Beijing: The 2022 Asian Games, which were scheduled to take place in Hangzhou in September, were on Friday postponed amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in China.According to state-run CGTN TV, the Olympic Council of Asia has postponed the 19th edition of the multi-sports Games, the second biggest sporting event after the Olympics in size.The Games were scheduled to take place from September 10-25 in the capital of Zhejiang province, about 175 kilometres southwest of Shanghai."The Olympic Council of Asia has announced that the 19th Asian Games, originally scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China from September 10 to 25, 2022, will be postponed," said a statement on the official Games website, first posted on Chinese state media.The development comes at a time when China is battling a record number of daily cases in Shanghai, which is only a short train ride away from Games host city Hangzhou—PTI

The 2022 Asian Games, which were scheduled to take place in Hangzhou in September, were on Friday postponed amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in China.

Asian Games postponed amid COVID surge: Chinese media

Bangkok : The Indian women's badminton team started its campaign in the Uber Cup Finals with a comprehensive 4-1 win against lowly Canada here on Sunday.Led by two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu, the Indian team is placed in Group D in the 16-team draw. The group has higher-ranked South Korea and the United States as the other teams.Opening their campaign against Canada on the first day of the competition, India won three singles and one doubles match, the lone setback coming in the first women's doubles encounter.Sindhu gave the team a perfect start when she subdued Canada's top singles player Michelle Li 21-19, 21-12 in 33 minutes to give India a 1-0 lead.The doubles pair of Shruti Mishra and Simran Singhi went down to Rachel Honderich and Kristen Tsai 19-21, 12-21 in 36 minutes as Canada made it 1-1.In the second singles, Aakarshi Kashyap put India back in lead by beating Wen Yu Zhang of Canada in three games, winning 17-21, 21-18, 21-17 to make it 2-1.India sealed the victory when their second doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Treesa Jolly defeated Catherine Choi and Josephine Wu 21-9, 21-16 in 36 minutes.Ashmita Chaliha made it 4-1 for India when she defeated Rachel Chan 12-21, 21-11, 22-20 in 50 minutes—IANS&nbsp;

The Indian women's badminton team started its campaign in the Uber Cup Finals with a comprehensive 4-1 win against lowly Canada here on Sunday.

 Uber Cup Finals: Sindhu-led India outplay Canada 4-1 in opening group match

Istanbul: Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain's IBA World Championship campaign in the 70 kg category came to an early end after a disappointing loss in the pre quarter-finals, while compatriot Pooja Rani (81kg) cruised to the last eight stage in Istanbul on Friday.Lovlina, competing in her first international event since her podium finish in Tokyo last year, went down to Cindy Ngamba of Fair Chance Team (FCT) 1-4 in the pre-quarter finals.On the other hand, two-time Asian Champion Pooja notched a facile 5-0 win over Hungary's Timea Nagy in her opening bout.Pooja, the 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist, who is also competing in her first competitive tournament since her disappointing Tokyo Olympics appearance last year, looked completely in control against Nagy.The experienced Indian boxer blended defence and attack to out-punch the Hungarian, who is a two-time World Championships bronze medallist.The Bhiwani boxer will take on Australia's Jessica Bagley in the quarterfinal on Monday.In the first Indian bout of the day, Lovlina started aggressively but looked far from being at her best.The 24-year from Assam, going by her strategy of using her long hands to reach the opponent from afar, was unable to penetrate Ngamba defence.She fared better in the second round but the boxer from FCT defended tightly, avoiding Lovlina's punches while landing several sharp ones on the Indian.&nbsp;Lovlina had defeated former world champion Chen Nien-Chin in the first round.FCT is a team run by the International Boxing Association (IBA), formerly AIBA, from last year's men's World Championships, mainly comprising refugee athletes.The 2017 World Youth Champion Nitu (48kg) and 2019 Asian Championships bronze medallist Manisha (57kg) will play their respective pre-quarterfinal bouts on Saturday.Nitu will face Spain's Lopez Del Arbol while Manisha will square off against Bulgaria's Svetlana Staneva for a place in the quarter-final.—PTI

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain's IBA World Championship campaign in the 70 kg category came to an early end after a disappointing loss in the pre quarter-finals, while compatriot Pooja Rani (81kg) cruised to the last eight stage in Istanbul on Friday.

