The athletes from Goa have set a blazing pace at the ongoing 37th National Games, securing an impressive array of medals. Notably, the state’s contingent has amassed a total of 1 Gold, 4 Silver, and 9 Bronze medals, reflecting their exceptional skill, determination, and promising start in the competition.
Goa secured their first weightlifting medal at the 37th National Games as Shubham Verma claimed the silver in the men’s 102 kg category. Verma’s impressive total lift of 326 kg earned him the second spot, with Kojum Taba from Services Sports Control Board taking the gold and Assam’s Md. Jameir Hussain securing bronze with a total lift of 325 kg.
Verma’s journey began with a strong snatch performance, successfully lifting 138 kg and further impressing with a 143 kg lift in the second attempt. Although he stumbled at 146 kg, he was fourth at the end of the snatch phase. However, during the clean and jerk, he made a comeback, lifting 183 kg in his second attempt, propelling him to the second position. He then attempted 188 kg in a bid for the gold but fell short.
Verma expressed his happiness in contributing to Goa’s first medal in weightlifting, despite narrowly missing the gold due to a hurried lift that caused balance issues.
The hosts also earned a bronze medal in Modern Pentathlon as their Biathle team finished third, trailing behind Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The Biathle team comprised Yug Salvi, Shivnath Majik, and Narayan Giri. Additionally, Goa clinched two more bronze medals in Pencak Silat through Ajay Korbotkar (Tanding under-45 kg men) and Parmesh Chauhan (Tanding female 45-50 kg) categories. In Modern Pentathlon, Suraj Velip and Kushi Borkar secured third place in the Triathle mixed relay, and Suraj, teaming up with Darshan Velip, bagged bronze in the Triathle men category.
With these additional medals, Goa’s overall medal count now stands at one gold, four silver, and 10 bronze, totaling 15 medals.
