New Delhi, Jul 3 (Sports News) Indian runner Parul Chaudhary smashed the national record at the Sound Running meet in Los Angeles as she became the first athlete from the country to clock a sub-nine minute time in the women's 3000m event.

The 27-year-old Chaudhary covered the distance in 8:57.19 to finish third on Saturday night.

With her latest effort, Chaudhary, who specialises in steeplechase, broke Suriya Loganathan's record of 9:04.5s, set six years ago in New Delhi.

Chaudhary was trailing at fifth spot in the the race, but the Indian gained momentum in last two laps to claim a podium finish.

The 3000m is a non-Olympic event in which the Indians don't often compete in.

Chaudhary is also in the Indian team for the World Championships in Oregon, USA, starting later this month. She will be competing in the women's 3000m steeplechase event.

She had won the gold in women's 3000m steeplechase at the nationals held last month in Chennai. 

Also Read : Indian men win gold, women silver in the IAU 24H Asia and Oceania Championships

News Source : PTI

Bangalore, Jul 3 (Sports News) Indian ultra runners stole the show in the IAU 24H Asia and Oceania Championships, winning the men's individual and team titles at the Kanteerava Stadium here.

Led by the formidable Amar Singh Devanda, the Indian men's team clocked a combined total of 739.959 km over the scheduled 24 hours, starting from 8 am on Saturday, to comfortably clinch the gold medal.

Amar Singh managed a personal best of 258.418 km, which was over 18 kilometres more than his previous most.

He was followed home by Saurav Kumar Ranjan (242.564) and Geeno Antony (238.977) to make it a clean sweep for India in the Individual Championships.

Australia (628.405) and Chinese Taipei (563.591) clinched the second and third positions.

On Sunday, the Indian women's team put up a strong performance to secure the second position. Together, they ran an impressive 570.70 km, threatening the eventual winners all through the day.

Australia, however, clinched the first position with 607.63 kms. Chinese Taipei took the third position with 529.082.

Taipei's Kuan Ju Lin (216.877 km) took the first position in the women's individual, while Australia's Cassie Cohen (214.990) and Allicia Heron (211.442) grabbed the other two places on the podium.

Also Read : Neeraj Chopra finishes 2nd in Stockholm Diamond League, misses 90m mark by a whisker

News Source : PTI

Stockholm, Jun 30 (Sports News) Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra clinched his first top-3 finish at the prestigious Diamond League Meeting with a national record-shattering effort but missed the 90m mark by a whisker in a star-studded field here on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Chopra opened with a stunning throw of 89.94m, just 6cm shy of the 90m mark, the gold standard in the world of javelin throw and that effort eventually turned out to be his best as he finished second.

His other throws measured 84.37m, 87.46m, 84.77m, 86.67 and 86.84m. He bettered his earlier national record of 89.30m, which his spear had travelled while finishing second in the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, on June 14.

World champion and season leader Anderson Peters of Grenada won the competition with a best throw of 90.31m which he came up with in this third attempt.

"Today, I feel good and after first throw, I thought I could throw even over 90m today. But it is OK as I have more competitions coming this year," Chopra said after the event.

"I am close to 90m now and I can throw it this year. Despite the fact that I did not win tonight, I feel very good because I did my best." Peters has thrown 90m-plus twice this season -- 93.07m while winning the Doha leg of the Diamond League last month before 90.75m effort at Hengelo in the Netherlands.

Julian Weber of Germany was third with a fifth round throw of 89.08m while Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch (88.59m) of Czech Republic was fourth.

Another Czech athlete and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Vitezslav Vesely was seventh in the eight-man field with 82.57m.

Chopra has beaten Peters twice this month -- in Turku where the athlete from Grenada was third and in the Kuortane Games, also in Finalnd, where the Indian superstar had won gold with a best throw of 86.69m under wet and slippery conditions.

Chopra's first throw had raised hopes of him scripting history of becoming the first Indian to win a Diamond League event. Nonetheless, he became the second Indian to finish in top-three in a Diamond League competition after discus thrower Vikas Gowda.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Gowda, who retired in 2017, had finished in top-three in a Diamond League event four times in his career. He had finished second in 2012 (New York) and 2014 (Doha) and third in Shanghai and Eugene in 2015.

