Amidst negative reports of alleged scams and irregularities related to the Commonwealth Games, a decent haul of eight medals, including six silver and two bronze, by the Indian athletes in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) has come as a whiff of fresh air.
Befittingly, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Saturday honoured the medal winners with cash awards. IOA President Suresh Kalmadi handed over cheques worth Rs. 2 lakh each to the silver medallists and Rs. 1 lakh each to the bronze winners. Electronics major Samsung also announced identical cash awards for the medallists.
Three athletes could not make it to the function because of their prior commitments. Badminton player Prannoy Haseena Sunil Kumar and boxer Vikas Krishan had to report to the National camps, while tennis player Yuki Bhambri had to participate in another tournament.
Two for athletics
With two silver medals, the athletics squad was the proudest of all. Coach Rajinder Singh Saini expressed satisfaction over the success of Durgesh Kumar Pal (400m hurdles) and Arjun (discus).
Khushbir Kaur, who finished 13th, achieved her personal best of 25:30.27 in the five km walk.
The boxer duo of Vikas and Shiva Thapa was expected to shine at the YOG. Vikas, a youth World champion, settled for a bronze, while Shiva, a youth World championship silver medallist, bagged the silver.
Wrestler Pooja Dhanda was confident about her abilities, despite losing her final bout to Mangolian Battsetseg Baatarzorig.
Satyawart Kadian, flanked by his father and guru Satyawan, was delighted that he had not made any mistake by following in his father's footprints. “I was inspired by my father's feats and always wanted to be like him,” said the YOG bronze medallist wrestler.
Satyawan, an Arjuna Award winner in 1989, was excited that his faith in his son's abilities had clicked. Besides the eight medallists, Neha Thakur, representing the Cairo side in the judo mixed team event, was honoured for bagging a bronze.
