India’s men’s 4x400m relay team ended the country’s athletics campaign in the 2018 Asian Games on a high as Arokia Rajiv managed to stave off a challenge from Japan’s Shota IIzuka in the final leg to clinch the silver medal in Jakarta on Thursday.
National record holder Muhammed Anas brought India back into the medal contention with a blazing run in the third leg, pulling ahead from the fourth position to second, and Rajiv maintained the momentum to cross the line at 3:01.85 seconds.
Qatar took the gold with an Asian record of 3:00.56 while Japan took the bronze with a timing of 3:01.94 seconds.
India didn’t have a strong start to their race with Muhammed Kunhu lagging behind Qatar, Japan and Sri Lanka. Hurdler Ayyasamy Dharun managed to reduced the gap in the second leg and 400m silver medallist Anas then surged ahead in the first 200 metres of the third leg to bring India in medal contention.
With the silver medal, India finished with 7 gold, 10 silver and 2 bronze from track and field making it the second best athletics performance since the 10 gold in the inaugural edition in 1951.