Kerala team won the athletics meet of 59th National School Games on Sunday with 37 gold, 27 silver and 16 bronze medals.
The five-day national tournament including athletics, baseball and silambam concluded in the State capital. The finals of silambam and baseball were held on Friday and Saturday wherein Maharashtra and Jharkhand emerged as the winners. State Art, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs Secretary Vandana Dadel while addressing the Closing ceremony function informed that 13 new meet records were made in this athletics meet. She also shared the words of Kerala team’s technical officials who have appreciated the integrated field arena of Hotwar’s Mega Sports Complex which is not available in Kerala despite being a State of best sports talents. Notably, this team was the winner of last held national school games.
Overall 3,203 players participated in these national games along with 203 technical officials from various states and schools of India. Baseball involved players under 14 years. Silambam and Athletics comprised under 14, 17 and 19 category students. In the past five days issues of eve-teasing, theft and many other mis-management issues were reported by the out station contingents. Dadel regretted for these incidents and assured to be alert for the upcoming national tournaments. “We are sorry for all the mistakes. With hosting each sports meet, we are learning on how to improve our faults,” she said.
Haryana bagged the second athletics position in the championship with 11gold, nine silver and five bronze medals. Maharashtra was on the third rank with nine gold, eight silver and 11bronze medals. Jharkhand team however managed itself in the eleventh rank here with three gold, one silver and two bronze medals. Players and officials of respective sports events were also felicitated at the end by State Art, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs Director D Choubey, Dadel and STF SP Chandra Mohan.