Asian Games 2014 Day 11 Highlights: It's India vs Pakistan in Hockey Final; Vikas Gowda Gets Discus Silver; Sarita Row Rages
India bag four medals on controversy-hit Day 11 to take 10th spot in the medal tally. Vikas Gowda won a silver in discus, while boxing and sailing earned three bronze medals. Catch all the highlights here.
Vikas Shive Gowda had to settle for silver in the men's discus throw, while controversial decisions in favour home boxers robbed L Sarita Devi and Devendro Singh of wins in the semis. Indian men's hockey team defeated hosts to enter final after 12 years. They will take on traditional-foes Pakistan in the summit clash. Catch Day 11 highlights here. (MEDAL TALLY).
What do you feel about India's performance at the Asian Games so far? Write in at myvoice@ndtv.com. Best entries will feature here in our live blog:
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1800 (IST): Athletics - Siddhanth Thingalaya clocks 13.73 in 110 metres final to finish sixth. China's Wenjun Xie wins gold.
1758 (IST): For the latest in Champions League T20, follow our live scores here
1739 (IST): Athletics - Siddhanth Thingalaya will be in action in men's 110 metres hurdles.
1735 (IST): Athletics - Sajeesh Joseph qualifies for men's 800m final after finishing third Round 1 - Heat 2.
1730 (IST): Finally some good news for Indian Boxing. After a spate of controversial defeats, Vikas Krishan advances into men's middle (75kg) semifinals after beating Hurshidbek Normatov of Uzbekistan 3-0. Luckily, he wasn't in the ring with a Korean.
1716 (IST): Boxing - Vikas Krishan in action against Hurshidbek Normatov of Uzbekistan in men's middle (75kg) quarter-final bout.
1713 (IST): Hockey - Pakistan set up men's final with arch-rivals India after beating Malaysia in the final. Pakistan beat Malaysia 6-5 on penalties.
1705 (IST): Athletics - After Tintu Luka, Sushma Devi also qualifies for 800m final. She finished third in Heat 2.
1653 (IST): Athletics - India's Tintu Luka qualifies for women's 800m final by finishing top with a time of 2:04.28 in Heat 1.
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1637 (IST): SILVER! Vikas Shive Gowda wins silver in men's discus throw. He threw the disc to 62.58 metres in his second attempt. Iran's Ehsan Hadadi bags gold with 65.11m in his second attempt. Gowda had won a gold in Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
1625 (IST): With one throw to go, Vikas Gowda (62.58m) is second in men's discus. Iran's Ehsan Hadadi (65.11) in lead.
Why waste time going through these boxing bouts? Just declare the Koreans winners before they start! #saritadevi
- Vikram Chandra (@vikramchandra) September 30, 2014
1621 (IST): Boxing controversy in Incheon today hasn't stopped with Sarita Devi's 'defeat' at the hand of the judges who ruled in favour of a South Korean who was beaten black and blue by the experienced Indian. Devendro Singh also lost a controversial bout and once again against a South Korean. Shyam Anand (cshyamanandme@gmail.com) writes: "Asian Games have turned to Korean Games as they play spoilsport to the Indian boxing contingent. Why are the Koreans not playing with Chinese or the Japanese who have had them under their feet for so many years. I accept sports has to be played with the spirit, but not like this Koreans...India can hit them hard by not allowing any Korean (Cars, Mobiles) products to be sold in India, which will lead them to eat trash in the future."
Raj (raj34@outlook.com) writes: "Feel sorry for Devendro... He has not been defeated by an individual but by an entire nation."
Vedic Mishra (vedicmishra21998@gmail.com) writes: "What a good performance by Devendro. The Korean was nowhere in the first two rounds, lot of fixing going on... I want a gold medal too, what's the price AIBA?"
1617 (IST): Sarita Devi, angry after losing her semifinal bout against South Korean Jina Park, may skip the medal ceremony. India's protest has been rejected by the boxing jury at Asian Games.
#asiangames: Can any boxer win vs Koreans today? Devendro next in line to be robbed of a win. Is not punching the new key to success?
