By Anukriti Srivastava
DEHRADUN, 8 Feb: The 38th National Games in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, delivered an exhilarating Day 11 as athletes and teams vied for top honors across various sports. With lawn bowls and taekwondo wrapping up their final competitions, the excitement carried on in tennis, handball, netball, gymnastics, and modern pentathlon. The athletics events, showcasing some of India’s finest track and field talents, remained the main highlight of the day.
The athletics events featured several outstanding performances. A standout moment was Sawan Barwal from Himachal Pradesh, who secured gold in the men’s 10,000m race with a personal best of 28:49.93s, establishing a new National Games record.
In the men’s long jump, Shahnavaz Khan from Uttar Pradesh soared to victory, claiming the gold medal. The men’s discus throw was another thrilling event, where Gagandeep Singh from Services took home gold with a throw of 55.01m, followed by Nirbhay Singh of Haryana (silver) and Alex P. Thankachan of Kerala (bronze).
The women’s events were just as competitive. Seema from Haryana earned gold in the women’s discus throw, with Bhavana Yadav (Delhi) and Amanat Kamboj (Punjab) taking silver and bronze, respectively. In the women’s 1500m final, Chanda of Delhi won gold, while Deeksha (Madhya Pradesh) and Amandeep Kaur (Punjab) finished with silver and bronze. Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s Sudeshna Shivankar sprinted to victory in the women’s 100m final, adding another gold to her state’s tally.
The final day of lawn bowls competition brought a historic achievement for Bihar, as they clinched their first-ever gold medal in the National Games. The women’s triple team pulled off a nail-biting 15-14 win against West Bengal, marking a significant milestone for the state.
Jharkhand maintained its stronghold in the event, securing two gold medals—one in the men’s singles and another in the men’s four event. Assam also shone brightly, taking home gold in the women’s pair event, highlighting their impressive performance throughout the tournament.
The Services team continued to lead the overall medal standings, wrapping up the day with a total of 66 medals, which included an impressive 39 golds. Karnataka followed closely in second place with 58 medals, featuring 30 golds.
With athletics, gymnastics, and modern pentathlon in full swing, and top athletes like Animesh Kujur and Vithya Ramraj gearing up to compete, the 38th National Games 2025 is set to deliver even more exciting performances in the days ahead. Fans and sports enthusiasts can look forward to high-intensity action as India’s best athletes vie for glory.
