SPO -KHELO-ROUND UP

Hosts Maharashtra picked crucial

gold medals in almost every discipline as it continued its

march in the Khelo India Youth Games here.

The hosts, powered by four gold each from swimming and

gymnastics, also picked more gold from athletics, badminton

and judo to race away past the 50-mark for gold medals.

Theynow have 56 golds along with 44 silver and 56

bronze medals for a whopping total of 156 medals, a media

release said.

Despite picking up nine gold medals, which included

three each from judo and swimming, Delhi were still lagging

behind in the race for overall supremacy.

Delhi now have 45 gold, 27 silver and 38 bronze

medals, while Haryana have 33 gold, 34 silver and 36 bronze

medals.

Among the individual stars of the day, 10-year-old

Abhinav Shaw stood out as he teamed up with Mehuli Ghosh to

take the gold in the 10m Air Rifle mixed team event.

In the process, Shaw became the youngest gold

medallist at these Games.

Devanshi, daughter of former pistol legend Jaspal

Rana, stole the limelight as she won the Under-21 junior

women's 25m pistol gold and held off a challenge by Haryana's

resurgent Anjali Choudhary.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu's Balakumar Nithin and

Karnataka's AT Daneshwari emerged as the country's top

sprinters as both of them completed the 100m-200m double.

Yuga Birnale led Maharashtra's charge with three

medals, including two gold, as the hosts maintained their

domination in the pool over Karnataka and Delhi.

Of the 12 gold at stake today, Maharashtra picked up

four while Delhi and Karnataka took three each.

If there was one sport where Maharashtra's domination

was halted then it was Judo, where Delhi clinched three more

gold medals to finish with the tally of a complete dozen.

Delhi topped in both the Under-17 and Under-21

sections with six gold in each category.