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2021-09-25 14:30

Hubert Hurkacz looking to make it two in two at the Moselle Open

(Tennis News) The 18th edition of Moselle Open is now left with two former champions in the last four. There have been a total of 6 players outside France to win the Moselle Masters 250 title from its inaugural edition in 2003, the top seed Hubert Hurkacz is in the semifinals in singles and doubles.

Gael Monfils, the winner in 2009 will face Tokyo Olympics Singles Bronze Medallist Pablo Carreno Busta in the semifinals. Monfils defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili as it proved to be a one sided contest as the Frenchmen served 11 aces to edge out the eighth seed in straight sets. Monfils defeated Basilashvili 6-3, 6-3.

Pablo Carreno Busta showed his experience and skill against Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune to outclass the 18 year old in the quarterfinals. Holger had taken a set off Novak Djokovic at the US Open and did the same against Pablo when he took the second set. Pablo then broke Holger in the eighth game as Holger was visibly frustrated as he lost the last two games. Pablo defeated Holger 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Monfils is leading the head to head against Pablo with three victories, their last meeting came a year ago in Austria when Monfils retired mid match. This will be their sixth meeting with Pablo looking the favourite but when in form Monfils can overcome any player with no doubt.

Hubert had a physically enduring first set against Andy Murray as he displayed a bit of old Murray magic. Murray was able to chase down balls without much difficulty as he is aiming to come back into the top four rankings. The Wimbledon semi finalist this year played some great net shots against Murray to take the second set comfortably and progress into the semifinals. Hubert defeated Murray 7-6(7-4), 6-3.

Peter Gojowczyk, the champion here in 2017 hung in till the end to beat Marcos Giron in a quick three set quarterfinal match. Giron had defeated fourth seed Alex de Minaur in the previous match and was in search of a second upset of the tournament but the former champion took the next two sets to advance into the semifinals. Peter will next face Hubert in the semifinals. Peter defeated Marcos Giron 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Peter and Hubert will be facing each other for the second time as they had met at last year’s US Open where Hubert won in straight sets. The world number 13 is the favourite to progress into the finals against Peter who will be prepared for volleys and strong serves.

In Men’s Doubles, Arthur Rinderknech and Hugo Nys went into the finals with a shocking victory over second seeds Nikola Ćaćić and Tomislav Brkić. The second set went till tiebreak but Arthur and Hugo did not let the pressure get to them. Arthur and Hugo defeated Nikola and Tomislav 6-3, 7-6(7-3).

Top seeds Henri Kontinen and Ben McLachlan played a nail biting final set to beat Lucas Pouille and Grégoire Barrère. Lucas had won the singles title five years ago and with his partner Grégoire were halfway there when took the first set while conceding a single game but the top seeds took the next two sets to shut the door for the French pair. Henri and Ben will next face the Polish pair of Jan Zieliński and Hubert in the semifinals. Henri and Ben defeated Lucas and Grégoire 1-6, 7-5, 10-7.

Also read: US Open champion Emma Raducanu splits from coach Andrew Richardson

2021-09-24 19:01

We created a brotherhood: Leander Paes on his successful partnership with Mahesh Bhupathi

Mumbai, Sep 24 (Sports News) Many years ago, Leander Paes acted on a whim when he asked Mahesh Bhupathi, "Would you like to win Wimbledon?" and the tennis star says what followed was a partnership that brought many trophies for India.

This "brotherhood" between the two Indian tennis icons, who were the first doubles team from the country to win at Wimbledon in 1999, is what the two tennis legends have revisited through ZEE5's non-fiction series "Break Point".

Paes said the audience will get to see a faithful representation of their journey through the series, directed by filmmaker couple Nitesh Tiwari and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari.

"We created a brotherhood. And through ‘Break Point’, you get to see the journey of two young Indian boys and how we conquered the world of tennis, won Wimbledon and became number one in the world," Paes told PTI in an interview.

Once the poster boys for the sport in the country, nicknamed the "Indian Express", Paes and Bhupathi played together from 1994 to 2006 and reunited for their second stint from 2008 to 2011.

Besides the Wimbledon championship that they won in 1999, Paes and Bhupathi also won two French Open titles in 1999 and 2001.

Through "Break Point", Paes said he re-lived all the games that he and Bhupathi played together including the several Grand Slams and the Olympics, while also taking note of the ups and downs of their relationship, among other things.

"One of my favourite memories is when I was 16-year-old playing in Sri Lanka, and Mahesh was 15, playing at the same Asian championships. So when I saw him, I had an intuition that we could win Wimbledon together and we could be number one in the world.

"So I watched him play for about 15 minutes and when he came off the court he had a big smile on his face and I shook his hand. I said, 'I am Leander.' and he said, 'I know and I have been following you'. And then I said, 'Thank you, but would you like to win Wimbledon?'" Paes said.

He recalled that Bhupathi was taken aback by what he said and started laughing.

"He said, 'You're crazy.' I said, 'I am crazy. Would you like to win Wimbledon?' And the rest is history," added Paes, who as a singles player had famously won the bronze medal in tennis at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

What Paes respects a lot about Bhupathi is that he believed in his dreams and worked hard for them.

"I think that what we've achieved together has created some world records as we are unbeaten in the Davis Cup in 24 matches, we played so many Olympics together.

"We've been number one in the world together. So I really respect the hard work that you put into believing in that dream." Their partnership, however, was marred by a public fallout in 2012 ahead of the London Olympics but Paes said they have put that past behind them and moved on in their lives.

He described the show as quite "real" and "raw".

"We are very true to telling the story of how we were pioneers at the time because there was no manual to teach us how to be the best in the world.

"And it also shows our mistakes, the downfalls that we had, the things that possibly we did wrong that we could have done better." Personally, for him, his win at Atlanta Olympics is a moment closer to his heart as it seemed like emulating his Olympian father Vece Paes.

The tennis star felt that one of the key reasons why they chose to narrate their own story through "Break Point" is that they wanted to share a true story.

"One of the reasons we didn't choose actors and told it directly from our own mouths and our own stories…and also we got our parents, siblings, friends and opponents that we played against, like the Bryan twins, the Woodies, Martina Hingis, Radek Stepanek, Mark Knowles.

"I'm really appreciative of all of them coming and taking part in ‘Break Point’," he said.

Praising Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari, Paes said the directors have gone beyond the game and tapped into the human aspect.

"Through all the episodes, they take you through a journey of human emotions. They show you how champions are built, how Champions also make mistakes and that they are human also.

"They show you how winning Wimbledon on one day might make you the king of the world but the next day you are vulnerable too,” he added.

Paes is grateful to the director duo, writer Piyush Gupta and the streaming platform ZEE5 for giving them the platform to narrate their story in multiple languages.

"It's been one phenomenal journey. We proved that if you work hard and if you believe in yourself, have the courage to believe in your dreams, you can be world champions, for sure.

"With this show, we can actually reach the masses to inspire them that if these two can win Wimbledon then you can also be a champion of the world in anything you want to." "Break Point" will stream on ZEE5 on October 1.

Also Read : Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra meets Abhinav Bindra

News Source : PTI

2021-09-24 16:33

Milestone man Shiva Thapa eyes fresh record at world championship as 'the senior one'

New Delhi, Sep 24 (Boxing News) Tell Shiva Thapa that he is the most seasoned boxer in the Indian squad for next month's world championships and the newly-crowned national gold-medallist takes a pause to reflect before trying to downplay that description.

At 27, he is a five-time Asian medallist and would be competing in his third world championship in Belgrade, Serbia from October 24. Adding to his credit is the fact that Thapa is among just the six male boxers from India who have a medal at amateur boxing's biggest showpiece after the Olympics.

"Being the most experienced means more responsibility. I would like to look at it this way. My job would be to ensure there is a good vibe in the squad, keep the fire ignited going forward," the light welterweight (63.5kg) boxer, the only Indian male with that many Asian medals, told PTI in an interview.

The two-time Olympian has been rebuilding after falling off the radar for a while. He couldn't make the cut for Tokyo Olympics as his rival in the weight category, Manish Kaushik, claimed the slot in the very first qualifier.

But never the one to look back or rue missed opportunities, the former youth Olympics silver-winner made a statement with his fifth Asian championship medal in May earlier this year.

Now with the national title under his belt in Bellary on Tuesday, Thapa is eager to become the first Indian male boxer to grab a second world championship medal come October.

"This was the most intense national championship that I have been a part of. Perhaps because the gold-winners were to be picked for the world championship. But seriously, I could not take it easy against even one guy," he said.

Despite the stiff challenge, he did manage to score one Knockout win during the tournament.

"The challenge coming to Bellary was my preparation. It wasn't particularly great. I was training at home but it is not the same as being in a camp. So, I called up my good friend (and fellow boxer) Kavinder (Bisht), who is with the Air Force and he invited me to join him in Bengaluru for training at their camp," he said.

"I landed here a few days before the Nationals and those 3-4 days were very helpful in getting me ready," he elaborated.

His world championship experience has been bitter-sweet. Thapa won a medal in 2015 but in 2017, when the event was held in Hamburg, a stomach ailment forced him to withdraw without competing.

As has been his approach, the soft-spoken Assamese prefers to look ahead instead of reflecting on the time that has slipped out of his grip.

"We have a really good team. And I believe all of us are going to do well. It is my third world championship and it would be memorable if I win a medal," he said.

The performance would be crucial because Indian men's boxing needs to recover from an underwhelming Olympics, where only one of the five in fray made it past the preliminary round.

"It's easy to sit outside and judge. Nobody likes to lose. They all prepared and they gave their best. There are factors which are beyond everyone, it is a contact sport, never forget that," said Thapa, trying to make sense of the campaign which is being reviewed at present by the national federation.

"Hopefully, the world championship will go well for us. I am really looking forward to it," he added.

Aside from being a trial for the worlds, the national championship this year brought back the head guards to ensure that cuts and bruises could be kept low. Thapa said it was a good move.

"I have competed both with and without head guards. I would say, having head guards is good for something like the Nationals where you are competing everyday because it certainly minimises the risk of cuts," he said.

"At something like the world championships where there is gap between bouts, it is fine without head guards," he explained.

The preparations for the world event will get underway in the next few days but before that, there is another competition for which Thapa has to be ready, albeit in front of a computer at Sivasagar, more than 300km from his base in Guwahati on Sunday.

"I have to appear for an exam to gain promotion in ONGC, where I am employed. I will become an officer once I do that. The exam is on September 26, I have the course material with me, so I don't have too much breathing space right now.

"Lot of running around because I have to go to Sivasagar (ONGC office) from Guwahati, where I live. But I am not complaining, it is always better to be on the move than being stagnant," he laughed.

Also Read : Shiva, Sanjeet, Deepak, Rohit win gold in Men's Boxing Nationals; book spots for Worlds

News Source : PTI

2021-09-22 15:00

We're eager to directly qualify for Paris Olympics by winning Asian Games: Hardik

New Delhi, Sep 22 (Hockey News) Eager to change the shade of the Tokyo bronze, the Indian men's hockey team is now focussing on directly qualifying for the Paris Olympics by winning next year's Asian Games, says young midfielder Hardik Singh.

The Manpreet Singh-led Indian team had ended a 41-year-old long wait for an Olympic medal when it clinched the bronze at the Tokyo Games last month.

With the all-important Asian Games scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China from September 10 to 25 next year, the team's top priority will be to qualify for the Paris Olympics by winning the gold at the continental tournament.

"We are eager to begin our quest for gold at the Paris Olympics. We will have to approach step-by-step, and our first step will be to qualify directly for the Olympic Games 2024 by winning Gold at the 2022 Asian Games," Hardik said in a Hockey India media release.

"Then in 2023, we have another marquee event- Hockey World Cup, which will be played in Odisha, so there are challenging and exciting times ahead, and we are looking forward to it," he added.

The 22-year-old, who was one of the key figures in the Indian midfield, scored two crucial goals in his debut Olympic Games in Tokyo.

When asked about the reason behind India's success at the Tokyo Olympics, Hardik said, "We are a tight-knit team, and I think that was our biggest strength at the Olympics. We have formed a special bond, and we were able to master the best out of each other skills.

"After the disappointing result against Australia, we sat together and openly spoke to each other about what went wrong and what we needed to do in the upcoming matches to put up a much better performance. That really helped us a lot to bounce back and eventually win the medal for the country." He scored a memorable field goal in the quarterfinal match against England, which helped the team enter the medal rounds at the Olympics after more than four decades.

While recalling the iconic goal, the young gun said, "It was a team goal, our defence line stuck together to hold the 2-1 lead at a very crucial phase of the game as we were down to 10 men.

"Harmanpreet tackled the ball really well, he then passed it to me, and I had open space to penetrate into the striking circle, although my shot bounced off the goalkeeper's pad, luckily I received the rebound, and found the back of the net.

"Nilakanta also played a crucial role here as he blind spotted the goalkeeper, which helped me find the gap during that rebound," he added.

Also Read : Initially disappointed, but Varun feels lucky to be a part of Olympic hockey history

News Source : PTI

2021-09-20 17:15

Ferdinand Omanyala Omurwa posts the 8th fastest time in the 100m at World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Series

(Sports news) Ferdinand Omanyala Omurwa of Kenya ran a 9.77 secs as he finished ahead of Justin Gatlin who came third with a timing of 10.02 secs and Trayvon Bromell running a season leading 9.76 secs to capture the Continental Tour Gold Series at the Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi. This was the final race of the year as it was also the fastest one this year, the last time two sprinters finished under 9.80s was in 2012 London Olympics and it was the fastest 100m race ever.

Trayvon Bromell has now run the fastest time this year in 100 metres and the 6th fastest in history with his performance in Kenya. Omanyala has run the eight fastest of all time and he became the first Kenyan to run in the semifinals of the men's 100m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Omanyala became the first Kenyan to break the sub 10 barrier when he ran a 9.96 secs at the International Josko Lauf Meeting in Austria a month back and lowered it to 9.86 secs in the final. He broke Akani Simbine’s record of 9.84 secs which he had run in July and will look to go under 9.70s and become the fourth man to do it after Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Tyson Gay.

Usain Bolt has both the World records in 100m and 200m, he had run a 9.58 secs in the 100m and a 19.19 secs in 2009 at Berlin. In the current runners only Gatlin, Bromell and Christian Coleman have come closest to breaking it. Although the record seems to be safe, now there might be a minor one in a million chance that there will be a new record or a run under 9.75 secs next year. Bolt is the only athlete to ever run a 100 metre under 9.60 secs also under 9.65 secs and also holds the Olympics records in 100m and 200m.

Omanyala has defied the tradition of Kenyan runners as they are mostly known for their endurance, they have been dominating the middle and long distance running for the past few decades. Omanyala has been sprinting towards records for the country as he has improved his timings considerably this year, this year’s leading time of 9.76 is the joint fastest in the last five years as in 2019 Coleman ran the same timing. Gatlin ran a 9.74 secs in 2015 which has not been surpassed ever since and is currently 39 years old and still giving tough competition to rivales who are over 15 years younger to him. He is one of the seniors in athletics and can break Kim Collins' record of 9.93 secs which is the fastest by a 40 year old.

Fredrick Lee Kerley shift from 400m has paid off well as he ran a personal best of 19.76 secs to win in Nairobi, he had become the first athlete to win the 100m, 200m and 400m in Diamond League and is the third athlete after Wayde van Niekerk and Michael Norman to run a sub 10 in the 100m, sub 20 in 200m and sub 44 secs in 400m. Kerley is a well built athlete and a tall one like Bolt as he is 6ft 3 inch and had won the silver in the 100m behind Lamont Marcell Jacobs at the 2020Tokyo Olympics. One individual beating both the 100m and 200m world record is near to impossible task but the current set of sprinters are finding their pace in each event and can target a single event for now.

Also read: Mike Powell’s world record in Long Jump still on top after three decades as Beamon’s Olympic record untouched after half a century

2021-09-17 12:05

Australia pulls out of junior men's hockey WC in India, Pro League due to COVID-19

Sydney, Sep 17 (Hockey news) Australia on Friday pulled out of several upcoming FIH tournaments, including the junior men's hockey World Cup slated to be held in India later this year, citing COVID-19 related government travel restrictions.

The junior men's World Cup is scheduled to be held in November-December this year. The venue is yet to be confirmed.

Hockey Australia also announced that the Tokyo Olympics silver medallists and their Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand will also skip season 3 of the Pro League, which starts next month.

"Australia and New Zealand will not take part in Season 3 of the FIH Pro League (scheduled to start in October 2021) as a result of COVID related government travel restrictions and uncertainty in both nations," HA said in a statement.

"All participating countries and the FIH Pro League Council agreed it was untenable for international teams to travel to Australia and New Zealand, as well as for Australian and New Zealand teams to play overseas and return without having to quarantine," it added.

Australia and New Zealand have strict COVID-19 quarantine restrictions in place, making it difficult for them to hosts other teams.

"Based on risk assessment and current Australian government health advice, Hockey Australia is not considering overseas hockey-related trips at this time," said HA Acting CEO, Michael Johnston.

"The decision on our absence from the FIH Pro League was a collective one agreed on by all nations based primarily on other countries’ difficulty or inability to travel into Australia and New Zealand.

"In Australia it is apparent the easing of international travel restrictions is still a way off and none of the competing countries wanted to enter the next Pro League season without a level of assuredness," he added.

Apart from the tournament in India and Pro League, Australia will also miss the junior women's World Cup in South Africa later this year and the Indoor World Cup in Belgium and the Masters Indoor World Cup in the USA in 2022.

HA High Performance Pathways Manager Ian Rutledge, who has been overseeing preparation for Australia's participation at the junior men's and women's World Cups, said: "The past 18 months have been such a challenging period for these athletes who are currently in the window to compete at these World Cups and who are aspiring to become the next crop of Hockeyroos and Kookaburras." "Hockey Australia's top priority is the safety and wellbeing of its athletes and staff and this decision reflects that."

Also read: Hope my Olympic bronze will inspire youngsters of Manipur to take up hockey: Nilakanta

News Source: PTI

2021-09-15 12:38

Has India transitioned into a results oriented sporting industry and was Uwe Hohn’s sacking justified?

(Athletics news) Ever since Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won an Olympic gold in Tokyo, his life completely changed. Chopra has become an overnight star and has garnered more than a million followers on Instagram, increasing his social media valuation to Rs. 438 crore. If that wasn’t enough, according to a research conducted by YouGov SPORT, Neeraj Chopra also became the most mentioned athlete globally on the social media platform, recording over 2.9 million mentions from over 1.4 million authors.

None of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for his tremendous achievement at the Tokyo Olympics. The credit also goes to his coach, Uwe Hohn who guided Neeraj Chopra to a historic Olympic gold. As the popular saying by Cathy Engelbert goes, “Behind every great athlete is a masterful coach that inspires the athlete to evolve into the strongest performer they can become.” It’s fair to say that it was a shock when the Athletics Federation of India ended their association with national chief javelin coach Uwe Hohn, citing it is “not happy” with his performance, despite helping Neeraj Chopra win a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics just a few months earlier.

In a press conference, AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said “We are bringing two more coaches and we are changing Uwe Hohn as we are not happy with his performance. We are looking for a foreign coach for (Tajinderpal Singh) Toor.” The press conference was attended by AFI planning committee chairman Lalit K Bhanot and vice-president Anju Bobby George as well and Sumariwalla went on to elaborate that the below par performances of Shivpal Singh and Annu Rani at the Tokyo Olympics was due to Uwe Hohn poor guidance as the chief coach.

The claims by AFI seem to be cryptic and hard to believe. Hired in 2017, the German is the only man to have thrown a javelin over 100 meters in 1984, a feat that remains one of the most extraordinary accomplishments in sports. Ever since he managed Neeraj Chopra in 2018, the Indian athlete has grabbed the top spot at the Commonwealth and Asian Games. However, Hohn’s relationship with the Athletics Federation of India has been rocky from the start. In an interview with the Indian Express, the German said “When I came here, I thought I could change something but it’s probably too difficult with these people at SAI or AFI. I don’t know if it’s a lack of knowledge or ignorance. Besides camps or competitions, even when we ask via our nutritionist for supplements for our athletes, we don’t get the right stuff. Not even for TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) athletes – medal contenders handpicked by the Sports Ministry. If we get something, we are very happy.”

Neeraj Chopra said, “The time I spent with coach Hohn, I believe, was good and I respect him. In that year (2018), I won gold at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. I thought that his (Hohn’s) training style and technique were a bit different. Later, when I trained with Klaus, I felt his training plan suited me.” The Athletics Federation of India has come under fire in recent months after AFI president Adille Sumariwalla posted detailed information about the cost borne by the Federation for Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic journey. It’s clear that the AFI needs to handle situations better, including Uwe Hohn’s departure, especially after everything he has helped Neeraj Chopra accomplish in his career.

Also read: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and other Tokyo Games participants felicitated by JSW Sports

2021-09-15 11:05

Olympic stars missing but Thapa, Bidhuri lead star-studded field at National men's boxing

Bellary (Karnataka), Sep 14 (Boxing news) Aiming to secure berths in the world championship squad, close to 400 boxers, including the likes of five-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa and former world bronze-winner Gaurav Bidhuri, will be competing in the National Men's Championships starting here on Wednesday.

The gold-winners from the event will be automatic selections for the world event, while the silver-medallists will fetch a place in the national camp.

"The rest two spots (in the national camp), will be decided on the basis of selection trials among the bronze medallists and the second teams of the top three performing units of the last National Championships SSCB (Services), RSPB (Railways) and Haryana," the Boxing Federation of India said in a statement.

The Olympic-returned group of five, including flyweight star Amit Panghal, has decided to give the event a miss due to lack of practice time and niggles.

While Thapa will compete in 63.5kg category representing Assam, Bidhuri will be in action in the 57kg division for the Railways.

Head guards will be used during the competition as was reported by PTI earlier this month.

The world event will be held from October 26 and it would be the first major international competitive outing for the boxers after the Tokyo Olympics.

Apart from Thapa, Commonwealth Games medallist Mohammad Hussamuddin (Services) and Asian silver-medallist Deepak Kumar (Services) will also be among the country's top boxers who will be vying for the titles.

Altogether, 35 States/UT, Units and Boards will compete in the championships that will be played as per the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) revised weight divisions.

The revised weight divisions for men, after being increased from 10 to 13, are 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 86kg, 92kg, and +92kg.

The marquee domestic boxing event is making a comeback after a gap of one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also there would be Asian champion Sanjeet, who is also a former India Open gold-medallist.

The tournament requires boxers, participating officials and support staff to present a negative RT-PCR test report obtained 72 hours before landing at the competition.

The boxers' temperatures is also being checked on arrival.

Also read: Indian boxing's coaching staff could be overhauled after world championships as Tokyo Olympics review continues

News source: PTI

2021-09-14 21:31

Athletics Nationals an opportunity for youngsters to make a mark

Warangal (Telangana), Sep 14 (Sports news) The season-ending National Open Athletics Championships, beginning here on Wednesday, will be an opportunity for youngsters to create a mark after the country's big guns opted out of the event.

This is the 11th national-level track and field competition this year.

Race walker Bhawna Jat and quarter-miler V Revathi are the only two athletes from Tokyo Olympics contingent participating in the event.

Railways have entered the largest contingent of 87 athletes, including 43 women, while Services' 57-member all-male squad is the second largest ahead of All India Police which will field 50 athletes, including 24 women in the five-day competition to be staged at the swanky new Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Hanamkonda here.

It is the second national competition in Warangal in two years. The city had hosted the national cross-country championships in January 2020.

The Telangana Athletics Association and the district administration of Warangal have left no stone unturned to ensure that the competition is held according to the Athletics Federation of India's SOP for COVID-19.

A number of athletes will be looking to make a mark as most of those who competed in the Olympic Games have chosen to rest and recover.

The 2018 Asian Games triple jump gold medallist Arpinder Singh could be the biggest draw in the men's events. But the battle between VK Elakkiadasan and Shanmuga Srinivas Nalubothu, India's fastest 200m sprinter this year, in the half-lapper can be very interesting.

Muhammed Anees Yahiya and Yugant Shekhar Singh's rivalry at the long jump pit will be worth tracking.

In the absence of teen sensation World U20 silver medallist Shaili Singh, the likes of Priyanka Kerketta, Sherin Abdul Gafoor and Nandini Agasara can make the women's long jump competition very intense.

Similarly, in the women's hammer throw, long-standing rivals Manju Bala and Sarita R Singh can also produce a keen contest.

Summy Kaliravan, part of the mixed relay squad that won a 4x400m medal in the World U20 Championships, may be up against Olympian V Revathi.

Bhawna Jat, discus thrower Navjeet Kaur Dhillon and sprinters Archana Suseendran, Himashree Roy and C Kanimozhi are some familiar names.

There will be considerable attention on 15-year-old high jumper Pavana Nagaraj, who has a personal best of 1.73m, but it will be Tripura sprinter Priyanka Bhowmick who will claim the credit of being the youngest athlete in the competition at just 14 years of age.

Also read: AFI sacks long jumper M Sreeshankar's coach after Tokyo debacle

News source: PTI

2021-09-14 19:03

Indian boxing's coaching staff could be overhauled after world championships as Tokyo Olympics review continues

New Delhi, Sep 14 (Boxing News) Indian boxing's coaching staff could be "completely overhauled" in the next three months depending on how the world championships pan out, a national federation source has told PTI, revealing that there is "dissatisfaction" with the Tokyo Olympics performance.

It is reliably learnt that the two High Performance Directors Santiago Nieva (for men) and Raffaele Bergamasco (for women) along with the national head coaches C A Kuttappa (men) and Mohammed Ali Qamar (women) are under intense scrutiny at this point.

India had its biggest ever boxing team -- five men and four women -- competing at the Games in July-August, of whom only Lovlina Borgohain could finish on the podium with a bronze medal.

It was the country's first boxing medal at the Games in nine years, but more was expected given the top form the pugilists had shown leading up to the showpiece.

"Nobody (in the federation) is happy with the Olympic performance. So, as was promised, a review is on and it will be a long drawn process, which will take a couple of months. Nothing is changing till the two world championships are done with," a top source told PTI.

"Who knows, there could be complete overhaul after that but we will have to wait and watch for two-three months," he said when asked whether the coaching staff is set for a revamp.

The men's world championship will be held in Serbia from October 26, while the women's competition is scheduled for December.

The Boxing Federation of India has granted three months' extension to Nieva and Bergamasco to ensure continuity for the two big events, where the national champions will represent the country. Their contracts were originally meant to end after the Tokyo Games.

The men's Nationals start on Wednesday in Bellary, Karnataka while the women's event is set for mid-October.

The developments are in line with BFI President Ajay Singh's assertions during the Games when he had ruled out any knee-jerk reaction but promised a review nonetheless.

None of the male boxers could make the medal rounds with Satish Kumar (+91kg) being the only one to enter the quarterfinals in Tokyo, earning plaudits for fighting his last-eight bout with 13 stitches on his face.

"A lot will depend on the world championships, let's see how they go," the source said.

However, the BFI has started meeting some prospective candidates and one standout name to have got an audience with Singh is Cuba's B I Fernandez, who coached the men's team for over a decade and became the first foreign recipient of the Dronacharya award in 2012.

Fernandez, along with the now-retired Gurbaax Singh Sandhu, were at the helm of men's boxing when India won its maiden Olympic medal in the sport in 2008.

"I have had discussions with the BFI for the women's team role and they have asked me to submit my action plan. I will do that in the next couple of weeks," the 66-year-old, who coaches at Mohali's Punjab Sports University, told PTI.

The BFI source confirmed the development.

"He was brought here by a couple of our boxers and he has been asked to present his vision but this is all a part of the review that is going on. It will take a while for anything to materialise," he said.

Both Nieva, hailing from Sweden, and Bergamasco, who is an Italian, have expressed their desire to continue in the past but also acknowledged the pressure they are under.

The 47-year-old Nieva is a member of the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) coaches committee and vice president of the Asian Boxing Confederation's (ASBC) coaches committee.

Kuttappa, who has been a part of the national camp for long, took over as men's head coach in 2018, while Ali Qamar came on board a year later.

The BFI president had backed the boxers as well as the coaching staff in Tokyo, saying that he would not overlook the unparalleled results of the past four years which included two medals for the first time at the men's World Championships and never-seen-before hauls in the Asian and Commonwealth Games.

Also Read : Tokyo Olympians set to skip National Boxing Championships

News Source : PTI

2021-09-13 20:29

Javelin throw coach Uwe Hohn out, AFI says it is hiring two new coaches

Jaipur, Sep 13 (Sports news) The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Monday announced the end of its association with national chief javelin coach Uwe Hohn, saying it is "not happy" with his performance and will hire two new foreign coaches soon.

The contract of the 59-year-old German, a former world record holder, was valid until the end of the Tokyo Olympics.

"We are bringing two more coaches and we are changing Uwe Hohn as we are not happy with his performance. We are looking for a foreign coach for Toor (shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor)," said AFI president Adille Sumariwalla.

Sumariwalla was speaking during a press conference at the end of a two-day executive council meeting of the federation that was also attended by AFI planning committee chairman Lalit K Bhanot and vice-president Anju Bobby George.

Hohn was appointed as chief coach in November 2017 for one year to train the likes of Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and two other Tokyo Olympians in Shivpal Singh and Annu Rani.

Chopra was under his tutelage during the Commonwealth and Asian Games in 2018 before another German Klaus Bartonietz took up that role.

Hohn had kicked up quite a storm before the Olympics by claiming that he had been blackmailed into accepting his contract by the Sports Authority of India and AFI. Both the bodies had rejected the charge.

Also read: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and other Tokyo Games participants felicitated by JSW Sports

A host of issues were discussed in detail during the meeting here, including redesigning the AFI's junior (grassroot development) programme, introduction of build-up tournaments for top international events such as the world championships and the Olympics and radically refurbishing its coaching programme, especially for the juniors.

"To reach the next level, we have to redesign the junior programme, how to do talent identification better to improve it further, we held discussions with athletes and coaches, both former and present athletes from all states," Sumariwalla said.

One of the conclusions of the meeting was that the athletes need more tournaments in the run-up to marquee global events.

"Athletes need more competitions, this is mainly for seniors to prepare for larger competitions. Next year we have a tight calendar -- with the World Championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

"Athletes need competition in preparatory period so that their bodies remain in good nick. So the plan is to introduce build-up competitions at the zonal level so that athletes don't have to travel far." Going by what the AFI said, the coach education programme is also set to see a complete overhaul in the coming times, with the introduction of a certification course involving the sport's global governing body, World Athletics.

"We have decided to bring in foreign caches in junior too to strengthen their foundation and basics.

"Apart from inter-district, we have to identify pockets in every states, how to bring them, what should be the parameters...Also, there will be an open national event for the next five years in Jamshedpur." "We need experienced coaches who have produced world champions and Olympic champions, with all the latest knowledge. Our coaches will also work alongside the foreign coaches.

"In last one year we have already developed 650 coaches and 1500 in pre level across various levels.

On the upgradation of the coaching programme, he added, "We will start with grassroot as once foundation is strong, elite will automatically get stronger.

"This is a World Athletics course and they will award the certificates. Those coaches are for our identified events -- 400m, walk, javelin, long jump and triple jump.

"There will be a different set of coaches for junior and senior athletes. We have recently identified Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana." During the meeting, the AFI brass analysed the areas where it did well and also tried to identify the ons where it didn't and the reasons for it.

"A coaching education programme has started, we need at least 5000 level one coaches if we wish to cover 500 district.

News source: PTI

2021-09-10 16:30

Teenagers Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez into the finals of the US Open

(Tennis News): In Women’s Singles, Emma Raducanu showed no intentions of slowing down in her semifinal match against Maria Sakkari. Emma has become the first qualifier to reach the Women’s Singles final in the Open era and she has won all her matches in straight games. Maria tried her best with her powerful groundstrokes but it proved futile as Emma somehow managed to get to them and even return with more power.

Raducanu got off to a fine start as she took the first five games and Maria could only watch as the teenager took the set with ever growing confidence. In the second set again Raducanu never really lost control as Maria tried everything. There was a 17 point rally as Maria was trying to hold off a breakpoint at 2-4 and it involved two overhead smashes at the net which Raducanu defended brilliantly even though Maria won the point, it summed up the whole match. Raducanu defeated Maria 6-1, 6-4.

Leylah Annie Fernandez had to reserve her best for the end as she beat Aryna Sabalenka in her semifinal match. Leylah was down 0-3 in the first set but played like a veteran and took it till tiebreak to take the set even though Sabalenka gave her a tough time. The World number 2 was not going to go down against Leylah without a fight as she took the second set, Sabalenka had strong winners to lift up her spirit from time to time.

Leylah at times could not reach some of the groundstrokes produced by Sabalenka as it was a display of raw power. Although Sabalenka kept hitting powerful strokes it also brought many unforced errors which gave the teenager a hold of the match. Leylah defeated Sabalenka 7-6(7-3), 4-6, 6-4.

Last time the US Open saw two teenagers in a final was in 1999 when Serena Williams defeated Martina Hingis in the final.

Men’s Semifinals

Novak Djokovic versus Alexander Zverev

Djokovic and Zvere have played three matches this year with Djokovic leading 2-1. But in their last meeting Zverev pulled off a historic victory against the World number one. All of their matches have gone till the final set this year and Djokvic is the favourite to win the clash against young German.

In this year’s US Open Zverev has only spent 8 hours on the court and Djokovic has spent over 12 hours on the court. The time difference will play a major role even though Zverev will be getting two days and Djokovic will get one day rest. Zverev wil try breaking the Serb physically and also try getting into his head. Djokovic showed visible frustration against Pablo Carreño Busta in the Bronze medal playoff even smashing his racket in the court.

Zverev will try to repeat what he had done in the Tokyo Olympics and if he does will be one of the biggest upsets in tennis history. Djokovic has been invisible this year and stopping him in the Grand Slams is a tough task especially on hardcourts, he has had slow starts this time but once he finds his form there is no chance that he can be beaten this time.

Daniil Medvedev versus Felix Auger Aliassime

Daniil Medvedev is one of the most successful players on tour other than the big three over the past few years. He is the first man other than the big three to hold either of the top two spots in the rankings since 2005 and looks to be the next world number 1.Medvedev has won three titles this year with the latest one being the Toronto Open. He also has 40 victories this year and 10 losses, Medvedev was also the runner up in this year’s Australian Open where Novak Djokovic prevailed in straight sets. He also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open where he lost to Stefanos Tsistipas, Medvedev has so far only lost one set in the tournament.

Medvedev is a very cool and calm player on the court and he does express his emotions a lot. He has a very unorthodox forehand and backhand which enables him to change the direction of the ball quickly. Even though he is tall, Medvedev moves around the court like a gazelle and also has fast serves. He returns far away from the baseline which has been very effective in recent matches. Medvedev has spent over 10 hours on court and looks to be the favourite.

Felix Auger Aliassime is one of the latest players to have come up in the big stages, he has had a decent year but reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in Wimbledon. Felix is quick around the court and has a stable backhand which comes to play during long rallies. Felix has spent over 14 hours on court and has had tough matches on his way to the semifinals.

Felix did have a great time in the grass courts but on the hard courts this year he has struggled a bit. But in the US Open he showed that he is ready for big time tennis and will look to preserve as much as stamina against Medvedev, Felix will try to finish the rallies quickly as Medvedev is a baseliner and doesn’t come to the net much. The match will be in Medvedev's favour if it goes too long as he has had a similar experience against Rafael Nadal two years back, Felix will try to create more chances early in the match and continue his record breaking run here.

In Men’s Doubles, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares defeated the pair of Filip Polášek and John Peers 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the semifinals. In the second semifinals Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey’s brilliant run came to an end as they lost to Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram. Rajeev and Joe defeated Querrey and Johnson 7-6(7-5), 6-4.

Also read: Novak Djokovic books semifinal showdown against Alexander Zverev at the US Open, Emma Raducanu breaks into the last four

2021-09-09 15:45

Double India's medal tally in Paris Olympics, create support system for athletes: VP

Chennai, Sep 9 (Sports news): Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday called upon the nation to fix a target to double the medal tally in the 2024 Paris Olympics and also for building "all-encompassing support system" for the young and aspiring athletes.

India's stellar performance at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 had filled the hearts of the countrymen with pride and even more gratifying were the achievements of Paralympians who through their single-minded focus, grit and resilience brought home a record number of 19 medals propelling India into the top 25 at the para games, the Vice President said.

"This is a historic moment in India’s sporting journey and their exemplary performance has not only changed people's perception towards disability but has also kindled hopes of India emerging as a major sporting power," he said while virtually inaugurating the Tiruchirappalli Campus of SRM Institute of Science and Technology from the Raj Bhavan here.

"Let us set a target for ourselves to double the medal count in Paris Olympics in 2024 and lose no time in trying to achieve it," he said and urged all stakeholders, including the private sector, to come together to build an all-encompassing support system for the country's young and aspiring athletes.

"If an enabling ecosystem is created, I am sure, there are many more Avani Lekharas (who won a gold medal in rifle shooting in Tokyo 2020 Paralympics) and Neeraj Chopras (Javelin thrower who won gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics) waiting in the wings, whose talent can be nurtured successfully," he said. Educational institutions like SRM Institute whose student Nethra Kumanan, the first Indian sailor to qualify for the Olympics, should take a lead in this direction, the Vice President said.

On the challenge of employability, Venkaiah Naidu stressed the need to increase employability by focusing on the skills required for the Industry. "Every year, the country produces around 1.5 million engineers, but a survey suggests that only seven per cent of them are suitable for core engineering jobs," he pointed out. Hence, the emphasis must be on building a stronger academia-industry connection and ensuring that creative research results in the application of ground-breaking solutions.

The students on their part should equip themselves with emotional and social skills that will enable them to adapt to a rapidly changing world. "Develop a positive outlook towards life and seek to contribute to the larger cause of nation-building. Strive constantly to use your education for the good of others, society and the nation at large," he advised.

The services of the SRM group in collaborating with the Government on clinical trials with respect to COVID-19, and also in providing affordable and necessary healthcare facilities to those affected by the pandemic were commendable, he said. The Vice President appreciated the vision and leadership of the founder of the group, Dr T. R. Paarivendhar, and said the SRM group's focus on quality education is in tune with the Government's vision in laying the foundation for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, founder Chancellor of SRM IST and Member of Parliament T R Paarivendhar, president, SRM IST, Niranjan, and chairman, SRM Groups, Ramapuram and Trichy Campuses Dr R Shivakumar were among those who attended the virtual event.

Also read: Sports Minister felicitates triumphant Paralympians, hopes for better show in 2024

News source: PTI

2021-09-08 14:29

Canadians Felix Auger Aliassime and Leylah Fernandez into the semifinals at the US Open

(Tennis news): In Men’s Singles, Felix Auger-Aliassime did not have to break much sweat in his quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz Garfia. Alcaraz retired in the second set due to a right adductor injury, Alcaraz had spent over 7 and half hours in his last two matches. Meanwhile Felix has spent 14 hours in five matches this year at the US Open, he played well in the first set as his serves were under control and also came into the net to finish points quickly.

Felix is the first player born in the 2000’s to make it into the semifinals of a Men’s Grand Slam and is also the first Canadian man to make the last four in the US Open. Although he did not expect the match to finish in this way, Felix has been in good form this year. As for Alcaraz his campaign ended in painful fashion and will look to comeback stronger, he could not produce his magic often in the match as he bids farewell to the final Slam of the year. Felix defeated Alcaraz 6-3, 3-1 (retired hurt).

Daniil Medvedev reached the semifinals for the third consecutive time at the US Open as he overcame Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp in four sets. Medvedev dropped a set for the first time as he had straight set victories till the fourth round, he played his usual self in the first two sets, even served and volleyed a couple of times. The first two sets were wrapped up quickly until Botic took control in the third set but Medvedev didn’t let that affect his performance as he came back to take the fourth and advance into the semifinals. Medvedev defeated Botic 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5.

