Ancy Sojan was praying. As China’s Yingying Huang prepared for her final jump in the women’s long jump, the Indian was hoping that the gold medal she had been in a position to clinch for much of the competition would remain hers.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, don’t let me down’,” she prayed. But Huang’s jump travelled 6.55m, 2cm farther than Ancy’s best of 6.53m and the Indian was left with silver. “There is a little bit of heartbreak for the two centimetres. Disappointed that the gold slipped out of my hand,” Ancy said.

India’s athletes had several chances to win gold medals at the Asian Games.

Ancy Sojan was leading the women’s long jump for much of the event.

But China’s Yingying Huang jumped two centimetres farther on her last attempt.

Shaili Singh also came close but finished fourth.

Tejaswin Shankar won a bronze medal in the decathlon, though he believed he could have finished higher.

Sarvesh Kushare won silver in the high jump after missing an important height.

These results left India still waiting for its first athletics gold medal at the Games.

India had four gold medals overall, compared with China’s 119 at that point.

• Ancy Sojan lost women’s long-jump gold to China’s Yingying Huang by two centimetres, settling for silver.

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  Shaili Singh finished fourth in the long jump after China’s Mengyi Tan moved into bronze position with her final jump.

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  Tejaswin Shankar won decathlon bronze but said he had missed an opportunity for gold or silver.

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  Sarvesh Kushare also took silver in the high jump after failing to clear the 2.28-metre height needed to challenge for gold.

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  India’s athletics team remained without a gold medal, while the country’s overall tally stood at four golds, 16 silvers and 17 bronzes.