Dehradun/Haldwani, Feb 3 (PTI) – A thrilling day at the National Games 2024 saw four national records fall in weightlifting while Karnataka’s swimming stars, Srihari Nataraj and Dhinidhi Desinghu, extended their dominance in the pool, securing five gold medals and propelling their state to the top of the medal tally on Monday.
Mehak Sharma Smashes Three National Records
Punjab’s Mehak Sharma stole the spotlight in the women’s 87+ kg weightlifting category, breaking three national records in snatch, clean and jerk, and total lift, clinching gold with an incredible 247kg total. Her 106kg snatchsurpassed her previous record of 105kg, and her 141kg clean and jerk bettered her own mark of 140kg set at the National Championships four months ago.Sharma’s dominant performance left her rivals far behind—Purnima Pandey of Uttar Pradesh took silver with a total lift of 216kg, while Karnataka’s Satya Jyothi claimed bronze with 201kg.
"I was confident because of my training, but breaking all three records was beyond my expectations. I'm very satisfied," an elated Mehak said.
In the men’s 109+kg category, Tamil Nadu’s S Rudramayan set a new national record in snatch with 175kg, surpassing the previous mark of 172kg held by Gurdeep Singh. However, he could not maintain his dominance in clean and jerk, lifting 180kg for a total of 355kg, which earned him silver. The gold went to Services’ Lovepreet Singh, who lifted a total of 367kg.
Swimming: Nataraj and Desinghu Shine Again
At the swimming arena in Haldwani, Karnataka’s Srihari Nataraj and Dhinidhi Desinghu continued their fierce battle for the title of the best male and female athlete of the Games.Desinghu, just 14 years old, secured her seventh gold by winning the women’s 400m freestyle in a new Games record time of 4:24.60. She then joined forces with Nataraj and teammates Akash Mani and Nina Venkatesh to win gold in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay with a time of 3:41.03.
"I started swimming at seven just to make friends… Setting a Games record today is a proud moment for me," Desinghu said.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Nataraj, a Paris Olympian, added two more golds to his tally. He triumphed in the men’s 50m backstroke, clocking 26.09 seconds, and also won gold in the mixed relay with Desinghu.
Medal Tally Update: Karnataka Back on Top With five golds from swimming on Monday, Karnataka reclaimed the top spot in the overall medal tally with 42 medals (22 gold, 10 silver, 10 bronze). The state had led the rankings in the first two days before being briefly overtaken.
- Services sits second with 38 medals (19 gold, 10 silver, 9 bronze).
- Maharashtra follows in third with 15 gold, 26 silver, and 20 bronze.
- Manipur holds fourth place with 11 gold, 10 silver, and 5 bronze.
Shooting Sensation: 15-Year-Old Jonathan Antony Stuns Veterans
Karnataka’s 15-year-old Jonathan Antony made headlines by defeating Paris Olympics bronze medallist Sarabjot Singh and veteran Saurabh Chaudhary to win gold in the 10m air pistol event.Jonathan shot 240.7 in the final, edging out Services' Ravinder Singh (silver, 240.3) and Gurpreet Singh (bronze, 220.1). Sarabjot, who had won a bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Paris Olympics, finished fourth.
"I'm thrilled! Competing against such experienced shooters and winning means a lot to me. Today was my day," Jonathan said after his remarkable victory.
In the women’s 50m rifle 3-positions, Punjab’s Asian Games gold medallist Sift Kaur Samra delivered an exceptional performance, winning gold with 461.2 points, ahead of Olympian Anjum Moudgil (458.7) and Telangana’s Surabhi Bharadwaj (448.8).
Race for the Best Athlete Title
With eight golds so far, Srihari Nataraj is in strong contention to repeat his feat as the best male athlete, an accolade he won in the 2023 Goa edition with eight golds, one silver, and one bronze.Meanwhile, Desinghu has nine medals, including six gold, as she vies for the best female athlete honor.
As the National Games progress, Karnataka continues to showcase its sporting dominance, with Nataraj, Desinghu, and young prodigies like Jonathan Antony leading the charge.
