Services bags five boxing gold, Kerala wins double in volleyball

GANDHINAGAR: Table topper Services completed its National Games campaign in a blaze of glory, winning five gold medals in the boxing ring here on Wednesday.

While Services sent out five winners from among six boxing finalists, Haryana was left disappointed as only four of its eight pugilists emerged winners on Wednesday.

With Nikhil Dubey, the lone Maharashtra finalist, claiming an emotional 75kg class gold, the Western Indian state was able to take the second spot on the medal table behind Services, which finished with 61 gold, 35 silver and 32 bronze medals. Nikhil realised his late coach Dhananjay Tiwary’s dreams by pocketing the yellow metal with a 5-0 victory over lesser-known Malsawmitluanga of Mizoram in the men’s middleweight final. In Bhavnagar, Kerala completed a volleyball double, winning both the men and women gold medals. Kerala men defeated Tamil Nadu 25-23, 28-26, 27-25 to clinch the last gold medal on offer in the Games.

Earlier, Kerala won the women’s volleyball gold with a straight set victory over West Bengal. At the Mahatma Mandir here, the Services juggernaut was well served by two-time Commonwealth Games medallist Mohammed Hussamuddin (57kg), Etash Khan Muhammed (60kg), Akash (67kg), Sanjeet (92kg) and Narender (+92kg) in winning five boxing gold medals.