K'taka retains overall team championship in Aquatic championship

Panaji, Sep 23 (UNI) Karnataka swimmers and divers gave their best display and reaped a rich haul of 22 gold medals to retain the overall team championship with 411 points in the LIC 61st Senior National Aquatic championship on the concluding day of the five-day event at the Campal swimming pool in Goa today.

In the meet, Karnataka won 53 medals including 22 gold, 19 silver and 12 bronze in swimming.

On the last day of the championship, three new records were set, taking the tally of records to 19 -- Men 15 and women 4.

Rohan Poncha of Karnataka was declared the Best Swimmer with 33 points in men's category. He hogged the limelight setting 4 individual meet records. While in the women's group, Richa Mishra of Police was adjudged Best Swimmer with 35 points. She has to her credit five gold medals, including three individual meet record.

In fact, eight of the total 19 records were set up by Karnataka.

Karantaka were also team champions in both Men and Women's events, with 186 and 225 points respectively.

In Diving team championship, Railways claimed both men and women's titles with 23 and 31 points respectively.

In the men's Waterpolo event, the Railways emerged champions, while SSCB had to be content with runners-up position.

In the Women's event, Police were the champions and Maharastra finished second.

Karnataka today claimed three gold medals with one meet record.

Gold medal winners included Rehan Poncha (NR) in 200 mt Individual Medley (men), Shikha Tandon in 50 mt Free style (Women) and in 4x100 mt Medley Relay (Women).

Richa Mishra of Police won gold in 200 mt Individual Medley (women), M B Balakrishnan (Tamil Nadu) bag gold in 100 mt Backstroke (men). Fariha Zaman of Assam claimed gold in 100 mt Backstroke (women). For SSCB, two gold medals were won by T A Sujith in 50 mt Free style (men) and 4x100 mt Medley Relay (Men).

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