Chopra was making his first Diamond League appearance in four years after his fourth-place finish in Zurich in August 2018. He has taken part in seven Diamond League meets -- three in 2017 and four in 2018.

The prestigious one-day meet at the Swedish capital is Chopra's biggest event ahead of the World Championships in Eugene, USA, from July 15-24.

The next Diamond League Meeting where javelin throw is in the programme is in Monaco on August 10.

It could not be confirmed whether Chopra will take part in it as it will happen just a few days after the Birmingham CWG (July 28 to August 8) where he will be defending his title.

Germany's Johannes Vetter, who has the maximum number of 90-plus throws among the active throwers, continued to be on the sidelines. He is not fully fit and had also missed the German nationals. 

Also Read : Neeraj Chopra to spearhead 22-member Indian athletics team in World Championships

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jun 30 (Sports News) Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will headline a 22-member Indian athletics team at the World Championships to be held in Eugene, USA from July 15 to 24.

The selected team includes 17 men and five women athletes.

Race walker Bhawana Jat and veteran discuss thrower Seema Punia has withdrawn from the elite championships. Just like Bhawana, Seema gave the event a miss as she too wanted to focus on the Commonwealth Games, an event where she bagged medals in the last four editions.

"She wants to concentrate on the Commonwealth Games, where she won four medals. She feels she has better chance there and we also feel the same," Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adilee Sumariwala said while announcing the team.

Besides Chopra and Rohit Yadav is the other javelin thrower in the team.

3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, long jumpers Murali Sreeshankar and Muhammed Anees Yahiya, triple jump trio of Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveen Chithravel and Eldhose Paul, all of whom have qualified, Sandeep Kumar (20km Race Walking), MP Jabir (400m Hurdles), Noah Nirmal Tom, Muhammed Ajmal, Naganathan Pandi, Rajesh Ramesh and Muhammed Anas Yahiya (4x400m) have found a place in the team.

The squad also includes Amoj Jacob (4x400m) but his participation is subject to fitness. In case he is not fit, Arokia Rajiv will replace him in the relay squad.

Among women, S Dhanalakhsmi (200m), Aishwarya Kailash Mishra (400m), Parul Chaudhary (3000m Steeplechase), Annu Rani (Javelin Throw) and Priyanka Goswami (20km Walk) have made the cut.

The only surprises in the squad are the inclusion of Parul and Jabir.

Jeswin Aldrin, who had already qualified for the championships, however missed the cut.

Aishwarya Mishra, who evaded from dope testing agencies last month but was allowed by AFI to compete in National Inter-State Championships, has been selected with a rider.

"She will be subject to trails in 400m and if she qualifies she will go. She will undergo electronis timing as well NADA testing," Sumariwala said.

Asked if she was tested in the National Inter-State Championships, the AFI president said: "As far as I know she was tested." On what explanation Mishra gave after evading dope tests, Sumariwala said: "She went to visit her ailing grandmother and lost her phone. That was her explanation." Sumariwala said the team will head to Chula Vista, California for a short stint before heading to Eugene for the event.

"The team has been selected on the basis of world ranking and qualification standards laid down by the World Athletics," he said.

"The team will leave for Chula Vista soon where it will have a short stint before World Championships." The contingent will for the USA in three batches with the first group scheduled to leave on Saturday, followed by the next on Monday and the the third and final by July 5. The decision to send the team in batches was taken due to time taken for getting US visa.

Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair informed that 11 visas have already been granted and the next set of interviews are lined up for Friday.

Men: Avinash Sable (3000m Steeplechase), MP Jabir (400m Hurdles), M Sreeshankar and Muhammed Anees Yahiya (Long Jump), Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveen Chithravel and Eldhose Paul (Triple Jump), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot Put), Neeraj Chopra and Rohit Yadav (Javelin Throw), Sandeep Kumar (20km Race Walking), Amoj Jacob*, Noah Nirmal Tom, Muhammed Ajmal, Naganathan Pandi, Rajesh Ramesh and Muhammed Anas Yahiya (4x400m).

Women: S Dhanalakhsmi (200m), Aishwarya Kailash Mishra (400m), Parul Chaudhary (3000m Steeplechase), Annu Rani (Javelin Throw) and Priyanka Goswami (20km Walk). 

Also Read : Formula E enters India: Hyderabad to host race on February 11

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jun 30 (MotorSports News) Formula E will make its way to India for the first time ever with a race scheduled to be held in Hyderabad on February 11 next year, the organisers have confirmed.

