Gymnasts Priyanka, Jatin win Khelo India's first gold medals

The Khelo India Youth Games 2020 in Guwahati started off on a great note for gymnasts who grabbed the spotlight on day one by clinching golds on Friday (January 10).

Tripura’s Priyanka Dasgupta clinched the girls’ Under-17 all-around crown in gymnastics, followed by Jatin Kumar Kanojia of Uttar Pradesh who then claimed the boys Under-17 all-around gold with a measure of comfort.

Asmi Ankush Badade and Shreya Pravin Bhangale made it a 1-2 for Maharashtra in the girls Under-17 rhythmic gymnastics all-around competition but it was the self-taught Upasha Talukdar who captured the hearts of the capacity crowd by winning a bronze, Assam’s first medal in the Games.

Maharashtra’s Maitreyi Amit Selukar and Nishka Chintamani finished higher in the ranking than Talukdar, who learned her routines by watching videos online.

Also read: Assam CM launches torch relay of 3rd Khelo India Youth Games

But since the rules allow only two athletes from a state to win medals in a gymnastics event, the Assamese girl was awarded the bronze medal.

Gujarat’s Pramilaben Baria gave herself a belated birthday present with a superb set of 36 arrows to top the girls Under-21 recurve archery qualifying round with a score of 648 points.

Himani Kumari (Haryana), who lost the bronze medal play-off last year, finished second with 643 points, just ahead of World cadet champion Komolika Bari (Jharkhand).

Also read: Modi cancels Guwahati visit, cites ‘lack of time’ to open Khelo India

The Haryana duo of Sachin Gupta (671) and Sunny Kumar (665) topped the boys Under-21 recurve archery qualifying round on a day when Andhra Pradesh’s Kundru Venkat (699) and Rajasthan’s Priya Gurjar (686) earned the right to be ranked first in the Under-17 compound boys and girls events respectively.

Coming from a city, Agartala, known for its gymnastics tradition dating back several decades, 15-year-old Priyanka, nailed the girls Under-17 all-around gold medal with a total of 42.60 points, improving on the 42.05 that West Bengal’s Protishta Samanta had secured en route to her yellow metal last year.

Daughter of a driver, Priyanka learned the ropes at the Vivekananda Byamagar in Agartala and, despite holding promise, missed out on a podium finish in Pune by a mere 0.05 points after an unsatisfactory show on the uneven bars. She ensured that there were no slips-up this time, completing her routines with aplomb.

(With inputs from agencies)