In Women’s Singles, Leylah Annie Fernandez continued her giant killing run as she beat Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals. Elina had won the Singles bronze in the Tokyo Olympics and was looking to make her second semifinal in the US Open after 2019. Leylah’s groundstrokes were no match for Svitolina, Leylah also returned the ball somehow no matter where and how hard Svitolina hit it. Both of them had powerful groundstrokes but Leylah also covered the court like a machine even at the end moments of the match.

In the final set it was 5 all in the tie break, Leylah then hit a banana like forehand which hit the net cord as Svitolina approached it and it was match point for Leylah as she apologised to Svitolina who couldn’t believe it. Svitolina then hit a backhand long to send Leylah into the semifinals. Leylah defeated Svitolina 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7-5). Two Candians are into the semifinals of the US Open for the first time in the Open era.

In Men’s Doubles, Bruno Soares and Jamie Murray had a close call in the first set as they defeated Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-7(7-5), 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals . Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson made a surprising entry into the semifinals as they defeated Horia Tecău and Kevin Krawietz 6-2, 7-6(7-5).

In Women’s Doubles, American pair of Caty McNally and Coco Gauff did not make it look like an upset as they defeated Andreja Klepač and Darija Jurak 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round. Caty and Gauff will face top seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens who seem to be the favourites to take the title. Zhang Shuai and Samantha Stosur defeated Caroline Dolehide and Storm Sanders 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Zhang and Samantha have not lost a set so far in the tournament.

In Mixed Doubles, Joe Salisbury and Desirae Krawczyk overcame Sander Gillé and Demi Schuurs in the quarterfinal as the match swung in both the teams favour until the final set tiebreak. The first two sets saw the teams dominating each other until the tiebreak finally ended in favour of Joe and Desirae. Joe and Desirae defeated Sander and Demi 6-1, 1-6, 10-7.

Giuliana Olmos and Marcelo Arévalo defeated Marcelo Demoliner and Ellen Pérez 3-6, 6-3, 10-4. Olmos and Arévalo only committed 8 unforced errors as they kept the defensive mode throughout the quarterfinal.

Also read: Emma Raducanu breezes past Shelby Rogers at the US Open, Matteo Berrettini seeks Wimbeldon revenge against Novak Djokovic

2021-09-08 13:01

This is a new beginning for Indian hockey: Dilpreet on Olympic bronze medal

New Delhi, Sept 8 (Hockey news): The Indian hockey team kept its morale high despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 and the historic bronze medal winning feat at the Tokyo Olympics is only just the beginning of a new era, said young striker Dilpreet Singh on Wednesday.

The Indian men's team had ended a 41-year-old long wait for an Olympic medal when it clinched the bronze at the Tokyo Games last month.

"We all worked so hard to achieve this feat. We never let any difficulties during the pandemic affect our morale. The seniors played a big part in encouraging us constantly and making us feel like we can do this," he said in a release issued by Hockey India (HI).

"I truly believe that this is a new beginning. We all want to achieve more, and we want people to give us more love and continue to support us.

"And for this to happen, we know we must consistently perform well at major tournaments. We are mentally prepared for it," the 21-years-old added.

Dilpreet has had a dream run so far with the Indian team. Ever since his grand outing in the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2017 where the India Colts won the Bronze Medal, Dilpreet's career has soared to new heights.

He was called-up for the senior camp and soon became part of the team in almost every major tournament since 2018 including the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games as well as the World Cup in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

"I feel so fortunate to be part of this incredible group and yes, I do believe I have been lucky to have had such a great start to my international career," he said.

The young forward from Punjab said the support he received particularly when he was dropped from the senior team following the 2018 FIH men's World Cup where the team was knocked out in the quarterfinals became the turning point of his career.

"Looking back, surely that was not an easy period for me. Maybe, I could not handle the success of getting to play in such major tournaments so early in my career. I was hardly 18 or 19 years old then," he said.

"The junior team coaches guided me all through 2019 and I also worked closely with the psychologist in SAI, Bengaluru at that time.

"After chief coach Graham Reid took over, he watched me during training and spoke to me personally and that motivated me a lot. After I got a chance to come back to the Senior Group, there has been no looking back."

Also read: MP govt appoints Olympic hockey player Vivek Sagar as DSP

News source: PTI

2021-09-08 10:32

Tokyo Olympians set to skip National Boxing Championships

New Delhi, (Boxing news): The upcoming national men's boxing championship is unlikely to feature any of the five pugilists who competed at the Tokyo Olympics, ruling them out of contention for next month's world championships in Serbia as well.

Amit Panghal (52kg), Manish Kaushik (63kg), Vikas Krishan (69kg), Ashish Chaudhary (75kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) had competed at the Tokyo Games. All of them lost in the preliminary rounds barring Satish, who went down in the quarters.

Of these, Vikas, Satish and Ashish are nursing injuries and have withdrawn. There is no word yet on what Amit and Manish would do but a source said they might also skip the tournament due to "lack of practice time".

"They have opted out of the Nationals because they haven't been able to train well since coming back from Tokyo. One or two might still consider it closer to the tournament but in all likelihood, they wouldn't compete," a source close to the boxers told PTI.

The Nationals are due to be held from September 15 in Bellary, Karnataka.

The Boxing Federation of India has stated that only the gold-winners from the national championships will make the squad for the world event scheduled to start on October 26 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Vikas is already out of contention because of a shoulder injury that he sustained during the Olympics.

He underwent a surgery last month to fix the major breakdown and it would keep him away from the ring till November.

Satish too has withdrawn after the cut he sustained above his eye during the Olympics caused an infection.

"There was severe swelling because of that infection and I have only recently started recovering from it. I have started light training but it wouldn't be enough for the Nationals," Satish said.

Ashish, on the other hand, is recuperating from a wrist injury.

"The problem is in both my wrists and doctors have recommended rest for the time being," he said when contacted.

The source said the boxers would have preferred the Nationals to happen after the world championships.

"The boxers would have preferred the Nationals to be held after the world championships. There could simply have been trials for the worlds. So many boxers feel that they are struggling to be in their preferred weight because of lack of training and the little time in hand," he said.

"Only Haryana, I think, has managed to conduct state championships, rest are doing trials to pick teams for the Nationals," he added.

Also read: Boxing Federation seeks three-month extension for foreign coaches; review after that

News source: PTI

2021-09-07 15:45

Emma Raducanu the top newcomer in the WTA tour this season

(Tennis news): Emma Raducanu is playing in her second Grand Slam tournament and is into the quarterfinals of the US Open where she will face Tokyo Olympics Singles champion Belinda Bencic. Emma is only 18 years old and has been playing professional tennis since 2018 and played her first main draw tour level match at the 2021 Nottingham Open.

Emma was ranked 338 in the world when she got the wildcard for the Nottingham Open in June, she lost her first match against Harriet Dart in straight sets. Emma also earned a wild card in Wimbledon defeating Russian qualifier Vitalia Anatolyevna Diatchenko in the first round. She had a tough first set but bageled her opponent in the second one. In the second round she defeated 2019 French Open runner up Markéta Vondroušová and Emma didn’t stop there. In the third round she defeated Sorana Cîrstea to become the youngest British woman to reach the last 16 in the open era. She lost in the fourth round to Ajla Tomljanović as Emma had to retire in the second set due to breathlessness. The level of physical fitness of Emma was questioned as she seemed to struggle in the match.

Emma’s efforts were a boon to her rankings as she rose to a career best 179 in the world. She again gained a wild card to the Silicon Valley Classic tournament which was her first entry into a 500 event. She lost in the first round to Zhang Shuai in straight sets, Emma then reached the final of the WTA 125 tournament in Chicago which propelled her to a career best ranking of 150.

Emma’s Meteoric rise on the tour has been exceptional. The sport has seen many different champions in the past twenty years, in the Grand Slam stages there have been different winners as only Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova have made it multiple times. Serena of course is on a different pedestal but now these young players are slowly rising. Emma played well in Wimbledon, where she reached the fourth round in just her Grand Slam debut. Players of this generation are used to huge crowds and have advanced technologies to analyse their opponents matches. They are well equipped, but the amount of dedication and hardwork will always be the same to be a top ranked player on tour.

The top players have always started out young, some have found success at a very young age like Serena, Rafael Nadal in the recent past and a handful of the players can play for a long time. This US open was a painful reminder to the fans and the audience that the older generation players cannot compete continuously like the younger ones. The youngsters gave the fans and audience a happy reminder that there are more records to come, even though it will take some time. Players like Emma who were not even in the top 300 at the start of the year but now are in the top 150 can be the future superstars of the game.

Emma came in the US Open as a qualifier, where she played three matches and did not drop a set. In the main draw she was expected to have tough challenges but so far has not been facing trouble. Emma upset Shuai Zhang, a player ranked 100 places above her in the second round and in the next round caused a bigger upset as she defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo also bageled her in the second set. Sara had defeated Ashleigh Barty in the Tokyo Olympics and is having a good tour this season, Emma took the first 11 games of the match. In the next round was the biggest upset by Emma yet as she defeated Shelby Rogers. Rogers again had defeated Barty in the earlier round and reached the quarterfinals last year.

It is interesting to see that Emma has not dropped a set yet in the US Open, she has not conceded more than four games in a set against her opponents. In her eight Grand Slam matches so far, she has lost one to Ajla Tomljanović in Wimbledon other than she has won all her matches in straight sets. Emma also recorded a bagel in her very first Grand Slam match, she seems to be very promising and will look to be at her best against Belinda Bencic.

Emma is a right hander who plays a two handed backhand, she has powerful groundstrokes which has been a nuclear weapon in the US Open. She has a total of 92 winners in four matches and so far has quickly closed out the matches. Emma’s physical fitness has improved ever since her Wimbledon retirement, she is now used to the game of the top players. Emma hopefully won’t fall prey to the heavy expectations as every upcoming young player faces this stern task of facing the audience in times of defeat. She will need every bit of strength in the coming matches and the crowd so far has been super supportive of the players. Emma looks to be the flag bearer of the latest generation.

Also read: Emma Raducanu breezes past Shelby Rogers at the US Open, Matteo Berrettini seeks Wimbeldon revenge against Novak Djokovic

2021-09-07 15:18

Boxing Federation seeks three-month extension for foreign coaches; review after that

New Delhi, Sep 7 (Boxing news) The Boxing Federation of India has sought a three-month extension for its foreign coaches, whose contracts were expiring this month, saying a review will be done after the World Championships for men and women later this year.

Indian boxing has two foreign recruits in men's High Performance Director Santiago Nieva of Sweden and his women's team counterpart Rafaelle Bergamasco from Italy. Both of them came on board in 2017 and their contracts were to end after the Tokyo Olympics.

"We have sought a three-month extension (from the Sports Authority of India) for both of them. The men's World Championship is due next month and the women's one is scheduled some time in December, we want continuity," Boxing Federation of India Secretary General Hemanta Kalita told PTI.

The decision was taken at the BFI's Executive Committee meeting recently.

"Our review of the Olympic performance is still an ongoing process and we would take a decision on any further extension after the two World Championships," Kalita explained.

"This is going to take some time. An extension will ensure that our preparations are not disrupted. There is very little time in hand," he said.

An unprecedented nine Indian boxers, five men and four women, qualified for the Tokyo Games of which only Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) could finish on the podium with a bronze medal.

Among the men, only Satish Kumar (+91kg) could reach the quarterfinals, while four others, including world number one Amit Panghal (52kg), lost in their opening round bouts.

BFI President had backed both the boxers as well as the coaching staff, saying that he he cannot overlook the unparalleled results of the past four years which included two medals for the first time at the men's World Championships and never-before-seen hauls in the Asian and Commonwealth Games.

Both Nieva and Bergamasco have expressed the desire to continue.

The 47-year-old Nieva is a member of the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) coaches committee and Vice President of the Asian Boxing Confederation's (ASBC) coaches committee.

Kalita also informed that after men's National Championship from September 15, the BFI will conduct the women's national event in the second week of October.

Also read: National Boxing gold-winners to make team for World Championships; Head Guards brought back

"The dates will be finalised in some days but the window would second week of October. We plan hold the tournament in Hisar in Haryana. The World Championships are due in December so that window is perfect to have the Nationals," he said.

Both the men's and women's National Championships could not be held last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The gold medal winners of the men's Nationals will qualify for the World Championships.

News source: PTI

2021-09-07 12:03

National Boxing gold-winners to make team for World Championships; Head Guards brought back

New Delhi, Sep 7 (Boxing news) Boxers will compete in head guards during the men's National Championship scheduled to start on September 15 and the gold-medallists from the event will qualify for the World Championships to be held next month in Belgrade, Serbia.

The Nationals, which could not be held last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be staged at the Inspire Institute of Sports in Bellary, Karnataka and the top two in each category will make automatic cut for the national camp.

"The gold-medallists will qualify for the World Championships. The Nationals will be followed by an Open Championship and the top two from there will also be added to the camp," Boxing Federation of India Secretary General Hemanta Kalita told PTI after an executive committee meeting of the BFI.

"Head guards will be back as was proposed because we don't want to risk major cuts given the very little time in hand for the world championships," he added.

The world event will be held from October 26 and it would be the first major international competitive outing for the boxers after the Tokyo Olympics.

Men's amateur boxing did away with head guards in 2013 when the AIBA medical commission, after a research study, concluded that removing the gear "may reduce the already small risk of acute brain injury in amateur boxing." The country's Olympic-returned boxers will also have to compete and claim gold at the Nationals to be eligible for the global showpiece.

Amit Panghal (52kg), Manish kaushik (63kg), Vikas Krishan (69kg), Ashish Chaudhary (75kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) had competed at the Tokyo Games.

Of these, Vikas is currently out of action, nursing a shoulder injury that needed to be operated on.

"The Olympians have to compete and win gold at Nationals to be eligible for the world championship. There is no exemption. The dates and venue for the Open championship will be announced later," he added.

"Immediately after the Nationals, we will have trial bouts on September 22 and 23 between this year's bronze winners and last edition's top three to decide additional boxers for the national camp," Kalita said.

The National Championship will be competed in the new weight categories introduced by the International Boxing Association in July.

The revised weight divisions for men, after being increased from 10 to 13, are 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 86kg, 92kg, and +92kg.

The AIBA events and Olympic competitions do not feature head guards but national associations are free to conduct their tournaments with or without the protective gear.

The AIBA research had concluded that head guards can increase the risk of blows to the head because the padding around the eyes limits the boxer's vision. On the flip-side, the absence of head guards has contributed to an increased rate of cuts.

Also read: Indian contingent brings home 39 medals from the 2021 ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships

To this, the AIBA study had stated that "as boxers become more experienced and acclimated" to boxing without head guards and coaches change their style in view of the new rule, the rate of cuts will be reduced to previous historic levels.

The head guards were made mandatory in 1984 by AIBA before being dumped in 2013.

The tournament in Bellary will require boxers, participating officials and support staff to present a negative RT-PCR test report obtained 72 hours before landing at the competition. The boxers' temperatures will also be checked on arrival.

News source: PTI

2021-09-07 09:55

I had suicidal thoughts but coach pulled me out: Sundar Singh Gurjar

New Delhi, (Sports news): He battled not just loss of limb but also suicidal thoughts not too long ago and as javelin thrower Sundar Singh Gurjar celebrated his maiden Paralympic bronze, he couldn't help but be thankful to the people who drew him out of the abyss, especially his coach Mahavir Saini.

Till 2015, Sundar competed in able-bodied competitions and was even a part of the junior national camp featuring Tokyo Olympics gold-medallist Neeraj Chopra among others.

But the 25-year-old's life changed drastically when a tin shed fell on him at his friend's house leading to the amputation of his left hand.

Sundar didn't lose hope though and with the unflinching support of his coach, he returned to the turf in the para athlete category. In a year's time, he qualified for the 2016 Rio Paralympics before fate once again played a cruel role and he was left shattered.

"...I fought back and qualified for 2016 Paralympics only to be disqualified. That time I started thinking everything is finished, there is nothing left for me," Sundar said in an interview.

"I thought of committing suicide but that time my coach (Mahavir Saini) realised something wrong is going on in my mind. For a month he kept me along with him 24x7, didn't leave me alone.

"As time passed, my thoughts started to change. I started thinking I will start playing again and answer back to the world." It was a delay of 52 seconds in reaching the call room that led to his disqualification from Rio Games.

"I was leading at the top in my event during 2016 Paralympics but I was just 52 seconds late in reaching the call room and I was disqualified. I was really heartbroken after that, said the F46 javelin throw bronze-medallist from Tokyo.

Sundar credits his coach Mahavir for single-handedly transforming his life and career.

"I used to play sports since 2009. Initially I used to do shot put and I had a medal in shot put in nationals. I did shot put for one-and-half years and after that my coach Mahavir Saini told me if you have to shine in your career you have to leave shot put and start javelin," he said.

"He might have seen some talent in me and he started training me. From there till now, coach saab has supported me a lot." Sundar also recalled his time training with Neeraj at the camp.

"He was two years junior to me. I used to play Under-20 and he used to be in Under-18. We played a few competitions together at the youth level. In junior India camp me and Neeraj were together in SAI Sonepat camp in 2013-14. Then I suffered an accident in 2015 and came under para," he said.

"But our success will definitely inspire the younger generation in taking up the sport." Sundar is now determined to better the the colour of his medal. "I feel I still have some drawbacks. I won a medal in Paralympics but I am not satisfied because my target was to win the gold and I hope to do that in 2024 Paris Paralympics.

"My first focus would be on Para Asian Games and the World Championships next year but the final target is Paris," he said.

Sundar has been working as an officer in Rajasthan government's forest department along side compatriots Avani Lekhara and Devendra Jhajharia since November last year but he got his first salary just after winning the Paralympic medal.

"I have been working in forest department in Rajasthan since 5th November 2020. But the day I won the Paralympics medal, within two hours I got my first salary of 10 months," he rued.

Also read: TT robot facilitated by SAI helped me create history at Paralympics, says Bhavina

News Source: PTI

2021-09-06 17:10

Sumit Antil aims to become the 2nd Paralympian to participate at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024

(Paralympics news) After breaking the world record 3 times in the Men's Javelin F64 final, Sumit Antil wants to break all sports barriers and prove to the world that no disability can stop him from achieving his goal of qualifying for the Paris Olympics in 2024. The 23 year old from Haryana who lost his left foot in a motorbike accident in 2015 did not stop him from making sure that the Indian National Anthem was heard for the second time in the Tokyo Olympic Stadium.

Sumit started the final of the men's javelin F64 by breaking the world record in his first attempt where he managed to throw 66.95m and bettered it with a throw of 68.08m, he then stored his best in his penultimate attempt where he threw 68.55m. Sumit is hungry for more as he claims that he has already reached the 70m mark but he believes he can get close to the 80m mark and even try going as high as 85m. In fact Sumit has always been competing in abled body events as this year he participated in the Indian Grand Prix where he competed with the Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra.

Sumit after winning the gold medal said that "Don’t be surprised to see me at Paris 2024 taking part in both Olympics and Paralympics. That’s my dream". Sumit also went on to point out that he is confident of bridging the gap between Neeraj's Olympic gold medal winning throw of 87.58m and his paralympic throw. Sumit who initially started out to be a wrestler but after his accident in 2015 he took up Para - Javelin, stressed that there is a lot more he can learn and improve his technique to achieve his dream of throwing 80m.

Sumit also said that “If we talk about the able-bodied athletes, their Gold was won at 87m and ours is 68m and there's a difference of 18-19m in our records,"

"My main goal is to bring down this gap as much as I can. In the upcoming years, I will try my best to get closer to the 85m mark. I will try my level best to achieve that and reduce the gap, in order to set a benchmark in Paralympics and change people's perception of Paralympics.

"I firmly believe I can get closer to the 80m-mark. I am able to throw 70m. My coach keeps telling me that the peak for a javelin thrower is around 28 years of age. I am just 23 and I have 5 more years. I started javelin only 3 - 4 years ago. There is a lot of technical stuff that I can learn.

"I want to go back and start from the basics. I want to get over the small, small mistakes. Right now, I am relying on power to throw. To get to the 80m-mark, there are a few small things that I need to work on. I want to work on basics and technique."

Also read: It was not my best, says Sumit Antil after winning Paralympic gold with world record throw

If Sumit in the next 3 years improves and actually achieves his dream, then he’ll become only the second Paralympian after Oscar Pistorius to participate in the Olympics. The new wave or fever of Javelin throw in India is led by these individuals as we are slowly but steadily becoming a powerhouse in Javelin throw and soon will be compared to the likes of Germany and Czech Republic who have been producing the best Javelin throwers over the past 30 years.

Inputs from PTI

2021-09-06 15:00

Manika rubbishes TTFI's claim that she did not report Roy's alleged fixing offer in March

New Delhi, Sep 6 (Table tennis news) Star player Manika Batra on Sunday dismissed TTFI's "false" claim that she did not report the matter to the national federation when national coach Soumyadeep Roy allegedly asked her to throw a match during the Olympic qualifier in March.

Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) secretary Arun Banerjee has questioned the timing of Manika's allegations against Roy.

However, the leading India player, in her response to federation's showcause notice over not taking Roy's help during the recently held Tokyo Olympics, stated that the national coach asked her to fix a match in Doha and she had "promptly" reported the matter to TTFI which did not take any action. It was also the reason she could not take Roy's help in Tokyo.

She reiterated the same to PTI on Sunday: "I just wish to say it's clearly stated in my written reply to the notice and letter to TTFI that I had reported about the matter to them long back (in March) .

"I don't know why the false claim is made now of me not reporting it for five months. My reply to the notice clearly claims of my prompt reporting of it." TTFI has asked Roy to present his side of the story in a written reply.

"From my side, I did not promise to oblige him and promptly reported this matter to a TTFI official. I decided not to obey the unethical command of the national coach.

Also read: Manika alleges national coach Roy asked her to fix match in Olympic qualifiers

"I have been falsely charged with ''bringing disrepute to the country by the sight of an empty chair of the coach''.

"But the truth is that the ''empty chair'' was the result of the national coach's pressure tactics for match fixing and TTFI's inaction to act on my prompt reporting of that incident and not the result of my so called indiscipline," Manika had stated in her response to the notice.

She is also unlikely to attend the national camp underway in Sonepat ahead of the Asian Championships later this month. TTFI has made it clear that any player missing the camp will not be considered for national selection.

Star male player G Sathiyan has decided to cut short his training and competition stint in Poland and is set to join the camp on September 10 or 11.

News source: PTI

2021-09-04 18:00

Mike Powell’s world record in Long Jump still on top after three decades as Beamon’s Olympic record untouched after half a century

(Athletics news): On August 30 1991, Mike Powell jumped an astonishing 8.95m in the Men’s Long Jump as it was one of the most competitive battles between Powell and Carl Lewis. Carl Lewis at that time was a two time Olympic and World champion in Long Jump, he was the favourite to win for the third time. Until that jump Carl Lewis had set the previous Championship of 8.67m at Rome in 1987 and the World record of Bob Beamon had the World record of 8.90m which was set in 1968.

The 1991 World Championships was held in Tokyo, Japan. In the athletic community, sprint events are the one which gets most of the attention but this time Mike Powell and Carl Lewis made the world focus its attention in Long Jump. The first three jumps saw Lewis taking a huge lead with a jump of 8.83m with Powell in second with a jump of 8.54m. The next three jumps saw both the athletes giving their best to win the Gold. Lewis jumped a wind assisted 8.91m in his fourth attempt, this was the first time a human had jumped over 8.90 since Beamon but it was not considered valid because it was wind aided. Powell jumped 8.95m to shock the world as well as the two time champion, Lewis then jumped 8.87m in his final jump to mark the perfect finish to the event. Larry Myricks came a distant third with a jump of 8.42m.

The more jaw dropping fact is that Bob Beamon set the Olympic record of 8.90m way back in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. He couldn’t feel his legs after the results came and collapsed to his knees, this amazing feat gave birth to a new term called Beamonesque which means an athletic feat so superior to what has come before, it is overwhelming. Carl Lewis came closest to breaking the Olympic record when he jumped 8.68m in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and this year’s 2020 Tokyo Olympics Long Jump Gold medallist Juan Miguel Echevarría had recorded a jump of 8.50m which is also the season best.

Beamon’s effort could have won him the gold even after a period of 53 years. Powell's jump is magnificent indeed but one has to understand the kind of impact and the level of Beamon’s jump that demolished the previous records. It brought up questions about how far can humans jump and the possibility of a jump over 9 metres. In the Tokyo Olympics only 8 athletes could jump over the 8m mark thus showing how difficult it is to break the World record and also how Beamon’s jump is nothing short of historic and is one of the most influential events in Athletic history. Prior to Beamon’s jump the Olympic record was 8.12m by Ralph Boston in 1960, the world record was 8.35m which was achieved twice as Ralph did it in 1965 and Igor Ter-Ovanesyan equalled it in 1967.

The Long Jump event since then has not seen anyone threatening the record, only Powell and Beamon have touched the 8.90m mark and Lewis is closest with 8.87m. In the last twenty years, Dwight Phillips has come the closest with a jump of 8.74 in 2009 and the most recent one was by Tajay Gayle in 2019 when he jumped 8.69m. No athlete has ever come close since then, whoever shall break the record needs to leap over fear and self doubt.

Also read: Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce has no intentions of slowing down, posts the third quickest time in history in Women’s 100m

2021-09-04 10:49

Manika alleges national coach Roy asked her to fix match in Olympic qualifiers

New Delhi, Sep 3 (Table Tennis news): Table tennis star Manika Batra has alleged that national coach Soumyadeep Roy asked her to throw a match during the Olympic qualifiers in March and that was the main reason she refused his help in the singles competition of the Tokyo Games.

Responding to Table Tennis Federation of India's show cause notice, Manika strongly denied that she brought disrepute to the game by refusing Roy's help.

According to TTFI sources, the world number 56 stated she would not have been able to focus on her match if someone who asked to her indulge in match-fixing months earlier was sitting by her side.

"Besides the need to avoid disturbance due to his last minute intervention, there was an additional and much more serious reason behind my preference to play without the national coach," the Khel Ratna awardee alleged in her response to TTFI secretary Arun Banerjee.

"The national coach had pressurised me during the qualification tournament in Doha in March 2021 to concede my match to his student to enable her to qualify for Olympics - in short- to indulge in match-fixing," she said.

Despite repeated attempts, Roy was not available for a response to the allegations. The player-turned coach has also not been asked to join the ongoing national camp and has been told by TTFI to present his side of the story.

"The allegations are against Roy. Let him respond and then we will decide future course of action," said Banerjee when asked about Manika's response to the showcause notice.

Roy is a former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist in the team event and also an Arjuna awardee.

Both Manika and Sutirtha Mukherjee, who train in Roy's academy, ended up qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.

"I have evidence of this incident and I am ready to present it to the competent authorities at the appropriate time. For asking me to concede the match, the national coach personally et me in my hotel room and talked to me for nearly 20 minutes," said Manika.

"He tried to promote his own student using unethical means under the pretext of national interest. He was accompanied by his student who trains in the private academy not only run by, but also named after him.

"From my side, I did not promise to oblige him and promptly reported this matter to a TTFI official. I decided not to obey the unethical command of the national coach. But his intimidation and pressure had its effect on my mental frame and consequently my performance.

"During the Olympics, I wanted to keep away from the demoralising effect of such a coach. Because, as a player representing India, it was my duty to serve my country in the best possible way." Manika made history by reaching the third round while Sutirtha also did well to reach the second round.

TTFI had called Manika's refusal to take Roy's advice as an act of indiscipline and showcaused her.

"I strongly deny the charge therein that I brought disrepute to TTFI, Government of India and the country and undermined the appointment of the national coach by playing my singles matches in the Tokyo Olympics without the presence of the national coach in the field of play.

"In fact and on the contrary, I have served my country and TTFI in the best possible way by playing my matches alone," she wrote.

Manika also questioned TTFI for not taking action against Roy.

"I have been falsely charged with 'bringing disrepute to the country by the sight of an empty chair of the coach'. But the truth is that the 'empty chair' was the result of the national coach's pressure tactics for match fixing and TTFI's inaction to act on my prompt reporting of that incident and not the result of my so called 'indiscipline'.

"Unfortunately, when I raised the issue of the match fixing pressure tactics by the national coach again in my e-mail dated 14'th August 2021, TTFI refuted this issue outright without even a preliminary, impartial and transparent inquiry.

"Finally, to reiterate and summarise, I have done nothing wrong in playing my matches alone," she asserted.

Also read: Having personal coach at events not about ego, it's basic requirement of individual sport: Manika

News source: PTI

2021-09-03 19:00

Hope javelin becomes as popular as cricket bat, says Sports Minister Anurag Thakur

New Delhi, Sep 3 (Paralympics news) Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday felicitated the just-returned Paralympic medallists of the country, including javelin throwers Sumit Antil and Devendra Jhajariya, hoping the sport will become popular like cricket in years to come.

Close on the heels of Neeraj Kumar's historic javelin gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, Antil, Jhajharia and Sunder Singh Gurjar brought more laurels to the country with their medals in javelin at the ongoing Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Debutant Antil smashed his own world record multiple times for the F64 class gold, while veteran Jhajharia and Gurjar won silver and bronze medals respectively in the F46 category on last Monday. "I hope javelin in India will now become as famous as a cricket bat," Thakur, a former BCCI president, said during felicitation.

Other para athletes present on the occasion were Yogesh Kathuniya (Discus Throw F56 silver medal) and Sharad Kumar (High Jump T63 bronze medal).

Thakur promised all possible support to the country's athletes from the Narendra Modi-led central government.

"On National Sports Day, India clinched four medals and there can't be a better tribute than this to Major Dhyan Chand ji. There is a lot of hard work by the athletes combined with the support given by government to the National Sports Federations and athletes. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji's encouragement has been a driving force," the minister said.

"Government will improve the sports ecosystem in the country and through schemes like TOPS, it will keep supporting the athletes (both core and development) in an unprecedented way," Thakur said.

Also read: Not satisfied, could've done better: Lekhara after becoming 1st Indian woman with 2 Paralympic medals

Jhajharia and Kumar thanked the government for the support they received in their Paralympic Games campaign.

"In the last four years, the government has supported us in a great way. PM Modi ji's interaction with us also boosted our morale and we felt motivated this time," Jhajharia said.

Kumar added: "This was a very difficult Paralympics because we did not know whether Games will happen or not. We are very happy that the government adopted us and offered us great support through Target Olympic Podium Scheme.

"The government is working tirelessly to support us and all our sports-centric and reasonable requests are being approved quickly,."

News source: PTI

2021-09-03 18:36

Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce has no intentions of slowing down, posts the third quickest time in history in Women’s 100m

(Athletics news): Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce is a three time Olympic Gold Medallist and 9 time gold medallist at the World Championships. She has been on the Athletics headlines for the past 13 years. She has constantly broken the 11 second barrier in the 100m and doesn’t seem to be slowing down as this year she was featured 5 times in top 10 fastest timings. She is known as the Pocket Rocket as she is five feet tall.

Fraser is 34 years old and many of her rivals are younger to her but that doesn't slow her down. Four of her top 10 races have come this year and she has run the sub 11 times a 65 times. She also was unbeaten in 10 consecutive races from 30th may 2015 to 6th september 2015 and repeated it four years later when she had a 9 race winning streak from September till August 2020. Two of her fastest timing has come this year and ran 10.60s a week ago which is the third fastest of all time.

After Florence Griffith Joyner set the world record in Women’s 100m in 1988, her record is now in danger especially this year as Fraser and Elaine Thompson have come real close to the record. Age has never caught up with Fraser and had a small break when she was pregnant in 2017 but came back for training a few months later in 2018 in the 9th race since her comeback she posted a sub 11 100m, this showed the perseverance and the domination by the athlete in the sport.

Fraser won the 2008 Beijing Olympics 100m and defended it in the London 2012 Olympics. She finished third in 2016 Rio Olympics and won the silver in this year’s Tokyo Olympics. She has finished in the top three of the 100m since the 2008 Olympics and is a 14 time Diamond League winner. One of her famous rivalries was with US Sprinter Carmelita Jeter, they both ran 33 races together over a period of 8 years and Fraser won 19 of them.

Fraser has never really been challenged until the arrival of Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson. The latest rivalry which has seen them dominate the top 10 fastest timings this year with only Sha'Carri Richardson being the other in the list. Fraser and Elaine have faced each other 12 times with Elaine leading with 9 victories. The impact of Elaine has been seen in Fraser as her timing has improved vastly. Retirement questions have been arising but her recent performances indicate there is more to come and she is hungry for more.

Also read: Elaine Thompson inches closer to record breaking time in Women’s 100m

2021-09-03 15:00

Jack Sock and Kei Nishikori turn back the clock at the US Open, Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić exit in the first round in doubles

(Tennis news): In Men’s Singles, Jack Sock entered the third round of a Grand Slam after 4 years. Sock defeated Alexander Bublik in an entertaining contest as both the players were engaged in trickshots and super fast forehands. Sock began to win points at the net right from the start whereas Bublik was simply firing aces along with winners, in the end Sock managed to slow down his opponent for an emotional victory. Sock defeated Bublik 7-6(7-3), 6-7(2-7), 6-4, 4-6,6-3.

Kei Nishikori, also on the verge of a comeback defeated Mackenzie McDonald after spending 4 hours on the court. Nishikori was on course for a comfortable straight set victory as he took the first two sets but a sudden surge from Mackenzie forced the match to the decisive set. Nishikori charged ahead early in the final set as Mackenzie failed to outsmart him, Nishikori will face Novak Djokovic in the third round. Nishikori defeated Mackenzie McDonald 7-6(7-3), 6-3, 6-7(5-7), 6-2.

Andreas Seppi reached the third round of the US Open Singles for the fourth time in 18 years and the first since 2015 as he staged an upset over 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz. Seppi was totally beaten by Hubert in the first set but managed to come back without any trouble to take the next two sets. Seppi then showed no signs of slowing down as he won the match by taking the fourth set tiebreaker. Seppi defeated Hubert 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6( 8-6).

In Women’s Singles, Varvara Gracheva secured her 13th career win as she beat Paula Badosa. Varvara did not show any form of fear or pressure when faced the world number 26, Varvara led the fight early on as it took her only an hour and 14 minutes to send Paula packing. Varvara defeated Paula 6-4, 6-4.

Jil Teichmann continued to struggle in Grand Slams as she lost to Anett Kontaveit in straight sets. Anett played aggressively and used her serve and volley to beat the in-form Teichmann, Anett made Teichmann run all over the court as the second set saw Anett improving her serve game by game. Anett defeated Teichmann 6-4, 6-1.

Tokyo Olympics Singles Gold Medallist, Belinda Bencic dominated her match against Martina Trevisan to enter the third round. Belinda won 12 of her last 13 points to take the 1st set and took the first five games in the second set as Martina found support from the crowd when she won her fourth and last game. Belinda defeated Martina 6-3, 6-1.

In Men’s Doubles, Wimbledon champions Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić were stunned by Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow in straight sets. The Americans beat the Croatians 6-2, 7-5. Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecău had an easy outing against Márton Fucsovics and Stefano Travaglia as they beat them 6-3, 6-2.

In Women’s Doubles, Elise Mertens and Su-Wei Hsieh took just 43 minutes to demolish the pair of Yulia Putintseva and Anna Kalinskaya with a 6-0, 6-0 victory. The double bagel will give them the boost for the next round. Sania Mirza and CoCo Vandeweghe lost their opening match to Raluca Olaru and Nadiia Kichenok. Even though Sania and Coco started off well by winning the first set, things didn’t go their way as the pair lost the next two. Raluca and Nadiia defeated Mirza and Coco 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

In Mixed Doubles, 8th seeded Demi Schuurs and Sander Gillé beat Bruno Kuzuhara and Elvina Kalieva as they relied on their serves to get past their opponents. Demi and Sander defeated Bruno and Elvina 6-4, 6-3. Marcelo Melo and Luisa Stefani were beaten by Gabriela Dabrowski and Marcus Daniell in a three set thriller. The final set saw the pair come heartbreakingly close as Gabriela and Marcus edged them in the finish line.

Also read: Rain takes centre stage in the US Open as matches get delayed, Cori Gauff loses to Sloane Stephens

2021-09-02 17:46

Having personal coach at events not about ego, it's basic requirement of individual sport: Manika

New Delhi, Sep 2 (Table tennis news) Star table tennis player Manika Batra believes having a personal coach is a basic requirement for an athlete playing individual sport and if she had court-side access to hers in Tokyo Olympics, she would have done better.

Speaking to PTI, Manika said the authorities, including the Table Tennis Federation of India, should not mind personal coaches travelling with the players even in multi-sport events like the Olympics.

"Chief coach is fine for team events but we also have singles event where certainly one needs his/her coach as that person knows more about the training and game of his player," said the world number 56.

She said the India chief coach can focus on the team competitions, while personal coaches steer individual campaigns.

Her comments come after she was show-caused by TTFI for refusing national coach Somyadeep Roy's help during her singles matches in Tokyo after her personal coach Sanmay Paranjape was denied field of play access due to a limit on accredited personnel by the Games organisers.

She also cited the example of individual sports like badminton and tennis where it is common practice for players to take their personal coaches in all tournaments.

In her response to the show cause notice, Manika has raised questions on Roy who has not been called for the ongoing national camp as a result. The 26-year-old said she expects fair justice.

Manika and G Sathiyan recently won the mixed doubles title at the WTT Contender in Hungary. Her coach did not travel there.

"Only for the team event part of a tournament, we can of course have a chief coach, but this is not hockey or football. We can give our best if we get to work hard and give our best in training with our training teams as it's an individual sport not a team sport.

"This is not about ego, it is all about the requirements of a player. Even my seniors went to Sweden and Germany and still go abroad to their individual clubs and train in their hometowns in India, which is how it should be.

"Even in Hungary, coaches of Sreeja Akula and Sathiyan were there and it's a basic requirement like training. In the team event, it's okay to have the chief coach but singles surely, we need our coaches and it has always been at no cost to TTFI," said the Commonwealth Game gold medallist.

Manika admitted that controversy over her coach being denied field of play access impacted her performance in Tokyo. She nonetheless became the first female player from India to reach the round of 32.

"If the atmosphere and support would have been better, I'm sure I would have played my third round better. I gave my best.

Also read: Manika and Sathiyan make winning return in Table tennis, win mixed doubles title in Budapest

"On the issue (not taking national coach's help) I have written to the TTFI after its notice and raised issues which are important and I also wish some fair justice," said the Khel Ratna awardee, India's highest sporting honour.

On her overall Tokyo campaign, she said: "I would have definitely liked to cross the third round too and in the first two matches, I really played well.

"The mixed doubles draw (with Sharath Kamal) was tough but it will motivate me to push further." Manika has done a lot for raising the profile of table tennis.

Asked what more needs to be done, she added: "...right now I am playing my best and doing my job as an athlete for the years to come, that is my aim and duty."

News source: PTI

2021-09-01 11:15

Novak Djokovoc hits few minor bumps against Debutant in the US Open, Maxime Cressy upsets Pablo Carreño Busta

(Tennis news): In the US Open Men’s Singles, Novak Djokovic started off his historic run with minor setbacks as teenager Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune made an impact on his Grand Slam debut. Djokovic wasted no time as made the moves from the very beginning but was outsmarted by Holger at times who gave his everything as he shocked the crowd by taking the second set. Djokovic carried on even though the crowd was not on his side and went on to take the next two sets for victory as Holger had cramps in the final moments of the match. The score line read 6-1, 6-7 (7-5) , 6-2, 6-1.

Tokyo Olympics Gold medalist, Alexander Zverev sailed smoothly over Sam Querrey as he began his quest for a first Grand Slam and the man who is the top bet in stopping Djokovic. Zverev played an error free game and had a top notch serve over the match which helped him seal the match. Zverev beat Querrey 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 in over an hour and forty minutes.

