Date:01/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/08/01/stories/2004080107551600.htm

Sport - Gymnastics

Ashish wins individual overall silver

NEW DELHI, JULY 31. Ashish Kumar Kanaujiya performed beyond expectations to win all-round individual gymnastics silver medal in the third Children of Asia Games that concluded in Yakutsk, Russia on Friday.

Kanaujiya aggregated 52.85 points to establish himself on the podium, while the other two Indians, Devesh Kumar (50.1) and Alok Ranjan (49.5) finished fourth and 11th respectively. Kazakhstan's Baciev Sado (54.1) won the gold medal while Andrei Matrizaev of Russia settled for bronze.

The six-member Indian team comprising three boys and three girls returned here this morning and were accorded floral welcome by the gymnastics enthusiasts.

Kanaujiya in particular was beaming with his good show. Kanaujiya, the trainee of the National Sports Academy, Allahabad, in fact collected all the medals that came India's way. Besides the all-round silver, he also won four bronze medals, in the floor exercise, pommel horse, vault and horizontal bar.

Among the girls, Zhinuk Basu finished seventh overall while Shalu Mishra ended 11th. Meenakshi was the other Indian in the fray. All made it to the finals of three apparatus' but failed to strike any medal.