The 38th National Games saw a spectacular showcase of talent as Odisha’s rising star, Animesh Kujur, clinched gold in the men’s 100m race, equalling the meet record of 10.28 seconds. The athletics events stole the limelight, with multiple states securing top honors across various disciplines.
Medal Tally Overview
| Rank | State/Team | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Services (Army) | 42 | 16 | 13 | 71 |
| 2 | Karnataka | 30 | 12 | 16 | 58 |
| 3 | Maharashtra | 25 | 42 | 46 | 113 |
| 4 | Madhya Pradesh | 19 | 13 | 18 | 50 |
| 5 | Haryana | 18 | 26 | 28 | 72 |
Athletics Highlights
Men’s 100m Sprint
- Gold: Animesh Kujur (Odisha) – 10.28 sec (Equalled Meet Record)
- Silver: Pranav Gurav (Maharashtra) – 10.32 sec
- Bronze: Amlan Borgohain (Assam) – 10.43 sec
- 5th Place: Manikanta Hoblikar (Army) – 10.46 sec (National Record Holder – 10.23 sec, 2023)
Women’s 100m Sprint
- Gold: Sudeshna Shivankar (Maharashtra) – 11.76 sec
- Silver: Nithya Gandhe (Telangana) – 11.79 sec
- Bronze: Giridharani Ravikumar (Tamil Nadu) – 11.88 sec
Men’s 10,000m Final
- Gold: Sawan Barwal (Himachal Pradesh) – 28:49.93 min (New Meet Record)
- Silver: Kiran Matre (Maharashtra) – 29:04.76 min
- Bronze: Vinod Singh (Madhya Pradesh) – 29:43.60 min
Women’s 10,000m Final
- Gold: Sanjivani Jadhav (Maharashtra) – 33:33.47 min
- Silver: Ankita Dhyani (Uttarakhand) – 34:31.03 min
- Bronze: Sonia (Uttarakhand) – 35:45.19 min
Women’s 1500m Final
- Gold: KM Chanda (Delhi) – 4:17.74 min
- Silver: KM Diksha (Madhya Pradesh) – 4:21.92 min
- Bronze: Amandeep Kaur (Punjab) – 4:22.75 min
Men’s Discus Throw
- Gold: Gagandeep Singh (Army) – 55.01m
- Silver: Nirbhay Singh (Haryana) – 54.07m
- Bronze: Alex P. Thankachan (Kerala) – 52.79m
Lawn Bowls Dominance by Jharkhand
Jharkhand continued to showcase its prowess in Lawn Bowls, securing five gold medals.
Men’s Events
- Men’s Singles Gold: Sunil Bahadur (Jharkhand)
- Men’s Fours Gold: Dinesh Kumar, Alok Lakra, Mohammed Wasim, Abhishek Lakra (Jharkhand)
- Men’s Pairs Gold: Sunil Bahadur & Dinesh Kumar (Jharkhand)
Women’s Events
- Women’s Fours Gold: Jharkhand
- Women’s Pairs Gold: Assam
- Women’s Triples Gold: Bihar
Tennis: Karnataka and Army to Face Off in Men’s Doubles Final
- Finalists:
- Prajwal Dev & Nikki K. Poonacha (Karnataka)
- Ishaq Iqbal & Faisal Qamar (Army)
- Mixed Doubles Semifinalists:
- Tamil Nadu: Lohit Aksh Badrinath & Lakshmi Prabha Arun Kumar
- Haryana: Sunil Kumar & Aditi Rawat
- West Bengal: Nitin Kumar Sinha & Yubrani Banerjee
- Karnataka: Nikki K. Poonacha & Soha Sadiq
Hockey Matches: Wins for Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka
Women’s Matches
- Manipur defeated Uttarakhand (5-2)
- Madhya Pradesh defeated West Bengal (2-1)
Men’s Matches
- Maharashtra defeated Uttarakhand (2-1)
- Karnataka defeated Manipur (4-1)
Conclusion
The 38th National Games have been a spectacular showcase of India’s emerging and experienced athletic talent. Odisha’s Animesh Kujur, Maharashtra’s Sanjivani Jadhav, and Himachal Pradesh’s Sawan Barwal have been among the standout performers. With fierce competition across multiple sports, the event continues to shape India’s future sporting stars.
