By Anukriti Srivastava
DEHRADUN, 7 Feb: Day 10 of the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand showcased fierce competition across various sports, with athletes vying for top honors. The highlight of the day was the men’s football final, where the host team Uttarakhand went head-to-head against Kerala in a much-anticipated showdown. In addition to football, there were significant medal events in boxing, archery, lawn ball, shooting, cycling, rowing, taekwondo, and tennis. The day was further energized by the start of netball matches, adding to the excitement.
In boxing, Uttarakhand’s Narender put on an impressive display to win the gold medal in the men’s super heavyweight (92kg) category. Tarun Sharma from Rajasthan fought valiantly but had to settle for silver, while Vishal Kumar of Delhi and Abdullah Jaweed Jabri from Telangana took home the bronze medals. Lakshya Chahar from Services secured gold in the men’s light heavyweight (75-80kg) category, with Uttarakhand’s Himanshu Sonali earning silver. The bronze medals in this category were awarded to Nitish Kumar of Chhattisgarh and Pushpendra Singh of Rajasthan. Another standout moment in the boxing finals was Hitesh Gulia from Services, who excelled in the men’s light middleweight (67-71kg) category to win gold. Abhinav Saika of Assam claimed silver, while Gagan from Delhi and Sahil Chauhan from Haryana each took home bronze medals.
In hockey, the Odisha women’s team put on an outstanding display, achieving a decisive 4-1 victory over Karnataka. The men’s hockey match between Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu was just as exciting, finishing in a hard-fought 1-1 draw.
Cycling events also featured some impressive performances, with Pooja Danole clinching gold in the 30 km Individual Time Trial. Her win contributed to the impressive achievements on Day 10 of the Games.
As several medal rounds wrapped up, the race for the top position in the overall medal tally remained intense. Services moved ahead of Karnataka in the rankings by securing more gold medals, bringing their total to 37 golds and 62 medals overall. Karnataka has also amassed 56 medals so far, including 30 golds.
As the National Games move forward, the excitement keeps growing, with more finals and important matches lined up in the days ahead. Athletes from all over the country are showcasing their best performances, making this edition of the Games truly spectacular.