The race in Hyderabad will be the first time a major international racing event is held in the country since the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix in October 2013 at the Buddh International Circuit, a development which was reported by PTI earlier this month.

Alongside India, Brazil will also welcome the E-Prix for the first time on March 25 as the Formula E and FIA released the provisional calendar for the upcoming ninth season (2022-23).

"Two major motorsport fanbases will welcome E-Prix for the first time. Round 4 of the championship will be held in Hyderabad, India, on 11 February, while fans in Brazil will see the Sao Paulo E-Prix on 25 March for Round 7," a media release stated.

Earlier this year, the Telangana government and Formula E officials had signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) in Hyderabad to host the race.

The Telangana government intends to make the state a hub for EV vehicles and the Formula E race will go a long way in helping it achieve that goal.

The race should also provide a big boost to Indian motorsports which has been in dire need of a high-profile event since Formula 1 was scrapped after three seasons.

Alberto Longo, Co-Founder and Chief Championship Officer, Formula E said: “The Season 9 calendar of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is our most expansive and dynamic racing schedule yet and I cannot wait to get started.

"We will continue to push the international boundaries of all-electric street racing with E-Prix in Hyderabad and Sao Paulo, while maintaining the hugely-popular races in Diriyah, Mexico City, Berlin, Monaco, Rome and London with Jakarta and Seoul now established on the calendar.

"We are also working hard to include Cape Town and a race in the USA when the provisional calendar is updated later this year." Berlin remains the only city to host an E-Prix in all nine seasons of the championship, while Seoul and Jakarta will see Formula E return following inaugural races this season.

Jakarta will host an expanded double-header of races next season.

Diriyah in Saudi Arabia will host the popular double-header of night races on January 27 and 28. While Monaco, Rome and London complete the schedule of named races.

The FIA sanctioned world championship has grown rapidly over the years and has presence of the world's leading auto makers including Mercedes, Porsche, Nissan and India’s Mahindra Racing, which has been part of the all electric series since its inception back in 2014.

Karun Chandhok is the only Indian driver to have raced in the competition.

The race calendar mainly consists of makeshift street circuits which are public roads on other days. 

Also Read : Formula 1 to introduce synthetic and sustainable fuel by 2026

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jun 29 (Sports News) Postponed several times due to different reasons, the National Games will be held in multiple cities in Gujarat in September-October this year, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Secretary General Rajiv Mehta told PTI on Wednesday.

The IOA took the decision after Gujarat Olympic Association and the state government jointly expressed their interest to host the Games.

"The Gujarat government wrote to us that it backs the expression of interest of the state Olympic Association to host the Games and we are happy to accept their proposal," Mehta told PTI.

"The Games will be held in five or six cities in Gujarat, including Ahmedabad in September-October. The exact dates will be announced after a few days. We are happy that the Games will be held after a lot of delay," he added.

Mehta said the IOA top brass took the decision in "quick time" because it wanted to stage the Games this year after multiple delays.

"The top brass has the power to take the decision and take approval of general house of the IOA later. In any case, we have taken approval of many NSFs and state bodies via email.

"We are also going to call a General Body Meeting to ratify some important decisions as well as the hosting of National Games. We are going to approach Delhi High Court and Supreme Court (where cases involving IOA are pending) to allow us to call a GBM," Mehta said. The last National Games were held in Kerala in 2015 and Goa was to host the 36th edition in November 2016. After two delays in 2018 and 2019 due to the state’s inability to create adequate infrastructure, the Games were further postponed to 2020.

COVID-19 then forced the postponement of the National Games and the Goa government was still not certain whether it will be able to host them this year.

"Goa has told IOA that they are not going to be able to host the National Games this year. So, let Gujarat hosts the Games, that is good for everybody. We feel Gujarat has the capability as the state government has backed the proposal.

"We can then host the National Games one after the other, like in Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya." He said Gujarat can provide the required infrastructure to host the National Games in such a short time as the state already has top facilities in various sports.

"Gujarat already has top facilities and we are certain that the state can host the Games. The strong backing by the state government clinched the issue. Of course, teams from IOA will inspect the facilities." 

