In discus throw India’s Vikas Gowda already emerged as an Asian champion in Pune last year and clinched the Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow this year. He is leading the continental rankings with 65.62m closely followed by two Iranians Mohammad Samimi (65.46) and Ehsan Hadadi (65.23). Hadadi, the London Olympics silver medalist, has already credited with two back to back gold medals in the Asian Games at Doha (2006) and Guangzhou (2010). He is looking for a ‘hat-trick’ in Incheon and hence promised to provide the tough opposition to the Indian.
Tajikistan’s Dilshod Nazarov looking formidable in hammer throw with his season leading 80.62m. Nazarov had five other 80+ marks to his credit with a personal best of 80.71m recorded last year. In the absence of his Asian record-holder Koji Murofushi of Japan (84.86m in 2003), Nazarov will have an easy task to defend his title in Korea.
Guangzhou winner Yukifumi Murakami (85.96m in 2013) will have to clash with his Japanese teammate Ryohei Arai (85.48m this year) and Uzbekistan’s current Asian champion Ivan Zaytsev (85.03 in 2012) for the top honours in javelin throw. Korean favourite Park Jae-Myong (83.99m in 2004), China’s Zhao Qinggang (83.14m in 2013) and Chinese-Taipei’s Huang Shih-Feng (82.11m in 2013) may pull a surprise or two in this event.
