By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 8 Feb: The 38th National Games witnessed an electrifying Day 12 as athletics events took centre stage, delivering thrilling performances in sprints, jumps, and throws. With every second and every centimetre making a difference, top athletes from across the country battled for glory. At the same time, Uttarakhand has improved its position in the National Games reaching Sixth position in medals tally with 57 medals so far. Of the total number of medals won by Uttarakhand, 13 are Gold medals, 21 are silver and the balance 23 are Bronze. It is the best ever performance of Uttarakhand in national games so far.
In Athletics, in the men’s 100m final, Odisha’s Animesh Kujur sprinted to gold with a remarkable time of 10.28 seconds. Maharashtra’s Pranav Gurav claimed silver in 10.32 seconds, while Assam’s Amlan Borgohain secured bronze with 10.43 seconds. The women’s 100m final saw Maharashtra’s Sudeshna Shivanka dominate the race, clocking 11.76 seconds to take gold. Telangana’s Nitya Gandhe followed closely for silver in 11.79 seconds, while Tamil Nadu’s Giridharani R. earned bronze with 11.88 seconds.
Haryana’s Seema displayed sheer power in the women’s discus throw (1.00 kg), securing gold with an impressive 52.70m attempt. Delhi’s Bhavna Yadav took silver with a 51.82m throw, while Punjab’s Amanat Kamboj claimed bronze at 49.94m.
Tamil Nadu’s Pavithra Venkatesh soared to victory in the women’s pole vault, clearing 3.95m for gold. Her state-mate Baranika Ilangov took silver with a 3.90m vault, while Kerala’s Maria Jason matched the height to claim bronze.
The men’s long jump featured a gripping contest as Uttar Pradesh’s Shahnawaz Khan leaped 7.70m to clinch gold. Tamil Nadu’s Sriram V. secured silver with a 7.59m jump, while Kerala’s Anurag C.V. earned bronze with 7.56m.
The men’s discus throw (2.00 kg) turned into an intense showdown, with Services’ Gagandeep Singh emerging victorious at 55.01m. Haryana’s Nirbhay Singh threw 54.07m for silver, while Kerala’s Alex P. Thankachan secured bronze with a 52.79m attempt.
Delhi’s Chanda dominated the women’s 1500m final, claiming gold with a time of 4:17.74. Madhya Pradesh’s Deeksha clocked 4:21.92 for silver, while Punjab’s Amandeep Kaur rounded out the podium with bronze in 4:22.75. The men’s 1500m final saw Services’ Yunus Shah take gold in 3:46.48, followed by Madhya Pradesh’s Ritesh Ohare (3:46.64) for silver, and Uttarakhand’s Ram Singh (3:50.24) for bronze.
The day also featured five events of the decathlon—100m, long jump, shot put (7.260 kg), high jump, and 400m—along with the first rounds of the men’s and women’s 400m races.
With more action-packed competitions ahead, the athletics events at the National Games promise high-stakes battles and outstanding performances in the coming days.
