Panaji, October 31: The 37th National Games in Panaji witnessed a thrilling display of swimming prowess as Maharashtra's dynamic duo, Virdhawal, and Rujuta Khade, left an indelible mark on the event on Tuesday (October 31).

The day was graced with multiple record-breaking performances, setting the stage for exhilarating competition.

Virdhawal Khade Triumphs in Men's Freestyle

Virdhawal Khade, the 2010 Asian Games bronze medalist, demonstrated his enduring excellence by clinching gold in the Men's Freestyle event. With a blazing time of 22.82 seconds, he left spectators awestruck.

The race was fiercely competitive, with Indian swimming's rising star, Srihari Nataraj of Karnataka, closely trailing at 22.91 seconds, securing the silver medal. Maharashtra's Mihir Ambre also made the podium, claiming the bronze with a time of 22.99 seconds.

Double Delight for the Khade Family

The Khade family had a double reason to celebrate as Rujuta Khade seized gold in the Women's 50m Freestyle, setting a new Games record with her swift time of 26.42 seconds. Shivangi Sharma of Assam and Janhvi Choudhary of West Bengal captured the silver and bronze medals, clocking in at 26.80 seconds and 26.89 seconds, respectively.

Rujuta Khade expressed her delight, saying, "Winning the medal feels great, but setting the National Games record together makes it even more special for both of us."

Maharashtra Continues Dominance

Maharashtra continued their dominant run in the National Games, amassing a total of 123 medals, comprising 52 Gold, 35 Silver, and 36 Bronze. Their unwavering performance showcased their athletic prowess and commitment to excellence.

Tejaswin Shankar's Record-breaking Decathlon

Asian Games Silver medallist Tejaswin Shankar, representing Delhi, secured the gold medal in the Decathlon event with a new National Games record. He achieved a total of 7199 points over the two-day competition. Rohit Roman of Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) claimed the silver with 6794 points, while N. Thowfeeq of Kerala secured the bronze with 6755 points.

Athletics and Taekwondo Highlights

The athletics competitions faced weather-related delays due to heavy rainfall. Asian Games medallist Jyoti Yarraji anchored Andhra Pradesh to a gold medal in the 4x100 M Women's relay. The Taekwondo event at the Ponda Multipurpose Indoor Stadium saw Maharashtra and Gujarat clinch two gold medals each, with SSCB securing the remaining gold.

Football and Pool Advancements

At Tilak Maidan in Vasco, West Bengal and Manipur secured their places in the semi-finals from Pool A. West Bengal emerged victorious over Jharkhand with a 3-2 scoreline, while Manipur triumphed over Tamil Nadu with a 2-0 win.

In Men's football at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Maharashtra held last edition's silver medalists Kerala to a 2-2 draw, while Manipur edged past Santhosh Trophy runners-up Meghalaya with a 2-1 victory in Pool A.

The 37th National Games continue to be a platform for athletes to showcase their exceptional talents, break records, and inspire future generations of sporting enthusiasts. As the competition unfolds, fans eagerly anticipate more thrilling moments and remarkable achievements in the days to come.

37th Asian Games Important Results on October 31

Athletics

Decathlon

Gold - Tejaswin Shankar (Delhi) - 7199 points (NGR)

Silver - Rohit Roman (SSCB) - 6794 points

Bronze - N. Thowfeeq (Kerala) - 6755 points

4 X 100 M Relay Women

Gold - Andhra Pradesh - 45.61 s

(Chelemi Pratyusha, Bhavani Yadav, L. Madhu Kavya Reddy, Jyothi Yarraji)

Silver - Kerala - 46.02 s

(V. Neha, Remaya Rajan, P.D Anjali, A.P Shilbi)

Bronze - Karnataka - 46.22 s

(Medha Kamath, C. Anjali, T. Daneshwari, S.S Sneha)

4 X 100 M Relay Men

Gold - Tamil Nadu - 40.05 s

(S. Tamil Arasu, R. Sai Siddharth, V.K Elakkiyadasan, Kathiravan)

Silver - Odisha - 40.13 s

(Mruty Dondapati, Aryan Ekka, Lalu Prasad Bhoi, Amiya Kumar Mallick)

Bronze - Kerala - 40.14 s

(D.B Bibin, Muhammed Shan, C.V Anurag, T. Midhun)

