BHUBANESWAR 12-Jun-2012 280
Local favourite Chintan Naik bagged five titles to be adjudged the best swimmer in men`s group, while the related honour in women`s section went to Sambalpur`s Niharika Patel, who collected four gold and one silver medals in the 53rd State Swimming Championship, which concluded at Biju Patnaik Swimming Complex here at Kalinga Stadium today.
Chintan emerged winner in men`s 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 200m individual medley events. Niharika of Sambalpur claimed the top honour in women`s 50m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 200m individual medley events.
Altogether 137 swimmers from Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Boudh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Sundargarh and Odisha Police joined the two-day championship.
Raundi Tudu of Government Sports Hostel (Bhubaneswar) bagged a double by emerging fastest swimmer in both senior and junior women`s categories. Sumit Sahu and Onkar Das emerged fastest in junior and sub-junior boys` groups of the two-day championship.
Top eight finishers in junior boys and girls categories qualified to present the state in the National Junior Swimming Championship to be held at Chennai from July 15. Similarly, top eight finishers in sub-junior group became eligible to compete in the National Sub-Junior Championship to be held at Rajkot from July 1.
State Sports Director Saswat Mishra handed over the trophies at the closing function. Odisha Swimming Association president Durga Sankar Patnaik, secretary Pitambar Jena and senior swimming coach Surendra Naik were present on the occasion.
Individual champions: Men: Chintan Nayak (Bhubaneswar), Boys-I: Saroj Kandulana (Sambalpur), Boys-II: Divyalochan Hati (Sambalpur), Boys-III: Omkar Dash (Bhubaneswar), Boys-IV: Satyam Das Pattnaik (Sundargarh).
Women: Niharika Patel (Sambalpur), Girls-I: Nijarika Patel (Sambalpur), Girls-II: Anju Paradia (Sambalpur), Girls-III: Adyasa Mishra (Bhubaneswar), Girls-IV: Pratyasa Ray (Bhubaneswar).
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PHOTO: Raundi Tudu (Left) and Chintan Naik at the State Swimming Championship in Bhubaneswar on June 12, 2012.
