Continuing with his winning stride, Asian Games champion Arpinder Singh snapped-up a bronze in the men’s triple jump event in the IAAF Continental Cup at Czech Republic, becoming the first ever Indian to win a medal at the tournament.
The 25-year-old jumper who was representing the Asia-Pacific team covered the modest distance of 16.59 m in his opening effort and 16.33 in his next three attempts to settle for bronze.
He finished at the third spot behind the reigning Olympic and World Champion Christian Taylor of the United States who clinched the gold and Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso who grabbed silver.
Singh who has a personal best of 17.17 m had earlier won a gold medal in the recently concluded Asian Games in Indonesia by clocking 16.77m taking home the country’s first Asiad yellow metal in the category since 1970.
Gold medalist Arpinder Singh poses on the podium during the award ceremony for the Men's Triple Jump at the Asian Games 2018 in Indonesia, 29 August 2018. Source: EPA/MAST IRHAM
At the time, the Chief Minister of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh had tweeted, "“It is a proud moment for all Punjabis as our boy from Amritsar, Arpinder Singh, clinched the gold medal in the Men’s Triple Jump category at #AsianGames2018. Proud of you! Keep it up”.
Singh belongs to Harsha Chhina village near Amritsar and has previously won 14 national medals for the state of Punjab.
Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra who was a stand-out performer at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games disappointed with his javelin distance of 80.24 m-his best in the three attempts.
Chopra who had made a national record with 88.06 m at the Asiad could only manage to scrape a distance of 79.76 m in his second throw while his third throw was rendered a foul as it was way out of mark.
Indias Neeraj Chopra is airborne after throwing the javelin during the athletics competition at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta. Source: AAP
Elsewhere too, the Indian contingent failed to add any medals to the Indian tally.
While Asiad champion Jinson Johnson finished sixth in the men’s 1500 m, Asiad silver medalist Muhammed Anas was fifth to reach the checkpoint in the men’s 400m event.
Meanwhile, it was a dismal show in the women’s 3000 m steeple chase as Sudha Singh could not compete as she was eliminated midway in the race.