Boxing Worlds: Lovlina bows out, Pooja advances to quarters

Bhubaneswar:&nbsp;A pilot project on Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP), which aims to disseminate principles-based curriculum to help children become active, healthy and responsible citizens has been launched in Odisha. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) on Tuesday. Odisha is the first state in the country to launch the OVEP, officials said. The Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) is based on the Olympic philosophy that learning takes place through the balanced development of body and mind. Adopting the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship means striving for these in all fields of life. The OVEP programme is based on these cornerstones; using the universality of sport to support delivery of curriculum inside and outside of the classroom. OVEP-based projects and activities help address the global challenges of sedentary lifestyles, lack of concentration and adolescents dropping out of school, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in a release. The inaugural pilot project seeks to impact 32,000 children enrolled in 90 schools in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in the first year. Once in full swing, it will reach around 70 lakh children across the country. "This will be the beginning of (a) new Olympic movement in the country," Patnaik said in the virtual event. The chief minister underlined that children would benefit from the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. He hoped that these partnerships would make a significant contribution towards impactful holistic development of the school children. "Education is an integral part of the Olympic Movement's continuous contribution to society," IOC education commission chair Mikaela Jaworski said, adding that the OVEP had been implemented around the world since 2006. The programme, which will be integrated in school syllabus, is being developed in partnership with the School and Mass Education (SME) Department of Odisha and the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust. Odisha intends to take the OVEP to all schools and higher education institutions in a phased manner. The project aims to leverage the rich cultural and art history of the state in tailoring the curriculum to the schoolchildren, the IOC said. "Proud &amp; elated to take the first step towards making values-based learning a reality for the over 250 million school children in India," Bindra tweeted. It is crucial to equip schoolchildren with the right skills to be able to cultivate a strong sense of morality, equality and inclusion, he added. Teachers will be trained and empowered to deliver the programme in their own unique ways to suit the respective needs of their prefectures and local environments. Indian Olympic Association chairperson Narinder Batra said Odisha would create an example for other states through this unique movement."Only a small number of children in the world will become Olympians, but every child can be touched by the ideals of Olympism!" IOC member Nita Ambani said. That is the mission of OVEP and that is what makes it a huge opportunity for India, Ambani added.—PTI

A pilot project on Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP), which aims to disseminate principles-based curriculum to help children become active, healthy and responsible citizens has been launched in Odisha.

Olympic Values Education Programme launched in Odisha

New Delhi: The Union Sports Ministry's Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) accepted the proposals of several athletes from across the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core and Development Groups in an effort to assist them in better in their preparations as well as facilitate in their participation in upcoming competitions.Tokyo Paralympics silver medalist Nishad Kumar, who created an Asian record of 2.06m in the T47 Men's High Jump event, has been granted financial assistance to the tune of Rs 18.9 Lakh towards training at the Olympic Training Centre in Chula Vista, United States. Nishad already left for the 73-day training camp, which started on June 2 and will continue until August 12, along with his physiotherapist Aalaap Jawadekar.Nishad, who will be in action during the Asian Para Games next year, will be training in Chula Vista under Jeremy Fischer, who is the head coach and director of the centre. Meanwhile, 3000m steeplechase runner Avinash Sable, who competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, has been granted financial assistance to travel to Colorado Springs, where he will compete at the Diamond League in Rabat on June 5. Sable, who is a part of the TOPS Core team, will also be assisted with Masseur as well as a Garmin GPS watch. The total financial assistance has been to the tune of Rs 3.52 Lakh. Tokyo 2020 Olympics competitor Annu Rani has also been assisted financially with the procurement of Nemeth and Nordic Valhalla Javelins, to the tune of Rs 4.15 lakh.Among other sports, Table Tennis players Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula have also been extended support. While Manika has been provided financial support to have her personal coach Chris Pfeiffer beside her for the WTT Contender Zagreb (June 13-19), Sreeja has been provided financial assistance towards participation in WTT Feeder Otocec, Slovenia (June 20-26).Swimmer Aneesh Gowda has been provided financial assistance towards participation in Singapore National Swimming Championships (June 23-26), while Men's Sabre Fencer Karan Singh has been extended support to have a training camp at the Bauer Fencing Academy Orleans, France, from June 1 till July 31. Karan, who will train under the watchful eyes of Christian Bauer, will compete in the Asian Fencing Championship Seoul from June 10-15 as well as in the Senior World Fencing Championship Cairo from July 15-23. The only other Fencer from India who is training under Christian Bauer is Bhavani Devi.—ANI

