There was no mistaking the glee in everyone’s eyes. The smiles were as big as it could get. But still, there was a glimmer of hope... to win gold at the Incheon Asian Games later this year.
Medallists in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games were honoured with cash prizes, mementoes and the traditional Mysore Peta by the Karnataka Olympic Association (KOA) here on Thursday.
Ashwini Ponappa, the ace doubles badminton player, together with Jwala Gutta settled for the silver medal. But the ominous signs they showed was that it should have been gold.
Marksman Prakash Nanjappa shot to glory in the 10m air pistol event and the handsome lad could not have been happier. “I’m happy with the result. It has given me enough encouragement to go all out at the Asian Games,” he said. The three hockey stalwarts, V.R. Raghunath, S.V. Sunil and Nikkin Thimmaiah, and their team were beaten by Australia, a vastly superior team.
But then one wondered, as did Thimmaiah, if only he had whacked a backhander into the net. What could have happened if he had, is another tale for another day. The Indian hockey team settled for silver with a promise to go for the gold medal at Incheon. The discus throw gold medallist, Vikas Gowda, was not present at the felicitation function.
The State government announced Rs. 15 lakh for the silver medallists and Rs. 25 lakh for Vikas Gowda, besides a site from the housing board.
