New Delhi :
The Indian Olympic Council (IOC) President N Ramachandran hailed the 12th South Asian Games, which concluded here today amid much fanfare, as the “best ever”, saying the athletes have raised the bar.
The curtains were brought down on the 12th edition of the Games today with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also present on the occasion.
“I can say that the 12th South Asian Games are the best ever. Not only the biggest ever with participation of nearly 4000 athletes, these Games in Guwahati and Shillong were the best. The bar has been raised. The athletes have been at the centre of these Games and they have many Games records,” Ramachandran, who is also the South Asian Olympic Council president, said while addressing the gathering during the closing ceremony.
He congratulated all the athletes who took part in the Games.
“I congratulate all the athletes who have won medals and those who have not won medals also because not only winning but participation is also important,” said Ramachandran.
India, hosting the Games for the third time after Calcutta (1987) and Madras (1995), overwhelmingly dominated the 12th edition by grabbing an unprecedented 308 medals (188 gold, 90 silver, 30 bronze) and stamped its superiority as an unrivalled sporting power in the region.
Sri Lanka were a distant second with 25 gold, 63 silver and 98 bronze while Pakistan ended at third with 12 gold, 37 silver and 57 bronze. India, in fact, bagged more than three-fourth of the total 239 gold medal on offer in 23 sporting disciplines.