- Prakash G (@PrakashG_89) September 30, 2014
1614 (IST): Devendro Laishram loses the quarterfinal bout against Jonghun Shin. South Korea spoil India's boxing party once again. Boos once again as Devendro shakes his head in angst despite a spirited effort. Did you know? Devendro and Sarita are cousins! Not a good day in the ring for this family and it is not because of their inabilities at all.
1610 (IST): Jonghun Shi takes first round vs Devendro Laishram in what was a unanimous decision (again).
1605 (IST):A bitter boxing battle currently on! Devendro Laishram battling hard vs South Korea's Jonghun Shin in boxing quarters. Right jabs being delivered with fury by both boxers. Clearly, a lot of bad blood is there in the boxing ring between India and South Korea today.
1604 (IST): Yadav loses the bronze medal match.
1603 (IST): Saed Abdvali opens up a six-point lead against Yadav - the Iranian clearly using brute force to make his way towards a bronze.
1557 (IST): Wrestling - Krishankant Yadav takes on Saed Abdvali of Iran for 71kg greco roman bronze. He had previously lost to Jihyun Jung of South Korea.
1539 (IST): Hockey - Pakistan and Malaysia play out a goalless first quarter.
1527 (IST): 'Japan Protest Over Banner of Assassin.' Japan has protested to Asian Games organisers in South Korea after the image of a Korean hero who assassinated a senior Japanese official a century ago was shown in a stadium. (Read full report here)
1516 (IST): Uttar Pradesh Government Announces Cash Awards for Seema Punia, Narsingh Pancham Yadav. (Read full report here)
1500 (IST): Discus Throw Final - Vikas Gowda in action right now. He had won the gold medal in the event during this year's Commonwealth Games. "The CWG gold is my biggest achievement," he had told NDTV. (Watch full interview)
1448 (IST): Breaking - India's appeal against Sarita Devi's semifinal defeat in boxing has also been turned down. (Bout was fixed, decision was uncivilised: Sarita's husband to NDTV)
1438 (IST): Breaking - Mongolia's appeal against South Korea's boxing win has been rejected.
Sarita Devi's controversial exit in the lightweight semifinal bout against South Korea's Jina Park has angered Indian fans. Thirty-two-year-old Sarita was robbed of a final berth after dominating her lightweight bout with clean punches. Several readers have sent in their reactions. Manas Meher (m_meher@hotmail.com) writes: "Please, all the Indian boxers must fight your matches and win medals but boycott the medal ceremony to show the world that Koreans are cheaters..."
Prasad Inna (prasad.inna@moorestephens-oman.com) also has a hardline view, writing: "We should definitely show solidarity with Sarita Devi and pull the entire boxing contingent out immediately from the rest of the tournament. I completely sympathize with Sarita and her husband and hope Indian officials will be able to overturn the decision through the AIBA technical jury team. This is not the first time that this is happening and on many previous occasions our officials have been mute spectators. We need to show some spine at least this time around."
At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is wooing the US with his strong policies on good governance, Sandeep Jain (sandeep@spjca.in) writes: "On one hand our PM is trying to show the world that India is no more a weak nation and on the path of becoming a super-power and on another, our officials at Asian Games have let the country down. It's time to show the world that we will no longer accept all this nonsense."
Sharad Sinha (sharad.sjce@gmail.com) calls Sarita's decision as "daylight robbery". He writes: "It's not the first time. Koreans have a dubious records of cheating whenever they host such events." Nitin Prasad (nitinpprasad@gmail.com) feels the scoring system is flawed. He says: "I feel the new boxing scoring system has a lot of flaws. The earlier system was better. Rather than taking a round as a whole, it's always better to reward points for individual punches."
Nandakishore Varma (nandakishore_varma@yahoo.com) has a very 'sporting' way to snub the Koreans. After India edged out Korea 1-0 in the hockey semis, Varma writes: "Well done, India! This is poetic justice. The Indian team should dedicate their win to boxer Sarita Devi, unjustly cheated of a medal by Korea."
1414 (IST): Indian men in hockey final for the first time since 2002! The team beats dominant South Korea 1-0 to earn a shot at gold. Akashdeep's only goal means India will face off against the winner of Pakistan vs Malaysia semi.
