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2022-02-23 08:51

India eyes elusive medal at World Archery Para Championships

Dubai, Feb 22 (Archery News) India's top para-archers, including Tokyo Paralympics bronze medallist Harvinder Singh, will return to action at the World Archery Para Championships that begins here on Wednesday.

The nine-member Indian team arrived here after a two-month training camp at the Sports Authority of India Centre in Sonipat and the archers are confident of a good show at the showpiece.

India has won medals in almost every single event since 2017, except in the World Championships. Harvinder won a gold in 2018 Asian Para Games and bronze in the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Harvinder, who turned his farm in Punjab's Ajitnagar into a target practice venue before winning a historic Paralympic bronze in Tokyo, is focused on getting his job done -- shooting a perfect score and returning home with the elusive medal.

"Like every other player here, I will be very happy to go back home with a medal. But right now, I am not thinking about this. The target is to shoot well this week. The result will follow," he said in a release.

"There's a lot of excitement within the team as this is the first event after Tokyo Paralympics. This Championship is very important in terms of knowing where we stand right now.

"As this is the start of the season, the event will also give a direction to our plans ahead," said Harvinder, who finished seventh and ninth in the last two Worlds.

Harvinder said he does not want to be under pressure by setting a target in the championships.

"Mentally I am confident. But I don't want to be overconfident or be under pressure by setting any target in the championships. I want to just focus on shooting a good score.

"That's what I did at the Paralympics and Asian Para Games also. I want to follow the same strategy -- stay calm, focused and shoot well," added the recurve men's open archer who will celebrate his 31st birthday in three days.

Compound open archers, including Paralympians Rakesh Kumar, Shyam Sundar Swami and Jyoti Baliyan, will open their campaign.

National coach Kuldeep Kumar said that the team is the country's best bet for a medal at major championship.

"We are eyeing the elusive World medal, the gold, this time. There's a lot of expectation from the archers, it's a very balanced team," Kumar said.

"We have Paralympic and Asian Para Games medallists, and World Ranking tournament medallists. The team has worked very hard for the last few months in all aspects of their game," said the coach.

As many as 223 archers from 40 countries are competing at the championships, where 16 world titles are up for grabs.

Also Read : Star archery couple Deepika, Atanu dropped from TOPS program

News Source : PTI

2022-01-31 16:20

The story of Divyang Premier League and what can be expected for season 2

Meet the revolutionary girl, who is trying to create a history with the lovable game of Cricket.

Introduction

I’m Ghazal Khan, Co-Founder & CEO of Divyang Premier League (DPL) T-20, CEO of Divyang Cricket Control Board of India, Head of Indian Wheelchair Cricket, Secretary of International Affairs of International Cricket Council for the Physically Challenged and the Executive Member of International Council of Wheelchair Cricket.

My journey

I’m the daughter of ‘Khooni, Katil & Jallad’, you might be surprised by hearing such names of my father but yes, it was the identity of my father Mr. Haroon Rasheed during his early cricket career. He was a right arm medium pacer with a deadly bowling pace which used to confuse batsmen to play and made them injured, also he had a record of breaking more than 50 stumps during the matches. That’s why he was named as ‘Khooni, Katil & Jallad’ by the batsmen of his time, but unfortunately, his cricket career ended because of an accident.

I have seen my father working for disability cricket since my childhood. He introduced proper disability cricket in India with the same leather ball, bat, field and the rules which are applied to normal cricket. He single-handedly introduced disability cricket in the neighboring countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, etc and is also the founder of Wheelchair Cricket.

My father is my inspiration to work for disability cricket. During my schooling, I used to help him in drafting emails, letters, etc. so I had a good knowledge about disability cricket. In 2014 I joined my father’s organization as a volunteer, now I’m serving as CEO in DCCBI. In spite of being the daughter of the Founder and General Secretary, I struggled very hard, I faced so many failures, but I’m very proud of what I’m today.

Also read: My goal is to make physically challenged cricketers financially strong and give them equal opportunities

Divyang Premier League

DPL is the only franchise-based cricket league which is planned for the Disabled Cricketers of the world similar to the Indian Premier League. During the lockdown, when everyone was locked in their homes, the news of the IPL being organized in the UAE spread happiness in India. As Cricket is the most lovable game of India, Indian Cricket fans were humbly waiting for the IPL. We also got enquiries from disabled cricketers about our plans for Disability Cricket. This was the moment when an idea to organize the Divyang Premier League in the UAE came into my father’s mind. He shared his idea with me and then we started to make a rough plan about DPL. We started to work on it and found connections to build a team capable of executing the plan. Finally, we got a contract of 1.5 Cr for organizing DPL in UAE but just 10-15 days before the inauguration ceremony date, the sponsor refused to pay. It was a shock for all of us. Players were waiting to depart for their dream tournament to the UAE. It is said that "If you have a good aim, God helps you", and exactly the same was done with us. MPL, ACE Edusports and Kamal Haasan have been messiah’s for us. With their help we organized DPL T-20 season 1 successfully at Sharjah International Stadium, Sharjah, UAE in the month of April 2021.

Now, we are working for DPL T-20 season 2 which will be held at Sharjah International Stadium, Sharjah, UAE. Season 1 was a little step, but season 2 has grown bigger with a wide project plan, in which physically challenged cricketers from all over the world are going to participate in 8 teams. As disability cricket has its own value, it not only entertains us but also inspires us to never give up. To work for the people with disabilities is such a great noble cause, it gives us satisfaction of doing something which is beneficial for our inner peace and disability cricket is something which is a complete mixture of kindness, inspiration, motivation, nobility and cricket. As a result it entertains everyone in a different way in the whole world.

Blockbuster revolution

With DPL T-20, we aim to provide the disability cricketers the same dignity as normal cricketers. Recently, paralympians who participated in the Tokyo Paralympics won the hearts of every Indian by winning medals. According to the census of India 2001, there are 2,19,06,769 people with disabilities. We cannot ignore such a great number of people. They also have their goals, passions and they also want to be a star, I don’t find any differences between normal people and the people with disabilities. I planned to make DPL T-20 a revolutionary blockbuster for the people with disabilities with a target to make the DPL T-20 loveable cricket league in India and the world like IPL. I know it’s very challenging but I am very faithful to the success of DPL.

“Heere ko chamka kar itihas nahin banta,
Mujhe mitti ke katron ko Kohinoor banana hai…”

We are not working for sympathy, we are working to give a platform to the rejected talent. I can see a bright vision of my physically challenged cricketers rocking on television advertisements, directors making films on them, for them to have a celebrity status, people taking autographs and clicking selfies with them. Today it is just a vision, very soon it is going to be real.

Written by Ghazal Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Divyang (Disability) Cricket Control Board of India.

2022-01-22 11:45

Our goal is to become one of the top 4 countries in Asia - Wheelchair basketball coach Captain Louis George Meprath

Captain Louis George Meprath has been associated with basketball for over 3 decades. From being a player, referee and a coach he has always been on the court grooming the future generations. The former captain of the Navy team now wants the Indian team to be the top side at the Asian level and also train more players in wheelchair basketball at the grassroot level.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Captain Louis George Meprath, coach of the Maharashtra women’s wheelchair Basketball team shares his views on how he became a part of wheelchair basketball, change in coaching techniques, the challenges faced by the players and his future goals.

Q1) How has the coaching style and techniques changed in the sport over the years?

Men’s wheelchair basketball has featured at every Paralympic Games since 1960. Women’s competition was introduced in 1968. The sport is governed by the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF). The game has become faster now with better quality wheelchairs and stronger players. The coaching concepts used in running Basketball are to a great extent applicable in Wheelchair Basketball viz. man-to-man defense, pick-and-roll etc.

Since the game has become faster, it is all the more important for the players to control their wheelchairs, so that their wheelchairs do not clash with other players’ wheelchairs. Coaches also have to keep in mind the classification of each player, in order to keep the total classification points less than 14 for the 5 players on the field.

Q2) What made you enroll yourself as a member of the Wheelchair Basketball Association?

After retiring from the Indian Navy in 2013, I coached children for three years. In 2016, my good friend Mr. Abraham Poulose (SBI) introduced me to Wheelchair Basketball. We formed the Maharashtra Women’s Wheelchair team in 2017. The game was very interesting, even more interesting than running Basketball. That is how I got interested in Wheelchair Basketball. After that, there was no looking back.

Q3) As coach of the Maharashtra Women’s wheelchair team, what are some of the challenges you have faced while coaching the players?

The challenges were many. Some of these were:-

No proper Basketball Court to practice at Mumbai. We conducted practice sessions at Borivali Don Bosco School, Borivali YMCA and at the All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Haji Ali. Ultimately, in April 2018, we were fortunate to get the indoor Wooden Basketball Court at the University at Kalina for use by our team on Saturdays and Sundays.

No proper Sports Wheelchairs. Here also we were lucky to get 10 Sports Wheelchairs sponsored by NINA Foundation (Dr. Ketna Mehta). Thereafter, we got many more Sports Wheelchairs sponsored by well-wishers and friends. Proper wheelchair accessible washrooms were not there till we got the Mumbai University facilities in April 2018.

Coming to the Basketball Court by Ola / Uber (along with the wheelchairs) was tough financially. Players didn’t have the financial resources for this. Once again, friends and well-wishers chipped in. Corporates like Cognizant also helped us by providing vehicles for picking up and dropping our players from their residence. In addition, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited contributed in a big way by giving the Maharashtra Wheelchair Basketball Association a sum of Rs. 25.00 Lakhs from their CSR Funds.

Keeping the players motivated was also a big challenge. However, once the financial problems were taken care of and an indoor court was available, the main problem of keeping the players motivated became easier. Players had a good indoor Court to practice and they had accessible washrooms.

Also read: Nutritionists have become an integral part of an athletes’ success - Mitali Ambekar, Sports Nutritionist

Q4) What were some of the key points in winning the 2018 National Championships?

The Maharashtra Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team was formed in 2017. Thereafter, with minimum practice and non-availability of Sports Wheelchairs, we took part in our first National Championships at Hyderabad in Oct 2017. The team’s performance was not very good.

After the Hyderabad Nationals, the team was motivated to practice more with a view to perform well in the 2018 National Championship at Erode. We closely studied the performance of our opponents - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. As a result of this, our Team defeated the opponents by big margins on our way to the finals. In the Final match, we dethroned the reigning champions Tamil Nadu (22 - 18) in the finals.

Credit for this goes to all the 12 players who played as a team. Our strategy was to have a strong defense which would bottle up the opponents and not let them enter the Key. We were successful in this defensive strategy. In addition, we practiced man-to-man defense to catch the good players from the opponent’s teams. Both these strategies helped us to win the Championship at Erode. In 2019, we retained the title at Mohali, once again beating Tamil Nadu in the final match.

Q5) How has the experience at the 2019 Asia Oceania Championships helped the team?

The 2019 Asia Oceania Zone championships were the qualifying tournament for the Tokyo Paralympics. Our team played well with teams from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Thailand, Iran etc. Although we did not qualify for the Paralympics, it was a good learning experience. Our players played with some of the best players in Asia and got a feel of how tough one needs to be in Wheelchair Basketball. The defensive and offensive strategies required for performing well were understood by our players.

Q6) What are your goals in the coming years and how do you intend to achieve them?

The main goal is that the Indian team should perform well at the Asian level. In the next 5 to 6 years, we must be amongst the top 4 countries in Asia. The next goal is that India should play in the Paralympics, say, by the 2032 Olympics at Brisbane.

As far as the Maharashtra Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team is concerned, the main goal is to train more players at the grassroots level, so that we have at least 150 to 200 women players in all the 36 districts of Maharashtra actively playing Wheelchair Basketball. This will ensure that the competition amongst players will increase and as a result better performance would be shown by our players.

2021-10-29 17:35

Won't rest on my laurels, says Bhagat after Khel Ratna recommendation

New Delhi, Oct 29 (Sports news) World number one para shuttler Pramod Bhagat says he won't rest on his past laurels and continue to strive hard for more success on international circuit after being recommended for the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award.

The 33-year-old Bhagat was one of the 11 athletes who were nominated for the country's highest sporting honour by the selection committee after his gold-medal winning feat in SL3 singles category at Tokyo Paralympics.

"This is like an icing on the cake especially after winning the first gold medal in Paralympics for Indian Badminton. This award will only motivate me to work and strive harder and keep pushing myself," said Bhagat, who was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2019.

"I feel my career has just started and I have a long way to go and I am not complacent and not ready to rest on my laurels." Bhagat is one of the best para shuttlers in the country with 45 international medals to his name, including four world championship gold medals and a gold and a bronze in 2018 Asian Para Games.

He thanked his "family, friends and the entire country for supporting me in his journey." "I would like to thank SAI, TOPS and Go Sports foundation for the support they have given not only me but everybody else which has motivated everyone to perform better," said the shuttler from Odisha, who had contracted polio when he was four years old.

Bhagat, who has recently resumed training to prepare for the Uganda Para badminton International Open beginning at Kampala from November 15, hoped to compete in more events this year after COVID-19 disrupted the international schedule.

"Preparations have already begun. The next tournament is going to be in Uganda. I have already started training and preparing myself for the same.

"I am hoping that we have more tournaments up ahead, last year due to Covid 19 most of the tournaments were cancelled.

"My aim is 2024 Paralympics and not just to repeat my gold medal feat but also win another medal in mixed doubles or doubles." Bhagat had missed out on a bronze medal in mixed doubles SL3-SU5 class after he along with his partner Palak Kohli lost the third-place play off match at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Bhagat said he was overwhelmed with the response that he got ever since returning to the country from Tokyo.

"The response has been fantastic, we got a great reception from not only the government but also people. Where ever we went, people recognised us and it gave a sense of pride and also motivated me to strive harder and keep winning medals for India," he said.

"This kind of response was never there earlier especially for Para sports so I am very happy that things are changing and moving in the right direction."

Also Read : Neeraj Chopra, Ravi Dahiya, Lovlina Borgohain among 11 recommended for Khel Ratna

News Source : PTI

2021-10-26 23:32

Swimming: Kushagra Rawat and Srihari Nataraj shine with new national records

Bengaluru, Oct 26 (Swimming news) Three national records were rewritten, including one by ace Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj, who bettered his own mark, on the opening day of the 74th Senior National Aquatic Championships here on Tuesday.

Nataraj improved his own national record of 55.63s in the 100m backstroke by clocking 55.10s.

Nataraj's personal best in the event is 53.77s which he clocked in Italy earlier this year to directly qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

However, that is counted as the "Best Indian Performance" and not national record. A timing is only considered a national record when it has been achieved at the National Aquatic Championships.

Dominating the race right from the start, Nataraj got off to a strong start and was ahead of the pack in the first 50m and took further lead in the second 50m after a good turn.

Siva S of Karnataka finished second with a time of 57.60S, while Zavier Michael D'Souza of Goa won bronze clocking 58.96s.

"It’s good to be racing again after the Olympics. Though not my personal best, I am quite happy to have gone under the national record.

"I have tapered only for seven days for this meet. My focus will be on the FINA World Short Course meet this December in Abu Dhabi,” Nataraj said.

In another brilliant swim, Delhi's Kushagra Rawat came up with a sensational effort in the 400m freestyle for men as he eclipsed Sajan Prakash's record of 3:54.93 seconds set in 2018 in Trivandrum.

Rawat clocked 3:53.68s to create a new national record. He was more than three body-lengths ahead of second place finisher Aneesh Gowda of Karnataka, who timed 3:59.66s.

Shoan Ganguly of Karnataka took home the bronze with a timing of 4:00.14s.

Meanwhile, in the 100m backstroke for women, 14-year-old Ridhima Veerendrakumar shocked Olympian Maana Patel of Gujarat as the youngster from Karnataka beat her for the gold medal.

Though Ridhima missed the national record of 1:04.33s held by Maana since 2018, she finished the race with a timing of 1:04.40s to take a gold.

Maana clocked 1:05.31s and Nina Venkatesh of Karnataka finished third with a time of 1:06.39s.

In the 50m butterfly for men, two-time Olympian Prakash lived up to the billing as he clinched the gold with a time of 24.90s It was a close race with Mihir Ambre of Maharashtra and Adhitya D of TNSA giving a tough fight but Prakash, representing Kerala Police, did well to finish the race ahead of the two who ended up settling for silver as both clocked 25.08s.

In the 4x200m freestyle for men, team Karnataka broke Railways Sports Promotion Board's record set in 2016.

The team comprising of Sambhavv R, Aneesh S Gowda, Tanish George Mathew and Srihari clocked 7:37.65 to erase the previous record of 7:45.24s.

Also Read : Para-swimmer Mukundan granted bi-partite quota for Tokyo Paralympics

News Source :PTI

2021-10-08 15:30

India will double its medal tally in Paris Paralympics: Pramod Bhagat

New Delhi, Oct 8 (Sports news) Tokyo Paralympics gold-medallist shuttler Pramod Bhagat on Friday said he is confident that India will double its medal count at the prestigious multi-sport event in Paris, which is just three years away.

India had returned with its best-ever performance from the Tokyo Paralympics, winning 19 medals -- five gold, eight silver, six bronze. The country's previous best tally at one edition of the Paralympic Games was four.

"I am confident that the medal tally will double (in Paris in 2024)," said the three-time world champion Bhagat, who claimed the yellow metal in the men's singles SL3 class, during a panel discussion at 'India Today Conclave'.

"Our Prime Minister is fully supportive of the athletes. The PCI is taking care of its athletes well, if the PM is with us and the facilities are being given, it is possible...." Bhagat, who had contracted polio when he was 4 years old, picked up the sports after watching his neighbours play. Initially, he competed against able-bodied players before getting into competitive para badminton in 2006.

"The struggles in life teach us a lot and what we can achieve," the world no 1 Bhagat said.

"It is important how much confidence we have and not how much we train or play....It is important how you make up your mind and move forward." Suhas Yathiraj, India's first-ever IAS officer to win a medal at the Paralympics, described Tokyo Paralympics as a watershed moment, saying it can provide a big boost to para sports just like winning the 1983 World Cup did to cricket in the country.

Yathiraj had claimed the silver in the men's singles SL4 class badminton event at Tokyo.

"1983 was a watershed moment for Indian cricket when Kapil dev lifted the world cup. Similarly, 2020 Tokyo is a watershed moment for Indian paralympics. You will see a sea change in attitude," Yathiraj, the Noida District Magistrate, said.

"I see a huge difference in the way people perceive...nothing succeeds like success. The way the country is celebrating both Olympic and paralympic medals is very good ... awareness is increasing gradually." Table tennis player Bhavina Patel, who clinched a historic silver medal on her Paralympic Games debut in Tokyo, said she was worried about qualifying for the Tokyo games when the pandemic struck and recalled the challenges she faced.

"It was a big challenge during the pandemic. First, I had to qualify for the Paralympis. With great difficulty, I could qualify for the Paralympics," said Patel, who became only the second Indian female athlete ever to win a medal at the Paralympics.

"Apart from training, fitness was a challenge but I was able to overcome them. During the pandemic, it was a blessing, I trained a lot and planned a lot for each player." Paralympic Committee of India president Deepa Malik said accessibility would be key to developing para-sports in the country.

"Accessibility is not just physical, it has to be in the mindset as well. Unless we tap the grassroot and we create more arenas that are accessible and are universally accessible, it will always remain a chicken and egg story," she said.

"What will come first, more talent or the infrastructure. We really need to work on district level and on state policies. Thanks to these 19 medals a lot of states have revised their policies for para-sports." Malik said she was ecstatic when Bhavina Patel won a silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics.

