Pune University consolidate with three more gold as rivals draw blank

Bhubaneswar, February 27: Savitribai Phule Pune University tightened their grip on the top place in the medal tally at the inaugural Khelo India University Games 2020 by claiming a clutch of gold medals in weightlifting through Mahesh Datta Asawale and Prajkta Ravindra Khalkar and in wrestling through Jyotiba Bajrang Atkale on Thursday.

With gold eluding Panjab University (Chandigarh) and Jain University (Bengaluru), they have remained on 8 each. The Pune University, though, have 13 gold medals to surge ahead. Guru Nanak Dev University (Amritsar) and University of Mumbai complete the top five on the charts.

Mahesh Asawale, who won the All-India Inter-University Championships in Mohali last December with total lifts of 258kg, showed an improvement here. He lifted 123kg in Snatch and 143 in Clean & Jerk for a total of 266kg. Having returned to the sport in September after a year-long suspension after a dope rule violation, he celebrated in some style.

In the absence of Simranjeet Singh (Chandigarh University) and Hanuman Sagar (Gulbarga University), neither of whom was entered in the competition, Juturi Koteswara Rao (Krishna University) and Mithlesh Sonkar (Hemchand Yadav University) claimed the other podium spots with total lifts of 243kg and 238kg respectively.

Manoja Kumar Sahu (Berhampur University), a silver medal winner in the boys Under-21 73kg class in the Khelo India Youth Games in Guwahati last month, also improved on his own mark. He had a total of 267kg here, compared to 264kg there, to claim the gold ahead of Manish Kumar (Panjab University) and Lovepreet Singh (Punjabi University).

Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior, opened their account with a gold medal from their 90kg class judoka, Kuldeep Singh. Similarly, Gujarat University also made it to the list of universities with gold when Samir Pathan emerged winner in the men’s 81kg class. They joined 30 other Universities with at least one gold medal.

With India women’s rugby captain Vahbiz Bharucha donning the mantle of the on-field medic, host university Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology’s men and women’s teams, backed by a goodly crowd, sailed into the semifinals with facile victories over Panjab University 19-5 and Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari University, Jalgaon, 55-0.

Shivaji University and Chandigarh University men as well as Pataliputra University and Lovely Professional University’s women showed they can put up a good show with decent wins in their respective quarterfinals.

The results (all finals):

Judo

Men

81kg class: Samir Pathan (Gujarat University) beat Divyanshu Puri (University of Rajasthan); Bronze medals: Harshpreet Singh (Punjabi University, Patiala) and Harshal Suresh (Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Marathwada).

90kg class: Kuldeep Singh (Laxmibai National Institute of Physical Education) beat Sadashiv Salunke (Savitribai Phule Pune University); Bronze medals: Gaurav Tokas (Delhi University) and Parveen Saklani (HNB Garhwal Central University).

Women:

63kg class: Inunganbi Takhellambam (Manipur University) beat A. Akhila (Mahatma Gandhi University); Bronze medals: Suman (Punjabi University) and Preeti (Maharshi Dayanand University).

70kg class: Ritu (Maharashi Dayanand University) beat Arti Khatri (Delhi University); Bronze medals: Shreyansi Jitendrapuru Gauswami (Sardar Patel University) and Hema Gopal Maliya (Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University).

Weightlifting:

Men

67kg class: 1. Mahesh Datta Asawale (Savitribai Phule Pune University) 266kg (Snatch 123kg, Clean & Jerk 143kg); 2. Juturi Koteswara Rao (Krishna University) 243 (105, 138); 3. Mithlesh Sonkar (Hemchand Yadav University) 238 (103, 135).

73kg class: 1. Manoja Kumar Sahu (Berhampur University) 267kg (115, 152); 2, Manish Kumar (Panjab University) 253 (114, 139); 3. Lovepreet Singh (Punjabi University) 253 (113, 140).

Women

59kg class: 1. Yumnan Khomdonbi Chanu (Lovely Professional University, Phagwara) 175kg (75, 100); 2. Sneha (Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak) 160 (69, 91); 3. Vennala Dhanalaxmi (Acharya Nagarjuna University) 155 (70, 85).

64kg class: 1. Prajkta Ravindra Khalkar (Savitribai Phule Pune University) 185kg (84, 101); 2. Shivani Sanjay More (University of Mumbai) 167 (73, 94); 3. Komal Khan (Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut) 164 (74, 90).

Wrestling

Men

Freestyle

57kg class: 1. Jyotiba Bajrang Atkale (Savitribai Phule Pune University); 2. Pradeep (Desh Bhagat University, Mandi Gobindgarh); 3. Govind Baban Kapate (Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University).

70kg class: 1. Vishal (Maharashi Dayanand University); 2. Sanjeet (Dr. BR Ambedkar University, Agra); 3. Aftab Alam (Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi).

79kg class: 1. Rahul Rathi (Raj Rishi Bhartrihari Matsya University); 2. Yudhveer (Dr. B R Ambedkar University, Agra); 3. Sahil (Punjabi University, Patiala);

92kg class: 1. Ajay (Maharshi Dayanand University); 2. Krishan Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University, Rohtak); 3. Gurmanvir Singh Shera (Sant Baba Bhag Singh University, Jalandhar).

Greco-Roman

63kg class: Honey Pal (Sant Baba Bhag Singh University) beat Pankaj Mahadev Pawar (Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Vishnupuri); Bronze medals: Kejesh Yadav (Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya,) and Anil (Maharshi Dayanand University).

Women

55kg class: 1. Rani (Lovely Professional University, Phagwara); 2. Jeevika (Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar); 3. Mansi (Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University, Rohtak).

65kg class: 1. Shafali (Maharashi Dayanand University); 2. Preeti (Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar); 3. Bhateri (Chaudhary Bansi Lal University, Bhiwani).