Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: Meghalaya made history at the 14th Senior National Pencak Silat Championship. Fighters from the state grabbed two gold medals in the artistic seni categories. This marks the first time the state has taken gold at this national event.
Nearly 1,500 athletes from 36 states and organizations are battling at the Sports Authority of India centre on the NEHU campus. The Indian Pencak Silat Federation and Meghalaya Pencak Silat Association are running the show. Police official Neena Rabha attended the event on day two. She praised the athletes for their dedication. She noted, "both demand discipline, rigorous training, commitment and teamwork."
Local combatants kept the momentum going. Anthony Shadap punched his ticket to the pre-quarterfinals by beating Mizoram’s Benjamin Lalrindika 6-2. Sumita Klein pulled off a wild comeback against Kerala’s Sanooja K. Klein trailed early but won 19-18 after landing a point in the final second. Anisha Phangcho also moved on after her opponent from Uttar Pradesh racked up enough penalties to finish with a score of minus 17.
The competition wraps up this Thursday. Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem will head to the closing ceremony as the final guest.
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