Lusofonia Games Day 6: Team Goa-India wins eight gold medals

Panaji, Jan 23 (IANS) Team Goa-India Thursday won a rich haul of eight gold medals on the sixth day of the Lusofonia Games 2014, five in track and field events and three in table tennis.

In the men’s 100m final event, Goa-India could not find a place on the medal podium, with Angola’s Osvaldo Morais and Maura Gaspar winning the gold (10.67 seconds) and the bronze medal (10.91 seconds). Cape Verde’s Daniel Martins won the silver medal.

In the women’s 100m final event Goa-India won the gold and silver medals with Archana Susentran (11.98 seconds) and Ruma Sarkar (12.16 seconds). Jani Chaturangani from Sri Lanka won the bronze medal in 12.19 seconds.

In the shot put event, Team Goa-India’s shot-putter Hubert D’Costa won the gold with a mighty throw of 12.32m. Goa-India’s Ashwin Soares won the silver with a 9.77m throw.

In the women’s 1500m final, team Goa-India’s Chitra P.U. won with a timing of 4.35.37, while the silver was won by Felismina from Angola. Goa-India’s Nitisha Gaonkar won the bronze medal.

Mozambique won the gold medal in the men’s 1500m final with Alberto Mamba clocking 4.06.90, while Sri Lankan P.H. Chamal came second with 4.08.60. Goa-India’s Mohammed Afsal won the bronze with a timing of 4.10.60.

Team Goa-India’s Tintu N.D. led the athletics charge in the high jump final by outjumping her nearest Sri Lankan rival Saumiya S.

While Tintu jumped at the bar set at 1.71m, while Saumiya S. could go as high as only 1.68m. Neena V. from Goa-India stood third with a high jump of 1.45m.

In the men’s long jump event, Goa-India took both the gold and silver with a jump of 7.01m by Shankar K. and Anik Ajay at 6.91m. Cape Verde’s Bruno Moniz won the bronze with a long jump of 6.76m.

Team Goa-India won the top honours in the table tennis with Harmeet Desai and Soumyajit Ghosh slugging it out in a five setter at the Peddem indoor stadium.

Harmeet who eventually won the gold medal said he was humbled about playing the match with his team mate.

Harmeet Desai beat Soumyajit Ghosh with the final score of 4-1 (11-8; 11-2; 11-7; 8-11; 11-7).

Team Goa-India also won two more gold medals in the mixed doubles and women’s doubles finals in table tennis.

Team Goa-India has won 13 gold medals, five silver medals and six bronze medals at the end of day six of the Games.