Asian Games: Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman fall prey to fake news of Jyothi Yarraji winning gold

It is proving to be a great Asian Games for the Indian contingent in China. Social media is full with images and videos of Indian athletes collecting medals and scripting history in Hangzhou. Amidst all this, Tuesday witnessed a flurry of activity on social media as renowned figures, including singer Asha Bhosle and former India cricketers Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman, wanted to race ahead and be the first to celebrate hurdler Jyothi Yarraji’s feat. Several verified Twitter accounts also enthusiastically joined the celebration, recognising Yarraji’s outstanding achievement. Gambhir wrote: “This gold medal is true testament that dreams come true irrespective of circumstances. Way to go Jyothi Yaraaji.” https://twitter.com/GautamGambhir/status/1706578520795922792 However, in a bid to relevant on social media, these celebrities jumped the gun by a few days. Yarraji will first be seen in the heats for the women’s 100m hurdles on 30 September (6.45 am IST) while the final will take place on 1 October (6.45 pm). The official Reliance Foundation Youth Sports account had to issue a clarification as they looked to dispel the fake information. They tweeted: “We know Jyothi Yarraji is fast but she’s still on her way to Hangzhou for the Asian Games and will be competing on 30th Sep. The clip that has been circulating is from her Gold Medal winning race at the Asian Athletics Championships in Thailand in July. We’re sure she’ll be delighted with all the wishes and we encourage you to join us in manifesting another medal-winning performance at the Asian Games soon!” https://twitter.com/RFYouthSports/status/1706585424490312039 Earlier in the day, legendary singer Asha Bhosle fell into the trap of not verifying content before sharing. She congratulated the athlete from Andhra Pradesh, hailing her for clinching gold in the 100-meter hurdles at the Asian Games when her event has not yet started. **Asian Games 2023: Updated medal table** In a separate event, Indian equestrian team made history at the Asian Games 2023. In the Team Dressage event, India bagged gold — the country’s first in the sport since 1982. With this recent result, India’s medals tally is now 14 (three gold, four silver and seven bronze).