Khelo India 2019: Haryana’s eight gold haul helps them overtake Delhi in Medal Tally; Maharashtra stay on top, touch 200 medals

Pune, January 18: Haryana made the big move on Friday with two more days to go in the Khelo India Youth Games, as hosts Maharashtra touched a new milestone of 200 medals.

Haryana, who topped the medals tally at last year’s Khelo India School Games, bagged an incredible eight gold medals along with eight silver and 15 bronze. Then they added two more from the three Kabaddi finals they featured in to take their gold haul for the day to 10 and a total of 48. That helped them move ahead of Delhi, who were pushed to third at 47 gold.

Maharashtra, who also had a good day with eight gold medals, five from boxing, two from tennis and one from table tennis, moved from 68 to 76 gold. Maharashtra with 76 gold, 57 silver and 67 bronze also reached 200 medals.

Haryana with 48 gold, 45 silver and 54 bronze have 147 and Delhi with 47 gold, 33 silver and 47 bronze have 127 medals.

The day saw 20 gold in boxing, four in tennis, four in Kabaddi and two in table tennis being decided and it was Haryana’s big day as grabbed eight gold.

As Haryana won 10 gold, Maharashtra took eight and Madhya Pradesh won three.

While Haryana displaced Delhi from second, Gujarat moved up from tenth to ninth on the strength of their tennis singles gold from Dev Javia.

Haryana boxers go all out with eight gold, Maharashtra win five

Haryana’s favourites Ankit Narwal (Boys Under-17, 52kg), Vanshaj (Boys Under-17, 57kg) and Preeti Dahiya (Girls Under-17, 60kg) were comfortable winners as they led the Haryana surge.

Manipur’s two young girls, Noarem Baby Chanu (Girls Under-17, 52kg) and Hu Ambeshori Devi (Girls Under-17, 57kg) picked gold medals and their team had two other silver medals besides three bronze medals.

Maharashtra also had a profitable day from the boxing hall. Nicknamed the ‘Dancing-boxing’ girls of Maharashtra – Devika Ghorpade and Mitika Gunele, who both have a great interest in dancing too, won a gold medal each in their respective categories.

Devika Ghorpade (Girls Under-17, 46kg and Mitika Gunele (Girls Under-17, 66kg) duly won two of their five gold. Yaiphaba Meitei, who originally hails from Manipur, but is representing Maharashtra, also added to the gold tally.

Devika overcame fever while winning her bouts against Haryana’s Tamanna, andMitika, who was gold medallist in KISG last year, defended her title in the 66kg class. She beat Muskan from Haryana.

MP’s Mahak and Gujarat’s Dev win tennis singles gold

In tennis, Madhya Pradesh’s Mahak Jain won the Girls Under-21 gold medal beating Maharashtra’s Mihika Yadav 6-4, 6-1, while Dev Javia of Gujarat powered past Aryaan Bhatia of Maharastra 7-5, 6-3 to win the Boys U-17 singles gold medal.

Maharashtra won the gold in both doubles contested on Friday. Host state’s Armaan Bhatia and Dhruv Sunish won the Boys-Under 21 doubles beating Ishaque Eqbal and Nitin Sinha of West Bengal. The win gave Dhruv a chance to do a double as he plays the singles final on Saturday. Maharashtra’s Prerna Vichare will have a chance for a golden double after winning U-17 doubles final, teaming with Gargi Pawar.

Haryana win two gold in Kabaddi

In Kabaddi, Haryana won two of three finals they played. Haryana beat Chattisgarh in the Girls under-17 final and then their Boys Under-17 team beat Rajasthan for a second gold. However, Himachal Pradesh stopped the Haryana juggernaut beating them in the Girls under-21 final. Haryana in a major surprise had failed to make the Boys Under-21 semi-final but they compensated by winning two gold and one silver in the other three sections.

Maharashtra and MP take one gold each in Table tennis

Maharashtra reaped another gold from Chinmaya Somaiya, who won the Boys Under-17 singles gold beating Delhi’s Yashansh Malik, while MP’s Anusha Kutumble beat Chitale Diya Parag from Maharashtra in Girls Under-17 singles final.

Two Haryana-Jharkhand finals in hockey

Haryana overpowered Odisha 2-0 to set up a title clash with Jharkhand in the Girls U-21 hockey competition of the Khelo India Youth Games at the National Defence Academy Campus in Khadakvasla on Friday. In the first semi-final, Jharkhand overwhelmed Punjab 3-0.

The U-17 girls section will also see a Haryana-Jharkhand face-off for gold medal on Sunday. The gold medal matches between Haryana and Jharkhand in both Under-17 and Under-21 will be held on Sunday, while the bronze medal play-offs will be held on Saturday, with Odisha meeting Punjab in both Under-17 and Under-21 sections