A 16-member Odisha squad returned home today after bagging three medals in the KAI Senior National Karate Championship, which was held at Syama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Panaji, Goa on February 25 and 26, 2017. The medals include two gold and one bronze. Overall, Odisha finished fourth, while

International Valena Valentina secured one gold medal in women’s open kata event, while the other gold was pocketed by Dillip Kumar Jane in men’s 67kg fight category. Chinmayee Bhuyan won the bronze in women’s 61kg fight event.

Other 13 members of the Odisha squad were: Sindhu Tanaya Khuntia, Anupama Swain, Sujata Sahoo, Susmini Palatasingh, Krushna Chandra Moharana, Debadarshi Prusty, Santosh Moharana, Tofan Badatya, Umakanta Senapati, Pawan Kumar, Jyoti Ranjan, KGK Pratihari and Krishna Shikari.

Valena credited her success to her coach J S Kalaimani, saying, ``Last year I failed to win gold. This time I worked hard during a two-month-long training stint at Chennai, under the guidance of Kalaimani sir, and the efforts paid off.’’ Valena also said that doing well in the Asian Karate Championship at Tajikistan later this year would be her next target.
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PHOTO: Members of Odisha squad pose at Bhubaneswar on March 1 on their return home from Senior National Karate Championship, held at Panajit, Goa.