The Union Sports Ministry's Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) accepted the proposals of several athletes from across the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core and Development Groups in an effort to assist them in better in their preparations as well as facilitate in their participation in upcoming competitions.

Sports Ministry provides financial assistance to multiple athletes towards international competitions

New Delhi: Sakshi Malik's struggles were nowhere to be seen as a fearless and aggressive Rio Olympics bronze medallist grabbed her first international gold medal in almost five years at the UWW Ranking Series event, in Almaty, on Friday. India's Mansi and Divya Kakran too earned top of the podium finishes.But the day belonged to Sakshi, who has been struggling till the recent CWG trials.She was consistently losing to young Sonam Malik in the 62kg category and even missed qualification for the Tokyo Games but looked completely transformed on Friday as she fought her bouts with tremendous confidence. She began with a win by technical superiority against Kazakhstan's Irina Kuznetsova and followed that up with another big 9-3 win over Uzbekistan's Rushana Abdirasulova.As Mongolia's Tserenchimed Sukhee forfeited her semifinal, Sakshi entered the final, where she pinned Kuznetsova while leading 7-4, beating the home wrestler for a second time in the day.Sakshi stood out with her double leg attacks and agility, hardly giving breathing pace to her opponents. Even when her rival won a challenge to take 5-3 lead, Sakshi was not perturbed and won in an emphatic fashion.The last time she won a gold was in 2017 Commonwealth Championship even as she won two bronze medals at the Asian Championships in 2020 and 2022.Also winning the gold was Mansi (57kg), who won her final bout 3-0 against Kazakshtan's Emma Tissina, who hardly made a move. Mansi got push out points as mostly the two wresters were involved in standing wrestling. Divya won two of her bouts by 'fall' -- against Mongolia's Delgermaa Enkhsaikhan and Kazakhstan's Albina Kairgeldinova -- but lost the final bout 10-14 to Mongolia's Bolortungalag Zorigt in the four-wrestler 68kg category.Zorigt also finished with two wins and a defeat (against Delgermaa) but since Divya had more convincing results, she was declared winner.India now have won four medals with Greco Roman wrestler Neeraj winning a bronze in 63kg category on Thursday.—PTI

Sakshi Malik's struggles were nowhere to be seen as a fearless and aggressive Rio Olympics bronze medallist grabbed her first international gold medal in almost five years at the UWW Ranking Series event, in Almaty, on Friday.

