Haryana emerge overall champs, Karnataka fourth

Haryana, buoyed by a rich final day haul, pipped Maharashtra at the post to emerge overall champions in the inaugural Khelo India School Games that concluded here on Thursday.

Starting the day one gold medal behind Maharashtra, the Haryana boxers won 10 of 26 gold medals on offer, as the North Indian state accounted for 15 gold medals on the final day to race ahead.

Haryana's 15 gold medals on the final day comprised 10 from boxing, two in judo and one each from archery, football and hockey. Overall Haryana picked 38 gold, 26 silver and 38 bronze, while Maharashtra finished with 36 gold, 32 silver and 42 bronze. Karnataka ended fourth after winning 16 gold, 11 silver and 17 bronze.

Manipur lad Maisnam Meiraba reasserted his claim as the best Under-17 badminton player in the country when he staged a fine comeback to beat Uttar Pradesh' Aakash Yadav 16-21, 21-14, 21-18 for the boys' singles gold. Meiraba incidentally picked up the final gold medal of the meet.

Left-handed Malvika Bansod won the girls' singles title with a facile 21-12, 12-10 win against Aakarshi Kashyap to give Maharashtra their final gold in the event.

Gold for Dhriti-Trisha

Karnataka's Dhriti Yatheesh and Trisha Hegde bagged the girls' doubles gold after defeating Deepshikha Singh and Likhita Shrivastava of Uttar Pradesh 21-19, 21-17.

Mizoram boys and Haryana girls clinched the football gold medal after scoring thrilling victories in their respective finals. While Mizoram lads held off a late fightback from Punjab, winning the gold medal 3-2, Haryana girls beat Manipur 5-4 in a roller-coaster match.

In basketball, a calm Punjab found a second wind in the fourth quarter to beat back a stiff Delhi challenge 78-76 for the boys' gold. Kerala routed Haryana 90-47 for the girls' gold medal.

Kerala came out with all guns blazing and opened up a sizable lead in the first quarter, leaving Haryana dazed. Kerala had to strive hard to eke out a 74-65 win when the teams met in the league encounter.

But this time, Kerala's aggressive tactics, built around the tall trio of Ann Mary, Anu Mariya and skipper Sreekala R, caught Haryana unawares. By the time Haryana countered with their fast-breaks Kerala had opened an unassailable lead.

The tall Kerala girls were visibly tired when play resumed after the half-time break with the score at 55-19 but Haryana was unable to make much headway and had to be content with the silver medal.