Goa, October 21, 2023: Assam won the first gold medal of the 37th National Games on Saturday when their women's badminton team defeated Maharashtra 3-0 in the finals at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium.Karnataka defeated Maharashtra 3-1 to win the men's team gold.
In the doubles competition, Ritika Thaker and Simran Singhi of Maharashtra lost to Ashmita Chaliha and Isharani Baruah of Assam to take home the gold. The entire Maharashtra team was unable to handle their strength.With a commanding 21-16, 21-11 victory over Purva Barve, Ashmita, a member of India's Asian Games team, launched Assam's ascent to the top of the podium.
Maharashtra was aware that if they could win one of the first three rubbers, they would be the favourites to win the gold medal. And those hopes would have been increased when Aalisha Naik won the first game against Isharani with just nine points dropped.
However, Isharani came back stronger in the second game, preventing her rival from using the trick drops, and she started to better manage the rallies. She easily won the second game and built an 11-2 lead in the third before Aalisha found a way to get on the board.Though Isharani maintained her composure to win the match 9-21, 21-13, and 21-18 in 40 minutes, it was too little, too late for the Mumbai teenager.
The eventual silver medalists would have maintained their optimism. However, Ashmita and Isharani capitalised on the momentum and jumped out to early leads in both games; despite their rivals' best efforts, they were unable to overtake them. The players hurried to celebrate a well-earned victory as the Assam combination won 21-19, 21-13.
The men's team championship match was fiercely competitive. S. Bhargav, the first singles player for Karnataka, displayed steely nerves against the knowledgeable Harsheel Dani to give his team a 1-0 lead as he recovered from a game down to win 18-21, 21-19, 21-15.
When K. Pruthvi Roy took up a sizable lead in the first game against Rohan Gurbani, it appeared as though Karnataka could treble their lead. But in the first game, the Nagpur native made three game-saving saves. In the second, he had to save two more game points, but he was unable to convert the match point he had been awarded as the game headed into overtime.When the score was 14-14, Gurbani scored seven points in a row to win the game and give Maharashtra parity.
With a 21-12, 21-14 victory over Deep Rambhiya and Akshan Shetty, the seasoned Karnataka team of H. K. Nithin and K. Sai Pratheek once again gave their team the advantage. Ayush Shetty, who won the bronze medal at the World Junior Championships, then defeated Darshan Pujari 21-16, 21-17 to end the top match.
Final results (men): Karnataka defeated Maharashtra 3-1 (S. Bhargav defeated Harsheel Dani). Rohan Gurbani defeated K. Pruthvi Roy in a match with scores of 18-21, 21-19, and 21-15. 23-21, 22-24, 21-14; HV Nithin/K Sai Pratheek vs. Deep Rambiya/Akshan Shetty 21-12, 21-14; Ayush Shetty vs. Darshan Pujari 21-16, 21-17 .
Karnataka took home the gold medal, with Maharashtra coming in second and Uttarakhand and Assam coming in third.
Women's match: Assam defeated Maharashtra 3-0 (Ashmita Chaliha defeated Purva Barve 21-16, 21-11; Isharani Baruah defeated Alisha Naik 9-21, 21-13, 21-18; Ashmita/Isharani defeated Ritika Thaker/Simran Singhi 21-19, 21-13).
Medalists: Punjab and Andhra Pradesh take home the silver and bronze medals, respectively, after Assam wins the gold.
Regarding the National Games
A famous sporting event, the 37th National Games of Goa 2023 seeks to foster sportsmanship and harmony throughout India. More than 10,000 athletes from 28 Indian States, eight Union Territories, and the Services will compete in 43 sports categories. The event will take place at 28 venues in Goa, India, from October 26 to November 9, 2023.
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