day at the Asian Games. The diverse achievements across various sports highlight the depth of talent within the Indian contingent.
Avinash Sable, a track and field athlete, etched his name in history by breaking the Asian Games record and claiming India’s inaugural gold medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase. Tajinderpal Singh Toor showcased his prowess by successfully defending his title in men’s shot put with a remarkable throw of 20.36m on his sixth and final attempt. In other track and field events, Harmilan Bains secured a silver medal in the women’s 1500m, while Murali Sreeshankar narrowly missed gold in the men’s long jump, settling for silver with a gap of just 0.03 seconds. Sreeshankar’s second-place finish came with an impressive jump of 8.19 meters, narrowly trailing behind China’s Wang Jianan with 8.22m. Ajay Kumar Saroj and Jinson Johnson secured second and third positions in the men’s 1500m.
The success continued with Seema Punia, India’s prominent discus thrower, and heptathlon athlete Nandini Agasara both claiming bronze medals. Jyothi Yarraji contributed to India’s medal tally with a silver in the women’s 100m hurdles. With these accomplishments, India has now amassed a total of 53 medals in the Asian Games, comprising 13 gold, 21 silver, and 19 bronze. The consistent excellence across diverse sporting disciplines underscores India’s strength and determination on the continental stage.