Boxing avenged! India beat Korea 1-0 in hockey semis. #India a win away from #AsianGames gold after 1998. Sarita Devi was clearly robbed
- soumitra bose (@soumitra65) September 30, 2014
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1410 (IST): Sailing - Varsha and Aishwarya win bronze in 29er women's two person dinghy event. Did you know? At 16, Varsha is one of the youngest members of the Indian contingent at Icheon.
1405 (IST):Shooting - Ahmad Mairaj finishes 5th in skeet final. The 38-year-old shooter loves to hunt as a hobby and previously finished seventh in the team event.
1400 (IST): Hockey semis - After playing out two goalless quarters, Indian men take 1-0 lead in the third vs South Korea. Akasdeep Singh puts his team in front.
1350 (IST): Boxing - Satish Kumar advances top semis after defeating Eishaish Hussein of Jordan 2-1 in super heavyweight (+91kg) quarterfinal bout.
1343 (IST): Boxing - Shiva Thapa knocked out after losing 3-0 to Mario Fernandez of Philippines in Bantamweight (56kg) quarter-final
1340 (IST): Kabaddi - India thrash Pakistan 23-11 in men's team preliminary Group A match
1305 IST: Kabaddi - Indian men lead 17-4 at half-time vs Pakistan.
1259 IST: Hockey - Indian men come out for their semifinal clash against South Korea.
1248 IST: In another shocker after Sarita's controversial loss, a Mongolian boxer loses to a South Korean despite appearing to be the better boxer of the two. NDTV's Suprita Das reports that a few water bottles were thrown at the ring in the Korean boxer's direction after their bout.
Unconfirmed reports suggest Mongolia has withdrawn its entire boxing contingent from the competition. Confirmation awaited on this.
Should India do the same to show solidarity with Sarita? Write to us at myvoice@ndtv.com. (Update: India lodge official complaint with AIBA technical jury team. There is no IOA official or Chef de Mission present however, reports NDTV's Suprita Das).
1240 IST: Sarita Devi speaks to NDTV after her controversial defeat. "I am very disappointed with the decision," she says and adds that her husband - Thoiba Singh - will lodge an independent complaint against the decision.
Thoiba Singh also speaks to NDTV and slams the decision made against his wife. "It was fixed, it was a fixed match and it was for all to see."
1236 IST: Did you know? Kabaddi is believed to have originated in 16th century Maharashtra. It received international exposure for the first time when it was included in the Berlin Olympics in 1936.
1231 IST: Kabaddi - Rivals India and Pakistan take each other on in the final Group A preliminary match.
"The Indians are very good but we hope to fight it out against them," Pakistan captain Nasir Ali had said on Monday. "We've been following their techniques and working out their weak points." (Read more here)
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1215 IST: Sarita Devi's husband got into a scuffle with security officials after she lost boxing semifinal under controversial circumstances. Read more here.
1150 IST: Despite a toe-to-toe battle, Pooja loses to her Chinese opponent. Will have to settle for bronze like Sarita.
1146 IST: Boxing - Pooja Rani walks out for her Middle (69-75kg)semi vs China's Qian Li.
1140 IST: Shooting - Indian team of Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Parampal Singh Guron and Arozepal Sandhu finish seventh in the team skeet event.
1125 IST: In Kabaddi - Indian men will take on Pakistan today.
1120 IST: Next up in boxing is Pooja Rani and Indian fans can take solace from the fact that she is not fighting a local after what happened in Sarita Devi's bout!
Sarita Devi gets a bad decision in lightweight semis. Points system can be extremely dubious, judges clearly favoured the Korean #AsianGames
- soumitra bose (@soumitra65) September 30, 2014
Shockingly atrocious judging in Sarita Devi's fight against local Jina Park. best fight I have seen by Sarita@AIBA_Boxing absolute disgrace.
