By Mohammad Suhail Abbasi
DEHRADUN, 31 Jan: Uttarakhand has made a strong start in the ongoing National Games, securing 9 medals so far and showing great promise for more in the 38th National Games. The state has already added two medals to its Wushu team.
So far, Uttarakhand has won one gold and two silver medals in Wushu. The state is also expected to earn medals in other sports, including badminton, beach handball, Yogasana, and boxing, which commence today.
Karnataka’s dominance in the National Games medal tally is evident, leading with a total of 12 medals, including seven golds. Jharkhand follows with 11 medals, including six golds, while Maharashtra is in third place with 23 medals, including four golds.
In contrast, Jharkhand and Bihar have had the poorest performances, each securing only one bronze medal. In the 10-metre air rifle event at the Trishul Shooting Range, Maharashtra’s athletes excelled, with Rakesh Mane winning gold with 252.6 points and Rudraksh Mane taking silver with 252.1 points. Kervaksh Kiran Yadav secured the bronze with 230.7 points.
In weightlifting, Bindiya Rani Devi of Manipur set a new national record in the 55kg women’s snatch category by lifting 88kg, surpassing Mirabai Chanu’s previous record of 86kg.
Two national records were also broken on Thursday. Telangana’s Nagaland won gold in the women’s 10-metre air rifle event with a new national record of 254.4 points, missing the world record by just 0.1 points. Kushagra Rawat of Delhi broke his own national record in the 1500 meters, setting a new time of 15:37:39 minutes.
Uttarakhand achieved its first golden success in sports, partly due to players who were previously representing other states but have now joined Uttarakhand’s national team thanks to the state’s improved sports policy.
A notable athlete is Ankur Goyal, an international-level shooter ranked fourth in India. According to Para Olympic coach and Dronacharya awardee Subhash Rana, Ankur previously played for Uttar Pradesh but returned to Uttarakhand after the state’s sports policy was amended.
Uttarakhand Olympic Association General Secretary Dr. DK Singh shared that Rajat and Anurag, both from Uttarakhand, are now representing the state in volleyball. Anurag plays for Delhi and Rajat for Railways. The government’s recruitment efforts are attracting high-ranking servicemen, leading to the return of athletes like Ankur Goyal. Other national-level players are also contacting for selection in the state team.
