India bettered its 86-year-old record to maul the Hong Kong China 26-0 in a Pool B match of the Asian Games. (Source: PTI)
The 18th edition of Asian Games has seen India win a total of 18 medals so far. After a successful Commonwealth Games, in which India finished with a total of 66 medals, expectations have been high in Asia’s biggest multi-sport event. While some of the performances have shone brightly, quite a few have led to record-shattering efforts.
Hockey
The Indian men’s hockey team stole the spotlight when they bettered their 86-year-old record to maul the Hong Kong China 26-0 in a Pool B match of the Asian Games. The result eclipsed the previous best of 24-1 which India had registered against USA at the 1932 Olympics. The measure of India’s dominance can be gauged from the fact that with seven minutes remaining they decided to withdraw the goalkeeper off the field.
The women’s hockey team could have etched their names in history books but missed the chance by one goal. This was after they beat Kazakhstan 21-0 but missed the Asian Games record by one goal.
Swimming
In swimming, 26-year-old Virdhawal Khade broke the men’s 50m freestyle national record with his efforts in the same category at the 2018 Asian Games. Khade clocked 24.09s to top Heat 2 and was placed fifth overall. The effort was better than his own nine-year-old national record which was set with a time of 24.14 at the Asian Championship at Foshan, China in 2009.
Virdhawal Khade missed a bronze medal at Asian Games 2018. (Source: PTI)
Srihari Nataraj broke two national records in two days. On Day One, he broke the record for Men’s 100m backstroke. He then followed it up by breaking the National Record for Men’s 50m Backstroke on Day Two.
Shooting
In shooting that India saw records being broken at will. 16-year-old Saurabh Chaudhary bagged gold in 10m air pistol finals at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. With this win, he becomes the fifth Indian shooter to win gold in the Asian Games. Enroute to his feat, Saurabh set a record in the Asian games by scoring 10.2 and 10.4.
Manu Bhaker broke the qualification games record. (Source: File)
Manu Bhaker also broke the qualification games record on her way to Women’s 25m Pistol final. The 16-year-old shooting sensation Manu Bhaker. Participating in the 25m Pistol event, Bhaker shot a total score of 593, finishing first in qualification and breaking the record. This means that she eclipsed Chen Ying of China, who shot 592 in the Busan Asian Games, in 2002. Incidentally, Bhaker fell just one short of the Asian and World Record (594 by Tao Luna, also of China) by just one point.
Elsewhere, Rahi Sarnobat became the first Indian female shooter to win gold at Asian Games. Her score of 34 in the finals is a joint Asian Games record.