State lead in Games medal race
Source: The Sangai Express / M Romen

Imphal, February 15 2011: Manipur raced to the top of the medals tally in the ongoing 34th National Games being held at here with the addition of 19 medals, including nine gold, on the 4th day today.

Like in the past three days of the Games, wushu competition provided maximum number of medals with the State athletes grabbing six of the yellow metal, four silver and three bronze medals.

Two of the day's gold medals were won by rowers while K Nanao Devi won a silver medal in women's 53 kg class taekwondo competition.

With a total 17 gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze medals in its kitty Manipur have re-established its status as the sports powerhouse of the country.

Gold medal winners in wushu competition included Y Sanathoi Devi (48 kg Sanshou women); th Binapani (60 kg Sanshou women); N Roshan, Ng Indrakumar & H Omega (duel men); Ng A Toshibala, Y Sapna & A Sanathoi (duel women); Ng A Toshibala (Gunshu women); N Roshan (Qiangshu women); and Y Sapna Devi (Qiangshu women) .

In rowing competition, Ch Priya Devi claimed the 1500 metres women's single scull gold and secured the second gold in women's doubles scull over the same distance along with Th Chaoba.

The silver medallists are Yahiya Khan (men's 85 kg Sanshou); N Niroda (women's 45 kg Sanshou); K Kalangalu (women's 52 kg Sanshou); Ph Thoibi Devi (women's Qiangshu); and Ng Tababi & O Rameshwori (1500 mtrs women's coxless pair) .

State's wushu players and officials pose at the end of the competition in the National Games

Ph Beishnop Meitei (52 kg men's Sanshou); Ch Herojit Singh (75 kg men's Sanshou); H Gangapati (70 kg women's Sanshou); Ng Tababi, O Rameshwori, Kh debala & S Zingranphy (1500 metres women's coxless four) secured the bronze medals.

football: A day after being suspended, women's football matches kicked off at the 34th National Games with Manipur humiliating Tripura 24-0 in a Group "B" match at the JRD Tata Sports complex on Tuesday.

Tripura, who got a last moment entry into the Games, was no match for last edition's runners-up Manipur, who dominated the proceedings during the entire 80 minutes' play.

Manipur surged ahead through Ph Beena Devi's second minute goal into the match.

Altogether Beena Devi banged in six and S Reena-roy Devi scored five goals while Mandakini Devi sent down four among other scorers.

Earlier, the women's football matches, which were suspended over the entry of Tripura team, resumed on Tuesday after the All India Football Federation gave a green to Tripura's entry "in the larger interest of sports".Taekwondo: The Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) won three gold medals while Madhya Pradesh bagged two out of a total eight yellow metals that were decided in the Taekwondo men and women's events of the Games at the Khelgaon on Monday.

M Oken Meitei, A Naobi Singh and Ibrahim Khan overcame strong resistance from Goa's Chandan Lakra, Manipal Singh of MP and Haryana's Navjeet Maan in the under-68, under-74 and under-87 men's bouts respectively.

Arjun Ravat (men's under-58) of Madhya Pradesh overpowered a strong challenge from another SSCB's A Pradeep Singh to give his team its first gold medal of the event, before compatriot Shalu Raikwar won the women's U-73 bout against Karnataka's B Varsha.

Manipur's Y Shantibala Devi won the U-57 kg final against Aarti Khakal of Madhya Pradesh, giving her team its first yellow metal.