"Bringing home the first medal was kind of a paradox for me because it had taken our country 72 years to create a female Paralympic medallist," said Malik, who won a silver medal in the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

"And I was most ecstatic the moment Bhavina (Patel) won a medal. I said, I am not alone here now, I have another silver smile shining over the tricolour "I am very proud we are back with 19 medals. From 19 going to Rio in 2016 to 54 going to Tokyo. From 2 girls to 14 girls, we have come a long way....," she added.

Gaurav Khanna, Head National Coach, Indian Para-Badminton Team, was also present during the event.

Also read : Olympians, Paralympians join hands to promote COVID appropriate behaviour during festival season

News Source : PTI

2021-09-28 16:43

Olympians, Paralympians join hands to promote COVID appropriate behaviour during festival season

New Delhi, Sep 28 (Sport news) India's history-making Olympians and Paralympians have joined hands in a health ministry initiative promoting safe celebrations to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases during the upcoming festival season.

The likes of Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and trail-blazer Paralympics gold-medallist shooter Avani Lekhara will remind citizens of the continued importance of observing COVID Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) like maintaining hand hygiene, keeping six feet distance, wearing a mask, and vaccinating themselves if they are above 18 years of age.

"Khathinaaiyon ka samjhdhaari se saamna aur samaadhaan nikaalna humari zimmedaari hai (To resolve and face problems is our responsibility) …Sports aur Zindagi mein!" they ca be heard saying in a promotional video.

Other athletes who feature in the video to support the initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare include Tokyo Olympics medal-winning wrestlers Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Bajrang Punia, fencer Bhavani Devi and goalkeeper of India's bronze-winning men's hockey team PR Sreejesh.

Besides Lekhara, other Tokyo Paralympics medal-winners who feature in the video are high-jumper Praveen Kumar, archer Harvinder Singh, discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya, shuttler Manoj Sarkar and club throw finalist Ekta Bhyan.

"With the festival season beginning in India with aplomb, India's decorated Olympians and Paralympians have joined hands ... in a video that has been produced to support the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's efforts to inspire and promote safe celebrations during the festival period to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases," a release said.

"The video titled #TyoharonKeRangCABKeSang demonstrates hope against all adversity and features India’s Olympic and Paralympic heroes reminding their fellow citizens to not let their guard down during their celebrations and to celebrate festivals responsibly." The ministry said the country's Olympians and Paralympians embodied the very spirit of India by rising up to the challenge, against all odds to win medals.

"Through this video, the essence of their conquering spirit is captured, to encourage and inspire the 1.3 billion Indian citizens to similarly overcome COVID-19 by observing all COVID Appropriate protocols and urging others to celebrate #COVIDSafeFestivities.

"The inspiring video is a reminder to all Indians that nothing is impossible and that together we can overcome any of our adversities including the current pandemic." India won an unprecedented seven medals in the Tokyo Olympics, including the gold by Chopra in July-August. Later, the country's Paralympians scooped 19 medals, including five gold, in a record-breaking performance.

Also Read : World Women's Chess Championship: India beats Spain in round 2

News Source : PTI

2021-09-13 12:30

Paralympic stars Dylan Alcott and Diede de Groot create history by winning the Golden Slam in wheelchair tennis

(Tennis news) History was created on Sunday when Dylan Alcott and Diede de Groot won the U.S Open to conclude the most successful tennis campaign imaginable. Nobody in the history of wheelchair tennis had won the Golden Slam until yesterday and when it finally happened, it occurred not once but twice.

Having already won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and Paralympic gold medals, Dylan Alcott and Diede de Groot won the U.S Open in dominant fashion to cement their historic accomplishment. World number 1 from Australia Dylan Alcott defeated Niels Vink of the Netherlands 7-5, 6-2 in the quad singles division while Dutch World Number 1 Diede de Groot defeated 2nd seed Yui Kamiji of Japan 6-3, 6-2 in the Women’s Singles Final.

Only Steffi Graff in 1988 has won all four Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal in the same year. The accomplishment was not possible in wheelchair tennis until 2016, when Wimbledon was added for wheelchair tennis players. Alcott, who previously won a Paralympic gold medal in basketball in 2008 became the only male tennis player to win the Golden Slam.

In his acceptance speech, Alcott said “To all the sponsors, everybody that makes it happen, thank you for putting us on stadium courts, changing my life, changing Niels's life, but hopefully changing the lives of millions of people with disability around the world, that they can see themselves on the big stage doing what they love." He continued, "I used to hate myself so much. I hated my disability. I didn't even want to be here anymore. And I found tennis, and it changed and saved my life, and now I've become the only male ever in any form of tennis, I think, to win the Golden Slam, which is pretty cool."

Both Dylan Alcott and Diede de Groot were honoured during the men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. Alcott poured a can of beer into his trophy and chugged it, much to the crowd's delight. "I just haven't done it in front of 20,000 people and 50 million watching. There was no chance I wasn't going to skull that beer on Arthur Ashe after I just won the Golden Slam.

"I saw I got a smile from Novak and Medvedev, action which was nice. I wouldn't want to be a beer in New York tonight, because you're going to get destroyed. That's for sure.''

Also read: Daniil Medvedev does the impossible against Novak Djokovic at the US Open final, Emma Raducanu captures first Grand Slam in style

2021-09-13 10:56

I learnt to stay calm under pressure from Tendulkar: Pramod Bhagat

New Delhi, Sep 12 (Sports news): Paralympics gold medallist Pramod Bhagat has attributed his calm on-court demeanour under pressure to the inspiration he took from the sportsmanship and graceful behaviour exhibited by the iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in his career.

Bhagat, the reigning world champion, clinched India's first Paralympics gold with a straight-game win over Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in the SL3 class finals in Tokyo last week.

The 33-year-old Indian, who had contracted polio when he was 4 years old, showed great mental fortitude as he recovered from an eight-point deficit in the second game to come up trumps against his opponent.

"I used to play cricket during childhood. During that time we used to watch cricket on Doordarsan and I was always fascinated by Sachin Tendulkar's calm demeanour, the way he conducted himself and it had a big influence on me," Bhagat told PTI in an interview.

"I started following him. His sportsmanship influenced me a lot. So when I started playing, I followed the same thought process and it helped me to make some memorable comeback in many matches, including World Championships.

"When I was 4-12 down in second game of the final, I was confident that I can recover and so I could held my nerves, stay calm and comeback and win." Bhagat had met Tendulkar after returning to the country from Tokyo. He gifted his racquet, which he used in the final to Tendulkar, who gave him an autographed tee-shirt and his autobiography book.

"I have always been inspired by Sachin, right from childhood, so it was a big moment for me when I met him. He told me about the balance of life and sports. It was a dream come true moment." Bhagat, who hails from Attabira in Odisha's Bargarh district, said he didn't see any future in the sport when he started but now he feels overwhelmed with the response that his gold medal has generated.

"When I started badminton in 2005, I used to feel there is no future but I won in 2009 world championship title and once BWF recognised para-badminton, things changed slowly," he said.

"But there was not much recognition for para badminton and somehow I knew that a gold at Paralympics may get me recognition and I should say I am overwhelmed with all the attention." Indian para shuttlers claimed as many as four medals, including two gold, a silver and a bronze, from the Tokyo Paralympics where badminton made its debut this year.

Bhagat, who has over 45 international medals under his belt, including four world championship gold medals and a gold and a bronze in 2018 Asian Para Games, said time has come for para shuttlers to dominate the world.

"It is just a start for us. The struggle time is over now and it's time to step up and achieve more," he said.

"In Tokyo, we have proved that we are the best and in years to come, you can expect much higher level performances and I feel in next year's Asian games and 2024 Olympics, we will do better." Bhagat was supposed to play next month's World Championships in Tokyo but it has been postponed due to COVID-19 and he said his next aim remains to win a medal at the tournament which might happen in December or March.

Bhagat also acknowledged the contribution of childhood coach Shiba Prasad Das.

"He actually found me, trained me and made me what I am. He is my first guru (coach). I used to play outdoors, he introduced me to indoor badminton and it was under his guidance that I won the 2009 world championship title.

"He helped me financially, mentally and physically supported me. I used to train under him before big events. So I have lot of gratitude for him."

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

News source: PTI

2021-09-09 10:38

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

New Delhi, Sep 8 (Paralympics news): Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday felicitated the 17 medal-winners from the Tokyo Paralympics, saying he expects them to shatter more records in the 2024 Paris Games after raising the bar with a stupendous performance this time.

The Indian para-athletes registered their best-ever performance in the Tokyo Games by winning an unprecedented 19 medals, including five gold, eight silver and six bronze.

Shooters Avani Lekhara (gold and bronze) and Singhraj Adana (silver and bronze) were the ones to finish on the podium twice.

"It was my dream to win a medal for my country and I had trained hard for it. Has it sunk in? not yet. I am so happy and grateful," said the 19-year-old Lekhara, who became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold.

Thakur lauded her and all others who finished on the podium, presenting them with mementos to honour their feats.

"I recall in the 2016 Paralympics, the size of the Indian contingent was 19, while this year the country has won as many as 19 medals. You have shown us that the human spirit is the most powerful of all," Thakur said at the function where the medal-winners were given a standing ovation.

"Our medal tally has increased by about five times. For the first time we have won medals in table tennis and archery, competed for the first time in canoeing and powerlifting. We equalled two world records and we broke even more. India's para athletes delivered a perfect podium finish," he added.

He offered government's full support to the athletes.

"The government's approach in extending support to athletes for international competitions has undergone a transformational change. The government will continue to support India's paralympians with facilities and funding so that they may continue to excel internationally.

"We'd like to encourage more regional and national tournaments for our paralympians so they can regularly compete and hone their skills," said Thakur.

The function was also attended by Thakur's predecessor and current Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju and Minister of State for Sports Nisith Pramanik among others.

Also present on the occasion were Sports Secretary Ravi Mittal, Sports Authority of India Director General Sandip Pradhan, Paralympic Committee of India President Deepa Malik.

Malik thanked the government for constant support. India had sent a 54-strong contingent to the Games, the country's biggest ever.

Also read: India's history-making Paralympians return to rousing reception

News source: PTI

2021-09-08 19:36

Multi-tasker Noida DM Suhas Yathiraj says his Paralympic silver shows sports and academics can co-exist

New Delhi, Sep 8 (Sports news) It's a misconception that sports and academics cannot be pursued simultaneously, says Noida District Magistrate and Paralympic silver medal-winning shuttler Suhas Yathiraj, basking in the glory of his unparalleled achievements which he credited to the inspiring role played by his late father.

The 38-year-old Suhas, who has an ankle deformity since birth, claimed the silver at the recent Tokyo Games, his maiden Paralympics since taking up the sport in 2016.

Speaking to PTI in an interview, the bureaucrat, who gave up a corporate job after clearing UPSC, said he is accustomed to striking a perfect balance between his job and his passion.

"Since my childhood days, I used to play sports for two hours, sports is part of my life along with studies. There is a misconception in the society that sports and studies can't go along together," he said.

"I would like to tell the parents and the society that forget that logic, your child can excel in both," Suhas, who was born in Karnataka's Hassan, added.

"In 2016 I played my first professional tournament, the Asian Championship in Beijing, where I got the gold medal and I think that was more or less the turning point in terms of professional badminton." Suhas, who has been DM of Azamgarh, Prayagraj and Hathras in his various stints, credited his late father Yathiraj L K for the success he has achieved and said it is after watching him play that he was inspired into the shuttle sport. Yathraj Senior was also a government officer.

"My deformity is congenital. I have had operations when I was a child to fix try and fix it. The challenge was always there in the childhood because we were not mature enough to understand good or bad etc.

"So you are very sensitive to what people speak, you are not even confident as to what you can achieve in life. But that is where my father's role comes into play, he gave me immense confidence in what I could do. So since childhood, I have been competing with able-bodied athletes," he said.

Suhas said he has always liked badminton and wanted to play the sport as a child.

"There is no specific inspiration behind getting into badminton, it was a sport that I always loved since childhood. But in south India, there is a concept of ball badminton, my father used to play ball badminton and I used to be fascinated with that.

"That is where I got fascinated with racquet sports," said the soft-spoken multi-tasker.

Suhas, an engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Suratkal, scripted history by becoming the first IAS officer to win a a Paralympic medal.

Since his appointment as the DM of Gautam Buddh Nagar on March 30, 2020, he was also been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic management.

"...After 12th, I was fortunate to get into both MBBS and engineering, I got into the best engineering college of Karnataka that is NIT Suratkal. After that I got jobs in three MNCs but I felt that there is something lacking in my life.

"I always wanted to be a civil servant and after the tragic death of my father in 2005, I decided that I would pursue it. In 2006 I wrote the exams and at that time I was also working in a private MNC," he said.

Wasn't it a huge task to chase those IAS ambitions with an active job? "If you see in life, all things which are worthy of achieving or have some intrinsic value, they are all difficult. It's all about time management and those who have excelled at multitasking have one thing in common, they love love the task they they select." Talking about his training along side bureaucratic responsibilities, Suhas said: "During the peak of COVID I didn't train because there was absolutely no time. But the peak was for a certain period and my training was generally post 10pm at night.

"One needs to train for two hours generally and one hour in the morning for physical fitness. So that's more than sufficient. I was not in the national camp. I trained along with an Indonesian coach.

"He trained me specifically here in Greater Noida. He is my personal coach. He is based in India but a former Indonesian badminton player. His name is Gighi Duthree Belatame." He also praised the government's Target Olympic Podium Scheme, which according to him, played a big role in the best-ever medals tally of 19 in the Paralympics.

"One of the best schemes of the government is TOPS and I am also a part of it. I think TOPS scehme is one of the reasons for the increased medals tally in the country," he said.

Also read: Dope violators eligible for national sports honours if ban period served: Sports Ministry

Talking about life after finding fame, Suhas said he would rather enjoy the moment than plan ahead.

"I want to live in the present moment. I don't want to think about anything else. I sometimes feel that if God has given me the gold, there wouldn't have been much left to achieve. So, I feel everything happens for a reason.

"I just want to cherish this moment and after sometime, give thought to anything else," Suhas added.

News source: PTI

2021-09-08 09:23

Practice of tie shots, breathing exercises gave dividends: Paralympic medallist archer Harvinder

New Delhi, (Archery news): India's first Paralympic medal winner archer Harvinder Singh, who had turned his farm at a Punjab village into a practice ground during the lockdown, on Tuesday attributed his success to long hours of training, including "practice of tie shots and breathing exercises".

The 31-year-old Singh, whose legs stopped functioning properly due to adverse effect from an injection during his childhood, won a historic archery bronze in the men's individual recurve event in the just-concluded Tokyo Paralympics.

"I have put in a lot of hard work in these last few years that included training for seven-eight hours every day, including doing practice of tie shots, breathing exercises and mental conditioning," Singh said in a release issued by Paralympic Committee of India.

"I have also done practice to control my emotions and stay calm in pressure situations, which has come handy in Tokyo," he said.

Hailing from a middle-class farming family, Singh had dengue when he was just one-and-half years old and a local doctor administered him an injection that had an adverse effect and his legs stopped working properly.

In the bronze medal playoff, Singh was leading before Kim Min Su of Korea clinched the fifth set, shooting a perfect 10 to force a shoot-off where the Indian responded in style with a perfect 10 against the Korean's 8 for a 6-5 (26-24, 27-29, 28-25, 25-25, 26-27) (10-8) win.

If a match is tied after five sets, one arrow shoot-off decides the winner.

Singh said he still couldn't believe that he is now a Paralympic medallist and the feeling is slowly sinking in.

"The dream that I had for such a long time has finally come true. The feeling of winning a medal at the Paralympics is slowly sinking in. I am very, very happy," said the archer from Ajitnagar in Punjab.

He is hoping that his achievement will inspire the next generation of para archers to win international medals for the country.

"I believe that this medal is a big milestone for para archery in India. I remember my Asian Para Games gold medal in 2018 saw a big upsurge in archers' participation at the National Championships.

"I hope this Paralympic medal will give hope and motivation to the differently abled players to play the sport," said Singh, who also acknowledged the support of his coaches, including Gaurav Sharma, PCI, Sports Authority of India and Archery Association of India.

Singh, who is hoping his Paralympic medal will fetch him a reputed job, has his eyes on next year's World Para Archery Championships in Dubai (February 18 to 27) and Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.

"The aim would be to continue the momentum and form. I will also be training to shoot under pressure as the focus now would be on doing well in the World Championships and Asian Para Games next year.

"Hard work, hard work and hard work! Keep working hard, continuing the process and keep believing yourself and the results will follow," he said when asked what advice he would give to youngsters.

Pursuing a Ph.D in economics at Punjabi University in Patiala, Singh is a also a painter and aspires to crack the UPSC examination some day, according to his coach Gaurav Sharma.

Also read: India's history-making Paralympians return to rousing reception

News source: PTI

2021-09-04 16:01

History beckons IAS officer Suhas Yathiraj at Tokyo Paralympics

Noida, Sep 4 (Paralympics news) History beckons Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj when he steps into the court for the badminton finals at the Paralympics in Tokyo on Sunday with a shot at the gold medal.

Even if he loses and wins a silver, the 38-year-old district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) will have scripted history as the first-ever IAS officer to win a medal at the Paralympics.

Suhas, currently world No. 3 in SL4 category, has played three matches, including the semifinals on Saturday, in the ongoing Games. He has been at his dominating best against his rivals.

While it took him less than 20 minutes to sail through the first two matches, Suhas outwitted Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan 21-9 21-15 in 31 minutes in the first semifinal.

The 2007-batch IAS officer, with a leg impairment, will face top seed Lucas Mazur of France in the final on Sunday.

“History under making! Suhas L Y, IAS, DM GB Nagar (Noida), UP, India in Men’s singles para-badminton SL4 finals. He beats Indonesia’s S Freddy 2-0 in semifinals. Now will be playing for Gold on September 5,” the IAS Association, a group of serving and retired administrative officers, tweeted.

With the Karnataka-born engineer graduate making it to the final at the showpiece, internet users have been rallying support for him by trending the hashtag #Cheer4Suhas on social media platforms.

Several of the residents’ Whatsapp groups in Noida are also filled with congratulatory messages on their DM’s sporting feat.

Suhas, who graduated as computer engineer from NIT Karnataka with a distinction, has previously served as the district magistrate of Prayagraj, Agra, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Sonbhadra districts.

For the last one and a half years, he had been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic management in Gautam Buddh Nagar since his appointment in the western UP district on March 30, 2020.

Prior to his departure to Tokyo in the last week of August, Suhas, when asked about his badminton practice and work as DM, had told reporters, “I practice from 10pm for two hours after all the day’s works are over. I have been managing my game and administrative duties this way for around six years now.” Suhas said his professional journey started in 2016 while he was the DM of Azamgarh district in eastern UP and a badminton championship was organized there.

“I was a guest at the inauguration of the tournament and expressed desire to participate. Until then it was a hobby for me as I had been playing badminton since childhood. I got a chance to play there and defeated state-level players,” he had said.

It was there, he said, the Gaurav Khanna, the current coach of the country’s para-badminton team, spotted him and push-started his professional journey.

In 2016 itself, he participated in the Asian Championship in Beijing and become the first non-ranked player to win the gold medal.

More international recognition was awaiting him as he went on to win medals at BWF Turkish championship in 2017 and 2019 besides the latest, a gold, in Brazil in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic started ravaging India and world.

Also read: Paralympics: Bhagat, Suhas, Krishna all enter badminton finals to assure India more 3 medals

When his participation in the Tokyo Paralympics was confirmed in July, Suhas said the event was no doubt going to be a challenge and being the world number three in his category, he was hopeful for a medal.

