BHUBANESWAR 14-Feb-2016
A 16-member Odisha squad won one silver and one bronze medals in the KAI Senior National Karate Championship, which was held at Kochi in Kerala on February 14. Dilip Kumar Jena secured the silver in men’s 55kg fight category. He drew his final fight against Services opponent 3-3. But the judges unanimously awarded gold to the Services karateka and silver to Jena.
Anuradha Patra got the bronze in women’s 68kg fight event after lost to Arunachal Pradesh opponent in the semifinals. Odisha would have bagged another medal if last three years’ medallist Anupama Swain had not lost in the fourth round against Arunachal opponent in controversial circumstances.
Odisha suffered another setback defending woman kata champion Valena Valentina made early exit, losing in the second round of individual women kata and first round of 55kg women fight.
ODISHA SQUAD: Valena Valentina, Sindhu Tanaya Khuntia, Anupama Swain, Chinmayee Bhuyan, Anuradha Patra, Rajani Bishi, Sujata Sahoo, Shusumuni Paltasingh, Itishree Nayak, Toofan Badatya, Sagar Palo, Krishna Shikari, Bikash Diga, Krushna Chandra Moharana, Dilip Kumar Jena, Abhishek Patnaik. Coaches: Rajib Kumar Singh, Santosh Moharana; Manager: Deepak Kumar Samantaray.
