Richa, Rehan dominate pool in Games

Guwahati, Feb 15 (UNI) Rehan Poncha of Karnataka and Richa Mishra of Delhi dominated the penultimate day of the swimming events in the 33rd National Games here today, picking two Gold medals each.

Richa, with a total of eight individual Gold and Rehan, with seven yellow medals so far, are front-runners for the best sportspersons of the Games.

Richa would also have her eyes on equalling Shikha Tandon's 10-Gold feat -- the best individual performance in the Games' history. The Delhi girl has two more events to compete in tomorrow.

Karnataka continued to lead the teams' tally in swimming, winning three golds today. Today's events also saw four new meet records set in the pool.

The men's 400 mt freestyle saw all three medallists better the previous meet record set by Rehan Poncha of Karnataka during the 2002 National Games.

Veerdhaval Khare of Maharashtra won the Gold medal, with a timing of 4.07.17 minutes. He ate into the previous record by 0.06.11 minute.

The Silver medal was notched by Rohith R Havaldar, with a timing of 4.09.82 minutes.

The Bronze went to Poncha, clocking 4.11.64 minutes.

In the 200 mt individual medley for men, the Gold was won by Poncha who clocked 2.11.78 minutes. He went past the previous meet record of state-mate Abhijith, set in 1997 National Games, by 0.00.99 minute.

The Silver was won by Maharashtra's Veerdhaval Khade, clocking 2.13.76 minutes. The Bronze was clinched by Abhishek V. of Karnataka, with a timing of 2.16.82 minutes.

The Gold medal in the 50 mt backstroke for men again went to Poncha, with another meet record to his name. He clocked 0.28.58 minute and sliced past T K Senthil Kumar of Kerela's record by 0.00.03 minute.

The Silver was won by Sandeep N A, also of Karnataka, with a timing of 0.28.80 minute. Tamil Nadu's M B Balakrishnan clinched the Bronze with a timing of 0.28.96 minute.

In the women's 400 mt freestyle, Richa Mishra of Delhi won the Gold, with a timing of 4.37.60 minutes. The Silver medal went to Surabhi Tipre of Maharashtra, clocking 4.37.89 minutes, while the Bronze was clinched by her state-mate Arti Ghorpade (4:46.45).

Richa again struck Gold in the 200 mt individual medley event, clocking 2.28.95 minutes. The Silver medal was clinched by Karnataka's Pooja R Alva, with a timing of 2:35.05 minutes. The Bronze went to Surabhi Tipre of Maharashtra, clocking 2:37.15 minutes.

The Gold medal in 50 mt backstroke for women was notched by Shikha Tandon of Karnataka, clocking 0.31.86 minute, setting a new meet record. She bettered her own previous meet record of 0.32.07 minute, set in 2002 National Games.

The Silver went to Asom's Fariha Zaman (0.32.38) while the bronze was notched by Lekha Kamath of Maharashtra, clocking 0.32.64 minute.

Richa Mishra of Delhi, however, failed to make a podium finish in the event.

The 100 mt backstroke and 50 mt butterfly stroke events for both men and women, postponed yesterday due to heavy rains, are rescheduled for tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in the one mt spring board diving for men, the Gold medal was won by Yogesh Watve of the Services team. The Silver medal was notched by T Hariprasad of Maharashtra, while the Bronze went to M Kunja Kishor of Services.

UNI