Panchkula: The battle for supremacy in the Khelo India Youth Games 2021 began with defending champions Maharashtra taking lead in the competition with 9 gold medals, here on Sunday. However, hosts Haryana clawed back into the race, picking up a total of 6 gold to take the second position. They have already garnered the most number of medals though, capturing 23 (5 gold, 6 silver, 12 bronze) to Maharashtra's 17 (9 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze). On a day full of action and exciting twists and turns, two new youth national records were also created in weightlifting.
Maharashtra expectedly bagged 3 out of 4 gold on offer in weightlifting, and also 3 in yoga and 1 in cycling while Haryana underlined their dominance on the wrestling mat, gobbling up all five gold up for grabs, and 1 in cycling.
Manipur shot to the third place in the medals tally, annexing 4 gold medals in Thang-ta, an indigenous sport added to the Khelo India program for the first time. Maharashtra's Kajol Sargar (women's 40kg) pocketed the first medal of the Games, lifting a total of 113 kg (50kg in snatch and 63 in Clean and Jerk). Her state-mate Harshada Garud then rewrote the Youth National Record in the women's 45kg category as she overcame a stiff challenge from Uttar Pradesh's Anjali Patel. With both lifting 80kg in clean and jerk, it all boiled down to their third and final lift. Garud lifted 83 kg in her second attempt itself to etch her name in the record books while Anjali failed even in her third.
Earlier, L Dhanush of Tamil Nadu bagged the Boys 49kg gold medal with a new Snatch record of 88 and an overall lift of 190 kg. Haryana began their medal charge at the cycling velodrome in Delhi as Vrinda Yadav bagged the gold medal in the Girls 7.5kg Scratch Race. The hosts were banking on making a clean sweep of gold medals on the wrestling mat and Ronit Sharma did not disappoint, opening their account in the Boys Greco-Roman 51 kg category when he defeated state-mate Rahul.
Sahil Jaglan scored a convincing 10-0 win over Robinpreet Singh of Punjab in the Freestyle 92 kg. Jyoti completed the clean sweep by defeating Maharashtra's Pragati Gaikwad by technical superiority in the Girl's 57kg weight category. Action continued in kabaddi, hockey, volleyball, gymnastics and badminton.—IANS