In a stellar performance on the opening day of the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, India’s Thangjam Tababi Devi became India's first judo medallist at the Olympic level. She claimed a silver after losing to Venezuela's Maria Giminez in the finals of the women's 44kg category.
Tababi Devi hails from Manipur. She is also the 2017 Asian Cadet champion. On Sunday, she lost 0-11 in the summit showdown that lasted two minutes.
This is the first time India has a medal in judo at the Olympics – junior or senior
On her way to the final, the 16-year-old overpowered Ana Viktorija Puljiz of Crotia 10-0 in the semifinals. Before that, she beat Bhutan’s Yangchen Wangmo 10-0 in the elimination Round of 16 and bettered her score over Erza Muminoviq of Kosovo in the quarterfinals.
With this win, the Manipur teenager added a second medal to India's tally at the ongoing Games after shooter Tushar Mane also clinched the second position in the men's 10m air rifle competition.
Tababi won her second gold medal at the same level at the Cadet and Junior Asian Cup this year. According to the International Judo Federation website, at the continental level, she is a three-time champion.
On the other hand, in table tennis, both Archana Girish Kamath and Manav Thakkar registered victories in the preliminary stage of the competition.
India's performance has not been great in the event until now. The country won just two medals -- a silver and a bronze -- in the last Youth Olympics in 2014 in Nanjing, China. India's best performance so far at the Games came in its inaugural edition in 2010 when the nation fetched six silver and two bronze medals. The country has sent its biggest ever contingent this year with 47 athletes representing 13 sports.
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Feature Image Credit: News18.com
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