Strong Delhi squad for Manipur Games

NEW DELHI, February 12: Delhi, overall runners-up of the last National Games, will field a huge contingent of over 350 for the fifth edit...

NEW DELHI, February 12: Delhi, overall runners-up of the last National Games, will field a huge contingent of over 350 for the fifth edition to be held in Imphal, Manipur, from February 14 to 25.

Delhi will take part in 20 of the total 27 medal disciplines at the Games while women will participate in 13 events, according to Delhi Olympic Association secretary, Lalit Bhanot.

The entire contingent was accorded a send-off and presented the ceremonial kit in a brief function. The first batch left for Imphal on February 10.

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KD Gautam will be the Chef de Mission. Prominent athletes like distance runner Bahadur Prasad, sprinter Amit Khanna and quarter-miler Jata Shankar in men and Bangkok Asian Games medal winners Gurmeet Kaur, Vinita Tripathi and Jincy Philipps among women will take part.

Commonwealth Games silver winning boxer Jitender Kumar, pistol ace Jaspal Rana, shuttler Srikant Bakshi are among the others who will be taking part.

In the last games, Delhi had finished third in the medals rostrum behind hosts Karnataka and Punjab. They were second in terms of most number of medals won (119 – 36 gold, 45 silver and 38 bronze) behind the hosts (168). Punjab had taken the second spot by virtue of winning 44 golds – eight more than Delhi.