KOCHI:Consistency is one word Neena V Pinto is associated with. A regular achiever on the national and international stages over the past few years, the 27-year-old long jumper continued the trend on Monday as she struck silver in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
At the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Neena leaped a season best 6.51 metres to finish second behind Vietnam’s Bui Thi Thu Thao who took the yellow metal with an attempt of 6.55 metres. “I had expected a tough competition coming to Jakarta and that was indeed the case,” Neena told Express. “It’s a little disappointing not to have won gold, especially because I didn’t get my foot anywhere near the board for the first three attempts. But I am content with and proud of winning silver for the country,” said the Kozhikode-born athlete boasting a personal best of 6.66 m, set in Bengaluru in 2016.
The other Malayalee in the event, 22-year-old Nayana James disappointed, finishing 10th with a jump of 6.14 m. In the women’s 400 m hurdles, Anu Raghavan finished fourth while national record holder Jinson Johnson qualified for the men’s 800 m final.