The top three states were engaged in a titanic tussle for honours as the penultimate day of the first Khelo India School Games came to an end. Maharashtra with 24 gold held a slender lead over previous day's leaders Haryana (23 gold) and hosts Delhi (22 gold) as the Games approached the climax.
With one more day left, the race for the honours is still wide open as more than 50 gold medals will be decided on a packed final day. Boxing itself will account for 26 gold medals on the last day.
Maharashtra picked up a rich haul of 16 medals, including five gold medals to inch ahead of Haryana in the medals tally on the penultimate day of the first Khelo India School Games. Maharashtra, who were trailing overnight leaders by three gold medals a day earlier won both the Kho-Kho gold medals besides two more in Gymnastics and one in weightlifting.
Maharashtra now have 24 gold, 26 silver and 34 bronze for a total of 84 medals, while Haryana added one each of gold, silver and bronze on Wednesday, to slip to second place with 23 gold, 17 silver and 20 bronze and a total of 60 medals.
Hosts Delhi, who had three gold in gymnastics during the day, have the second highest number of medals at 77 are lying third in terms of gold medals. Delhi also has 24 silver and 31 bronze. Delhi's haul for the day was three gold, four silver and five bronze. Karnataka (15 gold, 11 silver and 15 bronze) occupy the fourth spot, while Uttar Pradesh (9 gold, 18 silver and 20 bronze) are fifth and Manipur, who picked up a big haul two gold, two silver and one bronze in the day, are sixth with a total of nine gold, four silver and three bronze.