Did Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir Find Emotional Victory in KIYG 2025?

Patna, May 8 (NationPress) The host state of Bihar made an impressive statement as their Sepak Takraw Quad Team clinched their inaugural gold medal in the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025 with a remarkable display in the final on Thursday. Later in the day, Jammu and Kashmir also celebrated their first gold in this seventh edition.

The sports community in Bihar was elated as the boys’ Sepak Takraw Quad Team triumphed over the strong competition from Manipur in the finals held at the BSAP 5 Indoor Stadium.

Although the girls’ quad team faced disappointment with a loss to Manipur, the boys’ team consisting of Harshit Kumar, Parthsarathi, Tanmay Raj, Ankit Kumar, Siddhant Kumar, and Anshu Kumar brought joy by winning in straight games, scoring 17-15, 15-11.

Rishav Sawarn also contributed to Bihar’s medal tally with a bronze in the boys’ +81kg category at the Gyan Bhawan. The home state now stands with a medal tally of 1 gold, 5 silver, and 6 bronze, climbing into the upper half of the medal standings. Leading the tally is Maharashtra with 19 gold, 19 silver, and 16 bronze medals at the time of reporting.

While Maharashtra maintains a significant lead, the contest for the second position is heating up. Rajasthan, with 12 gold, 5 silver, and 4 bronze, is just ahead of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, both of which celebrated their gold medal achievements on Thursday.

Karnataka made a notable recovery through its swimmers, capturing three gold medals and gaining a slight edge over Madhya Pradesh. Haryana also moved into the top five, although its total of 5 gold, 5 silver, and 9 bronze does not match its status as a sporting powerhouse.

Meanwhile, the boys’ volleyball team from Jammu and Kashmir showcased their mental resilience, achieving an emotional victory over Uttar Pradesh in a thrilling final. They won with scores of 35-33, 19-25, 25-17, and 25-21. On the girls' side, Tamil Nadu secured the championship by overcoming West Bengal 3-1.

In New Delhi, the track cycling events concluded at the Yamuna Velodrome within the Indira Gandhi Indoor Complex. Although the Keirin riders did not finish atop the podium, Rajasthan's cyclists, spearheaded by treble victor Harshita Jakhar, dominated with a total of 7 golds. Jharkhand and Maharashtra each added a gold through Sabina Kimari and Siddhesh Ghorphade, respectively.

The Judo competitions wrapped up in Patna on Thursday, with Rajasthan's Babnoor Brar (boys +81kg) and Mani’s Biplia Yumnam (girls +63kg) securing the final two golds. Various states, including Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Chandigarh, ended with two gold medals each, but Haryana's total of nine medals, including a silver and six bronzes, stood out.

Following Abhinav Choudhary’s gold in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges in New Delhi, Babnoor Brar’s achievement enabled Rajasthan to maintain its second-place position in the medal table with 12 gold, 5 silver, and 3 bronze. Karnataka (11 gold, 15 silver, and 4 bronze) could have secured that spot had their girls’ 4x100 medley team triumphed over Maharashtra in the day’s final race at the BIPARD Swimming Pool in Gaya.

Madhya Pradesh faced disappointment as Sidhi Gupta narrowly missed out on winning all three golds in the girls' Mallakhamb competition. While she excelled in the All-round and Pole events, she fell short in the Rope event, where Maharashtra claimed a 1-2 finish with Aarya Salunkhe and Tanushree Jadhav.