Also Read : Neeraj Chopra primed to win medal in Stockholm Diamond League

News Source : PTI

Stockholm, Jun 29 (Sports News) Buoyed by a strong start to the season, Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is primed to clinch his maiden Diamond League medal in his first appearance in four years in the prestigious one-day meet here on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Chopra was second in the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku with a big national record throw of 89.30m before winning his event at Kuortane Games with a creditable 86.60m effort under treacherous conditions.

Both the events in Finland had strong fields, though the Turku line-up had more stars than at Kuortane, where Chopra slipped after an awkward release of his spear in his third attempt under slippery conditions due to rains. Luckily, he was up on his feet immediately and won the event without any injury.

This will be Chopra's first competition in a Diamond League meet after his fourth-place finish in Zurich in August 2018 with an effort of 85.73m. He has taken part in seven Diamond League meets -- three in 2017 and four in 2018 -- but is yet to win a medal. He had two fourth-place finishes, the other one being in Doha in May 2018, where he had thrown 87.43m.

The prestigious one-day meet at the Swedish capital will be Chopra's biggest event ahead of the World Championships in Eugene, USA, next month. He will also be facing the toughest field of the season so far with all the three Tokyo Olympics medallists in fray.

Germany's Johannes Vetter, who has the maximum number of 90-plus throws among the active throwers, continues to be in the sidelines. He is not fully fit and also did not take part in the German nationals.

After winning gold at Kuortane where he was earlier based, Chopra has shifted to Uppsala, less than 100km from Stockholm, and will be not be taking part in any event after the Diamond League and before the July 15-24 World Championships. The Indian superstar has beaten reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada twice this month. Peters has seen a dip in form after winning the Doha Diamond League meet with a season-leading throw of 93.07m.

After that, he had thrown 86.60m at Paavo Nurmi Games for a third place and 84.75m in Kuortane Games for another third position.

Peters' fitness could also be a concern as he did not complete all his throws in an event at Orimattila in Finland last week, recording a best throw of 71.94m.

Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic and compatriot Tokyo Games bronze winner Vitezslav Vesely will also be in action. This will be the first time all the Tokyo Olympics medal winners will be in action together this season.

Vadlejch, who was sixth at Paavo Nurmi Games with a best throw of 83.91m, returns after skipping the Kuortane Games.

The same is the case for Germany's Julian Weber, who returns after finishing fifth at Paavo Nurmi Games with 84.02m.

Finland's Oliver Helander, who surprisingly won gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games with a big throw of 89.83m, will also be seen in action after skipping the Kuortane Games.

Another Indian, Murali Sreeshankar was to compete in the meet in long jump, an event which is not included in the Diamond League programme. It is listed as an additional event. But he will not be able to make it to the Swedish capital as his passport is held up at the US Embassy in New Delhi for visa processing for next month's World Championships.

He was to compete with Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Tentoglou Miltiadis of Greece and World Indoor Championships silver winner Thobias Montler. 

Also Read : Businessman Punit Balan and rapper Badshah buy 6th Ultimate Kho Kho team

News Source : PTI

(Sports news) Popular Bollywood singer Badshah and renowned film producer, developer and sports enthusiast, Punit Balan have purchased the Mumbai franchise of the Ultimate Kho Kho team. Speaking about his first sports venture, Badshah said “My mother used to play Kho-Kho during her college days and this ground-rooted game is very close to my heart. This nostalgic and personal connection triggered me to be part of Ultimate Kho Kho. It’s an adrenaline packed, fast-paced indoor sport with extremely agile players doing Sky-Dives in air. In general, the culture of Mumbai is fast and efficient and that’s what we want this team to be. My vision would be to nurture the best players out of this league, and we want to ensure the best environment, infrastructure, training and nutrition for the players.” 

Heading the Balan Group, a company valued at 3.500 crores, Punit Balan owns teams in various sporting leagues like badminton, tennis, table tennis and the handball league. Speaking about his Mumbai franchise, Punit Balan said “It’s very important to adopt the right approach if you want to grow something. I have been involved in developing sports through leagues in the past and now alongside Ultimate Kho Kho, I want to play a part in Kho-Kho’s journey to success.” 

Ultimate Kho Kho CEO, Tenzing Niyogi said “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Badshah and Punit as co-owners of the sixth franchise. We already have on-boarded big corporates as well as the Government of Odisha and now these two popular names from the entertainment sector reflect the positioning and calibre of the league. Kho-Kho has deep roots in Maharashtra and a team representing the state’s capital will surely help us bolster the popularity of the game.