Pablo Carreño Busta made a shock exit as he was defeated by Maxime Cressy in a five set thriller. Maxime played it like old times as he attacked the net relentlessly and it worked against Carreno Busta who had defeated Djokovic in the Bronze medal playoff. Maxime did not let anything stop him as he was almost out of contention in the fifth set tiebreak fighting off four match points for victory. After 3 and half hours and a total of 123 winners, Maxime took the match with the scoreboard reading 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7).

In Women’s Singles, Ashleigh Barty blasted off in her opening match against Vera Zvonareva who had reached the finals here 11 years ago. Barty had no issues in the first set but in the second set had to showcase her best and even saved a set point as she looked to win her second slam of the year. Barty won the match with a score of 6-1, 7-6 (9-7).

2019 US Open champion, Bianca Andreescu was tested to the limit as she battled her way across Viktorija Golubic. Golubic after losing the first set managed to take the second to take the match into the decisive set. The final set had an interesting fact as both the players won 36 points and Golubic was playing it safe but Andreescu went in for the kill by playing in attacking mode and finishing off the match. Andreescu recorded a 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 victory over Golubic.

Karolína Plíšková sprinted towards the finish line in her match against Caty McNally. Karolína set the tone from the beginning as she kept firing winners across Caty who was unable to counter them. Karolina will be trying to carry the same attacking style into the second round of the US Open. The final scoreboard read 6-3, 6-4.

Also read: Stefanos Tsitsipas survives Murray scare in the 1st round of US Open, Madison knocked out by Sloane Stephens

2021-08-31 17:55

Vinesh out, Sangeeta in; juniors day out at the senior World Championship trials

New Delhi, Aug 31 (Wrestling news) There was no end to Vinesh Phogat's woes as the struggling wrestler withdrew mid-way from the World Championship trials even as her cousin sister Sangeeta (62kg) made a stupendous comeback to mat after three years by sealing her spot in the Indian team, here on Tuesday.

All eyes were on Vinesh, who was suspended by the WFI earlier this month for indiscipline before being let off with a warning, but she looked vulnerable from the beginning.

Vinesh, one of the most successful woman wrestlers in India, was far from her dominant self in her 10-5 win in the opening bout against Anju in the 55kg category and did not take mat against Pinki, who eventually sealed her place for the Championships, scheduled to be held from October 2-10. Anju employed the same head-lock technique that Belarus' Vanesa had applied against Vinesh in the Tokyo Olympics, never allowing the the Asian champion play her game.

Much to everyone's surprise, she did not take mat in the next round.

"I don't know what happened to me. It's not injury. I felt dizzy," Vinesh said, sitting in the practice arena.

Vinesh had said she went blanked in her Tokyo Olympics quarterfinal and even struggled to complete take down move.

She was still smiling but could not hide her disappointment.

"My body is not the same. I am consulting a doctor for this (medical issue). Maybe the coronavirus infection has affected my body," she said.

Sangeet Phogat, who married Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia last year, returned to mat after two knee surgeries and surprised herself with confident victories.

She first beat junior world championship silver medallist Sanju Devi by technical superiority and then beat Manisha 9-5 in the fast-paced final to claim her spot in Indian team in the 62kg category.

Her counter moves resembled that of Bajrang, who was in her coach corner during the bouts.

The 23-year-old had undergone a right knee surgery in 2018, missing the World Championship and then required another operation on her left knee in 2019 before the trials for the Asian championship.

"This performance give me confidence that I will be a medal contender at the Worlds. I could really do what I wanted to do. The training in USA for months and consistent support from Bajrang helped me," Sangeeta told PTI.

"While my father (Mahavir Phogat) has trained me on the mat, Bajrang keeps me motivated and also chips in with his inputs," she said adding that next year's Asian Games and Commonwealth Games are also on "my radar".

Bajrang said the result was beyond expectations.

"Honestly, we just wanted to see how her knees behave, if they hold. We did not expect to win. I just told her to give her best," he said.

Also read: Ligament tear rules Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia out of World Championship, brings early end to his 2021 season

In the same 62kg category, Rio bronze medallist Sakshi Malik was knocked out by Manisha.

The youngsters, who recently competed and did well at the junior World Championships, outperformed many seniors. As many as five of them booked their slots in the team ahead of the seniors.

Shubham Kaushik first stunned senior national champion Pankaj 8-3 and then beat Railways' Arun 8-4 to win the 57kg trials.

Yash Tushir, who won a bronze in Russia in junior worlds, outclassed veteran Amit Dhankar in 74kg final. Gourav Balian, who had also won a bronze, outwitted Narsingh Pancham Yadav in a fast-paced final.

Pruthviraj Basaheb Patil (92kg) and Anirudh Gulia (125kg), who won a bronze each in junior worlds also qualified.

Ravinder Dahiya (61kg), Rohit (65kg), Sushil (70kg), Sandeep Mann (86kg) and Satywart Kadian (97) were other winners.

Among women wrestlers, Anshu Malik was also not her best but still won the place in the 57kg with wins over Mansi (TSU) and senior pro Lalita (2-0).

"I have an issue with my left elbow, that's why I could not play freely. I gained good experience in Tokyo though I could not do well. It's just a start for me at the senior level, I will get better," she said.

Experienced Sarita Mor (59kg) Divya Kakran (72kg), who was show-caused by WFI for indiscipline, also qualified along with Hanny (50kg), Pooja Jatt (53kg), Bhateri (65kg), Ritu Malik (68kg) and Kiran (76kg).

News source: PTI

2021-08-28 17:00

Naomi Osaka waiting to fire her best shot, looks for a second major title this year

(Tennis News): Naomi Osaka is only 23 years old and has won one slam every year since 2018 and this year lifted her second Australian Open. Her first Grand Slam title came when she beat the most decorated tennis athlete in the past twenty years, Osaka defeated Serena Williams in straight sets to lift the trophy. She has won all the four finals she played in the Grand Slams and is predicted to be the next superstar in the Women’s tour. Osaka is the defending champion as she won her second US Open title by defeating Victoria Azarenka after losing the first set.

Osaka had a dream start in the year when she won the Australian Open defeating Jennifier Brady 6-4, 6-3. She was on the verge of losing in the fourth round against Garbine Muguruza but saved two match points to stand strong like a true champion. In the next three tournaments, her best performance was a quarterfinal finish in Miami Masters 1000, in the French Open she won her first round match against Patricia Maria Tig from Romania but issued a walkover in the 2nd round. Osaka had said that she wouldn’t attend press conferences for her mental being, this caused controversies as she received a warning and also a hefty fine from the organisers. Osaka finally decided to pull out of the French Open to ensure a healthy mental well being.

Osaka pulled out of the Wimbledon due to personal reasons but confirmed her participation in the Tokyo Olympics in front of her home crowd. She lost surprisingly in the round of 16 to Marketa Vondrousova to miss out on a medal opportunity. She returned to the Cincinnati Open and started well by defeating Cori Gauff in her first match but lost in the next to Jill Teichmann in the round of 16. Osaka has played 22 matches this year winning 17 of them and has been struggling recently but champions are never out of contention.

Osaka is a highly aggressive player on court and has a monster forehand along with a super fast serve. She is known to serve which has speeds upto 200km/h and her forehands bounce off the court with speeds up to 160km/h. This is one of the main reasons why she has found immense success in hard court as it is suited for style of play. Osaka also patiently waits in long rallies before finishing with a powerful groundstroke.

Osaka is scheduled to face Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic in the first round. She is predicted to win a fifth Grand Slam overall and a third US Open this time. Although in the last few tournaments she has failed to make an impact but it is a different stage and she knows the court well. Osaka can fill in for the veterans who are missing out this time, her blistering forehands can make the spectators curiously wait for the next one in line. The spectators will be allowed and they will be in for a treat as they watch the young generation leading the field.

Osaka should be having no trouble in the first two rounds and after that her path gets a little tricky but she has the potential to take out any opponent. She will be looking for a bright second half of the season, Osaka will face some tough opponents in between like Madison Keys, Aryna Sabalenka and World number one Asheligh Barty who has been the top player this season. She is not new to pressure as has already overcome them in the past. Osaka will hit hard once she steps on court and allow her forehands to orchestrate the audience cheering.

The top players and champions are never counted off in a competition, they will always pose a threat and Osaka is just that person. She is young, aggressive and brave as she will try to break more records and stamp her place in this decade. The US Open starts from 30th August, the roar of the players combined with the audience and the balls firing away in the blue courts. What more can you ask?

Also read: India's singles challenge ends in US Open qualifiers

2021-08-28 14:03

Rajnath felicitates `Defence Forces Olympians', renames ASI stadium after Neeraj

Pune, Aug 27 (Sports news) Felicitating gold medal-winning javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and other Olympians serving with the defence forces at the Army Sports Institute (ASI) here, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday urged them to make India a "sports power".

Speaking at a ceremony where the institute's stadium was named for Chopra, Singh also said he was awaiting the day when India would host the Olympic Games.

“You are not just players but leaders of the Indian youth. It is the responsibility of leaders to give the right direction to the followers," he said.

"Make a resolve, today we all have to make a resolve to make India sports power in the days to come,” he said after felicitating the 'Defence Forces' Olympians' who took part in the Tokyo Games.

“After looking at all these players, I am assured that this resolve will be fulfilled. Our prime minister has shown immense interest in sports, which is unprecedented. I have been in politics for a long time, but the interest shown by the current prime minister in sports is beyond imagination. He boosted the morale of players by interacting and eating with them,” Singh added. “I am waiting for that moment when India will get the opportunity to host the Olympics,” the Union minister said.

Also read: Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra meets Haryana CM

The performance in Tokyo was the country’s best performance at the Olympics, Singh noted.

“Those Olympians who missed the medal by a whisker, they are no less than winners. They represented India in the Olympics which in itself is a matter of pride. This is our best performance in the Olympics so far, but we don’t have to be satisfied here. We will have to strive hard to achieve further,” he added.

Singh also lauded the ASI's efforts to help athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdown.

“Despite COVID, we had a spectacular performance in the Olympics, which is not a small thing. There were constraints on training, proper training was not happening. However, despite all these odds, the players gave a spectacular performance and ASI played a key role.

“I would like to express my gratitude and respect towards this institute, this is a world renowned sports institute of the Army and I was told that 34 Olympians, 22 Commonwealth Games medal winners and 21 Asian Games medal winners were produced by the ASI,” he said.

During lockdown, when it was difficult for players to get training, the ASI took equipment to their doorstop, the minister noted.

Singh renamed the ASI Stadium after Neeraj Chopra on this occasion. The 23-year-old who bagged the country’s first gold in athletics at the Tokyo Olympics was present during the ceremony.

A shawl signed by the Olympians from the forces was also presented to the Defence Minister.

Besides Chopra, Tarundeep Rai (archery), Pravin Jadhav (archery), Amit (boxing), Manish Kaushik (boxing), Satish Kumar (boxing), CA Kuttappa (boxing coach), Chotelal Yadav (Mary Kom’s coach), Deepak Punia (wrestling), Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh (rowing), Vishnu Saravanan (sailing) were among those who were felicitated.

Deepak Kumar (shooting), Avinash Sable (athletics), Amrish Kumar (athletics coach), Irfan KT (athletics), Rahul (athletics), Sandeep Kumar (athletics), Gurpreet Singh (athletics), Tajinder Pal Singh Toor (athletics), MP Jabir (athletics), Shivpal Singh (athletics), Alex Antony (athletics), Abhishek Pandey (physiotherapist with athletics team) and members of the 4x400 relay team who are employed with the Forces were also feted on the occasion.

Army chief General MM Naravane was also present.

Singh also had special words of praise for Neeraj.

“Neeraj Chopra has written his name in gold letters and joined the glorious tradition of Major Dhyan Chand, Captain Milkha Singh, Col Rajyavardhan Rathore and Captain Vijay Kumar,” he said.

The defence minister also appreciated the efforts of pugilist Satish Kumar, who despite having 13 stitches gave a spectacular performance in the quarter-final

News source: PTI

2021-08-28 11:30

Novak Djokovic aims to break multiple records, 21st Grand Slam on sight

(Tennis news): There are certain instances in history where the chances of a particular event happening is nearly impossible but everyone wants it to happen as that little desire, that little madness which jumps across logic and imagination takes over statistics and science. Time plays a crucial role here as Rod Laver was the last man to win all the four Grand Slams in a year and it was 52 years ago. Novak Djokovic is chasing history and is en route to become the greatest ever. In a sport that requires stamina, agility, strength and speed, abilities a young 18 year old or a 20 year old should possess but that has not been the case here for the past 17 years. The big four have shattered the stereotypes and broken all physical barriers that built the sport earlier, they have quantum leaped and have rebuilt the game.

Djokovic burst into the Tennis world in 2008 when Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were sharing the spotlight in the court no matter what the surface they played on. It was supposed to be a predictable final but two young gentlemen decided to take matters into their own hands. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga simply broke Nadal’s defense and Djokovic made sure Federer gave him company afterwards. Both the semifinals were whitewashed in straight sets, Tsonga was the biggest surprise as Djokovic had earlier reached the US Open finals in the previous year. Djokovic prevailed in the final over the frenchmen to win his first Grand Slam title.

Djokovic’s breakthrough year was in 2011 where he won three of the four Grand Slams and looked unbeatable the whole year. Even in 2015 he again won three of the four Grand Slams and was sweeping the Masters 1000 titles. But there was one similarity in both the years, he lost in the French Open and both the defeats featured swiss players with one handed backhand. Federer defeated Djokovic in the 2011 semi final of the French Open and Stan Wawrinka defeated him in the 2015 Final. Both the Swiss players won't be playing in this year’s US Open due to an injury and this year things are different, Djokovic not only captured the French Open but defeated Nadal in the semi final. Nadal has won the French Open a record 13 times and Djokovic is the only player to defeat him twice at the French Open.

Djokovic is an aggressive player who has the current best backhand in the world as it is effective on both sides of the court. His defense is outstanding and can turn into a Rahul Dravid when needed, he is very flexible on court and oftens employs it to win some breathtaking points and not to mention his speed. Overall he can perform every possible stunt in the court but has not been impressive in the net play as his smash has been the best on tour. Djokovic is also a great returner of the serve and to serve an ace will require loads of luck and power.

Djokovic has won the US Open three times with the last one coming in 2018 when he defeated Juan Martin Del Potro in the final. Last year he was defaulted from the tournament while accidentally hitting a line official in the throat with a tennis ball during his fourth round match. Djokovic will look to change things this year and continue his exceptional season.

This year Djokovic has played 43 matches and lost only five of them. He won the Australian Open for a record 9th time as he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the title match, won the French Open defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final and won Wimbledon by beating Matteo Berrettini in the final match. Djokovic will look to be in his best shape, especially mentally as he has a lot riding on him and the pressure might get into him as seen in the Tokyo Olympics. But he has been known to have one of the strongest mental games in the sport and has played mind blowing tennis under pressure. Djokovic will face stern competition from Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev. Djokovic has an all round game so tactics won't be much of a use and if he is on form then Rod Laver just might get company.

Djokovic is the favourite to win this time and will take some monumental tennis to shake him up from the top. He is the perfect embodiment of a tennis player and there is no reason why he won’t win his record 21st Grand Slam. Djokovic lost his last match to Zverev but in Grand Slams it is tough to uproot Djokovic and we can expect some shocks in the first few days. Djokovic will look to be calm and only let the court decide who is the winner and keep his racket intact and break the milestones.

Also read: A new chapter is beginning to unfold with the next generation of tennis stars hungrier than ever

2021-08-28 10:46

How Japan’s Olympic success has been followed by COVID failure

Lund (Sweden)/Sendai (Japan), Aug 28 (The Conversation) From a sporting perspective, the Tokyo Olympics were a massive success for Japan. Finishing third behind the Olympic behemoths of the US and China, Japan secured a record 27 gold medals.

Yet, as the closing ceremony reached a crescendo, on the Tokyo streets ambulances were taking patients from hospital to hospital in a desperate search for available beds.

During the first week of August, there were 2,897 cases of ambulances unable to admit patients to hospitals nationwide, a sharp increase from previous weeks. And with the delta variant now dominant, each day is currently seeing a record-breaking number of new COVID-19 cases.

Just before the Olympics, everything had seemed to be on track: Japan’s vaccination programme had just reached the impressive milestone of one million vaccinations per day, case numbers were manageable, and both the International Olympic Committee and Japanese government had promised a “safe and secure” games. Since then, though, Japan’s situation has nosedived.

Operating in ‘disaster mode’ Japan is now facing not only record cases, but also record numbers of severely ill patients: 1,974 as of August 26 2021. In Tokyo alone, daily infections have topped 4,000 throughout August, including more than 270 severe cases at the time of writing.

New guidelines stipulating that only high-risk patients be hospitalised mean that more than 20,000 infected individuals in Tokyo are staying at home. Unsurprisingly, reports are emerging of patients whose conditions have deteriorated rapidly, in some cases ending in death.

To deal with this spike of patients unable to receive medical care, the prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, has outlined plans to set up “oxygen stations” to give supplemental oxygen outside of hospital and to offer the Ronapreve antibody cocktail treatment for patients to use at home.

Also read: Bhavina Patel defeats China’s Zhang Miao 3-2 in the semifinals of the Tokyo Paralympics, will play for gold in the final

The government’s expert panel has described the situation as “out of control”, with the capital’s hospitals now operating in “disaster mode”. The panel is advising that at this stage, the public should take its own measures to protect itself from the virus. Public attention has fixed on the Tokyo metropolitan area, but the virus has now spread and is rampant throughout the country.

The role of the Olympics There was widespread opposition to the staging of the Olympics before they began, as the public was sceptical of the claims of a “risk-free” games. Undoubtedly the event helped the virus spread.

In the end it was not the athletes that were the problem, but rather the mixed messaging of staging the world’s biggest mega-event in the middle of a pandemic. Despite spectators not being allowed into Olympic venues, people still gathered to watch the games in parks and bars across the country. Public compliance with government measures deteriorated.

As the Suga government’s own chief COVID-19 expert, Shigeru Omi, has explained, the Olympics “affected the public’s perception” of the crisis, weakening the government’s own stay-at-home message and undermining the declaration of a state of emergency.

Vaccinations to the rescue? Taro Kono, the minister in charge of Japan’s vaccine rollout, has trumpeted his country’s success in inoculating its population. Japan went from vaccine laggard to one million doses per day in an astonishingly short time, and the majority of the elderly population have received two doses.

Still, with only 43% of the population fully vaccinated (approximately 54% had received at least one shot as of August 26), Japan is near the bottom of the OECD vaccination table.

So far Japan’s death rate has not increased in tandem with the infection rate. While there is likely some degree of lag, other countries have shown that high vaccination rates do help to erode the link between infection and death – meaning the climbing vaccination rate may have spared the country from an worse outcome.

Nonetheless, the dominance of the more infectious delta variant, together with Japan’s still relatively low vaccination rate, bodes ill for the coming months.

Where is this all going? Japan’s current wave has begun to slow but is yet to crest. Its impact on the health system is already visible and will likely worsen. The fallout in terms of long COVID will reveal itself in time.

A key problem is that the government has lost credibility. Staging the Olympics was only the latest in a series of mixed messages on COVID-19 – last year the government’s “Go To” travel campaign encouraged tourism in the middle of the country’s third wave, while the delayed vaccination campaign is partly the result of prioritising domestic-vaccine development over imports. The recent cover up of Japan’s first case of the lambda variant, as it was related to the Olympics, has added to public distrust.

The government meanwhile has expanded the scope of the current states of emergency that are in place, adding more prefectures. Suga’s top adviser Omi has called for a 50% reduction in mobility to flatten the curve and to relieve pressure on hospitals. Experts have also demanded legal changes to allow for stricter lockdown measures, like those implemented in Europe. Yet legal changes will require time.

With a general election scheduled for October, growing frustration over the government’s crisis management is threatening Suga and his Liberal Democratic Party’s electoral prospects. In post-Olympic polls, support for the government slipped below 30%, the lowest since the prime minister took office.

For various reasons, his party’s victory had seemed preordained. Although the opposition has so far failed to take advantage of the government’s failures, with two potentially devastating months ahead, now Suga’s position has never been more precarious. If the situation becomes dire, the challenge may even come before the election from within his own party.

Right now, it is hard to see the government regaining the public’s trust, and the short-term outlook is bleak. However, as the situation deteriorates, the Japanese public itself may sufficiently alter behaviour to slow the virus’s spread. (The Conversation)

News source: PTI

2021-08-27 16:00

Coach Graham Reid sets new targets for Indian men's hockey team after Tokyo success

New Delhi, Aug 27 (Hockey news) A historic Olympic bronze medal in its pocket, the Indian men's hockey team is eyeing several milestones in the coming years, the preparation for which will begin next month, chief coach Graham Reid said on Friday.

The team won a bronze at the Tokyo Games earlier this month, ending a 41-year wait for a medal in the sport.

Talking about the roadmap ahead, Reid said, "We have set some milestones in terms of competitions that are coming up for us now. We have Asian Games, FIH Pro League, Commonwealth Games, Hockey World Cup in 2023 and then Paris Olympics the following year.

"So the milestones have been set, but how we need to prepare between those milestones will be decided in the next month or so," Reid said on Hockey India's podcast series 'Hockey Te Charcha'.

The Australian said he will take feedback from the players going forward and analyse what other teams have been doing.

"We also have to sit down and analyse all the games from the Olympics and see what the other teams have been doing, because you never get the time to do that in the middle of a tournament, when the focus is limited only on the next opponent.

"We also need to get feedback from our players on what they feel are the skills that they need to work on going forward, and surely we need to accelerate our learning to be consistently up there with the best teams in the world all the time.” Reid had won a silver medal as a player for Australia in 1992 Barcelona Olympics. However, clinching a bronze as chief coach ranks amongst his most impressive achievements.

The Indian team's schedule was adversely affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Reid believes the extended period of time that the team spent together in camp at SAI Bengaluru eventually brought the players closer together and shaped their character as a group.

Also read: Harmanpreet, Gurjit, Sreejesh in short-list for FIH annual honours

"I kept saying to the team that the adversity and the resilience that they have shared together will come to the fore and unite them when the chips are down.

"Look at bronze medal match. We were 1-3 down, it would have been very easy to give up and admit it’s not our day, but we didn’t do that. We pulled ourselves together and displayed a magnificent example of fighting back and taking the next step from that position one at a time,” said Reid.

On the setback in the second match of the Tokyo Olympics when India lost 1-7 to Australia, Reid said, "Since day one, I have tried to instil a ‘next thing mentality’ in the team. After facing a disappointing result, you cannot get caught up thinking about what you could have done.

"The next thing you need to do is the most important. You can change the future, but not the past. So after the disappointing result against Australia, we drew a line in the sand before getting to the Olympic village and decided not to ponder on the result any longer.

"The group reacted very well to that approach. Our full focus was on putting together a good run of results from that point on, and that’s exactly what we managed to do.”

News source: PTI

2021-08-26 15:31

Rani Rampal & Co's Olympic show inspiring Indian football team ahead of AFC Women's Asian Cup

New Delhi, Aug 26 (Football news) Preparing for the AFC Asian Cup, two of India's top women's team footballers are taking inspiration from their counterparts in hockey, who claimed a historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics.

The performances of the Indian athletes in Tokyo have been inspiring for the entire country and national team footballers Aditi Chauhan and Dalima Chhibber feel the same as preparations intensify for the upcoming tournament in 2022.

"We recently saw the women's hockey team make history at the Tokyo Olympics. That honestly inspired me a lot," Aditi said when asked about the opportunity to represent the nation in the AFC Women's Asian Cup, which India is hosting.

"As a player I could feel that energy, I could feel those emotions and it was just amazing. I am just waiting now for our time to come." Dalima, member of the Indian national team, also referred to the achievements of India's female athletes at the Olympics as a source of motivation.

"I am looking forward to it as an opportunity. In the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, we saw so many female athletes step up on the global stage," Dalima said.

Also read: Mohammedan SC face Indian Air Force in Durand Cup opener

India won an unprecedented seven medals in Tokyo, including a historic gold in the men's javelin throw event.

While the women's hockey team narrowly missed out on a podium spot in the bronze medal match, they won unanimous plaudits with a best-ever semi-final finish.

"Every time I get to be on the pitch and sing the national anthem, it is such an honour. It is a feeling that cannot be described in words," Aditi added when asked about the feeling of being able to sing the national anthem in such a prestigious competition.

In a candid conversation which featured the two national team players, Aditi spoke about leveraging the stage provided by the Asian Cup to set an example for the girls who will participate in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India next year.

"I think if I were in the U-17 team, I would be looking at the senior team (for inspiration). I know there are a lot of young girls that are looking up to the senior team. There are a few girls who have been promoted and called up for the senior team," Aditi said before adding, "all of them have a lot of expectations and see us as examples." Dalima echoed similar sentiments as she believes the continental competition will serve as a motivation to work harder and a platform to set a precedent.

"I know that in our national team, every player has been working really hard. So, I see it (the AFC Women's Asian Cup) as a step forward and as a motivation to be able to do better and put in a lot more effort. We know that there are a lot of eyes on us and a lot of young players coming up who are looking at us," Dalima said.

The tournament will be held between January 20 and February 6 across three venues -- Mumbai Football Arena, D.Y. Patil Stadium and Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex.

News source: PTI

2021-08-26 15:00

A new chapter is beginning to unfold with the next generation of tennis stars hungrier than ever

(Tennis news): In every sport there are moments where a new generation of players take over, the baton is exchanged as the young ones carry legacy forward. In tennis since the late 90s, the William sisters started dominating the Women’s tour, Roger Federer came into the frame in 2003, Rafael Nadal came in 2005 and Novak Djkovic in 2008 and since then these players have taken the sport to new heights. The matches have been nothing short of epic, the courts have seen rallies that brought the spectators to their feet and for over two decades, these athletes have shown extraordinary skills that have kept them on the top of the game for so long.

Only few sports have seen athletes dominating for so long in the international era, Sachin Tendulkar, Carl Lewis, Peter Gade, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo to name a few. It takes years of dedication and hardwork to excel in the field for such a long time, it is even tougher to deal with it when they start ageing. It's only a matter of years when we see some legends of the game retire and watch others script history.

Last year’s US Open saw history in the making as Dominic Thiem became the first male player born in the 90’s to win a Grand Slam title, he finally broke the jinx as it was time for the young stars to shine and take the spotlight. This year, Novak Djokovic has won all the Grand Slams but has faced tough competitions from the younger players. He was outmatched by Alexander Zverev in the Tokyo Olympics Semifinals and will now have to wait three more years for the prestigious Gold. He left Tokyo without a medal after losing in the Bronze medal playoff Djokovic lost to Pablo Carreño Busta.

The 2021 season has seen 6 Masters 1000 tournaments take place, Rafael Nadal was the oldest winner aged 35 as the second oldest is Daniil Medvedev aged 25. Five of the tournaments were won by players born in the 90’s and one was won by Nadal. All the finalists were also born in the 90’s except in Rome where Djokovic lost to Nadal. Times like these are inevitable and happen in every field, although it had not happened in tennis for a very long time.

Also read: Ashleigh Barty back in the US Open, aiming to win her 2nd Major this year

The new generation players have come out in top form in recent times, with Thiem leading with a Grand Slam title, Daniil Medvedev is a two time finalist, Alexander Zverev is a Olympic champion, Stefanos Tsitsipas is also Grand Slam finalist. They have led the younger players and have played some great matches against their idols which brings in the question of who’s next. Who will set the benchmark now, who will lead the force and what new records will be made. Reily Opelka has served his way into the top 25 Singles ranking with a semifinal finish in Rome and a runner up in Toronto Open. Pete Sampras set the bars high when he finished with 14 slams but now records are tumbling in every slam. Serve and volley are not used as much anymore as trickshots and power are winning matches now.

Alexander Zverev has a great return percentage with a steady backhand and he is also very athletic when it comes to drop shops and volleys. Daniil Medvedev is 6 feet 6 inches but his movements on court don't reflect his height as he is very swift and has an unorthodox style in his forehand and backhand, he can cause real damage as he is also mentally tough. Medvedev was booed multiple times last year in the US Open but faced it like a true champion and even said that it's because of the crowd’s behaviour he won certain matches. Tsitsipas reached the finals of the French Open and is expected to strike when he enters the court next week. Andrey Rublev is also a major contender who can use his extremely powerful groundstrokes to finish off points especially in the hardcourt, Nick Kyrgios has had a poor show in recent events but can produce magic when in form.

In the Women’s competition, Naomi Osaka has won four Grand Slams and will turn 24 in two months. She is the defending champion and won her first major title here, Ashleigh Barty also looks to continue her great season forward as she looks to win her second major and 6th title this year. Barbora Krejčíková is having one of the best seasons in Singles ever, she started this year with a ranking of 65 and now is ranked 9th. Barbora won her first Singles Grand Slam by capturing the French Open along with the Doubles title and also won the mixed doubles title in the Australian Open.

The US Open starts from August 30th and many top players have pulled out as injuries have made them rest for now. As older players also take more time to recover, their future endeavours look doubtful. The younger ones look fitter than ever and ready to write a new chapter in the game.

Interesting fact: This is the first time in 24 years that neither Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Venus Williams are not featuring in a Grand Slam draw.

2021-08-25 19:34

Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya to miss World Championship

New Delhi, Aug 25 (Wrestling news) Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya says he has decided to give the upcoming wrestling World Championship a miss since he did not get time to prepare for the selection trials that WFI is organising next week to pick the Indian team for the prestigious tournament.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will conduct trials on Tuesday for the Worlds, set to be held in Oslo, Norway from October 2-10.

Dahiya and other Tokyo Games medal winners have been hopping from one state to another for the numerous felicitation functions being organised in their honour.

"I don't want to be on the mat unprepared. What's the point in competing without enough practice. So I have to miss the World Championship because I don't want to go to the trials without enough practice," the soft-spoken Dahiya told PTI.

Also read: Ligament tear rules Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia out of World Championship, brings early end to his 2021 season

Dahiya will be the second big star missing from the Indian line-up as Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia has also been forced out due to a ligament tear in his right knee. "I will try to compete in one or two tournaments before the season ends after I begin serious training from next month," he said.

Dahiya, though, did not complain when asked if too many functions are bothering him.

"How do you say 'no' to them? They are your own people, who want to show respect and honour you. The only thing is I get tired," he said. It was expected that Dahiya will compete in the 61kg category instead of his usual 57kg class at the Worlds since reducing and maintaining weight is a huge issue for the wrestlers.

A lot of effort goes in cutting weight as they not only give up on food, sometimes go without water for long hours.

Dahiya did not mind that WFI did not exempt him from trials.

"The federation is doing the right thing by calling for trials. They know what is best. I don't mind appearing in trials," he said adding that he will soon convey his decision to the federation.

WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar said there was nothing wrong in asking star wrestlers to appear for trials.

"We have to prepare the second line also. We have to give chance to everyone to stake their claim to be on the national team, so all have to come to trials," Tomar said.

The 23-year-old Dahiya said he has been busy to the extent that he even could not spend time with his family after returning from Tokyo.

"I went home last week and that too for only about two hours. There was not enough time. The only other time I met my father was at the airport when we came back," Dahiya, son of a farmer from the Nahri Village in Haryana, said.

Meanwhile, there was still no clarity on the participation of three wrestlers -- Vinesh Phogat, Sonam Malik and Divya Kakran -- in the trials since the WFI has not yet taken a decision on their respective issues.

Vinesh was suspended for indiscipline during the Tokyo Games while Sonam was sent a show-cause notice for misconduct. Divya was also sent a notice for remarks by his father against the federation.

Both Sonam and Divya have apologised for their behaviour.

Vinesh also tendered unconditional apology for not wearing the official kit during her bouts but "respectfully" disagreed on charges that she did not train and stay with fellow Indian wrestlers in Tokyo.

News source: PTI

2021-08-25 18:30

Ashleigh Barty back in the US Open, aiming to win her 2nd Major this year

(Tennis news): Ashleigh Barty will be looking for a third Grand Slam victory at this year’s US Open. She won the French Open two years ago and this year’s Wimbledon. Next, she will try to capture a Grand Slam in the hardcourt too. Barty was at her best in Cincinnati Open as she didn’t lose a set on the way to capturing the title, defeating Victoria Azarenka, Barbora Krejcikova, Angelique Kerber. In the final she overcame Jil Teichmann who upset Naomi Osaka, Belinda Bencic and Karolina Pliskova. It was supposed to be a tight contest between Barty and Teichmann but Barty proved to be too good.

Barty is a top contender for the US Open as her style is suited for hardcourts as she has won 9 of them out of thirteen career titles in hardcourt. She will also look to improve her previous best in the US Open which is a fourth round finish in 2018 and 2019. Barty won the 2018 US Open doubles title with Coco Vandeweghe thus showing that she is an all round player capable of playing any style. She also has a strong serve and uses efficient volleys as she has also found success in doubles. Barty is leading in aces this year with 297 and has won 74.9 percent of her first serve proving that it will be tough to find a way across her. Barty also has a strong forehand which comes to use while playing cross court or creating sharp angles and her backhand slice can disturb the speed and rhythm of the rally. She has won titles on hardcourt, grass, clay this year which shows she can adapt to any surface

Barty has won five Singles titles this year, she won in Yarra Valley Classic, Miami Open, Stuttgart Open, Wimbledon and the last one coming in Cincinnati. She also won the doubles in Stuttgart partnering with Jennifier Brady. Although she was knocked out in the first round of Tokyo Olympics by Sara Sorribes Tormo from Spain, Barty found success in the mixed doubles as she won the bronze with John Peers. She has the most titles with 5 and most victories with 40 in this WTA Singles season.

Also read: Alexander Zverev waiting to halt Novak Djokovic from a historic Grand Slam victory

Barty did not participate last year due to the pandemic and would try to add the two Slams she hasn’t won yet that includes the Australian Open. She has progressed beyond the quarterfinals in all the Slams except the US Open, this year she looks to be the player to watchout for. Barty will face tough competition from two time champion Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu who also won here in 2019 defeating Serena Williams in the final. Belinda Bencic will also prove to be a tough one to beat as she won the Singles Gold in the Tokyo Olympics and Karolina Pliskova who lost to Barty in the Wimbledon final.

This year’s US open will miss a lot of players due to the injuries, Barty will look to dominate from the start like she did in Cincinnati sending a warning to the other players. She has played over 19 tournaments this year and has a healthy lead over world number 2 Aryna Sabalenka. She has been the World number since 2019 and will look to end the year as number 1 for a third consecutive time. Barty suffered injuries earlier in the year that caused her to miss the French Open and the run up events to Wimbledon but she came back strong by capturing the title on grass. Barty will look to finish the year with a first US Open title and will be waiting to get back on court.

2021-08-25 14:30

US Open to include mental health support for players

(Tennis news): US Open has become the first Grand Slam to focus on mental health services for the players on a major scale with specialised teams. USTA (United States Tennis Association) mental health initiative will include mental health providers and quiet rooms. It is headed by the Mount Sinai Health System who will have expert medical officers, sports psychiatrists and former player Mardy Fish on their team. Their team will also have Stacey Allaste who is the Chief Executive of USTA and the US Open Tournament Director and other tournament officials. The pandemic has affected the sport as well as the players, especially the mental health issues and the latest initiative will try to tackle them.

Mental health has been widely discussed on the tour since Naomi Osaka left the French Open after victory in the 1st round, she took part in the on court interview but skipped the post match news conference. It resulted in the tournament organisers giving her a warning that she could be expelled and was fined $15,000 by Roland Garros. She withdrew from the tournament before her 2nd round match and stated that she had to protect her mental wellbeing. The tournament invited a lot of criticism from players and the fans but the organisers cited article III H of the Code of Conduct. Failure to follow certain protocols or duties result in affecting the tournament as it also involves other players being treated equally. When one individual is exempted from certain duties it calls for unfair treatment on other players.

It is routine that every player should attend the post match session after a match is over, there have been many instances where players have had arguments in the past with the reporters as sometimes sensitive questions pop up and land in a controversy. It does bring news as the players discuss their plans or what difficulties they face and is a player’s duty to address them. It also brings in a lot of attraction for the tournament and revenue as it is an important aspect of the sport. A lot of sports have post match conferences including Cricket, Basketball and also Football.

Also read: Mental health taking a toll on athletes as Osaka leaves press conference in tears in Cincinnati

Mental health in the sporting field has been a recent topic as only physical injuries were the concerns earlier. It is important that both the aspects should be taken care of so that the performance and their career won't be affected. It is not the first time that an athlete has openly talked about mental health, Michael Phelps opened up about being depressed after every Olympics and how it affected him and even made him think suicide. Former England Batsmen Jonathan Trott had anxiety battles during the 2013-14 Ashes series which caused him to retire from the game. The most recent being American Gymnast Simone Biles in the Tokyo Olympics, she withdrew from several team events due to her mental health.

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat recently talked about how Indians praise overseas athletes talking about mental health but fail to acknowledge it when it happens in the country. Former Indian footballer Gouramangi Singh also talked about how mental health is currently being openly talked about and the changes taking place over the years.

While it is important to protect one’s well being, it can be done without affecting the other individual or group. The pressure on being top of their game can affect the mental health of the players, it is important that players actively seek medical attention when in need. They also face pressure in their personal life as there have been many instances where their behaviour outside the field has affected their image or the sport they play. They can produce superhuman qualities in the ground but outside they face the same battles every being comes across.

This year, there have been a lot of advancements in the field of mental health. With the US Open starting this initiative, it can bring a lot of change and will help the athletes stay healthy on tour. The challenges will be present at first but will set an example for other events and sports as it is a major event in Tennis. It attracts millions of people around the globe and can be a doorway for other Grand Slams to follow through. It is a great change to the sport and will be exciting to see the players going through with it. The final Grand Slam starts in five days with the qualifiers going on now.

2021-08-24 16:50

Alexander Zverev waiting to halt Novak Djokovic from a historic Grand Slam victory

(Tennis news): Alexander Zverev is on a roll this year, winning the last two tournaments he has entered. He has won four titles this year, including two Masters 1000 and an Olympic Gold. He is one of the players who has beaten Novak Djokovic this year. Zverev stopped him in the Tokyo Olympic semi finals, denying Djokovic a chance for an Olympic Gold and this time he will be trying to stop him from winning a calendar slam. The calendar slam was last achieved in 1969 by Rod Laver in the Men’s tour and Steffi Graf in 1988 in the Women’s tour. Zverev is the second German player after Steffi Graf to win the Olympic Gold in Singles and the first German man to do it.

Zverev last year entered the finals of the US Open and was on the course of winning his first title when he was up two sets against Dominic Thiem but fumbled in the next three sets. He will look to win his first Grand Slam and has been in exceptional form in hard courts as three of his four titles this year have come in hard courts. Zverev has faced Djokovic nine times overall, winning thrice. The pair has met thrice this year with Djokovic leading 2-1, they have met in the Grand Slam twice and Zverev is looking for a maiden win against him at the majors.

Their first meeting was back in 2017 in the Rome Masters 1000 final when a 20 year old Zverev prevailed over Djokovic in straight sets to take the title. They last met in the Tokyo Olympics where Zverev shocked the World number 1 in three sets on the way to winning the Gold medal. He is known to handle high pressure, the best one coming in 2018 in the Nitto ATP finals against Novak Djokovic and came out blazing to take the trophy in just his second attempt against the five time champion.

Also read: Serena Willams hoping for a comeback, looking to win first major since 2017

Zverev has a strong return percentage in the tour, he also has a fast first serve. He can move around the court as quick with his feet, he also has a powerful reliable backhand along with a strong forehand which will play a crucial role as he will start his preparations. His backhand is one of the best in the game and also is very agile. He also volleys from time to time and uses his height in the net. Zverev is one of the top players in the next gen and a possible future world number no 1.

