39th State Aquatics Championship Laitonjam Punghen, Leishangthem Saiyonbi bag best swimmer titles

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jun 7 : Laitonjam Punghen and Leishangthem Saiyonbi were adjudged best swimmers in the 39th State Aquatics Championship 2026 that concluded today at Standard College Swimming Pool.
Punghen who topped the Group IV boys’ 100 m breaststroke, 200 m individual medley and the 400 m freestyle competitions yesterday picked his fourth gold medal in the 50 m butterflystroke competition with a time of 30.04 seconds today to deservedly claim the best swimmer title.
He was best in the 100 m breaststroke event posting a time of 1 : 25.43 before recording the best time of 2:41.99 in the  400 m freestyle event and  5:01.36 in the 400 m freestyle event.
Finishing second in the 50 m butterfly-stroke event today was Reo Laishram who took 36.28 seconds and Lourembam Lanchenba finished third in 41.22 seconds.
The Group IV girls’ 200 m individual medley and 100 m freestyle event gold medallist, Leishangthem Sayonbi also dazzled with two more gold medals today by topping 200 m freestyle and 100 m backstroke events.
Saiyonbi recorded 2 minutes and 43.21 seconds to win the 200 m freestyle event as Akoijam Langlen (3:01.07) and Huidrom Carol (3:04.21) finished second and third.
She extended their medal haul in the 100 m backstroke event by taking 1 minute 20.36 seconds to finish ahead of Luchingbi Soubam (1:24.25) and Huidrom Carol (1:43.36).
Saiyonbi clocked  2:56.73 to claim the 200 m individual medley event gold yesterday and posted 1:11.75 to win the 100 m freestyle competition gold medal.
Other Results on Day 2
Huidrom Carol picked the Group IV girls’ 50 m freestyle gold medal with a time of 37.45 seconds as Reo Laishram topped the Group IV boys’ 50 m backstroke event gold by recording the best time of 38.63 seconds.
David Sapam was the Group III boys’ 50 m butterfly-stroke event winner taking 27.05 seconds as Leishanthem Bishorjit claimed the 50 m backstroke gold in 30.40 seconds.
David Sapam also won the 200 m freestyle event gold by recording the best time of 2:05.65 as Panthoi Devi Sagolshem was the fastest in the Group III girls’ 200 m freestyle event as she took 31.58 seconds to complete the course.
Nongmaithem Dhananjoy meanwhile clocked 2:45.48 to win the 200 m breaststroke event gold before securing the 50 m breaststroke gold in 34.30 seconds.
Koijam Athoiba, meanwhile, won the 50 m freestyle gold for Group III boys in 26.89 seconds as Sarangthem Yoihen Meitei bagged the 50 m freestyle gold in the Group V boys’ category taking 37.20 seconds.
Kh Vivekananda on the other hand bagged the Group V boys’ 50 m breaststroke gold taking 47.59 seconds as Lanchenba Angom sealed the Group IV boys’ 50 m freestyle gold in 30.34 seconds.