Shillong, Nov 16 (PTI): Powerhouse Manipur clinched the top position in the Northeast Olympic Games for the second consecutive time with 237 medals, including 85 gold, as the second edition of the regional multi-sport event concluded here on Wednesday.
Manipur also won 76 silver and 77 bronze while Assam was a close second with 201 medals (81 gold, 60 silver and 60 bronze) in the event competed among the eight states of the country’s northeast region from November 10.
Arunchal Pradesh ended at third place while host state Meghalaya was fourth with 149 medals (36 gold, 35 silver, 78 bronze), a much better show than their sixth-place finish with 39 medals in the first edition. Manipur had also topped the medal tally (80 gold, 49 silver and 33 bronze) when it hosted the inaugural Games in October 2018.
Manipur, which has produced Olympic medal-winning athletes such as boxer MC Mary Kom and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, overtook Assam on Tuesday and consolidated their top position by winning 17 medals, including seven gold, on the final day.
The U-17 Manipuri women’s football team, which has a few national team players in its ranks, beat Arunachal Pradesh 3-0 in the final on Wednesday.
Around 3000 athletes competed in 18 disciplines at 12 venues spread across Shillong. The first edition in Manipur had 12 disciplines.
The Games are being organised by the government of Meghalaya and the state Olympic Association under the aegis of Northeast Olympic Association (NEOA). The Meghalaya government fully funded the event.
Arunachal Pradesh was to host the second edition of the Games in 2019 but there was a change of plan following the COVID-19 pandemic and Shillong was named the host city.
Nagaland will host the third edition of the Northeast Olympic Games.
Hosts Meghalaya emerged as team champion in athletics while Manipur took the honours in archery. Assam won the team championships in shooting.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said the Games had run smoothly despite the infrastructure limitations.
“There were infrastructure limitations but, by and large, the Games had run smoothly, without much problems. The number of participating athletes were double the number in the first edition. So we are happy.
