NEW DELHI: India equalled its best ever performance in the Commonwealth Games, bagging a gold in athletics. With this, the Gold medal tally has gone upto 30. India had achieved this feat in the 2002 Manchester games for the first time. Day eight turned out to be a lean day as the hosts won just a gold medal. However, India won one silver and six bronzes. In Athletics, there was surprise in store as Krishna Punia of India won the gold in women’s discuss even as the hosts won all the three medals. The history making women athlete was delighted with her performance.
The silver medal winner Harwant kaur, expressed satisfaction at the achievement.
In boxing, it was a day of mixed fortunes for India.
Three of the seven Indian pugilists have kept the hopes of getting Gold alive for the country in the second session of the game after the disappointing first session in which all three of our boxers Amandeep Singh, Jai Bhagwan and Dibagh Singh had lost their semifinals and now have to contend with Bronze. Olympic Bronze medal winner Vijendra Singh, who was the main attraction of the day, also lost the fight, as his opponent, Anthony Ogogo of England was given four points against fouls in the last round of the match, in Middle 75 kilogram category, when Vijender was leading with 3-0.Meanwhile, the Chief Boxing Coach has confirmed that a protest has been lodged with the Boxing Jury of Commonwealth Games Federation about this decision of the refree.Other three who have made it to the finals, to be played on Ocotober 13th, are, Suranjoy Singh who defeated Pakistan’s Haroon Iqbal by 9-3 in Fly 52 kilogram category, Manoj Kumar won his contest by 3-1 from Bahamas’ Valentino Knowles in Light Welter 64 kilogram category. And Paramjit Samota in Super Heavy 91 kilogram category has also reached to the finals by encounter F.A. Junior of Tonga and defeating him by 6-2.
The first medal of the day for the hosts came in shooting as Tejaswini sawant and Meena Kumari won bronze in women’s 50 meter Rifle Prone pairs. Tejaswini Sawant said she had hoped to win more than a bronze in the competition.
In Skeet pairs shooting, Mairaj Ahmad Khan and P Allan Danials finished fifth. The Gold in this event was won by Cyprus.In Badminton, India’s Saina Nehwal and Aditi Mutatkar have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Women’s Singles event. Saina defeated Caroline Black of Nigeria, 21-0,21-2 while Aditi defeated Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland 21-11, 21-17. In Rugby, India lost its Rugby sevens match against Wales by 7-53. In Women’s Hockey, India defeated Canada 3-nil in a final classification match. In Table-Tennis, Indian duo, Sharad Kamal and Shubhjeet Saha have entered the Men’s Doubles quarter-finals by defeating Australia’s Justin Henn and Shimon Gerreda.
India continues in second position with 30 Gold, 23 Silver and 28 Bronze. Australia heads the medal table with a total haul of 63gold, 40 silver and 39 Bronze. England has 26 gold, 48Silver and 35bronze. Meanwhile, the New Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games has been hit by a doping controversy in the same 100 metre Women’s event that earlier saw the disqualification of Australia’s Sally Pearson who was stripped off her medal for a false start. A Nigerian gold medalist of women’s 100 meters Oludamola Osayomi was tested positive in dope Examination. In the dope test methyle hexalimine stimulate was found. The President Commonwealth Games Federation Michael Fennel said the athlete tested positive has requested for ‘B’ sample test.AIR