Also read: I will compete with myself at CWG and strive to better my world record: Mirabai

New Delhi, Jun 28 (Sports News) India's premier long jumper M Sreeshankar on Tuesday rued his withdrawal from the upcoming Diamond League owing to visa-related issues, saying he was "extremely keen" to go up against Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou in Stockholm.

Sreeshankar was forced to pull out of the prestigious tournament, starting June 30 in Sweden, as his passport was held up at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi for visa processing for next month's World Championship at Oregon.

The national record holder has said that while participation in the Diamond League would have allowed him to fine-tune his preparations for the World Championships, not being there wouldn't necessarily affect him, since the Worlds is his first priority.

"Unfortunately, the visa situation meant that I had to withdraw from the upcoming Diamond League in Stockholm. I was extremely keen on taking part in that event, especially against the current Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou," Sreeshankar said during a video interaction.

Interestingly, both Sreeshankar and Tentoglou achieved a jump of 8.36m this year.

"Participation in the Diamond League would have definitely placed me in a better position before the World Championships in July. That said, on the flip side, I am now going to get more time for preparing myself for the World Championships which has always been my first priority and also the Commonwealth Games," he added.

The 23-year-old Kerala athlete had won a gold medal earlier this month with a sensational jump of 7.95m at Venizeleia-Chania 2022 Athletics Meet in Greece. He said that the focus right now is to better his personal record and give his absolute best at the World Championship.

"Despite the fact that I had to withdraw from the Diamond League, I have been working hard and I am extremely confident of bettering my own personal record at the World Championship. The event will have several high-profile athletes but I am ready to give my best," Sreeshankar said.

The 18th edition of the World Championship is scheduled to be held from July 15-24.

Reflecting on his recent performances, Sreeshankar said that Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has taught him a great deal on how hard work shapes an athlete.

"I am quite sure that my recent performances will make me a better athlete in the future but it is Neeraj Chopra's relentless hard work that has taught me a great deal. He makes every event his own and never succumbs under pressure. His gold-winning feat has had a huge impact on Indian athletes, including me," Sreeshankar stated.

"After my performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games, my confidence level sunk to an all-time low. But it was Neeraj Chopra's historic feat that helped me realise that I can also my make country proud in a similar way," he said. 

Also Read : All India Snooker: Rayaan, Sourav start campaign on winning note

News Source : PTI

Mumbai , Jun 27 (Sports News) Rayaan Razmi and Sourav Kothari won their respective group matches by identical 4-0 margins on the opening day of the NSCI All India Snooker Open ‘Baulkline’ 2022 being played here.

In their Group D match, Maharashtra's Rayaan, who is a double junior national champion, after taking the first frame, hit breaks of 33, 45 and 37 in the next three frames to complete a 4-0 (70-30, 85-12, 79-41, and 81-8) victory against state-mate Vishal Gehani.

In a Group E match, the 37-year-old Sourav gave a superb demonstration of excellent shot selection, accurate potting, and shrewd tactical play against 19-year-old Digvijay Kadian of Haryana to seal a 4-0 (65-58, 75-31, 61-58, and 125-0) win. 

Also Read : Sekar Dhanalakshmi becomes 3rd fastest Indian woman in 200m

News Source : PTI

Almaty (Kazakhstan), Jun 26 (Sports News) Ace sprinter Sekar Dhanalakshmi ran her personal best time to win 200m gold at the Qosanov Memorial Athletics Meet while the likes of shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor and javelin thrower Rohit Yadav returned to India without competing in the event here on Sunday.

Dhanalakshmi ran a creditable sub-23 second, clocking 22.89s to better her earlier personal best of 23.14s she had come up last year. She had won a 200m gold in the national Inter-Sate Championships in Chennai earlier this month with a time of 23.27s.

She missed the automatic qualification mark of 22.80s for World Championships (July 15 to 24) in Oregon, USA, but will have to see if she can make it to the showpiece through world ranking quota. The World Championships qualification deadline ends on Sunday midnight.

Dhanalakshmi is only the third Indian woman to run sub-23s after national record holder Saraswati Saha (22.82s) and Hima Das (22.88s). Another Indian Dutee Chand was third with a time of 23.60s.

