SAG: India’s golden run continues unabated

India’s remarkable domination went uncontested for the fifth successive day as shooters, wushu players and track-and-field athletes annihilated competition to sweep most of the gold up for grabs on the fifth day of the 12th South Asian Games here today.

With a whopping 186 medals, including 114 gold, 59 silver and 13 bronze medals, in the kitty, India sat pretty at the top of the table. Following the hosts in the second place were Sri Lanka with an overall count of 126 (21 gold, 44 silver and 61 bronze medals).

The blue-riband event of athletics was expected to trigger gold rush for India and it went pretty much that way with athletes contributing 7 gold medals to the tally today.

Neeraj Chopra (men’s javelin throw), Arokya Rajiv (men’s 400m), Arjun (discus throw), J Surendhar (men’s 110m hurdles), Gayathry (women’s 100m hurdles), Ankit Sharma (men’s long jump) and Sahana Kumari (women’s high jump) were the ones to clinch top honours.

Earlier, the Indians dominated the pool once again to pick five gold on the final day of the swimming competition to stamp their authority in the event.

Seasoned swimmer Veerdhawal Khade clinched his first gold of the Games by winning the men’s 50m butterfly event. Other gold winners for India were Shraddha Sudhir (200m medley for women), Jyotsna Pansare (50m butterfly for women) and both the men’s and women’s 4x100 medley relay teams.

In total, India won five gold, three silver and one bronze on the final day of the swimming event.

Khade clinched the gold in 50m butterfly for men in a Games record of 24.54 seconds. The Indian men’s 4x100m medley team also set a new Games record of 3:49.78 while winning the gold.

Sri Lanka was initially declared the winner of the women’s 4x100m medley relay event while India took the silver.

However, the Lankan team was disqualified after one of their swimmers made a false start during the change of legs, leading to the upgradation India’s silver into gold.

Silver winners for India were Sanu Debnath (200m medley for men), Anshul Kothari (50m butterfly for men) and Avantika Chavan (50m butterfly for women), while Shivani Kataria got a bronze in 100m freestyle for women.

In Shillong, India clinched an overwhelming eight gold, one silver and two bronze medals on the final day of the wushu competition.

Having already claimed three gold, a silver and a bronze, India finished their campaign in wushu with 11 gold, two silver and three bronze at the Rising Sports Complex in Latikor on the outskirts of the city.

M Gyandash Singh with 18.53 points edged out his Nepalese and Bangladeshi rivals in Taijiquan and Taijijian men’s section to open India’s gold rush on the concluding day of wushu.

L Sanatombi Chanu topped Taijiquan and Taijijian women section with 18.62 points ahead of Nepal and Pakistan for a second gold.

In men’s Sanshou, India annexed three gold with Uchit Sharma (52kg), Ravi Panchal (56kg), Surya Bhanu Pratap Singh (60kg) emerging winners in their respective weight categories.

In 70kg, Mukesh Choudhry had to settle for silver finishing behind Pakistan’s Maz Khan, while Arun Nagar (65kg) and Pradeep Kumar (75kg) had to be content with bronze medals.

However, Indian women ruled in Sanshou bagging all the three gold medals up for grabs with Y Sanathoi Devi (52kg), Anupama Devi (60kg), Puja Kadian (70kg) emerging champions.

The shooting range in Guwahati was also dominated by Indians with Rio Olympics bound Apurvi Chandela leading the charge.

Indian shooters grabbed six medals, including three gold, on the opening day of competitions.

Chandela easily shot down the gold in her pet event of women’s 10m air rifle with a total score of 209.00 points, while compatriots Elizabeth Susan Koshy and Pooja Ghatkar won the silver and bronze as Indian markswomen swept the medals at the Kahilipara Shooting Range here.

In men’s 50m pistol event, however, Indians failed to win the gold with Om Prakash -- who shot 187.3 points -- bagging a silver and Olympic-bound Prakash Nanjappa finishing outside podium at 

fourth. The gold was won by Bangladesh’s Sakil Ahmed, who shot 187.6 points.