National Games: Women shower gold on Day I
Jaideep Deogharia, TNN
RANCHI: Women powered Jharkhand to a big first day as competitions opened at the National Games here, bagging six medals that included two gold in taekwondo, two silver in karate and two bronze one each in taekwondo and karate.
To add to the glow, there were some splendid performances on the fields as well, the women crushing Assam 8-0 in their hockey opener while the footballers tamed Haryana 4-2 in Jamshedpur.
The day began big with a bronze being bagged by Priti Kumari in taekwondo’s fin (under 46kg) category followed by successes in karate. Seema grabbed a bronze each in women’s kata single and kumite single in 55-61 kg category. Bimla bagged a silver in the below 45 kg kumite single.
But the best was still to come.Sonam Rajput did one better with the state’s first gold medal, and it came in the welterweight (under 67 kg) category of taekwondo when she defeated Joy Mala Devi of Manipur 4-1. Sonam was trailing 0-1 in the first two rounds but in the final round a kick on the face of the opponent fetched her 3 points.
The gold-winning spree continued in taekwondo with K Srilakshmi in the heavyweight (over 73 kg), defeating her Sikkim counterpart Nilufa Begum in a one-sided match. Srilakshmi gave credit to rigorous practice that the players did before the matches. “We attended four phase camps to groom ourselves,” she said.
Sharing her happiness, Sonam said she was nervous during the first two rounds but was committed to make a comeback. “I had been eyeing a medal in the Asian Games ever since I bagged silver in the Commonwealth Games,” she said adding that a gold in the National Games matters a lot in her sporting career. “In the previous Games in Guwahati I lost to my Manipur counterpart and defeating the Manipur girl this time I felt great,” she said.
The hockey match for women was almost lopsided in which Jharkhand walked over Assam 8-0. Even in men’s hockey, Jharkhand emerged victorious defeating Tamil Nadu 3-1. The first match in football went in favour of the Jharkhand women, who defeated Haryana 4-2.
The day, however, was not so bright for the hosts on the volleyball court. Jharkhand’s men and women lost their debut matches. The men’s team was given a chance to participate in the Games as hosts but the floundered against Tamil Nadu and lost in three straight sets. The women had earned their rights to participate by securing seventh position in the national championships but lost to Kerala in three straight sets.