Panjab University swimmers’ golden run continues

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 26

Panjab University swimmers continued their impressive run in the Khelo India University Games as the side added two more gold medals to its overnight tally to retain the second position.

With 24 medals, including eight gold, PU is placed second behind Savitribai Phule Pune University, which has 10 gold, four silver and six bronze medals in its basket. Jain University occupies the third spot, while Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, is in fourth place six gold, one silver and five bronze medals.

PU swimmers won the first gold medal in the men’s 4x200m relay. The team of Harnimrat Singh Bhinder, Anurag Dagar, Deepanshu Dahiya and Siddhant Sejwal clocked 8:16.04s to top the podium.

Savitribai Phule Pune University (8:26.72s) finished second, while Delhi University (8:36.64s) bagged the third position.

Sejwal then added another gold medal to the PU kitty in the 50m backstroke. Sejwal clocked 27.43s to leave behind Sridhar Siva (27.96s) of Jain University and Shwejal Mankar (28.11s) of Pune University.

Sejwal’s bid to finish with six gold medals was though thwarted when he finished third in the men’s 100m freestyle behind Rudransh Mishra (University of Mumbai) and Harshal Sarang (Veer Narmad South Gujarat University).

Sadhvi Dhuri claimed five of Pune University’s nine gold medals in the pool to emerge the most successful swimmer. She first won the 200m individual medley and completed the sweep with a 100m gold in freestyle. She had won the 100m butterfly gold on Tuesday to add to the 50m and 200m freestyle crowns.

New records

Meanwhile, three new National records were set in the men’s 55kg class weightlifting competition. Prashant Suresh Koli from Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon, set the hall alight with a 110kg snatch, improving upon R Madhavan’s mark of 106kg. He threw down the gauntlet with another National record in clean and jerk, lifting 133kg in his final attempt.

However, within a few minutes, Shivaji University’s Sanket Mahadev Sargar turned the tables on him, breaking the clean and jerk mark with a 138kg lift to edge past Koli’s total of 243kg for another National record. He bettered Rishikanta Singh’s mark of 239kg set in the National championships in Visakhapatnam last year.

Andhra University and Jain University emerged the men’s and women’s badminton champions, respectively.

Andhra University registered a 3-1 win over Panjab University, while Jain University girls drubbed SRM University 2-0 in the finals.

Earlier in the semifinals, PU team comprising Kartik Jindal, Hardik Makkar, Mohit Goury, Bhuvan Kaushal, Abhishek Saini, Talvinder Singh and Paurush Dhawan had beat Pune University 3-0.

Uttkarsh, Priyanka triumph

Bespectacled Uttkarsh Dixit from Punjabi University, Patiala, and Priyanka Thakran of Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, took contrasting routes to win the men’s and women’s recurve archery gold medals on Wednesday.

Dixit confessed to being nervous at the start against Ranjit Naik of the host university, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology. Dixit calmed down after losing the opening set to win the next two. He could sense Naik come under pressure in the final set but maintained his focus to run away the victor.

Priyanka, who stunned World Cadet champion Komolika Bari in the semifinals on Monday, thought the gold medal was slipping away when PU’s Prarthana Solanki won the last two sets to force a single arrow shoot off. Both archers hit 9 but Priyanka’s arrow was closer to the centre and she walked away with the title.

Final results

Swimming Men 100m Freestyle 1. Rudransh Mishra (University of Mumbai) 2. Harshal Sarang (Veer Narmad South Gujarat University) 3. Siddhant Sejwal (PU) 100m Breaststroke 1. Ansh Arora (University of Delhi) 2. Jay Prakash Ekbote (University of Mumbai) 3. Suneesh Suresh (University of Kerala) 50m Backstroke 1. Siddhant Sejwal (PU) 2. Siva Sridhar (Jain Univesity) 3. Shwejal Mankar (Pune University) 4x200m Freestyle Relay 1. PU 2. Pune University 3. Delhi University Women 100m Freestyle 1. Sadhvi Dhuri (Pune University) 2. Aarti Patil (University of Mumbai) 3. Rutuja Talegaonkar (Nagpur University) 100m Breaststroke 1. Jyoti Patil (University of Mumbai) 2. Aarti Patil (University of Mumbai) 3. Riddhi Bohra (Christ University) 50m Backstroke 1. Damini Gowda (Rajiv Gandhi University of Medical Sciences) 2. Deepali Attri (PU) 3. Yugandhara Shirke (Shivaji University) 200m Individual Medley 1. Sadhvi Dhuri (Pune University) 2. Kalyani Saxena (Veer Narmad South Gujarat University) 3. Rutuja Talegaonkar (Nagpur University) 4x100m Freestyle Relay 1. . Jain University 2. Delhi University 3. University of Mumbai

Archery Men Recurve Uttkarsh Dixit (Punjabi University) bt Ranjit Naik (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology) 6-4 Team Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology bt Punjabi University 5-1 Women Recurve Priyanka Thakran (MDU) bt Prarthna Solanki (PU) Team Kolhan University bt Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University 6-0 Mixed Team Kolhan University bt MDU 6-2

Badminton Men Andhra University bt PU 3-1 Women Jain University bt SRM University 2-0