Fearless Sakshi grabs first international gold in almost 5 years

Panchkula: <a href="https://www.aninews.in/topic/former-india-high-performance-director-david-john" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: transparent;">Former India High-Performance Director David John</a>&nbsp;believes that the Indian hockey team will peak in the 2028 Olympics, giving itself its best shot in several years at a gold medal. "In the 2024 and 2028 Games, most in the squad will be our current junior World Cup players. They would have played close to 300 Internationals together by then and would be about 30 years each," he pointed out on the sidelines of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aninews.in/topic/khelo-india-youth-games" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: transparent;">Khelo India Youth Games</a>&nbsp;match, suggesting that the team would have the right experience to absorb any kind of pressure. Indian hockey has shown signs of a heart-warming resurgence, with the men winning a bronze and the women finishing a valiant fourth in the Tokyo Games recently. "These are exciting times for India but many squads - including Germany, Australia, Belgium and Holland - are also getting better," David warned.The High-Performance Director David, who had been with Team India for several years before resigning, is back in the country as Odisha's Director of Hockey. He is excited with his assignment, especially as he has the complete support of the sport-loving Chief Minister of the state, Naveen Patnaik. "It is a challenging role. But if Odisha becomes strong, Indian hockey becomes strong, both in men and women," he explained, confirming that his goal and brief was to make his team Number 1 in the country. In pursuit of this goal, Odisha is already building 20 more synthetic turfs for hockey, and that too in the deepest pockets of the state where extreme poverty co-exists with an abundance of natural talent. "Soon, our kids will play on synthetic and not on grass from the grassroots level itself," he thundered, confirming the well-known notion that this was the only way forward for Indian hockey. "Our next step is to put good coaches in place at each of these new turfs so that they receive the best coaching at the grassroots level itself. In 8 years, you will see a different Odisha in hockey, and hopefully a different India."<img src="https://aniportalimages.s3.amazonaws.com/media/details/Actions_from_the_girls_semi_finals_hockey_match_between_Odisha_Yellow_and_Utt_Y3WeFG8.jpeg">The much-respected Australian expressed amazement at the dribbling skills of Indians but insisted that they needed to sacrifice them to become a world force again. "Don't try to dribble past your opponents. Modern hockey is all about 3D and aerial skills. Fortunately, these youngsters have all imbibed these skills," he said, pointing to the rapid flow of the match. "Our players are quick and adept at attacking but they lose the ball in the rival D as they run too close to the defenders. Worse, that allows the other side to counter-attack with devastating effect," David, who looked at ease, said. Odisha boys have won the bronze medal at the KIYG and their girls are scheduled to clash in the final with Haryana.—ANI

Former India High-Performance Director David John believes that the Indian hockey team will peak in the 2028 Olympics, giving itself its best shot in several years at a gold medal.

Indian hockey is poised for ultimate glory in 2028 Olympics: David John

London : Mo Farah, the celebrated England long-distance runner and four-time Olympic gold medalist in the 5,000m and 10,000m events, has revealed that he was smuggled into the country as a child and that his real name was Hussein.According to a report in the Daily Mail on Tuesday, the 39-year-old, who won both the 5,000m and 10,000m events at the 2012 London Olympics and the Rio Games, was trafficked into the UK from war-torn Somalia under the name of another child after his father was killed in his home country.The champion runner also admitted to working as a domestic helper for the family of “the woman who brought him to Britain.”While the world was aware that Mo Farah arrived in Britain as an eight-year-old and lived with his uncle and aunt, the star athlete’s revelations in the BBC documentary ‘The Real Mo Farah,’ which will air on Wednesday, have come as a surprise.Mo Farah claims that when he first arrived in the United Kingdom, he only knew three English phrases: ‘Excuse me,’ ‘Where is the toilet?’ and ‘Come on then.’The athlete, whose given name was Hussein Abdi Kahin, attended a “tough junior school in the predominantly white area of Feltham, west London, where his refusal to be cowed meant he was constantly getting into fights.”The athlete also revealed his biological parents’ names, Abdi and Aisha.Mo Farah’s father was killed in the war in 1987 when he was four years old, and he was separated from his mother and sent to Djibouti to live with relatives. However, he was smuggled into the UK as an illegal immigrant in 1993 “under a false passport bearing his new identity ‘Mo Farah’ — a name stolen from another child,” according to the report.During his first year of junior school in 1994 in Feltham, west London, he confided in his teacher, who alerted social services to his situation, and Mo Farah was placed in the care of another family. --- IANS

Mo Farah, the celebrated England long-distance runner and four-time Olympic gold medalist in the 5,000m and 10,000m events, has revealed that he was smuggled into the country as a child and that his real name was Hussein.

