Lovely University rise up the table as Karate debuts and hockey provides fireworks

Lovely Professional University made huge strides at the Khelo India University Games 2021, winning six medals (two golds) across three different sports to climbing to third in the medal table. 101 different universities have made their presence felt on the medal table at the games, 46 nabbing at least one gold. Jain University are top of the heap with 25 medals (G16, S5, B4).

The compound archery events came to an end at the range in Jain Global school today. Tanishdeep Singh won the men's event, in a tight final, edging Sagar Chopra 145-144. Tanishdeep had finished 14th in the qualification, and in a knockout performance for the ages, beat higher-ranked opponents in every round en route to gold.

"The first day [qualification round ] was a bit windy and it took me some time to get my bearings at the venue. It affected me a bit, and that's why I had a mediocre qualification," the Delhi University student said. "Every morning and night, my coach insists I meditate, I take some time out to internally analyse my performance and ask myself how I could be better. I decided to not be thrown by the conditions, my opponent or things outside my control. This clarity helped."

For Punjabi University's Kulwinder Singh who had finished top of the individual qualification only to lose in the first knockout round, redemption came in the mixed team competition. Kulwinder and Prabhjot Kaur beat Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya's Muskan Kirar and Chirag Vidyarthi to win gold.

A golden hour early in the morning, brought with it the first gold on the track, as Arif Ali left his fellow competitors far in the distance to win the men's 10,000m. Ali, a final year BA student at Jananayak Chandrashekhar University, won silver at the All India Inter-University Championships 2021 -- and bettered the meet record there.

In the absence of the Inter-University gold medallist Adesh Yadav, Ali was the clear favourite for the event at KIUG 2021. He fulfilled that tag with aplomb, lapping all but the other two medallists en route gold. In the women's 10,000m Mangalore University's KM Laxmi set a new KIUG record (35:49.23) to win gold.

Karate, newly introduced at the Olympics, also made its debut at the Khelo University Games today. Jiwaji University nabbed their first gold at the games, courtesy of Hrithik Banke in the men's individual kata. Lovely Professional University's Mesom won gold in the women's individual kata. The gold was Lovely Professional University's eighth at the games they added another later in athletics taking them to the lofty heights of third on the medal table.

Back at the athletics track in the evening, the men's discus produced one of the best performances at the games so far, the gold and silver medallists both breaking the previous KIUG record in the event. Lovely Professional University's Abhinav threw 54.46m to take gold.

Bangalore City University and Guru Nanak Dev University will face off in the men's hockey final. The game will be a repeat of their high octane encounter in the group stages Bangalore City had won it 3-2.

In both semifinals today the teams were inseparable through regulation time, shootouts deciding the winners. While the first game between GNDU and Punjabi University ended goallessly, the second was a high-scoring, exciting affair. Bangalore City unbeaten through the group stages, were taken the distance by the surprise package of the tournament Savitribai Phule Pune University. In a pulsating shootout, the local team emerged winners and will play the final tomorrow.

( With inputs from ANI )

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