Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Both Goa 1 and Goa 2 have advanced to the quarterfinals of the 38th National Games Beach Volleyball event, held on Tuesday.
Goa 1 suffered a three-set defeat against Tamil Nadu but still secured a spot in the next round. Meanwhile, Goa 2 topped their group after defeating Uttar Pradesh in straight sets.
Coach Pralhad Dhawaskar expressed confidence in the teams, stating, "Both teams have performed well throughout the tournament and should qualify for the finals." However, he identified Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh as strong competitors.
In the quarterfinals, Goa 1 will face Kerala, while Goa 2 will compete against Andhra Pradesh 2.
Taekwondo team ready for competition
Despite recent match-fixing allegations in taekwondo, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has taken corrective measures, ensuring the competition proceeds as scheduled.
Goa will be represented by four athletes—two male and two female—who are strong medal contenders. Coach Elisabeth Luis expressed optimism, stating, “The team is in fine form, and we have high expectations from them.”
On Monday, Shrungi Bandekar missed a medal by a whisker when she came in fourth in the finals of the 200 metres individual medley. She lost the third spot by a mere .42 milliseconds.
Goa's campaign in the boxing tournament came to an end as Suman Yadav, competing in the 54 kg weight category, suffered a 5-0 defeat against a boxer from Madhya Pradesh. Earlier, another Goan boxer had already lost to Assam.