Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Seven water ninjas from Sports Authority of India (SAI), Bhopal, have won a total of 24 medals at the 4th Ranking and Open National Canoe Sprint Senior Men and Women Championships 2022, organised at Tehri Lake, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand.
The seven canoeing and kayaking athletes training at the SAI National Centres of Excellence (NCOE) in Bhopal won a total of 24 medals, including 12gold, 5 silver and 7 bronze.
SAI Bhopal water ninja, Sonia, was ranked first and won a gold medal in canoe sprinting: kayak single 5k, 1k, 500m, and 200m. She was also ranked first in kayak mixed doubles and won a gold medal in the 200m. She was ranked second and won a silver in kayaking four 1k and 200m.
Another NCOE Bhopal athlete Prabhat, was ranked first and won a gold medal in the kayak single 500-metre event. He was ranked first and won another gold medal in the kayak mixed doubles 200 m. Prabhat was ranked second and won a silver medal in the kayak singles 200m. Along with this, Adarsh, Jeena, Vipin, Sonika and Meera won multiple medals in their respective canoe sprint events.
‘Until now, it has not been declared by the NSF,’ SAI Bhopal head coach Sanjib Lahkar told Free Press, ‘but Prabhat and Sonia are core probables for the upcoming Asian Games and Asian Championships.’