Javelin Throw

Gold - Shilpa Rani (Haryana) - 54.82 m

Silver - Priyanka Singh (Haryana) - 53.75 m

Bronze - Rashmi K.Shetty (Andhra Pradesh) - 52.55 m

Swimming

50 M Freestyle Men

Gold - Virdhawal Khade (Maharashtra) - 22.82 s (NGR)

Silver - Srihari Nataraj (Karnataka) - 22.91 s

Bronze - Mihir Ambre (Maharashtra) - 22.99 s

50 M Freestyle Women

Gold - Rujuta Khade (Maharashtra) - 26.42 s (NGR)

Silver - Shivangi Sharma (Assam) - 26.80 s

Bronze - Janhvi Choudhary (West Bengal) - 26.89 s

400 M Medley Men

Gold - Shoan Ganguly (Karnataka) - 4:28.09 s (NGR)

Silver - Advait Page (Madhya Pradesh) - 4:28.20

Bronze - Sajan Prakash (Kerala) - 4:32.18 s

200 M Backstroke Men

Gold - Nithik Nathella (Tamil Nadu) - 2:03.32 s (NGR)

Silver - Rishabh Das (Maharashtra) - 2:04.80 s

Bronze - Advait Page (Madhya Pradesh) - 1:05.79 s

200 M Backstroke Women

Gold - Palak Joshi (Maharashtra) - 2:22.12 s

Silver - Soubrity Mondal (West Bengal) - 2:22.39 s

Bronze - Karnataka - Sanjana Prabhugaonker (Goa) - 2:23.64 s

400 M Medley Women

Gold - S. Lakshya (Karnataka) - 5:12.27 s

Silver - Hashika Ramachandra (Karnataka) -5:13.42 s

Bronze - Shrungi Bandekar (Goa) - 5:13.69 s

Taekwondo

Men's Individual Poomsae

Gold - Laishram Dingku Singh (SSCB) - 6.83 points

Silver - Lalthlamuanpuia (Mizoram) - 6.68 points

Bronze - Miching Taja (Arunachal Pradesh) - 6.56 points

Vansh Prem Singh Thakur (Maharashtra) - 6.55 points

Women's Individual Poomsae

Gold - Mrunali S. Harnekar (Maharashtra) - 6.81 points

Silver - Laya Fathima C.K (Kerala) - 6.66 points

Bronze - Rikpy Nyodu (Arunachal Pradesh) - 6.58 points,

Umelly Mangshatabam (Manipur) - 6.34 points

Women's Under 46 Kg

Gold - Twisha Kakadiya (Gujarat)

Silver - Sakshi Patil (Maharashtra)

Bronze - Parsida N.C (Kerala)

Naoroibam Jina Devi (Manipur)

Men's Under 54 Kg

Gold - Abhijeet Khopade (Maharashtra)

Silver - Nirman Rupam Kashyap (Assam)

Bronze - Om Lal Sah (Uttarakhand)

Vikash (Haryana)

Men's Under 87 Kg

Gold - Jay Nilesh Kimayagar (Gujarat)

Silver - Manjeet Singh (Rajasthan)

Bronze - Sudhir Chauhan (Nagaland)

Pramod Joshi (SSCB)

Hockey

Women

Pool A: Manipur bt Tamil Nadu - 4-0

Pool B: Punjab bt Karnataka - 4-1, Mahrashtra bt Goa - 2-1

Men

Pool A: Haryana drew Odisha - 3-3

Pool B: Jharkhand drew Uttar Pradesh - 4-4, Tamil Nadu bt Goa - 6-3

Women's Football

Pool A: West Bengal bt Jharkhand - 3-2, Manipur bt Tamil Nadu - 2-0

Men's Football

Pool A: Kerala drew Maharashtra - 2-2, Manipur bt Meghalaya - 2-1

Men's Beach Football

Semi-Finals: Kerala bt Punjab - 11-3, Goa bt Lakshadweep - 7-5

Tennis

Women's Team Semi-Finals

Gujarat bt Telangana - 2-0

Maharashtra bt Tamil Nadu - 2-0

Men's Team Semi-Finals

Karnataka bt Uttar Pradesh - 2-1

Water Polo

Group Stage Matches

Women

Maharashtra bt Assam - 25-1

Karnataka bt Manipur - 20-6

Men

Maharashtra bt Manipur - 28-3

Kerala bt Karnataka - 18-1

Diving

Platform Men

Gold - Ningthoujam Willson Singh (SSCB)

Silver - Sourav Debnath (SSCB)

Bronze - Tushar Gitaye (Maharashtra)