Yashvir Singh’s 85.72m javelin throw snagged India a silver, while Rohit Yadav followed with a 84.35m bronze – the pair’s performances sealed eight medals across athletics, shooting, kurash and boxing.
The javelin final was a rollercoaster: Yashvir launched 83.56m to lead early, then Rohit surged ahead with 84.35m, before Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage spiked 88.55m for gold. Meanwhile, Gulveer Singh added a second silver with a personal best 3:36.72 in the 1500m, and Murali Sreeshankar edged silver in the long jump at 8.07m, despite an injury that halted his final attempts.
Esha Singh fought her way to silver in the women’s 25‑metre pistol, battling through three shoot‑offs before clinching a 38‑hit finish; China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan edged her out in the deciding tie. The bout showcased the razor‑thin margins that separate podium spots.
Pincky Balhara clinched bronze in the women’s –78kg kurash, beating South Korea’s Garam Lim in the quarters before falling 0‑5 to Sumin Mo in the semis. Her medal is a reminder of her 2018 silver and an eight‑year wait for this podium finish.
Three boxers – Lovlina Borgohain, Priya and Kapil Pokhariya – all won their quarterfinals, guaranteeing India at least three more medals. Their wins over South Korea, Tajikistan and another South Korean opponent set the stage for a trove of potential golds.
India remains outside the top ten in the overall tally, but the day’s haul fuels hope ahead of the boxing semis and the hockey showdown with Pakistan. The next chapter is about turning these close calls into victories.