- Viren Rasquinha (@virenrasquinha) September 30, 2014
India should appeal. I don't know which bout the judges were watching! #AsianGames2014
- Vikram Chandra (@vikramchandra) September 30, 2014
That all the top guns in AIBA(governing body of boxing) are Koreans, this result shouldn't surprise us. #saritadevi #AsianGames2014
- Nikhil Naz (@NikhilNaz) September 30, 2014
Does anyone remember that Korea swept all 12 gold medals at 1986 Asian Games @Diggy_SinghDeo @India_AllSports So, is this a surprise?
- Swamy@AsianGames (@Swinging_Swamy) September 30, 2014
1117 IST: Sarita - silver medalist in Commonwealth Games 2014 - will get bronze but clearly shows her resentment for the final decision in her semifinal bout against local Park.
1115 IST: Sarita loses! A lot of booing from spectators as judges unanimously favour Park. Most in the arena agree that the Indian was the better fighter. Sarita surely feels so as she animatedly speaks to the judges.
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1114 IST: Sarita once again fights furiously in the final round.
1111 IST: Two judges favour Park in round three. Local fans caught by surprise as their hero was being clobbered in that round. She now leads overall against Sarita who has been the better puncher.
1109 IST: Sarita Devi goes into slamming mode in round three! Indian lands mighty punches on Park who is left with a bit of blood on her face.
1107 IST: Two of three judges favour Sarita after second round.
1105 IST: Park may have the longer reach and is taller of the two but Sarita in no mood to give up without a fight. Both boxers moving well on their feet and maintaining their balance.
1103 IST: Judges award first round to the Korean.
1102 IST: A furious battle in the first round between Sarita and Park. Both exchanging heavy blows against each other.
Park was ninth in the previous edition of Asian Games. While she may not have the laurels and medals like Sarita, she sure has home fans' enthusiastic cheer.
1100 IST: Did you know? Sarita Devi has been honoured with the Arjuna Award for her achievements in boxing. Hailing from Manipur - like Mary Kom, Sarita was born in an agricultural family. Interestingly, she helped her parents gather firewood which helped her build her stamina - a key component in international boxing.
1058 IST: Boxing action continues - Sarita Devi comes out for her Light (57-60kg) semi vs South Korea's Jina Park.
1045 IST: At 31, Mary Kom - mother of three - hardly broke a sweat as she defeated Le Thi Bang Le (22 years old) with a series of right and left combinations.
Mary Kom! Through to the final at the Asian Games. What a champion!
- Vikram Chandra (@vikramchandra) September 30, 2014
1042 IST: Mary Kom will battle for gold! She completely outclasses Le Thi Bang and ensures this will be her best-ever Asian Games performance. (Full report)
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1040 IST: The Indian gets the third round by a unanimous decision as well. Clearly, the powerful punches from Mary Kom getting her the judges' approval.
1038 IST: The tempo of the bout has clearly increased in the third round. Mary Kom landing left and right combinations - clearly showing that age can never hamper a true champion's determination to win.
1037 IST: Mary Kom takes the second round as well with the judges once again giving a unanimous decision in her favour.
1032 IST: A win here will assure Mary Kom of a silver at least. In the last edition of Asian Games, she won the bronze but would look to better her performance.
1031 IST: Mary Kom takes the first round but it was a close battle. Just as in the previous bout, Mary Kom should get into her element in the next few rounds. For now, she looks like studying her junior opponent.
1030 IST: Le Thi Bang has a better reach and is looking to attack Mary Kom. She is 10 years junior to the Indian.
1029 IST: Mary Kom had defeated Si Haijuan of China who was 10 years her junior, in the quarters. She was a bit sluggish to begin with but quickly found form to register a confident win. Can she do it again today? Vietnam's Le Thi Bang had defeated Philippines' Gabuco Josie 3-0 in women's boxing 48-51kg.
1028 IST:Boxing - Mary Kom walks out to a loud cheer. She will take on Vietnam's Le Thi Bang in fly semi.
1016 IST: After a decent showing in the freestyle category - led by Yogeshwar's gold, Indians fail in the greco roman category with three defeats in as many bouts today.
1014 IST: In a bloody battle (literally), Saldadze fights back to take the match 4-2. This is the third straight loss for India in the last few minutes.