In the Cincinnati Open, Zverev only lost a single set on the way to winning the tournament. He lost a set in the semifinals against Stefanos Tsitsipas and showed no signs of trouble when he defeated Andrey Rublev in the final. He is currently on a 11 match winning streak and last lost to Felix Auger Aliassime in fourth round of Wimbledon even after winning the first two sets. Zverev will need to be at his best against Djokovic as power and speed won’t guarantee victory, he will look to break Djokvic’s defense and fire aces to put the brakes on a calendar slam. Zverev will also be looking to close in the mental edge over Djokovic as he will look to remind him of Tokyo but Djokovic is on top form this year. Djokovic has won three slams in a year for a third time and won't be thinking of stopping there.

The Serbian had a similar run in 2015 and 2011 where he won three slams and both the years faced losses in French Open. Roger Federer defeated him in the semifinal of the French Open in 2011 and Stan Wawrinka defeated him in the final of the French Open in 2015. Zverev will have to produce the magic they both did. The only difference is that this time it is on a hard court. The last few tournaments have seen the young players trying to take over the reins, in the three slams this year the oldest finalist was Matteo Berrettini in Wimbledon who is 25 years old. Zverev already has some years of experience and has played Djokovic on several occasions including this year and will be ready to prevent Djokovic again from making history.

2021-08-24 14:15

Elaine Thompson inches closer to record breaking time in Women’s 100m

(Athletics News): Five time Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson Herah ran a record 10.54 seconds in the Women’s 100m at the Eugene Diamond League competition on Saturday. This is the second fastest time in the history of Women’s 100m, Florence Griffith Joyner is on top with a timing of 10.49 seconds and it was set in 1988 in Indianapolis. Elaine broke the Olympic record in the 100m this year at the Tokyo Olympics with a timing of 10.61, breaking Florence's timing of 10.62. Elaine also ran the second fastest time in the history of Women’s 200m in Tokyo with a timing of 21.53, the fastest being Florence with a record of 21.34 seconds. Only Florence has better timings than Elaine in the 100m and 200m.

The 100m is one of the most followed events in the athletic world since the winner is known as the fastest runner in the world. It requires intense focus and speed since it gets over in a matter of a few seconds. There can be no setbacks as it is very difficult to make a comeback, sprinters usually are young athletes and only a handful of them have had a long career. The 200m on the other hand requires endurance and technique as athletes have to run in the curve while maintaining their speed. Only a few athletes have been able to conquer both the events as they require different abilities.

Also read: India’s young stars set the stage alight at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships

Elaine is the first woman to win both the 100m and 200m in back to back Olympics. She won the double in Rio De Janeiro in 2016 and in Tokyo 2020. She could become the second athlete after Usain Bolt to win the 100m and 200m thrice at the Olympics. She has the best possibility of breaking the world records in 100m and 200m, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has come the closest to Elaine in the 100m, but Elaine is in a competition of her own, since the start of this year she has the two fastest timings in the 100m and the fastest and third fastest timing in the 200m. Jamaica has been dominating the 100m since the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the women have continued bringing laurels to the country.

Since the 11 second barrier was broken by Marlies Göhr in the Women’s 100m in 1977, there were major changes until the next 10 years till 1988. After that the closest was in 2009 when Carmelita Jeter ran a 10.64, since then, Elaine Thompson is the closest and has improved her timing in every race this year. We could see a world record after 33 years if Elaine can improve in the next few races and become the greatest sprinter ever. She is already regarded as one of the greatest sprinters after her Tokyo victory.

2021-08-23 19:10

Harmanpreet, Gurjit, Sreejesh in short-list for FIH annual honours

Lausanne, Aug 23 (Hockey news): The Indian men's hockey team drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh and his female counterpart Gurjit Kaur were on Monday nominated for the FIH Player of the Year awards as the country made the short-list of all the categories on the back of its stupendous performance in the Tokyo Olympics.

Veteran India custodian P R Sreejesh was among three short-listed for Goalkeeper of the Year award for men while Savita Punia was among three short-listed in the women's category.

The Indian men's team head coach Graham Reid and women's team counterpart Sjoerd Marijne were among three nominees for FIH Coach of the Year award for men and women.

Harmanpreet had scored a whopping six goals from eight matches from his drag-flick to help the Indian men's team clinch a historic bronze, its first Olympic medal in 41 years.

Gurjit was also a pivotal member of the Indian women's team that reached the semifinals for the first time before losing to Great Britain in the bronze medal play-off.

The 25-year-old from Punjab had scored the decisive goal from the penalty corner in India's stunning 1-0 win over Australia in the quarterfinals.

Argentine players Agustina Albertarrio and Agustina Gorzelany and Dutchwomen Eva de Goede, Frederique Matla and Maria Verschoor were the others nominated for the FIH Player of the Year for women.

Besides Harmanpreet, Arthur van Doren and Alexander Hendrickx from gold winners Belgium and Jake Whetton, Aran Zalewski and Tim Brand of silver winners Australia were nominated for FIH Player of the Year for men.

Apart from Sreejesh, Vincent Vanasch of Belgium and Andrew Charter of Australia were nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year Award for Men.

Among women, Maddie Hinch of Great Britain and Belen Succi of Argentina were nominated for the Goalkeeper of the Year Award, along with Savita.

India's Sharmila Devi was nominated for FIH Rising Star of the Year Award for women along with Fiona Crackles (Great Britain) and Valentina Raposo (Argentina) while Vivek Prasad was named along with Mustaphaa Cassiem (South Africa) and Sean Findlay (New Zealand) among men.

Reid was nominated along with Shane McLeod (Belgium team) and Colin Batch (Australia) while Sjoerd Marijne was shotlisted along with Alyson Annan (Netherlands team) and Mark Hager (Great Britain team) for their roles in charge of their respective women's teams.

Players, coaches, media and fans can register their votes for the nominees in the respective women’s and men’s player, goalkeeper, rising star and coach of the year categories from Monday (August 23) to September 15, the FIH said in a release.

Also read: Mizoram Govt appoints Olympian Lalremsiami as hockey chief coach

Votes from National Associations count for 50 per cent of the overall result. Each NA will be granted two votes per gender, which will come from the national team captain and head coach.

Votes from the media counts for 25 per cent of the overall result, while votes from fans/players counts for 25 per cent of the overall result.

The winners will be announced either next month or early October.

With no Hockey Stars Awards in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 global health pandemic on the international calendar, this year's awards cover the period from January 2020 through to the conclusion of the Tokyo Olympics.

This means that the 2020-21 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League has been taken into consideration.

News source:PTI

2021-08-23 16:10

India’s young stars set the stage alight at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships

(Athletics news) With the World Junior Championships having concluded yesterday, India’s sporting future has never looked brighter. Having finished the Tokyo Olympics with their best ever medal haul, it looks like India’s young stars will only make it better at Paris 2024 and beyond with their impressive performances in Nairobi. Previously, the likes of Neeraj Chopra (2016) and Hima Das (2018) have used this platform to kick start their career and there is no reason why the upcoming generation cannot do the same.

Will we see more gold medals at the upcoming Olympic Games? What has changed at the grassroots for the influx of talent at India’s Under 20 level? Let’s explore the 5 athletes that we must keep an eye on based on their performances at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships.

Amit Khatri (Race Walk)

Amit Khatri won India’s 2nd medal at the World Junior Championships. He clocked a time of 42:17.94 seconds to finish behind Kenya’s Heristone Wanyoni, despite leading the race until the final two laps. The 17 year old is already a national record holder and World U20 season leader who experienced breathing difficulties due to high altitude (Nairobi is 1800 m above sea level) which affected Khatri’s performance. The youngster featured in his first international competition and should be pleased with a silver medal, despite being unable to acclimatize to the high altitude. The future is bright for Amit Khatri and he is definitely one to watch out for!

Shaili Singh (Long Jump)

Sports is an industry of fine margins and 17 year old Shaili Singh from Jhansi learned it the hard way at the World Junior Championships. She missed out on the gold medal by one centimetre but still won the silver medal in an extremely impressive display. Her journey so far has been far from easy, raised by a single parent, her mother Vinita took care of three children single handedly. Shaili Singh trains at the Anju Bobby George Foundation and her performance at the World Junior Championship has exceeded expectations despite narrowly missing out on gold to Sweden's Maja Askag who touched down at 6.60m. However, all indications point towards the emergence of India’s new young star and we cannot wait to see what she accomplishes next.

Donald Makimairaj (Triple Jump)

Triple jumper Donald Makimairaj put on an impressive show at the World Junior Championships in Nairobi. He may have missed out on a bronze medal by 0.3 centimeters, but Makimairaj finished with his personal best of 15.82 meters. The 19 year old from Tamil Nadu finished behind Sweden’s Gabriel Wallmark who won gold, Jaydon Hibbert from Jamaica and Simon Gore from France in tough, windy conditions. Donald Makimairaj definitely has the mental strength and temperament to accomplish big things at the highest level and we will follow his career with great interest.

Priya Mohan (400m dash)

A common feature amongst India’s young stars at the World Youth Championships is that they have managed to accomplish their personal best records in Nairobi. Despite Priya Mohan finishing fourth in the World Junior Championships, she accomplished her personal best with a timing of 57.22 seconds but finished behind Nigeria’s Imaobong Uko (51.55s), Poland's Kornelia Lesiewicz (51.97s), and Kenya's Sylvia Chelangat (52.23s). Earlier in the tournament, Priya Mohan won the bronze medal in the 4 x 400 meters mixed relay event and the experience she has gained at such a young age will surely do wonders in more international tournaments to come.

Nandini Agasara (100m hurdles)

The beauty about sports is that it’s a merit based industry. You’re only as good as the work you put in, irrespective of any other circumstances. Nandini Agasara, a tea seller’s daughter made her international debut at the World Junior Athletics Championship after finishing the 100 meter hurdle in 13.96 seconds, with the qualification being 14.15. It’s her sheer hard work, talent and determination that saw her progress all the way to the semifinals after clocking 14.18 seconds. The Telangana girl has everything it takes to make a name for herself in sporting history and as long as she continues working hard, there is no reason for her to not fulfill the immense potential she possesses.

Also read: Long jumper Shaili Singh misses gold by 1cm, wins silver at the U20 World Athletics Championships

2021-08-23 13:00

Alexander Zverev and Ashleigh Barty emerge as champions in Cincinnati

(Tennis news): Alexander Zverev continued his winning run as he clinched his second title on the run after his Tokyo Olympics gold medal. He beat Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-3 to take the trophy, his dominance over the past two tournaments has brought questions about the next Gen. Have they finally started their own dominance as the big three are slowly backing up or is it not time yet, only time will tell us as the final slam starts in a week. Rublev’s missiles were not strong enough to make an impact on Zverev as his defense was simply impeccable. Zverev is on a 11 match winning streak and can produce fine magic when in form.

Zverev took his fourth title this year and his second Masters 1000 title after the Madrid Masters 1000 in May where he beat Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinal. His best performance in a Grand Slam is a runner up finish last year in the US Open losing to Dominc Thiem after taking a two set lead. Zverev will be a major threat in the final slam if he continues this form and will be the favourite this year other than Novak Djokovic. It will take a tremendous amount of work to stop Djokovic especially in Grand Slams, Zverev will try to win his first Grand Slam and provide an open door to the next gen which has been struggling against the big three. Zverev can look to become the 2nd player born in the 90s to win a Grand Slam after Thiem.

Zverev has a strong return percentage in the tour, he also has a fast first serve. He can move around the court as quick with his feet, he also has a powerful reliable backhand along with a strong forehand which will play a crucial role as he will start his preparations. Zverev had skipped the Toronto Open citing he needed to rest after the Olympics. He has a week to rest and will look to prepare himself for the stern test.

Also read: Top four seeds into the last four in Cincinnati, Jil Teichmann upsets Belinda Bencic

Ashleigh Barty seemed like the perfect person to stop Jil Teichmann from making her next kill as she proved why she is the current world number one. She won her fifth title this season as Teichmann couldn’t trouble her. Barty hasn’t dropped a set in this tournament and will look to win her second grand slam this year after her Wimbledon victory. Barty leads the WTA tour this season in victories with 40. She also won the Yarra Valley Classic, Miami Open and now will head to the final slam looking to go beyond the fourth round which she hasn’t done before. She is in her best form after Cincinnati and will look to finish with a trophy beside her.

There have been 8 different winners over the past 10 years, with Serena Williams leading with three titles and Naomi Osaka coming in second with two titles. Barty had not participated last year due to the pandemic but won the mixed doubles title with Coco Vandeweghe in 2018. Barty has a strong serve along with strong gameplay at the net since she is also a well established doubles player. She will be the favourite to win given her recent form and will look to capture her third Grand Slam title overall after the French Open victory in 2019.

2021-08-21 15:30

Top four seeds into the last four in Cincinnati, Jil Teichmann upsets Belinda Bencic

Cincinnati (Tennis news): In Men’s Singles, the top four seeds entered the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters 1000. Andrey Rublev registered his second victory in as many meetings over Benoit Paire. The pair had met in the same stage in the Toronto Open, Rublev with his powerful strokes got off to a good start. Paire later used his defensive skills and trick shots as he took the second set. In the final set Rublev continued to use his hammer forehand and reached his third masters 1000 final of the season. He will face Daniil Medvedev for a place in the final.

Daniil Medvedev also got his second victory over Pablo Carreno Busta after the pair had met in the Toronto Open. Medvedev took just 54 minutes to secure a place in the semifinal, he beat Pablo 6-1, 6-1 with just seven unforced errors and twenty winners. Medvedev played a flawless battle as he was also serving great against the Spaniard. Medvedev seems to be a serious contender in the US Open as he has shown exceptional form over the past two weeks.

Alexander Zverev had a great outing as he beat Casper Ruud 6-1, 6-3 to set up a blockbuster semifinal against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Zverev is also a major contender who can stop Novak Djokovic in the US Open as he showed what he's capable of during the Tokyo Olympics. Casper was also in great form but couldn't withstand Zverev’s attack.

Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Felix Auger Aliassime 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 as he suffered a setback in the second set. He had 2 match points in the second set when Felix suddenly made a glorious comeback and won the next three games to take the set. Stefanos was playing exceptionally level till then but didn't let that affect his game as he stormed in and took the final set.

Also read: Injuries piling up this season as Rafael Nadal becomes latest casualty

In Women’s Singles, Angelique Kerber defeated Petra Kvitová 6-4, 3-3. Kvitova had to retire midway as she was suffering from stomach issues and began struggling in the second set. Kerber will face Ashleigh Barty who defeated Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets. Barty was simply unstoppable in the match as she played calm and rallied hard to take the first set 6-2 and in the second set Barbora was leading 4-2 until Barty took four straight games to take the match. Barty has been too good in the last few matches as her patience paid off in this match.

Karolina Pliskova also proceeded into the semifinals as Paula Badosa had to retire in the second set. Paula had to pull out as she suffered a shoulder injury, injuries are becoming a major concern as the schedule is getting tighter for the players. Pliskova will next face Jil Teichmann who put up an excellent performance against Olympic champion Belinda Bencic. She sent a warning for the semifinal clash with a resounding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Belinda. Belinda simply couldn't match her opponent’s intensity.

In Men’s Doubles, Fabio Fognini and Marcelo Arévalo shocked Toronto champions Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram as they defeated them in straight sets. They will now play against Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballo for a place in the final. Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner after defeating the top seeds Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić in round 16 couldn't repeat their upset as they lost to American pair of Austin Krajicek and Steve Johnson.

In Women’s Doubles, Zhang Shuai and Samantha Stosur overcame Anna Blinkova and Allaksandra Sasnovich in three sets to book a place in the final. In the second semifinal Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani who also had a tough time against Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková. Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani are into their second consecutive title match as they captured the Toronto Title last week.

2021-08-20 15:15

Benoit Paire continues to impress in Cincinnati, Ashleigh Barty shines bright with a stellar performance

Cincinnati (Tennis news): In Men’s Singles, the big three have been missing here in the Cincinnati Masters 1000 but the action continues in the sport. Daniil Medvedev continued his impressive run as he ousted Grigor Dimtrov in straight sets. Daniil beat Dimitrov 6-3, 6-3 as he won 74 percent of his first serves and saved three breakpoints out of four as he looks to win the title here for a second time. Medvedev is looking in great form as it will be interesting to see how things turn out in the US Open.

Benoit Paire barely scraped through in his match against John Isner as he served 20 double faults but smashed 16 aces for victory. The first set saw Paire winning the tiebreak 1-7, in the next the tables turned as Isner took it 7-2 but in the third set the Frenchmen proved why on his best day he just couldn't be beaten as he took it 6-1 for a place in the quarterfinals.

Stefanos Tsitsipas showed why he is the Greek God as he rallied past Lorenzo Sonego to advance to the quarterfinals. Tsitsipas roared as he won the last point, showing how much it meant to him. Sonego played pitch perfect tennis as he hit 15 winners to three unforced errors and won 87 per cent of first serve points. There was hard hitting by both the players as there were 59 winners in total.

Andrey Rublev fiercely fought against Gael Monfils and the Cincinnati heat to advance into the quarterfinals. It was an entertaining match as Rublev showed his power and Monfils displayed his usual coverage of the court. Monfils was not well during the start of the set as threw up in a courtside can. Few words were exchanged as Rublev was not happy with the delay and the calling of physios between the matches.

Also read: Defending champion Dominic Thiem out of the U.S Open due to injury

In Women’s Singles, Ashleigh Barty booked a place in the quarterfinals with a ruthless performance against defending champion Victoria Azarenka. She beat Azarenka 6-0, 6-2 as the two time champion had no answer to Barty who will be looking into bringing this form of play to the US Open.

Naomi Osaka was not in her best form as she lost to Jil Teichmann in the round of 16, she had faced an early exit in the Tokyo Olympics as doubts arose over her form in recent tournaments. Jil Teichmann will certainly celebrate the biggest win of her career yet as she will look to replicate it in her next match.

Karolina Pliskova finally got revenge over Jessica Pegula as she had lost her last four matches against her. Pliskova made two sensational comebacks in the match, one better than the other. In the first set Pliskova was down 4-1 but turned around the game as she won five straight games to steal the set from Pegula. In the second set Pliskova was again in danger as she was down 0-5 and again won five consecutive games but Pegula took the next game and was looking to win the set but Pliskova managed to save that well as she took it to tiebreak and finished the match in over an hour and 24 minutes.

In Men’s Doubles, Juan Sebastián Cabal and Robert Farah defeated Fabrice Martin and Filip Krajinović 7-6(7-3), 6-4 and will face Michael Venus and Tim Pütz in the quarterfinal. Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner will face top seeds and Toronto finalists Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić in the round of 16. The top seeds will be playing their first match here and will expect to lift the trophy here.

In Women’s Doubles, Zhang Shuai and Samantha Stosur went past Květa Peschke and Ellen Perez in the round of 16. The pair took the first set 6-3 but lost in the second set with a similar score and in the third set they closed it out with a 10-6 victory. Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani are into the semifinals as they beat Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama 6-3, 6-3 to remain favourites in the tournament.

2021-08-20 12:25

Aditi starts steady with 1-under at British Open

Carnoustie, Aug 20 (Golf news): Indian golfer Aditi Ashok opened the women's British Open with a steady one-under 71 to lie tied 22nd at the challenging Carnoustie Links here.

Aditi, who had finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, scored four birdies against three bogeys and three of those birdies came in a fine stretch between 10th and 14th.

The Indian is four shots behind the three co-leaders -- World No. 1 and Olympic gold medallist Nelly Korda, Korean Sei Young Kim and Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom.

The trio produced a matching five-under 67 each in the opening round.

Three-time Ladies European Tour winner, Aditi, who qualified for her 19th Major through the Final Qualifying at Panmure Golf Club, showed a lot maturity and patience, so crucial while playing the Links.

"I played good today, I think I drove the ball well and that was definitely a key to scoring well. I started off good with a birdie on the first as I hit a 7 iron to 10 feet and holed the putt," Aditi said.

"Had bogeys on 6th and 7th as both drives ended in the pot bunkers, and after that I realised that mistakes are there on this course to be made, it’s just about staying patient and keeping composure and I think I did that well today, even though I had two bogeys I came back from it.

Also read: Lahiri shoots 69 for T-15 at The Northern Trust

"I had a nice hole out bunker shot on the 10th but the bunker shot was totally about 7 yards so it was like a 20 footer from the bunker. But yeah that was nice to hole that out." Aditi, who started the tournament with a birdie turned in one-over after bogeys on sixth and seventh. After the turn she found some rhythm and it helped.

"Then I got into a good rhythm and hit a 5 iron to 12 feet on 13th hole and holed that putt. On the 14th I hit a 9 iron which almost went in the hole I think ended up 4 feet past and I holed that putt for a birdie," she said.

"Obviously finishing stretch at Carnoustie is pretty difficult but I had a 3 wood coming in to the last 3 holes, managed pars on 16, 17 but bogeyed 18.

"But it was still a good round, I think. The 18th was the second toughest hole on the course. Obviously a dropped shot is never good but I think it was okay." Major winner Korda made eight birdies on her way to a share of the lead.

Four players are one stroke back on four-under-par 68 including 2018 Women's Open champion Georgia Hall, who was joined on four-under-par by Scottish amateur Louise Duncan who carded a round of 68 which included an eagle on 14.

American Andrea Lee and 2021 US Women's Open champion Yuka Saso are also tied for fourth place.

News source: PTI

2021-08-20 11:05

Lahiri shoots 69 for T-15 at The Northern Trust

Jersey City, Aug 20 (Golf news): Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri carded a two-under 69 in the opening round of The Northern Trust to keep alive his hopes of extending his run in the FedExCup Playoffs here.

The 34-year-old, who qualified for the first of three Playoffs events in 121st position, needs to jump inside the top-70 this week and his cause was helped with a solid showing amidst swirly conditions at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey.

American Justin Thomas, who was the FedExCup champion in 2017, and Spaniard World No. 1, Jon Rahm carded matching 63s to share the first round lead, with Harald Varner III of the U.S. sitting in third place following a 66.

Lahiri pencilled down four birdies against two bogeys for a share of 15th position with amongst others, Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama, and knows he needs further gains up the leaderboard with his current projection placing him 90th on the FedExCup points list.

"I think I played really well. I hit my irons really good today, and you needed to. I think conditions were extremely hard," Lahiri said.

"So you just have to do everything good. You have to hit it in the fairway to start, and then the course is going to ask you some questions with your mid and long irons, and you just have to answer them.

Also read: Aditi set for 19th Major start and looks to finish on top at Carnoustie

"I did feel like I didn't putt very well. I had a lot of chances, gave myself a lot of looks. Probably left two, three shots out there, but all in all, I'm satisfied." Following a challenging season where he came down with COVID-19 and endured limited starts due to his playing category, Lahiri is starting to show some good form again.

The two-time International team member at the Presidents Cup finished tied third at the Barbasol Championship last month and needed two late birdies on Sunday at the Wyndham Championship to safeguard his top-125 status on the FedExCup points list to return to the Playoffs after missing out the last two seasons.

"It's nice. It feels familiar," said Lahiri of his return into the Playoffs.

"It feels like home. It feels like where I should be year after year. It doesn't really feel odd or feel new in that sense, but, like I said, I've come into this Playoffs feeling really good about my game." While he chases a higher position on the leaderboard, Lahiri understands the need to conserve his energy levels after a busy run of tournaments over the past two months which included a trip to the Tokyo Olympics where he finished tied 42nd.

News source: PTI

2021-08-19 19:30

Went all out in Rome qualifier, was hard to re-peak in the Olympics soon after it, say Indian swimmers

New Delhi, Aug 19 (Sports news): Top Indian swimmers Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj may have had an underwhelming Tokyo Olympics but the duo feels that experience gained would help them in future events as they train their sights on a podium finish at next year's Commonwealth and Asian Games.

Prakash wrote a new chapter in the history of Indian swimming by becoming the first swimmer from the country to qualify for the Olympics by breaching the 'A' standard time at a qualifying meet in Rome on June 26. A day later, Nataraj replicated the feat to seal his berth for the Tokyo Games.

Both swimmers consistently shaved off times to achieve the elusive A mark in their respective events.

However, they couldn't repeat their performance in Tokyo, failing to qualify for the semifinals. Nataraj clocked 54.31s to finish 27th overall in 100m backstroke, while Prakash managed 1:57.22 in the 200m butterfly event to be ranked 24th among 38 swimmers.

The two weren't even able to match their personal bests, which they had clocked a few weeks earlier.

"I didn't have enough time to compete in the Olympics after Italy. We only had three weeks to start again. If I had three months it would have been better performance," said Prakash.

"I already tapered to the maximum for the qualification meet, went all out and then I had to come back again and start with the aerobic work, build it up and then reduce till the competition day. It needs at least six weeks time," Prakash added.

Tapering refers to the practice of reducing training volume while increasing rest in order to prepare one's body to achieve the best times at important meets.

"I tapered for a good two-two-and-a-half-weeks for Rome. After that I had to re-train to get my base back and that causes fatigue. I require a lot of tapering, we had only three after Rome. I didn't have time to train and re-taper," said Nataraj.

"I prepared my best, tried to return into training and re-peak within 3 weeks after Rome but it seemed quite hard,” he added.

Also read: Indian Swimmer Sajan Prakash to undergo two-week treatment for long-standing neck issue

But that's not to say that the two were satisfied with their performance, especially Nataraj. Had the Bengaluru swimmer replicated his personal best, he would have made it to the semifinals.

"It was disappointing but I remember I was so exhausted after the race that I couldn't even stand. I struggled to walk. It was just pain," Nataraj said.

It has been a tough one year for the both the swimmers, while Prakash struggled with a slipped disc, Nataraj, who trains in Bengaluru, grappled with inconsistent training periods as swimming pools were shut in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To add to the 20-year-old’s woes he also suffered an injury when he resumed training.

"Absolutely (disappointed), I was expecting to go faster but I just didn't happen. With the injury and coming back from it to qualify in such less time, it was a mess," said Prakash, who will now undergo a two-week Ayurvedic treatment for his neck issue.

Nataraj was also not happy with his training module going into the mega event.

"I wasn't coming off the best training cycle, my fitness was low. The load wasn’t as well distributed. I had to work on my capacity, base, threshold, opening and closing speed, technique, everything had to be done in a short span and also not overload because I was coming off an injury," Nataraj explained.

The Olympics taught both swimmers valuable lessons and the duo plans to use the experience at future events.

"Standing there on the block made me realise a lot of things. Getting close to the world standard with the A time and this experience will be very helpful for me in the future, moving towards the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the Worlds and maybe the next Olympics," Prakash said.

"I knew what went wrong. But more than the swim, I've learnt how to prepare myself before, after the swim, during the meet. How to work on my fitness, recovery, what I eat," Nataraj said.

"My main target now are the Commonwealth and Asian Games. Hope to get 2-3 medals at these two events," he added.

News source: PTI

2021-08-18 12:15

Dimtrov and Berrettini notch up victories as Giorgi gets knocked out in Cincinnati

Cincinnati (Tennis news): In Men’s Singles, John Isner had a rough start in his opening match against Cameron Norrie in Cincinnati Masters 1000. Norrie raced off to take the first set as Isner was looking at an early exit, in the second set both were players going head to head and a tiebreak was needed to separate the two. Isner took the tiebreak 7-5 as he avoided defeat and in the final set the American made no mistake as he won the match 4-6, 7-6(7-5), 6-4. Isner served his way into the record books as he became the second player to cross the 13,000 aces mark in the match. Ivo Karlovic leads the chart with 13,709 aces followed by Isner and Roger Federer. Isner will next face Jannik Sinner in the next round while another huge server Reily Opelka also needed three sets to advance against Corentin Moutet.

Opelka started strong as he took the first set 7-6(7-3), Corentin fought back to take the second set 6-4. The final set saw Opelka securing victory as he took it 6-4 and will next take on Casper Ruud. Wimbledon runner up Matteo Berrettini made a return to the tour by defeating Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-7(5-7), 6-3, 7-5 in his first match since his incredible run on grass. Grigor Dimtrov defeated Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets to set up an exciting contest against Alexander Bublik, this will be their third meeting and they last met in Wimbledon this year where Bublik prevailed. Benoit Paire secured his third win against Denis Shapovalov, he overcame Denis 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 as he looks in form this time around. The young Canadian had an early exit in the Toronto Open as well in the same round of 32 and will look to be his old self as he comes back for the US Open.

Also read: Paire and Shapovalov battle in round three as Murray advances in Cincinnati

In Women’s Singles, Jessica Pegula was in incredible form when she demolished Camila Giorgi when she secured victory as Camila could only win four games in total. Jessica will next face former world number Simona Halep, Halep had earlier defeated Magda Linette and had issues in the second set. Halep won the first set 6-4 and Magda came back with equal power by taking the second set 6-3 but the decisive set saw the two time grand slam winner conceding just a single to take it 6-1. Belinda Bencic also announced her return with a victory after winning the Gold in Singles at the Tokyo Olympics. She won her match against Markéta Vondroušová 6-3,7-5 to set up a round of 32 match against Shelby Rogers. Markéta Vondroušová had upset Naomi Osaka in the third of the Tokyo Olympics, Osaka who finished as runner up last year to Azarenka will start her campaign against teenager Coco Gauff who breezed past Hsieh Su-wei. Victoria Azarenka beat Ludmilla Samsonova 6-2,6-3 in her opening match, Azarenka had won here last year and back in 2013.

In Men’s Doubles, Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig exited in their opening match as they lost 1-6, 6-4, 10-7 to Filip Krajinović and Fabrice Martin. It was a tough defeat as they took the first set and things looked set for a victory. They lost the second set and could not stage a dramatic run down the finish line in the final set. John Peers and Filip Polasek shook off a first set setback and took the next two sets against Luke Saville and Matwe Middelkoop to confirm a showdown with Alex de Minaur and Cameron Norrie.

In Women’s Doubles, Japanese pair of Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama toppled Jeļena Ostapenko and Jil Teichman without much trouble with a 6-3, 6-3 victory. Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Iga Świątek won a marathon match against Petra Martić and Shelby Rogers when finally the scorecard read 2-6, 7-5, 10-5 and they will next face the pair of Darija Jurak and Andreja Klepač in the round of 16.

2021-08-17 15:24

Social media has helped gen Z athletes find their ‘authentic voice’

Poole (UK), Aug 17 (Sports news) Generation Z athletes (those born after 1996) have emerged in 2021 as global wellbeing leaders and advocates, challenging outdated ideas about what it takes to be an athlete. Many of these young sportspeople have gone beyond their sport and taken on roles of advocacy, sponsorship and politics. Through social media, they have opened up conversations about performance, mental health and the impact of the media.

Sports stars are making their voices heard across a range of different sporting arenas. They are doing this by shifting the power over the conversation and this is particularly facilitated by social media. These athletes are making it clear that, while they love their sports, their primary responsibility is their duty to themselves.

Two of the most prominent sportspeople to take a stand for themselves and their mental health this year were tennis player Naomi Osaka and gymnast Simone Biles.

Osaka has used social media to elevate issues around race. She has made it clear that “before [she is] an athlete, [she is] a Black Woman”. Biles has pointed to how having such a huge social media platform (she has 1.7 million followers on Twitter alone) stopped the governing body USA Gymnastics from turning a blind eye to sexual assault and harassment allegations against coaches and staff.

Both are leading advocates on key social issues: Osaka on Black Lives Matter and Biles as a survivor of sexual assault. As well as performing at the highest levels of their disciplines they are holding society to account. No wonder this takes a toll on their mental health.

The emergence of the athlete’s authentic voice during their career is new and growing. You might think that they always had access to a platform to speak through traditional sports media but this was always sanitised, often limited to interviews that sought to capture the immediacy of a performance. Social media has expanded and accelerated a properly authentic voice that is also more personal and openly political.

The athlete’s voice These gen Z players, born into or at the cusp of the social media boom, can connect directly with their millions of followers on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to share personal insights. In doing so they are bypassing the more traditional communication channels, highlighting how the balance of power is shifting away from traditional sports journalists to the sportspeople themselves.

It is unusual for active athletes to be so transparent about their health – particularly, their mental health. At the Tokyo Olympics, Biles made a rare exception. She used social media to explain an attack of the “Twisties” and the impact on her performance and mental health. This disrupted the narrative of victory at all costs.

It’s in an athlete’s interest to minimise their opposition’s understanding of their injuries or “weaknesses”. Typically, sports fans must wait for the “tell-all” book or autobiography that articulates an athlete’s previous struggles with injury, doubt and mental health. For example, tennis player Pete Sampras only revealed he had a thalassemia condition (which can make people tired and short of breath) in his book A Champion’s Mind. Similarly, tennis player Andre Agassi’s confessed to drug-taking in his book, Open.

Our research suggests that social media has undermined the need for this post-career reveal. Sportspeople can construct their own narratives and control their stories as they go along. It represents the perfect sports autobiography for the digital age.

Social media vs legacy media Sports journalism has become an integral part of communicating the lives and experiences of athletes. The relationship between athletes and the press has developed over time, with athletes typically contracted to participate in press commitments. These press commitments are required by sponsors and tournaments alike and are used to promote people, brands and events.

Also read: I want all Indian boxers to have the right guidance to succeed in this sport - Boxing coach Mujtaba Kamal

We are seeing an evolution of this relationship, which disrupts existing power systems. In 2021,Osaka’s actions at the French Open challenged the relationship between sport and the media. She initially used her social media channels to announce she wouldn’t be participating in press conferences during the tournament. Later, after being threatened with expulsion, she again took to social media to withdraw and highlight her depression and struggles with mental health.

Osaka’s social media interventions were followed up by her Time magazine interview, which stressed the need for change. Her immediate focus was to remove the unnecessary burden of particular press duties, especially the press conference, to protect athletes’ mental health. Osaka’s high profile interventions are likely to bring change which, coupled with better training for athletes on the use and regulation of social media, will be more useful and effective than dealing with the mental health aftereffects when things go wrong.

The social media backlash against some of these gen Z athletes highlights a generational clash, exposing the relationship between sports and mental health, as well as traditional and new media. Athletes have led the way in exposing the power imbalance. Now, the exchanges between the public, press and athletes are becoming more equal.

By taking control of their own stories, these athletes have broken the idea that top sports stars – with their extreme athleticism, dedication and seemingly invincibility – are somehow superhuman. Elite athletes carry enormous burdens of responsibility and winning doesn’t come before everything else. As Simone Biles made clear: “We are not just entertainment, we are human”.

News source: PTI

2021-08-17 12:45

Paire and Shapovalov battle in round three as Murray advances in Cincinnati

Cincinnati (Tennis news): In Men’s Singles, Denis Shapovalov will face Benoit Paire for a fourth time as the pair last met two years ago, this is the second time they are meeting in a Masters 1000 after their Madrid clash three years ago and Paire leads their head to head with two victories as the Canadian has one which was the first time they met in Madrid. Andy Murray started his Cincinnati Open in style as he defeated Richard Gasquet in straight sets to enter the third round. Alex de Minaur had to come back strong as he was bageled by Filip Krajinović in the first set but the young Aussie did not back down and took the next two sets to set up a third round encounter with Jannik Sinner. Jannik had earlier beaten Federico Delbonis in straight sets to proceed to the third round. Karen Khachanov beat Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-4 and will lock horns with Felix Auger Aliassime. Felix had to struggle a bit against Márton Fucsovics in the first set as it went till tiebreak, Fucsovics even had a set point at 5-4 only to be broken and in the tiebreak Felix took seven consecutive points to take the first set and in the second set he had it easy.

Also read: Cincinnati Open looks promising as two weeks left for the final Slam of the year

In Women’s Singles, Paula Badosa saved 5 matchpoints against Petra Martic in the second round. Martic had three match points while she was serving 5-4 and even Paula had two match points when she was leading 6-5 but both of them couldn’t finish it. It eventually led to the tiebreak with each one having more than one match points and finally after 2 hours and 34 minutes, Paula sealed with 10-9 in the tiebreak. With her heroics she will next face Aryna Sabalenka in the third round. Toronto Open winner Camila Giorgi will face Jessica Pegula for the second consecutive time as the pair met in the semifinals of the Toronto Open, Angelique Kerber had it easy against Maria Sakkari as she came out on firing with 6-2, 6-2 victory and will face Tokyo Olympics Bronze medallist Elina Svitolina in the fourth round. Coco Gauff will start her campaign against Hsieh Su-wei, an opponent twice her age. Simona Halep will also begin today she is up against Magda Linette who reached the semifinals in doubles of the Toronto Open.

In Men’s Doubles, Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig are set to face Filip Krajinović and Fabrice Martin in their opening match. The American pair of Frances Tiafoe and Nicholas Monroe defeated Andrey Golubev and Andreas Miles 7-6(7-5),7-5 in the third round. They will be facing Toronto champions Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram for place in the Quarterfinals.

In the Women’s Doubles, Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani fresh off from their Toronto title will begin here by competing against Anna Danilina and Yarslova Shvedova in the third round.

Sania Mirza is back as this is her first event after the Olympics, she is paired up with Ons Jabeur and they will be up against Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Rybakina in their first match.

2021-08-17 12:30

Equal pay for equal work: Are the demands by the U.S Women’s National football team justified?

(Football news) The United States Women’s National football team is a cultural force to say the least and in the last five years, they have played the role of activists in a legal battle against U.S Soccer on charges against discrimination. Having recently won a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, a disappointment by their own high standards, there is an end of an era vibe with the core of the team featuring the likes of Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd and Becky Sauerbrunn well into their 30’s. However, if the battles on the pitch may be coming to an end after an illustrious career, the fight in the courtroom is very much underway.

The issue is fairly straightforward: The USWNT are underpaid, given their contributions and success in the sport as compared to the USMNT (U.S Men’s National Team) who failed to qualify for the last World Cup, let alone win it. The public opinion is on the side of the USWNT, who believe that they should get a ‘higher pay’ for their unparalleled success on the international stage, but the unfortunate fact is that they are fighting a losing battle so far. The obvious villain in this story is U.S Soccer, who have chosen to pay an estimated $19 million in legal fees fighting to prove why the USWNT does not deserve equal pay, rather than use the funds to resolve the issue.

However, it’s important to note that there are more intricacies involved than what meets the eye. There is a significant disparity in the prize money awarded to men’s and women’s competition in FIFA tournaments, a factor that the U.S Soccer has no control over. The unfortunate reality of the situation is also that women’s football competitions simply don’t generate as much revenue as the men’s tournaments, which means that in order for both the sexes to be paid equally, it’s the men who would have to take a pay cut. Another very important factor that is overlooked is that some USMNT players earn millions of dollars through club contracts, for example: Christian Pulisic earns $11.5 million from Chelsea every year. This gives the players leverage while negotiating national team contracts as their dependency on that source of income is significantly less compared to the USWNT. The men’s club football leagues in Europe have existed for nearly 150 years and the Major League Soccer for over two decades. Simply put, the finances involved in these competitions cannot be matched by the less mature club competitions for women.

Moreover, the contracts offered to the USWNT offer pay, benefits and bonuses that run into six figures, giving them unparalleled financial security which has meant that they earned full salary despite not kicking a ball in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the men didn’t earn anything. However, this has not stopped U.S Soccer’s own sponsors from advocating equal pay demands. In 2019, Procter & Gamble used a full page advertisement in a Sunday’s edition of New York Times with the message, “Inequality is about more than pay and players. It’s about values.” It has reflected badly on the organization that irrespective of the wages, there was a gross disparity on the money spent on airfare and hotel rooms, a matter that was recently settled by the USWNT and U.S Soccer relating to travel, hotel accommodations, venue selection and staff size.

Legally, it seems that U.S Soccer has the edge over USWNT and it’s likely that the judgement will go in their favour. Judge Klausner has openly rejected USWNT’s legal theory, saying “comparing what each team would have made under the other team’s CBA is untenable in this case because it ignores the reality that the MNT and WNT bargained for different agreements, which reflect different preferences, and that the WNT explicitly rejected the terms they now seek to retroactively impose on themselves.” He also claimed that on a cumulative and average per game basis, the USWNT earned more than the USMNT.

The United States Women’s National team might possibly be the best in the world and it's without a doubt that they deserve higher pay which would reflect their accomplishments, contributions and promotion of the sport. Time will tell if they succeed in their pursuit of equal pay, an issue that should not be a topic of discussion in 2021 to say the least.

