National Games 2022 | Rising star Hashika Ramachandra, Saajan Prakash hog the limelight

Rising star of Indian swimming, 14-year-old Hashika Ramachandra underlined her class by winning 36th gold medal. ^Th National Games at the Sardar Patel Aquatic Complex here on Friday.

The Karnataka girl won back-to-back gold medals on the final day after fending off a stiff challenge from Delhi’s Bhavya Sachdeva and set a new meet record in the 400m freestyle. Hashika beat Akanksha Vora’s old mark (4:32.50) set in 2015 by 4:32.17 seconds. Hashika also won the 200m individual medley event in 2:26.23 seconds to claim her sixth gold medal of the Games.

Veteran Sajan Prakash bagged two gold medals, taking his gold medal tally to five at these Games. In the 50m storm final, Sajan Prakash fended off a challenge from Karnataka’s S Siva and MP Advait Page to set a new mark in the 200m IM.

In the homestretch, Sajan pulled away from Siva and Advait Page, despite not being able to hold off a stunning sprint with the Kerala swimmer finishing in 2:05.81 seconds to break PS Madhu’s old mark (2:08.98) set in 2015. Sajan also won. He finished the 400m freestyle in 3:58.11 seconds after pulling ahead of his rivals in the last 25 meters. Advait Page went on to pip Anish for the silver with his customary fast finish.

It was no surprise that Srihari Nataraj (Karnataka) and Mana Patel (Gujarat) won gold in the men’s and women’s categories with meet records in the 50m backstroke event.

Srihari led from the start to 25.65 seconds, bettering the record (25.88 seconds) set in the morning heats. Mana Patel won with 29.77 seconds and broke her own record (29.81 seconds) in the heats. Karnataka won the 4x100m mixed freestyle event at the Games to take its tally to 18 gold medals.

result

Men: 400m Freestyle: 1. Sajan Prakash (KER) (3:58.11s), 2. Advait Page (MP), 3. Anish S. Gowda (CAR); 200m IM 1. Sajan Prakash (KER) ( 2:05.81s- NGR; OR- 2:08.98, PSMadhu, SSCB, 2015), 2. S. Shiva (CAT), 3. Benedicton Rohit (TN); 50m Backstroke: 1. Srihari Nataraj (Kar) (25.65s- NGR; OR- 25.88s, Srihari Nataraj, Karnataka, 2022), 2. V. Vinayak (SSCB), 3. S. Shiva (Car).

Women: 400m Freestyle: 1. Hashika Ramachandra (Kar) (4:32.17-NGR; OR- 4.32.50, Akansha Vora, Maharashtra, 2015), 2. Bhavya Sachdeva (Del), 3. Vritti Agarwal (Tel); 200m IM: Hashika Ramachandra (KAR) (2:26.23s), 2.Manavi Verma (KAR), 3.Sringi Bandekar (Goa); 50m Backstroke: 1. Mana Patel (Guj) (29.77s-NGR; OR- 29.91s, Mana Patel, Gujarat, 2022), 2. Ridhima Virendra Kumar (CAR), 3. Pratishita Dangi (BEN); Mixed 4x100m Freestyle: 1. Karnataka (3:44.62), 2. Maharashtra, 3. Tamil Nadu.