Bhubaneswar woman international Pratyasa Ray and Ganjam man Subhrant Patra bagged five gold medals each to emerge highly successful in senior group of the 61st Odisha State Swimming Championship, which concluded at the Biju Patnaik Swimming Pool Complex in Bhubaneswar today.

However, Mannata Mishra, Divyanka Dibyajyoti Pradhan and Jadu Budek proved to be the most successful simmers overall. Competing in both junior and senior categories, the trio captured 10 medals each. Mannata also directly qualified for the forthcoming National championship 50m breaststroke event.

A total of 198 swimmers from 16 districts vied for medals in 140 events of the two-day State championship. This edition of the championship was rated as the best by competitors, guardians and event-conducting officials. The refurbished Biju Patnaik Swimming Pool Complex made the State championship look like a National championship.

Converting the open-sky complex into an all-weather indoor complex made a big difference. The transparent blue water of the swimming pool was a visual delight. The entire arena was clearn and sanitized. Overall the event was nicely marketed by the State Sports Department

However, the championship lost much of its credit as media persons and spectators were not allowed to enter the stadium and cover/witness the event. The security people at the stadium gates were seen ill-treating people keen to watch the championship.

On the other hand the same security workers were seen turning blind eye uncountable people merely entering the stadium on foot or on vehicles. This kind of attitude and actions by the Kalinga Stadium authorities made one to ask a simple question, Kalinga Stadium is a sports hub or a secret den?

RESULTS (26 Sept 2021):

SENIOR MEN: 100m Breaststroke: 1. Upendra Pujari (Sambalpur), 2. Raiguru Suryansh Mohapatra (Keonjhar), 3. Anmol Mohanty (Cuttack). 100m Backstroke: 1. Amiya Kumar Pradhan (Sambalpur), 2. Kalash Verma (Bhubaneswar), 3. Ganesh Naik (Boudh). 100m Butterfly: 1. Shubhrant Patra (Ganjam), 2. Bikash Haripal (Sambalpur), 3. Nabin Sharma (Bargarh). 100m Freestyle: 1. Jadu Budek (Bargarh), 2. Shubhrant Patra (Ganjam), 3. Nabin Sharma (Bargarh). 200m Breaststroke: 1. Ayush Aryaman Badu (Bhubaneswar), 2. Shreyans Swain (Cuttack), 3. Svisa Barik (Deogarh). 200m Backstroke: 1. Amiya Kumar Pradhan (Sambalpur), 2. Nitesh Seth (Sambalpur), 3. Rabi Narayan Behera (Boudh). 200m Butterfly: 1. Shubhrant Patra (Ganjam), 2. Sashi Bhusan Jena (Puri-I), 3. Ratnakar Jena (Puri-I). 200m Medley: 1. Jadu Budek (Bargarh), 2. Amiya Kumar Pradhan (Sambalpur), 3. Bikash Haripal (Sambalpur). 200m Freestyle: 1. Shubhrant Patra (Ganjam), 2. Jadu Budek (Bargarh), 3. Bikash Haripal (Sambalpur). 400m Freestyle: 1. Bikash Haripal (Sambalpur), 2. Nabin Sharma (Bargarh), 3. Saatvik Pandey (Khorda). 50m Backstroke: 1. Jadu Budek (Bargarh), 2. Nabin Sharma (Bargarh), 3. Amiya Kumar Pradhan (Sambalpur). 50m Butterfly: 1. Shubhrant Patra (Ganjam), 2. Bikash Haripal (Sambalpur), 3. Jadu Budek (Bargarh). 50m Breaststroke: 1. Upendra Pujari (Sambalpur), 2. Amiya Kumar Pradhan (Sambalpur), 3. Kuna Bagh (Subarnapur). 50m Freestyle 1. Anmol Mohanty (Cuttack), 2. Sonu Patel (Sundargarh), 3. Ananda Nayak (Subarnapur)

BOYS-V (9 Years): 100m Breaststroke: 1. Shree Jeet Mahakur (Sambalpur), 2. Susovit Beriha (Sambalpur), 3. Himanshu Sekhar Bhoi (Sundargarh). 100m Freestyle: 1. Susovit Beriha (Sambalpur), 2. Aditya Panda (Sundargarh), 3. Shree Jeet Mahakur (Sambalpur). 50m Backstroke: 1. Susovit Beriha (Sambalpur), 2. Himanshu Sekhar Bhoi (Sundargarh), 3. Shree Jeet Mahakur (Sambalpur). 50m Breaststroke 1. Himanshu Sekhar Bhoi (Sundargarh), 2. Shree Jeet Mahakur (Sambalpur), 3. Susovit Beriha (Sambalpur). 50m Freestyle: 1. Susovit Beriha (Sambalpur), 2. Himanshu Sekhar Bhoi (Sundargarh), 3. Aditya Panda (Sundargarh).

