Maharashtra Retains Khelo India Youth Games Champions Trophy

Guwahati, Jan 22 (PTI) Maharashtra retained Khelo India Youth Games champions trophy with a rich collection of 256 medals, including 78 gold, leaving Haryana to draw consolation from their 200-medal haul as the celebration of sports for the nation's youth came to a close here on Wednesday.

Swimmer Kareena Shankta won her second individual gold medal while leading a Maharashtra sweep of the podium in the girls U-17 200m breaststroke event that saw them scoop 46 medals from the pool, including 18 gold that left Haryana in their wake.

Maharashtra's other gold medals on Wednesday came from the tennis court where Snehal Mane and Mihita Yadav rallied from the first set deficit to beat Telangana's top-seeds Sravya Chilkapudi and Sama Sathwika 3-6, 6-3, 10-7 and from the women's Under-21 weightlifter Snehal Sukumar Bhongale.

After 13 days of intense competition, Maharashtra won its second Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) trophy in a row by grabbing 78 gold, 77 silver and 101 bronze medals.

Through the day, Maharashtra kept an eye on Haryana's surge. Expectedly, their rivals enjoyed a productive day, winning 10 gold medals through both their girls football teams, boxers and the U-17 tennis boys doubles pair.

But with four Haryana boxers losing in the finals, the fight for the top place was as good as over before the action shifted to the swimming pool.

It was there that Karnataka added four gold to those won by boxer Nishant Dev and rising tennis star Reshma Maruri to leapfrog over Uttar Pradesh in the medal charts to the fourth place behind Maharashtra, Haryana and Delhi.

Srihari Nataraj won the 100m backstroke and 100m freestyle gold medals to take his medal collection in the Games to five gold and three silvers.

With eight medals to show for his efforts, Srihari Nataraj shared the limelight with fellow-swimmer Shivangi Sarma (Assam) who won five gold and two silver to emerge the most successful girl in the Khelo India Youth Games.

Karnataka pocketed 21 of their 32 gold from the pool.

Haryana's domination of the boxing ring was absolute, claiming a massive 47 medals, including 15 gold and 14 silver.

A measure of their superiority can be seen from the fact that their closest rivals, Maharashtra, secured 19 medals, including six gold, a few of which were won by boxers from the North-East who are training at the Army Sports Institute in Pune.

Puducherry and Ladakh made it to the medal charts on the final day. For Puducherry, their women's U-21 over 87kg class weightlifter secured a bronze behind Snehal Sukumar Bhongale and Swati Yadav (Uttar Pradesh).

For Ladakh, making their debut in the Khelo India Games, Fahana Eliyas secured a bronze in the 69kg women's U-21 competition.

It meant that as many 33 contingents from across the country went back home with at least a medal.

The home state had much to cheer about ahead of the emotional closing ceremony, having won 20 gold and 22 silver in a total of 76 medals to be seventh overall.

West Bengal, Gujarat and Punjab completed the list of top 10 states on the medals table.

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