KATHMANDU, Dec 6: Teen sensation Gaurika Singh won her first gold at the South Asian Games becoming the first individual Nepali swimmer to achieve the feat on Thursday.
Nepal also won a silver and a bronze on the day.
On the first day of swimming at the Satdobato Swimming Complex, Singh, competing in the women’s 200 meters freestyle event, clocked 2:05.06 minutes to win her first-ever gold medal in an international tournament.
With this, she also set a new national record breaking the previous one of 2:09.19 minutes set by herself at the 22nd National Open in 2018.
Singh’s closest competitor was India’s Shivangi Sharma, who clocked 2:07.19 winning the silver medal. Likewise, Bangladesh’s Junayna Ahmed claimed the bronze medal with a timing of 2:12.83 minutes.
This is the first time a Nepali swimmer has won a gold medal in the individual category as the other gold won in the eighth SAG was won by a women’s team consisting of Runa Pradhan, Nayana Shakya, Rubina Pradhan and Stuti Singh.
Likewise, she bettered her 2016 SAG record by winning a gold medal this time. She had won a silver and three bronze medals in 400 meters freestyle, 100 and 200 meters backstroke events in the competition held in Guwahati and Shillong of India.
Gaurika, Nepal’s most successful athlete in SAG
Maiden Individual SAG Gold
On the day when three Nepalis set new national records in individual categories, teen sensation Gaurika Singh won her first gold at the South Asian Games becoming the first individual Nepali swimmer to achieve the feat on Thursday.
Nepal also won a silver and a bronze on the day.
On the first day of swimming at the Satdobato Swimming Complex, Singh, competing in the women’s 200 meters freestyle event, clocked 2:05.06 minutes to win her first ever gold medal in an international tournament.
With that, she also set a new national record breaking the previous one of 2:09.19 minutes set at the 22nd National Open in 2018. Singh’s closest competitor was India’s Shivangi Sharma, who clocked 2:07.19 winning the silver medal. Likewise, Bangladesh’s Junayna Ahmed claimed the bronze medal with a timing of 2:12.83.
This is the first time a Nepali swimmer has won a gold medal in the individual category as the other gold won in the eighth SAG was won by a women’s team consisting of Runa Pradhan, Nayana Shakya, Rubina Pradhan and Stuti Singh.
Likewise, she bettered her 2016 SAG record by winning a gold medal this time. She had won a silver and three bronze medals in 400 meters freestyle, 100 and 200 meters backstroke events in the competition held in Guwahati and Shillong of India.
Also, Nepal’s Duana Lama won the silver medal in the women’s 200 meters breaststroke event with a timing of 2:44.68, also breaking her won previous national record set in heat.
India’s bid of adding four gold medals on the day was made successful by Apeksha Delyla Fernandes, who clocked 2:38.05 minutes to claim the first prize. Also, Sri Lanka’s Ramudi Nulara Samarakoon bagged the bronze with a timing of 2:44.71 minutes.
Nepal won the bronze in women’s 400 meters freestyle relay as the team of Singh, Lama, Tisa Shakya and Anushiya Tandukar completed the distance in 4:00.18 minutes.
That broke the national record as well set by Singh, Lama, Upasthi Mharjan and Sofiya Gadegaard Shah at the eighth National Games earlier this year.
However, the top prize was claimed by India again as Annie Jain, Rajiv Manna Patel, Divya Satija and Shivangi Sharma clocked 3:55.17 minutes, while Sri Lanka’s Bhakti Ashinsa Karunasena, Sandu Savindi Muhandiramge, Ganga Sen Malwaththage and Hiruki Dhamsa Randombage claimed the silver with a timing of 4:07.97.
The other swimmers could not win any medal, but despite finishing in the fifth place, Nepali team of Alex Gadegaard Shah, Sayed Hamza Shah, Anubhav Subba and Tenzin Namdolryan Gurung set a new national record in men’s 400 meters freestyle relay.
The previous record was set by Shah, Dipankar Awale, Tarun Bhandari and Gaurav Lama at the eighth National Games.
In men’s 200 meters freestyle, Sri Lanka’s Matthew Duncan Abeysinghe won the gold with Indian duo Kushagra Rawat and Anand Anil Kumar Shyalaja claimed silver and bronze medals respectively.
Likewise, India’s Likith Selvaraj Prema won the gold with Danush Suresh claiming the silver. Also, Bangladesh’s Junayna Ahmed bagged the bronze.
In men’s 100 meters butterfly, Sri Lanka’s Matthew Duncan added one gold to his tally of two, while India’s Rajendra Ambre and Bangladesh’s Mahamudun Nobi Nahid claiming silver and bronze respectively.
In women’s 100 meters butterfly, India duo Satija and Fernandes won the gold and the silver medals respectively, while Sri Lanka’s Aniqah Gaffoor winning the bronze.
