National Games
National Games: Karnataka dominates medal tally; Narmada breaks national record
Karnataka won two gold medals on Thursday – one each in swimming and men’s road cycling – and a silver in swimming to take its medal tally to 12.
Tamil Nadu’s Narmada Nithin Raju set a new national record in the 10m air rifle to win the gold medal at the 38th National Games in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on Thursday, as Karnataka continued to dominate the medal tally.
Narmada, a former World Cup-winning shooter, beat her more fancied rivals to top the podium. She outwitted the likes of Asian Games medallist Ramita Jindal and Olympian Elavenil Valarivan with an aggregate total of 254.4, which is a national record in the 10m air rifle.
The 23-year-old, however, missed out on the chance of equalling the world record mark by a fraction of a point on her way to gold. The world record in the event is 254.5 points, set by Huang Yuting of China at last year's ISSF World Cup Final in New Delhi.
Narmada broke the national record of Olympian Apurvi Chandela, who set the mark of 252.9, set at the 2019 World Cup in New Delhi.
Maharashtra's Arya Borse (252.5) and Haryana's Ramita (230.4) won the silver and bronze medals in the eight-shooter finale.
This was Narmada's third-biggest career achievement in the event after she had won the 10m air rifle mixed team gold alongside Rudrankksh Patil at the 2023 Cairo World Cup and a bronze at the World Cup in Bhopal the same year.
Meanwhile, 2022 World Championships silver medallist Anish Bhanwala won the gold medal in the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol event as he finished with 31 hits, three ahead of the silver medallist Gurpreet Singh of Services (28 hits) in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol final. Vijayveer Sidhu (Punjab) secured the bronze with 26 hits.
In weightlifting, Chhattisgarh clinched two gold medals. Vijay Kumar won the gold medal in the men's 55kg category with a national record-equalling clean and jerk effort while another Chhattisgarh weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav won the yellow metal in the women's 49kg by lifting 191kg.
Karnataka dominates the medal tally.
Karnataka, meanwhile, continued to lead the medal tally with another strong show in the swimming pool.
Karnataka won two gold medals on Thursday – one each in swimming and men’s road cycling – and a silver in swimming to take its medal tally to 12 medals - 7 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze.
Manipur is not far behind. With 11 medals - 6 gold, 5 silver – after winning a gold medal each in wushu and triathlon, it is standing at the second spot on the medal tally.
Maharashtra, the medal topper from the last edition of the National Games, won the greatest number of medals at 23, including 4 gold, 11 silver, and 8 bronze medals. However, due to its lesser gold medal count, it is placed in the third spot.
