By IANS
Dhaka : Hosts Bangladesh have clinched the top slot in the second edition of Indo-Bangla Games by bagging 45 gold medals, while India’s West Bengal state won only 24.
With the advantage of playing on home turf, West Bengal had been the winner in the first edition of Indo-Bangla Games, held in Kolkata last year. The hosts had won 38 gold medals. Bangladesh had won 30.
This year, Bangladesh dominated the show at the games that concluded Tuesday, by also winning 45 silvers and 18 bronze medals, while West Bengal players had to be content with 40 silver medals and 27 bronze, The New Nation newspaper said Wednesday.
Besides athletics, swimming and shooting, Bangladesh won gold medals in kabaddi, volleyball, kho kho, cricket, basketball and football.
Bangladesh’s great success came Monday when its women’s football team clinched the gold medal beating West Bengal 4-2 in a hard-fought tiebreaker.
Rahmatullah of West Bengal defeated Shamsuddin of Bangladesh in the 100-metre sprint, but the latter took revenge in the 200-metres.
In the women’s 100-metre sprint, Nazmun Nahar Beauty of Bangladesh and Rakhi Saha of West Bengal finished their race taking 11.90 seconds each. But Beauty had to be satisfied with the silver medal as Saha was adjudged the fastest woman by virtue of a photo finish. Beauty then beat her counterpart in the 200-metre sprint.
Rubel Rana of Bangladesh was the king of the pool as he clinched five gold medals including one in a team event.
Among the women swimmers, Monalisa Mondol of West Bengal reigned supreme and bagged nine gold medals, including two in team events.
Bangladeshi shooters collected 11 gold medals while those from West Bengal got five.
In athletics, Bangladesh got nine gold medals while the visitors got five.
Declared open by Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed, the games are expected to promote friendship and goodwill between the South Asian neighbours.