It was raining medals last week for Oriya sportspersons owing to brilliant performances in national and international sporting events. Sports lovers in the state had plenty of reasons to cheer. The victories overshadowed the loss in some circuits.
Bowled out
The CK Nayudu Trophy match between Orissa and Bengal concluded on Monday at the Ravenshaw University Ground. Bengal won the match by an innings and four runs. The team for the match against Karnataka, which will be played from October 21 in Bangalore, has been announced. Bowler Basant Mohanty has been awarded the Shahid Sporting-Maruti estate cricketer of the year award, which was announced on Monday. Mohanty claimed 21 wickets in the last Ranji season. He had won the award earlier in 2008-09.
Oriya power
Oriya weightlifters made the country proud by winning gold medals at the Youth Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship held in Cape Town, South Africa. Minati Das from Berhampur bagged three gold medals in the 44kg category while Koraput girls Pramila Kirsani and Subhasmita Mohanty claimed gold in the 53kg and 63kg categories respectively. Subhasmita won two gold medals while Pramila bagged one in the event. Achyutananda Sahoo from Kendrapada also won a gold. Oriya powerlifters won six medals at the National Open (unequipped) Powerlifting and Benchpress Championship. The event, which was held at Jamshedpur, concluded on October 16. In the benchpress segment, Sakti Ranjan Barik won gold in the 66kg category. Sangita Singh and Mandakini Mohanta won silver and bronze respectively. The duo also clinched silver and bronze in the powerlifting competition. Pradeep Kumar Patra won a silver medal in the 59kg category. Orissa stood third in the women’s team championship.
Title loss
Orissa emerged runners-up in the National Gateball Championship that concluded in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. The state team could not defend their title of last year’s victory by losing to Chandigarh in the finals.
Badminton
Orissa State Badminton Association has organised a state-level badminton championship at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack in the following categories — U-13, U-15 and U-17. The three-day event began on Monday and has both singles and doubles segments for men and women. The performances of the shuttlers will be considered during selection of the Orissa squad for the national U-13 and U-15 championship to be held in New Delhi in December.
Hockey Down Under
The national hockey men’s and women’s teams are on a tour Down Under to play a Test and nine-a-side matches against the host nation. The women’s hockey series began from October 12 and features two players from the state — Mukta Prava Barla and Rosalin Dung Dung. The men’s series began on Monday with Orissa boy Ignace Tirkey being the Indian team’s vice-captain. Defender Manjit Kullu from Orissa has also been also included in the team.
Tennis talents
School students from the state put up a brilliant performance in tennis at the Kendriya Vidyalaya National Sports Meet in New Delhi. The three-member girls’ squad from the Bhubaneswar region won three medals at the national meet. Komal Vishakha and Shreya Sahoo won the doubles’ event. Komal also won a bronze in the U-14 singles’ category. Abhilipsa Rath bagged a silver in the under-17 singles category. Komal and Abhilipsa qualified for the SGFI National School Games to be held in Delhi with their performance.
Chess crown
Oriya Woman Grand Master Padmini Rout grabbed her second International Master norm at the National Premier Chess championship on in Aurangabad on Sunday by defeating Grand Master B Adhiban. She won her first IM norm last month at the Mayor’s Cup in Mumbai. Also, Oriya International Master Anwesh Upadhyaya defeated WATS Gunasinghe in the final round of the 2nd Buddhi International Chess Tournament held in Sri Lanka while Ayush Patnaik from Orissa stood second in the U-10 category in the event.
Football
Bowled out
The CK Nayudu Trophy match between Orissa and Bengal concluded on Monday at the Ravenshaw University Ground. Bengal won the match by an innings and four runs. The team for the match against Karnataka, which will be played from October 21 in Bangalore, has been announced. Bowler Basant Mohanty has been awarded the Shahid Sporting-Maruti estate cricketer of the year award, which was announced on Monday. Mohanty claimed 21 wickets in the last Ranji season. He had won the award earlier in 2008-09.
Oriya power
Oriya weightlifters made the country proud by winning gold medals at the Youth Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship held in Cape Town, South Africa. Minati Das from Berhampur bagged three gold medals in the 44kg category while Koraput girls Pramila Kirsani and Subhasmita Mohanty claimed gold in the 53kg and 63kg categories respectively. Subhasmita won two gold medals while Pramila bagged one in the event. Achyutananda Sahoo from Kendrapada also won a gold. Oriya powerlifters won six medals at the National Open (unequipped) Powerlifting and Benchpress Championship. The event, which was held at Jamshedpur, concluded on October 16. In the benchpress segment, Sakti Ranjan Barik won gold in the 66kg category. Sangita Singh and Mandakini Mohanta won silver and bronze respectively. The duo also clinched silver and bronze in the powerlifting competition. Pradeep Kumar Patra won a silver medal in the 59kg category. Orissa stood third in the women’s team championship.
Title loss
Orissa emerged runners-up in the National Gateball Championship that concluded in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. The state team could not defend their title of last year’s victory by losing to Chandigarh in the finals.
Badminton
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Hockey Down Under
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Tennis talents
School students from the state put up a brilliant performance in tennis at the Kendriya Vidyalaya National Sports Meet in New Delhi. The three-member girls’ squad from the Bhubaneswar region won three medals at the national meet. Komal Vishakha and Shreya Sahoo won the doubles’ event. Komal also won a bronze in the U-14 singles’ category. Abhilipsa Rath bagged a silver in the under-17 singles category. Komal and Abhilipsa qualified for the SGFI National School Games to be held in Delhi with their performance.
Chess crown
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Football
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Bhubaneswar Football League is on at Unit-I High School Ground in the capital. In the super league games, Kishore Club defeated KIIT University 4-0 in a Group E match held on Saturday. The Sunday match played between Yazdani Club 73 and Sangharsh Sporting ended in a goalless draw.
Masters of the art
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The Orissa karate team, which won eight medals at the Shitoryu International Karate Championship held in Goa, returned to Bhubaneswar on Monday. The 12-member squad clinched four gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the event that was held from October 9 to 13.
