Odisha Gymnast Rakesh Patra Shines in National Artistic Gymnastics Championship Opener

Bhubaneswar: The inaugural day of the Senior Artistic Gymnastics National Championship showcased mesmerizing performances at the Gymnastics Centre in Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. Odisha’s pride, Rakesh Kumar Patra, shone in the all-around category, securing the top position, while Railways soared to victory, claiming the Gold medal with an impressive 293.00 points on Day 1 of the National Championship.

Services bagged the Silver with 292.10 points, while the hosts, Odisha, secured the Bronze with 290.40 points.

Siddhartha Das, Director, Sports & Youth Services, Odisha, graced the opening ceremony as the Chief Guest, joined by Avijit Paul, Secretary, Odisha Olympic Association, and officials of AM/NS.

Local hero Rakesh accumulated 75.05 points to lead in the all-around. Reflecting on his outstanding performance, Rakesh expressed, “I’m extremely happy to have finished on top in the all-around. This feat is even sweeter as I achieved it at home, in front of my people, and at the place where I train. I’m thankful for the support from the Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre, the Government of Odisha, the Odisha Gymnastics Association, and the Gymnastics Federation of India. I’m now looking forward to giving my best in the individual competition on the final day of the championship.”

Railway’s Siddharth Verma secured the second position with 74.75 points, and Gaurav Kumar from Services claimed the third spot with 74.65 points.

Olympians Dipa Karmakar and Pranati Nayak are set to captivate the audience on the second day of the Senior Artistic Gymnastics National Championships 2024.