Rakesh Kumar Patra lived up to his reputation as the gymnastic role-model of Odisha by winning a gold medal in the 38th National Games at Bhagirathi Hall in Dehradun, Uttarakhand today. The Puri gymnast captured the gold in mens still rings, his pet event, with a score of 13.133. Winning the National Games gold medal at the age of 32 years was yet another testament of Patra’s passion and dedication for gymnastics.
The bronze medal in still rings was also bagged by Puri gymnast Tapan Mohanty, albeit for Services Sports Control Board (SSCB), scoring 12.700. This was the fifth medal and second of the day for Mohanty who also captured the gold in floor exercise with a score of 13.033. Earlier, he bagged one gold medal each in mens team and individual all-around events.