Asian Games: Who is India's silver medalist Kishore Kumar Jena?
India's Kishore Kumar Jena won the silver medal in the men's javelin throw final at the 2023 Asian Games currently underway in Hangzhou, China. The Indian entered the fray with a personal-best throw of 87.54m. At one point, Kishore was ahead of even Neeraj Chopra. However, the latter bagged gold with an 88.88m throw. Notably, the former also qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Kishore enters record books
As mentioned, Kishore threw a record-breaking 87.54m to claim the silver medal. He surpassed his previous-best throw of 86.77m. At the halfway stage in the men's javelin throw final, Kishore even went ahead of Chopra. However, the latter crossed the 88-m mark later. Moreover, Kishore also secured his Paris Olympics berth as the qualification mark was set at 85.50m.
Second-best throw by an Indian
As per ESPN, Kishore's throw of 87.54m is the second-best by an Indian in athletics history. Meanwhile, this is the sixth-best throw by an Asian in the sport.
Who is Kishore Kumar Jena?
Kishore, born on September 6, 1995, hails from Kothasahi village in the Puri district of Odisha, India. He is an Indian track and field athlete who competes in javelin throw. Kishore was a volleyball player before he switched to javelin throw in 2019. In 2021, Kishore's throw of 76.41m at the Odisha State Championships made headlines, and he was recognized by the talent scouts.
Kishore reached SAI in 2021
Kishore made it to the national camp at the Sports Authority of India in Patiala in 2021. Kishore, who was 24 then, trained under Samarjeet Singh Malhi, a former Asian Athletics Championship bronze medal winner. In order to travel the extra mile, the former did not visit his family for three years. The grind has finally paid off!
Kishore's family faced financial crisis
As per ESPN, Kishore's father suffered an accident in 2018 due to which the family suffered a financial crisis. They had to sell parts of their ancestral land to clear their debts. "I just want my family to be happy and debt-free. If there's any money left after I've settled all the debts, then I'll look at buying myself something," Kishore told ESPN.
A look at Kishore's notable achievements
In June 2023, Kishore won the silver medal in the national championships in Bhubaneshwar. A month later, the Indian threw a distance of 84.38m in Diyagama, Sri Lanka. At the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Kishore recorded his then-personal best throw of 84.77m in the men's javelin throw final. He has now broken this record at the Asian Games.