Celebrated UK athlete Mo Farah reveals he was trafficked into the country from Somalia

Eugene (Oregon) :&nbsp;Two of India’s top medal prospects at the World Athletics Championships 2022 here, 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable and long jumper M Sreeshankar, qualified for the finals in their respective categories, raising hopes of bringing home elusive medals from the global competition.Sable finished third in his heat, clocking 8:18.75 to make the cut for the men’s 3000m steeplechase final, while in men’s long jump at Hayward Field, Sreeshankar was the only Indian among the three to qualify for the final, which will be held later on Saturday, according to Olympics.com.Sreeshankar also became the first male long jumper from the country to advance to final.Sable was way off his personal best of 8:12.48 — a national record — but he made it to the final, where the top three from each of the three heats along with the next six fastest make the cut. The final will be held on Monday.Sable was seventh fastest overall among the 15 qualifiers, which was led by 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco, who timed 8:16.65. Sable had also made it to the 2019 World Championships finals in Doha but had finished 13th in 8:21.37.The others who made the cut in the gruelling race included defending champion Conseslus Kipruto (Kenya) and Lamecha Girma (Ethiopia, runner-up in the last edition. Commonwealth Games medallist Abraham Kibiwot of Kenya and Olympic medallist Evan Jager of the USA also made the final cut.Sreeshankar, the national record holder in long jump, made it to the final with a jump of 7.86 metres. The Indian logged two successful attempts, with his second valid jump of 7.86 metres earning him a place in the final, while the second one — 8.0 metres — was a foul.The qualification criterion for long jump is athletes achieving the cut of 8.15 metres or the top 12 performers from the two groups. Only two athletes met the standard with Japan’s Yuki Hashioka leading the pack with a jump of 8.18 metres.India’s Jeswin Aldrin had one successful attempt from his three, his valid leap measuring 7.79. Muhammed Anees Yahiya managed a best of 7.73m from his three attempts. Aldrin finished 20th while Anees Yahiya was 23rd overall in the 32-man field.Earlier, Indian race walker Priyanka Goswami finished a dismal 34th in a field of 41 in the women’s 20km race walk, clocking 1:39:42. She holds the national record in the event at 1:28:45, set in Ranchi last year.In the men’s 20km race walk, 36-year-old Sandeep Kumar (1:31:58) finished 40th among 45 athletes who started. Sandeep too holds the national record, with the athlete setting a time of 1:20:16 in Ranchi last year.Shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, withdrew from the event due to an injury. --- (IANS)

Two of India’s top medal prospects at the World Athletics Championships 2022 here, 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable and long jumper M Sreeshankar, qualified for the finals in their respective categories, raising hopes of bringing home elusive medals from the global competition.

 World Athletics: Steeplechaser Avinash Sable, long jumper M Sreeshankar qualify for finals

