KAREENA
SHIRODKAR won a gold medal in
the 80 to 85 kg category in Pencaf silat. For one who has achieved the highest
possible glory, she was a very late starter in the sport. She had a background
in Taekwondo and was advised by her coach to take up Peancaf Silat a month and
a half ago. She put in the hard work training from 7.30 am to 7.30 pm For one
and a half months she trained for twelve hour a day. It was a residential camp
in Navelim. She said the idea of a medal was restricted to a silver or a
bronze. The possibility of her winning the gold medal, she said entered her
consciousness when she was in the final match. She said, “ It was a tough
encounter and my focus was not on the score. It was only after the match ended
I realised I had won the gold medal”. The 23 year old is studying for her post
grad in law and intends to join the service i.e. the police department. She
intends to continue playing Pencak Silat and intends to grab whatever
opportunity .that comes her way
KATYA COELHO is a gold medalist in the Iqfoil category
which is a Olympic class race. Katya has been windsurfing for ten years and
made the shift to windfoiling in 2022.She has been practising the entire year
first for the Asian games and then the World championship and then the
nationals. Her motivation to do well in the Nationals came from the fact she
said that she did not want to be defined by what happened to her in the run up
to the Asian games. There was a lot of speculation, she said and she wanted to
make a point. The fact she was chosen as a torch bearer at the opening ceremony
was a lot of pressure. Speaking about the training she undertook she said it
was an international class and she always believed in training hard, fighting
easy. She said the competition was ok for her and not tough. The 24 year old is
now looking at competing in the Asian circuit in Thailand and Japan and doing
well there. Her season has now come to an end and she will start again in
January at the Sail India Nationals followed by the Asian circuit. Her goal now
is to focus on the Olympics, if not Paris then the games in Los Angeles. She
now wants to focus on her sporting career and then someday.take the family
business ahead
BABU GAONKAR won a gold medal in the lazer run event in
Modern Pentathlon. Just 22 he took up pentathlon 3 months ago. He however has
been involved in running for 12 years. Speaking about his experience he said
this event happened for the first time in Goa and the competition was tough.
One of his closest rivals had represented the country in the recently concluded
Asian games and Babu felt very good beating him. Babu said during his practice
he had dreamed about the gold. All his focus, he said, was on the event and he
said he felt great winning the gold and then qualifying for the world
championship. He would practise everyday in the evening between 5 and 7. He has
completed his graduation and is at home. He expects to apply for a government
job, continue focusing on his event and achieving greater heights in .the future
PRAGATI BANDAGI won a gold medal in Sqay martial arts. The
24 year old has been a practitioner of this style of martial arts for the past
13 years.Her father was interested and pushed her into the sport. A resident of
Corlim, Old Goa, she works in a local bakery. In preparation for the National
Games she spent 3 months training. 45 days in a residential camp and 45 days in
a diet camp. She would practise 3 hours a day during the diet camp and then
three hours twice a day during the residential camp. She has participated in
several nationals all over the country and even the tri-nationals in Nepal
where she won 2 gold medals. She said she never thought of a medal because her
first round match against Maharashtra was very tough and ended in a draw. She almost
gave up, she said. She however won the first point in extra time and won the
match. Her second match was against Jammu and Kashmir and her final was against
Delhi. She said her victory in her first round match gave her a lot of
confidence. Speaking about her plans she said she was very interested in
getting into defense like the police and she hoped the government would keep
their promise. On the sporting front she hopes to.continue playing and
representing Goa
LANGOLJAM
JAINA DEVI is
the captain of the team in Sepak Takraw that won the gold medal. Born and
brought up in Cuncolim, the 21 year old has been playing the game for 15 years.
The confident young woman has been practising the entire year. During the camps
she would train three hours at a stretch twice a day. She said she felt
confident about winning the gold medal during the practice sessions itself. The
fact they had won the gold medal in the senior nationals in Nagpur helped.
Prior to that they had won a silver in the previous years Nationals IN Kolkata.
Aske about her plans she said she wanted to participate in the Asian games and
win a medal. She said she was willing to put in the hours and the effort to
make that a reality. Asked about the possibility of getting a job in the
government, she said she was not sure ofthat because she was not a Goan. n