“Over the years, we have seen that small margins make the difference between winners and losers. I have lost games with a margin of millimeters and won by centimeters. When I compete in Tokyo, I know every player will be there hoping to win a medal,” Suhas told reporters.

However, he said he was not putting himself under any pressure for it, as he cited the teaching of the Bhagvat Geeta.

“Do your deed and you will get the results. I am not putting myself under any pressure. If God has brought me to this level, then I am going to put in all my efforts,” he said.

News source: PTI

2021-09-04 14:32

Paralympics bronze medallist archer Harvinder wants to crack UPSC Exam: coach

Kolkata, Sep 3 (Paralympic news): Harvinder Singh, who on Friday became the first Indian to win a Paralympics medal in archery, is a man of many parts.

Pursuing Ph.D. in economics, the 31-year-old, whose legs stopped functioning properly due to adverse effect from an injection during his childhood, loves history, is a painter and dreams of cracking the UPSC examination some day, according to his coach Gaurav Sharma.

Having taken up archery in the compound section after getting inspired from watching the 2012 London Paralympics, Singh almost quit the sport after he did not make it to the 2014 Incheon Asian Para Games Indian team.

"He was completely demoralised and was telling archery was not his domain," his childhood coach Sharma said.

Sharma, however, did not want to let his effort go in vain and "wanted to take a risk".

In the bronze playoff, Singh was leading 5-3 before Kim Min Su clinched the fifth set, shooting a perfect 10 to force a shoot-off where the Indian responded in style with a perfect 10 against the Korean's 8 for a 6-5 (26-24, 27-29, 28-25, 25-25, 26-27) (10-8) win.

Son of a farmer from Guhla Cheeka near Kaithal in Haryana, Singh had a bout of dengue when he was one-and-half-year-old and a local doctor administered him with an injection that had an adverse effect and his legs stopped working properly since then.

"He had the hunger to excel and we took a risk and put him into the tougher recurve event which requires precise skills," Sharma said.

"There was 100 per cent dedication from him, he would turn up at 6.30am and practice till 8.30 and again come for practice in the afternoon." He went on to top the selection trials for the 2017 Beijing World Championships and has not looked back since then. He went on to win a gold in the 2018 Asian Para Games.

"As if he had something to prove... He was so focused and lived up to our expectation, we are so happy that he took the risk." Singh was offered a government job in the state government after his Asian Games feat.

"He has not taken it since then. He wants to do something on his own, and his dream is to crack the UPSC," Sharma said.

After returning from practice, Singh would study till late into the night.

"His favourite subject is history and does some amazing paintings like a true professional. I'm sure he won't stop here," Sharma said.

Also read: Manish Narwal and Singhraj win Gold and Silver medal at the Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 final at the Tokyo Paralympics

News source: PTI

2021-09-04 11:35

Paralympics: Bhagat, Suhas, Krishna all enter badminton finals to assure India more 3 medals

Tokyo, Sep 4 (Paralympic news) The Indian trioka of Pramod Bhagat, Suhas Yathiraj and Krishna Nagar sailed into the men's singles finals of the badminton event in their respective classifications at the Tokyo Paralympics here on Saturday.

Among other Indians in the fray, Manoj Sarkar and Tarun Dhillon couldn't go the distance, suffering contrasting losses in their respective semifinal match. The duo will play in the bronze medal play off later in the day.

The 33-year-old Bhagat, the current world no 1, secured a 21-11 21-16 win over Japan's Daisuke Fujihara in the first SL3 class semifinals that lasted 36 minutes.

The top seeded Indian, current world and Asian champion, will lock horns with Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in the summit clash later in the day.

In SL4 class, Suhas outwitted Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan 21-9 21-15 in 31 minutes in the first semifinal.

The Noida District Magistrate will face top seed Lucas Mazur of France in the final on Sunday.

Krishna, seeded second, also dished out a superlative performance, outplaying Great Britain's Krysten Coombs 21-10 21-11 in the SH6 class semifinals.

The 22-year-old Indian will cross swords with Hong Kong's Chu Man Kai in the final on Sunday.

In the other SL4 class semifinal, Mazur managed to stave off a spirited effort from Tarun, claiming a narrow 21-16 16-21 21-18 win over the second seeded Indian in a gruelling semifinal that lasted an hour and three minutes at the Yoyogi National Stadium.

The 27-year-old from Hisar will face Setiawan in the bronze medal play off on Sunday.

Manoj too couldn't get into any sort of rhythm against second seeded Bethell, going down 8-21 10-21 in the other men's singles SL3 class semifinals.

The 31-year-old will now play Fujihara in the bronze medal play-off later in the day.

Earlier in the day, with only half of the court being used in SL3 classification, Bhagat and Fujihara engaged in a lot of long rallies and the Indian came up on top most of the time.

Bhagat, the top seed, trailed 2-4 early in the opening game but a series of overhead drops helped him claw back. The duo were 8-8 before the Indian entered the interval at 11-8.

Also read: Shuttlers Bhagat, Suhas enter badminton finals as Manoj and Tarun lose in semifinals at the Tokyo Paralympics

After the break, he continued his good run and eventually pocketed the opening game with six straight points.

It was a Bhagat show in the second game as well as the Indian led all the way to come up trumps.

Bhagat will pair up with Palak Kohli for their mixed doubles SL3-SU5 semifinals later in the day.

"It was a great game against Fujihara, he pushed me with some great shots. But I had a plan and I executed it very well. I am happy I have reached my maiden Paralympic finals but the work is not done yet," said Bhagat after his match.

In SL classification, persons with standing/lower limb impairment/severe are allowed to compete. SH6 classification refers to short stature impairment.

News source: PTI

2021-09-04 09:38

Shuttlers Bhagat, Suhas enter badminton finals as Manoj and Tarun lose in semifinals at the Tokyo Paralympics

Tokyo, Sep 4 (Paralympic news) live update: Indian shuttlers Pramod Bhagat and Suhas Yathiraj stormed into the men's singles finals of the badminton event in their respective classifications but Manoj Sarkar and Tarun Dhillon suffered contrasting losses in their semifinal match at the Tokyo Paralympics on Saturday.

The 33-year-old Bhagat, the current world no 1, secured a 21-11 21-16 win over Japan's Daisuke Fujihara in the first SL3 class semifinals that lasted 36 minutes.

The top seeded Indian, current world and Asian champion, will lock horns with Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in the summit clash later in the day.

In SL4 class, Suhas outwitted Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan 21-9 21-15 in 31 minutes in the first semifinal.

The Noida District Magistrate will face top seed Lucas Mazur of France in the final on Sunday.

Mazur managed to stave off a spirited effort from Tarun, claiming a narrow 21-16 16-21 21-18 win over the second seeded Indian in a gruelling semifinal that lasted an hour and three minutes at the Yoyogi National Stadium.

The 27-year-old from Hisar will face Setiawan in the bronze medal play off on Sunday.

Manoj too couldn't get into any sort of rhythm against second seeded Bethell, going down 8-21 10-21 in the other men's singles SL3 class semifinals.

The 31-year-old will now play Fujihara in the bronze medal play-off later in the day.

With only half of the court being used in this classification, Bhagat and Fujihara engaged in a lot of long rallies and the Indian came up on top most of the time.

Bhagat, the top seed, trailed 2-4 early in the opening game but a series of overhead drops helped him claw back. The duo were 8-8 before the Indian entered the interval at 11-8.

After the break, he continued his good run and eventually pocketed the opening game with six straight points.

It was a Bhagat show in the second game as well as the Indian led all the way to come up trumps.

Bhagat will pair up with Palak Kohli for their mixed doubles SL3-SU5 semifinals later in the day.

"It was a great game against Fujihara, he pushed me with some great shots. But I had a plan and I executed it very well. I am happy I have reached my maiden Paralympic finals but the work is not done yet," said Bhagat after his match.

Bhagat, who had developed a defect on his left leg after contracting polio at the age of 5, has won a total of 45 international medals, including four world championship gold medals.

He won two gold medals and a bronze in men's singles, besides two gold medals and a silver in men's doubles at the BWF Para World Championships in the last eight years.

In the 2019 edition at Basel, Bhagat had won gold medals in both singles and doubles events.

In the 2018 Asian Para Games, he won two medals -- a gold and a bronze. He topped it up with two gold medals and one silver at the IWAS World games in 2019.

He clinched two gold medals at the BWF Para World Badminton Championships in Basel, Switzerland in 2019.

This year, Bhagat had claimed two gold medals at the Dubai Para Badminton tournament in April when the sport returned after a year-long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bhagat won the singles gold and also paired up with Manoj Sarkar to clinch the men's doubles gold in SL4-SL3 category.

In SL classification, persons with standing/lower limb impairment/severe are allowed to compete.

Also read: Soman Rana misses podium finish in Shot Put at the Tokyo Paralympics, Lakra and Ekta produce season bests in Club Throw

News Source: PTI

2021-09-03 17:44

A google search that started journey of Paralympic silver medallist Praveen Kumar

Tokyo, Sep 3 (Paralympics news) A congenital impairment notwithstanding, 18-year-old Paralympics silver medallist Praveen Kumar was such a sports freak in his school days that he googled on internet to find out how to take up para athletics and take part in the showpiece.

Praveen, a son of a poor farmer at a village near Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district, clinched silver medal in the men's high jump T64/T44 event of the Paralympics by setting a new Asian record of 2.07m.

"My school life was mostly about sports. But at that time I did not know I will reach at this level one day. I was playing volleyball initially in school, but then slowly came to know of para athletics and took up high jump," Praveen said after his event.

"I came to know about Paralympics and how to take part in it after searching on google," the high jumper, whose congenital impairment affects the bones that connect his hip to his left leg, said during a virtual press conference organised by Eurosport and Paralympic Committee of India.

Explaining how he came to rise to this level, Praveen said, "I took part in a district level competition where I met Ashok Saini sir who gave me phone number of Satyapal sir (his current coach).

"I contacted (Satyapal) sir and then he found out in which classification I will compete. He identified me and said he will take me. This was 2018," said Praveen who is a B.A. second year student in Motilal Nehru College in Delhi.

Praveen, who is just in his second year in the international circuit, said initially even the fellow students and teachers of his school wondered how he will do well in his sport but they later began supporting him.

"I won a silver in junior para athletics world championships in 2019 and won gold in the para athletics Grand Prix earlier this year (in Dubai), so people started supporting me." He finished fourth in the Para Athletics (senior) World Championships in 2019.

Talking about Friday's competition, he said, "I was a bit low in confidence when I cleared 1.97m in my second attempt but I regained confidence after jumping 2.01m. I told myself I will give my best whatever it takes, whether rain or not.

"There was pressure while trying to jump 2.10m. In the final attempt, I just thought of doing my best and it was a very good attempt but there was some problems in my landing and so I could not clear it," said Praveen, who was congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on phone.

His coach Satyapal said he initially had some reservation about his short stature but found that Praveen has very strong muscles on his right leg.

"His left leg is the impaired one but his right leg has very strong muscles. So, despite his short stature I took him under me. Height (of athlete) is very important in high jump," Satyapal told PTI about his ward who is around 5ft 5 inches tall.

"He came to me with his father in 2018 and I found out his talent. He is from a very poor family but he is very sincere and dedicated." Praveen was also COVID-19 positive in April and he could not train properly this year.

"Due to lock down, he could not train properly. High jumpers need mattress to train but he could do that as the stadiums were closed. Moreover, he contracted COVID-19 this year," Satyapal, who trains Praveen at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, said. Satyapal said Praveen is a sure shot gold medal candidate at the Asian Para Games next year in Hangzhou in China.

Also read: Praveen Kumar wins silver at Men’s High Jump T64 at the Tokyo Paralympics

"He started competing in international events only two years back and now he has won a silver in Paralympics. He is just 18 and he will be the country's top Paralympian in future.

"Our target will be to win the Asian Para Games next year and gold in 2014 Paris Paralympics with world record." The world record in T44 high jump is 2.19m.

T44 classification is for athletes with a leg deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement in the legs.

News source: PTI

2021-09-03 16:52

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

Tokyo, Sep 3 (Paralympics news) Not quite satisfied despite becoming the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic medals, shooter Avani Lekhara on Friday said she had it in her to perform better at the ongoing Games but was done in by the nerves.

The 19-year-old, who had won the 10m air rifle standing SH1 gold, added a 50m rifle 3 position SH1 bronze to her haul, making her the first Indian woman with two Paralympic medals and second overall from the country to claim multiple medals in the same edition of the Games.

"I was not satisfied with the gold only (laughs), when I won the gold, I wanted to fire that last shot better...so this bronze is definitely not satisfying," Lekhara said in a virtual press conference facilitated by broadcasters Eurosport and the Paralympic Committee of India.

"...that's what finals do to you, you become nervous.

"I am keeping all the celebrations aside and focusing on the next match, so that is my goal, to give my 100 per cent in the next event also," she said referring to the mixed 50m rifle prone event on Sunday.

Lekhara reiterated her admiration for Olympic gold-medallist Abhinav Bindra and that she always wanted to become like him. On Friday, she in fact went one better on him with her second medal.

"...when I read Abhinav Bindra Sir's autobiography, it really inspired me, because he gave his 100 per cent to what he did and he won India's first individual gold medal.

"I always wanted to become like him (Bindra) and always wanted to make my country proud, so that is what inspired me a lot," she said.

"I am very happy that I was able to get another medal for the country and it is just I still can't believe it.

Lekhara, competing in her debut Games, qualified second for Friday's event with a score of 1176, including 51 inner 10s.

In the fiercely contested finals, she totalled 445.9 to finish ahead of Ukraine's Iryna Shchetnik, who let slip her grip on the medal spot with a poor third shot of 9.9 in the elimination.

"...for me it was to give (my) best in standing. And I just thought everybody is feeling the same, so I just concentrated on myself, without thinking about others," she elaborated when asked about her mindset.

Athletes in SH1 Rifle have an impairment in their legs, for example amputations or paraplegia. Some athletes compete in a seated position, while others compete in a standing position.

The Jaipur-based shooter sustained spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012 rendering her immobile.

"I had never won a medal in sitting, this is my first international (medal), so I was more nervous. But I just had my focus on my shots. So (in the) last match I was focusing on one shot at a time and it just happened," she said.

Also read: Avani Lekhara wins her second medal in Shooting at the Tokyo Paralympics

Lekhara also thanked her coaches especially former Olympian shooter Suma Shirur, for the assistance she gave.

"We have a very wonderful team, my coaches, JP Nautiyal Sir, Subhash Rana Sir, Suma (Shirur) ma'am, my support staff, all the team members and the other athletes.

"We have a very good environment, very supportive, so that helps. If I had any problem, Suma ma'am kept me motivated and she helped me a lot. It is like a team effort," she signed off.

News source: PTI

2021-09-03 12:27

Tokyo Paralympics: Bhagat-Kohli pair enters semifinals; Suhas, Tarun, Manoj too qualify

Tokyo, Sep 3 (Paralympics news)Live updates: India's Pramod Bhagat and his partner Palak Kohli qualified for the mixed doubles semifinals, while three singles players, including Noida District Magistrate Suhas Yathiraj, also made the last-four stage to continue a rampaging run at the Paralympics badminton competition here on Friday.

Bhagat, who had qualified for the men's singles SL3 event on Thursday, and Kohli beat Thailand's Siripong teamarrom and Nipada Saensupa 21-15 21-19 in a 29-minute clash to finish second in group B.

In men's singles, Suhas, Tarun Dhillon and Manoj Sarkar also made it to the semifinals on a fruitful day for India.

In SL4 class, Suhas, a world number 3, took 19 minutes to get rid of Indonesia's Hary Susanto 21-6 21-12 in group A, while Tarun, seeded second, recovered from a mid-game slump to outwit Korea's Shin Kyung Hwan 21-18 15-21 21-17 in a group B match.

Suhas will face France's top seed Lucas Mazur, while Tarun will cross swords with Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan later in the day.

In SL classification, persons with standing/lower limb impairment/severe are allowed to compete, while SU refers to athletes with upper limb impairment.

With two wins out of three matches so far in their respective groups, both Suhas and Tarun have qualified for semifinals and might face-off in the knockout stage.

Suhas has an impairment in one of his ankles, while Tarun has restricted knee movement following a severe injury that he suffered at the age of eight.

In SL3 class, Manoj secured a 21-16 21-9 victory over Ukraine's Oleksandr Chyrkov to make it to the knockout stage after finishing at the second spot in group A behind world no.1 Bhagat.

Also read: Paralympics: World number 1 Pramod Bhagat wins and enters the semifinals, mixed day for Kohli

The 31-year-old, who had contracted polio at one, suffered a loss to Bhagat in his opening match.

Earlier, Palak, 19, and Parul Parmar, 48, suffered their second successive loss in women's doubles SL3-SU5 group A, going down 12-21 20-22 to French pair of Lenaig Morin and Faustine Noel.

While Suhas hardly broke any sweat during his contest, Tarun had to toil hard to edge out Hwan, who recovered from an opening game reversal to grab the second game.

News source: PTI

2021-09-03 10:46

Harvinder Singh and Vivek Chikara keep Indian medal hopes alive in Archery at the Tokyo Paralympics

Tokyo, Sep 3 (Paralympic news live update): Indian recurve archer duo of Vivek Chikara and Harvinder Singh kept medal hopes alive, sailing into their respective pre-quarterfinals of the men's open section in the Paralympic Games here on Friday.

World number 23 Singh, who became the first athlete from India to win a gold medal in para archery at a major competition in Asian Games Jakarta 2018, overcame a stiff challenge from Stefano Travisani of Italy to win 6-5 (10-7) via shootout.

The 30-year-old, who qualified as 21st seed, squandered a 4-0 lead after shooting a 7 in the third set as the Italian slowly bounced back to make it 5-all and force a shoot-off.

But Singh, who hails from a remote village Kaithal in Haryana, clinched the issue shooting a perfect 10 in the tie-breaker as his rival managed just 7.

An economics scholar from the Punjabi University, Singh will face Russian Paralympic Committee's Bato Tsydendorzhiev later in the day.

Hailing from a middle-class farming family, Singh had dengue at one-and-a-half years and a local doctor administered him with an injection that had an adverse effect and his legs stopped working properly since then.

Asian Para Championship winner in 2019, Vivek Chikara, who finished in top-10 in the rankings round, stormed past Sri Lankan Sampath Bandara Megahamulea Gadara 6-2 to set up a last-16 clash with Great Britain's David Phillips.

World number 13 Chikara, who competes with a prosthetic left-leg, overcame a blip in the second set when he misfired a 6 as he wrapped the issue with some consistent shooting.

An MBA and leading a corporate life, Chikara was about to marry his long-time girlfriend but life took a twist as he met with an accident on the New Year's day of 2017.

Travelling to be with his family from Saharanpur, the Meerut lad's motorcycle was hit by a speeding truck and his left leg had to be amputated below the knee.

Chikara then took up archery with the guidance of Athens 2004 Olympian Satyadev Prasad and won his major medal, winning a gold in Bangkok.

The Open event combines W2 (wheelchair) and ST (standing) classes, including athletes who have an impairment in the legs and use a wheelchair or have a balance impairment and shoot standing or resting on a stool.

In archery, the use of assistive equipment or an assistant is allowed depending on the impairment, while a variety of techniques may be employed, including pulling the bowstring with the mouth.

Also read: Prachi Yadav finishes last in 200m canoe VL2 final at the Tokyo Paralympics

News source:PTI

2021-09-02 15:27

Paralympics: World number 1 Pramod Bhagat wins and enters the semifinals, mixed day for Kohli

Tokyo, Sep 2 (Paralympics news) World No.1 Pramod Bhagat sailed into the men's singles semifinals after beating Ukraine's Oleksandr Chyrkov in his second group A match of the Tokyo Paralympics badminton event here on Thursday as the country's shuttlers expectedly produced strong performances.

