Pratyasha gets rousing welcome
Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s first gold medalist in aquatics event, Pratyasha Raygot a rousing welcome here at the Biju Pattnaik Airport here on Tuesday. Pratyasha bagged three gold medal in the gold medal in the 200 metre backstroke group-II girls event by clocking 02:35.57 seconds. She also received the gold medals in the 50 metre back stroke and100 metre backstroke event by clocking 00:32.87 and 1:10.47 seconds respectively. She is the first girl of the State who won national gold medals in the Glenmark 43rd Junior National Aquatic Championship 2016 at Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre in Bengaluru from July 5 to 10. I never believe that I won a national meet gold medal in the 100 metre backstroke event on the inaugural day on July 5. After that my confidence level was became high and gathered two more gold medals, Pratyasha said. Though I belongs to Odisha everybody appreciating me that I am the first one to got national medal for the State. My aim is something different I am a Indian first, want to be first women to bring fist international medal for my country. My target is 2020 Olympics, Pratyasha added. She is the best swimmer in the State, but for further improvement she most practice with better swimmers to improve her timings. Recently, she joined two months training under the guidance of national repute coach Tapan Panigrahi at Pune which helps her lot. She most join some swimming academy at Delhi or Bangalore, her coach Surendra Naik said.
Odisha enter Nat’l Jr Girls Football semis
Bhubaneswar: Host Odisha defeated Jharkhand by 1-0 goal to notch second victory in the quarterfinal league round matches and entered the semifinals of the Junior Girls National Football Championship at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Tuesday. The all important goal scored by Anima Malik in the early fourth minute of the game. After that both the teams created few opportunities but could not converted into goals. In another match, a four goals haul by H Daya Devi powered Manipur to win over Goa by 10-0 goals. N Ratanbala Devi and S Ranjana Chanu joined the high scoring match by contributing double goals each in the 16th,48th and 54th , 87th minutes respectively. l Rakma Devi and Y Hemolata Devi netted a goal each in the 58th and 59th minutes respectively.