Karate fighters clinch gold
Karate champions Valena Valentina and Dillip Kumar Jena clinched gold medals in the National Senior Karate Championship in Goa. Odisha won two gold and one bronze medals at the two-day event held on February 25 and 26. Chinmaya Bhuyan won the bronze in 61kg category. Twenty-five champions from the state took part in the event.
Rowing feat
The Odisha rowing team shined bright at the second Indoor Rowing Championship at Royal Connaught Boat Club in Pune from February 25 to 27. The team that had three women athletes bagged double gold medals in the tournament. Pramila Prava Minz grabbed a gold medal in the Lightweight Rowing Women Individual 2000 metre event and Sanjukta Dung and Manjula Xess won gold medals in the Lightweight Rowing Women’s Pair 2000 metre event. State Rowing Association president Binod Das and secretary Amarjyoti Singh Deo congratulated the team on their success.
Lancers’ win
Odia players Anand Lakra and Nilam Xess, who were part of the Kalinga Lancers team, received a warm welcome here after they returned from the Hockey India League tournament. The team won their maiden title this year. A number of sportspersons from various sports organisations met the players at the airport and congratulated them on their win. Defender Xess, said the league had given him great satisfaction as a player. Lakra said all the players in the team had fought till the last minute to ensure victory.
Cricket for blind
The Cricket Association for the Visually Impaired recently announced a 17-member state squad that will take part in the 16th Sakuntala Mishra National Cricket Tournament scheduled to held at the KD Singh Babu Stadium in Lucknow from March 1 to 5. Pankaj Bhue will lead the team as captain and Sukhram Majhi will join him as vice-captain. Chandrasekhar Patnayak is the team coach.
Sepak event
The state sepak takraw women's team is taking part in the seventh Sepak Takraw Federation Cup, which started on February 28 in Chandigarh. The competition will continue till March 1. The Odisha team that came eighth in the Regue National Championship at Kadappa, qualified for the federation cup. The team includes international players, including Laxmipriya Nayak, Mamuni Mahata, Miharani Biswal, Tulasi Behera and Itishree Samal.
New team
The Odisha Powerlifting Association recently announced a 42-member team, including eight women lifters for the National Powerlifting Championship, to be held in Jammu from March 21 to 24. A selection camp was conducted by senior sportspersons such as Pradip Kumar Patra, Sangita Singh, Lohit Kishore Bala, Hari Prasad Pattnaik and Chhitta Ranjan Swain.
Tennis star
Odisha’s top tennis star Rutuparna Choudhury bagged the Sunfeast AITA Super Series Girls U-16 singles and doubles titles in Calcutta recently. In the singles, she defeated Sanskriti Dhamera of Telangana by 6-4, 6-0. In doubles title clash, Rutuparna partnering Ameek Kiran Batth edged out Sanskriti Dhamera and Aditi Narayan from Andhra Pradesh by 6-4,5-7,14-12 to emerge champions. Winners got 50 AITA (All India Tennis Association) ranking points from the tournament.
Condolence
The Odisha Cricket Association’s working committee on Friday organised a condolence meeting in Cuttack in memory of former Odisha Ranji trophy player Yashpal Mohanty, popularly known as Ben. He passed away on February 23 after being in coma for more than two years. He was 38. Mohanty was best known for his wicket keeping skills. He started his career from Sahid Sporting Club.
