Indian swimmers picked up all the seven gold medals on offer to complete the most productive and dominating day so far in the 12th South Asian Games here on Tuesday.
In the last three days, Sri lanka had been giving competition to the home country but on Tuesday it was the Indians who ruled the roost at the Dr Zakir Hussain Aquatics Complex here.
Saurabh Sangvekar started the gold-winning streak for India, setting a new Games record of 3:58.84 seconds to win the 400m freestyle for men. V Malvika secured the gold in 400m freestyle for women, setting a new meet record of 4:30.08 minutes.
Sajan Prakash then bagged India's third gold of the day and his fourth of the Games, by winning the 200m butterfly for men with a new record time of 2:03.02.
This was followed by Damini Gowda winning the gold for India in 200m butterfly in yet another Games record time of 2:21.12 and PS Madhu in 50m backstroke for men, setting a new record of 26.86 seconds.
The gold in 50m backstroke for women was clinched by Kimiko Raheem of Sri lanka, setting a new record of 29.75 seconds.
Indians also won the gold in 4x200m freestyle for both men and women.
Silver winners for India today were Sajan Prakash (400m freestyle for men), Shivani Kataria (400m freestyle for women), M Arvind (50m backstroke for men) and Maana Patel (50m backstroke for women).
basketball scrappef from SAG
The 12th South Asian Games on Tuesday suffered a jolt with the organisers deciding to cancel the basketball event following the world governing body FIBA's decision to de-recognise the event on the ground of interference from the government and Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
Games Chief Executive Officer and Sports Authority of India Director General Injeti Srinivas told reporters that a solution could not be reached to end the impasse and it was decided to scrap the discipline.
"We tried to sort the issues out and suggested different options like going ahead with the event and give away medals without the results going into record books. But there was no response from some quarter. So we have decided not to go ahead with basketball. It will not be held now," he said at the media briefing.
The event was to start on February 11. He said the issue arose due to different stands taken by different quarters.
left red-faced after FIBA de-recognised the sport from the 12th South Asian Games due to government interference, the organising committee was on a damage control mode, trying to find a feasible solution before the start of the event.