The 33-year-old, also a reigning world champion, saw off Chyrkob 21-12 21-9 in 26 minutes to top his group and enter the last four in class SL3.

"I was in the groove today and played really well. Oleksandr Chyrkov is a good player and played some good strokes in the match. I am very happy that I have reached the semi-finals," Bhagat said.

"Things are going to be tough from here as the knock out stages start. My focus is on one match at a time and also the last league game of the mixed doubles which is a do-or-die situation for us." Bhagat and Palak Kohli will play Siripong Teamarrom and Nipada Saensupa in mixed doubles class SL3-SU5 on Friday.

Other Indian shuttlers, including Suhas Yathiraj, Tarun Dhillon and Krishna Nagar also had a good day in office as they opened their men's singles campaign impressively.

While Suhas and Tarun notched up easy victories over Germany's Jan Niklas Pott and Thailand's Siripong Teamarrom in SL4 class respectively, second seed Krishna outwitted Malaysia's Taresoh Didin in SH6 class.

Young Palak also overcame Turkey's Zehra Baglar in her second women's singles match of group A.

The 38-year-old Suhas took just 19 minutes to see off Pott 21-9 21-3 in a lopsided group A clash, while Tarun, 27, too didn't break a sweat, beating Teamarrom 21-7 21-13 in a group B match that lasted 23 minutes.

Krishna then prevailed 22-20 21-10 over Didin in a 33-minute group B match.

While Suhas will face Indonesia's Hary Susanto and then France's top seed Lucas Mazur on Friday, second seeded Tarun will be up against Korea's Shin Kyung Hwan and Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan.

The 22-year-old Krishna will take on Brazil's Vitor Goncalves Tavares on Friday.

Suhas, who has an impairment in one of his ankles, has been at the forefront in the fight against COVID-19 menace as the district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.

Tarun, on the other hand, had sustained a severe knee injury while playing football at the age of eight, which resulted in restricted knee movement. He is the current world no.2 and a former two-time world champion.

Krishna, who has a short-stature impairment, is the world no 2 in SH6. He has won bronze and silver at 2019 World Championships in singles and doubles.

In SL classification, persons with standing/lower limb impairment/severe are allowed to compete, while SU refers to athletes with upper limb impairment.

In women's singles class SU5 class, Kohli beat Zehra 21-12 21-18 in 27 minutes. She had lost her opening match to Japan's Ayako Suzuki.

Earlier in the day, the 19-year-old Kohli and her partner Parul Parmar, 48, went down 7-21 5-21 to second seeded Chinese pair of Cheng Hefang and Ma Huihui in a group B women's doubles SL3-SU5 class match.

The Indian pair will square off against the French duo of Lenaig Morin and Faustine Noel on Friday.

Parmar, who competes in SL3 class, was no match for China's Cheng Hefang, losing 8-21 2-21 in 18 minutes in a women's singles group D match at the Yoyogi national stadium here.

Also read: India’s Tarun Dhillon defeats Thailand’s Teamarrom Siripong at the Tokyo Paralympics

Parmar will meet Germany's Katrin Seibert later in the day.

Suhas, who had qualified after the game's governing body BWF granted bipartite quotas to India, said he is looking forward to his match against top seed and title favourite Mazur on Friday.

"We have gone head-to-head on the circuit running up to the Paralympics and I have lost some and won some against him. It will be a good challenge," he said.

"Because of his height, his strokes come from a certain depth which generally you are not used to, but I have trained specifically for that. I am sure he will also specifically train for me." Suhas said he has specifically trained for his match against Mazur.

"My coach used to stand on a chair. I had to be mobile. My coach first used to give the shuttle to one position, and then another. A real match is different, but you do the best that you can," he said.

Badminton is making its debut at the Paralympics this year.

News source: PTI

2021-09-01 10:55

Paralympic gold medallist javelin thrower Sumit Antil now eyes 2024 Paris Olympics

Tokyo, Aug 31 (Paralympics news) Buoyed by a record-breaking debut gold at the Paralympics, Indian javelin thrower Sumit Antil now wants to compete against the able-bodied athletes at the Paris Olympics in three years' time.

The 23-year-old from Sonepat on Monday produced an awe-inspiring performance when he smashed his own world record not once but five times to clinch the gold in the men's javelin F64 with a throw of 68.55m.

Antil, who has participated in able bodied events including the Indian Grand Prix event, said his goal is to qualify for both Paralympics and the Olympics in 2024 and he will begin his training once he returns to the country.

"I wish to take part in both the Olympics and Paralympics. That's my dream," Antil, who lost his left leg below the knee after he was involved in a motorbike accident in 2015, said in a release issued by Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).

"During my training, I have been touching the 70m-mark. And I dream of throwing between 75 to 80m and that should be enough to compete amongst the able-bodied athletes.

"Once I return from Tokyo, I will be training for that for sure," he added.

Son of a JWO officer in the Indian Army, Antil had competed against Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra in the able-bodied Indian Grand Prix series 3 on March 5 in Patiala where he finished seventh with a best throw of 66.43m.

On Tuesday, Antil bettered the previous world record of 62.88m, also set by him, five times on the day. His last throw was a foul. His series read 66.95, 68.08, 65.27, 66.71, 68.55 and foul.

"At the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, I settled for the silver. So, I always wanted to win the gold medal," said Antil, who was inspired by Chopra's gold medal show.

Also read: Sumit Antil breaks World Record thrice to win Gold in Javelin Throw F64 at the Tokyo Paralympics

"My coaches told me to show aggression in the Paralympics. I am happy I could finally come out with a good performance and inspire the upcoming generation." The conditions were extremely hot and humid on the day in Tokyo but Antil never looked bothered.

"During the pandemic, I took special permission from the Sports Authority of India to train at home. And I was prepared for all conditions – hot and wet conditions. I used to train late at night and this paid off well," said Antil, who hails from Sonepat.

The Haryana athlete is now hoping that the Paralympic gold will land him a job once he is back in India.

"Currently, I'm unemployed and doing training full time but I hope I will get a job after this. Let's see what happens when I return to India," he signed off.

News source: PTI

2021-09-01 10:25

I could not give my best due to rain: Mariayappan

Tokyo, Aug 31 (Paralympics news) Mariayappan Thangavelu on Tuesday rued that rain foiled his bid for a second consecutive gold medal at the Paralympics, saying the wet sock did not let him give his best in the T42 event, here.

After clearing 1.86m, Mariyappan and Sam Grewe twice struggled to clear 1.88m height but the American finally bagged gold medal by soaring over the mark in the final attempt while the Indian could not and settled for silver.

Mariayappan, who hails from Periavadagampatti village in Salem district of Tamil Nadu, had cleared 1.89m when he won the gold in 2016 Rio Paralympics.

He said he could not achieve the target he had set for himself.

"I could have won gold and claimed the world record (1.96m). I came here with that aim. But the rain played spoilsport. It was a drizzle initially but after the 1.80m mark, it became heavy," Mariyappan said after his event.

"The sock on my other leg (the impaired right leg) got wet and it was difficult to jump," said the athlete who suffered permanent disability in his right leg after it was crushed under a bus when he was only five.

Mariyappan, who worked as newspaper hawker between 2012 and 2015 to support his mother Saroja, said the weather in Rio in 2016 was great and similar to India but it was not so in Tokyo.

"I could not execute my plan here. I could have cleared 1.90m had it not been the weather conditions. I will try for gold and world record in Paris 2024," he said.

His coach Satyanarayana, who spotted him in 2015 and moulded him as a Paralympics champion, said Mariyappan was clearing 1.90m easily during training and even touched 1.99m in Para Nationals.

Also read: Mariyappan Thangavelu and Sharad Kumar jump new heights at the Tokyo paralympics

"Weather was the reason why he failed in clearing 1.88m. It is three years from now (for 2024 Paris Olympics). He will win gold there," said Satyanarayana, who is also national Para Athletics chairman and national coach.

A top of the podium finish would have made Mariyappan the first Indian to win back-to-back gold medals in Paralympics.

Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia, who clinched a silver in F46 event, had won two gold medals but there was an interval of 12 year.

Mariyappan also said that he was affected mentally when he had to give up the role of Indian contingent's flag bearer during the opening ceremony. He was identified as a close contact of a player of another country during the flight to Tokyo and was isolated.

"Yes, it was very upsetting that I could not become the flag bearer. Moreover, I had to get isolated and also train alone because of quarantine rules," he said.

News source: PTI

2021-08-31 10:23

Raider Pradeep Narwal smashes all-time Pro Kabaddi League record, sold to 'UP Yoddha' for Rs 1.65 cr

Mumbai, Aug 31 (Sports news) Talismanic raider Pardeep Narwal smashed an all-time record by becoming the highest-ever bought kabaddi player in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), after being bought by the 'UP Yoddha' for Rs 1.65 crore.

The 'UP Yoddha' bought Narwal on Monday, the second day of the PKL auction for the upcoming season 8, which will take place in December.

“Pardeep continues to re-write history books, with his price tag now quashing that of another star raider Monu Goyat, who was bought by the 'Haryana Steelers' for Rs 1.51 crore in Season 6,” stated a media release issued by the PKL late Monday night.

Narwal now finds himself a new home after spending five seasons with the 'Patna Pirates'.

Meanwhile, Siddharth Desai was retained by the 'Telugu Titans' via the Final Bid Match (FBM) card for Rs 1.30 crore from his base price of Rs 30 lakh.

More than 22 overseas players were sold on the second day.

All-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh (base price Rs 10 lakh), was sold to the 'Patna Pirates' for Rs 31 lakh, while the 'Bengal Warriors' bought defender Abozar Mohajermighani, bidding for him at Rs 30.5 lakh from the base price of Rs 20 lakh.

The 'Patna Pirates' used their FBM card to retain South Korean raider Jang Kun Lee at Rs 20.5 lakh, the release said.

After spending six seasons with the 'Telugu Titans' and one season with 'Tamil Thalaivas', Rahul Chaudhari will now play for the 'Puneri Paltans'.

Also read: Yogesh Kathuniya wins silver at the men’s discus throw at the Tokyo Paralympics

The 'Jaipur Pink Panthers' used both the FBM cards to retain captain Deepak Niwas Hooda and Sandeep Kumar Dhull.

The 'Tamil Thalaivas' bid for raider Manjeet from his base price of Rs 30 lakh and bought him in for Rs 92 lakh.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Rohit Gulia grabbed eyeballs after he was sold to the 'Haryana Steelers' for Rs 83 lakh, a significant jump from his Rs 25-lakh price tag with the 'Gujarat Giants' in Season 7.

“Kabaddi is such an elementary game in terms of infrastructure required, that I have no doubt that once we get our act together, the explosion of kabaddi internationally is just waiting to happen,” Charu Sharma, co-founder of Mashal Sports, was quoted as saying in the release.

Top 5 Indian players: Pardeep Narwal – Rs 1.65 crore -- UP Yoddha Siddharth Desai – Rs 1.30 crore -- Telugu Titans Manjeet – Rs 92 lakh -- Tamil Thalaivas Sachin – Rs 84 lakh -- Patna Pirates Rohit Gulia –Rs 83 lakh -- Haryana Steelers.

News source: PTI

2021-08-30 18:56

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

Tokyo, Aug 30 (Paralympics news) Breaking the world record five times on his way to gold in the Paralympics did not suffice for Sumit Antil as the Indian para javelin thrower said it was not his best, vowing to better a performance that was incredible by any yardstick.

The wrestler-turned-javelin thrower clinched India's second gold at the ongoing Paralympics here on Monday, shattering the men's F64 category world record multiple times in a stunning Games debut performance.

But surprisingly, soon after his triumph, Antil said it was not his best.

On winning gold and setting a world record of 68.55 metres, he said, "This is my first Paralympics and I was a little nervous because the competitors are great.

"I was hoping for a 70-metre-plus throw, maybe I can do 75m. It was not my best, I am very happy to break the world record." This was not the first time he was making the javelin travel far.

A few months before the Tokyo Games, within a span of 20 days, Haryana's Antil had broken the world record twice in the F-64 category. In his sixth and last attempt he hurled the javelin to a distance of 66.90 metres at the 19th Para-Athletics Championships at Bengaluru in March.

The effort bettered his own world record of 66.43 metres, set during the third leg of the Indian Grand Prix on March 5 in Patiala.

On how much further he can throw, he said, "In training I have thrown 71m, 72m, many times. I don't know what happened in my competition.

"One thing is for sure in future I will throw much better," Antil who started out as a wrestler before switching to javelin throw said.

But he was definitely happy to have won the top medal at the biggest stage, terming it as realisation of a dream.

"It is a dream come true. I can't express my feelings right now," the 23-year-old who entered the Tokyo Paralympics as the world record holder in his event said.

Antil, who lost his left leg below the knee after he was involved in a motorbike accident in 2015, sent the spear to 68.55m in his fifth attempt, which was the best of the day by quite a distance and a new world record.

Also read: Sumit Antil breaks World Record thrice to win Gold in Javelin Throw F64 at the Tokyo Paralympics

In fact, he bettered the previous world record of 62.88m, also set by him, five times on the day. His last throw was a foul. His series read 66.95, 68.08, 65.27, 66.71, 68.55 and foul.

Australian Michal Burian (66.29m) and Sri Lanka's Dulan Kodithuwakku (65.61m) took the silver and bronze medals respectively.

The F64 category is for athletes with a leg amputation, who compete with prosthetics in a standing position.

A student of Delhi's Ramjas College, Antil was an able-bodied wrestler before his accident which led to amputation of his leg below the knee. A para athlete in his village initiated him to the sport in 2018.

He also competed against Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra in the able-bodied Indian Grand Prix series 3 on March 5 in Patiala.

He finished seventh with a best throw of 66.43m while Chopra shattered his own national record with a big effort of 88.07m.

He won a silver in the F64 javelin throw at the 2019 World Championships in Dubai.

News source: PTI

2021-08-30 18:02

President, PM lead nation in congratulating Indian Paralympic stars for their stellar show in Tokyo

New Delhi, Aug 30 (Paralympics news) President of India Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the political brass of the country in congratulating the Indian Paralympic athletes, who made the nation proud with their rich haul of medals at the Tokyo Games on Monday.

Two-time gold-winning javelin throw veteran Devendra Jhajharia clinched a stupendous third Paralympic medal, a silver this time, while discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya also finished second as India surpassed its best ever medal tally at the Games on Monday.

Sundar Singh Gurjar also chipped in with a bronze, finishing behind Jhajharia in the men's javelin throw F46 final. India's medal count has now risen to seven, including one gold (shooting), three more than the four secured in the 2016 Rio Games.

Besides, shooter Avani Lekhara scripted history as she became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, firing her way to the top of the podium in the R-2 women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event in Tokyo.

The 19-year-old from Jaipur, who sustained spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012, finished with a world record equalling total of 249.6, which is also a new Paralympic record.

"Delighted to see our Paralympians bring more glory to the nation! Yogesh Kathuniya wins silver in discus throw, Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh Gurjar bags silver and bronze respectively in javelin throw. Congratulations! Every Indian is celebrating your success," President Kovind tweeted.

"Another daughter of India makes us proud! Congratulations to Avani Lekhara for creating history and becoming the first Indian woman to win a Gold at #Paralympics. India is elated by your stellar performance! Our tricolour flies high at the podium due to your phenomenal feat," Kovind wrote in another tweet.

PM Modi also took to the social networking site to pass across his wishes to the proud para athletes.

"Superb performance by @DevJhajharia! One of our most experienced athletes wins a Silver medal. Devendra has been making India continuously proud. Congratulations to him. Best of luck for his future endeavours. #Paralympics "India is overjoyed by the Bronze medal won by @SundarSGurjar. He has shown remarkable courage and dedication. Congratulations to him. Wishing him the very best. #Paralympics," he wrote.

"Outstanding performance by Yogesh Kathuniya. Delighted that he brings home the Silver medal. His exemplary success will motivate budding athletes. Congrats to him. Wishing him the very best for his future endeavours. #Paralympics "Phenomenal performance @AvaniLekhara! Congratulations on winning a hard-earned and well-deserved Gold, made possible due to your industrious nature and passion towards shooting. This is truly a special moment for Indian sports. Best wishes for your future endeavours," Modi added.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu also congratulated the para athletes for bringing glory to the country.

"Indian players have performed exceptionally well in the men's javelin throw event (F46) at the Tokyo Paralympics. Devendra Jhajharia won silver medal and Sundar Singh Gurjar won bronze medal. The nation is proud of your successes. Best wishes for future successes.

"Congratulations to Yogesh Katunia, who won a gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, and a silver medal in the men's discus throw. The country is proud of their achievements. I wish their future a bright future.#Paralympics," he tweeted.

Also read: Sumit Antil breaks World Record thrice to win Gold in Javelin Throw F64 at the Tokyo Paralympics

"The entire nation is proud of your accomplishments. My best wishes for your bright future ahead," Naidu added.

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur also wished para shooter Lekhara on her tremendous feat.

"Amazing Avani winsFirst place medal. A historic achievement as she becomes the only woman in Olympics & Paralympics to win a gold ! "Shooting in 10m AR Standing SH1 Final. Score of 249.6 creating a Paralympic Record. Equalling the World Record," Thakur wrote his twitter handle.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was not to be left behind as he also wished the para athletes on their stupendous show in Tokyo so far.

"Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Singh Gurjar have won #Silver and #Bronze respectively in Men’s Javelin Throw F46 event. Big congratulations! This has been a good morning for sports in India," he wrote.

"Congratulations for the #Silver to Yogesh Kathuniya! The nation stands proud of your inspirational achievements.

"Morning starts with the great news of Avni Lakhera winning #Gold .

Big Congratulations! Another daughter makes India proud. #TokyoParalympics," Gandhi added.

News source: PTI

2021-08-30 12:32

On top of the world, it's indescribable: Avani Lekhara

Tokyo, Aug 30 (Paralympics news) A car accident in 2012 left Avani Lekhara wheelchair-bound but on Monday the shooter felt "on top of the world" after becoming the first Indian woman to snare a Paralympic gold medal.

Focussing on only one shot at a time and shutting out everything else did the trick for Lekhara. She fired her way to the top of the podium in the R-2 women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 event.

"I can't describe this feeling, I'm feeling like I'm on top of the world. It's unexplainable," she said after the triumph.

Lekhara, who sustained spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012, finished with a world record equalling total of 249.6, which is also a new Paralympic record.

On staying calm through the final, Lekhara said, "I was just saying one thing, that I have to take one shot at a time. There's nothing else that matters now, just take one shot at a time and just finish it.

"I just think that I have to follow the process. Beyond that, I try not to think about the score or the medal tally." The 19-year-old from Jaipur, who started shooting on the insistence of her father in 2015 at a city shooting range, was delighted to have become the first Indian woman to win a Paralympics gold.

"I'm so happy I could be the one to contribute it. Hopefully there's a lot of medals more to come." She has not looked back since firing her first shot some six years ago, enjoying every bit of the precision sport while working her way to glory at the showpiece.

Also read: Shooter Avani Lekhara wins India’s first gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics

"It seems very homely when I lift a rifle. I feel a connection towards it. When you have to focus and the consistency, that's what I like about shooting," she said.

When asked how she began shooting, Lekhara said, "Summer vacations 2015, my father took me to the shooting range. I shot some shots and they were pretty okay. So I just started as a hobby, and here I am." She will also be competing in the mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1, the women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 and the mixed 50m Rifle Prone event.

In the SH1 Rifle category, shooters are able to hold a gun with arms.

