National Games: Services retain Raja Bhalindra Singh Trophy; Sajan Prakash, Hashika Ramachandra crowned Best Athletes

Kerala and Karnataka's Hashika Ramchandra walked away with the individual top honours while Services reasserted their supremacy as a team with the 36th National Games concluding, here on Wednesday. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar gave away the coveted Raja Bhalindra Singh Trophy to the Services contingent for the fourth consecutive time. They cornered 61 gold, 35 silver and 32 bronze to tower over all the competing teams. The 29-year-old Prakash won eight medals, with five individual gold, two silver and a bronze, to be named the 'Best Male Athlete'. Hashika Ramachandra was awarded the 'Best Female Athlete'. The 14-year-old won six gold medals in her collection of seven on National Games debut.

The Government of Gujarat had stepped in at the last minute to revive the country's largest and most significant sports festival after a seven-year hiatus, successfully putting it all together in less than 100 days. Maharashtra bagged the Indian Olympic Association's 'Best State' trophy for finishing second in the medals tally with the most medals amongst States and UTs. Gujarat's 10-year-old Shauryajit Khaire (Mallakhamb), who was a reluctant starter after losing his father just a few days back, emerged as the 'viral star' of the Games, becoming its youngest medal winner. As many as 38 National Games records crumbled in track and field events and 36 in Aquatics.

Read AlsoNational Games: Services bag five boxing gold, Kerala complete grand double in volleyball on final day

Table toppers Services completed their National Games campaign in a blaze of glory, winning five gold medals in the boxing ring here on Wednesday.

Tamil Nadu's Rosy Meena Paulraj (women's pole vault) and N Ajith (weightlifting men's 73kg clean & jerk) and UP's