Rudrapur (Uttarakhand), Feb 4 (PTI) – David Beckham Elkatohchoongo from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands won the gold medal in the men’s elite sprint event at the National Games on Tuesday, securing a victory with an impressive time of 10.691 seconds over two laps. The 21-year-old cyclist outpaced Laitonjam Ronaldo Singh of Manipur (10.724 seconds), who earned the silver, and another Andaman and Nicobar Islands rider, Esow Alben (10.826 seconds), who took home the bronze.
The race, held at the newly constructed Shivalik Velodrome, saw a fierce battle between the three top cyclists of India. Elkatohchoongo emerged victorious after a tightly contested final.
Elkatohchoongo's win comes after a memorable incident during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. When he arrived in the UK, British immigration officers were baffled by his name. They even questioned if "David Beckham" was his real name. After confirming his passport details, the officers allowed him entry. His father, a former street footballer and fan of the legendary English footballer, gave him the name.
While Elkatohchoongo's first passion was football, he eventually transitioned to cycling, a sport that enjoys significant popularity in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The region has produced notable cyclists like Deborah Herold, India’s first medalist at the Asian Senior Championships, and world number four at one point.
Elkatohchoongo's cycling achievements have garnered attention on the international stage. He was the best-performing Indian cyclist at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he reached the quarterfinals. Alongside him in the Indian cycling team at the Games were Ronaldo and Esow Alben, whose names also caught the attention of global media. Ronaldo, named after the Brazilian football legend, was born during the 2002 World Cup. He is a sprint silver medalist from the 2022 Asian Championships. Esow Alben, on the other hand, made history as the first Indian cyclist to win an individual medal at a global event, securing a silver in the 2018 Junior Track World Championships.
In other events at the National Games, Karnataka’s Keerthi Rangaswamy took home the gold in the women’s elite scratch 10km race. Assam’s Chayanika Gogoi claimed the silver, while Meenakshi from Haryana finished with the bronze.
In the men’s elite scratch race (15km), Services’ Sahil Kumar bagged the gold, with Kerala’s Adwaith Sankar and Krishna Nayakodi of Services securing the silver and bronze, respectively.
Maharashtra’s Shweta Balu Gunjal claimed the gold in the women’s elite sprint with a time of 12.745 seconds. Celestina from Andaman and Nicobar Islands finished second (12.848 seconds), while Triyasha Paul of Delhi took the bronze with a time of 12.799 seconds.
The day’s events highlighted the growing prominence of Indian cyclists on both national and international platforms.
The race, held at the newly constructed Shivalik Velodrome, saw a fierce battle between the three top cyclists of India. Elkatohchoongo emerged victorious after a tightly contested final.
Elkatohchoongo's win comes after a memorable incident during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. When he arrived in the UK, British immigration officers were baffled by his name. They even questioned if "David Beckham" was his real name. After confirming his passport details, the officers allowed him entry. His father, a former street footballer and fan of the legendary English footballer, gave him the name.
While Elkatohchoongo's first passion was football, he eventually transitioned to cycling, a sport that enjoys significant popularity in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The region has produced notable cyclists like Deborah Herold, India’s first medalist at the Asian Senior Championships, and world number four at one point.
Elkatohchoongo's cycling achievements have garnered attention on the international stage. He was the best-performing Indian cyclist at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he reached the quarterfinals. Alongside him in the Indian cycling team at the Games were Ronaldo and Esow Alben, whose names also caught the attention of global media. Ronaldo, named after the Brazilian football legend, was born during the 2002 World Cup. He is a sprint silver medalist from the 2022 Asian Championships. Esow Alben, on the other hand, made history as the first Indian cyclist to win an individual medal at a global event, securing a silver in the 2018 Junior Track World Championships.
In other events at the National Games, Karnataka’s Keerthi Rangaswamy took home the gold in the women’s elite scratch 10km race. Assam’s Chayanika Gogoi claimed the silver, while Meenakshi from Haryana finished with the bronze.
In the men’s elite scratch race (15km), Services’ Sahil Kumar bagged the gold, with Kerala’s Adwaith Sankar and Krishna Nayakodi of Services securing the silver and bronze, respectively.
Maharashtra’s Shweta Balu Gunjal claimed the gold in the women’s elite sprint with a time of 12.745 seconds. Celestina from Andaman and Nicobar Islands finished second (12.848 seconds), while Triyasha Paul of Delhi took the bronze with a time of 12.799 seconds.
The day’s events highlighted the growing prominence of Indian cyclists on both national and international platforms.