Also read: Celta Vigo put Atletico Madrid through the works while Real Madrid and Barcelona register comfortable wins on opening gameweek

2021-08-16 13:25

I want to see India become the next global sports manufacturing hub - Pranav Yadav, Assistant Director at FICCI - Sports and Youth Affairs

India is just coming off the back of 7 medals at the Tokyo Olympics, it’s best ever tally so far. The Indian sports industry is in a better place now than it has been ever before with sports enthusiasts becoming interested in more and more sports apart from cricket. However, there is room for improvement and a variety of factors need to work in cohesion for India to truly be considered a ‘sporting nation’.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Pranav Yadav, Assistant Director at FICCI - Sports and Youth Affairs speaks about the role of industries and corporates in the Indian sporting ecosystem, grassroom development, promoting a sporting culture, the role of media, esports revolution and the future of Indian sports landscape.

Q 1) According to you, how can industries and corporations help the Indian sporting ecosystem remain sustainable and for the country to be regarded as a ‘sporting nation’?

That's something where we have already established ourselves. When you speak to people you will hear two perceptions, there are people who will say that there is not enough support from the industry and there are people who say that you must look at the previous contributions from the Commonwealth or Olympic Games. The percentage of contribution has been rising significantly and I am very proud that the industry has made major contributions to the athletes who have brought medals and laurels and to the ones who are almost about to. The sad part is that we are supporting the athletes once they receive the medals. It would have been better if this contribution was made in their initial nurturing stages, like the times when they secured victory in the nationals. The cycle can shorten itself if this happens; this is something that can be practically done and is sustainable on a shorter as well as longer run.

Q 2) With India having just won 7 Olympic medals in Tokyo, what do you think needs to be done at the grassroot level to improve sporting performance at the biggest stage?

Everybody talks about what the US or China has done once the medal tally is out. This is the reality, the USA has almost 3080 medals if I am not wrong, out of those more than 1600 are gold. China has over thousands of medals. On the other hand, we have a total of 35 medals after the Tokyo Olympics. Directly aiming at medals is not a good idea, we are a population of 130 crore people out of 750 crore on the planet. Grassroot level is a very fancy term and there is no right strategy to grassroot activation, it depends on a lot of parameters. We are a huge country and when we talk about grassroot, we are talking about a village in Kerala, Gujarat, Arunachal or Kashmir. There are a lot of parameters which need to be followed. I believe the state governments need to step in for this and hire good consultants to develop a long term strategy. Not 3 year or 5 year, at least a 7 or 11 year strategy. That's where grassroot activation will change. I personally believe this is not something that can be done on a national level. If you want to see results, the state governments need to partner with the right consultants and organisations and they need to develop a flexible strategy to improve sports at the grassroot level.

Q 3) What do you think the Indian sporting ecosystem needs to do to promote a ‘sporting culture’ especially amongst the youth to encourage participation at the grassroots?

I believe the youth by default is diverting towards e-sports. That is the way I am seeing the stats but somehow there is a loss of revenue from the per-sports industry. On a bigger note, esports also falls in the bracket of the sports industry. The revenue pillar has been shifted but the outflow is from the same pipeline. Esports is one of the reasons why India's sporting economy is still surviving despite the global pandemic. If you look at the age of online gamers, it is between 15-27 which is the peak of youth. If you compare this data to the stats we have from 2010 you'll not find many big numbers back then. Somehow we need to maintain the balance between the esports and sports pipelines. In esports, the stakeholders are making multiple efforts to bring more and more consumers but I feel that the National Sports Federation is not taking the right measures to bring in new participants. In today's day and age you talk about boxing, if there are 100 participants, then the Boxing Federation of India is only interested in bringing excellence to those 100 boxers. There should be a parallel strategy to bring in 100 new participants into the sports. That is how the federation can sustain itself by bringing in a new cycle of the youth. The incentives need to increase as well at least till the state level. Maybe they can partner with corporates who can sponsor gifts or cash prizes. The Badminton Association of India has been doing that for a while now. There are a few other federations who have been partnering with automobile companies to give bikes as a prize. These are very simple techniques to attract participants.

Also read: Olympic medal effect: Mirabai Chanu already seeing heightened interest in weightlifting

Q 4) According to you, what role can the media play in developing a ‘sporting culture’, especially for sports that are not as popular as cricket?

If we look at the power of media, the best example I have ever seen is Neeraj Chopra. If you look at him, he is the 2nd most demanded sporting personality in India after Virat Kohli. In net worth, in demand and also the number of partnership opportunities coming to him and this is not just because of the gold medal. Media has enormous power, especially when it comes to sports because it is perceived as glamour. The thing that makes sports so big is the elegant glamour which comes along with it. Not just media, if you look at the concept of memes. Memes are something which we look at as a way to mimic someone but there are a lot of pages on Snapchat and Instagram which are making positive and healthy memes. There were hundreds of people sharing those posts on social media. That is a part of digital media but even the traditional media has a huge turbulence power with them because if tomorrow a certain sports company gives a huge ad in the Times of India, I'm sure the next day many sports PR companies and consultancies will be reaching out to them because they have made this statement that a huge moment is happening in the landscape of sports and people are reading it. After all, it is a very small industry even if there are hundreds of sports out there. This Neeraj Chopra and Olympic scenario was a hyper movement and I think the media should not just focus on the medalist but also bring out success stories of someone like Aditi Ashok who came so close. This will not just help Aditi but also help the sport to grow. With one success story, we can inspire 10 more Aditi's in the span of 2 decades.

Q 5) What are your views about the esports revolution in India? What do you envision to be the future of esports in our country?

I believe that nobody has the proper definition because there is an enormous power shift in the Esport revolution. I have seen the esport revolution change especially after two things, firstly the pandemic and the statement made by Mr Ambani stating that ‘gaming is going to be bigger than YouTube and Bollywood’. Esport is already going places if you see the stakeholders, net worth and net evaluation of the esport companies which are handled by the unicorn companies, but I feel there has been a lot of shift during the pandemic as it has played a major role in esports. I personally don't like the casino and betting portals, although it is a lucrative and entertaining market, it is something that the customers are very young and dont have the exact knowledge of right and wrong in these online casino and betting portals. Otherwise, industry is flourishing as the current stakeholders are very ethical for the betterment of the youth as you can see leading stakeholders in MPL are supporting the Indian Olympic Association(IOA) and the athletes this Olympics and also plan to partner the other Olympians in the future. Till the time the stakeholders operate in an ethical manner then I feel the industry will go places but also it is going to get better, somehow we are dominating the stakeholders as well as the digital players are dominating the world map. The other new thing is a career option in esports in India and abroad, in the last 10 years we could say there is not much scope for gaming but today's world professional gamers are making a lot of money compared to the IT professions, thats is because the country esports ecosystem is changing and hopefully it can be perceived as a career option just like sports has changed if you consider the the early 80s and 90s where sports was not considered as a career option but now it is. In the same manner esport is developing and in another 3 to 5 years we can see this industry going places

Q 6) How do you think the Indian sports landscape will change in the future and why?

When we talk about the Indian sports landscape then the first thing that comes to my mind or any other person in India is cricket or mainly IPL. If you see IPL, the major chunk is gone into broadcasting which in turn comes under the entertainment industry, that's how sports cuts across various industries in India. The thing I personally want to see is India becoming the next global sports manufacturing hub. If we actually look at the core, it is very weak and the only way possible is by increasing the number of exports in India. It is very less, somewhere in the range of 150 to 200 crores, but it should be double that in the next few years as we already have the potential to achieve it. The global sport market is expected to grow but there is no certain dedicated design strategy to it, it is growing when the demand is growing so we need to work on ideas for demand aggregation. The sports goods market is valued at somewhere near 1 billion, if you see Pakistan and China they are producing a lot more footballs and cricket balls than India is making, so I don’t find a lot of learning curve which is required to set up a football or cricket ball factory. Good schemes from the government can help build special economic zones where people are ready to set up their manufacturing and assembly lines. In India there are currently three dedicated sport economic centres which are Jalandar, Meerut and Kerala, so we as a country need at least one special economic zone for mass production of sport in every state; this will help cater to the domestic as well as the international market. In order to make the sport industry thrive, the sport manufacturers need to rise and double itself in number.

2021-08-14 15:39

Shooting world cups may not carry Olympic qualification status in future

New Delhi, Aug 14 (Sports news) The world cups of shooting may not carry Olympic qualification status in the near future as the sport's global governing body contemplates restricting the quota places to only the world championships and continental tournaments.

The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has been planning to introduce changes to its Olympic qualification criteria for a while now and the system used for the recently-concluded Tokyo Games is unlikely to be there for the 2024 Paris edition.

This was confirmed to PTI by an insider in the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), which has in its possession the ISSF documents related to the proposed changes in the qualification criteria for the multi-sporting showpiece.

"The ISSF has sent its material to the federations regarding the changes. So, once the proposal is approved, the world cups will not carry quota places, which will be there in only the world championships and the continental tournaments," he said on the condition of anonymity.

In the wake of the Indian shooters' disappointing outing at the Tokyo Olympics despite entering the Games with a few medal contenders, a school of thought has emerged that they took part in too many ISSF world cups, thereby exposing themselves to the participants from other nations ahead of their biggest challenge.

"It was felt by many that the Indian shooters competed in too many world cups. Now if there is a change, they can choose which world cup to participate in and which to skip. That way they will not end up participating in every tournament," the source said.

Also read: High time that I stop feeling pressure and see my game from a different perspective: Archer Deepika Kumari after early Olympic exit

Also the existing MQS (Minimum Qualification Score) could be replaced by MOQS (Minimum Olympic Qualification Score), and if NRAI sources are to believed, a shooter will need to reach a minimum score set by the ISSF to go to the Olympics.

"Though it is comparatively tougher to get quotas in the world championships in which the entries are the highest, there will also be the continental events like the Asian Shooting Championships which will offer more quota places than before.

"Even the world championships will probably carry more quota places than before with the world cups shorn of qualifying status." Around 360 shooters from as many as 100 countries participated across 15 events at the Tokyo Olympics shooting competition.

India's 15-strong squad failed to win a single medal, returning empty-handed from the Games for the second straight time, five years after the disaster in Rio 2016.

The MQS is a minimum score that a shooter "must have recorded at least once in the set timeframe, in order to become eligible" to take part in the Olympic Games or in the Youth Olympic Games.

The Minimum Qualification Scores for each shooting event are designated by the ISSF.

The qualification system for shooting is based on quota places.

News source: PTI

2021-08-14 10:06

Haryana government honours state's Olympians with Rs 23 crore cash awards

Chandigarh, Aug 13 (Olympic news) The Haryana government on Friday felicitated the state's Olympic-returned athletes with over Rs 23 crore of cash awards.

Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya distributed cheques to the players along with job offer letters as per the state's sports policy.

A state-level felicitation ceremony was organised at Panchkula to honour 32 players of the state who took part in the Tokyo Olympics.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar could not attend the function as his younger brother Gulshan Khattar passed away at a private hospital in Gurugram.

Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, who was running high fever, did not attend the function personally but joined the event virtually for a few minutes.

Some more athletes, including wrestler Vinesh Phogat, shooter Manu Bhaker and boxers Amit Panghal, Vikas Krishan and Manish Kaushik and discus thrower Seema Punia did not attend the function.

Also read: Sonam Malik responds to WFI misconduct notice while federation awaits Vinesh reply

However, family members of the players, who could not attend the function for some reasons, were present at the event.

A cheque of Rs 6 crore was accepted on behalf of Neeraj Chopra by his uncle Bhim Chopra.

The Governor also gave away cheques worth Rs 4 crore and Rs 2.5 crore to wrestlers Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia for winning silver and bronze medals respectively.

The two Haryana players -- Surender Kumar and Sumit -- who were part of the men's Hockey team were also given cheques worth Rs 2.5 crore each.

The players were also given job offer letters along with a plot each at concessional rates.

The list of the players who received cheques amounting to Rs 50 lakh included Deepak Punia, Udita, Sharmila Devi, Savita Punia and women's hockey team captain Rani Rampal.

Those who received awards of Rs 15 lakh, included Seema Bisla, Sonam Malik, Anshu Malik, Yashaswini Singh Deswal and Sanjeev Rajput.

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala announced the setting up of five sports centres of excellence in the state.

He said in these centres, free coaching will be provided to the talented players. These centres will be opened in boxing, hockey, shooting, wrestling and athletics.

News source: PTI

2021-08-13 17:33

Olympic medal effect: Mirabai Chanu already seeing heightened interest in weightlifting

New Delhi, Aug 13 (Olympic news) Star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has observed a heightened interest in the power sport since her silver medal-winning feat at the Tokyo Olympics and expects more women to compete at the highest level in the near future.

Speaking at an event organised by Adidas here on Friday, Mirabai said the amount of love she has received from fellow Indians since her feat last month has left her overwhelmed.

"It wasn't like that before Tokyo but I am seeing a marked interest in weightlifting for the first time. It makes me confident that more women will represent India in the next Olympics.

"The sport is a lot about strength and power but there is not a lot of difference between weightlifting and other sports. I see lot of youngsters taking up to the the sport especially women," she said.

The performances from Indian women stood out in Tokyo whether it was Chanu's outing on the opening day or P V Sindhu's bronze or the hockey team reaching the semifinals for the first time. India golfer Aditi Ashok also became a household name by finishing a highly creditable fourth after being in medal contention till the every end.

Also read: Mirabai Chanu an inspiration for the future generations to come

"It is all about hard work and women are working as hard as anyone and the results are for all of us to see," said Mirabai when asked about women excelling in sports.

"I have received a lot of love from fellow Indians ever since I have come back. This is a big moment for me. To win a medal for India is a dream come true." She also looked back at her disappointing run in Rio 2016 and how she bounced back from that.

"I made my debut in Rio. I could not win there though I trained hard like I did for Tokyo. I got blank and nervous in Rio. I came back and worked on my flaws and technique.

"My coach gave me a lot of motivation and support. I told myself I could do this with proper planning, training and technique and with implementing those changes I became a better weightlifter," said the 27-year-old who won the World Championships the following year in 2017.

Mirabai, the second weightlifter to win an Olympic medal after Karnam Malleswari, now has her sights set on Asian Games and Commonwealth Games next year.

The qualifying event for CWG is the Commonwealth Championships scheduled in Singapore later this year.

News source: PTI

2021-08-13 11:39

Golfer Anirban Lahiri makes a good start on weather-hit first day in Wyndham Championship

Greensboro, Aug 13 (Golf news) Returning to action after the Tokyo Olympics, Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri rode on some excellent approaches and had a couple of big putts to lie three-under through 16 holes in a weather-hit opening day of the Wyndham Championship.

Starting off on the tenth for the last regular season event before the FedEx Cup Play-offs on the PGA Tour, Lahiri had five birdies against two bogeys when play was stopped due to darkness.

A storm halted play for 2 hours, 7 minutes, with 30 players unable to finish the opening round.

Lahiri still has two more holes to play on the morning of the second day at Sedgefield Country Club here.

Russell Henley shot eight-under 62 for the lead as Korea's Sung Kang was among seven players at 64. The 34-year-old Kang fired his lowest round of the season with eight birdies and two bogeys on the card.

Lahiri holed a superb 19-footer for his birdie on the 11th, his second hole of the day, but gave away a shot on 13th after going into the right rough.

Back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 helped him get back to under par. On Par-3 16th, he got inside six feet and on Par-4 17th he hit his approach to two feet for a birdie.

A missed par putt from inside eight feet saw him drop a shot before he had back-to-back birdies yet again on fourth and fifth with two fine approaches inside three feet and seven feet. He has two Par-4s to play on eighth and ninth.

Henley birdied three of his final four holes for a two-stroke lead as Sung Kang, Ted Potter Jr., Chris Kirkand, Hudson Swofford, Scott Piercy and Michael Thompson shared second.

Adam Hadwin also was six-under, but had two holes left when darkness ended play.

Kang needs a win in this week's final event of the Regular Season to qualify for the lucrative FedExCup Playoffs for a sixth straight year.

Also read: Aditi to tee up at Scottish Open after impressive Olympic show

Countrymen KJ Choi, Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim, winner of the Wyndham Championship in 2016 -- all carded 66s to share 19th place.

Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who like Kang also needs a win to qualify for the Playoffs and, more importantly, keep his PGA TOUR card, also shared the 19th spot.

He also needs a good result to be eligible for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals starting next week, which is another opportunity to keep his playing privileges on TOUR.

Chinese Taipei's C.T. Pan, who won a bronze medal in the Olympic Games, shot a 68 for T61 position.

News source: PTI

2021-08-12 17:54

JSW Group announces cash rewards for all Tokyo Olympic medallist

Mumbai, Aug 12 (Olympic news) The JSW Group on Thursday announced cash awards for India's Tokyo Olympic medallists and their support staff with Rs one crore reserved for Neeraj Chopra, who became the country's first track and field athlete to win a gold.

India produced its best ever performance at the recently concluded Tokyo Games where country's athletes won seven medals, including a gold, two silver and four bronze medals.

Javelin thrower Chopra secured India's second individual gold in Olympic history with a sensational performance.

"Neeraj Chopra will be awarded Rs 1 crore cash grant while his coach Klaus Bartonietz and Physiotherapist Ishaan Marwaha will be awarded Rs 10 lakhs each," a media release stated.

Silver medallists weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who opened India's account on the first day of competitions, and wrestler Ravi Dahiya, who became only the second grappler from the country to win a silver will get 20 lakhs each while their coaches Vijay Sharma and Satpal Singh will receive Rs 5 lakh each.

The bronze medallists -- wrestler Bajrang Punia, boxer Lovlina Borgohain and shuttler P V Sindhu -- will get Rs 15 lakh each.

Also read: PV Sindhu’s journey to become the first Indian woman with two Olympic medals and what it represents

"Bajrang Punia will be awarded Rs 15 lakhs while his coach Emzarios Bentinidis & Physiotherapist Manish Chetri will be awarded Rs 5 lakhs each." "P V Sindhu will be awarded Rs 15 lakh while her coach Park Tae-Sang will be awarded Rs 5 lakhs.

"Lovlina Borgohain will be awarded Rs 15 lakhs while her coaches Raffaele Bergamasco and Sandhya Gurung will be awarded Rs 5 lakhs each," the release stated.

The members of the men's hockey team which won its first Olympic medal in 41 years will get Rs 2 lakhs each along with head coach Graham Reid, head physio and assistant coach.

"A grant of Rs 1 lakhs each will also be awarded to 4 other Coaching Staff." Parth Jindal, Founder of Inspire Institute of Sport and JSW Sports said “These Indian athletes created history for India at Tokyo Olympics 2020 in more ways than one.

"This year’s performance has been the tipping point for India to acknowledge and recognize our sporting achievement and potential on a global stage. I am confident that we can expect India to perform even better at Paris 2024," he added.

News source: PTI

2021-08-12 17:32

54-member Indian team for Paralympics accorded warm send-off to Tokyo

New Delhi, Aug 12 (Paralympic news) A 54-member Indian team for the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics was on Thursday accorded a warm send-off by Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and the national governing body, with high hopes that the country will return with its best ever performance.

The team has some of the brightest medal prospects like Devendra Jhajharia, seeking his third Paralympics gold (after 2004 and 2016) in F-46 javelin throw, Mariyappan Thangavelu (T-63 high jump) and world champion Sandeep Choudhary (F-64 javelin throw).

India will compete in nine sports.

Mariyappan, who had won a gold in the last edition in Rio, will be the flag bearer of the Indian contingent during the opening ceremony on August 24. The Tokyo Paralympics will end on September 5.

Also read: Eurosport India awarded rights to broadcast Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games

The Tokyo-bound players were part of the event virtually as they are in strict bio-bubble.

"The ambition and self-confidence of our para athletes give inspiration to 1.3 billion Indians. In front of their courage, the biggest of challenges bow. And they deserve every bit of it," Thakur said in a video message.

"The number of our para athletes participating in the upcoming Games is three times bigger than the last edition. I have full faith in your abilities. I believe that your performance too will be better than last time." He said it's a matter of great pride and satisfaction that the para athletes have so far won three Khel Ratna, seven Padma Shri and 33 Arjuna awards.

"It's not easy at all but your hard work, the desire to win and your passion translate all the challenges into triumphs. I know when you go to Tokyo Games, you will go with only one thought -- to better India's ranking in the medals tally from before." Thakur said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done his best to motivate the country's athletes before and during the Tokyo Olympics and will do the same for the para athletes also.

India achieved its best ever performance in the Paralympic Games in the 2016 Rio Games with two gold, one silver and one bronze medal.

PCI president Deepa Malik, who herself had won a silver medal in shot put at Rio 2016 Games, said, "The games will not be the same again after Tokyo2020 Paralympics. We are going to see a record haul of medals as our athletes are in prime form." PCI secretary general Gursharan Singh will be the chef de mission of the Indian team.

Badminton will make its debut at the Paralympic Games, which will feature as many as seven Indian shuttlers.

Indian fans can catch all the Live action of the country's para athletes on Eurosports and DD Sports. PCI has awarded the rights to broadcast the Paralympics live to Eurosport India.

India will start its campaign on August 27, with men's and women's archery events.

News source: PTI

2021-08-12 16:10

Tokyo Debacle: NRAI executives to be assessed, three-part review underway

New Delhi, Aug 12 (Olympic News) An "individual with the right credentials" is set to evaluate the performance of the Indian shooting federation's executives, which will form part of a three-way review prompted by the shooters' horror run at the Tokyo Olympics.

The three-part review is already underway, an insider in the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

For the second successive time, the Indian shooting team returned from the Olympics empty-handed, belying a billion hopes after promising to deliver like never before.

Instead of stepping up their performance in Tokyo, the 15-strong squad crumbled under the mighty Olympic pressure.

"A review is already underway and it is being held in three parts. First the athletes, then the coaches and support and that will be followed by the executives of the national federation," he said on Thursday.

Asked if NRAI president Raninder Singh will also be assessed, sources responded in the positive and pointed out that the federation chief himself was open to the idea, having spoken on similar lines during the Games in Tokyo.

"Somebody with right credentials will evaluate the performance of the federation's executives. He will look into things like where the federation may have lacked as far as the preparation for the Olympics was concerned.

"So this review is not like it's going to leave out the federation," he said.

Before the federation's top office-bearers are evaluated, the NRAI is conducting a review of its own, involving the shooters, coaches and support staff, with the national federation intent on making radical changes to the setup after the disastrous outing in the Japanese capital.

Also read: Nobody in NRAI wanted me as coach except president Raninder Singh: Jaspal Rana

"You can surely expect big changes in the whole setup and it's not restricted to the coaches. Everyone will be thoroughly evaluated as it tries to find out the reasons behind the failure in Tokyo," an official said.

"The shooters, coaches and support staff are being reviewed by the NRAI president, secretary (Rajiv Bhatia) and secretary general (D V Seetharama Rao)," he said.

The campaign in Tokyo also had its share of controversies with stories on the long-standing conflict between young pistol ace Manu Bhaker and her former coach Jaspal Rana grabbing the limelight and doing a demoralised team no good.

"Everybody in the federation is angry with the way things panned out prior and during the Games. The president is also very disappointed. It was quite ugly and all these things are part of the assessment," he added.

Admitting that the performance was way below expectations, Raninder had promised a postmortem after the Games, including overhauling the coaching staff to better prepare the players for big events.

"Definitely the performances have not been on expected lines and I have spoken of an overhaul of coaching and support staff as I feel something is lacking in getting our shooters prepared for these big occasions. Clearly the talent is there and we have seen it here as well," he had said.

It's the second straight time in five Olympics that the Indian shooters are returning from the Games empty-handed, having met the same fate at the 2016 Rio Games five years ago, after which an Abhinav Bindra-led panel recommended a slew of reforms in the way shooting was run in the country.

News source: PTI

2021-08-12 12:57

Nobody in NRAI wanted me as coach except president Raninder Singh: Jaspal Rana

New Delhi, Aug 11 (Olympic news) Indian shooting could soon reach a point of no return if there is no fairness in selection of coaches and athletes, no fixing of accountability and no discipline, reckons Jaspal Rana.

Dronacharya awardee coach Rana has also revealed that "nobody" wanted him to be a part of the Indian shooting coaching setup except the national federation (NRAI) president Raninder Singh.

Amid the bitter mudslinging in the wake of the Indian shooters' disastrous outing at the Tokyo Olympics, the 1994 Asian Games gold medallist said it's high time the problems facing the sport in the country are fixed.

"We need absolute fairness in selection of both coaches and shooters, fixing of accountability and there cannot be a place for non-performers in the team," Rana told PTI during a chat.

But the 45-year-old former shooter was quick to add that the bunch that failed to deliver in Tokyo comprised mostly youngsters, who will gain in experience and mature by the time the next Olympics come calling.

The young shooters should be backed, he said, as there is no dearth of talent among them.

"We don't need to train them, they already know there game, we need to protect them, which was not there. That's what I think, but then, nobody wanted me in the federation except the president," Rana added.

Indian shooters failed to fire at the Olympics for the second straight time and Rana said it is not fair on the part of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Singh to blame him for the debacle.

Also read: Mirabai Chanu an inspiration for the future generations to come

Reacting to the failures of top medal prospects such as Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary at the Olympics, Raninder had said there was "just one negative factor in the whole thing (wrangling within the team)." "I am referring to Jaspal Rana," the NRAI chief had said referring to the internal dispute among coaches in the pistol squad prior to leaving for the long training-cum-competition tour of Croatia.

Rana said the problem started after pistol shooter Chinki Yadav secured India a quota place during the Asian Championship in Doha in 2019.

While Rana was vocal about not being in favour of Manu competing in three events at the Olympics -- 10 metre air pistol, mixed team event and 25 metre pistol -- as he felt it was "too much for a young athlete to handle", Manu felt otherwise.

"They are just making me the scapegoat after what happened in Tokyo. They can't just pass the buck to me for Manu Bhaker's failure. What were the coaches doing in Tokyo? I was not there with them at the Olympics," Rana said.

"There was no accountability, so many coaches were there.. you just need one head chef. I don't do personal coaching, Raninder knows everything, people took advantage of the situation.

Regarding Manu's failure at the Games, he said, "I am not blaming that child, she is a kid." The final breaking point between the two came during the New Delhi World Cup in March when the shooter fet "ignored" by Rana and requested the NRAI to change her coach.

On his part, Rana said he was always ready to coach her or any other shooter, provided they listened to his advice.

Despite the bitter fallout and mudslinging over the last few weeks, Rana said he is "always ready to help the shooters out and serve in the best interest of the country."

News source: PTI

2021-08-12 12:45

Netherlands hockey captain Eva de Goede wins a hattrick of gold medals at the Olympic Games

(Hockey news) Netherlands captain Eva de Goede has still not processed her achievements, having won three gold medals (Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Tokyo 2020) in her last three appearances at the Olympic Games.

“It hasn’t really sunk in,” she admits before the interview begins. “It has been like a whirlwind between winning the gold medal and now.”

The 32 year old midfielder has endured a whirlwind in the last few days, as she captained the number one side in hockey that remained unbeaten throughout the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

“I can’t believe that we did it. I am very happy and proud of the way we played,” says de Goede. “The pressure was quite high for us. A lot of people expected us to win and that is not easy. But we stayed focused from the start and we played a little bit better each game and that was what we wanted.

“First we had to get used to each other and get used to playing at the Olympics. We excelled through the quarter-final, semi-final and then played our best in the final.”

Having won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, de Goede compared her previous experiences to the one in Tokyo, describing the eerily silent stadiums as unsettling, which would otherwise be populated with thousands of fans.

“But also,” she says, “it was very special because it was so intimate with the team. And we knew that we had the support of thousands of people around the world.”

The Netherlands won the gold medal after defeating Argentina 3-1 in the final. De Goede recalls the moment the final whistle went. “It was a very special moment. I still can’t believe we actually did it.

“It [the Olympic Games] took way longer than expected, so for another year and a half we had to keep pushing. And then, after all the delay, it all went by so quickly at the end.”

On their return to the Netherlands, the team went straight to the beach at Scheveningen where the Dutch National Olympic Committee hosted a party for returning athletes, family and friends. “It was special that we could have a celebration even in these times,” says de Goede.

Speaking about the Netherlands Head Coach, Alyson Annan, Eva said: “Alyson is so good at giving us trust and confidence that we can do it. She also gets us to talk about things. Apart from that, she is an amazing coach. Because of that, you go to the Games knowing and trusting you are fully prepared.”

Eva de Goede has hinted that she would not be featuring at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, but irrespective of the disappointments on the faces of fans, she will retire as a legend and a true champion who has achieved it all in the sport.

Also read: Indian Hockey players receive warm welcome in Punjab and Haryana after Olympic heroics

2021-08-12 10:35

Indian sports markets should prioritize development of a sporting culture before monetizing a sport - Neel Shah, Head Sports Education & New Business, India On Track

Having won 7 medals at the Tokyo Olympics, India has just enjoyed its highest medal tally at the Olympic Games so far. However, in comparison to the United States who won 113 medals or China with 88, it’s fair to say that India still has a long way to go to be considered a ‘sporting nation’. Grassroot development would play an integral role to fulfill India’s ambition of becoming a sporting powerhouse and education will also play a key role in developing a 360 degree ecosystem that will be sustainable on the longer run.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Mr. Neel Shah, Head Sports Education & New Business, India On Track shares his insights about the role of education in building a sustainable sports ecosystem in India, the importance of sports management, future of Indian football, overcoming challenges and more!

Q 1) According to you, what are the key elements that are required to build a sustainable sports ecosystem in India? How can education play a role in that?

A) The key elements required to build a sustainable sports ecosystem in India are a sound strategic plan, collaboration among key stakeholders, and diligent, consistent execution. Also, all of this must be aligned with realistic expectations and targets with course correction applied if and when required.

In India, it is common to have a private-sector corporation decide to invest heavily into a sport or multiple sports, hoping to create a thriving ecosystem. At times, this is done without conducting proper industry research, getting inputs or the full buy-in of other industry stakeholders on the strategic plan, or having trained resources ready to execute the plan. Typically, this leads to tremendous activity but not the development of an ecosystem or sustained growth within the sector. We have seen this with the arrival and disappearance of many professional leagues in India over the past decade.

Education can play a role in countering this trend by equipping and empowering the next generation of sports management professionals with the requisite knowledge, tools, and network to regularly contribute to the ecosystem's growth. A quality sports education program will teach students how to research a situation properly, analyse the data, and leverage internal and external resources to build a sound strategy in collaboration with key stakeholders.

Q 2) How can students benefit from degrees such as a PG Diploma in Sports Management from GISB, securing their future in the sports industry in India?

I am a big believer in pursuing a postgraduate education in sports management prior to jumping into the industry. The easiest way to put it is if someone wants to be a lawyer, they will go to law school; if someone wants to be a doctor, they will go to medical school. So if someone aspires to be a sports management professional, they should consider attending a school that would properly train them to be a leader within this field.

The global sports industry is a $700 billion sector making it one of the largest in terms of revenue and employment. There are thousands of roles within the ecosystem, and honing in on where one fits into the landscape is made possible through the 12 to 24 month journey that a quality sports management education program offers. Beyond that, students can better understand the landscape, build a network of industry influencers, take on internships & exposure opportunities and create a portfolio of past work which can help them secure a full-time position within the industry. Also, they can use the references gained from the institute to ease their way into the industry versus cold emailing or messaging employers, which can be a challenging and frustrating way to attempt to get a foot into the industry door.

Q 3) What makes Global Institute of Sports Business India unique as compared to others?

GISB is India’s first internationally certified and industry-designed sports management education institute. This means that our primary and secondary objective is to provide our students with an authentic sports management experience throughout their program so that they are fully equipped and prepared to jump into the industry upon completion of the course.

The Institute has been established by one of India's leading sports management & marketing firms – India On Track. This means that GISB students are learning within a highly dynamic agency set up in India's business and entertainment capital versus an isolated college campus. Also, we have an exclusive partnership with the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, which provides our students access to their world-class faculty, curriculum, and case studies. This creates a situation where GISB can stay in India while still gaining an international education and certification from one of the top institutes in the world.

All of our faculty are industry leaders with 10 – 20 years of experience. Beyond that, the students regularly work on industry projects through our partners, including some of the most prominent organisations in global sport, including the Premier League. Finally, our students have the opportunity to travel to the UK to experience the business through a Premier League curated exposure trip. This is one of the most unforgettable experiences for any sports lover or aspiring sports management professional.

Also read: Great infrastructure, qualified coaches and exposure is key for development at the grassroot level

Q 4) As someone who has decades of experience in the development and commercialization of football across 3 continents, what are some of the turning points of Indian football, and what do you envision for its future?

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Major League Soccer for seven years and watch it transform from a small, irrelevant league in North America to one of the fastest-growing and most popular leagues in the region. This experience gave me the confidence to move to India in 2009 and attempt to be a part of the growth of the Indian football ecosystem.

Over the past decade of living and working in the country, I have witnessed some turning points. The first is the implementation of AFC licensing criteria. This forced professional football clubs to become more professional and upgrade the way they operate their organisation year on year. The second was the establishment of Bengaluru FC. Similar to the impact of Toronto FC’s establishment into MLS in 2007, Bengaluru FC transformed the perception of Indian football clubs. Rather than solely focusing on historical brand association like some of the Kolkata clubs, BFC focused on branding, solid fan development & engagement practices, and building exciting rosters to ensure a quality performance on the pitch.

Finally, I would say that the successful delivery of the 2017 U17 FIFA World Cup was a significant turning point. The 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup was a great success in terms of attendance, operations, and even leaving behind a legacy of quality stadiums, training grounds, and resources with relevant experience in managing mega sporting events in India. I am a big fan of how this event was organized, and hopefully, it will lead to India hosting many more large-scale football tournaments in the future.

Q 5) What are some of the challenges that you have faced in the development and commercialization of football in North America, Europe and Asia? How did you overcome them?

Since most of my career has been focused on building, promoting, and commercialising football in North America and Asia, I’ll share from that experience. In both the United States and India, football (or soccer) is not the number one sport, so we would have to work extra hard to get the buy-in of the top investors, corporates, broadcasters, etc. We addressed this by building a realistic strategic plan that entices investors to feel excited about investing early on to be a part of the sport’s growth story in the country. Also, when it comes to fan development in countries and markets where the sport was considered inferior, my focus has always been on building authentic, transparent, and meaningful relationships with key supporters early on, so these early adopters become my ambassadors moving forward.

Q 6) What are some of the things that you would like to see in the evolving Indian sports market? What are some of the practices it can adopt from the already evolved North American sports market?

In the evolving Indian sports market, I would like to see more investment placed on grassroots programming, small-scale infrastructure development, coaching programs, volunteerism, and quality regional competitions for youth across all sports. I understand that this may mean taking some money away from the top of the pyramid, but this is the only way to build a healthy foundation for most sports to grow, sustain and thrive in India. Money exists within the country; what is missing sometimes is patience.

With regard to practices that the Indian sports market can adopt from North America, I would say it is all of the things I mentioned above. A proper culture needs to be developed before one can look at actively monetizing a sport. This is done by making the sport accessible to the masses, establishing successful leagues, and creating a platform for heroes and superstars to emerge. However, I’ll be the first to admit that all of this is much easier said than done. India is a large country with tremendous potential and tremendous challenges, so all of what I have been mentioning during this conversation will take time and an immense amount of collaborative work among stakeholders within the public and private sectors.

2021-08-11 17:36

Indian Hockey players receive warm welcome in Punjab and Haryana after Olympic heroics

Chandigarh, Aug 11 (Olympic news) Members of national men's and women's hockey team belonging to Punjab and Haryana on Wednesday returned to their home states to a rousing reception after their stupendous performances in the Tokyo Olympics.

The Punjab players in the bronze medal winning Indian men’s hockey team led by Manpreet Singh and women player Gurjit Kaur paid obeisance at Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar on Wednesday.

Immediately after their arrival at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar, the hockey players were accorded a warm welcome by the district administration.

People gathered on the roads to welcome them while some did 'bhangra' and danced to the beats of 'dhol'.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the apex religious body of the Sikhs, had sent a bus which the players boarded to reach the Golden Temple where they paid obeisance.

The players later headed to their respective homes at various places in Punjab, including Jalandhar.

At the Golden Temple complex, SGPC honoured the Indian men’s team with Rs 1 crore for winning a bronze medal at Tokyo Olympics.

The SGPG organised a special event in front of the Information Office and presented each of the players a 'siropa' (robe of honour).

Players from men’s hockey team present included captain Manpreet Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinderpal Singh, Hardik Singh, Gurjant Singh, Varun Kumar, Mandeep Singh, Shamsher Singh and Simranjeet Singh.

SGPC President Jagir Kaur also specially honoured Gurjit Kaur and her family members, who also visited Golden Temple along with the men’s team.

Jagir Kaur said Indian hockey team has created history by winning a bronze medal after 41 years.

Also read: Indian men’s hockey team finishes with a heroic victory, wins medal after four decade drought

She also made a mention of the efforts being made by the SGPC for the promotion of sports.

Speaking on the occasion, Manpreet said, “When we won the bronze medal, the entire team had decided that first of all we would pay obeisance at Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib and thank Guru Sahib.

"We consider ourselves fortunate to be here today. With this honour, we will be encouraged to perform even better.” In Jalandhar, Manpreet, Mandeep Singh and Varun Kumar again received a rousing welcome.

After reaching Jalandhar’s BSF Chowk, the three players were taken in a decorated open jeep with people and fans turning out in numbers and showering them with floral petals.

Earlier in the day, women hockey team captain Rani Rampal, Navjot Kaur and Navneet Kaur were accorded a grand welcome by the local residents and others when they reached their hometown Shahabad near Kurukshetra in Haryana.

Sweets were distributed and people danced to the beats of 'dhol' when they arrived in Shahabad, which, like Jalanhar’s Mithapur, is considered a hockey nursery.

Notably, while most of the men's team players hail from Punjab, most of the women players come from Haryana.

Both Punjab and Haryana governments will be holding a grand felicitation function to honour the medal winning players and other Tokyo Olympians.

News source PTI

2021-08-11 10:51

Injured Rafael Nadal pulls of Toronto Open, as Novak Djokovic withdraws from Cincinnati Masters

Toronto (Tennis news): Rafael Nadal has pulled out from the Toronto Open due to a foot injury, it will be a major crisis as the US Open is only two weeks away. His withdrawal ensured lucky loser Feliciano Lopez taking his place in the draw where he will be facing Lloyd Harris. Stefano Tsitsipas overcame Ugo Humbert in a three set marathon in which the second set tiebreak needed 18 points to decide the winner. Benoit Paire sailed smoothly as he won in straight sets against Mackenzie McDonald in round 64 and next will face Diego Schwartzman. In round of 32, Karen Khachanov will face his compatriot Aslan Karatsev which will prove to be a mouth watering clash. Reilly Opelka continued his fine form as he beat Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-4 and had earlier beaten Nick Kyrgios in the first match.

In the Women’s Singles, Bianca Andreescu started her title defence by beating Harriet Dart as she had to struggle in between as Harriet stretched it till the deciding set. Garbiñe Muguruza is out of the tournament as Kateřina Siniaková came out as the winner in the final set even after being bageled in the second set.

In Men’s Doubles Ivan Dodig and Rohan Bopanna defeated the pair of Fabio Fognini and Lorenzo Sonego, they will face Simone Bolelli and Máximo González in the round of 16.

In the Women’s doubles Ellen Perez and Květa Peschke continued their winning run as they will face next Jeļena Ostapenko and Dayana Yastremska in the round of 16.

Also read: Reilly Opelka overcomes Nick Kyrgios in opening match, Garbiñe Muguruza to start her campaign today

With Nadal out in Toronto it has raised concerns as Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Masters which starts on 15th August. Djokovic’s last match was the Bronze medal playoff in the Tokyo Olympics and is resting after winning three Grand Slams this year. Roger Federer has also pulled out of the Cincinnati Masters as he is down with a knee injury. There is only one Tournament just before the US Open that is the Winston-Salem Open which ends 2 days before the US Open, Cincinnati is the last Masters 1000 before the US Open. The big three will look to come back in form and compete in the year end Grand Slam as the tennis season is slowly coming to an end.