1012 IST: Harpreet holds on to his 2-point lead at the end of the first round.
1011 IST: Third halt in proceedings as Harpreet bleeds heavily. He is cleaned up and gets a bandage around his head this time.
1010 IST: Saldadze gets positional advantage but Harpreet denies him points. Did you know? Harpreet was active in judo and was encouraged by his uncle to take to the sport. Wrestling though was his calling eventually.
1008 IST: Harpreet gets a cut around the eye but hardly looks perturbed. He has taken a 2-point lead in the first round. Bout halted twice with Saldadze getting a breather and time to plan how to cut the lead that the Indian enjoys.
1006 IST: Harpreet Singh takes on Besiki Saldadze (UZB) in greco roman 80kg quarterfinal. At almost 6 feet, Harpreet appears the more dominant of the two wrestlers on the mat.
1001 IST: Not a great start in wrestling for India as Krishankant Yadav and Ravinder Singh lose in the greco roman category. Harpreet Singh remains sole hope.
0958 IST: Jung gets positional advantage, flips Yadav and storms into the last four. It is all over for the Indian in about 30 seconds. Did you know? Jung is called the 'Little Giant' in Korea and he shows exactly why he can be a dangerous prospect for his opponents despite his five feet four inch frame.
0955 IST: Krishankant Yadav faces Jihyun Jung of South Korea in greco roman 71kg quarterfinal. The Indian is employed with the armed forces but is unlikely to have it easy as the local fans get behind Jung. To make things a little tougher, Yadav also has a heavily strapped right shoulder.
0950 IST: Ravinder loses to Almat - five years his junior - by a point (1-0).
0946 IST: Ravinder trails Almat 1-0 after the first round. Almat has had far better performances than his Indian counterpart in international events. He finished fifth in the Olympics and a silver is his best from World Championships (2011) as against Ravinder's best finish of 11th in 2010.
0943 IST: Wrestling - India's campaign begins for the day with Ravinder Singh taking on Almat Kebispayev (Kaz) in greco roman 59kg 1/8 final. Ravinder won bronze in the last edition of Asian Games but Almat is a tough opponent.
0931 IST: Volleyball - Indian women lose 3-0 to Kazakhstan in the semifinal. (Full report)
0916 IST: Breaking - Tai Cheau Xuen of Malaysia expelled as she was found to have taken the stimulant sibutramine. She had previously won the gold in wushu. (Full report)
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0903 IST: Sepaktakraw - Koreans defeat India 21-13, 21-6 in the men's regu preliminary match. The Koreans have traditionally been stronger in this exciting but lesser-known sport which is also called kick volleyball. In the current international rankings, Thailand have the top-spot in the men's category. Koreans are sixth while Indian men are placed eight.
0845 IST: Boxing - The mother of all bouts coming up, literally. Mothers Mary Kom and Sarita Devi will come out for their semifinal clashes in a little over an hour from now. Both have delivered strong performances in Asian Games so far and will look to punch their weight for more glory.
0825 IST: Table Tennis - Sharath Kamal & Arputharaj Amalraj beat Purshottam Bajracharya & Amar Lal 3-1 in 1/32 elimination match. Veteran Sharath has had a mixed tournament so far. While a medal is always expected from him, he has so far been unable to make strong moves towards getting one. He lost in the mixed doubles event on Monday. (Full match report)
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0807 IST: Kabaddi - Indian women's team defeats South Korea 45-26 in Group A preliminary round match and have now booked a spot in the semis. Did you know? India are traditional giants in this sport but rivals like Pakistan have special plans to bring them down. Read more here.
0759 IST: Harmeet Desai and Soumyajit Ghosh win first game 12-10. Updates: Indians take second game 11-5. Third set (11-6) too is claimed easily enough and that's a wrap in this round.
0754 IST: Table Tennis - India's Harmeet Desai and Soumyajit Ghosh take on Yemen's Omar Ahmed Ahmed and Mohammed Abdulhakim Fahd in the doubles 1/32 elimination match. Earlier in the day, Anthony Amalraj and Mudhurika Patkar had lost their mixed doubles 1/16 elimination match to Japan.