BHUBANESWAR 13-Sep-2013 289
Odia Karatekas bagged three gold and one bronze medals in the 26th Senior National Championship that concluded at Talkatora Stadiuim in New Delhi today. Woman international Valena Valentina continued her supremacy with a double, winning both the kata and kumite titles in below 55kg weight category.
Valena, who narrowly missed a bronze medal in the 2010 Gunangzhou Asian Games, beat Madhya Pradesh opponents Sandhya Chandra and Shaba Khan respectively for the double crown. According to Valena`s father Radha Raman Mohanty, she clinched the double for the seventh time.
However, the titles went to Andhra Pradesh as the 25-year-old Bhubaneswar karateka represented the neighbouring state, where she has been pursuing her academic career. The other Odia to claim a gold medal was Dillip Kumar Jena, who achieved it in men`s 55kg fight category.
Punam Baral of Korapur claimed a bronze in cadet women individual kata category. Punam and Dilip were part of the 23-member squad sent by Odisha State Karate-do Association to Delhi.
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PHOTO: Gold medal winning Odia karatekas Valena Valentina (Left) and Dillip Jena.