Toor and Rohit, however, did not take part in the meet and they are reaching India on Monday as they have to complete formalities for USA visa for the World Championships.

"Toor's interview for USA visa is on Monday and he will have to take a 9.30pm local time flight from Almaty. If he takes part in his competition, he will miss the flight. So, he skipped the event," a source said on conditions of anonymity.

However, Toor's selection in the Commonwealth team has been "subject to performance in Kazakhstan". The Asian record holder, just missed the CWG qualifying standard of 20.50m during his gold winning throw of 20.34m in the National Inter-State Championships in Chennai earlier this month.

He has already qualified for World Championship with his 21.10m throw in June last year. "Rohit's case is also the same as Toor and AFI is hoping that he will qualify for the World Championships through world ranking quota. So, he also has to do his US visa formalities," the source said.

The World Championships automatic qualification mark for men's javelin throw is 85m and Rohit had his personal best of 82.54m while winning silver at the National Inter-State Championships.

Rohit and DP Manu, who had won gold in National Inter-State Championships with a throw of 84.35m, have been named in the CWG team along with Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra. In other events, Sarita Singh, who was named in the 36-member Indian team for the upcoming Commonwealth Championships "subject to guidelines achieved in Kazakhstan" won the gold. But her best effort of 62.48m was below the CWG qualifying guidelines of 64m, set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

India swept the women's javelin throw medals with Annu Rani taking the gold with a performance of 62.29m. Annu, who had won gold in the National Inter-State Championships, with a throw of 60.97m, has been included in the CWG team.

Shipa Rani and Sanjana Choudhary took the silver and bronze with a disappointing 56.16m and 55.12m efforts respectively.

Shilpa, who was named in the CWG team "subject to accreditation is received", had won silver in the National Inter-State Championships with 59.01m.

Ancy Sojan won the women's long jump gold with a performance of 6.44m. Sojan, who is in the CWG team, had won silver in the National Inter-State Championships with 6.49m.

On Saturday night, Vithya Ramraj had become the fourth fastest Indian woman in 400m hurdles as she clocked 56.87s to win gold in the event. 

Also Read : I will compete with myself at CWG and strive to better my world record: Mirabai Chanu

News Source : PTI

Patiala, Jun 26 (Sports News) It won't be surprising if diminutive Mirabai Chanu stands atop the podium, flashing her radiant smile, after winning a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games on July 30.

After all, she will enter Birmingham, as title favourite.

Chanu's personal best is 207kg (88kg+119kg) which is far better than the best effort of Nigeria's Stella Kingsley, who will be her nearest rival and has managed only 168kg (72kg+96kg) till date.

Chanu's legend has only grown since the last edition of the CWG. She has added an Olympic silver, an Asian Championship bronze and a world record to her kitty.

It is not baffling when she avowed that she herself will be her real competition in Birmingham and not her rivals.

"CWG will be easy for me. I will be fighting with myself," Chanu, who already has a silver (2014) and a gold (2018) at CWG, asserts politely.

"There is not much competition in CWG, but that doesn't man there is no competition. I have to give my best performance keeping in mind the future tournaments," she said during a candid chat at Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NIS).

Since there won't be competition, Chanu has bigger targets in mind.

She is eager to rewrite her own clean and jerk world record of 119kg.

"I am thinking of attempting 120kg in the CWG." The former world champion also wants to breach the much-anticipated 90kg mark in the snatch section, which she confesses has become somewhat of a mental block.

"Yes (it has become a mental block). We have planned to lift 91kg or 92kg at the CWG. Hopefully, it will happen." But lifting close to twice your body weight is easier said than done specially when Chanu still struggles with a shoulder imbalance.

Earlier this month, she failed to improve her snatch lift, unable to hoist 89kg twice at a domestic event due to her back.

"My back became stiff (tight) 2-3 days before going. The journey to Nagrota was also five hours. We went form Patiala to Chandigarh a day before the tournament, then took a flight from Chandigarh, which was also late. So the back became more tight." Aware of her weakness in snatch, Chanu has worked on tweaking her technique.

"I haven’t gone above 88kg. That is the weight I have set. But training wise right now I am better placed than I was at the Olympics.

"To lift 90kg in a competition, we set the weight between 80-90kg which we lift consistently everyday. It's not like we lift 90kg everyday," she explains.

