When it comes to the National Games, there are a few traditional powerhouses in India like Maharashtra, Haryana, Services, and Madhya Pradesh, while the other states and Union Territories are constantly coming up all the time. Look at Jammu & Kashmir; the northernmost state in the country finished with a massive 46 medals including 14 golds, concluding their campaign in the 14th spot at the National Games Medals Table.
Then there is Nagaland, who didn’t win any medals last time around but won eight medals in all, including gold. This reflects the major improvement they achieved in just a year’s time, finishing in 29th place. But then there is a state like Bihar too, who despite its vast population of 13.07 crore, could not even win a gold medal at the National Games.
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Bihar Performance at National Games 2023
If one is to assess Bihar’s performance at the Games, there isn’t much to talk about. With just eight medals with three silvers and five bronzes, they finished 30th in the points table, below states who boast of a population much lower than theirs. Take Nagaland for example. The North-Eastern state, as per the 2011 census has a population of little over 41 lakh. Even they went out of their skin to get on the medals table.
If that is not enough data to show the lack of sports culture in Bihar, then look at Manipur. A population of 36 lakhs finished seventh in the National Games, with 82 medals, and 30 golds. It doesn’t end here. Goa, hosts of the National Games 2023, has a population of a little over 15 lakh but still managed to win 92 medals, with 27 golds. Clearly, these states have gone a long way in showing that dense population doesn’t really translate into medals.
Bihar Medalists at National Games 2023
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Shashi Bhushan bagged a silver medal for Bihar in the men’s 1500m race. This was after a gap of a few years that a medal for the state came in athletics. He finished with a time of 3:41.49s to bag the medal. Isha Mishra and Ashish Kumar took home bronze medals in Wushu at the Games. In women’s taekwondo, Shreya Rani lost only in the final and secured a silver medal.
The women’s rugby team surprised one and all by winning the silver medal. Vivek Prakash won a bronze in taekwondo too,
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