Archery National Ranking Finals conclude
SHILLONG: In an action-packed and intense day, Deepika Kumari suffered an upset when she was beaten to the gold medal in the Senior Women’s Recurve final of the National Ranking Finals by Laxmirani Majhi at First Ground, Polo, here on Monday.
Kumari, who represents Jharkhand, took the first set, but lost the second, third and fifth, with a tie in the fourth, giving Majhi (RSPB) the gold medal.
In the men’s event Atanu Das (PSPB) won the Gold comfortably beating Mangal Singh Champia (RSPB) in the final.
The National Rankings Finals acted as a Test event for the upcoming South Asian Games and proceedings went smoothly over the two-day event. The competition was intense as 96 of the cream of India’s archers took to the field of play.
Satbir Kaur (RSPB) beat the famed Dola Banerjee to claim the bronze medal in the women’s senior recurve, with Atul Verma (SSCB) coming third in the men’s event.
Rajat Chauhan of Rajasthan, meanwhile, came first in the Senior Men’s Compound event, followed by Abhishek Verma (Delhi) and Sarvesh Pareer (Rajasthan) in second and third places, respectively. Swati Dudhwal (Rajasthan), Trisha Deb (Punjab) and P Lily Chanu (Manipur) came first, second and third, respectively, in the corresponding women’s event.
The awards distribution ceremony followed the day’s finals, with prizes (including cash awards) distributed to the top archers and coaches by Meghalaya State Olympic Association working president John Kharshiing, South Asian Games (Shillong) CEO RK Sharma, SAG (Shillong) Joint CEO Freddy R Kharkongor, besides officials from the Archery Association of India, Archery Association of Meghalaya and Archery Association of Assam.
Tuesday and Wednesday will see selection trials at the same venue for the upcoming South Asian Games