Taekwondo athlete Ruchika Shrirang Bhave cornered glory by winning the bronze medal for Odisha in women above 73kg kyorugi event of the 38th National Games at Milam Hall in Haldwani, Uttarakhand today. The bronze medal came as a silver lining for Odisha on an otherwilse lean day at the National Games.

Ruchika settled for the bronze medal after losing to an Assam opponent 0-2 in the semifinals. It may be noted that, Ruchika originally belongs to Maharashtra and studied at SNDT Arts & Commerce College, Pune. She represented India in the 23rd Asian Senior Taekwondo Championship 2018 at Ho Chi Minn City, Vietnam.

With the taekwondo bronze, the total number of medals for Odisha became 24, which included five gold, eight silver and 11 bronze. Meanwhile, Odisha women hockey team registered its first win after two defeats, trouncing Karnataka 4-1 at Vandana Katariya Hockey Stadium in Haridwar.

Captain Jiwan Kishori Toppo scored a brace, while Rashmita Minz and Pratibha Ekka sounded the board once each for Odisha. Earlier, Odisha lost to West Bengal 0-1 and Madhya Pradesh 2-3. Odisha women now stand fourth with three points in Pool-A league. They will play their fourth and last match against Haryana on February 10.
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PHOTO: Taekwondo athlete Ruchika Shrirang Bhave poses with the bronze medal she won for Odisha at the 38th National Games in Haldwani, Uttarakhand on 7 February 2024.