Her personal best of 88kg is 8kg less than Tokyo gold medallist China's Hou Zhihui's world record lift of 96kg.

"I have changed my snatch technique. In snatch, while rising, the toes, back and shoulder should be in a line. Back and shoulders are very important they need to move fast. Earlier my movement was not synchronised. Now I have changed it." Chanu conceded that she feels compelled to compensate her frailty in snatch by lifting more in clean and jerk.

"Yes, I feel if not one, then in the other I have to improve. To reach 96kg, it will take some time and it will be a little difficult for me.

"93kg-94kg I can reach. If I perform well in clean and jerk I can get the same total (as the Chinese) or even more." Will wear my Olympic earrings at CWG ======================== Chanu, who will be vying for her third CWG medal, will once again be wearing her gold earrings shaped like Olympic rings, which had stolen the show at the Tokyo Games.

The earring were a gift from her mother, who had sold her own jewellery ahead of the Rio Games, in hope that it would bring her daughter luck. And luck it brought.

"I will wear those earrings at the Commonwealth Games. They brought me luck in Tokyo," Chanu said with an ear to ear grin.

Up and downs in Life ============= After she won the silver at Tokyo Games, in a heart-warming gesture Chanu felicitated the truck drivers who used to give her free rides till her training academy in Imphal, which was about 30km away from her village.

"I found all the truck drivers and because of Corona they were all sitting at home," Chanu reminisced.

"They were really happy. I saw them and I thought of those days when they used to keep blowing their truck horns and I would run to get a lift. When I reflect, I remember all the difficulties I had to go through to reach here. But what to do, life is a cycle, kabhi upar kabhi neeche." Eagerly waiting for Asian Games ==================== The Asian Games now remains the only big ticket-event where Chanu is yet stamp her authority.

Chanu had missed the last edition due to a back injury. And the wait for a medal at the continental event has increased as this year's Asiad has been postponed indefinitely.

"Asian Games is the only medal left. Now I want that." "On the one hand, it's good that it has been postponed. On the other hand it will now be held closer to the Olympics. I have got time for training. But now it will be held alongside other Olympic qualifiers which means I will have to be in competition through out that period." 

Also Read : Maha cyclist finishes on podium in 'world's toughest' cycle race

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Mumbai, Jun 26 (Sports News) Ultra-cyclist Kabir Rachure from Maharashtra achieved a podium finish in his category at the Race Across America (RAAM) on Sunday, making it a first for an Indian in what is billed as the world's toughest cycle race.

Rachure, an advocate hailing from Marathwada who practices at the Bombay High Court, came third in the solo male under-50 years category, finishing the 3,038 mile competition in 11 days, 11 hours and 25 minutes, as per the official leaderboard.

The clock is ticking continuously at the race and participants are required to pedal from the west coast of the USA to the east coast in under 12 days, managing their sleep, eating and all other errands within the given time, which makes it a tough endurance race that tests the mettle.

Racers are accompanied by a support crew in vehicles, which takes care of all the requirements on the go and trails the cyclist post-sunset for safety reasons.

Indians started participating in the race about a decade ago and have got accolades including a win in the two-men category. This is the second finish at the coveted event for Rachure himself.

There were two other Indians racing in the solo category at this year's event, but could not finish the race.

The overall winner in the solo category was Australian Allan Jefferson in the 50-59 years sub-group, who finished the race in just over 10 days, and was followed by Czech Svata Bozak three hours later, while Swiss girl Nicole Reist came third overall by finishing it four hours later.

The solo men under-50 years category was won by Bozak, while American Phil Fox finished six hours before Rachure, as per the leaderboard. 

Also Read : Chennai Open chess: Indian International Master Nitin Senthilvel remains on top

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Chennai, Jun 25 (Chess News) Indian International Master Nitin Senthilvel settled for a draw with compatriot and fellow IM Ravichandran Siddharth in the ninth round lead to stay on top of the standings with 8 points in the 13th Chennai Open International Grandmaster Chess Tournament 2022 here on Saturday.

The draw in the top board saw Nitin's lead being cut to half a point as GM Boris Savchenko (Russia), Alexei Federov (Belarus), Aronyak Ghosh, Him all Gusain (both India) moved to 7.5 points.

On Friday, tournament leader Nitin missed a win against top seed Grandmaster Savchenko and today he held the upper hand against Siddharth who just hung on to snatch a draw. The final round is scheduled for Sunday.