2021-08-11 09:47

WFI suspends Vinesh Phogat for indiscipline, notice issued to Sonam for misconduct

New Delhi, Aug 10 (Wrestling News) The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Tuesday "temporarily suspended" star grappler Vinesh Phogat for indiscipline during her forgettable Tokyo Olympics campaign and also issued notice to young Sonam Malik for misconduct.

It has been learnt that Vinesh, who crashed out of the Tokyo Games in the quarterfinals after a crushing defeat by 'fall', has been given time till August 16 to reply to the notice that mentioned indiscipline on three counts.

Vinesh, who had travelled to Tokyo from Hungary where he had trained with coach Woller Akos, had refused to stay at the Games Village and train with the other Indian team members.

She also did not wear the name of the official sponsors of the Indian contingent, Shiv Naresh, and chose to wear a Nike singlet during her bouts.

"This is gross indiscipline. She has been suspended temporarily and barred from all wrestling activities. She can't compete in any national or other domestic event until she files a reply and WFI takes a final decision," a WFI source told PTI.

Also read:India’s Vinesh Phogat loses to wrestler Vanesa Kaladzinskaya at the Tokyo Olympics

"WFI was pulled up by IOA why can't they control their athletes. IOA is issuing a notice to WFI in this regard," the source added.

The officials who were in Tokyo told PTI that Vinesh had created ruckus when she was allotted a room near those of her Indian team-mates -- Sonam, Anshu Malik and Seema Bisla -- arguing that she might contract coronavirus since these wrestlers travelled to Tokyo from India.

"She did not train with any of the Indian wrestlers. It appeared as if she had come with the Hungary team and had nothing to do with the Indian contingent.

"One day her timing clashed with the training timings of the Indian girls and she chose not to train at the same arena with them," the official added.

"This is not acceptable. This is not how senior wrestlers are supposed to behave." Vinesh had entered the Games as a top medal contender but ended up suffering defeat by fall against Belarus' Vanesa.

The 19-year old Sonam has been given a notice for misconduct.

"These kids think, they have become star wrestlers and are entitled to do anything. Before leaving for Tokyo either Sonam or her family are supposed to collect their passport from the WFI office.

"But she ordered SAI officials to collect on her behalf. This is not acceptable. They have achieved nothing and are showing attitude. This will not be accepted," the official added.

Sonam also returned without a medal from her debut Olympics.

News source:PTI

2021-08-10 15:50

Why esports will be a part of the Olympic Games in the near future

(Esports news) The Tokyo Olympics has been a resounding success, despite being the most unique Olympic Games in history. Not just because of no spectators in the stadium, stringent rules, masked officials but also for the inclusion of many sports that would have been unimaginable a decade ago such as skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing. It’s clear as day that the International Olympic Committee is looking to make this legendary sporting competition more appealing to the youth, and the inclusion of a few new sports is just the first step in reducing the age of the Olympics’ audience.

The success of three new sports at the Tokyo Olympics is a promising step in uncharted territory for the IOC, and it’s positive reception will undoubtedly give them the confidence to pursue other non-traditional sports, especially one that’s played in the virtual world. Esports has been more popular now than ever before, and regularly attracts millions of viewers from across the globe, a perfect impetus that the Olympic Games needs. According to a report by games and esports data company Newzoo, it is estimated that broadcast revenue can surpass over a billion dollars in 2021 and its growth has no ceiling. Why would the International Olympic Committee not want to capitalize on this lucrative opportunity?

It’s already clear that the IOC is warming up to the idea of having esports in the Olympic Games with the inaugural Olympic Virtual Series being held before the Tokyo Olympics where participants competed in five sport simulation competitions — cycling, sailing, auto racing, rowing and baseball. As time goes by, esports as an industry will undoubtedly get more and more difficult to ignore as gaming will continue to become an integral part of the upcoming generations’ childhoods. If the Olympic Games is serious about remaining relevant with the times we live in, the inclusion of esports is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.

For those who wonder why gaming is now considered a sport, some of the most popular esports titles in the world are games of skill, strategy, talent, physical and mental fitness just like any other sport there is. Esports in a professional setting is far beyond a recreational hobby and it can take decades for aspiring esports players to make it professional. The inclusion of esports might have it’s fair share of complications with the Olympic Games’ values, as many of them feature violent content and the titles are owned by third parties, but if the biggest sporting event in the world wishes to remain relevant for the foreseeable future, the path ahead is fairly straightforward.

Also read: Gaming content industry is experiencing an influx of female creators in India

2021-08-10 14:52

Neeraj Chopra eyes World Championships title next year after Olympic gold triumph

New Delhi, Aug 10 (Olympice news) A history-making Olympic gold in his pocket and having won the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games titles, star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is now targeting a top podium finish in the World Athletics Championships to be held in USA next year.

The World Championships was to be held this year in Eugene, Oregon, in US but was pushed to 2022 after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will now be held from July 15-24, 2022.

"I have already won gold in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games and now an Olympic gold. So my next target is winning gold in the World Championships next year," Chopra said during a press conference arranged by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to felicitate him on his Olympic gold-winning feat.

Chopra scripted history on Saturday in Tokyo when he clinched India's elusive Olympic medal in athletics to become only the second Indian to win the yellow metal in an individual event with a best throw of 87.58m in the final.

"World Championships is big a competition and sometimes tougher than the Olympics. I am not going to be content with this Olympic gold and sit on this laurel. I would like to do even better and win gold again in Asian Games, CWG and again in Olympics." The 23-year-old superstar also felt that his inclusion in the national camp by AFI in 2015 despite finishing fifth during the National Games in Kerala was a turning point in his career.

Before joining national camp in early 2015, he was training at Tau Devi Lal Stadium at Panchkula after being shifted from Shivaji Stadium at Panipat.

Also read: India's most successful and biggest Olympic contingent returns from Tokyo

"We did good training but the facilities, equipment, diet were not that good (at Panchkula) but once I joined the national camp (at NIS Patiala) everything changed.

"I got better facilities, better diet and equipment only after joining national camp. And the most important thing is the feeling that I am training along with the best javelin throwers of this country. That is a different feeling.

"So, joining the national camp changed my career and I want to thank the AFI for that." He said having got all the requirements and facilities he needed it was for him to work hard which he did.

"So, I got everything I needed, so I worked hard and I am now here."

News source: PTI

2021-08-10 12:10

I want all Indian boxers to have the right guidance to succeed in this sport - Boxing coach Mujtaba Kamal

With the Tokyo Olympics having recently concluded, Indian boxers for the most part would have been left with a bitter aftertaste after an underwhelming performance. Out of the nine unprecedented boxers at Japan’s capital, only one (Lovlina Borgohain) secured a bronze medal while notable names such as Mary Kom, Amit Panghal, Ashish Kumar and Simranjit Kaur fell short. It’s fair to wonder what needs to change at the grassroots for India to become more competitive in professional boxing, especially at the highest level.

To learn more about India’s professional boxing scenario, coach Mujtaba Kamal sheds light on his career, scouting for Indian talent, overcoming challenges and his expectations and goals for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Q 1) You were pursuing boxing in the mid-2000’s, how much of an impact did injuries have for you to give up your dreams and choose a career as a fitness boxing coach?

I started professional boxing in 2012, after I played amatuer boxing for almost 13 years before that. I moved to Hong Kong, China to turn professional and then I had a few fights against Samoa boxers and Hong Kong boxers but that is not recorded in the BoxRec. BoxRec is basically a record book which has records of all the boxing fights for example if you search Muhommed Ali, the website shows you his number of matches, wins, losses, draws, knockouts. I fought a professional fight in 2012 and then I found a promoter from China, after which I suffered a jaw fracture. The concept of professional boxing is not there in India which is why I had to move abroad. In professional boxing, you have an entire team which includes a coach, manager, matchmaker, promoter but I didn’t have a team at the beginning, I used to coach myself and ask people to give me a chance to fight which is the reason I couldn't succeed as a professional boxer. My main goal after that has been to structure professional boxing in India as I was on a 1 month bed rest after my jaw fracture, the day I got up is when I decided that professional boxing needs to have a structure in India. I wanted to give other people the chance I couldn't get because I wasn’t guided. I want all Indian boxers to have the right guidance to succeed in this sport. As of now I have 70 Professional boxers with me and most of them are 1st rankers in India.

Q 2) What do you look for in an aspiring boxer that will give you an indication of their talent?

A professional boxer needs to have a hardcore style with good feet movement, the foundation has to be strong. So I see the boxer's style first to judge his potential and overall talent. I observe his amatuer record because after turning professional many boxers restart their process to make their foundation stronger. I check his achivements in amatuer, national and state level. Apart from that, I look at how much heart and courage the fighter has. Whether he has fear and how much capacity of punches he is able to endure. I check all these through videos of his fights and conversations with his coaches to see if he has what it takes to become a professional.

Q 3) Who are some of the most notable names that have trained under you? How do you use social media to scout for young talent?

I primarily focus on boxing related content on social media to build awareness for boxing and pro-boxing amongst boxers as well as general audience. Social media has been a great tool that helps me to connect with boxers and boxing fans. Many boxers reach out to through Instagram for guidance, especially those who want to turn pro. Surprisingly, many people who are doing boxing for fitness right now are keen on starting their professional career which would be technically very difficult but it’s good to see that boxing is getting more popular day by day. Earlier, if I saw someone's name in BoxRec and ametuer records, then first and foremost I check their Instagram before anything else but most of the Indian boxers are active on Instagram but not too much, which is why you don’t get an idea about their impact. Now, I personally contact people and ask for videos. I also research about them and ask around. Faizan Anwar is one of our boxers who we have moved to Dubai under Round 10 and D4G boxing promotions and currently is managed by Jose Mohan and me. There aren’t many training facilities in India for boxing so he has moved to Dubai. There he has another management team and all of us together are managing him. There are other boxers like Satish Karthik, Arshad Asif Khan, Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Kaur who are ranked number one in India who are all managed by me.

Also read: From Assam to Tokyo: How Lovlina Borgohain captured a billion hearts with bronze at the Olympics

Q 4) Do you think India can provide a good platform for aspiring boxers, seeing as you had to move to Hong Kong to pursue your professional career?

This is what is happening now, Mandeep Jangra who is an Arjuna Awardee and Asian Championship silver medalist moved to the US because India does not have a proper training platform or structure in professional boxing. I need the sponsor's support and need to build a proper training platform so that I can support India’s B grade boxers. India's top class boxers like Shiva Thapa or others want to turn into professional boxers but India still does not have a structure.

If you look at the Tokyo Olympics, 7 to 8 boxers or maybe even more were a part of the Men’s and Women’s team. In professional boxing a lot of things take place in a year other than training, there is personal management which takes care of the diet, handling social media, improving mental health along with boxing and also financial support for every fight. If we start this culture in India, I am sure we can win more medals in the 2024 Olympics. This time out of 9 boxers, we got 1 medal and can improve this tally next time. Many boxers want to turn professional and amatuer. In amatuer boxing, there is only one event in a year that is the National Championship. The medal winners will be in the Indian camp, any promising boxer who loses in the quarterfinals or earlier has to wait for a year, in the meantime can turn into a professional boxer and can play matches regularly and thus the platform for the boxers will be ready.

Q 5) What are some of the challenges that you have faced, both as a professional boxer and a coach? How did you overcome them?

I did not have much experience as a professional boxer. Having fought 2,3 bouts, I was then affected by an injury. As a professional boxer I did not get many fights and did not receive any guidance, I was doing it by myself. Unlike amateur boxing, we currently don’t have a proper structure and mechanism for professional boxing in India. To succeed in professional boxing, there is a need for strong coaching, management and promotion. Since 2016, AIBA is allowing boxers to compete in both amateur and professional platforms simultaneously, thus bringing a major change in boxing world. It is time for us to learn from developed and leading boxing countries, and focus more on professional boxing. In India since there is no proper management, boxers fail to get good quality bouts, many boxers don’t have the basic foundation in boxing, boxers who are not even district champions turn into professional boxing. Professional boxing is a lot more complex and tougher than amatuer boxing. Experience is a major factor turning into professional boxing, this is one of the major challenges I have faced. Those boxers who I promote just want to fight blindly, they are not aware of the rankings and the experience after the fight. In order to overcome these challenges I want to set up a training academy for professional boxing. Cult has helped me a lot by using their facilities to promote professional boxing from the start, because of them I have over 70 boxers in which some are champion boxers. They also provide nutrition management and strong financial support.

Q 6) Do you believe that some of your trainees will represent India at the 2024 Olympics and hopefully win medals for the country?

Yes, I am sure that there will be individuals who will represent the country at the 2024 Olympic Games. I have been preparing for them since 2019 and it takes years of training. It not only takes individual effort but there is also a lot of teamwork involved. In professional boxing, there will be boxers who have trained under me who will perform very well in the 2024 Olympics and hopefully win a medal as well.

2021-08-10 10:11

High time that I stop feeling pressure and see my game from a different perspective: Archer Deepika Kumari after early Olympic exit

Kolkata, Aug 9 (Olympic news) Ace Indian acrcher on Monday confessed that she needs to stop buckling under the pressure of performance at the Olympic Games and approach the biggest sporting stage from a different perspective to deliver desired results in future.

In the form of her life after winning five World Cup medals this year, the 27-year-old carried the hopes of 1.3 billion Indians to get the sport their first Olympic archery medal in Tokyo.

But it turned out to be anti-climactic as she fizzled out without putting up a fight in both her individual and mixed pair quarterfinals encounters to cap yet another horror Olympic campaign.

"Woh paanch ring ka pressure, haavi ho ja raha hai -- pressure of the five Olympic rings is becoming a bit too much," confessed Deepika in an exclusive interview after returning to Kolkata.

Deepika said she has understood that instead of running after the medals, they need to work on 'enjoying the moment' at the Olympics, something they lack.

"Everyone keeps saying we don't have a medal, we don't have a medal. We think of it a thousand times there, and it dominates our psyche. It's a mental blockade and goes on affecting our techniques." "It's high time that I introspect into my game and see it in a different perspective now. There are certain things we are lacking too much. Basically we need to change the perspective of our games." "We've to see all games equally, be it World Cup, World Championships or the Olympics. But there we think too much about a medal. We have to take it easy and enjoy the moment." "In the World Cup or World Championships too, the medal is the ultimate goal but we never keep thinking about it. But once we reach the Olympics, we are not able to get over the thoughts of winning a medal. We need to work on it." She was referring to her quarterfinal loss to Korean 20-year-old An San in straight sets lasting less than six minutes.

An San, who ended up winning the gold en route to making a clean sweep of three medals, also looked under pressure against Deepika and shot 26 in the last two sets.

But Deepika was worse as she misfired three 7s and one 8 in a row to concede the match in a meek surrender.

Five and half a hours before that, Deepika was at her best and eliminated Russian veteran Ksneia Perova, hitting a 10 to win a thrilling shootoff.

"I just rested in the break and wanted to keep myself calm for the match. But I don't know what happened there all of a sudden," she said of the three 7s.

"I was shooting very well and satisfied with my release but the arrows simply did not hit the centre -- that's a mystery. Both me and Mim Sir (coach Mim Gurung) were clueless." Like her husband and India number one archer Atanu Das, Deepika also echoed that having a psychologist would have helped.

"It would have been a great help. We needed someone to boost ourselves morally," she said.

Deepika and her husband will next shoot in the next month's World Cup Final after missing out on the selection trials for the World Championships.

India will have a new look squad at next month’s Archery World Championships after none of the archers, who had participated at the Tokyo Olympics, could clear the selection trials held in Sonepat last week.

It's a team of the youngsters for India at the World Championships. The women's team has Ankita Bhakat (23 years), Komalika Bari (19) and 17-year-old upcoming Haryana girl Ridhi Phor.

Also read: Deepika Kumari crashes out of the Tokyo Olympics after losing 6-0 to An San of South Korea

Deepika, who failed to make the cut in the trials after finishing fourth behind the uncapped Riddhi, said she's excited about the challenge.

"Yes, it's a tough competition now. But it's good and I'm always ready to match them. The tougher the competition, the better I become.

"To match the new generation, I've to put in double the effort. It gives me extra pressure and thrill, and I'm ready for the challenge," she said.

Deepika also congratulated her fellow Indian medalists in Tokyo.

"It was such a proud moment to see Neeraj Chopra winning gold on the last day. It feels sad that we could not win a medal in archery, but it has been a remarkable performance by our fellow Indians. Many congratulations to them," Deepika signed off.

News source: PTI

2021-08-09 12:00

Rafael Nadal looking for a Hatrick in Toronto, chases record Masters 1000 title

The Canadian Open, which is currently known as the National Bank Open will be getting underway today in Toronto. The 5th masters 1000 of the season is coming back as it was not played last year due to the pandemic. First started in 1881, the Canadian Open is the second oldest tennis tournament in the world after Wimbledon. Rafael Nadal has won the tournament five times with his first title coming in 2005 when he beat Andre Agassi in the final. The top players will be seen in action as double defending champion Rafael Nadal will be looking to make up for his early exit in the Washington Open. The Spaniard will also be looking to win a record 37th Masters 1000 title and is currently on par with Novak Djokovic with 36 titles. Daniil Medvedev will be looking to make up for his 2019 final loss to Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas will also be looking to win here as he was the runner up in 2018 after losing to Nadal.

Also read: Bopanna retains place in Indian team for Davis Cup tie against Finland in September

Nick Kyrgios has been given a wildcard and will be looking to improve from his last two outings here, as he failed to win a match in both. He will be seen playing his first match against big server Reilly Opelka. Jannik Sinner, fresh off from winning the Washington Open will be looking to continue his fine run here. There can be a lot of surprises as Grigor Dimitrov will be playing and will be looking to come up good as he has had a rather tough year, Gael Monfils is also in contention as he has also struggled this year and will be looking for his first title of the season. Kei Nishikori is back on tour as he reached the semifinal of the Washington Open and was beaten by Mackenzie McDonald. Lloyd Harris caused an uproar when he beat Rafael Nadal on his route to winning the title in the Washington Open.

In Tennis news, Novak Djokovic will not be playing this time as he is resting after his Olympic heartbreak due to a hectic schedule. Roger Federer who turned 40 yesterday will not be playing as he is suffering from a knee injury. Tokyo Olympics Singles Gold medalist Alexander Zverev is resting as he needs to recover for the US Open which starts on 30th. Dominic Thiem will also not be seen in action as he is still recovering from a wrist injury while other big names like Stan Wawrinka have withdrawn from the tournament because of a surgery on his left foot in July and David Goffin would not be seen on court because of an ankle injury. Lorenzo Musetti was not allowed to play as he had left his Covid bubble and it was considered as a breach of protocol.

Interesting fact: Ramanathan Krishnan won the Canadian Open in 1968, he remains the only Indian player to do so.

2021-08-09 10:26

How the extraordinary success of Tokyo Olympics will help sports moving forward

Tokyo, Aug 8 (Olympic news) In between an unrelenting virus and an approaching typhoon, the extraordinary Tokyo Olympics drew to a close on Sunday, having oscillated between trials and triumphs with an unprecedented show of hope and tenacity.

With a large firework display adding a burst of sound to the dancing, singing and merry-making, the Japanese capital pulled the curtains down on one of history's most unique Games, handing over the flag to Paris with the message of moving forward while remembering those who lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the global health crisis, the one-year delay, the soaring costs and strongly divided opinions among locals, the spectacle saw the light of the day after staving off numerous challenges on the way.

In sync with the time he is living in, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, after closing the Games, said, "Athletes went faster, went higher and were stronger because they all stood together in solidarity.

"You inspired us with this unified symbol of sport. And it was even more remarkable because of what you faced in the pandemic." Bach, without whom the Games wouldn't have happened, added, "For the first time since the pandemic, the world came together. People were united by emotion, sharing moments of joy and inspiration. This gives us hope, this gives us faith in the future.

"The Olympic Games of Tokyo were the Olympic Games of hope, solidarity and peace. You the Japanese people can be extremely proud of what you achieved. On behalf of all the athletes we say thank you Tokyo, thank you Japan." The festivities began in front of the athletes, dignitaries and officials from across the world after the Japanese flag was raised at the 68,000-seater National Stadium, which was out of bounds to spectators owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The athletes entered the stadium and formed a circle around the rostrum. Unlike the opening ceremony which is a formal affair with the athletes dressed in formal attire, the closing was a time for the achievers to relax and enjoy the occasion.

A sizeable number walked in holding their mobile phones to capture the moment and some waved flags while wiping sweat on a humid Tokyo evening.

The theme of the closing ceremony was the 'Worlds We Share' and featured a whole lot of items, from lights to music shows, dazzling fireworks and stunts.

Before extinguishing the Olympic flame that has been burning in the cauldron since the opening ceremony, the closing of the Tokyo 2020 Games broke away from history and propelled hundreds of millions of viewers right into the very heart of Paris.

For the first time in a handover ceremony, the next host country's national anthem was broadcast as a film shot entirely in the future host city.

In another first, the closing ceremony featured live and spectacular celebrations from the next host city as the people of Paris and France embraced their role as host of the 33rd Olympics.

The segment took hundreds of millions of viewers on a tour of Paris and treated them to a deep dive into the City of Lights to the tune of a re-orchestrated version of La Marseillaise.

The musicians performing in six different spots in and around Paris evoked what the world has experienced over the past several months.

The message was, "we are apart, we can join forces and play together." The Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, handed the Olympic Flag to Bach who, in turn, passed it on to the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo.

"I would like to express my feelings of gratitude and respect to all the athletes, and to everyone else who overcame so many difficulties to so thoroughly prepare for these Games and deliver their absolute best performances," said Tokyo Olympics organising committee president Seiko Hashimoto.

Bach presented Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir with the gold medal for women's marathon event, while Eliud Kipchoge received his yellow metal for winning the men's marathon.

Lights illuminated the Tokyo sky and then formed the Olympic rings, with fireworks going off to make it spectacular.

Due to the coronavirus protocols, the ceremony was held without spectators but the organisers put up a screen inside the stadium where fan videos from across the world were projected.

With bronze-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia as its flag-bearer, the largest Indian contingent bid the Games a goodbye after finishing their campaign with the best medal tally in history.

The handover was characterised by audacity and freedom as it highlighted Paris' promise to take sport out of its traditional spaces, to open the Games to the city and its people, and to connect with new audiences in new ways.

One of the many unique aspects of this ceremony was that unlike at past Olympics, where only Games volunteers (field cast) were recognised, Tokyo 2020 recognised both the Games and City volunteers.

The volunteers to be recognised were selected with an eye towards balancing representation of genders, ages, and other factors, in order to embody the diversity of all volunteers.

Six field cast members and two city cast members (one who volunteered in Tokyo and one who volunteered in Fukushima) were recognised on behalf of all the volunteers.

In appreciation of all volunteers and their collective contribution to the Games, flower bouquets identical to those presented to the medal-winning athletes at victory ceremonies were given to a representative group of eight.

The ceremony opened with a video that looked back on the 17 days of events and competition.

Fireworks went off at the stadium to mark the beginning of the final chapter in which the organisers "expressed gratitude for the countless individuals who lent us their strength and helped us make it to the Closing Ceremony." This was followed by Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and the International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach making an appearance in the official stand.

Also read: 12 year old Japanese skateboarder Kokona Hiraki becomes youngest ever Olympics medalist; Mary Hanna became the oldest ever to participate

The focus of the opening video was not records and scores but the valiant efforts of all the athletes, who competed in a strictly enforced bio-bubble, undergoing daily COVID-19 tests.

The salient message of the ceremony was that the Games will open the door to a brighter future.

India certainly could look towards that brighter future after claiming its best ever haul of seven medal, including their first gold medal in 13 years, from javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who is also going back as the country's first track-and-field medallist at the Games The country's haul also had two silver and four bronze medals.

The USA topped the medals tally with 113 podium finishes, including 39 gold, while China came second with 88 podiums that comprised 38 golds.

Hosts Japan finished a creditable third with a totals of 58 medals, including 27 gold

News source: PTI

2021-08-08 19:15

A year of first for six countries at the Tokyo Olympics 2021

In Olympics news, the games were more special for five countries who broke the barriers and wrote history with several firsts in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz from Philippines competed in the Women's 55kg, Weightlifting and won the Gold medal. The medal was a benchmark in the history of the Philippines as it was their first ever Olympic Gold medal. The Philippines who first participated in the Olympics way back in 1924 have won 10 medals but never a gold. Diaz, who had come close to winning gold in Rio but eventually had to settle for silver, created history by winning Gold in Tokyo.

In 1991 Turkmenistan became an independent country after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The country appeared in the Olympics for the first time in 1996. 53 different Turkmens participated at the Olympics since but failed to secure a Podium finish. 21-year-old Polina Guryeva ended her countries medal drought after winning silver in the Women's 59 kg Weightlifting contest at Tokyo

Bermuda has had the longest wait for an Olympic Gold medal. The Island has been participating in the Olympics for every year barring one since 1936 but didn't win a medal until 1976. Since then Bermuda haven't won another medal. That all changed when 33-year-old veteran Flora Duffy won Gold in the Women's Triathlon at Tokyo making it her country's first ever Gold medal and second medal overall.

Burkina Faso has sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games held since 1988. The county's 32 year wait for an Olympic triumph was ended by Hugues Fabrice Zanga who won Bronze in Men's triple jump event at Tokyo.

Also read: 12 year old Japanese skateboarder Kokona Hiraki becomes youngest ever Olympics medalist; Mary Hanna became the oldest ever to participate

San Marino is a small country in Southern Europe with a population of just 33,600. San Marino has participated in 25 different Olympics. They won their first ever Olympic medal in Tokyo and tripled their medal tally in no time. They had sent only five athletes to Tokyo and got three medals. Shooters Alessandra Perilli and Gian Marco Berti won Silver in the Mixed trap team contest. Perilli then managed to get Bronze in the individual Women's trap as well. Wrestler Myles Amine came through the Repechage to win Bronze in the Men’s freestyle 86 kg. San Marino also became the smallest country (by population) to win an Olympic medal.

Qatar has competed in every summer Olympics since 1984. Despite having won 5 medals in previous editions Qatar never managed to win Gold. Weightlifter Fares Ibrahim Elbakh convincingly won the gold medal after lifting 225 kg and 217 kg in his category of Men's 96 kg Weightlifting. His total score of 402 kg broke the Olympic record. Qatar's campaign became even better when Mutaz Essa Barshim won joint gold in the high jump event with Italian Gianmarco Tamberi after both cleared a height of 2.37 m in their first attempt and subsequently failed to clear 2.39 m.

2021-08-08 19:03

Karate, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing and Surfing made their Olympic debut in Tokyo

The big Olympic news before the games start in Tokyo was the addition of four new sports to the games. Karate, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing and Surfing all made their maiden Olympics appearances in 2021. The events were added with the intention of taking the sport to the youth. The four sports were added specifically for the 2021 edition rather than being a permanent sport.

Karate:

There were two Karate disciplines in the Olympics Kumite and Kata. Kumite was the sparring discipline that had 3 different weight classes for both men and women making 6 different categories. The Kata discipline was the solo form discipline with categories being Men's Kata and Women's Kata.

Total 32 medals were awarded to athletes from 20 different countries. Host nation Japan was the most successful contingent as they won 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze medal.

Skateboarding:

The Skateboarding event had park and street categories each for Men and Women. The street competition was held on a straight ‘street-like’ course featuring stairs, handrails, curbs, benches, walls and slopes. Each skateboarder performs individually and uses each section to demonstrate a range of skills, or ‘tricks’. Judging takes into account factors like creativity and difficulty in order to award an overall mark.

The Park competition took place on a hollowed-out course featuring a series of complicated curves some resembling large dishes and dome-shaped bowls. From the bottom of the cavity, the curved surfaces rise steeply, with the upper part of the incline either vertical or almost vertical. The judges awarded an overall mark based on factors like creativity and difficulty.

There were 12 medals awarded to athletes from five different countries. Hosts Japan again won most medals with 3 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze.

Also read: 12 year old Japanese skateboarder Kokona Hiraki becomes youngest ever Olympics medalist; Mary Hanna became the oldest ever to participate

Sport climbing:

The Sport climbing event was divided into two gender based categories. Both the men and women competed in three disciplines of lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing. The final rankings were calculated by multiplying the climber's rankings in each discipline, with the best score being the lowest one.

6 medals were awarded to athletes from five different countries. Slovenia and Spain won the Gold medals while the USA won a Silver and Austria got a Bronze. Japan got the Silver and the Bronze in the Women's combined category.

Surfing:

The two categories in Surfing were Men's shortboard and Women's Shortboard. A four-person heat structure was used in Tokyo.Four athletes competed at any given time. The best two of each heat qualified for the next round. Each heat ran for 20 to 25 minutes, with their top two scores being used.

Total 6 medals were won by athletes from 5 different countries. Brazil and the U.S.A won the Gold medals while Japan won a silver and a Bronze. Australia won a Bronze and South Africa won a Silver.

2021-08-08 18:20

A few firsts for the LGBTQ+ community at the Tokyo Olympics

American Skateboarder Alana Smith who uses the pronouns they/them became the first ever openly nonbinary athlete to compete at the Olympics. The American claimed that their goal going into the Olympics was to be happy and be a visual representation for humans like themself.

Despite finishing last in their race, women's street, on Monday, Smith wrote later that day in an emotional post that for the first time in their whole life, they are proud of the person they’ve fought to become. Smith, 20, has previously spoken up about attempting suicide as a teen and stated that they were thankful to be alive after competing in the Olympics.

Canadian Soccer Player Quinn and weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, of New Zealand became the first-ever openly transgender athletes who took part in Olympics.

It didn't last long, but it made a real difference. On Monday night, Hubbard failed to execute any of her first three lifts, therefore eliminating her from medal contention in the women's over-87-kilogram event. Before departing the competition arena, Hubbard made a heart sign to the spectators with her hands.

Hubbard’s inclusion in the games came with much controversy and public scrutiny. The weightlifter who is known to shy away from the public didn’t escape comments from fellow competitors either, who thought her involvement was just a ‘bad joke.’

Quinn, the single-named star athlete, also made history by becoming the first trans and non-binary athlete to earn a medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The Canadian wasn't thinking solely about medals. The footballer, who also uses they and them pronouns, told CBC Sports that they've been getting messages from young people saying they've never seen a trans person in sports before.

The 25-year-old has played a part in winning a bronze medal with the team in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 — but they were not publicly recognised to be trans at the time. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved transgender athletes competing in women's competitions without undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2015.

"First openly trans Olympian to compete. I don't know how to feel," they wrote in a post on Instagram."I feel proud seeing "Quinn" up on the line-up and on my accreditation. I feel sad knowing there were Olympians before me unable to live their truth because of the world. I feel optimistic for change. Change in legislature. Changes in rules, structures, and mindsets. Mostly, I feel aware of the realities. Trans girls being banned from sports. Trans women facing discrimination and bias while trying to pursue their Olympic dreams. The fight isn't close to over ... and I'll celebrate when we're all here."

Also read: What it means to be a woman in sports

2021-08-08 16:10

Exploring the life of India’s pioneering wrestler Bajrang Punia and his meteoric journey to the very top

They say ‘history is written by the victors’ and by winning 3 medals at the World Wrestling Championships, Bajrang Punia has immortalized himself as the only Indian to accomplish this feat. It was not all about glory and world championships though, being born in a Jat family in Khudan Village of Jhajjar district in Haryana, his journey has been far from easy.

Bajrang’s family didn’t have the money for traditional sports, leading him to pursue sports such as wrestling and kabaddi at a young age. Being a son of a former wrestler, a young Bajrang Punia naturally inclined towards wrestling and trained at a local mud wrestling school. It’s fair to say that the boy was a natural, and the positive reinforcement he received while wrestling was enough for him to often skip school and practice. Soon enough, his family relocated to Sonepat so that Bajrang could attend a regional centre of the Sports Authority of India.

Bajrang Punia has had his fair share of obstacles that the wrestler was forced to overcome, including the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. Comparing it to ‘exam preparations’ the 27 year old was forced to restart his training regime from scratch after qualifying for freestyle wrestling for India. He has had his fair share of controversy as well, having once publicly criticized the government in their selection of the Khel Ratna Award, as the award was given to Virat Kohli who had an achievement score of zero compared to himself, who had the highest total of 80. However, Bajrang has also received his fair share of recognition in a short span of his career, being awarded the Arjuna Award in 2015, Padma Shri and Khel Ratna Award in 2019 and FICCI India Sports Award in 2020.

Bajrang Punia can be described as a “pioneer”, as he was the first Indian wrestler to be ranked World Number 1 in any category and the first to play in the German League. Like any explorer, he has ventured into the road less travelled and come out on top. His bravery, hard work and perseverance have paved the way for future Indian wrestlers and broadened their horizons. He may not have won gold or silver at the Tokyo Olympics, but Bajrang Punia has captured the hearts of billions with his relentless pursuit of glory and his bronze medal accomplishment is not something the 27 year old would consider “settling” for.

The future is bright for Indian wrestling with stars such as Bajrang Punia leading the way, it’s only a matter of time before the medal color changes for the better.

Also read: Bajrang Punia wins Olympics Bronze; beats Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov 8-0

2021-08-08 14:46

India sign off Tokyo Olympics in seventh heaven with promise of brighter future following record medal tally

New Delhi, Aug 8 (Olympic news) It started with a bang, tapered off in the middle and then ended with the kind of spectacular fireworks that make historic events grand. India was quite literally on a roller-coaster during the Tokyo Olympics.

So, there was the first medal in track-and-field which also happened to be the first gold in 13 years, the first medal in hockey in 41 years, the first silver in weightlifting, the first boxing medal in nine years, the first woman with two Olympic medals, the most number of debutants ending up on the podium, and the most number of medals ever won, it all happened in one single Games for India.

And it all happened at the Games which carried the tag of troubled long before the opening ceremony, thanks to the unrelenting COVID-19 pandemic. It all happened after one year of shutdown that sent most training and competition schedules haywire.

Mighty impressive? No, it was way more than that.

India's campaign at the Olympic Games was as much a story of human resilience as of sporting excellence and it came to the fore on the opening day of competitions itself starting with Mirabai Chanu.

The Manipuri weightlifter stands a mere 4'11" but lifted 202kg (87+115) to fetch a silver and put India on the medals tally, showing the world why size doesn't and shouldn't matter.

Also read: Mirabai Chanu an inspiration for the future generations to come

In her moment of glory, the phenomenal weightlifter was a personification of perseverance. She had left the same stage in tears and dejection five years ago, failing to log a single legal lift.

And there she was smiling ear to ear on July 24 becoming India's first silver-medallist in weightlifting.

It was just the kind of start that the country needed but what followed was a lull.

Some top contenders bowed out without making an impact, the biggest disappointment being the 15-strong shooting contingent.

A lot many questions about their preparations came up after only one, Saurabh Chaudhary, managed to make the finals and none could get on the podium.

Nobody had a clear answer as to what went wrong even as stories of factionalism, ego battles and petty differences began to crop up from different corners.

It seemed that the Indian campaign had hit the disaster note early and would not be able to recover.

But along came P V Sindhu and put things back on track with her bronze.

The seasoned Hyderabadi shuttler was looking to better the silver she won in the 2016 Games. She couldn't do that but managed to become the first Indian woman with two Olympic medals.

While she was at it, the two hockey teams also showed stomach for fight after early setbacks.

And in the boxing ring, an heir apparent to the iconic M C Mary Kom began to take shape in Lovlina Borgohain (69kg).

The 23-year-old from Assam ended with a bronze on August 4 as women got down to the task of rebuilding momentum in the Indian camp. And it worked out quite spectacularly.

The very next day, Ravi Kumar Dahiya became only the second Indian wrestler to clinch a silver at the Games but the first to do so on debut.

Hours before that came the long-awaited hockey medal, a bronze worth it's weight and wait in gold.

Manpreet Singh and his inspired teammates scripted a comeback to remember against Germany in the play-off to sow the seeds of hockey's resurgence in the country for a generation that grew up hearing tales of greatness while watching a painful slump in the sport.

There were tears, joy, nostalgia and above all a sense of renewed pride because hockey was India's sport before it declined and cricket took over the mind space.

The stage seemed set for a grand finale and it was with Neeraj Chopra's javelin striking gold, India's first in 13 years overall and the first in athletics.

Bajrang Punia's resolve paid off for him with a bronze on the wrestling mat as the debutant grudgingly accepted the medal after falling out of the expected gold medal contention.

Then there were those who were hit by the curse of the fourth-place finish. Their agony was a story in itself as golfer Aditi Ashok and the women's hockey team ended within touching distance of the podium but not quite there.

So, India's performance at the Games was bigger than the unprecedented seven medals.

It reflected confidence, best personified by Chopra when he owned the Olympic stadium with his self-assured gait during the final in which the 90m man -- the great Johannes Vetter -- wilted.

In Tokyo, the Indians who did well were not surprising anyone, they were living up to the billing earned over the last three years.

Surprise was some of them falling short like the shooters, and the archers.

And in that lay the country's story of progress in sports. India is not quite there yet but is certainly inching closer one step at a time.
News source: PTI

2021-08-08 14:45

The inspiring life story of Tokyo Olympics 2021 Silver Medalist Ravi Kumar Dahiya

Tokyo Olympics 2021: Ravi Kumar Dahiya won the hearts of the entire nation with his performance in Tokyo as he won silver in the 57 kg freestyle wrestling category. The 23-year-old got a podium finish in his first-ever appearance at the Olympic games. He also became only the second Indian wrestler after Sushil Kumar to win an Olympic silver medal.

Early life:

Ravi Kumar Dahiya was born in the small village of Nahri in Sonipat district, Haryana. He began wrestling training in Delhi at the age of 10. He was coached by Satpal Singh who is famous for coaching two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar among others.

While training at the famous Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi his father used to make a long journey from their village to deliver fresh fruits and milk every single day. Dahiya's father, who was a small farmer, always supported his dream of becoming a wrestler.

Youth Career:

Ravi Kumar Dahiya played his first major youth tournament in Salvador de Bahia at the 2015 Junior World Wrestling Championships. Competing in the 55 kg freestyle category the Haryana wrestler won the silver medal.

Dahiya faced a major setback in 2017 when he was sidelined due to an injury for over a year. He came back in the 2018 World U23 Wrestling Championship in Bucharest to bag another silver medal in the 57 kg freestyle category.

Road to Tokyo Olympics 2021:

Ravi Kumar Dahiya contested the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships in Xi'an where he finished 4th after losing the bronze medal match. Later that year Dahiya made his World Championship debut where he defeated reigning European Champion champion Arsen Harutyunyan in the round of 16 and the 2017 world champion Yuki Takahashi in the quarterfinal.

Dahiya in the process earned one of the six available quota places for the Olympics 2020. Dahiya lost the Semi-Final bout against eventual winner Zaur Uguev and won the Bronze medal.

At the 2020 Asian championship in Delhi, Dahiya bagged the Gold medal after defeating Tajikistan's Hikmatullo Vohidov in the final. He retained his Gold medal in the 2021 Asian championship where he defeated Iran's Alireza Sarlak in the final.

Tokyo Olympics 2021:

In the pre-quarterfinal game against Columbian Oscar Tigeros, Ravi Kumar Dahiya stamped his authority with an immense 13-2 win. The Haryana wrestler completely outclassed his opponent to enter the quarter-finals.

The quarter-final bout was another dominating performance by Dahiya against Bulgarian wrestler Georgi Vangelov.Bulgaria had no answer to Dahiya's attack as he succumbed to a 14-4 defeat. After two very dominant performances, Ravi marched onto the semi-finals.

