Bengaluru, Apr 27 (Sports News) Weightlifter Ann Mariya MT of Mangalore University smashed the clean and jerk national record in women's +87kg class to win a gold at the Khelo India University Games here on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old Mariya lifted 129kg to break Manpreet Kaur's clean and jerk record (128kg) set at the National Championships earlier this year.

With a 101kg effort in snatch, Mariya, who trains at the SAI National Centre of Excellence here, won her event with a combined lift of 230kg.

Though she missed out on equalling her national record in the combined lift (231kg) set at the National Championships, Mariya was delighted to have bettered her personal best in the clean and jerk.

Seventeen gold medals were decided on the day which saw five meet records. Jain University tightened their grip on the top spot in the medal table with 10 gold, four silver and one bronze.

The day also saw end of weightlifting, basketball and badminton competitions.

The pool produced the first meet record of the day with Anna University winning gold in the men's 4x100m medley.

Jain University, who boasted of Tokyo Olympian Srihari Nataraj and Siva Sridhar in their ranks, led the race comfortably right till the anchor leg.

But Anna University's anchor Adhithya Dinesh took the lead with a powerful swim and brilliant flip turn. Adhithya had suffered a hairline fracture in January and was on bed rest for three weeks. KIUG provided the platform for his remarkable resurgence.

Jain University also logged their first gold outside of the pool, winning both the men's and women's team events in badminton.

Two medals were available in mixed teams events at the shooting range. Savitribai Phule Pune University won gold in the mixed 10m air rifle with the duo of Rasika Kulve and Gajanan Khandagale outshooting Manipal University's Manini Kaushik and Yash Vardhan to clinch the gold.

Gajanan also has a bronze in the 10m individual air rifle event.

Meanwhile, University of Madras won gold in the women's basketball, beating SRM University 65-48.

Archery kicked off at the Jain Global campus on Wednesday, with four qualification events on the schedule. 

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News Source : PTI

Bengaluru, Apr 25 (Swimming News) Tokyo Olympian swimmer Srihari Nataraj clinched a gold medal in the 50m freestyle, clocking 23.23 seconds, on day two of the Khelo India University Games here on Monday.

The 21-year-old Nataraj broke Mihir Ambre's meet record timing of 23.78 seconds from the previous edition as he produced his fastest time in an individual race in the event.

Nataraj's win added gloss to a dominant performance from hosts Jain University, which soared to the top of the medal table with the help of four golds in swimming.

The swimming events also saw five new KIUG records. At the end of second day, 17 universities had already won a gold and as many as 41 had marked their presence on the medal table.

With 10 medals up for grabs in swimming, the first went to Savitribai Phule Pune University's Shubham Dhaygude in the men's 400m freestyle.

Soon, it was time for Jain University to shine as Siva Sridhar not only won gold but also in the process set a new KIUG record time of 2:05.43 in the 200m Individual Medley. Sridhar repeated win-record double in the 100m backstroke later in the day.

In the day's final event in the pool, Shivaji University's Rujuta Khade broke yet another KIUG record in the women's 50m freestyle, with a time of 27.38.

She broke Sadhvi Dhuri's mark from Bhubaneshwar by nearly six-tenths of a second as Shivaji University sat in second place on the medal table with three gold, one silver and one bronze.

Punjabi University, the overall winners at the 2020 edition, won their first gold at this edition, via Ishneet Aulakh in the women's 25m individual pistol.

Aulakh and her team were beaten to silver in the team event by their state rivals Panjab University. Following Komal Kohar's win on Sunday, Maharshi Dayanand University logged another gold in women's weightlifting — Sneha winning the 59kg class.

Juturi Koteswara Rao registered Krishna University's first ever gold at the Games in the women's 73kg class. Rao had won silver in the women's 67kg at the last edition.

Earlier in the day, Bharathiar University scored a massive upset in the women's volleyball semifinals, toppling SRM University 3-0.

Bharathiar will face state rivals SRM University in the final on Tuesday.

There will be 22 medals up for grabs on day 3 with swimming, weightlifting and volleyball events lined up. 

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News Source : PTI

Chennai, Sep 9 (Sports news): Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday called upon the nation to fix a target to double the medal tally in the 2024 Paris Olympics and also for building "all-encompassing support system" for the young and aspiring athletes.

India's stellar performance at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 had filled the hearts of the countrymen with pride and even more gratifying were the achievements of Paralympians who through their single-minded focus, grit and resilience brought home a record number of 19 medals propelling India into the top 25 at the para games, the Vice President said.

"This is a historic moment in India’s sporting journey and their exemplary performance has not only changed people's perception towards disability but has also kindled hopes of India emerging as a major sporting power," he said while virtually inaugurating the Tiruchirappalli Campus of SRM Institute of Science and Technology from the Raj Bhavan here.

"Let us set a target for ourselves to double the medal count in Paris Olympics in 2024 and lose no time in trying to achieve it," he said and urged all stakeholders, including the private sector, to come together to build an all-encompassing support system for the country's young and aspiring athletes.

"If an enabling ecosystem is created, I am sure, there are many more Avani Lekharas (who won a gold medal in rifle shooting in Tokyo 2020 Paralympics) and Neeraj Chopras (Javelin thrower who won gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics) waiting in the wings, whose talent can be nurtured successfully," he said. Educational institutions like SRM Institute whose student Nethra Kumanan, the first Indian sailor to qualify for the Olympics, should take a lead in this direction, the Vice President said.

On the challenge of employability, Venkaiah Naidu stressed the need to increase employability by focusing on the skills required for the Industry. "Every year, the country produces around 1.5 million engineers, but a survey suggests that only seven per cent of them are suitable for core engineering jobs," he pointed out. Hence, the emphasis must be on building a stronger academia-industry connection and ensuring that creative research results in the application of ground-breaking solutions.

The students on their part should equip themselves with emotional and social skills that will enable them to adapt to a rapidly changing world. "Develop a positive outlook towards life and seek to contribute to the larger cause of nation-building. Strive constantly to use your education for the good of others, society and the nation at large," he advised.

The services of the SRM group in collaborating with the Government on clinical trials with respect to COVID-19, and also in providing affordable and necessary healthcare facilities to those affected by the pandemic were commendable, he said. The Vice President appreciated the vision and leadership of the founder of the group, Dr T. R. Paarivendhar, and said the SRM group's focus on quality education is in tune with the Government's vision in laying the foundation for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, founder Chancellor of SRM IST and Member of Parliament T R Paarivendhar, president, SRM IST, Niranjan, and chairman, SRM Groups, Ramapuram and Trichy Campuses Dr R Shivakumar were among those who attended the virtual event.

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News source: PTI