New Delhi: Meeting badminton star P.V. Sindhu and Olympic champion in Javelin throw Neeraj Chopra, apart from making the country proud, is on the mind of India head coach Ramesh Powar as the women's team are all set to participate in 2022 Commonwealth Games with women's cricket and T20 format making their debut in the multi-nation event.As cricket makes a return to the Commonwealth Games for the first time in 24 years, excitement was evident in the way Powar and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur spoke in the pre-departure virtual press conference. Powar expressed his wish to make the team meet Sindhu and Chopra if they find time at the Games Village to learn what makes the duo high-performing achievers in their own disciplines."Quite honestly, if there is an opportunity, we all would like to meet P.V. Sindhu and Neeraj Chopra. Both of them have set the bar high, I would love to go into their minds. I am curious about their preparation, and the way they handle the pressure of the expectations of billion people, it is commendable. We as a group would like to exchange some notes with these two top-class athletes."The prospect of playing in the Commonwealth Games will be a new experience for Harmanpreet &amp; Co., starting off with walking with the whole Indian contingent in the opening ceremony, interacting with athletes from other disciplines and if possible, participating in the closing ceremony too. Harmanpreet has already started to imagine what it would be to feel the Games environment in reality."As we speak, I actually feel as if I am walking on that road (at the opening ceremony). This time, we are going to be a part of the multi-sport event, it is not only about cricket, but there would also be other sports as well. We want to celebrate each and every medal we will win, we all are very excited. We all are looking forward and we cannot wait to be part of this great event."India will be going into the Commonwealth Games on the back of a 2-1 series win against Sri Lanka. At Edgbaston, the host of women's T20 event, India are in Group A along with Australia, Pakistan and Barbados. India will kick off their Group A campaign against Australia on July 29 and need to secure at least two wins to get into knockouts for the medal matches."We all as cricketers and myself, have watched the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, where we see our nation's flag flying high. It is a kind of opportunity for all of us to showcase good performance, give our best and make the country proud. This is one of the competitions where you feel that you should put up a good show to give some enjoyment back to the country and make them feel proud about yourself," stated Powar.A couple of days ago, England captain Heather Knight had said that the women's T20 event at Commonwealth Games could prove to be a game changer for women's cricket. Harmanpreet, too, agrees with the same, especially with cricket pushing for a spot in the Olympics."Yes, because as a cricketer we are always wishing to play more cricket and this year, we are getting participation in a multi-sport event. I think that whenever you go to an event, it becomes very important to perform well and to show the capabilities of your team. In the future, if we get to participate in tournaments like this, definitely it is going to be very good for women's cricket."The talk about cricket's inclusion in the Olympics in the future will surely loom around. But for now, India's focus is on the Commonwealth Games, where they would be soaking in the environment of a multi-game event and get inspired by various athletes to clinch a historic medal in women's T20 cricket.—IANS

Meeting badminton star P.V. Sindhu and Olympic champion in Javelin throw Neeraj Chopra, apart from making the country proud, is on the mind of India head coach Ramesh Powar as the women's team are all set to participate in 2022 Commonwealth Games with women's cricket and T20 format making their debut in the multi-nation event.

Meeting Sindhu, Neeraj Chopra; Making Country Proud On Mind Of India Women's Cricket Team Ahead Of Cwg Debut

