BHUBANESWAR 18-Mar-2017
Jharkhand asserted supremacy on the opening day of the 37th Sub-junior National Archery Championship, bagging two gold, one silver and three bronze medals in Indian Round here at Kalinga Stadium today.
Haryana archers also experienced a fruitful day, capturing two gold medals. Haryana lad Rahul and Jharkhand lass Dipti Kumari shared the individual glory of the day, winning two gold medals each.
Host Odisha opened their medal collection with a bronze, which was grabbed by SAI Sundargarh trainee Rajesh Durua in boys’ 20 metre event. Services, Chhattisgarh and Manipur also tasted success in the day, picking up one medal apiece.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik formally inaugurated the four-day championship, which has attracted a total of 440 competitors from across the country. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Ministers announced that the State government was going to open a new sports hostel next month in Malkangiri with archery as a discipline.
The State government has promoted archery from category B to A in the recognized list of sports disciplines and more efforts would be taken for further development of the sport in the state,’’ said the Chief Minister, who also handed over archery equipment worth Rs 1.8 lakh each to district-level coaches Jaharlal Singh, Narayan Banra and Dhaneswar Munda.
State Sports & Youth Services Minister Sudam Marndi, Archery Association of India (AAI) Secretary General Anil Kamineni, State Sports & Youth Services Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev, Athgarh MLA and Reception Committee chairman Ranendra Pratap Swain, Odisha Archery Association president Ajit Kumar Tripathy and secretary Sradhananda Das were among other dignitaries present in the colourful opening ceremony.
RESULTS (Indian Round):
Boys 30m: 1. Rahul (Haryana, 349), 2. Luthru Hansda (Jharkhand, 347, TB-24), 3. Abhishek Kumar (Jharkhand, 347, TB-23).
Boys 20m: 1. Rahul (Har, 348, TB26), 2. Suresh Kumar Gurung (SSCB, 348, TB-25), 3. Rajesh Durua (Odisha, 346).
Girls 30m: 1. Dipti Kumari (Jharkhand, 339, TB-20), 2. Kelmit Lepcha (Chhattisgarh, 339, TB-17), 3. Sony Kumari (Jharkhand, 337).
Girls 20m: 1. Dipti Kumari (Jhar, 345), 2. W Malesori Devi (Manipur, 344), 3. Soni Kumari (Jhar, 337).
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PHOTO: Rajesh Durua, the first medal winner of Odisha in Bhubaneswar on March 17, 2017