BOYS-IV (10 Years): 50m Backstroke: 1. Saswat Mahakur (Sundargarh), 2. Swastik Mahakur (Sambalpur), 3. Bhumit Pradhan (Sambalpur). 50m Backstroke: 1. Saswat Mahakur (Sundargarh), 2. Swastik Mahakur (Sambalpur), 3. Bhumit Pradhan (Sambalpur). 50m Breaststroke: 1. Saswat Mahakur (Sundargarh), 2. Bhumit Pradhan  (Sambalpur), 3. Swastik Mahakur (Sambalpur). 50m Freestyle: 1. Bhumit Pradhan (Sambalpur), 2. Prabhudas Panda (Sundargarh), 3. Swastik Mahakur (Sambalpur).

SENIOR WOMEN: 100m Breaststroke: 1. Mannata Mishra (Keonjhar), 2. Anshika Aradhana Sahoo (Bargarh), 3. Tulsi Kisan (Sambalpur). 100m Backstroke. 1. Pratyasa Ray (Bhubaneswar), 2. Mahika Mahakur (Sambalpur), Daspreet Kaur Sodhi (Sambalpur). 100m Butterfly: 1. Mannata Mishra (Keonjhar), 2. Divyanka Dibyajyoti Pradhan (Khorda), 3. Aliva Samal (Cuttack). 100m Freestyle: 1. Sonia Patel (Sambalpur), 2. Vadra Satpathy (Bhubaneswar),3. Addyasha Mishra (Khorda). 200m Breaststroke 1. Tulsi Kisan (Sambalpur), 2. Subhangi Bag (Sambalpur). 200m Backstroke: 1. Vadra Satpathy (Bhubaneswar), 2. Mahika Mahakur (Sambalpur). 200m Medley: 1. Mannata Mishra (Keonjhar), 2. Mahika Mahakur (Sambalpur), 3. Aliva Samal (Cuttack). 200m Freestyle: 1. Pratyasa Ray (Bhubaneswar), 2. Divyanka Dibyajyoti Pradhan (Khorda), 3. Sonia Patel (Sambalpur). 400m Freestyle: 1. Divyanka Dibyajyoti Pradhan (Khorda), 2. Sonia Patel (Sambalpur) 3. Anshika Aradhana Sahoo (Bargarh). 50m Backstroke: 1. Pratyasa Ray (Bhubaneswar), 2. Anshika Aradhana Sahoo (Bargarh), 3. Mahika Mahakur (Sambalpur). 50m Butterfly: 1. Pratyasa Ray (Bhubaneswar), 2. Divyanka Dibyajyoti Pradhan (Khorda), 3. Anshika Aradhana Sahoo (Bargarh). 50m Breaststroke: 1. Mannata Mishra (Keonjhar), 2. Divyanka Dibyajyoti Pradhan (Khorda), 3. Addyasha Mishra (Khorda). 50m Freestyle: 1. Pratyasa Ray (Bhubaneswar), 2. Mannata Mishra (Keonjhar), 3. Anshika Aradhana Sahoo (Bargarh).

GIRLS-IV (10 Years): 50m Backstroke: 1. Arpita Seth (Sambalpur). 50m Butterfly: 1. Pratikhya Nandi (Cuttack). 50m Breaststroke: 1. Arpita Seth (Sambalpur), 2. Pratikhya Nandi (Cuttack). 50m Freestyle: 1. Arpita Seth (Sambalpur), 2. Pratikhya Nandi (Cuttack).

GIRLS-V (9 Years): 100m Breaststroke: 1. Aliyana Panda (Sambalpur). 100m Freestyle: 1. Aliyana Panda (Sambalpur), 2. Shree Jeeta Mahakur (Sambalpur). 50m Butterfly: 1. Aliyana Panda (Sambalpur), 2. Shree Jeeta Mahakur (Sambalpur). 50m Breaststroke: 1. Aliyana Panda (Sambalpur), 2. Shree Jeeta Mahakur (Sambalpur). 50m Freestyle: 1. Aliyana Panda (Sambalpur), 2. Shree Jeeta Mahakur (Sambalpur).