The athletes have an impairment in their legs, for example amputations or paraplegia.

She is only the fourth Indian athlete to win a Paralympics gold after swimmer Murlikant Petkar (1972), javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia (2004 and 2016) and high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu (2016).

News source: PTI

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 12:01

Wait Until Dark: Visually-impaired para-sprinter Kashafali's epic journey towards sunshine

Tokyo, Aug 26 (Paralympics News) As a kid Salum Ageze Kashafali would wake up at the wee hours to the sound of bombs with debris scattered around in a ball of smoke.

The little Congolese would often think if the long night of darkness would ever end, if he could ever go to a school like other children, if he could get a meal without begging in a queue.

And then luck smiled on Kashafali and his family as they took refuge in Norway -- the land of midnight sun -- where he realised his dream of becoming a top-notch sprinter.

As Kashafali gears up to justify his top billing in the men's T12 (for visually impaired) 100m race at the Tokyo Paralympics, the current world champion recalls growing up amid a civil war in a backward African nation.

"There were times when we were just struggling to stay alive," Kashafali told the Olympic Information Service (OIS).

"There was one night when my family were sleeping. Suddenly we woke up and there were fires all over the place after some bombs had gone off. The first thing we saw after we got out of the door was people lying down on the ground. You are just waiting to die," the ace para athlete said, recalling the horror days.

His family eventually escaped the unrest and spent months in refugee camps before settling down thousands of miles away in Bergen, Norway.

Once his family settled there, his life changed completely.

"Moving to Norway was like winning the lottery," he said.

"It was a one in a million chance, to go from begging for food to getting a roof over you. That's bigger than anything you can ever imagine." But then, as he was entering teens, everything seemed dark again as Kashafali was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, which causes a loss of central vision.

"I didn't go to school until I was something like 13 years old. I couldn't read, I couldn't even write my name. It wasn't easy, but you have to do it. Slowly and surely you pick things up," the sportsman in him expressed his feelings.

Also read: Afghanistan's Tokyo Games Paralympians safely evacuated, says IPC

For someone who first learnt alphabets and numbers in his teens, Kashafali now teaches mathematics in a junior school when he is not scorching the tracks.

"I always told my father and my mother that if I ever got the opportunity to go to school then I want to be a teacher. I love teaching," he said.

At Tokyo, the 100 metres sprint between the starting block and the finishing line will be a celebration of hope for all those African kids whose lives have been ravaged by war and poverty.

"To be here now in Tokyo and to be in a position to hopefully win a medal, that is every athlete's dream," Kashafali said as he sets sights on breaking his own record on Friday.

"I've heard the track is very fast and there were a lot of world and Olympic records broken during the Olympics, so hopefully some of us can challenge some good records in the next few days." His gradual loss of vision led to his participation in the Paralympics but even with his limited sight, he had competed against able-bodied athletics and won gold medals in the 100m at the 2019 national championships and in 60m at the 2015 national indoor championships in Norway.

He used to play football but switched to athletics after his vision continued to deteriorate.

"It got to the point that I couldn't see anything. So, I tried track and I won my first race." Football's loss proved to be athletics' gain.

If he stands on the podium on Friday, he can quote the great American author and disability rights activist, Hellen Keller, who said, "Once I knew only darkness and stillness...my life was without past or future...but a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart leaped to the rapture of living."

News source: PTI

2021-08-25 15:48

Pramod Bhagat seeks missing Paralympic gold medal

New Delhi, Aug 25 (Paralympics news) World no. 1 Indian para shuttler Pramod Bhagat believes he has the "strongest mindset on the planet" and is aiming to return with two gold medals from the Tokyo Paralympics to complete his illustrious trophy cabinet.

The 33-year-old, who is the current Asian and world champion, has qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics in two events – men's singles SL3 and mixed doubles SL3-SU5 with Palak Kohli.

SL3 refers to minor standing or lower limb impairment, while SU5 is for players with an impairment of the upper limb.

"I have been waiting for this day ever since I started my professional journey, and it is also the only medal which is missing from accomplishments...," Bhagat, who was affected by polio at an early age, told PTI in an interview.

"Currently I'm in my best shape with the strongest mindset on the planet. My coach and trainer worked a lot on me. I had a few drawbacks which I'm slowly working on." The Indian badminton contingent will leave on Friday for Tokyo and Bhagat will be a prime contender for the gold medal at the Games, where para badminton is making its debut.

"I don't want to disappoint the 1.4 billion people who are behind me, my aim is to get India's first gold in Paralympic badminton. I will be aiming for 2 golds, 1 in singles and 1 in mixed doubles," said Bhagat, who has so far won five medals at the world championships.

"Also being no. 1 adds a lot of pressure of delivering at the world stage, I'm using that as motivation for myself to perform. We are hoping to win at least 3-4 medals for India.

"My full focus is on the tournament and how to give my best. I'm also keeping my mind clear and not stressing or thinking about anything. It's going to be a very big for me as this is one medal which has eluded me." Bhagat had claimed two gold medals at the Dubai Para Badminton tournament in April when the sport returned after a year-long break due to the pandemic.

"Dubai was like a litmus test for all of us as we were playing a tournament after almost a year. It really tested us as irrespective of how much you practise, matches are a different ball game," said Bhagat, who won the singles gold and also paired up with Manoj Sarkar to clinch the men's doubles gold in SL4-SL3 category.

Also read: 12-member Indian contingent, including Jhajharia, departs for Tokyo Paralympics

"The last few years have been really good for me as I feel I am at my prime and playing very well. I am working towards maintaining that and practising very hard and also evolving." The Paralympics, just like the Olympics, will be held in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic and Bhagat said the health crisis will always be in the back of the mind.

"The virus has created havoc not just me but for everyone. There will always be a worry about the virus jeopardizing the entire campaign but I am not thinking about it.

"Right now my focus is to play my best games in this tournament." How difficult was it to train for the Paralympics with the pandemic putting the country under lockdown? Bhagat said "Initially the whole scenario was very uncertain. With training facilities and courts shut it really became difficult to train and stay fit, but slowly the government made the necessary arrangements for us to at-least train at home." "Once the courts were open we were back in the bubble training for the Paralympics.

"It was good that at least we got to some game time at the recently concluded Dubai Para Badminton Tournament, that really helped us to gauge where we stand when it comes to match practise and on court stamina." So, will it affect the performance? "It can if you let it, hence I have blocked those thoughts and just thinking about my game. During the lock down I not only worked on my physical strengths and stroke play but also focussed on mental wellbeing," he signed off.

Badminton action begins on September 1 at Tokyo.

News source: PTI

2021-08-23 17:51

Afghanistan flag will be part of Tokyo Paralympics opening ceremony: IPC chief

Tokyo, Aug 23 (Paralympics news): The Tokyo Paralympics opening ceremony will feature the flag of Afghanistan as a "sign of solidarity", International Paralympic Committee chief Andrew Parsons said on Monday even as the country's athletes were forced out of the Games after Taliban's takeover there.

Afghan athletes were forced to withdraw from the Games as all flights out of capital Kabul got cancelled after the Taliban seized control of the strife-torn nation.

Parsons said at a press conference that a representative of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees will carry the flag into the National Stadium during the opening ceremony on Tuesday.

"We will include the Afghanistan flag in the ceremony in a sign of solidarity and we have invited the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative here to act as the flagbearer," said Parsons.

Para-taekwando player Zakia Khudadadi, who became the first female para-athlete to be selected for Afghanistan, was set to compete here along with team-mate Hossain Rasouli.

Parsons added, "It is an act of solidarity. We decided this yesterday in the Board meeting.

"It is important to highlight that as it is a message of solidarity and peace that we send to the world.

"We would like to have them here, unfortunately it is not possible, but they will be here in spirit." The Taliban took over the country's political reins following the withdrawal of American troops and the collapse of the elected government.

Also read: Tendulkar seeks support for Paralympic Games, calls para athletes 'real life heroes'

Afghanistan's only athlete at the Games will be Abbas Karimi, one of the flagbearers for the Refugee Paralympic Team, having fled his home nation in 2013.

Karimi was born in Afghanistan, but at age 16 he left the country without his family to escape the conflict and pursue his dream of becoming an elite athlete.

A swimmer, Karimi was born without arms and began taking to the pool at age 13, having previously been involved in kickboxing.

He first fled to Iran, and then paid smugglers to take him across the border into Turkey.

He spent four years there without documentation, and it was during this period that he was contacted by Mike Ives, a former wrestling coach who had started helping refugee athletes.

Ives told Karimi he would support him if he wanted to move to the United States but the process was complicated as he did not have valid documentation.

Karimi finally settled in Portland in 2016.

"I was a refugee in Turkey, I didn't have any passport to fly with. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees helped me to explain my case and then the USA accepted me as a refugee. When I finally got there, I said this is another opportunity, a second chance," Karimi has said.

A silver medallist (50m butterfly) at the 2017 World Championships in Mexico City, he got into swimming after his brother built a 25-metre pool for the community near their home in Kabul.

The love affair with water began in his childhood as Karimi and his friends would often jump into the river with their clothes on instead of going to school.

News source: PTI

2021-08-23 17:12

Indian para athletes primed for unprecedented medal haul in Tokyo Paralympics

Tokyo, Aug 23 (Paralympics news): The best ever Olympics just went by for India and the country looks good for its best ever Paralympics with an unprecedented 54 inspirational athletes eyeing a medal haul that might just surpass the double digit figure for the first time at the showpiece, starting here on Tuesday.

The likes of star javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia and high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu -- both 2016 Rio Paralympics gold winners -- will lead the biggest ever contingent with India expecting at least 15 medals, including five gold.

India is competing in nine sports in the Paralympics, which is being held under strict safety and health protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has led to few countries pulling out.

The expectation of unprecedented success would not be wide off the mark as at least four Indians are ranked top of the world while six are at number two and around 10 are at number three in global standings.

India has won 12 medals in total in Paralympics since it first took part in 1972 and if the projected success materialises, the country could be among the top 25 in the medal tally this time, as against 43rd in 2016 with 2 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze.

With the government loosening its purse strings for para-athletes and many of them preparing well at various Sports Authority of India facilities across the country, the Paralympians look set to add to the euphoria of sporting success following the best ever medal haul in the Olympics which ended on August 8.

India secured seven medals, including one gold and two silver medals, during the Olympics.

Jhajharia, who lost his left hand due to electrocution as a child, is going strong even at 40 and is aiming for a hat-trick of gold medals in the F-46 category after finishing on top of podium in 2004 and 2016. He is current world record holder in the event.

F-46 classification is meant for athletes who have upper limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement.

Mariyappan, who was permanent disabled at the age of five when a bus crushed his right leg below the knee, is another para athlete seeking to defend the gold he had won in 2016 in T63 high jump, though he is currently ranked world number 2.

He will also hold the country's flag during the opening ceremony on Tuesday.

World champion Sandeep Choudhary (F-64 javelin throw) is the third gold medal contender from the 24-strong para athletics team. He is world number one and world record holder also.

Other medal prospects from para-athletics are reigning world champion Sundar Singh Gurjar and Ajeet Singh (also in F-46) and Navdeep Singh (F41) -- all para-javelin throwers.

The Paralympic Committee of India is hoping to win 10 medals from para athletics.

Para-athletes are given a classification depending on the type and extent of their disability. The classification system allows athletes to compete against others with a similar level of ability.

Also read: Tokyo Games is going to be our best outing at Paralympics, say PCI chief Deepa Malik

Badminton will make its debut at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo and India have some of the brightest medal prospects.

World No. 1 and multiple-time world champion Pramod Bhagat is a top gold medal contender in men's SL3 event.

World No. 2 shuttler Krishna Nagar (SH6) and Tarun Dhillon (SL4) are other para shuttlers who are expected to do well.

The experienced Parul Parmar, a two-time former world championship gold medallist, and young Palak Kohli (SL3-SU5), whose one hand did not develop properly at birth, will carry high hopes of returning with a medal in the women's category.

India is also banking on its shooters and archers to rise to the occasion in Tokyo.

In archery, India will have Rakesh Kumar and Shyam Sundar (compound), Vivek Chikara and Harvinder Singh (recurve) and woman archer Jyoti Baliyan (compound individual /mixed event).

The other sports Indians are participating in are Para Canoeing, Para Swimming, Para Powerlifting, Para Table Tennis and Para Taekwondo.

India's campaign begins from August 25 with para table tennis players Bhavina Patel and Sonal Patel in action.

As both are not strong contenders for a podium finish, India's first medal is expected to come on Friday when para archery events begin. Once para athletics events begin on Saturday, a medal rush is expected to start.

With the Paralympics -- set to be declared open by emperor Naruhito -- being held in the backdrop of surging COVID-19 cases in Tokyo and other parts of Japan, the health and safety protocols have been strict.

Just like in the Olympics, only six officials are allowed to take part in the opening ceremony on Tuesday and five athletes, including flag bearer Mariyappan, will form the 11 member Indian group.

The other athletes are discus thrower Vinod Kumar, javelin thrower Tek Chand and powerlifters Jaideep and Sakina Khatun.

The Indian contingent will be the 17th to enter the Olympic Stadium after Iran.

In view of the surging COVID-19 cases, fans have been banned from the Paralympics, just like the preceding Olympic Games, though the organisers are still trying to allow children in some venues.

The Olympics had seen more than 11000 athletes from 205 countries (plus Olympic Refugee Team) competing in 339 events in 33 sports.

The Paralympics will feature around 4500 athletes from 163 countries but competing in 540 events in 22 sports.

The number of events are more in Paralympics as there are different classifications depending on the level of disability.

News source: PTI

2021-08-23 14:20

Tendulkar seeks support for Paralympic Games, calls para athletes 'real life heroes'

Mumbai, Aug 23 (Paralympics): Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar has called on the country to wholeheartedly support the Indian athletes taking part in the Tokyo Paralympics and termed them "real life heroes".

The Games are starting from Tuesday.

"It is time for the Paralympics and I would like to appeal to all Indians to get behind our contingent of 54 athletes in Tokyo," Tendulkar said in a statement on Monday.

According to Tendulkar, the journey of para athletes is an "eye-opener" to common people that what one can do with passion and determination.

"I have always believed that these women and men are not athletes with special abilities. Rather, they are women and men of extraordinary ability who are all real life heroes for each one of us.

"Their journeys are an eye-opener to what women and men can do with passion, commitment and determination and serve as inspiration for every one of us," added the legendary batsman, who has numerous records to his name.

He said it was important to celebrate every athlete, who would compete at the Paralympics, irrespective of the results.

"I have always believed that if we can celebrate our Paralympic athletes in the very same manner that we celebrate our Olympic heroes and our cricketers, we can become a better society.

Also read:Medal winning performances by Indians at the Paralympic Games

"And it is not simply about the medal winners. Not every athlete among the 54 participating in the Paralympics will win a medal.

"However, it is important we celebrate them all. We need to celebrate the process and not simply the outcome. That's when real change will happen in our sport," he added.

Tendulkar also hoped that the country wins more medals this time around.

"I have been reading we might win more than 10 medals this time round. I hope we win more. In Rio, we had won four medals. If that goes up to 10 it is a significant upswing that all of us should celebrate.

"Having said that I will watch each athlete with the same interest whether they make it to the podium or not. Each of them are great role models and to see them perform for India and do it all for the tricolour is in itself a great sense of satisfaction for the country." He was also delighted to see the support the government and corporate houses have extended to para athletes.

"I have been delighted to see India embrace the Paralympics this year, the very welcome initiatives of the government and corporates working in partnership and on their own in different aspects of extending support to our sports persons are all steps in the right direction," he signed off.

News Source: PTI

2021-08-23 14:08

Sydney 2000 silver-medallist in swimming eyes triathlon glory in Tokyo Paralympics

Tokyo, Aug 23 (Paralympics news): The last time the visually impaired Jessica Tuomela took part in the Paralympics in 2008, she did so as one of Canada's top swimmers. Thirteen years later, she returns to the showpiece with a couple of degrees and ready to compete in another sport.

Blinded by retinoblastoma (a cancer of the eye) when she was only three years old, three-time Paralympian Toumela's success in the sporting arena defines courage and determination.

In the Tokyo games starting Tuesday, she will look to add to her rich legacy, this time in triathlon.

"I finished a couple of degrees, finished my masters in social work and ran a massage therapy clinic during my eight-year break.

"But I just couldn't put out the fire to train and compete," she told the Olympic Information Service ahead of the Tokyo Paralympics, starting from Tuesday.

Also read: Hoping to build on unprecedented gains made by javelin throw: Jhajharia

Tuomela, who represented Canada in swimming between 2000 and 2008, won silver in 50m in the women's freestyle at the Sydney 2000 Games, but decided to hang up her swimsuit in 2008.

Eight years later, she returned to elite sport and took up triathlon.

"The fact that these will be my fourth Games still blows my mind. You never know if you get to go (to the Paralympics) or are able to go again," Tuomela said.

"When I retired from swimming in 2008, I wasn't really satisfied with my season and results at the Paralympics. I walked away with a bad taste in my mouth and knew that wasn't the way to leave the sport." She learned to swim by the time she 12 years old. At 17, Tuomela won a silver medal at the 2000 paralympics in Sydney.

After participating in two more Paralympics, Tuomela took a long break.

"Instead of training for one sport, I thought: 'why not training for three?'. That's how I got into triathlon.

"It's been a very steep learning curve. One of the biggest challenges was learning how to balance training, eating and napping for three sports." The 38-year-old said qualifying for her fourth Paralympic Games has "been incredibly rewarding".

"When I got into triathlon, the Paralympics were never not an option," she said. "But I didn't realise how much work I had to do (to get there).

"I am glad I didn't know that, because I might have second guessed myself.

"At some point, I even asked national team coach Carolyn Murray whether the sport was something I should try to pursue competitively or recreationally. She encouraged me to keep going, so I did." Since competing in her first race in March 2017, Tuomela has won the 2018 World Para-Triathlon Series in Edmonton (Canada) and grabbed a bronze medal at the 2019 world championships, as well as topping the podium at the 2019 Paralympic test event in Tokyo.

Before winning medals, Tuomela said she had some important things to learn after switching from swimming to triathlon.

"I went from a sport where I won medals for myself, or where I lost medals for myself," she said.

"Now I entered a sport where I am tied to another human being (a guide) the entire race.

"That totally changes the dynamic of the race. It's about teamwork now.

"Competing with a guide has been one of the biggest challenges, yet one of the most amazing parts of competing in triathlon as a visually impaired athlete." In Tokyo, Tuomela is hoping to enjoy the ride, rather than thinking about winning medals.

"In swimming, I got to the point where I didn't enjoy what I was doing any more and that was a big detriment. Now, I really try to just have fun and hopefully, success follows."

News source: PTI

2021-08-23 12:10

Fourth edition of GamePlan announced by FIFS - India’s only Annual Fantasy Sports Conference

(Sports news) India’s first and only Fantasy Sports regulatory body, The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) is back with GamePlan 2021 - the fourth edition of its annual conference. The event is set to be held on August 25th, 2021 and will launch an industry report on online fantasy sports (OFS) ), ‘Online Fantasy Sports: Creating a Virtuous Cycle of Sports Development’ and will feature discussions revolving around the potential, growth and impact of the industry.

