Purva Dixit secures taekwondo gold for India in Lusofonia Games 2014

Indian taekwondo star Purva Dixit (left) after beating Ana Coelho at the 2014 Lusofonia Games

Taekwondo ace Purva Dixit was the saving grace for India in the Lusofonia Games this year after she beat Ana Coelho of Portugal to bag the gold in the below-49 kg women’s category.

The overall performance of the hosts was a disappointment with a solitary gold medal. Sneha Bhat managed only a silver after an unconvincing performance in the finals against Portugal’s Joana Cunha. Six Indians, Aman Kumar, Sarvana Pandia, Anand P, Siraj Khan, Rekha Devi Pukhramba and Dextra Pereira all settled for the bronze.

Aman Kumar had to exit the tournament prematurely after suffering an injury to his right leg in the semi finals in which he trailed by 4 points. The athlete was immediately taken to the Goa Medical Hospital for treatment.

“I have undergone an MRI and feel better now,” said Aman during the medal ceremony.

Pandia on the other hand was fortunate with his qualification into the semifinals after receiving a walkover. However, his showing against Portugal’s Mario Silva was far from impressive as he was thrashed 12-0 in his only fight of the day.

The Portuguese dominated with a stellar showing, securing 4 golds and 4 silvers.