Asian Games 2023: Parul rule, Rani raj!

Meerut girls Parul Chaudhary and Annu Rani were going through similarly tough mental emotions during their gold medal march in the 5000m and javelin throw event respectively at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre on Tuesday While Chaudhary 28 was thinking about getting a better government job Rani 31 was battling depression that had built up due to her poor performances through the yearldquoThe only thing on my mind was that I want to join the Uttar Pradesh Police as DSP Deputy Superintendent in my home state If you win a gold medal UP Police directly employ you as a DSPrdquo Chaudhary who clocked 151475 for the gold and crucially overtook Japanrsquos Ririka Hironaka 151534 in the last 20 metres of a thrilling finish said immediately after her race Just 24 hours earlier Chaudhary won silver in the 3000m steeplechase ldquoI was so tired after yesterdayrsquos steeplechase that I couldnrsquot sleep last night I slept for just three hours and all the while I was thinking that I want to make up for that second place by winning the gold medal in this onerdquo added Chaudhary currently employed with the Indian Railways as a Ticket ExaminerI was depressed RaniJavelin star Rani revealed that she contemplated giving up the sport ldquoI was depressed because this whole year I had not done well The Indian government is spending so much on us athletes so you feel guilty when you cannot repay their faith with medals I had even thought of quitting but somehow I continued Coming here I said to myself that since itrsquos the last event of the season and I had anyway not done well I have nothing to lose so letrsquos give it my allrdquo said Rani who began with a poor throw of 5699m before registering a gold medalwinning throw of 6292m in her fourth attempt to become the first Indian woman to win top spot in this event at the AsiadAlso Read Asian Games 2023 Indias ParulPriti bag silver and bronze in 3000m steeplechaseTeam India won four more medals on the track besides the double gold show on the day Tejaswin Shankar 7666 points clinched a historic first decathlon medal for the country since 1974 while Mohammad Afsal 27 won the 800m silver clocking 14843 Menrsquos triple jumper Praveen Chitraveli 22 leapt 1668m to win bronze while middledistance runner Vithya Ramraj 5568 seconds also clinched the bronze in the womenrsquos 400m hurdlesShankar was more relieved than anything else to win this medal as he has switched to decathlon only recently from being a high jumper previously ldquoI moved to the decathlon but did not have any significant achievement to be an advocate for the sport in the country Now that I have this I can talk about the sport more freelyrdquo said Shankar 24 with a smileRamraj delightedRamraj 25 meanwhile was happier with herself for equalling the legendary PT Usharsquos 39yearold national record of 5542s during her qualification round for the 400m hurdles final 24 hours earlier ldquoHer name PT Usha was there on that record but now we are equal Irsquom happyrdquo said Ramraj adding that she is yet to receive a congratulatory call or message from Usha the current president of the Indian Olympic Association ldquoI havenrsquot met her Usha yet I havenrsquot got any message from her eitherrdquo added Ramraj