The event GamePlan 2021 will feature keynotes from Justice A N Mittal, Chairman, UP Law Commission; Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT), Government of Telangana; Deepak Bagla, MD and CEO of Invest India; and Justice (Retd.) Arjan Sikri. . The conference will host a ‘CEO Roundtable on leadership Lessons from Founders’ with Harsh Jain, Co-Founder & CEO, Dream11 & Dream Sports; Sai Srinivas, Co-Founder & CEO, MPL; Bhavin Pandya, Co-Founder & CEO, Games 24x7 and Vinit Godara, Co-Founder & CEO, MyTeam11. Besides the report launch and keynotes, there will also be 3 highly engaging panel discussions on ‘The Economic Impact of OFS in India’, ‘Fantasy Sports: Fuelling Sports Consumption and Fan Engagement’ and ‘The Evolving Legal Landscape of Fantasy Sports in India’.

Eminent dignitaries speaking at discussions include Bhavit Sheth, COO & Co-Founder, Dream11 & Dream Sports; Joy Bhattacharjya, Indian Quizzer, Orator, Writer, Sports Producer & Vice President at Baseline Ventures India Pvt. Ltd.; Nikhil Vyas, Managing Partner & CEO, ITW Mediaworx; Siddharth Chury, AVP- Global Partnerships, NBA India; Jeet Banerjee, MD, Gameplan Sports; Kishore Taid, Co-Founder & CEO, enJogo; Gopal Jain, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India and Vaibhav Kakkar, Partner, Saraf & Partners. The panel discussions will be moderated by Santosh Mathew, Founding Partner, Ninan & Mathew; Prashant Rao, Partner, TMT Consulting, Deloitte; Girish Menon, Partner, Deal Advisory and Head, Media and Entertainment, KPMG India; Rameesh Kailasam, President & CEO, IndiaTech.org and Nandan Kamath, Principal Lawyer, LawNK.

Commenting on the conference, Mr. Bimal Julka, Chairman, FIFS and FSRA, and Former CIC, Govt. of India said, “We are delighted to be back with the fourth edition of GamePlan where, together, we will deliberate on the impact and potential of the Online Fantasy Sports industry. With the right guidance and regulations, the Indian OFS industry will certainly have a far more positive impact on the Indian economy and sports ecosystem.”

Over 1500 delegates attended the 2020 edition of GamePlan, witnessing industry-related report launches and engaging panel discussions. The event included leaders from organizations such as technology platforms, financial institutions, game developers, sports, leagues, media agencies, consulting firms and legal advisory firms.

Also read: Indian medal contenders at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020

2021-08-23 10:10

Indian medal contenders at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020

(Paralympic news): India has participated in every Paralympic games since 1984, athletics has proven to be a strong field for the country with 10 medals in total. Javelin Throw has been the most successful sport with 4 medals, swimming and powerlifting have a medal each. Rio de Janeiro was the country’s most successful games with four medals which included 2 Golds, one Bronze and one Silver.

There are many medal contenders this time including previous medalists who will be looking for successive victories. India will be sending 54 athletes who will be competing in 9 sports, in the previous games the country had sent 19 athletes so there is a huge improvement this time. The prediction is we might come back with a record tally and hopefully the predictions come true.

Devendra Jhajharia (Javelin F-46)

Devendra Jhajharia will again aim for a record breaking throw as he will look to enter the record books. He is the first and only Indian para athlete to win two gold medals at the Paralympics. His first gold came in men’s Javelin Throw in 2004 Athens and the second gold was in 2016 Rio. In both the Golds he broke the world records even though there was a timespan of 12 years. His event was not included in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Paralympics but now he could become the first ever Indian athlete to win three gold medals at the Paralympics.

Mariyappan Thangavelu (High jump T-42)

Thangavelu surprised many by winning a Gold in the Rio Olympics in Men’s High Jump. He will be looking for a podium finish for the second time. He was the flag bearer in the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta. He also won the bronze medal in the 2019 World Para Athletics Championship.

Also read: Hoping to build on unprecedented gains made by javelin throw: Jhajharia

Sharad Kumar (High jump T-42)

A former world number 1, he won the Gold medal in the 2014 Para Asian Games by breaking a 12 year Asian record. He won Silver in the 2017 World Para Athletics Championship and finished 6th in the Rio Olympics. He will be looking to finish on top this time in Tokyo.

Pramod Bhagat (Badminton)

This is the first time badminton is being played at the Paralympics and Pramod Bhagat will be looking to conquer Tokyo. He has already won 4 Singles medals at the BWF Para Badminton World Championships including two Gold, one Silver and one Bronze. He is one of the top players in the world and is expected to bring home a Gold for India.

Sundar Singh Gurjar (Javelin F-46)

Sundar won the gold at the IPC World Championships in London in 2017. He also won the Gold in Javelin at the the 8th FAZAA IPC Athletics Grand Prix, he also won three Gold medals in the 9th FAZAA IPC Athletics Grand Prix but shocked everyone by finishing on top in Javelin, Shot Put and Discus Throw. He will be looking to continue his form in Javelin Throw.

Parul Parmar (Badminton)

She has won Gold in the 2015 Singles and mixed doubles and 2017 Singles and Doubles BWF Para Badminton World Championships. She will be looking to become just the second Indian woman to win a medal in the Paralympics. She will be playing in the Doubles competition

Palak Kohli (Badminton)

She won the Gold in doubles and Silver in singles at the BWF Para Badminton International 2019 held in Uganda. She also has won the Bronze in BWF Para Badminton International 2019 held in Japan. She will look to bring home a medal along with Parul Parmar.

2021-08-20 13:31

Hoping to build on unprecedented gains made by javelin throw: Jhajharia

New Delhi, Aug 20 (Sports news): Two-time gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia is aiming to build on the unprecedented gains made by javelin throw at the upcoming Paralympic Games, following Neeraj Chopra's landmark gold at the preceding Olympics.

His gold medal with a world record in the 2004 Athens Paralympics had almost gone unnoticed but Jhajharia is happy with the hype before the Tokyo Games.

Jhajharia, first Indian Paralympian to win two gold medals at the Paralympics ( Athens 2004 and Rio 2016 ), said that Neeraj has brought much awaited respect and recognition to the game.

"When I won the gold with a world record in 2004, it almost went unnoticed as people did not know about javelin throw at that time. It was slightly better post Rio games and I got Khel Ratna and fame for the second gold.

"Now with Neeraj's historic gold , everyone is talking about javelin throw suddenly," Jhajharia, who competes in F46 events, told PTI Bhasha in an interview from Gandhinagar SAI centre.

"Now the time has come when the game has got recognition . I know that after Olympic gold , everyone would be looking at me to win third paralympic gold. There is a lot of hype and expectations this time," said the 40-year-old.

Also read: India will win at least 15 medals including 5 golds at Tokyo Paralympics: Chef-de-Mission

Jhajaria said he has passed the stage where he feels the pressure of expectations.

"I don't take pressure of expectations as I have 19 years of experience now. But I won't take the competition lightly as the Paralympics is the biggest stage and world's best para athletes would be there.

"I will try my level best to win gold with a world record," he said when asked about the expectations.

Jhajharia feels that Neeraj's gold is even more special as veterans like Johannes Vetter failed when it mattered the most.

"The Olympics are altogether a different ball game. Johannes Vetter was throwing 90m continuously before the Olympic cut but could not perform in Tokyo. On the other hand Neeraj is just 23 and see his confidence level," he said.

"Neeraj's gold medal can be a turning point for the game in India. India's first Olympic medal in track and field and that too a gold.

"He almost managed to do his best despite so much pressure of expectations. Hats off to him," he said.

Jhajharia has said kids will be inspired to take up javelin throw if Indian athletes manage to emulate Neeraj's performance in Paralympics which will take place from August 24 to September 5 .

India will be sending its largest contingent ever with 54 para athletes to compete in nine sporting disciplines.

India's previous largest-ever contingent for the Paralympics was at Rio 2016 - where 19 athletes represented the country in five sports. It ended up being India's best-ever performance at a Summer Paralympics with a total of four medals - two gold, a silver and bronze.

"I can only say that we will win more than expected medals. I think we can win around 15 to 17 medals this time. If I talk about myself, preparations have been good.

"I have lost 7 kgs and am feeling fitter. I am waiting for 30th August now to throw for gold," he added.

News source: PTI

2021-08-20 11:33

India will win at least 15 medals including 5 golds at Tokyo Paralympics: Chef-de-Mission

New Delhi, Aug 20 (Sports news): India's Chef de Mission for the Tokyo Paralympics, Gursharan Singh believes the country will produce its best ever performance this year, returning with at least 15 medals including five golds.

India will field its largest ever contingent with 54 athletes set to compete in nine sports including – Para Archery, Para Athletics, Para Badminton, Para Canoeing, Shooting Para sport, Para Swimming, Para Powerlifting, Para Table Tennis and Para Taekwondo.

"I am confident that these would be our best ever Paralympic Games. Our Para-athletes have worked very hard in the past years and shown great results in international competitions. They are raring to go for the Games," Singh, secretary general of the Paralympic Committee of India, said in a release.

"We are expecting around 15 medals including 5 golds at these Games. We have high medal hopes in Para Athletics, Para Badminton, Para Shooting and Para Archery." India has a total of 12 medals including four gold in 11 Paralympic appearances.

The first batch of the Indian team, led by PCI President Deepa Malik, have arrived in Tokyo.

Also read: Star para-javelin thrower Jhajharia says he was on verge of quitting in 2013

T Mariyappan, who is India's flag bearer at the Games, has also arrived in Tokyo and there will be a lot of expectations from the para high jumper to clinch his second Paralympic gold in Tokyo.

Mariyappan made a brilliant leap of 1.86 metres at the recent National selection trials.

"It was one of my best performances (at selection trials) since Rio 2016," said Mariyappan, who had suffered a permanent disability to his right leg in a road accident.

"I had an ankle injury in 2017 and it took some time to heal. It's been a while since I had been looking to get my old rhythm back. And I believe I have got it back now. I feel I am ready for the Games. I will aim for the gold." Apart from Mariyappan, India will have medal hopes from their Para Javelin throwers led by two-time Paralympic champion Devendra Jhajharia (F46).

Reigning world champion Sundar Singh Gurjar and Ajeet Singh (also in F46), world champion and world record holder in F64 Sandeep Chaudhary and Navdeep Singh (F41) are others who would be ones to watch out for in Para Javelin.

India is also banking on its shooters and badminton players to rise to the occasion in Tokyo.

World no. 1 and multiple-time world champion Pramod Bhagat will lead India's Para Badminton contingent with the gold medal hopes resting on him in the men's SL3 event.

Among others, World no. 2 shuttler Krishna Nagar (SH6) and Tarun Dhillon (SL4) are other para shuttlers who are expected to do well.

In archery, India will have Rakesh Kumar and Shyam Sundar (compound), Vivek Chikara and Harvinder Singh (recurve) and woman archer Jyoti Baliyan (compound individual /mixed event).

News source: PTI

2021-08-17 18:53

Star para-javelin thrower Jhajharia says he was on verge of quitting in 2013

New Delhi (Paralympics) Double Paralympic gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia on Tuesday said he was on the verge of quitting the sport after his pet event was excluded from the 2008 and 2012 editions but his wife convinced him to keep going.

The 40-year-old Jhajharia won his first gold in F-46 category in 2004 Athens Paralympics and then had to wait for another 12 years for his second yellow metal in 2016 Rio Games.

"When my event was not included in 2008 Paralympics, I said OK it will be in 2016. But when it was not there again in 2012, I thought I would quit the sport. This was 2013," Jhajharia told Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a virtual interaction.

"But my wife said I should not do it and can play till 2016. So, I changed my plan and in 2013 I got to know that my event will be there in the Rio Paralympics. Then I started training at SAI Center in Gandhinagar and won my second gold in 2016 Rio." His wife Manju is a former national level kabaddi player.

Dropping or introduction of an event in a particular edition of Paralympics is solely on the discretion of International Paralympic Committee. Those events (or classifications) which attract less participation in the previous Paralympics or other top competitions are prone to be dropped.

Para-athletes are given a classification depending on the type and extent of their disability. The classification system allows athletes to compete against others with a similar level of ability.

F-46 classification is meant for athletes who have upper limb affected by limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement.

Also read: Joginder Singh Bedi: The man whose record stands tall and strong in Indian Paralympic history

Jhajharia, who is gunning for a hat-trick of gold in Tokyo Paralympics beginning August 24, said he had faced taunts from people when he started his sport.

"When I was nine years old, I lost my hand (due to electrocution). It was a challenge to go outside my house. When I pulled javelin at my school, there were taunts that I had to deal with.

"People asked how will I throw a javelin, they told me there is no place for me in sports, it's better to study and try and get a good job.

"Then I decided that I will not be weak. In life I have learnt that when there is a challenge in front of us then you are close to achieving success. So, I took it as a challenge.

"I am dedicated towards my sport. I am very disciplined, I keep a javelin in the room where I sleep." Another Rio Paralympics gold medallist Mariyappan Thangavelu told the PM that he will give his best in Tokyo.

"I suffered an accident when I was a small kid but I did not let that deter me. My coach (Satyanarayana) has helped me a lot and I have got a lot of support from the government, SAI and the paralympic committee. I want to tell every athlete to never give up." Young para badminton player Palak Kohli, whose one hand did not develop properly, narrated how a chance meeting with coach Gaurav Khanna changed her life.

Kohli has been training at Gaurav Khanna Academy in Lucknow since 2019 and she could train even during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.

"Paralympics is the biggest stage for any para-athlete and I had not thought I would reach here so fast. But I hope I can prove that my disability can become a superability."

News Source: PTI

2021-08-13 14:40

Medal winning performances by Indians at the Paralympic Games

(Paralympic News): The International Paralympic Committee heads the Paralympic Games and has 176 National Paralympic Committees. The first Paralympic Games was held in 1960 Rome where over four hundred athletes competed from 23 countries. They are held in the same year as the Olympic Games and from 1988 it was decided that it will be held in the same venue with the same facilities as the Olympic Games till the 2032 games.

India participated for the first time in the 1968 Paralympic Games but did not win any medals. They have won 12 medals in the Paralympic Games and have participated in each of them since the 1984 Games. India did not participate in the 1976 and 1980 Games and has never participated in the Paralympic Winter Games which was first held in 1976. India will be participating in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games with a record 54 athletes comprising 40 men and 14 women.

1972 Heidelberg

There were 10 athletes, seven men and three women. Murlikant Petkar won the first ever Gold medal for India at the Paralympic Games. He is the first athlete to win a medal for India at the Games, finishing first in the 50 meter freestyle 3 with a world record time of 37.331 seconds. India finished 25th overall in the medal table.

1984 Stoke Mandeville/New York

The 1984 Games saw history made as Jogender Singh became the first Indian to win multiple medals in the same edition. He won the Silver medal in Men's Shot Put L6, Bronze in Men's Javelin L6 and Men's Discus Throw L6, with three medals he has the most medals in the Paralympics for an Indian. Bhimrao Kesarkar won the fourth medal for the country as he finished with a Silver in Men’s Javelin L6. India finished 37th overall in the medal tally. This was India’s most successful Games as there were four medals.

Also read: National Sports Awards function delayed to include performers at Tokyo Paralympics

2004 Athens

Twelve athletes competed in the Games in which there was only one woman. India won their first medal after the 1984 Games. Devendra Jhajharia won the first gold medal for India in Athletics as he finished on top with a throw of 62.15m in Men's Javelin F44/46 which also became a world record. Rajinder Singh Rahelu won the Bronze medal in Men’s 56kg Powerlifting. India finished 53rd with two medals.

2012 London

The country had 10 athletes participating in the Games, all of them men. Girisha Nagarajegowda won the only medal for India in the London games as he took home the Silver in Men’s High Jump F42. India finished 67th in the medal table.

2016 Rio de Janeiro

19 athletes represented India, with three women athletes. Mariyappan Thangavelu won the Gold medal in Men's High Jump F42, Varun Singh Bhati took the Bronze in the same event. Deepa Malik became the first Indian woman to win a medal in the Paralympic Games when she finished with a Silver in Women's Shot Put F53. Devendra Jhajharia became the first Indian to win two Gold medals and win medals in two separate occasions in the Paralympic Games. He again broke the world record in Men's Javelin F46 by recording a throw of 63.97m. This was India’s most successful Games, as it secured 2 Gold, a Silver and Bronze each. India finished 43rd in the medal tally.

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 16:32

National Sports Awards function delayed to include performers at Tokyo Paralympics

New Delhi, Aug 12 (Olympic news) The National Sports Awards function, which is held on August 29 every year, has been pushed back since the government wants the selection panel to consider the performances of the para athletes competing in the Tokyo Paralympics.

The Paralympics will held from August 24 and conclude on September 5.

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said the selection panel for picking the award winners has been formed but they would prefer to wait for some more time before going ahead with the selection process.

"National sports award committee has been formed for this year but Paralympics are yet to be held so we want to add winners from paralympic also. I hope and wish they will perform really well," Thakur said during the National Youth Awards function.

The awards -- the Khel Ratna Award, the Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award and the Dhyan Chand Award -- are given away each year by the country's president on August 29, the National Sports Day which is also the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.

"Like last time, this year's award ceremony could also be held virtually," as told by a ministry source.

The process of nominations for the national honours ended on July 5 after two extensions. The applicants were allowed to self-nominate online in view of the pandemic but national federations have also sent their preferences.

The Indian contingent 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.

Also read: Eurosport India awarded rights to broadcast Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games

India is sending its biggest-ever contingent of 54 para-athletes to Tokyo. At the last Paralympics, the Indian athletes returned with a haul of four medals, including two gold, a silver and a bronze.

The Khel Ratna, the country's highest sporting honour, was recently renamed after hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand.

The award was earlier named after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The prize money for the sports awards was increased substantially last year.

The Khel Ratna Award now comes with a reward of Rs 25 lakh, much higher than the previous amount of Rs 7.5 lakh.

The cash reward for Arjuna award has been enhanced to Rs 15 lakh from Rs 5 lakh, the Dronacharya (Lifetime) awardees, who were earlier given Rs 5 lakh, are now being given Rs 15 lakh.

Dronacharya (Regular) get Rs 10 lakh instead of Rs 5 lakh per awardee, while Dhyanchand Awardees are being given Rs 10 lakh instead of Rs 5 lakh.

News source: PTI

2021-08-10 18:11

Delhi High Court refuses to interfere with non-selection of Arjuna Awardee para shuttler Raj Kumar for Tokyo games

New Delhi, Aug 10 (Olympic news) The Delhi High Court Tuesday refused to interfere with the non-selection of Arjuna Awardee para shuttler Raj Kumar for the mixed doubles badminton event in the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics.

“I don't want to dishearten him but I can't help him. You are participating in singles (event). Don't get into this unnecessarily,” observed Justice Rekha Palli.

“You are an Arjuna Awardee. The nation will appreciate what you do,” said the judge.

Realising that the court was not inclined to entertain the petition, Kumar, who was represented by advocate Sunny Singla, withdrew the petition.

Senior advocate Nalin Kohli, appearing for the Badminton Association of India, submitted that neither his client nor the Paralympics Committee of India had a role to play in the selection process as the selection of a player depended on his/her performance in the qualifying events.

Also read: Indian Badminton duo Ashwini-Sikki finish runners-up in women's doubles at Denmark Masters International Challenge

Since Kumar did not qualify for entry on the basis of these events, his name was sent as a bipartite entry which was rejected by the international authorities, Kohli said.

“90 players have to come. 90 is the sealing. In case it is not filled, if slot is there.. bipartite system kicks in.. Bipartite system is a discretionary process. PCI, BAI have no role to play,” he explained.

In his petition, Kumar sought a direction to the authorities to include his name in the list of selected candidates.

He contended that grave injustice was caused to him on account of the Paralympic Committee of India's selection panel selecting the pair ranked 31 -- Pramod Bhagat and Palak Kohli -- for the mixed doubles badminton event.