Results: Round 9 (Indians unless specified) : Nitin S (8) drew with Ravichandran Siddharth (7), S Prasannaa (6.5) lost to Boris Savchenko (Russia) 7.5, P Konguvel (6.5) lost to Alexei Fedorov (7).Aronyak Ghosh (7.5) beat Baghdasaryan Vahe (Armenia) 6.5, Him all Gusain (7.5) beat Daakshin Arun (6.5), Kunal M (6.5) drew with Deepan Chakkravarthy J (6.5), Aaryan Varshney (6.5) drew with Kiril Stupak Kirill (6.5), Ajay Karthikeyan (6.5) drew with Saravana Krishnan P (6.5), Priyanka K (6) lost to Srihari L R (7),R R Laxman (6.5) drew with Jubin Jimmy (6.5), Nguyen Van Huy (Vietnam) 7 beat Hirthickkesh P R (6), Rajesh V A V (7) beat Pranav K P (6), Samriddha Ghosh (5.5) lost to Hari Madhavan N B (6.5). 

Also Read : Besides Tejaswin, AFI names heptathlete Barman, two marathoners, one relay runner in additional five for CWG

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New Delhi, Jun 24 (Sports News) High jumper Tejaswin Shankar's writ petition in the Delhi High Court has led to four more athletes being named by the national federation, though their participation depends on the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) agreeing to increase the allotted quota.

During a hearing on a plea by Shankar, a national record holder, challenging his exclusion from the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games (July 28 to August 8) squad, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) informed the court that its selection committee has added five more athletes, subject to IOA agreeing to increase the quota from the current 36.

Besides Shankar, the other four athletes are Asian Games gold medallist heptathlete Swapna Barman, marathon runners Srinu Bugatha and Anish Thapa, and Jilna MV for 4x100m relay event.

Jilna was originally named in the 37-member team announced on June 16 as a 4x100m relay runner but her name was later withdrawn to stick to the allotted quota of 36.

It remains to be seen what the IOA tells the High Court on July 4 regarding AFI's request for increase in quota of the athletics team. It could be a tricky situation for the IOA to increase the quota of athletics team with just little over a month to go for the CWG, as it must have already sorted out the number of Indian participants in each sport.

The deadline for the IOA to submit the Indian team to the CWG organisers is June 30. In this scenario, the IOA may have to make a last-minute request to the Birmingham CWG organisers to increase India's quota if the additional athletes are to be accommodated.

"Fingers crossed, we will have to wait and watch what the IOA tells the court in next hearing," one official said.

The High Court on Friday expressed hope that the IOA would increase the athletics team quota in the Indian contingent for the Birmingham CWG. But at the same time, the court also made it clear that if the quota is not increased, it cannot direct the IOA to increase it.

Advocate Parth Goswami, who represented the AFI, said if the IOA agrees to increase the quota from the existing 36 athletes, the additional five would also be included in the contingent. He said in case the quota is not increased, the list of previously selected 36 athletes will be final.

Shankar has sought to direct the AFI not to disqualify him from participating at the CWG 2022 based on non-attendance at the Interstate Senior Athletics Championships, and be allowed to compete for meeting the qualifying standard at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in the USA.

He had won gold in the NCAA Championships with an effort of 2.27m on June 10, which is the exact qualifying standard prescribed by the AFI.

Barman, Bugatha and Thapa have also crossed the CWG qualifying standards of the AFI. Barman did not take part in the National Inter-State Championships but had collected 5800 total points in the seven events while winning gold at the Federation Cup in April. The CWG qualifying standard is 5650 points.

Bugatha clocked 2:16:26 during the Dhaka Marathon in January while Thapa ran 2:16.41 while finishing second in New Delhi Marathon in March. The AFI qualifying standard for CWG marathon event is 2:18:40. Nitender Singh Rawat, who won the New Delhi Marathon, was already named in the athletics team last week.

Jilna was part of the Kerala quartet that finished third in the women's 4x100m relay. She ran 11.90s to finish fourth in one of the semifinal heats in 100m dash and could not make it to the final.

Shankar's name was in the long list submitted by the AFI to the IOA a few months back. But Barman, Thapa and Jilna were not included in the long list. The AFI had asked the state units to send names and details of their respective athletes to be included in the list, which is required for accreditation purposes. 

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