In the Semi-final he was pitted against 2018 Asian games gold medalist Nurislam Sanayev from Kazakhstan. Dahiya was on the back foot at the start and lost a point due to passivity. He soon came back to bag a couple of points and finished the round with a 2-1 lead. The tide turned around completely when Sanayev came out attacking and in no time went 9-2. With just over a minute to go, the Indian wrestler in incredible fashion made a comeback after picking up five points and pinning down his opponent.

Dahiya qualified for the gold medal match and secured a podium finish. In the final, he lost to Russia's Zavur Uguev by 7-4 as The two time World Champion proved to be too strong for Dahiya who earned a silver medal.

Future:

At the age of 23, Ravi Kumar Dahiya still has a lot of wrestling left in him. A silver medal in his debut Olympic appearance is a very positive sign of things to come. His next objective will be the World Championship in Oslo, Norway later this year.

Also read: Ravi Kumar Dahiya makes it five in Tokyo as India eyes record medal tally

2021-08-08 14:00

Indian men’s hockey team finishes with a heroic victory, wins medal after four decade drought

The Indian Men’s Hockey team winning the Bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics has restored belief and instilled hopes as it comes after 41 years. The last time the Hockey team won a medal was in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, if we look back it was when Prakash Padukone in Badminton became the first Indian to win the All England Championship, it was when Bjorn Borg won his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title and it was when the US led the boycott in the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

The Indian Hockey team made its debut in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics winning the gold and has participated in every Olympic Games except the 2008 Beijing as they failed to qualify for the first time. They have consecutively finished in the top three from the 1928 Olympics to the 1972 Munich Olympics. They have won Gold medals in the Olympics from 1928 to 1956, 1964 and the final one in 1980. They are the most successful Hockey team at the Olympics with a total of 8 Golds, 1 Silver and three Bronze medals.

They are the first medal winners for independent India at the Olympics, the game gave the world a sporting icon that is Major Dhyanchand known as the “Hockey Wizard” as he led India to three continuous Olympic Gold medals. In the 1936 Berlin Olympics it is said that Adolf Hitler was so awestruck by Dhyanchand that he was offered a German citizenship which he refused. His influence in the game is unmatched and is still one of the greatest sportsmen the world has seen. The game does not lack any legacy or legends as it is the sport which first gave us international fame and recognition. Players like Balbir Singh Dosanjh, Kunwar Digvijay Singh, Kishan Lal, Jaipal Singh Munda, Leslie Claudius, Udham Singh have brought us international accolades as well as Olympic trophies.

Also read: Day 15: Bajrang Punia still hunting for a medal; Golfer Aditi Ashok inches closer towards podium finish

After the 1980 Moscow Olympics, it was the downfall of Indian Hockey as for almost 15 years they failed to make it big in the Olympics as well as the World Cups. They were on top in Asia but lost International dominance. They won Bronze medals in the 1986 Asian Games and the 1982 Champions Trophy. It was not until the late 90’s that they slowly started making a comeback as they won the 1998 Asian Games, they also won the inaugural Men's Hockey Champions Challenge I by defeating South Africa in the Final.

But things started falling again as they failed to win a medal in the 2006 Asian Games for the first time, in 2007 they fell to their lowest ranking at 12 and did not qualify for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. In the 2012 London Olympic games they finished last as they lost all their matches. They got back to their winning form when they won the bronze in the 2014-2015 Hockey World League and also won the 2016-2017 Asia cup. They were still unable to make a mark in the Olympics as they finished 8th in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

They have finally secured an Olympic medal in Tokyo as they will look to create more records in Hockey. They have the most victories as they have won 83 matches out of 134 in the Olympics. They also are the only team to win the Gold without conceding a single goal as they did in the 1928 and 1956 Olympics.

In the Tokyo Olympics they were placed in pool A alongside Australia and Argentina. They only lost to Australia in the 5 pool matches played. In the quarterfinals they defeated Great Britain and in the semifinals lost to eventual champions Belgium. In the Bronze medal playoff against Germany there was enormous pressure on the team as they were in desperate need of a victory which would end a long wait for a medal and provide a much needed morale boost to the team. The players held onto their nerves and bravely fought to win the Bronze medal. Harmanpreet Singh in his second Olympics finished as the leading scorer for his team as he finished with 6 Penalty corner goals and Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh also saved in the final moments of the game to confirm the victory for India. Captain Manpreet Singh the most experienced man on the squad will be honoured to have led a young side into one of the greatest moments in Indian olympic history. The victory resulted in another milestone for sports as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award has been renamed as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and is quite fitting to the man who was truly “the magician” with a hockey stick.

The 91m turf will see more records broken, but before that it's important to savour this victory and rejoice as the country will welcome back all the heroes with pride in their hearts.

2021-08-08 13:30

From Assam to Tokyo: How Lovlina Borgohain captured a billion hearts with bronze at the Olympics

Any sporting achievement is less about the match that won them the medal and more about the journey that shaped a champion. For Lovlina Borgohain, the journey to become an Olympic champion has been far from easy. Her father Tiken Borgohain was a small-scale businessman who struggled to financially support his daughter’s dream, but her prodigious skill was enough to get the attention of Coach Padum Chandra Bodo who taught her the basics of boxing. From there on, there was no looking back.

In the village of Bara Murkhia, the villagers have always faced the challenge of moving in and out of the area, as rainwater would often collect on the path and restrict movements. A young Lovlina Borgohain often crossed the murky mud water on her way to training, a schedule that was often dictated by the weather and rainfall. Despite the obstacles, the now 23 year old is renowned across the world for her boxing prowess, which in turn has transformed her sleepy village into a bustling hive of activity after the government “gifted” her a road built on the muddy track to breathe new life into the place she calls home.

For a girl who was ostracised due to her gender and her parents were accused of having ‘sinned’ which is why they gave birth to a girl, Lovlina has done more for her village than all the others combined. Her parents have been a rock solid support system despite Lovlina’s struggles of adapting to self dependency at an early age. However, these experiences shaped her into the champion we know today who is an inspiration of perseverance to everyone.

Lovlina was brought onto the boxing map in emphatic fashion, she won a gold medal at the inaugural India Open which led to her selection at the 2018 Commonwealth Games welterweight boxing category. She also won a silver medal at the Ulaanbaatar Cup in Mongolia but most importantly, Borgohain won the Arjuna Award presented by President Ram Nath Kovind for her outstanding performance in boxing and is the first female and second boxer from Assam to represent India at the Olympic Games.

It’s said that the Olympic stage is the biggest and toughest of them all, far above any other sporting competition an athlete faces. The competition is fierce, but the glory is timeless and athletes are willing to sacrifice blood, sweat and tears to have their names etched in history books, which is an indication of Lovlina Borgohain’s achievement. She defeated Nadine Apetz of Germany in the primary rounds and Taiwan’s Chen Nien-chin to ensure a medal at the Tokyo Olympics. However, she fell short to World Number 1 Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey but the 23 year old has plenty of opportunities to go all the way in Paris and beyond.

While many media outlets claimed that Lovlina Borgohain had “settled” for a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, it seemed quite disrespectful to her fantastic achievement. Winning a bronze is by no means a compromise, especially at a stage such as the Olympics and it takes decades of hard work, perseverance, sacrifices and talent to win a medal at the biggest stage of them all. Her victory is an inspiration to all the girls that dreams come true as long as you put the work in and to always aim higher.

Also read: Disappointed I didn't get gold but will celebrate Olympic bronze with vacation: Lovlina Borgohain

2021-08-08 13:00

PV Sindhu’s journey to become the first Indian woman with two Olympic medals and what it represents

PV Sindhu had high expectations on her shoulders from the get go. She was already an accomplished badminton player having been an Olympics medalist before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and having won multiple medals on the BWF circuit including a gold at the 2019 World Championships. She became the first Indian to win the Badminton World Champion title and only the second Indian individual athlete to win two back to back medals at the Olympic Games, also rising to a career-high world ranking of number 2 in April 2017.

However, It is one thing to make it to the Olympics and participate in one’s event but it is a completely different matter to have an entire country’s hopes pinned to oneself, and to deliver under that pressure. Having said that, PV Sindhu is the one for the job. Her mental capacity, strength and tenacity to deal with the public’s anticipation is something we can only admire.

Her performance from the outset was all business. She swatted the competition away with her racket in the qualification rounds, like it was something she needed to get through to really start the fighting. She never took a match for granted but she was never really fazed by the initial competition. The world number 7 approached every match with an opportunistic mindset, always in the right place to take the shot and to benefit from her opponents' mistakes and to force them to make errors if need be.

On Saturday, the county’s hopes were still set on a gold medal for her... because that's what we've come to expect from her. As the reigning world champion has demonstrated, there are numerous reasons to do so. It didn't happen in Tokyo, but it's become second nature with Sindhu. What's her track record like? How is her game progressing? Have they done a good job of preparing her? These are significant aspects for her and part of the process, but they are irrelevant when it comes to what Indian fans expect from her.

We can't begin to comprehend what it takes to become an Olympian. The psychological strain of it all. For many sportsmen, just getting to that stage is a huge accomplishment, but once in a while, someone comes along who surpasses that sense and gives us hope. In order for that hope to survive, it was crucial that Sindhu did what she did. Again.

Sindhu's medal is particularly significant because she exemplifies human ideals in both win and defeat. Her roars are thunderous, and her fist pumps are savage, yet after the match is finished, she returns to her normal self. In Rio, it was taking up a sobbing Carolina Marin and cradling her in her arms... in Tokyo, it was lending a shoulder to Tai Tzu Ying. Sindhu was there to encourage Tai after her career-long ambition of winning a major title came to an end in the final as she held the silver medal in her hands. She did it because she had previously been there herself. Several times. She understands how it feels to give it your all just to discover that someone else did it a little better. Moreover, she did it to the one who had put a stop to her own gold dreams. Think about it.

No one person truly achieves their Olympics dreams solely on their own. Although no one can take away from the effort and sacrifices that athletes make, there is always someone backing them that has played a significant role in the success of said athlete. In Sindhu’s case the role was played by her Korean coach Park Tae Sang, a man who went to the trouble of learning English and and throwaway phrases like ‘aaram se’ just so he could communicate with his pupil. This would be Sang's first taste of Olympic victory, having competed in Athens 2004. After five editions, he was given the opportunity to coach a medalist. “I am really happy because in my coaching career for the first time my player gets the medal,” he admitted to the media, overjoyed. It meant the world to him.

Sindhu defeated China's He Bing Jiao in the third-place play-off. The victory came after a heartbreaking semifinal loss to world number one Tai Tzu Ying. Coach Park Tae-sang's encouragement, according to Sindhu, helped her rebound from the semifinal loss and win bronze for the country.

Sindhu revealed she was speechless after winning her second Olympic medal in a row, and it took her a moment to realise the magnitude of her remarkable achievements at the Games. The 26-year-old Indian woman added a bronze medal, next to her silver from Rio de Janeiro five years ago in badminton's women's singles event, cementing her place among the sport's all-time greats.

One can very easily see from her demeanor that the public isn’t alone in setting high standards for the Indian but she herself expects more and strives to deliver. It was important for her to win that second medal. It can also be said it’s important for every athlete to win a medal, but for Sindhu it was about meeting the calibre she had set for herself. It was also important for the country at the time, having had such a disappointing start to the Olympics. It was important because the nation needed to pick itself up and raise it’s spirits to rise again and to move past the medal drought.

Her medal not only served as consolation for the poor start that the Indian contingent had, but it also became the reason India restored self belief in themselves to start winning more. She serves as inspiration to other budding sports persons to take the legacy forward. Every new thing seems impossible until someone comes along and does it for the first time. That is what Sindhu represents, not only for badminton players in India but also the women. She stands for empowerment and the ability to transcend every hurdle thrown at you and do so with dignity.

Any coach working at the grassroots level will tell you that in addition to resources and proper education, a role model is essential. Without a figure of inspiration who makes you want to kick a football, take up a cricket bat, or hold that racquet in your hand for five minutes longer than you expected to be out there playing, no sporting culture can grow. In the end that is what matters.

Also read: PV Sindhu brings home India's second Olympics medal

2021-08-08 12:30

Mirabai Chanu an inspiration for the future generations to come

The enchanting smile and joy on her face when she won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics showed the level of dedication, sacrifice and hardships that she had gone through to edge her way into the most iconic sporting moments for India. Her silver medal at the women’s 49-kg weightlifting class is a culmination of the journey she had in her life through all the injuries and emotional pain.

She was born in the small district of Nongpok Kakching in Manipur on 8th August 1994. Mirabai at a very young age displayed great strength as she used to pick up more firewood than his elder brother could, this did not go unnoticed as her mother saw this feat and pursued her to take up weightlifting as a sport. Mirabai wanted to take up archery when she read about it but the iconic weightlifter from Manipur Kunjarani Devi completely changed her perspective. When she was 12 years old she went to the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal to enroll herself for the archery competition but the archery centre was closed, this in turn made her enroll for weightlifting where she just continued to excel with age.

This accidentally turned weightlifter herself didn't realize how good she was at this sport until she started traveling 20km from her village to the capital everyday to train. This hard work and grind of her eventually led her to the national weightlifting camp in Delhi where she got professional training from weightlifting coaches. Her meteoric rise began when she got her first breakthrough at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where she won the silver medal at the age of 20. The rise to the top was relatively quick for her as in the year after that she qualified for the Rio Olympics, which was quite an achievement as she became the first female to qualify for the Olympics from Manipur in weightlifting.

The Rio Olympics was an eye opener for her as inexperience cost her dearly in that tournament. She had failed to register a single lift in the entirety of the competition which resulted in her being last. This particular tournament was a life changing event for her, as she learnt the hard way that life is not always a fairy tale story. The hardworking and vigorous women realised that bad days at these particular big tournaments are a part and parcel of the game. It is the work after such a setback that defines a sports women's mentality. After her setback she practically moved to Patiala for 5 years where she along with her current coach Vijay Sharma worked day and night for Tokyo 2020.

Ever since the Rio Olympics she became a world class athlete proving herself in every single tournament she participated in, so much so that she created a world record by lifting 119kg in the clean and jerk in the Asian Championship. These are some of the few accolades she had managed during the five year tenure but the main thing she developed was consistency which is such an important aspect in her sport. It is this consistency that athletes shed their blood and sweat to achieve but in Mirabai's situation she knew that if she achieved what she had set out to achieve then no one could stop her from inspiring millions of girls in India.

It is not only the hardwork and sacrifice that makes her a great sportswoman but the fact of being humble in success and not forgetting your roots is a major reason why she’ll become a sports icon for the youngsters. Little things like wearing her mothers gifted earrings in the competition to meeting the truck drivers who used to give her a lift from her village to the main city only shows what kind of a woman she is. Part of her success is credited to her long term coach Vijay Sharma who spent the longest time with her, he groomed her into a proper world champion and moreover their relationship is more like a father daughter relationship which was the driving factor for her career.

The very fact that a nation of 1.35 billion people watched her perform extraordinarily on the television will only act as a catalyst for Indian sports in general. People especially at the grassroot level may take her up as a role model and more importantly they will strive to achieve her success. The effect of this medal is not going to be short term but a long process in which she is breaking the common stereotypes and inspiring not only the girls but also the parents to let the girls pursue their dreams and aspirations.

Also read: Teary homecoming: Mirabai Chanu breaks down on meeting mother

2021-08-07 17:52

Indian vice president Venkaiah Naidu feels it is time to promote traditional Indian sports in big way

New Delhi, Aug 7 (Olympic news) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday called for reviving the glory of traditional Indian sports such as hockey and urged state governments and corporate entities to join hands in providing the needed encouragement.

Releasing a postage stamp in the memory of social worker Chaman Lal at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas, Naidu said the recent performance of Indian hockey teams in Tokyo Olympics have rekindled the interest in the sports and time has come for promoting traditional Indian sports like hockey and Kabaddi in a big way.

He called for strengthening infrastructure, including artificial turf and training and coaching at the grass-roots level. Naidu also lauded the Centre for its proactive encouragement to Indian sports.

Asking to shed the "colonial mindset" of aping others blindly, the vice president said we should feel proud of great tradition and culture.

He also asserted that there is inherent talent among Indians in every field. "What is required is right encouragement and support for this talent," an official statement quoted him as saying.

Also read: Hard to be happy with 4th place at Olympics: Indian golfer Aditi Ashok after narrowly missing out on Bronze

Paying tributes to Chaman Lal, the Vice President said he dedicated his entire life in selflessly serving the country and the people.

Describing Chaman Lal as a great nationalist and a visionary thinker, Naidu said his life's philosophy was characterised by service, values and creativity. Despite receiving a gold medal in MSc at Punjab University (Lahore) in 1942, he chose the path of service even though he had a bright career ahead, Naidu pointed out.

Stressing the need to strike a balance between one's personal rights and societal duties, he said too much insistence on rights without taking care of one's social responsibilities can lead to disbalance in society.

Naidu recalled the important role played by Chaman Lal during the Emergency and said he helped the family members of jailed persons with great diligence.

Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Devusinh Chauhan, Rajeev Chandrashekar and Members of Parliament Harsh Vardhan, Subrahmanian Swamy, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, and Vineet Pandey, Secretary (Posts) were among those who attended the event.

News source: PTI

2021-08-07 17:22

Indian hockey teams achieve best-ever world rankings, men's ranked 3rd while Women's team jumps to 8th

New Delhi, Aug 7 (Hockey news) The Indian men's and women's hockey teams jumped one spot each to achieve their highest-ever world rankings at number 3 and 8 respectively, riding on their historic campaign at the Tokyo Olympics.

The Indian men's team, which ended a 41-year-old medal drought by clinching a historic bronze in the Olympics, was placed behind gold-medallist Belgium and silver-medallist Australia.

"It's the reward of all the hard work and dedication towards the game we love, towards the game which has given us everything," said Indian men's team captain Manpreet Singh in a release issued by Hockey India.

"This ranking and the Olympic medal after 41 years mark the rise of Indian Hockey...there is no looking back now, we have set the benchmark for ourselves and would like to grow from here." While the men's side claimed the bronze, the women's team narrowly missed out a medal after going down to Great Britain in the hard-fought third-place play-off, to end at the fourth place.

"We were very close to finishing on the podium, and it is hurting the team that we didn't. However, looking at the bright side, we have made remarkable progress in recent years, and I am really proud of it," women's team skipper Rani Rampal said.

Also read: Rani Rampal calls alleged casteist slurs hurled at teammate Vandana Katariya's family 'Shameful'

"Finishing in the top four at Olympics, and climbing to the 8th position in world rankings, is a very big thing for us, and this has boosted our confidence, it will certainly help us grow going forward." Manpreet and Co. had finished second in Pool A, winning four out of five group phase matches and defeated Great Britain 3-1 in quarterfinal before losing 2-5 against Belgium in their historic semifinal.

However, they staged a remarkable comeback to grab a 5-4 win over Germany to clinch a historic bronze medal at Olympic Games and as a result climbed up to their best-ever world ranking.

"I must admit, I feel privileged to have played a part in the rise of Indian Hockey. It's a great feeling that we won the historic Bronze Medal as well as achieving the highest ranking on the back of our solid performance in the Olympics," Indian men's team chief coach Graham Reid said.

"We played like a unit, with the right kind of attitude, and I think that has helped the team achieve this feat." After suffering three losses in the initial phase, the women's team pulled off arguably its biggest upset by beating world number 3 Australia in what was its first ever quarterfinal of the Olympics.

However, the women's team lost both semifinal and the bronze medal play-off match against Argentina and Great Britain, respectively.

Outgoing Indian women's team chief coach Sjoerd Marijne said, "Achieving 8th rank in the world ranking and finishing among the top four at Olympics, is a big step for Indian Women's hockey, and I think every team will definitely take us seriously.

"The athletes have that desire to learn and improve each and every day, and I feel this is one of the biggest reasons why we could finish among the top four." The men's team was ranked No.4 in March last year on the back of their scintillating performances in the first three rounds of the second edition of FIH Hockey Pro League.

On the other hand, the women's team's earlier highest world ranking was 9th, which they accomplished by producing their best finish (Quarter Finals) at the World Cup in London in 2018.

Having reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup, the women's team had become the top-ranked Asian team and went on to clinch the silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

News source: PTI

2021-08-07 17:05

It's yet to sink in, maybe we will realise later: Captain Rani Rampal on her team's 4th place finish in Tokyo

Tokyo, Aug 7 (Olympic news) The Indian women's hockey team may have captured the imagination of an entire nation with fourth place finish but the magnitude of its feat is yet to sink in, feels skipper Rani Rampal, still nursing a heartbreak of missing an Olympic bronze.

From a bottom-place finish at Rio 2016, the Indian women's team capped a remarkable journey at Tokyo Olympics, finishing fourth after losing 3-4 to defending champions Great Britain on Friday.

"At the Rio Games, we finished 12th. We knew we won't be able to perform well as it was our first Olympics and we had no experience. But we entered Tokyo with the belief that we will do something," Rani said during a virtual press conference.

"Reaching the semifinal is a big achievement and it has been appreciated by all the women's teams in the world. They told us 'What you have achieved in the tournament has never happened in Indian history and you have a bright future ahead'." "Maybe we aren't realising it today and will understand (the magnitude of the feat) after sometime," she added.

After losing the first three games, the Indian women made a stunning comeback, defeating Ireland and South Africa to qualify for the quarterfinals. In the last eight, they stunned the three-time champions Australia to enter the Olympic semifinals for the first time.

The veteran striker said that although they lost the first three matches on the trot, the members of the team believed they could reach the knock-out stage.

"When we lost our first three matches a lot of people had written us off but we knew we played well in the first two part against The Netherlands and even against Germany we didn't win but we had the hope that we can reach the quarters after winning two matches.

"We performed well as a team against Ireland and then against South Africa also. The team showed courage and determination. The team showed a lot of character against Australia who have experience of playing all marquee events," she said.

Rani said the coming year is an important one for the team and she hopes the side can carry the winning momentum it has gained in Tokyo.

"Next year is an important one, we have the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Asia Cup from where we can qualify for the World Cup. The Olympics was a good learning experience, we have made an identity for ourselves so we need to continue this." Reflecting on the match against Ireland when Indians were awarded several penalty corners but were unable to convert them, the team's drag-flick specialist Gurjit Kaur said she analysed herself and worked on her shortcomings that helped in the game against Australia where she was the lone goal scorer.

Also read: Rani Rampal calls alleged casteist slurs hurled at teammate Vandana Katariya's family 'Shameful'

"There are times when you try a lot but you aren't able to succeed because its just not your day. That’s what happened, we got 14 penalty corners and we couldn't convert. Their goalkeeper was very good and they also defended well.

"I watched my videos to find out where I am going wrong and what mistakes I am making. So then I worked on my shortcomings," she added.

After the game against Great Britain head coach Sjored Marijne announced that he would be stepping down.

"He is stepping down as our coach. I respect his decision, family is important. We knew that after the Olympics he will leave. He deserves all the credit because he has worked a lot for women's hockey in India," Rani said.
News source: PTI

2021-08-07 16:59

So near yet so par: India's love affair with fourth-place finish at Olympics continues with Aditi Ashok's heartbreak

New Delhi, Aug 7 (Olympic news) They say fourth is the worst place to finish in the Olympics. If last is the most embarrassing, fourth is the most painful. When one endures it by the narrowest of margins, and in a sport like golf, it can't get any worse.

Aditi Ashok experienced that excruciating pain on Saturday, and with it, post-independent India's tryst with fourth-place heartbreaks at sport's grandest stage continued, the run beginning way back in 1956.

"You don't want to join that club," Aditi said, but joined she did, after missing out on what would have been a landmark medal.

"But I guess I've joined it. But no, I think it's good, just even top 5 or top 10 at an Olympics is really good." In golfing parlance it was a case of 'so near and yet so par'.

A day before, the Indian women's hockey team went through exactly the same heartbreak, losing 3-4 to Great Britain in the bronze play-off.

With her mother carrying the bag, Aditi was a step away from adding one of the finest chapters to the country's Olympic history, but eventually ended up joining a list, which includes some of the country's greatest athletes, that no sportsperson wishes to be part of.

Here is a look at the instances when India came close but ended at just that.

#It all began at the 1956 Games in Melbourne, where the Indian football team made the semifinals after beating hosts Australia 4-2 in the quarterfinals, with Neville D'Souza becoming the first Asian to score a hat-trick at the Games.

By giving his team the lead, Neville looked like doing an encore in the last-four clash against Yugoslavia, who came back strongly in the second half to seal the contest in their favour.

In the bronze medal classification match, India could not recover from the blow they received against Yugoslavia, losing to Bulgaria 0-3, drawing to a close an eventful few days which the great P K Banerjee would often reminisce about.

#Four years later, at the 1960 Games in Rome, another heartbreak awaited India as the legendary Milkha Singh missed out on a bronze by the narrowest of margins.

Competing in the 400 metres final and touted as a medal contender, the 'Flying Sikh' fell short by a mere 1/10th of a second after slowing down to see his fellow competitors, an error that he would regret for the rest of his life.

This would go down as his life's worst memory after his parents were killed in the aftermath of the partition.

Milkha almost gave up the sport after that loss and it required a lot of persuasion for him to hit the track again and win two gold medals in the 1962 Asian Games.

#A little more than four decades before the players of current Indian women's hockey team endured the agony of narrowly missing out on a medal, their predecessors had gone though a similar experience when they lost their last match to erstwhile USSR 1-3 to finish behind Zimbabwe, Czechoslovakia and the Russians.

With top hockey nations such as the Netherlands, Australia and Great Britain boycotting the 1980 Moscow Games over the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan, the Indians had a great chance to finish on the podium in their their first attempt itself, but all they could manage was the fourth position.

#The 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles brought back memories of Milkha in Rome when P T Usha missed the 400-metre hurdles bronze by 1/100th of a second, making it the closest-ever miss for an Indian athlete in any competition.

Known as the 'Payyoli Express', she ended up fourth behind Romania's Christina Cojocaru, but her heroic effort left a lasting impression and she became a household name.

The 400-metre hurdles was introduced for the first time in LA, raising hopes of a podium for the fancied Indian.

#After a long gap of 20 years, the curse of the fourth place finish returned to haunt the Indian contingent when the celebrated duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi missed out on the podium at the Athens Games in 2004.

Arguably India's greatest tennis doubles pair, Paes and Bhupathi missed out on a bronze medal after losing a marathon men's doubles match to Croatia's Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic 6-7 6-4 14-16 to end fourth.

Before that, the Indian pair went into semifinals as favourites but lost to the German duo of Nicholas Kiefer and Rainer Schuttler in straight sets 2-6 3-6.

At the same Games, Kunjarani Devi, who had inspired Tokyo Olympics silver-medallist Mirabai Chanu to take up the sport, finished fourth in women's 48 kg weightlifting competition, but she was not really in medal contention.

Disqualified in her final attempt to lift 112.5 kg in the clean and jerk category, Kunjarani finished with overall 190 points, 10 points behind bronze medallist Aree Wiratthaworn of Thailand.

#At London 2012, shooter Joydeep Karmakar experienced the terrible feeling of finishing a place behind the bronze medal winner.

Karmakar had finished seventh in the qualification round of men's 50-metre rifle prone event, and in the finals, he ended just 1.9 points behind the bronze medal winner, Rajmond Debevec of Slovenia.

Also read: Bajrang Punia wins Olympics Bronze; beats Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov 8-0

#In 2016, when the Olympics was held in Rio de Janeiro, Dipa Karmakar became the first Indian woman gymnast to compete at the Games. After making the final of the women's vault event, Karmakar finished fourth overall with a score of 15.066 and missed the bronze medal by 0.150 points.

She introduced the sport to India and gave the message that one doesn't have to be born in the USA or Russia to become an excellent gymnast.

At the same Games, Abhinav Bindra's illustrious career was headed for a fairytale finish but a shooter of even his class was not spared of the curse of the fourth place finish, as he missed the bronze medal by a whisker, eight years after his historic gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

News source: PTI

2021-08-06 18:20

Day 15: Bajrang Punia still hunting for a medal; Golfer Aditi Ashok inches closer towards podium finish

1) Bajrang Punia to contest for bronze after losing the semi final to Haji Aliyev from Azerbaijan

Bajrang Punia advanced to the quarter-finals with a point margin. Ernazar Akmataliev added two with two pushouts after falling behind 1-3. The game ended 3-3, but Bajrang won due to a high-scoring move (2-pointer) late in the game.

The Indian wrestler progressed to the semifinals of the Men’s Freestyle 65kg quarterfinals after defeating Morteza Ghiasi Cheka from Iran. The Indian started off strongly, but was given a warning by the referee to not attack before being given his second passivity charge and the Indian trailed 1-0. However, the former World Number 1 made a stunning comeback by pinning down Morteza Ghiasi Cheka to win by fall.

India's major hopes for a medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Bajrang Punia missed a chance to play the gold medal match. Punia lost the 65 kg freestyle category semi-final to Haji Aliyev from Azerbaijan.

Bajrang Punia was dominated by his opponent throughout the match as he lost 12-5. The Indian wrestler did take the first point but was trailing by points for the rest of the game. The three-time world champion proved to be too strong for Bajrang Punia.

2) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok holds 2nd spot in Round 3 at the Tokyo Olympics

Aditi Ashok continued her fine form at the Tokyo Olympics as she carded a three-under 67 to remain in a strong position to get India’s maiden Olympic medal in golf. After three rounds, Aditi was 12-under 201 and is the only golfer in the 2nd position, three strokes apart from leader Nelly Korda of the United States who carded two-under 69 in the second last round. This is a significant improvement in Aditi’s performance before her debut Olympic Games in Rio where she finished tied 41st.

3) Seema Bisla faces opening bout exit in 50 kg freestyle category

Bisla was on the back foot throughout the game. Her opponent was awarded a point due to the passivity of the Indian wrestler. Entering the second round down by a point, Bisla tried to grab hold of Hamdi's legs to no avail and was sent out of bounds. Seema Bisla did get a point back to make it 2-1 with a minute to go. Her efforts were subdued when Hamdi got another point. The bout ended 3-1 in favour of the Tunisian.

Seema Bisla's qualification in itself was an achievement as no one expected her to make it to Tokyo. She managed to book her ticket to Tokyo at the World Olympic Qualification Tournament held in Sofia, Bulgaria in May 2021. There is still a chance for Seema to win a bronze medal via the repechage round if Sarra Hamdi makes it to the final.

4) Heartbreak for Indian women’s hockey team as Great Britain emerge victorious in a 7 Goal thriller

The Indian women’s hockey team fought bravely right from the start but their opponents played even more fiercely to finish third in the Tokyo Olympics. The defending champions beat India 4-3 in a nail biting encounter as both the teams were going head to head till the final whistle. In the first quarter neither of the teams found the net, the second quarter saw plenty of action as five goals were scored between the teams. Britain started off with a goal in the second quarter as Elena Sian Rayer scored in the 16th minute and eight minutes later extended the lead with another goal in the 24th minute by Sarah Robertson.

The Indians fought back with a goal the very next minute as Gurjit Kaur scored from a penalty corner shot and in the 26th minute leveled the scores. In the 29th minute, Vandana Katariya scored to give her team instant inspiration as the Indians came back from a two goal deficit and were now leading as the second quarter came to an end. In the third quarter Hollie Pearne-Webb scored in the 35th minute as the scores were once again leveled and in the final quarter Grace Balsdon scored in the 48th minute off a penalty corner shot to take home the Bronze medal.

5) Heat and humidity take its toll as Gurpreet Singh fails to finish Men’s 50 km race walk

Race walker Gurpreet Singh endured a disappointing start to his Olympic ambitions as the Indian was forced to drop out of the race as he was cramping due to heat and humidity. Singh was in the 49th position at the halfway point of 25 km with a time of 2:01:54.

6) Indian Women finish 17th and 32nd in 20km Race Walk at the Tokyo Olympics

Priyanka Goswami and Bhawna Jat competed in the Women's 20km Race Walk in the Tokyo Olympics. Priyanka was on the top until the 8km mark but finished 17th with a timing of 1:32:36 and Bhawna finished 32nd with a timing of 1:37:38. Antonella Palmisano of Italy finished 1st with a timing of 1:29:12, Sandra Arenas of Colombia finished 2nd with a timing of 1:29:37 and the winner in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Liu Hong from China finished third with a timing of 1:29:57.

India was fielding two debutants in the race today and Bhawna is a former national record holder while Priyanka is the current national record holder. Representation in Athletics has gone way up in this year’s Olympics and with only two days to go there are still a handful of Indians left in the competition.

7) India break Asian record, but fall out of the running for Men's 4x400m relay

India ran the race in the second lane. The first lap was run by Anas, second Noah, Arokia completed the third lap, Amoj Jacob the fourth. Amoj Jacob had a fantastic run. By the end, the sprinter pulled ahead of the middle of the group. India came in fourth place. Amoj Jacob put in an impressive final lap. With a time of 3:00.25, India finished fourth in their heat. They did not make it, but only by the tiniest of margins.

India has set a new Asian record with their timing. They came in ninth place overall. Missing out on the final by less than a second was heartbreaking. A fantastic but painful performance from the Indian men's quartet of Muhammed Anas, Nirmal Noah Tom, Arokia Rajiv, and Amoj Jacob, who placed fourth in the 4X400m relay (Heat 2) in 3 minutes 00.25 seconds, setting a new Asian mark. They came in ninth place overall, just missing out on a spot in the final.

What to look forward to for tomorrow

India will be competing in three medal events tomorrow. We can expect young Indian golfer Aditi Ashok to finish on the podium after an impressive performance in the last 3 days where she managed to maintain a higher rank than some of the biggest names in the sport.

Bajrang Punia will be competing for a Bronze medal in wrestling against someone who is yet to be determined. We can expect to see an entertaining and suspenseful performance by the two. Afterall only one of them will walk away from the fight with a medal.

India’s favourite javelin thrower and medal hopeful Neeraj Chopra will be at the top of his game as he has shown great potential in the qualifying rounds. Tomorrow is the much awaited medal event for the game and it is safe to say India has its eyes set on Gold.

Tomorrow will undoubtedly be an action packed day. Will India breach its all the time high medal tally? Only time will tell if the odds are in our favor.

Also read: Day 14: India’s medal haul increases with a silver and bronze on a day of mixed fortunes

2021-08-06 16:16

Indian women's hockey team breaks down while talking to PM Modi

New Delhi, Aug 6 (Olympics news) Shattered by the heartbreaking loss that saw them miss out on a bronze medal, members of the Indian women's hockey team broke down during a telephonic conversation with Prime Minster Narendra Modi, who lauded the side for its inspirational display at the Tokyo Olympics.

Modi called the team after its agonising 3-4 loss to Great Britain in the bronze medal play-off on Friday and consoled the distraught players, who were seen sobbing.

"All of you have played really well. You left everything in the past five years, sweating it out for the sport. Your hard work and sweat didn't get a medal but it has become the inspiration for crores of girls in the country. I congratulate the coach and all of you," said Modi as the team gathered around the phone.

After a disappointing start to the campaign that saw them lose the first three games, the Indian women's team put up a splendid display to enter its maiden Olympic semifinal.

The Rani Rampal-led side defeated the mighty Australians in quarterfinals but couldn't get past Argentina in the semifinals and Great Britain in the play-off game, signing off with a fourth place finish. The players couldn't fight back tears as Modi praised their efforts.

Modi praised Vandana Katariya and Salima Tete for their performances. Katariya, whose family was subjected to allegedly casteist slurs after the semifinal match, scored four goals in the entire competition.

"Vandana and everyone played well. And everyone though Salima was brilliant." After a brief silence Modi urged the players to stop crying.

"Please everyone, stop crying the entire country is taking pride in you. After so many years hockey, India's identity, has been reborn. This is all because of your efforts," Modi said.

Also read: Olympics: Haryana to give Rs 50 lakh each to state's 9 women's hockey players

The 70-year-old also enquired about Navneet Kaur, who was seen with bandages on her face to stop the bleeding from an injury during the match.

Skipper Rani informed him that the forward had to get four stitches while thanking the PM for his encouragement.

Modi also applauded head coach Sjoerd Marijne for his efforts.

"You have tried your level best, I am seeing how you have encouraged them. I am thankful to you, I wish you all the best for the future," Modi said.

Marijne responded, "Thank you for your encouragement sir. The girls are a bit emotional right now, but I have told them to take pride in what they have achieved."

News source: PTI

2021-08-06 15:53

Bopanna retains place in Indian team for Davis Cup tie against Finland in September

New Delhi, Aug 6 (Tennis news) Doubles exponent Rohan Bopanna on Friday retained his place in the Indian Davis Cup team despite his recent run-in with the national federation, which named a five-member squad for the upcoming World Group I away tie against Finland.

Expectedly, all top three singles players of the country -- Prajnesh Gunneswaran (ranked 158), Sumit Nagal (159) and Ramkumar Ramanathan (204) -- have been picked for the September 17-18 tie, which will be held on indoor courts in Espoo Metro Areena in Espoo city.

The AITA selection committee had a virtual meeting on Thursday to decide on the team.

Rohit Rajpal will be the non-playing captain of the side and Zeeshan Ali the coach.

Bopnna, ranked 40, will have his doubles partner in Divij Sharan, ranked 82.

The duo could not qualify for the ongoing Tokyo Olympics due to low combined rank.

In the last tie against Croatia which India lost 1-3, Bopanna had paired with Leander Paes. Rest is the same squad.

Bopanna had accused the All Indian Tennis Association (AITA) secretary general Anil Dhupar of misleading him and the nation by claiming that the ITF had accepted his and Sumit Nagal's entry for the doubles competition of the Tokyo Games.

Bopanna made public his telephonic conversation with Dhupar, putting the audio recording on his twitter page.

Finland has one higher-ranked singles player in Emil Ruusuvuori, who is placed 69th in the ATP chart, while it does not have a player inside top-100.

Finland also has two decent doubles players in Henri Kontinen and Harri Heliovaara, who are ranked 39 and 38 respectively.

Also read: Sania and Ankita lose to Ukranian Twins as World number one shocked in Singles

Selection committee member Balram Singh told PTI that the recent controversy regarding Bopanna was not discussed by the members.

"There are former players in the committee and they know the value of a doubles rubber point in Davis Cup. Rohan, being our top player, was a natural choice," Balram said.

"It was just a matter of misunderstanding that a controversy erupted," he said.

The winner of the tie will qualify for the Qualifiers in 2022 while the losing teams will compete in the play-offs to retain their place in World Group I next year.

News source: PTI

2021-08-06 11:00

Tokyo-returned quartet fail to make cut; new look Indian team for Archery World Championships

Sonepat, Aug 5 (Archery news) India will have a new look squad at next month's Archery World Championships after none of the archers, who had participated at the Tokyo Olympics, could clear the selection trials here on Thursday.

The four archers, who couldn't win a medal at Tokyo, failed to finish inside top-three in the two-day trials conducted just a day after their return from the Olympics.

World number one Deepika Kumari, who lost out to eventual gold medalist An San in the quarters at Tokyo Olympics, finished fourth in the trials.

Komalika Bari, 17-year-old upcoming Haryana girl Ridhi Phor, and Ankita Bhakat made the cut taking the top-three spots.

Among men, Punjab's Aditya Chaudhary, 19-year-old Parth Salunkhe of Maharashtra and 2014 Youth Olympic bronze medalist Atul Verma grabbed the top-three places, ahead of Tarundeep Rai (ninth), Atanu Das (17th) and Pravin Jadhav (20th).

"It's a very promising sign that the juniors are coming up in the senior team. They are the future," Dronacharya and Arjuna Awardee Sanjeeva Singh, who oversaw the trials at the SAI Sonepat here, told PTI.

The trials for the September 19-26 Yankton World Championships had four rankings rounds from where top-six archers played round robin matchplay to determine the top-three.

"The average age of the side is less than 20 years. It's a very promising sign for the 2024 Olympics," the former Olympian added.

Indian archers had yet another below par outing at the Olympics as none of them could earn the elusive medal in the sport.

The men's team and mixed pair teams lost their respective quarterfinal matches to Korea.