The petition alleged that the selection committee arbitrarily ignored the pair ranked 6, Raj Kumar and Parul Dalsukhbhai Parmar, for Tokyo Paralympics.

“The Selection Committee of the PCI and respondent no. 4 (Badminton Association) in the arbitrary, capricious and discriminatory exercise of discretion failed to select/ sent the entry of the Petitioner in Tokyo Paralympic 2020 games in badminton competition mixed doubles SL 3-SU 5 event,” the petition said.

Kumar thus submitted that the selection process was not fair and transparent in view of the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011 which mandates judicious selection of players to represent India on merits for major International events.

News source: PTI

2021-08-03 18:03

Sports minister launches official theme song for India's Paralympic contingent

New Delhi, Aug 3 (Olympics news) Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday virtually launched the theme song 'Kar De Kamaal Tu' for the country's Paralympic contingent and urged the public to cheer the para athletes during the upcoming Games in Tokyo.

The song is composed and sung by divyang cricket player Sanjeev Singh, who is a resident of Lucknow.

It was the Paralympic Committee of India's (PCI) idea to get the song composed by a player from the divyang community as a mark of inclusiveness.

"The song embodies the grit and determination of our amazing Paralympic athletes. Indian para athletes have consistently performed well all over the world. You have made India proud," Thakur said.

"Let's all come together and cheer for our para athletes," he added.

India is sending its biggest-ever contingent at the Tokyo Paralympics which are set to open on August 24.

"This time India is sending the largest ever contingent of 54 para sportspersons competing across nine disciplines," Thakur said.

The minister also urged the para athletes to play with a free mind and hoped that the Indian contingent increases its medal haul from the last Games.

At the the Rio Games in 2016, the Indian contingent returned with a haul of four medals, including two gold, a silver and a bronze.

Also read: PM to invite Olympic contingent to Red Fort on Aug 15, also to interact with them at his residence

"When you go don't feel under pressure, play with a free mind because at the international level perhaps you are equal in terms of talent but how you deal with the circumstances and how tough you are mentally is important." "At Rio there were 19 para athletes and you brought back four medals. This is the biggest contingent and you will bring more medals," he added.

The launch was also attended by Sports Secretary Ravi Mittal, Secretary LS Singh, PCI President Deepa Malik and Secretary General Gursharan Singh.

Malik, who won the silver in shot put at the Rio Paralympics, said: "This theme song depicts the enthusiasm of the para athletes and their will to win medals for India. It has been composed to boost the morale of Indian Paralympic contingent." "The Paralympic movement in India has taken a larger-than-life shape in a very short time and para sports is one of the best ways to do it. Para sports need to be brought in the mainstream in India."

News source: PTI

2021-08-03 14:40

Tokyo refuses to allot additional slot for Paralympian shooter, SC informed

New Delhi, Aug 3 (Olympics news) The Supreme Court was informed on Tuesday that "Tokyo has refused to allot additional slot" for Paralympian shooter Naresh Kumar Sharma, who was to be included as additional participant for the upcoming Paralympics in Japan as per the apex court's order to the PCI.

The top court granted liberty to Sharma to approach the Delhi High Court and request it to expeditiously take up his appeal against its single-judge order which had refused to interfere with his non-selection for Tokyo Paralympics, scheduled for later this month.

A bench of justices A M Khanwilkar and Sanjiv Khanna passed the order after senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Sharma, said it is a classic case as "Tokyo has refused to allot additional slot" to the petitioner as there were 10 slots - eight for men and two for women participants.

The apex court had Monday ordered the Paralympics Committee of India (PCI) to immediately include the five-time Paralympian as an additional participant for the sporting mega-event in Japan which is scheduled to commence from August 24.

At the outset, Singh told the bench on Tuesday that Sharma's appeal pending before a division bench of the high court could be heard Wednesday and it could be decided whether Sharma or the other player should go.

He said the high court can also decide whether Sharma can go as a reserve for the Paralympics.

Referring to the issue of players being already in bubble, Singh said, "35 persons have tested positive after reaching there".

“Accordingly, we dispose of this Special Leave Petition (SLP) with liberty to the petitioner to approach the division bench of the high court and request for taking up the appeal expeditiously,” the bench said in its order.

The top court was hearing Sharma's plea challenging the July 30 order of a division bench of the high court which had posted his petition relating to his non-selection for the upcoming games for hearing on August 6.

In his plea filed in the apex court, Sharma, an Arjuna awardee, had said that last date of selection for shooting in Tokyo Paralympic is August 2 and if the matter is heard by the high court on August 6, it would make his petition for selection infructuous.

Sharma had said that a division bench of the high court had on July 30 sought responses of the PCI and the Centre on his appeal against its single-judge order and posted the matter for hearing on August 6.

In his plea in the apex court, he had said that his counsel had tried for an early date of hearing before the high court since, as per policy of PCI, the deadline for sending names of final selected candidates for participation in the games is August 2.

"The petitioner humbly seeks intervention of this court in the present matter as the legitimate opportunity of the petitioner to participate in Tokyo Paralympics in R7 event and consequently bring laurels to the country will be lost if the arbitrary, discriminatory and capricious selection of the shooter in R7 event by the selection committee of PCI is allowed,” said the plea filed in the top court.

Also read: HC asks PCI to take instructions on 5-time Paralympian shooter Naresh Sharma’s plea over non-selection for Tokyo games

During the July 30 hearing before the high court, Sharma's counsel had submitted that the event will start from August 24, and August 2 is the deadline for Tokyo 2020 organising committee to receive sports entry forms submitted by the National Paralympic Committee (NPC).

The counsel had urged the high court to list the matter on an early date, however, the bench had said the petitioner should have approached the court a little earlier and not at the last moment.

On July 27, the high court's single-judge order had said that PCI's conduct in relation to the selection of another player over Sharma was “unbecoming of a public sporting body” which has to maintain a fair, transparent and inclusionary approach.

The court had, however, refused to interfere with the selection of the other player over Sharma at this belated stage, noting that the shooting team was already in a bubble.

It had however asked the Union Sports Ministry to examine the aspect and take action, if necessary.

News source: PTI

2021-07-30 10:02

Paralympian shooter appeals in Delhi HC single-judge order on non-selection for Tokyo games

New Delhi, Jul 29 ( Shooting News ) Five-time Paralympian shooter Naresh Kumar Sharma has moved the Delhi High Court in appeal against its single-judge order which refused to interfere with his non-selection by the Paralympics Committee of India (PCI) for the upcoming Tokyo games.

The appeal will be heard on July 30 by a bench headed by Chief Justice D N Patel.

In his appeal filed through advocate Satyam Singh and Amit Kumar Sharma, the Arjuna and Rajiv Gandhi State Sports Awardee Paralympian has said the single-judge order failed to consider the facts in proper perspective when it refused to grant any relief to him in spite of noting that the PCI acted in violation of its own criteria for selection of the Paralympic Shooting Team.

The appeal states that Tokyo Paralympics are set to commence from August 24 and therefore, a direction can still be passed to the PCI can send Sharma's name for his participation in the R7 shooting event.

"02.08.2021 is the deadline for the Tokyo 2020 organising committee to receive Sports entry forms submitted by NPC (National Paralympic Committee). The Ld. Single Judge failed to take into account the fact that the PCI can send the name of the appellant even at this stage for his participation at Tokyo Paralympics 2020 in R7 event," the appeal said.

“The Ld. Single Judge erred in observing that she sees no reason to interfere with the selection of respondent no.4 or issue directions to the PCI to select the petitioner (Sharma) to compete in the R-7 event of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, either in place of respondent no. 4 (the selected player) or as an additional entry,” it said.

Also read : PCI conduct unbecoming, says HC on 5-time Paralympian shooter not being selected for Tokyo games

On July 27, the high court's single-judge order had said that PCI's conduct in relation to the selection of another player, Deepak, over Naresh Kumar Sharma was “unbecoming of a public sporting body” which has to maintain a fair, transparent and inclusionary approach.

While deciding Sharma's petition against his non-selection, the single judge observed that it found prima facie merit in his averment that the PCI Selection Committee did adopt different standards vis-à-vis Deepak and other Para Shooters.

The court had, however, refused to interfere with the selection of the other player over Sharma at this belated stage, noting that the shooting team was already in a bubble.

It nonetheless directed the Sports Ministry under the Central government to examine the aspect and take action if necessary.

News source: PTI

2021-07-28 19:38

PCI conduct unbecoming, says HC on 5-time Paralympian shooter not being selected for Tokyo games

New Delhi, Jul 28 (Olympics news) The conduct of Paralympics Committee of India (PCI) in selecting another player over 5-time Paralympian Naresh Kumar Sharma was “unbecoming of a public sporting body” which has to maintain a fair, transparent and inclusionary approach, the Delhi High Court has said.

Justice Rekha Palli noted that in spite of Sharma -- an Arjuna Awardee and Rajiv Gandhi State Sports Awardee -- fulfilling the existing criteria for selection, PCI raised certain concerns with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to ensure the selection of Deepak for the R-7 shooting event and violated its own criteria for the selection of the Paralympic shooting team.

By failing to inform Sharma and shooters that scores from the Novi Sad Grand Prix 2021 — where Deepak participated -- would be accepted for the selection to the Tokyo Paralympics, the PCI appeared to have acted in a discriminatory manner, the judge said.

“I do find prima facie merit in the averment that the PCI Selection Committee did adopt different standards vis-à-vis the respondent no.4 (Deepak) and other Para Shooters,” the court stated in its July 27 order, passed in Sharma's petition against his non-selection.

The court directed the Sports Ministry to examine the aspect and take action if necessary.

“The manner in which the PCI went above and beyond to raise concerns in respect of respondent no.4 with the IPC, secure an alternate method for him to score additional points without informing any other Para Shooter of the same, and eventually ensure his selection does merit a careful examination,” the court opined.

The court refused however to interfere with the selection of the other player over Sharma at this belated stage.

“I do not find any reason to grant the petitioner's prayer to have his name included in the list of athletes for the R-7 event at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics at this belated stage when the Shooting team has already been placed in a bubble for the purpose of the Paralympics,” the court stated. Read also: LPU announces cash rewards for its Tokyo Olympic, Paralympic medal winners

Sharma, who was represented by advocates Varun Singh and Satyam Singh, alleged that Deepak was permitted and guided by the authorities to participate in the grand prix event in order to enable him to become eligible for the Paralympics, in spite of the event being an unrecognised one.

The PCI, represented by Advocate Naveen Kumar, contended that it was doing its best to select the best candidates and Deepak was the one with the highest score in the relevant category.

It was also submitted that the Novi Sad Grand Prix was one of the World Shooting Para Sports (WSPS) events in which many countries participated.

News source: PTI

2021-07-22 16:30

Is the Tokyo Olympics 2021 worth it?

We haven't seen a more controversial Olympics in decades compared to this year in Tokyo. The pandemic has highlighted a number of complications with what the sporting competition stands for. Many stand firmly against the Tokyo Olympics and want to see it be cancelled for multiple reasons, but the games plow forward anyway.

Sports without a doubt is an important aspect of life in multiple ways. Athletes train very hard and make big sacrifices for their performance. Sports even helps troubled individuals overcome extremely traumatic experiences; it has given many people a new lease on life. Sports instil core values such as discipline, strategic thinking, hard working attitude and self love. Historically, sports have also been responsible for warring countries to take pause and just play a game against their mortal enemy, putting aside their political feelings towards each other and forming a human connection in the midst of brutal killing and loss.

The Olympics itself has stood for that. At the beginning of the Olympics each year a truce is called and the host country promises a safe passage and a secure stay for visiting athletes. It is a tradition signifying that they stand together in the face of humanity, and that they are able, if need be, to put aside their religious or political differences to unite for something bigger.

That is not to say there have not been any breaches in the past. We can not forget how Hitler refused to shake hands with Jesse Owens because of the latter’s skin colour. Not just that, the Olympics started as an all white competition for men only. There have been multiple discriminatory allegations in this decade alone; Castor Semenya and Dutee Chand to name a few. The gymnastic categories have been marred with so many mental health and sexual assault issues.

If Olympics is allowed to move on from such incidents then how are they allowed to be in a position to fire someone who made a joke about Holocaust two decades ago. Nothing justifies such a joke, but one can't deny that it does make for an ironic situation. The Olympics committee not only fired the opening ceremony director for such allegations, they have now also discluded the music of composer Keigo Oyamada, because he bullied his classmates in school and boasted about it in some magazine interviews. If that isn’t hypocrisy I don’t know what is.

Also read: Amid COVID gloom, could it be 'India Shining' in Tokyo? All indications say yes

In recent times the Olympics no longer prioritizes the athletes as being central to the event. It has been highly politicized and corrupted, more so this year than any other. The pandemic has brought down the curtain and revealed the backdoor dealings, blackmail and political power plays of the organisers and brands that manipulate it for personal gains. ‘The spectacle disguises a rusty and corrupt system, prone to vote buying in the selection of host cities (including Tokyo), appeasement of dictators and unkept promises. To the fans of the Olympics, the positives outweigh the negatives’, a New York Times article reported.

The people of Japan stand against hosting the Olympics, because not even close to half of them have been administered both vaccines. There have been multiple protests and riots. The Japanese population largely feels that the Olympics will be unsafe, risky and invasive to their home country. Thomas Bach however has been impervious to critics and sometimes even to reality, and he just continued to claim that not only will the games happen, but also that they will be ‘safe and secure.’

He recently came out and said that he wasn’t sure if that would in fact be the case. He claimed he had multiple sleepless nights leading up to the games, worrying what would happen. Bach believes that the strong guidelines that they have set for anyone included in the Olympics are enough to protect everyone. Roughy 11,000 participants are expected to participate in the games and 4,400 in Paralympics and multiple times the staff and coaches. Who is to say that every one of these foreign visitors will follow every single guideline? Data collected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) shows that as of 21 July, a total of 91 Covid cases had been recorded since 1 July linked to the Olympics. Athletes and staff members have tested positive for Covid-19 in the bio-bubble and we are yet to find out if they have infected others.

There has been speculation about what the cancellation of the Summer Olympics would mean for Japan. The Japanese government doesn’t want to be ridiculed for being unsuccessful at hosting the Olympics and specially because China is to host the winter Olympics in just a few months, they don't want to be the ones to do badly.

The IOC is also holding them to the contract that they signed way before the pandemic happened or anyone had any knowledge of it. Japan faces huge financial repercussions in case of cancellation of the competition. It would also mean political ruin for the Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Bach, considering how long they have been pushing the idea of hosting a successful Olympics. The financial backers of Suga’s political party would back out and let them take the fall.

The Olympics have clearly lost their way and it is becoming clear they need to find a way to make the uplifting of athletes their main concern. Even the schedule for the entire event was planned not according to the sportspersons but the broadcasting companies, and the financial gains that can be made for sponsors and organisers.

Even though the games try to project an inclusive and just image for themselves they always seem to be behind the curve. Yes, the games must go on, but do they have to backstage?

2021-07-17 18:21

As world no. 3 in para-Badminton, IAS officer Suhas L Y hopes for medal in Tokyo

Noida, Jul 17 (Olympics news) Any player competing at the world level hopes to win a medal for his country, IAS officer Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj, who will be representing India in Para-Badminton at the Tokyo Paralympics, said here on Saturday.

Suhas, who is posted as the District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar adjoining Delhi in western Uttar Pradesh, is currently ranked third in the world in his category, according to officials.

The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 2007 batch has been busy fighting the Covid pandemic since joining his current bureaucratic role in April 2020, but hopes to clinch a medal and make the country proud at the world event starting August 24.

He said the Tokyo event is no doubt going to be a challenge. Being world number three, his own berth at the highly-competitive event was unsure until recently.

Also read: I hope to win the National title and raise my international rankings - Racketlon star Siddhartha Nandal

"Over the years, we have seen that small margins make the difference between winners and losers. I have lost games with a margin of millimetres and won by centimetres. When I compete in Tokyo, I know every player will be there hoping to win a medal,” Suhas (38) told reporters.

"I believe in the teachings of Bhagvat Geeta. Do your deed and you will get the results. I am not putting myself under any pressure. If God has brought me to this level, then I am going to put in all my efforts,” he said.

"As far as the medal is concerned, being world number three, it is obvious to hope for a medal. But again, as it is said, you do your duty, the result is destiny,” the shuttler said.

On managing the dual roles of being a district magistrate and a professional badminton player, Karnataka-born Suhas said passion and love for any activity has helped him keep a balance.

Over the last one-and-a-half-year, he said he practised and trained himself in badminton at nights after work in view of the Covid situation.

Suhas, who has previously worked as the district magistrate in around half a dozen districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Allahabad and Azamgarh, and competed in national and international events, called on parents to encourage their differently-abled children for sports.

"Generally, we hesitate in encouraging children. Whatever I am today is because of my parents, who have told me to pursue whatever I want. The journey is not going to be easy but one must make the effort," he said.

"I want to appeal to all parents, especially those who have Divyang son or daughter, to please encourage their children for sports and fill them with confidence that they can achieve anything if they make an effort. There would be wins and losses but they can achieve anything," he added.

News source: PTI

2021-07-17 09:26

Tokyo 2020: After pandemic duty, IAS officer cum shuttler Yathiraj gears up for Paralympics

New Delhi, Jul 16 (Olympics news) He has been a busy bureaucrat fighting the COVID-19 menace in the National Capital Region as Noida's District Magistrate but come during last week of August Suhas L Yathiraj will be representing India in the Para-Badminton event at the Tokyo Paralympics, starting August 24.

A look at Yathiraj's official twitter handle @dmgbnagar for the last 16 months have been dedicated on handling the COVID-19 virus and the young DM, who is an Asian Para Badminton gold and bronze medallist, will now be practising extra hours to bring glory to the country.

"Being the DM of Noida, it was a very challenging time during the Pandemic. But I never gave up on my training and devoted all my focus and time into it. I am very much confident to clinch a medal at Tokyo 2020," said Yathiraj, an IAS officer of UP cadre and former DM of Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad).

The bureaucrat along Manoj Sarkar on Friday qualified after the game's governing body BWF granted two bipartite quotas to India, making it a seven-member contingent at the Tokyo Games, beginning August 24.

Yathiraj has been granted the quota in men's singles SL4, while Sarkar has made the cut in men's singles SL3, and will be joining the team led by world no. 1 Pramod Bhagat.

The addition of the two para shuttlers also boosted India's medal prospects in the two men's singles categories.

India already has Bhagat in men's singles SL3 and Tarun Dhillon in men's singles SL4 events.

"It's wonderful to have strong presence at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Indian para shuttlers are doing very well in international events including Asian Para Games and World Championships, and now this is the time to lead the show in the Paralympics," chief national coach Gaurav Khanna said in a media release.

Also read: Our shooters certainly among India's top prospects: NRAI president Raninder Singh

"It's great to have two shuttlers each in men's SL3 category and men's SL4 category which enhances our medal prospect. We wish to have the gold and silver in both the category." "A little bit disappointing though as I was expecting more shuttlers to qualify since they did well in the recent BWF events." Sarkar described it as a "dream" come true moment to qualify for the Paralympics especially when the sport was making its debut.

"There is a lot of expectations on me and I hope to live up to it in Tokyo. My target will be a podium finish at the Games and I will be out to win the gold," said the former world no. 1.

Delighted at the two bipartite slots, Paralympic Committee of India President Deepa Malik said: "We are very happy with the latest development. Our para shuttlers have been doing really well in the international events in the past few years.

