38th National Games: Manipur wins gold in men's triathlon event

Manipur clinched its first gold medal of the 38th National Games, on January 26. Sarungbam Athouba Meitei won the men’s individual triathlon title before Maharashtra's Dolly Devidas Patil claimed the top honour in the women's corresponding event.

Another Manipuri player, Telheiba Soram clinched the silver in the men's event, marking a 1-2 finish for the tiny northeastern state. Maharashtra’s Parth Sachin Mirage claimed the bronze.

The triathlon event, an endurance multi-sport race consisting of swimming, cycling and running over various distances, began two days ahead of the official opening of the 38th National Games in Dehradun by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Athouba displayed remarkable stamina and precision, completing the race in 1:01:01s at Manaskhand Tarantal at Golapar here. His performance included a swim time of 09:55 minutes, a bike segment of 31:53 minutes, and a run time of 18:09 minutes.

He was overall second in swimming, first in biking, and fourth in the running leg, demonstrating consistency across all the three disciplines.

Silver winner Telheiba finished with an overall time of 1:02:10s, after putting up a determined challenge and ensuring a podium double for Manipur.

Meanwhile, Parth Sachin showcased commendable endurance and tactical acumen, completing the race in 1:01:14s to secure the bronze for Maharashtra.

“I am happy, but I don’t know why I am not very happy. I just want to keep practicing and play more and more tournaments to get better as I am just 18 years old,” said Athouba after winning the gold.

In the women’s individual triathlon event, Maharashtra dominated with 1-2 finish as Dolly Devidas Patil secured the gold medal, while state-mate Mansi Vinod Mohite took the silver.

Aadya Singh of Madhya Pradesh claimed the bronze.

Dolly delivered an outstanding performance, clocking a total time of 1:10:03s, which included a swim time of 10:35 minutes, a bike segment of 35:51 minutes, and a run time of 20:37 minutes.

She was the fastest in swimming, third in biking, and second in running, demonstrating her well-rounded abilities.

The silver and bronze medal contest was intense, with Mansi finishing with a total time of 1:10:43, just four seconds ahead of Aadya Singh, who clocked 1:10:47.

Speaking about her victory, Dolly said, “This is my first gold at any National Games, so I am happy. I practiced really hard for this. I am very relieved.”