Atanu Das was the best among the men's trio, making the last-16 in the men's individual competition, where he went down to home favourite Takaharu Furukawa, the eventual bronze medallist.

Also read: Atanu Das crashes out of Tokyo Olympics after losing pre-qualifier to Takaharu Furukawa 6-4

India also picked compound archery teams in the men's and women's sections for the Yankton meet.

Teams: Recurve, men: Aditya Chaudhary (Punjab), Parth Salunkhe (Maharashtra) and Atul Verma (SSCB); women: Komalika Bari (Jharkhand), Ridhi (Haryana) and Ankita Bhakat (Jharkhand).

Compound, men: Abhishek Verma (Delhi), Sangam Singh Bisla (AAI) and Rishab Yadav (Haryana); women: Muskan Kirar (MP), Jyothi Surekha Vennam (PSPB) and Priya Gurjar (Rajasthan).

News source: PTI

2021-08-06 10:43

Tokyo organisers have delivered 'efficient' and 'outstanding' track and field events: Sumariwalla

Tokyo, Aug 5 (Olympics news) World Athletics Council member and Athletics Federation of India President Adille Sumariwalla on Thursday lauded the Japanese organisers for the "efficient" and "outstanding" delivery of track and field events at the ongoing Olympic Games here.

Sumariwalla said though these Games were "different" due to the strict restrictions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisers have done everything under their command to stage a "fantastic" Olympics.

"This Olympics is different in its own way (due to the pandemic) but this is fantastic. In the circumstances, they (the organisers) have done an excellent and outstanding job," Sumariwalla told PTI in an interview.

"Everything is going on very efficiently here and we have no complaints," he added.

Sumariwalla said the successful delivery of the track and field events and the quality of competitions should enhance athletics' reputation as number one Olympic sport.

"It's a truly global sport, the number one Olympic sport and Tokyo Olympics will only strengthen it. Athletics has become a means to connect people in the world in these COVID-19 times," he said.

"Research has shown that there is tremendous increase in the number of people taking to running. It's in a way saving the health budgets of countries all over the world as people will be fitter and less prone to diseases.

"We will take advantage of this to try and spread the sport in places where the imprint of athletics is less," he added.

Asked how he sees athletics in the Olympics in the post Usain Bolt era, he said, "Great athletes will come and go but the sport will keep on growing.

"There was a Jesse Owens in 1930s and after him some other came. New champions will keep on coming and we have seen new champions who have rewritten world records which are likely to remain for a long time." Sumariwalla said the organisers have enforced the health and safety protocols strictly and everybody will have to follow them.

"Nobody is the exception. We are all in the COVID bubble, it is from hotel to stadium and back only, we cannot go anywhere outside. We cannot go on the road and cannot go for jogging," he said.

"Everyday, we have to give saliva test and furnish body temperature four or five times a day. You have to eat only inside the hotel and not outside." The former 100m runner, who took part in 1980 Olympics, is also pleased that the blue-riband track and field events have taken over the centre-stage at the Olympics. Three world records and 11 Olympic records have already been set with three days still left in the athletics competition.

Also read: 27 new Games-related COVID-19 cases reported, highest so far

"Olympics is the biggest stage and the quality of competitions has been top class. Not only the world records but the quality of these world records has been outstanding. You will not see these for ages," he said referring to world records set by Norway's Karsten Warholm (45.94s) and American Sydney McLaughlin (51.46s) in men's and women's 400m hurdles respectively.

He is not, however, surprised at these world records coming up in the Tokyo Games.

"There were so many world records in the run up to the Games, for the last six months. It is not that they have come suddenly, so I am not surprised." Sumariwalla also brushed aside the talks that the "fast" Mondo tracks in use at the Olympic Stadium could have helped the athletes in setting these astounding world records.

"Is Mondo a fast track? Yes, it is a fast track. It is a very good track and it has been in use for the last 10 Olympics, 10 World Championships. It is a tested product.

"There is a certification of the track. It should be a class one certified track for all big championships, including Olympics. There are specifications in that and if it's within those certifications, that is fine. I don't buy these things (records coming due only to fast tracks)."

News source: PTI

2021-08-06 10:16

Haryana, Punjab announce cash awards for Olympic medallists

Chandigarh, Aug 5 (Olmypics news) Haryana and Punjab governments on Thursday announced cash awards for Olympic medallists including members of the men's hockey team and wrestler Ravi Dahiya.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar praised Dahiya for his effort after he became only the second Indian wrestler to win a silver medal at the Olympics.

Dahiya, who hails from Nahri village in Sonipat, lost the men's freestyle 57kg title clash 4-7 to reigning world champion Zavur Uguev.

"Our wrestler Ravi Dahiya put up a great performance in a keenly contested bout. I congratulate him for winning a silver medal,” Khattar said.

He will get Rs 4 crore award money as per state government’s policy for silver winning Olympic medalists, he said.

"As per our policy, we will give him Class I job. A piece of plot of land of Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran at concessional rates will also be given to him,” Khattar told the media here.

He further said in Dahiya’s native village, wrestling indoor stadium will be built.

In a tweet, Khattar also announced to give cash award of Rs 2.5 crore each to the two players from Haryana, who are part of the bronze winning men's hockey team, a job in the sports department and a piece of plot each of Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran at concessional rates.

Neighbouring Punjab government announced that it will give a cash award of Rs one crore to each of the hockey player from the state.

Punjab Sports Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi made the announcement after India beat Germany 5-4 in the bronze play-off.

"On this historic day for #IndianHockey I am delighted to announce a cash award of Rs 1crore each to players 4m#Punjab We await ur return to celebrate the much deserving medal in #Olympics," Sodhi tweeted.

Punjab had eight players, including skipper Manpreet Singh, in the Indian men's hockey team.

The others are Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Hardik Singh, Shamsher Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh and Mandeep Singh.

On Friday, Sodhi had announced that the hockey players from the state participating in the Tokyo Olympics would get Rs 2.25 crore each if the team wins a gold.

Before this bronze, India had won an Olympic medal in hockey way back in 1980 Games in Moscow.

Also read: Bajrang Punia moves to quarters of men's 65 kg wrestling

Congratulating the men’s hockey team for winning bronze medal, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur announced to give Rs 1 crore from the SGPC to the hockey team.

She also announced Rs 5 lakh each to the Punjab players who participated in the individual games in the Olympics.

Kaur hoped that the Indian hockey women’s team would also perform remarkably and win over Great Britain in their bronze medal match on Friday.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also congratulated the team for its achievement.

News source: PTI

2021-08-05 17:45

Day 14: India’s medal haul increases with a silver and bronze on a day of mixed fortunes

1) Ravi Kumar Dahiya makes it five in Tokyo as India eyes record medal tally

In the Men’s Freestyle 57kg wrestling Final, Ravi Kumar Dahiya won the Silver medal after he lost to Zaur Uguev of the Russian Olympic Committee. Zaur Uguev scored four points in the first period while Ravi scored two points, in the second period Zaur scored three more points as Ravi scored two. The final score read 7-4 as India secured its fifth medal of the Tokyo Olympics. Ravi is the fifth Indian Wrestler to win an Olympic medal.

2) Indian men’s hockey team win first Olympic medal in four decades, defeat Germany 4-5

History was made at the Oi Hockey Stadium as India defeated Germany 4-3 to win a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Germany started off strongly, scoring in the second minute through a field goal to lead 1-0. Germans dictated the game for the most part in the first quarter and India was forced to survive a number of penalty corners. However, Simranjeet found the back of the net in the second quarter with a reverse strike to level the scoring, but the celebrations were short lived as Germany restored their lead shortly after.

India’s defensive mistakes led to a third goal for the Germans, and just when it seemed that the game might be slipping away from India, Hardik Singh scored off a PC to make the score 2-3 and Harmanpreet levelled the scoring in the dying minutes of Q2 to get his team back in the game. From then on, India continued their goal scoring momentum with Rupinder scoring from a penalty corner to extend India’s lead 4-3 in the third quarter and Simranjeet scored his second of the match in a dramatic comeback that saw India trailing from 1-3 to turn the tables around with a score of 5-3.

It was a nervy final 15 minutes of the fourth quarter for India, as Germany managed to pull one back from a penalty corner for the deficit to be reduced by one, but India held their nerves to win a historic men’s hockey bronze medal, their first in 41 years.

3) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok tied 2nd in Women’s Individual round 2 at the Tokyo Olympics

It was a fantastic round 2 for Aditi Ashok as the Indian golfer finished 2nd, tied with two Danes Nanna Madsen and Emily Pedersen. The reigning Women's PGA Champion Nelly Korda from the United States finished in first place with 13 under par at the end of Round 2.

Despite the extreme heat and the threat of a summer storm, it is still expected to be a four day event. However, contingency plans have come into effect with Round 3 beginning on split tees and holes 1 to 10 will be played at 7:30 am (Japan time) due to extreme heat. Tokyo Olympics officials are hoping to begin Round 4 earlier than usual to avoid the impending tropical storm disrupting the golf proceedings. The event also faces the possibility of being reduced to 54 holes with the final round being cancelled.

Also read: Day 13: Boxer Lovlina tallies medal count to 3; Indian contingent looking good to add more to the collection

4) Deepak Punia loses fight for Bronze in the final 10 seconds

In a tragic conclusion for India, Deepak Punia led his Bronze medal match until the final ten seconds before succumbing to a 4-2 defeat. After Myles Amine scored two points with less than 5 seconds remaining, India decided to challenge. However, the jury ruled against Deepak Punia, and the points, as well as the final result, stood. Deepak's victory was bittersweet, as he had led the competition from the outset until his opponent's final move.

With less than 1 minute left, Deepak Punia was leading 2-1 against Myles Amine of San Marino in the men's freestyle 86kg bronze medal match but the odds were not in the former’s favour as he conceded 2 points towards the end of his fight for a medal.

5) Vinesh Phogat starts off in thumping fashion in Women’s Wrestling; but loses to wrestler Vanesa Kaladzinskaya in the quarter-finals at the Tokyo Olympics

In Women’s Freestyle 53 kg Wrestling Vinesh Phogat began her run for the title by defeating Sofia Mattsson 7-1 in the Tokyo Olympics today. Sofia Mattsson had won Bronze in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. With this victory, Vinesh Phogat has advanced to the Quarterfinals.

Injury ended her aspirations in the quarter-finals in Rio, and five years later, Vinesh Phogat, the no. 1 seed in the women's 57 kg, lost in the quarter-finals once more. Venesa Kaladzinskaya, a Belarusian wrestler, got out to a fast start and never let Vinesh recover, who is no longer in contention for a gold medal, but still has a chance in the repechage rounds.

Vanesa gained victory by fall. No. 1 seed Venesa Kaladzinskaya upset VInesh Phogat by pinning Phogat with 35 seconds left on the clock causing the latter to be out of contention for the gold medal.

6) Wrestler Anshu Malik’s Olympic campaign comes to an end after losing repechage round

In Women's Freestyle 57kg Anshu Malik lost her repechage round 5-1 to Valeria Koblova from Russian Olympic Committee in the Tokyo Olympics. After losing her first match yesterday, there was hope in the repechage round but the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist proved too good for the youngster.

It was a tough draw for the young Indian and did her best to overpower her opponents. This is Anshu Malik’s first Olympics and the 20 year old has a lot to look forward to, this experience would surely come in handy for her next tournament.

7) Tokyo heat takes its toll on 20km Men’s walk as Indians struggle to make a mark

Men's 20km Race Walk saw three Indians participating in the Tokyo Olympics which featured one debutant. K.T Irfan finished a disappointing 51st with a timing of 1:34:41, he had previously finished 10th in the London 2012 Olympics. Debutant Rahul Rohilla finished 47th with a timing of 1:32:06 and Sandeep Kumar who broke the national record this year gave some hopes as he finished 23rd with a timing of 1:25:07, he had competed in 50km Walk in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He was placed second till the 8km mark and soon started slipping away after that.

The Men’s Race Walking has one more Indian left in the competition as Gurpreet Singh will be competing tomorrow in the 50km Race Walk.

2021-08-05 13:02

Privileged to have played a part: India's Aussie hockey coach Graham Reid on historic Olympic bronze

(Olympic news) Tokyo, Aug 5 The Indian men's hockey team's Australian coach Graham Reid on Thursday said he feels "privileged" to be a part of the game's revival in India after the side clinched its first Olympic medal in 41 years by beating Germany in the bronze play-off here.

The 57-year-old, who was a part of Australia's silver-winning team in the 1992 Barcelona Games, took over as India coach in 2019 and has obsessively talked about pursuing a process and investing in youth to get the results at a big stage like the Olympics.

"It is a fantastic feeling, it has come after a lot of sacrifices that the whole group has made," Reid said referring to the time the players spent away from their families and in some cases, battling COVID-19 as well.

"It takes a long time to get where these athletes have gotten. All the sacrifices that go unseen," he added with skipper Manpreet Singh sitting by his side after the 5-4 triumph over Germany here.

"...I know that apart from the country, this group has been waiting for a medal for a fairly long time and I know how much hockey means to India and I am privileged to help play a part in that." India were 1-3 down in the match and Reid said one of the things that has been worked on during his stint was to never lose hope of a comeback.

Also read: India’s Vinesh Phogat loses to wrestler Vanesa Kaladzinskaya at the Tokyo Olympics

"Before the game I asked the guys to make sure they bring the next level if something happens, for example, if you are down, you need to bring the next level of play and they did that very well," Reid explained.

"(It is) never over until it is over. It's always easy to say you should be doing this or that but there are lots of things that go on," he added when asked about the penalty corner that India conceded just six seconds from the final hooter.

"It has been one of the signatures of this team, which we have tried to develop and make sure that we can always come back and I think we did that." Reid was effusive in his praise for veteran custodian P R Sreejesh, who stood like a wall in the face of unrelenting German attacks.

"Having someone like Sreejesh in the goal is nice, glad that we didn't have to go into a shootout. He is a stalwart of Indian hockey. He has done a lot of work in the background to get to where he is," he said.

The seasoned coach also lauded the efforts made by the sports ministry and the Sports of Authority of India.

"The funding is there, it is just a matter of keeping these things going. It used to be the national game. All involved with hockey want to see it back," he said.

"We worked on our mentality, I told them we can change the future and we did that today," he added.

News source: PTI

2021-08-04 18:15

Archer Jadhav's parents say land dispute may force them to leave village

Pune, Aug 4 (Olympcs news) The parents of archer Pravin Jadhav who was part of the Indian squad at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics have said they will leave their village in Maharashtra's Satara district if they are not allowed to construct on the land where their present house stands.

Jadhav's family lives in a two-room house at Sarade village. They want to carry out more construction but the neighbouring family is obstructing it, his farther Ramesh Jadhav alleged on Wednesday.

If the dispute was not resolved, he and his family would leave the village, he said.

"My parents used to work as labourers for the Sheti Mahamandal (State Agriculture Corporation) which gave this land to us and allowed us to construct a house when our financial condition got better," he said.

The Mahamandal, however, had not executed any deed while giving them land and it was only an oral agreement, he told PTI over phone.

The family first built a two-room house when Pravin joined the Army and nobody objected, he said.

"But recently when we decided to build a bigger house, our neighbors, whose land is in front of our house, objected, claiming that the entire land is owned by them," Jadhav alleged.

He was ready to leave ample space for an approach road to the neighbouring plot, he said.

As construction could not be carried out, he had to sell off the material purchased for Rs 1.40 lakh for Rs 40,000, he said.

When they decided to build a toilet, the neighbour again threatened to lodge a police complaint, Jadhav said.

Shivaji Jagtap, Sub-divisional Officer, Phaltan, told PTI that the plot where the Jadhavs live is still part of the land owned by the Sheti Mahamandal.

The neighbour objected as the area where the Jadhav family had proposed new construction covers part of the approach road to his land, Jagtap said.

Also read: Indian archer Pravin Jadhav loses to Brady Ellison 6-0 in the round of 16

He and some local police officers visited the spot and tried to resolve the dispute by promising to ensure that there will be ample room for an approach road, but the dispute has lingered, he added.

"We are sure that in the next two to three days, the issue will be resolved," Jagtap said.

The administration is examining if some portion of the land can be transferred formally in Pravin's name, and the neighbouring family too is ready to give three gunthas of land as a `gift', the SDO said.

Pravin had told PTI earlier that five-six members of the neighbouring family arrived in the morning and warned his parents against renovating their tin-roof house.

"I've informed this to Army officials and they are looking into it," he said.

Pravin returned to India from his maiden Olympics after losing to world number one Brady Ellison in the second round in the individual section.

News source: PTI

2021-08-04 18:00

Day 13: Boxer Lovlina tallies medal count to 3; Indian contingent looking good to add more to the collection

Lovlina Borgohain takes home the Bronze in Women’s Boxing

In the Women's Welter (64-69kg) Boxing, India’s Lovlina Borgohain lost her Semifinals match in the Tokyo Olympics. She had assured herself of a medal after winning the first two matches. She lost to Busenaz Sürmeneli from Turkey 5-0 and will receive the Bronze medal. It is a milestone win for India as she is only the third Indian boxer and the second Woman Boxer to win an Olympic medal.

She has made a mark in this year’s Olympics by finishing third in the podium. This year’s tally has improved from the previous Olympics. In Rio 2016 we won two medals and this year we already have three and there are more matches to go. There are 3 more Semifinals to go today.

Neeraj Chopra gives an early boost in Men's Javelin Throw, finishes on top in the Qualification Round

One of India’s medal contenders Neeraj Chopra started off in fine fashion in the Men’s Javelin Throw as he finished on top of Group A in the Tokyo Olympics. His first attempt was enough to seal his place in the final, as he threw a 86.65m which saw him finish ahead of Gold medal favourite Johannes Vetter from Germany who finished second with a throw of 85.64m in his third attempt. Lassi Etelätalo from Finland finished third with a throw of 84.50m. In Group B Shivpal Singh from India failed to qualify for the Finals as he finished 12th with his best throw of 76.40m.

Ravi Kumar Dahiya assures India a silver medal in the 57kg freestyle category

The 23 year old from Nahri Sonipat has assured India their 4th medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 by winning his semi final bout against Nurislam Sanayev of Kazakhstan. The bout started in a very skeptical manner as both the wrestlers were assessing each other out but eventually the Kazak took the lead. Ravi made a quick recovery and won two points heading into the half. The story of the second half was completely different as the Kazak came out all guns blazing and won 6 points in a flurry, but the Indian had other ideas as he made a magnificent comeback in the last 30 seconds of the bout, eventually winning by fall despite losing by points 7-9.

Golfer Aditi Ashok impresses by placing 2nd amongst big names

Aditi Ashok, an Indian golfer, got off to a flying start in the Tokyo Olympics Golf competition on Wednesday, shooting a four-under 67 at the Kasumigaseki Country Club. Aditi, who first drew the attention of the golfing world at the Rio Olympics five years ago, tied for second place with World No. 1 Nelly Korda. Madalene Sagstrom of Sweden, the leader, was one shot behind her at 66. If it hadn't been for a bogey on the 18th hole, Aditi may have been in a tie for first.

After a great win, Deepak Punia loses in the semi-finals but hope for a bronze still alive

The world championship silver medalist in the mens 86kg freestyle category started off his quest to win a medal in a dominant fashion as he made easy work of his opponent. In the quarterfinal it was a completely different story as it was a nail biting contest against Lin Zushen of China. Both the wrestlers were cancelling each other out as the scores were all tied up during the first half. However, Deepak Punia showed us why he is ranked world number 2, as in the dying seconds he produced a magnificent take down to win the match 6-3.

Deepak Punia lost his semifinal bout quite comprehensively against David Taylor of USA.It was a no contest in the end as the experienced American completely dominated him in every aspect.The Indian had heavy strapping on his knee which was continuously targeted by the American and eventually Deepak lost the bout 10-0 via technical superiority.

Deepak still has a chance to win a bronze medal for India as he will be waiting for his opponent in the bronze medal match after the repechage round. Deepak will be hoping to add to the medal tally as his very good friend Ravi Kumar will be going for gold tomorrow.

Argentina beats India in Women’s Hockey Semifinals, one last fight left for Indians

The Indian women’s hockey must be proud of themselves the way they have excelled in the Tokyo Olympics. After defeating heavyweight Australia in the Quarterfinal, they narrowly missed out on the Finals as Argentina defeated them 2-1 in today’s Semifinal. The Indian women will face Britain on 6th August for the Bronze medal. The women’s Hockey team have never won a medal, they will strive to win their last match and finish with a medal and script history for the country.

The Indians got off to a terrific start as they scored in the 2nd minute when Gurjit Kaur scored off a penalty corner shot. In the second quarter Noel Barrionuevo scored in the 18th minute off a penalty corner shot thus leveling the scores. In the third quarter she once again found the net in the 36th minute again off a penalty corner shot. They held onto the lead till the end for victory.

Anshu loses her opening bout against Iryna in Wrestling

India’s Anshu Malik lost her first match against Iryna Kurachkina of Belarus in Women’s Freestyle Wrestling 57 kg in the Tokyo Olympics. She lost 8-2 by points, the first period saw Iryna taking four points and in the second period saw Anshu scoring 2 points but her opponent finished the match scoring four more points.

It is the teenager’s debut Olympics and will look for a second chance as she has to wait and see if she gets a repechage round.

Also read: Day 12: A disappointing day in the office for the Indian Olympic Contingent

2021-08-04 15:38

Golfer Aditi Ashok impresses by placing 2nd amongst big names

(Golf news) Olympics 2020 live updates: Aditi Ashok, an Indian golfer, got off to a flying start in the Tokyo Olympics Golf competition on Wednesday, shooting a four-under 67 at the Kasumigaseki Country Club.

Aditi, who first drew the attention of the golfing world at the Rio Olympics five years ago, tied for second place with World No. 1 Nelly Korda.

Madalene Sagstrom of Sweden, the leader, was one shot behind her at 66.

If it hadn't been for a bogey on the 18th hole, Aditi may have been in a tie for first.

Aditi made five birdies to one bogey on the final hole, while Sagstrom shot a bogey-free five-under 66.

She was ranked significantly ahead of some of the game's biggest names, including defending champion Inbee Park (69).

Diksha Dagar (76), India's only competitor in the field, got off to a shaky start in her first Olympics, with five bogeys and no birdies, tying for 56th place.

The 60-player field will play 18 holes each day with no cut, giving all participants a total of 72 holes to play.

Aditi made birdies on the fifth and ninth holes, respectively, from 15 feet and seven feet.

She added birdies on the back nine, including one from 15 feet on the 13th and another from nearly 18 feet on the 17th.

In the meantime, she made another birdie on the 14th after a great approach from under three feet. She bogeyed the last after missing a par from under seven feet, putting her at 5-under.

"I think I played better than I expected today because I had a lot of hybrids into the greens, so I didn't really expect to be like 5-under through 17," Aditi said.

"But, I kind of holed some (good) putts and holed important par putts as well which kept the momentum. So, yeah, it was a good day." Aditi's father, Ashok, was on the bag five years ago when she qualified for the Olympics, but this time it's her mother, Maheshwari, who has had a significant influence on her.

"Yeah, my mom, she's caddying for me. Last time I had my dad on the bag, so the experience was just so incredible. I was like I want to have my mom next time and I made good on that promise," Aditi said.

Aditi said she was a rookie last time but now has a wealth of experience.

"...I just finished my high school exams and then I was at the Olympics in two months. But this time I think definitely a lot more experience, just playing on the LPGA the last five years makes you way better as a player than I was at Rio.

"And I think the Olympic experience was, I didn't finish as well as I wanted to last time, but just seeing the effect that it had on golf in India was inspiring and that's kind of what motivated me for this one as well." The 23-year-old Bengaluru native, who has competed in 18 Majors, drew international notice with a 68-68 start in the first two rounds in Rio, but subsequently fell to T-41st. World number two Ko Jin-young of South Korea, Matilda Castren of Finland, and Carlota Ciganda of Spain were all tied for fourth after shooting 3-under 68.

With Inputs from PTI

Also read: Lovlina Borgohain takes home the Bronze in Women’s Boxing

2021-08-04 15:16

We could have won a medal together: Das

Kolkata, Aug 4 (Olymics news) Top Indian archer Atanu Das rued the absence of a psychologist in Tokyo and said it could have made all the difference as they returned empty-handed from the Olympics yet again.

The four Indian archers were accompanied by chief coach Lim Bahadur Gurung and a physio to Tokyo, while their full time psychologist Mugdha Bavare, who had travelled with them during their successful campaigns in the two World Cups this year, was excluded.

Das had won an individual gold medal at the first stage of the World Cup in Guatemala City in April. His wife Deepika, on the other hand, was in the form of her life winning five gold medals from two World Cups earlier this year to go to Tokyo with a world number one ranking.

"She (Mugdha) accompanied us in every tournament, except the Olympics. I think it could have been arranged. We used to interact with her over phone but that was not enough," Das told PTI in an interview after their return.

The highlight of Indian archers' otherwise dismal campaign at the Olympics was Das' shootoff win over Korea's Oh Jin Hyek to knock out the former Olympic and world champion from last-32.

Returning to action after a day's break, Das, however, could not take the "pressure of the Olympics" and faltered against local favourite Takaharu Furukawa to make a second successive pre-quarterfinal exit from the Games.

"I think if there was a psychologist maybe I could have dealt with the pressure well. It could have made all the difference," he said, pointing out that champion teams like Korea "always travels with 10 support staff including a psychologist".

"We all know the Olympics is the biggest event, so somehow pressure gets into you. Maybe, I took the match more seriously the other day.

"I think I made some judgmental mistakes in the first set (shooting two 8s). I could have won the last round also but could not find the rhythm," said Das, who was edged out by the five-time Olympian by just one point in the fifth set to seal a tight win.

It was the same story for the Indians in the team events as both the men's trio and the mixed pair duo choked under pressure from the Koreans in their respective quarterfinals.

In the ranking round on their first day, Das had slipped behind rookie Pravin Jadhav, misfiring a 5 in the penultimate round, to lose his place in the mixed team.

Das and Jadhav were tied 329-all at the halfway mark of 36 arrows in the ranking before he slipped.

"Maybe I took a bit more pressure on me with an eye to top among us. It was a bad day for us. I was really struggling that day.

"I could take charge of myself during the matchplay but I really struggled during the ranking round. Maybe this would not have happened if we had a psychologist. It was a big setback for us," he said.

Das once again reiterated that he and his wife could have won a medal together and it was "unfair" to ignore him for the mixed team event on the basis of just one ranking round.

"We have been shooting consistently well together since the 2019 Asian Championships in Bangkok. But to judge someone on the basis of one poor ranking round score was unfair," the 29-year-old said.

The duo, who were the first Indian couple to take part in the same discipline at an Olympics, were coming off a gold medal win at the Paris World Cup and a bronze in the Asian Championships in 2019.

Also read: Atanu Das crashes out of Tokyo Olympics after losing pre-qualifier to Takaharu Furukawa 6-4

The team think-tank had an option to stick to Das and Deepika but they went by the rulebook of picking the top-ranked finishers for the mixed pair event which was seen as India's stronghold.

"Anyone can have a bad day. They did not discuss it with us at all. It's extremely disappointing. We could have won a medal together, of any colour maybe," he said.

It's a new start for the Indian archers who are currently in Sonepat to shoot in the selection trials for the next month's World Championships.

The trials had to be advanced to meet the USA Visa guidelines as they did not get any break after returning from the hectic Olympics campaign.

Refusing to comment on the hectic scheduling, he said: "It's been happening like this always. I've no comments.

"We have to start afresh and take it from here. We will learn from the mistakes and take it forward from here. We have age on our side and we will fight again," he concluded.

News source: PTI

2021-08-04 14:17

Opening up to mental health – with Biles and other stars from sports and showbiz

New Delhi, Aug 4 (Sports news) The world watched from their homes as American artistic gymnast Simone Biles faltered on her vault landing at the Tokyo Olympics and decided to pull out of the all-around competition, an event she hadn’t lost once since 2013.

What may have been the end of an era started a conversation instead. From the Olympics arena to millions of homes, the issue of mental health, skulking around the corners of high-wired professions such as sports and showbiz and a lived issue for countless others balancing everyday stresses, was back at the centrestage of discussion.

This attention is more than welcome, said psychologists and other mental health experts as well as those battling the demons of depression and anxiety.

"For anyone saying I quit. I didn't quit... my mind & body are simply not in sync," Biles had written on Instagram.

"I don't think you realize how dangerous this is on hard/competition surface," she added. "Nor do I have to explain why I put my health first. Physical health is mental health." When influential people such as Biles, one of the world’s biggest sports stars, talk with such candidness, it validates the existence of mental health as an issue in the general public, said Delhi-based development sector consultant Bhawna Khattar.

"Where it helps is to generate conversations, for instance, when Sushant's case happened or when a Deepika Padukone talks about it,” Khattar, who has been taking professional help for her mental health issues for the last two years, told PTI.

While actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging in his Mumbai home last year, Padukone, among India’s biggest stars, has spoken in public about her depression.

Both sports and films are professions with high visibility that demand steep thresholds of unrelenting stress and dedication.

As important as it is for athletes to prepare themselves to perfection, mental health professionals believe the true form of a sportsperson lies not just in pushing a little bit more but also in knowing when it is ok to quit.

“Awareness is really important, and knowing when to stop is the most important thing. Many don’t know when to stop, and many feel it is not right to stop. It takes awareness and courage to quit at a highly competitive level,” sports and exercise psychologist Keerthana Swaminathan told PTI.

In her view, the taboo around mental health hinders a conversation from happening in India.

“You’ll find foreign players talking about mental health care. In India they use words as stress because people are not taught that these things exist. In the US, they welcomed her (Biles) decision to quit mid-way, they said it’s fine. With us, it’s always about ‘what would people say’ (if you quit). The taboo around mental health is very much there in our society,” Swaminathan said.

Biles, who has frequently championed the cause of mental health during her career, adds to the small yet strong lineup of sportspersons who have talked about the pressure of a sporting arena.

Earlier this year, Japanese tennis sensation Naomi Osaka pulled out of the French Open after refusing to attend press conferences as she gets “huge waves of anxiety” before speaking to the media.

American former swimming superstar Michael Phelps too spoke of the “weight of gold” in his documentary of the same name. The most successful Olympian of all time has 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold, to his name.

Closer home, shooter Abhinav Bindra has also talked about encountering mental health issues right after winning the 10m air rifle gold medal at the Beijing Games in 2008.

"It's ironic my biggest mental crisis in life came when I actually succeeded. A lot of people talked about dealing with failure, but for me, dealing with success was probably the hardest time in my life,” Bindra had said.

Shuttler PV Sindhu, cricketers Virat Kohli and Harmanpreet Kaur, footballers Gourmangi Singh and Sunil Chhetri are among the other Indian sportspersons who have frequently addressed mental health issues. According to sports and performance psychologist Nanaki J Chadha, there has been a “paradigm shift” when it comes to the awareness of mental health importance in sports.

“...Like any physical injury, athletes are realising that mental health concerns can also be crippling for their performance,” Chadha said.

“In India, we do not give equal importance to sport psychology, as we do to other performance domains such as the physical, technical, and tactical aspects. There is a stark disparity,” she said.

While the recent incidents have yet again opened up conversations on and around mental wellness, they are far from enough in the Indian context as the stigma persists.

The ramifications of ignored mental health have manifested themselves in another high-stress profession, the film industry, too often to be ignored.

The likes of actor-director Guru Dutt, actor Jiah Khan, Sushant Rajput, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, and comedian-actor Robin Williams gave up on life working in an industry known to be harsh and demanding. The list is as varied as it is long. Equally, several who battled their spectrum of mental health problems came out worn but victorious.

Among those who braved mental health illnesses are Padukone, Anushka Sharma, Manisha Koirala, Randeep Hooda and Shaheen Bhatt.

After Padukone first opened up about her depression in 2015, she formed The Live Love Laugh Foundation, an NGO that deals with mental health issues. Ever since, the “Padmaavat” actress has taken every public opportunity to speak about mental health issues.

Swaminathan feels that such conversation and “coming out” of influential figures inspire others at every level to speak up.

“When one person comes out and says ‘hey, I am having this issue’, the other person doesn’t feel embarrassed about sharing their stories too. All of us are going through these issues, anxiety and everything. And when they speak about it, it makes it easier for us to talk about it,” she added.

In a welcome move, and a pointer that the issue may finally be on its way to getting the importance it needs, the Delhi High Court on Monday sought a response from the Delhi government and the Institute Of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences on a petition concerning the mental health of students in schools and colleges.

Also read: Cricketer Amelia Kerr withdraws from New Zealand women's tour of England to focus on mental health

In her petition, 17-year-old student Devina Singh has pressed for the implementation of Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 at educational institutions.

Relying on the National Mental Health Survey of India 2015-16, Singh has contended that children and adolescents are vulnerable to mental disorders as the healthcare system does not prioritise mental health.

Singh has claimed that stress, anxiety, fear, panic, depression, insomnia, isolation, disconnectedness, loneliness, trauma, lack of self-confidence, positivity and resilience etc are issues that are widely prevalent in students but are left unattended.

News source: PTI

2021-08-04 14:00

Less than 3 percent of current PE teachers in schools have played a national level game: Ameya Kocharekar, CEO at Proforce

With the Olympic Games underway, Indian women in Tokyo have surpassed every expectation with their resilience, determination, skill and talent. However, with one silver and two bronze medals so far, the Indian Olympic contingent would surely be feeling underwhelmed with its accomplishments, especially after sending it’s largest group ever to the Tokyo Olympics. It’s an eye opening reality that India still has a long way to go to become a sporting powerhouse that can rival China or the United States who have collectively won a total of 132 Olympic medals between them so far.

Any radical change, especially in sports begins at the grassroots. Providing a holistic sports education at an early age, building character and challenging your limits are essential lessons that must be imbibed to take India’s sporting achievement to the next level. In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Capt. Ameya Kocharekar, Co-Founder and CEO at Proforce speaks about grassroot development and his vision, overcoming challenges, educating the future generations, advantages of being a part of Proforce and his goals and aspirations for the future.

Q1) As Co-Founder and CEO of Proforce, what is your vision and objective for this venture? How is it enabling grassroot development?

The vision for Proforce has been pretty clear. We want to be the strongest catalyst in providing sports players to the Junior Olympics and the Olympics and we want to be the biggest contributors to the sports ecosystem of India. Having said that, the way we are enabling the grassroot levels to progress, is by making national level coaches available at every hub center and at majority schools whenever possible and at an affordable price.

Q 2) How is Proforce providing holistic sports education for the future generation?

If you look at the current structure most schools have at least two PE teachers. These teachers usually have degrees for bachelors or masters of physical education. They are taught the rules of the game, the dimensions and the racing part and such but not much more. Anyone who joins as these PE teachers are usually only equipped with the basic knowledge of the sports. Before starting Proforce we studied basic analysis of all the data and manpower coming out of these degrees. What we found to our surprise was that less than 3 percent of these people pan India had played a national level game.

If you were to consider such an analysis, a person who hasn’t played at a minimum of national level can’t be expected to train and groom a young new player to do so. Having said so, why aren’t schools hiring coaches and trainers that have national level experience in their particular sports? It is because educational boards, whether it be ICSE, CBSE or even many state boards do not have a compliance format that requires them to have a national level coach. They only require to have a PE coach with minimum qualification of Bachelor or Master of Physical education, if they have a strength of over 500 or 750 students. With no requisite a financial school would typically choose not to spend too much money on a specialised coach or trainer that can provide better learning for such athletes. Any coach who has played at national level knows they can provide good knowledge and so wouldn’t settle for a minimum salary so schools would be required to overspend which they usually opt out of.

We have taken trainers such as that under our Proforce umbrella and we try to ensure every sport we venture in as far as the grassroots level of the sports is concerned, there is a national level coach present who can be assisted by other coaches in case of a huge number of athletes. Schools usually also have a set period of time for sport activity so they like to pay trainers for just that. We at Proforce try to bridge that gap and we try to get the coaches a justified salary while also maintaining the standard of training the students get and ensuring they receive what they have paid for. We also save schools the trouble and the cost of buying sports equipment, which otherwise would be a difficult undertaking. We try taking care of 60-70 percent of the requirements.

Q 3) What sets Proforce apart from other such ventures? What are the various advantages that a child has after being a part of Proforce?

Proforce has been in holistic sports education by ensuring 3 to 4 things. One is every coach on the ground would be of national qualification and would have had at least 5, 6 years of coaching experience. Secondly, we ensure that the child to student ratio is typically maintained as 1:20 or 1:14 inside a classroom. When it comes to the playgrounds, especially during PE periods the ratio increases to 1:100 or even beyond that. We ensure that the sports to student ratio of those particular games remains maximum 1:30. Third thing is we also look into the nutrition and the growth aspect of every child, when we started we said sports is not the only thing being taught on the ground, as far as the skill and the equipment is concerned. How the child is developing, how the child is nutritionally being taken care of also needs to be seen. We developed our own mechanism and now it is being turned into a software, it analyses the child diet based on the 24 hour diet and also takes care of the growth projection of a child upto 18 years old. Every child under Proforce is being monitored every 6 months on his nutritional sufficiency.

The third aspect is the psychology aspect, so whenever a child is performing at state level and beyond or whenever a team is performing at state level and beyond, the requisite psychological assistance in terms of taking out that fear and taking out that last minute anxiety out of the player's mind. Ensuring that the player or team is always prepared to face the next challenges, we started putting up in place at a point and it automatically started giving us the requisite results.

Q 4) What are some of the achievements of Proforce since its inception? Who are some of your clients?

Proforce started in the 2015-16, we limited ourselves to two pilot schools only in the beginning. From there on today we have worked with more than 30 schools and more than 40,000 children are under our umbrella. From the achievement perspective, three national medals in fencing, three national trophies in hockey in all three age groups, we have 48 state and district trophies in various sports and more than 580 state and district medals.

Clients I can go ahead picking out the name but I have been rather honoured or interested by some of the good schools such as the Podar Group, Reliance Foundation and Billabong High. We are talking about Mumbai, so Proforce is today primarily present in Mumbai, Pune and Surat. We had our client in Belgaum also and still would be going further in Karnataka.

Also read: Players who can turn around the match in India Vs England Series

Q 5) What are the various challenges that you have faced as Co-Founder and CEO of Proforce? How did you overcome them?

The challenge we face at Proforce is that to develop the ecosystem of sport in India which includes the school management perspective from the parent to the child is two-part. The first challenge here is that whenever you are teaching something to the child through the school ecosystem all the decision making is done by the school management, however the client is the child and the paying customer are the parents so this happens to be tough as everyone should be on the same page as far as the quality of sports is concerned.

From the parents' mindset we have seen a clear change of attitude from 2014-15 to 2021, in spite of the pandemic there has been a shift of positive mindset for the parents especially in the tier 2 and 3 cities. Earlier it was only focused on academics but parents are taking a keen interest possibly because of the careers of the sports athletes.

The other challenge happens to be in the business, company and investment perspective but at the same time time there has been a lot of growth in B2C companies, when a company like Proforce is working on the grassroot development of Indian sport it happens to be a long marathon activity so it may not be like any other B2C companies. These challenges appear when we talk to the investor as they are always looking for a growth aspect, but as of now our main focus is to develop an ecosystem for sports which will help get results mostly by 2028 and 2032, where some players might have qualified for the youth and/or senior olympics. One has to understand that this is not a glamorous business, this is more passion driven and I am committed to bring about change in Indian sports.

Q 6) What are your goals and aspirations for Proforce in the future? How do you plan to accomplish them?

We initially had an array of 16 sports under our syndicate, but our main focus has shifted to 6 to 7 sports where we focus on the purposeful development of coaches and ecosystem in terms of ensuring players reach their potential. The main aim is to reach the 2028 and 2032 Olympics and also ensure that the player management is taken care of. We try to accomplish our plan by reaching out to maximum cities, school ecosystems and most importantly changing the mindset of parents so that the child is able to play at least 1 of the 6 sports competitively. It is not just playing in school PT periods but also to represent your school or state in that particular sport.

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