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First South Asian Beach Games:
India tops medals race with 11 golds, Sri Lanka second with 9
by Yasaratne GAMAGE- Reporting from Hambantota
BEACH GAMES: Elder sister India, topped the region in the first South
Asian Beach Games (SABG) when they collected eleven gold medals while
Sri Lanka were in pursuit with nine here in Hambantota when the mega
event concluded on Friday with a vividly coloured yet charming ceremony.
Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa who graced the closing ceremony as the chief
guest officially announced the close of the maiden event. The SABG flag
was de-hoisted and handed over to Maldives who are the hosts for 2012
games.
Eighty one medals, including 27 gold, 26 silver and 28 bronze were
shared among the seven countries India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal,
Bangladesh, Maldives and Afghanistan while Bhutan did not make any
medal.
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Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage (left)
accompanies speaker Chamal Rajapaksa to the Mahinda
Rajapaksa stadium on the final day of the first South Asian
Beach Games in Hambantota
on Friday. |
A total 359 participants took part in the event in which region’ s
elder sister India , with its 90 participants became the champion while
Sri Lanka with the largest contingent of 110 players became second .
The rising city in South, 2004 tsunami hit Hambantota, the venue of
the First South Asian Beach Games which government plans to make an
economic hub of island, is bidding for 2018 Commonwealth Games against
Australia’s Gold Coast. The First Asian Beach Games was originally
scheduled to be held in the Maldives but Sri Lanka which aims to make
the event a precursor to the possible Commonwealth Games won the much
awaited opportunity to host first SABG as well.
The event consisted of 10 main events including, equestrian, beach
football, life saving, beach basketball, beach kabaddi, wind surfing ,
beach handball, beach volleyball, beach netball and marathon swimming
where eight South Asian countries came to live for seven days commenced
on October 8.
Sri Lanka grabbed six gold medals in life saving, three from beach
volleyball and beach netball. Sri Lanka (28 total medals) collected one
medal to surpass India (27 total medals ) in the medals tally.
Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Foreign Employment
Promotion and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera, Sri Lanka National Olympic
Committee Secretary General Maxwell de Silva, Human Resources, Youth and
Sports Minister of Maldives Hassan Latheef, Maldivian NOC Chairman
Ibrahim Islam Ali and a host of distinguished guests were present at the
closing ceremony.
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Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa speaking to the crowd at the
stadium
with Foreign Emplyment Promotion Minister Dilan Perera at
the closing ceremony of the Games. |
First South Asian Beach Games (Medal winners)
Equestrian - Individual Lance: Gold: IND - Jasvinder Singh Bhatt:
Silver: IND - Jasvinder Singh, Bronze:NEP - Dhurba Prasad Ara.
Equestrian - Rings and Peg: Gold: NEP - Dhurba Prasad Ara, Silver:
IND- Jasvinder Singh, Bronze NEP: - Khildhwat Khabka.
Equestrian - Individual Sword: Gold:IND - Jasvinder Singh,Silver:IND
- Nar Singh, Bronze:SRI - Kumara Sarath.
Marathon Swimming - 5km Open Water: Gold: IND - Mervin Roak Chen,
Silver:IND - Manda Divas, Bronze: SRI - Pathum Edirishnghe.
Football- Men: Gold: BAN – Silver: SRI – Bronze: NEP.
Equestrian - Lemon and Peg: Gold: IND - Krishan Yadar,Silver: IND -
Jasvinder Singh Bhatt, Bronze: SRI - Sarath Kumara.
Life Saving - Board Race: Gold: SRI - W.P. Lahiru Fernando, Silver:
IND - Demudu Chodipalli, Bronze: PAK - Naeem Ahmed.
Life Saving - Run Swim Run: Gold: SRI - Sahan Rupasinghe,Silver: BAN
- Shri Pola Chowdhury, Bronze: SRI - N.S. Priyasanka.
Life Saving – Oceanman/Oceanwoman: Gold: SRI - Akila Watareka,
Silver: SRI - Dilshan Samarathunga, Bronze: IND - Amreen Malik.
Beach Basketball – Men: Gold: IND, Silver: SRI, Bronze: MDV.
Beach Basketball – Women Gold: IND, Silver: MDV, Bronze: SRI.
Beach Kabaddi – Men Gold: PAK, Silver: IND, Bronze - SRI, NEP.
Beach Kabaddi – Women
Gold: IND, Silver: SRI, Bronze: BAN, NEP.
Life Saving - Beach Flags – Men: Gold:SRI - G.H.S. Kelum,Silver:SRI -
Bhanuka Wijesundara, Bronze: IND - Rajesh Haldar.
Equestrian - Lance and Sword – Pairs: Gold: PAK1 - Haroon Bandyal/Aamir
Munnawar, Silver: PAK2 - Chaudri Rashid/Shebaz Khan,Bronze: IND2 -
Jaswinder Singh/Nar Singh.
Life Saving - Beach Sprint(90m) Gold: SRI - R.M.K.L. Karunarathna,
Silver: SRI - M.M.P.R. Mel, Bronze: IND - Rajesh Haldar.
Life Saving - Beach Relay: Gold: SRI, Silver: IND, Bronze: PAK.
Windsurfing - Mistral One Open Heavyweight: Gold:PAK - Sajjad
Muhammad, Silver: SRI - Priyantha Gunawardana, Bronze: IND - Ram Lal.
Windsurfing - Mistral One Open Lightweight: Gold: PAK - Qasim Abbas
Rathore, Silver: SRI - Chameera Gunawardana, Bronze: MDV - Nooman
Aboobakuru.
Equestrian - Team Lance: Gold: IND, Silver: NEP, Bronze:PAK.
Equestrian - Indian File: Gold: IND, Silver: PAK, Bronze: SRI.
Equestrian - Team Sword Gold: IND, Silver: NEP, Bronze: SRI.
Beach Handball – Men: Gold: IND, PAK ( this is not a mistake, Ind and
Pak were both given golds). Silver: AFG, Bronze: SRI.
Beach Volleyball – Men:
Gold: SRI1, Silver: SRI2, Bronze: IND1.
Beach Volleyball – Women: Gold: SRI 2, Silver: SRI1,Bronze: IND.
Beach Netball – Women: Gold: SRI, Silver: IND, Bronze: PAK. |
