Goa: In yet another success for the state of Odisha at the ongoing 37th edition of the National Games in Goa, the state registered an enviable haul of six medals.
Pranati Nayak, in stellar form, bagged two gold medals in the Women’s Artistic Gymnastic, shining in the Vault and Uneven Bars events while Tapan Mohanty claimed a silver medal in Gymnastics as well.
The Odisha Women’s Rugby team also logged an exceptional gold-medal performance, defeating Bihar in a thrilling final match, 12-7.
Adding to the tally, the Men’s Rugby Team bagged the bronze medal following a victory against West Bengal. In the Weightlifting discipline, Suresh Kumar Yadav finished with the bronze medal.
The day’s result means Pranati Nayak has an enviable haul of three gold medals in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics. Earlier in the week, she registered a gold in the all-round event as well.
Speaking on her performance, Ashok Mishra who leads the Gymnastics contingent for Odisha, said, “She was truly brilliant, it is not easy to consistently perform across different events. She worked very hard and expressed her confidence ahead of the competition, we are proud of her achievements. She has another event to go so we are optimistic about that as well.”
He further added, “we are very pleased with Tapan Mohanty’s silver medal as well.”
The Women’s Rugby team put forth a dominating performance to defeat Bihar, 12-7. Their strong performance is in keeping with the skill they have shown throughout the competition. They paved their path to the finals following a comprehensive 37-0 victory against West Bengal. Following the victory, Head Coach Manas Kumar Jena reiterated the importance of the team’s defensive cohesion and experienced composition towards the team’s performance.
Notably four women from the Odisha squad, Hupi Majhi, Dumuni Marandi, Tarulata Nayak and Mama Nayak represented India in the recently concluded Asian Games in China.
The Men’s Rugby Team defeated West Bengal in a crucial battle for the bronze medal. The team showed remarkable tenacity to bring home the bronze following a razor-thin defeat in the semi-finals at the hands of Maharashtra, 12-14.
Optimistic about the Men’s team’s future prospects, Head Coach Manas Kumar Jena also expressed his gratitude to the Government of Odisha for supporting the Rugby program, he said, “we have received a lot of support that has enabled us to train and prepare for the event. Furthermore, we have a tremendous group of support staff here with us that have allowed us to play to our potential.”
Earlier in the day, in the Weightlifting discipline Suresh Kumar Yadav earned a bronze in the 96 kg category with a total weight of 321 kg, achieved through a snatch of 140 kg and a clean & jerk effort of 181 kg. Meanwhile, Odisha’s Asutosh Pujari, Ganesh Pujari, Rabindra Bhatta progressed to the finals in the Pencak Silat Regu event.
It is noteworthy to mention that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, ahead of the competition had announced cash awards for medalist at the National Games.
As per the mandate, gold medalists will be awarded Rs 5 lakh, silver medalists will receive Rs 3 lakh and bronze medalists will be recognized with Rs 2 lakh.