"And inclusion of Suhas L. Yathiraj and Manoj Sarkar have increased our medal chances. I wish them the entire team good luck." The Team: Men's singles: Pramod Bhagat (SL3), Manoj Sarkar (SL3), Tarun Dhillon (SL4), Suhas L. Yathiraj (SL4), Krishna Nagar (SH6) Women’s doubles: Parul Parmar and Palak Kohli (SL3-SU5).

News source: PTI

2021-07-12 10:31

My goal is to help people with disabilities in India in education, employment and sports - Indian para-athlete Ekta Bhyan

Sports is one of those rare industries where some athletes are adored, paid monumental sums of life changing money and given all the privileges of life. Flashy cars, expensive watches, glamorous partners are heavily documented in sports news, but why do some deserve more than others? Why are some athletes given greater recognition for their talent, hard work and dedication compared to others? One might argue that athletes of lesser known sports face greater hardships and para-athletes even more so.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Ms. Ekta Bhyan speaks about her journey as a para-athlete and its impact on her life, the support from GoSports Foundation, memorable achievements, the role of Mr. Amit Saroha, government policies and her future goals.

Q 1) What inspired you to become a para-athlete and how much of an impact has sports made in your life?

I started my sports journey at a very late stage in my life. In 2003 I met with a road accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury and ever since I have been using a wheelchair. After that injury, I was focused on my academics in order to be financially independent. The perception of society towards my disability was very negative and full of stereotypes. In 2013, I passed the civil services exam and it was a life-changing event. During that time I had given a few interviews and a few articles were published about me. Somehow the story reached Mr Amit Saroha (My present coach) who is a Paralympian and an Arjuna award winner. He asked me if I would like to join para-sports, it was never a pre-planned move. I had done a lot in academics and I thought I should give sports a try. In our society, people are not really aware of para-sports but my family supported me and I started my journey as a para-athlete. In 2016 I won my first national medal and my first silver medal was in the same year in Germany. My first medal motivated me a lot and I knew I could excel in para-sports. My family support and my coach Amit Saroha motivated and inspired me.

Sports have made a huge positive impact in my life. It is not just about me doing well in sports, this has helped me become a voice for those with disabilities. Now I can be a voice for those with disabilities and help people with disabilities be it mental or financial barriers. It is all possible because of the success that I have had and as a result, I have a platform to reach out to people. Apart from all this the best part is representing your country and winning medals for it.

Q 2) How has the GoSports Foundation supported your journey as a para-athlete?

In our country funding is very difficult especially for para-athletes. Most of the para-athletes in the county are dependent on government policies because there are very few private companies funding para-athletes. In my case, I am very lucky to have GoSports. They have supported me in travel, training and nutrition. They have taken care of all the aspects of my sports life. No one was really interested in para-sports but they were the first organisation to support para-sports and they have been doing this since 2012. I have been associated with GoSports in 2017. Now there are a few organisations like OGQ that support para-athletes but GoSports have been doing this for almost a decade. In our country, there are very few people who support para-athletes and GoSports have taken a great initiative to support us.

Q 3) You have accomplished many accolades in India and abroad, which is your most memorable achievement and why?

Though my first national medal will always be close to my heart, the Asian gold medal has induced a lot of confidence in me and from then on I started thinking about Paralympics and I started training for it. I guess you can say that the Asian gold medal is the most important and memorable one.

Q 4) How important of a role has Amit Saroha had in motivating you to become a para-athlete?

He himself is a Paralympic athlete and we share the same quadraplegic disability, which means both upper and lower limb suffer limited from movement. I used to idealize him because even with such a severe case of disability he was bringing laurels to the nation. I am not the only one who was motivated watching him, there are multiple athletes in the sports arena that have him to thank for the support that he provided them. He just wants to provide the best opportunities for disabled people because there are such few chances for them to be financially independent. Sports facilities can make it possible for such people to have that chance, if someone does well they help them find jobs. He has helped many people and I am just one of them. We need more people to support the process of bringing para-athletes from grassroots level for athletes that need guidance.

Q 5) According to you, what does the government need to do to encourage more physically challenged people to take up sports?

The needs of people with different disabilities change from person to person. The common thing every para-athlete needs is the right assistive device, like I use a wheelchair while another person might need an artificial limb. They are very expensive but they help a lot in making disabled people independent and help them perform better in sports.

We need the right infrastructure. There are places that are not accessible to all, for example certain places that wheel-chair accessible or ones that are not accessible to the visually impaired. Although there are a lot of places that support physically impaired people, not all places do. Everytime I go out I need to think in advance if my destination is wheelchair friendly even if it is a public place. I always need to keep in mind I might not be able to go to certain places. Accessibility is a challenge because even public transport is not disabled people friendly.

I have already said this but para sports persons are dependent on the policies of the government and there isn’t much funding there as it is. The central government has the same regulations for both able-bodied and para athletes and Haryana does too. However, there are multiple states that don't keep the athletes at par. We receive a second class treatment there and so we need good regulations that are carried out well in every state. There is a long way to go in terms of infrastructure and policies for Para-athletes athletes to receive the same respect and level of appreciation as the able-bodied sports persons.

Q 6) What are your goals and aspirations for the future? How do you plan to achieve them?

My short term goal is to win a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics and I have been training hard for it. As my long term goal I want to help persons with disabilities in India, especially the women in terms of education, employment and sports. The image of women with disabilities is not very good at the moment. The literacy rate of such people is at 30% as of now and they are not financially independent. Most importantly, they are all restricted to their homes. For many reasons there is a lack of opportunities and I would like to help them be independent and self-sufficient.

2021-07-09 18:30

Pistol shooter Manu Bhaker says working towards Olympic glory for past five years

New Delhi, Jul 9 (Olympics news) Top Indian medal contender at the Tokyo Games, ace pistol shooter Manu Bhaker on Friday said she has been "working really hard" for the past five years to win an Olympic gold.

Bhaker, 19, recently decided to switch off from social media till the end of Tokyo Olympics to focus on her preparation and performance in the Games, starting July 23.

"To win the Olympic gold medal, I have been really working really hard for the past five years now, and it has always been my dream," Bhaker said in a video posted by the Sports Ministry.

Champion rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra remains India's lone individual gold medallist at the Olympics.

Winner of innumerable medals at top international events, Bhaker thanked the government for the help it offered her for preparing in the best possible manner.

"The government has been very helpful throughout my shooting years. Whenever we needed any equipments or ammunition for training purpose or pistols or anything, everything is being settled by the government," the ISSF World Cup medallist said.

Bhaker is currently training in Croatia along with other members of the Olympic-bound Indian team.

The shooters will directly fly to Tokyo before the Games.

In the recently-concluded ISSF World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, Bhaker had teamed up with Saurabh Chaudhary to win the 10m air pistol mixed team gold.

She, however, ended seventh in the 25m pistol event won by another Olympic-bound shooter Rahi Sarnobat.

Also read: 10 Indian para shooters qualify for Tokyo Paralympics

Bhaker had won a silver in 10m air pistol individual event in the New Delhi World Cup in March and 10m air pistol mixed team gold, along with Chaudhary.

A gold medallist in the prestigious ISSF World Cup Finals, Youth Olympics and Commonwealth Games, the pistol shooter will enter Tokyo as one of India's biggest medal hopes, having won almost everything one can after a sensational start to her career.

Bhaker has been selected for three events in the Olympics, scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8.

The Croatia tour was arranged after the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) realised that it was not possible to hold camps in India amid a deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

News source: PTI

2021-07-08 14:40

Indian shooting contingent to leave for Tokyo on July 16

New Delhi, Jul 8 (Shooting news) Currently in its last leg of the long competition-cum-training tour of Croatia, the Olympic-bound Indian shooting contingent will leave Zagreb for Tokyo on July 16 and reach the Japanese capital the following day.

In Tokyo, the shooters and their support staff are likely to be in quarantine for three to four days as they are entering Japan from a country where the COVID-19 situation is under control.

The Games are scheduled to be held in the Japanese capital from July 23 to August 8.

“Since they are not in India (where the the number COVID cases was high when the shooters left for Croatia in May), they will not be required to do a long quarantine, which is mandatory for those travelling directly from India,” a National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) source told PTI.

“The contingent is leaving on July 16 and reaching Tokyo on July 17. It is going to be a long journey but I think there will be a transit,” he said.

India's shooting contingent, including some of the country’s biggest medal prospects at the Tokyo Games, had left for Zagreb on a charter flight on May 11 for their final stretch of preparations for the Olympics.

The plan was always to head straight into the Games from Zagreb.

Meanwhile, the shooters and their coaches are doing all they can to ensure they enter the Games in the right frame of mind, having done exceptionally well over the last few years.

The team, however, could not set the stage ablaze in the recently-concluded ISSF World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, where it won one gold, a silver and two bronze medals for a 10th place finish, not a great result considering the shooters' excellent run in recent times.

One of the coaches, who is with the team in Croatia, asserted that the team is headed in the right direction.

“The coaches are working on their game, helping them with their inputs. Skill wise, they are proven shooters with some great results backing them. And their mindset is also not at all a problem heading into the Games,” the coach said.

“Shooters who are competing in one event are generally training one session in the fray and those going to take part in two events are doing two sessions. The coaches have developed specific plans for the shooters and they are being followed religiously,” he added.

Asked about reports that the pistol team's longtime foreign coach Pavel Smirnov got into a dispute with the security at the training venue's entry gate, an NRAI source called it a small issue that has been sorted.

“Yes, there was an issue but it was a small. The security and the coach got into an argument over thermal screening at the entry gate, and I think words were exchanged, following which the matter was reported to the security's supervisors.

“However, the Croatian shooting federation then stepped in and resolved the issue amicably. So it's all good now,” he said on the condition of anonymity.

India will be represented by a record 15 shooters at the Tokyo Games.

The Indian contingent in Croatia has eight rifle and five pistol shooters, besides coaches and other support staff members.

The Indian shooters are training alongside the Croatian national team.

The Indian contingent shifted base to Zagreb as it was considered safer for them to train there at a time when the country reeled under a devastating second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During their stay in Croatia, the Indian shooters took part in the European Championships in Osijek, from May 29 to June 6, before participating in the last World Cup before the Olympics, from June 22 to July 3, at the same venue.

Also read: Paralympic-bound shooter Swaroop Unhalkar ‘confident’ of doing well at Tokyo Paralympics having been inspired by Rahi Sarnobat's exploits

News source: PTI

2021-07-02 12:25

Para Games gold medallists Saroha set for 3rd Paralympics, Sandeep Chaudhary too qualifies

New Delhi, Jul 1 (Olympic news) Asian Para Games gold medallists Amit Kumar Saroha and Sandeep Chaudhary have qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics, the former after battling a recent bout of COVID-19 infection.

Two-time Paralympian Saroha will be representing the country in the F51 category in discus throw and club throw. F51 refers to limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement.

While Chaudhary will be competing in the F-44 (lower limb competing without prosthesis affected by limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement) javelin throw event at the Tokyo Paralympics, to be held from August 24 to September 5.

The Paralympics Committee of India (PCI) is expected to officially announce a 24-member athletics squad for the Games on Friday.

"Finally Got Selected For Tokyo Paralympic, It's My Third Paralympic Games.

"To be honest, this journey of Tokyo selection was not easy because a few days before the trial, there was a lot of weakness in the body due to corona, but in our Haryana, it is said of courage. Ram's support," Saroha tweeted.

"Also, it is a matter of happiness that two of my students Ekta and Dharambir have also been selected for Tokyo. As a coach and mentor, what can be more proud of me than this!! If you all keep your links together, then this time we will definitely bring medals," he wrote.

Saroha's Road to Tokyo wasn't easy as he recovered from the dreaded COVID-19 just before the final national selection trials at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here.

The journey was full of hardships for the 36-year-old Saroha, who will representing India in his third Paralympics, in Tokyo. He suffered a car accident when he was 22, which left him a quadriplegic due to compression of the spinal cord.

Before his injury, Saroha was a national level hockey player but was forced to shift to parasports after being confined to a weheelchair.

Saroha has two silver medals in the IPC World Athletics Championships but his biggest achievement is a gold at the men's club throw (F51) at the 2014 Incheon Asian Para Games.

Chaudhary, on the other hand, will be representing India in his first Paralympics.

He booked his ticket to Tokyo with an unofficial world record throw of 66.44m.

Chaudhary represented India at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, where he won a gold medal and set a new world record with 60.01m.

News source: PTI

2021-06-29 18:51

Paralympic-bound shooter Swaroop Unhalkar ‘confident’ of doing well at Tokyo Paralympics having been inspired by Rahi Sarnobat's exploits

Pune, Jun 29 (Sports News) Tokyo Paralympics-bound shooter Swaroop Unhalkar, who will compete in the 10m Air Rifle Standing event, is inspired by the exploits of able-bodied markswoman Rahi Sarnobat and wants to do his best in the marquee Games.

The 33-year-old Unhalkar, who hails from Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, bagged a quota for the Tokyo Paralympics in 2019, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he could not train last year.

“I take inspiration from Rahi, she practises hard continuously and her attitude is like whichever match she competes in, she wants to bag a medal. There is a to learn from her and she definitely is an inspiration,” Unhalkar told PTI in an interview at the ‘Gun For Glory’ shooting academy here on Tuesday.

Tokyo Olympics-bound Sarnobat, who also hails from Kolhapur, is currently training in Croatia and she won a gold medal on Monday in the women's 25m pistol event in the ISSF World Cup in Osijek.

But thanks to special permission from the authorities, he could train during the lockdown-like restrictions which were in place in Maharashtra for two months this year.

Unhalkar is hoping to do his best in the Tokyo Paralympics scheduled from August 24 to September 5.

“I sincerely hope that I will bag a medal at Paralympics. The way I am practising for the past two-four months, I am confident that I can win a medal,” he said.

“The preparations for the Paralympics started since I bagged the quota in 2019, following which we planned a work-out on how we can bag a medal at the Games but after that COVID pandemic started and our practise stopped and the entire 2020 went without practice." He said he was doing a bit of practice in Kolhapur at a local range and then shifted to Pune after the state government lifted the lockdown in December last year.

"I started working with my coach Kiran Khandare from the Gun for Glory shooting academy,” said Unhalkar, who was introduced to para-sports by his friends in his native town.

Unalkar is well-aware that several restrictions could be imposed during the Paralympics in Tokyo in view of the ongoing pandemic and this could be a challenge.

“There are many restrictions imposed by the Japan government like we need to travel with less people and we have to go 5-6 days prior to the competition and after our event we need to leave the venue.

"There is also a possibility that we may have to go without our coach, so this is challenging. But we have to accept it and perform well and bag a medal,” said the para-shooter, whose event will be held on August 30.

Unalkar feels that the national camp to be held in New Delhi before the Paralympics will be “crucial”.

“Our national camp is beginning from July 1 in New Delhi, where I will join and in that one and half months, we will be in a bio-bubble, and we will practise there.

"The camp will be crucial for the Paralympics as we will not be able to train in Japan. So, we will have to do maximum practice in the camp before going to Tokyo. The focus will be on the basics and how to be mentally ready for the event," he signed off. News Source: PTI

2021-06-10 12:08

Winning gold at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics will be special: Indian para badminton player Krishna Nagar

New Delhi, Jun 10 Top para shuttler Krishna Nagar is "proud" of his qualification to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and is looking to make the opportunity count by claiming the gold medal at the August 24-September 5 event.

Nagar (SH 6 -- Short Stature) along with Pramod Bhagat (SL3 -- Standing Lower) and Tarun Dhillon (SL4 -- Standing Lower) have received official invitations from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to participate at the Tokyo 2020 Para Games.

SL3 refers to minor standing or lower limb impairment and SL4 means severe lower limb impairment. While SH6 refers to short stature.

"It's a proud moment for me that I will be part of the Paralympic Games when para badminton is making its debut. And I will definitely try to make it memorable winning the gold. My sole focus is standing on top of the podium," Nagar told the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).

They secured their respective places for the Tokyo Paralympics by virtue of their present impressive BWF world rankings.

Nagar added, "With the COVID-119 pandemic bringing anxiety and crisis to the world, I hope to bring smiles and happy moments for the countrymen through a medal in Tokyo 2020. This will be also a motivation for many upcoming para-athletes." The 21-year-old from Rajasthan clinched two gold medals at the Dubai 2021 Para Badminton International in April.

Nagar also shared why the Paralympic gold is so important to him.

"I had settled for the bronze at Asian Para Games 2018 and Basel 2019 World Championship, so I don't want to miss the gold this time. To win the gold at Tokyo 2020 will be very special," said Nagar, who is currently training in Lucknow.

But he is aware that the road will not be easy at the Games with strong players like Jack Shephard of England, Hong Kong's Chun Mai Kai waiting in his way to the podium.

Meanwhile, Bhagat said he is highly motivated to do well at the Games now that he has officially qualified for the event.

As of now, five Indian players have received official invitations from the BWF for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Chief national coach Gaurav Khanna was confident that India will have three more players in men's singles SL3, SL4 and mixed doubles event through Bipartite rule. The final list is due to be released on July 16.

The women's doubles pair of Parul Parmar (SL3) and Palak Kohli (SU5) were the first Indian duo to receive the confirmation on their qualification.

"I am expecting a medal each from all the players going to Tokyo. Tarun, Pramod, Krishna are strong contenders for gold medals. Meanwhile, it's a proud moment for someone so young like Palak qualifying for the Games.

"Training is going on full swing. We are fortunate that now we have a dedicated Badminton Academy for the Para Badminton players, so even if there's a lockdown our players have a place to train in.

"The spirit in the team is also very high and we are working hard towards our goal. There is also a system in place for each player which will surely help them deliver a medal winning performance in Tokyo." New source PTI

2021-05-22 09:21

Indian women's pair of Palak-Parul qualify for Paralympics

New Delhi, May 21 Women's pair of Palak Kohli and Parul Parmar on Friday became the first Indian para shuttlers to qualify for Tokyo Paralympics.

The 18-year-old Palak and veteran Parul, who couldn't compete at the Spanish para-Badminton International (May 11-16), due to travel restriction in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, received an official initimation from the world body BWF on Friday.

Palak and her partner Parul has achieved the qualification for the SL3-SU5 Women's Doubles event in para-badminton, which will be making its debut in this year's Paralympics.

"We got the official communication today and I am ecstatic to hear the news," said Palak, who is the youngest para-badminton player in the world to qualify for Tokyo Paralympics.

The duo is currently ranked sixth in the world.

"In the last few months, we have been pushing ourselves and training hard. Even in the pandemic, we continued to train under the guidance of Gaurav Khanna sir and never deterred from our focus." The top six pairs in the BWF ranking have qualified. The ranking was released after the completion of the Spanish Open.

"I am really grateful that we have been able to clear the first obstacle of getting a Paralympics medal. We have to now set our targets at the podium and devote all our energy in the upcoming days to achieve the goals." The duo was ranked fifth before the Spanish event and even though they had made the qualification criteria, they were waiting for the official communication, which was due after the Spanish event.

Palak and Parul are currently training at the Gaurav Khanna Excellia Badminton Academy, the first Indian professional para-badminton academy, in Lucknow.

"I am absolutely thrilled that Palak and Parul are the first ones from the Indian Para-badminton contingent to receive their tickets to Tokyo Paralympics," Khanna said.

"The pandemic has been difficult on all of us, but this news has brought some positivity. We now have to prepare keeping in mind the level of difficulties the Paralympics will have for us and the work gets somewhat easier for us by having a dedicated training facility.

"We are extremely grateful to the Sports Authority of India, BAI, Welspun India who has been constantly supporting us." Palak will represent India in the Paralympics in two events.

After making it to the SL3-SU5 Women's doubles event, Palak now awaits a call in the SU5 Singles category, where she's currently ranked number 11 in the world. News source: PTI

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