New Delhi:&nbsp;From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to India's first individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, the country on Sunday rejoiced Neeraj Chopra's landmark silver medal at the World Athletics Championships, calling it a "special moment" The 24-year-old Chopra, who had entered the showpiece as a hot medal favourite in javelin throw, produced a best throw of 88.13m to finish second behind defending champion Anderson Peters of Grenada (90.54m) and become only the second Indian and first male track and field athlete to win a medal at the World Championships "A great accomplishment by one of our most distinguished athletes! Congratulations to @Neeraj_chopra1 on winning a historic Silver medal at the #WorldChampionships. This is a special moment for Indian sports. Best wishes to Neeraj for his upcoming endeavours," PM Modi tweeted Hailing the reigning Olympic champion's achievement, Bindra wrote on his Twitter handle, "Many congratulations @Neeraj_chopra1 for your silver at the worlds! You make us proud. Well done and the best for the rest of the season." Legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George was the first Indian to win a medal -- bronze -- in the World Championships in the 2003 edition in Paris Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too joined the country in praising Chopra and said India is elated by his "stupendous performance" "India is elated by the stupendous performance by Subedar @Neeraj_chopra1. Congratulations to him on winning Silver Medal at the #WorldAthleticsChampionships in Eugene, Oregon. His hard work, grit and determination have yielded outstanding results. We are proud of him." Sports Minister Anurag Thakur was also delighted at Chopra continuing his medal- winning streak at the global arena. "Neeraj Chopra continues his winning streak! Wins in Men's javelin throw at @WCHoregon22 with his best throw of 88.13m, becoming the 1st Indian male and 2nd Indian to win a medal at the #WorldChampionships! Neeraj has now won medal at every Global event!" Thakur tweeted. Uploading a photo of her with the champion javelin thrower, Anju Bobby George wrote, "Congratulations @Neeraj_chopra1 for that magic moment..N welcome to the group..it was a long wait.Thanks to @afiindia @Media_SAI @ianuragthakur for all the support." Not to be left behind was the legendary P T Usha, who wrote, "Congratulations to @Neeraj_chopra1 for winning the silver at 2022 World Athletics Championships for our country. Your best efforts have made our country proud in the world. Keep the flag flying high. Jai Hind." Indian hockey team's ace goalkeeper P R Sreejesh said, "Congratulation brother @Neeraj_chopra1. You are a motivation for billions of people." The Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) also congratulated Chopra on his stupendous performance. It was a nervy start for Chopra as he opened with a foul before registering 82.39m and 86.37m to be at fourth after three rounds But, to the relief of the Indian contingent, and the legions of his fans back home, he got his rhythm back as he came up with a big fourth round throw of 88.13m, his fourth career-best effort, to jump to second place, which he held on to till the end His fifth and sixth throws were fouls Chopra had won gold in Tokyo Olympics last year with a second round throw of 87.58m and had just needed a first round effort of 88.39m to qualify for the finals at second place hereHis silver saw India featuring in the medal table of the worlds for the first time in nearly two decades. India were placed at joint 28th in the standings.—PTI

From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to India's first individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, the country on Sunday rejoiced Neeraj Chopra's landmark silver medal at the World Athletics Championships, calling it a "special moment"

PM Modi leads way as India rejoice Neeraj Chopra's historic silver

New Delhi: Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra pulled out of the 2022 Commonwealth Games because of fitness concerns, the Indian Olympic Association said on Tuesday."Our Olympic Champ @Neeraj_chopra1 will not be defending his title at @birminghamcg22 due to concerns regarding his fitness. We wish him a speedy recovery &amp; are supporting him in these challenging times," IOA said on Twitter.Neeraj, who had won the gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, had recently claimed the silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, United States.—PTI

Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra pulled out of the 2022 Commonwealth Games because of fitness concerns, the Indian Olympic Association said on Tuesday.

Neeraj Chopra withdraws from Commonwealth Games

New Delhi: Lovlina Borgohain's personal coach Sandhya Gurung on Tuesday received her accreditation for the Commonwealth Games, a day after the Olympic bronze medallist claimed her preparation for the event was getting affected due to "continuous harassment" of her coaches.Gurung, who is also Indian team's assistant coach, was added to the Indian contingent, just days before the event.On arrival in Birmingham on Sunday, she was not allowed to enter the Games village as she did not have an accreditation, triggering the controversy."Sandhya was brought to the boxing village today morning and given accreditation. She is the with the team now," an Indian Olympics Association official said.Gurung has also been assigned a room at the Games village.In a long social media post on Monday, Lovina said she was feeling mentally harassed because it was a struggle to get her coach added to the squad."Today with a lot of grief, I want to tell everyone about the continuous harassment going on with me. The coaches who helped me win an Olympic medal are always being side-lined which has severely impacted my training schedule," Lovlina had said.Lovlina, who won a bronze in the Olympics last year, credits Gurung for pulling her out of a difficult mental place before the Tokyo Games. Gurung was with Lovlina during the 15-day training camp in Ireland ahead of the CWG.The BFI had issued a statement that as per rules only 33 percent (1/3rd) of the playing contingent is allowed as support staff. The Indian boxing contingent has 12 playing members (8 men and 4 women) and as per rules, the number of support staff will be four, which includes travelling coaches.The BFI further stated that "requirement of boxing with respect to coaches and support staff is a little different as there are multiple bouts, which could be one after another."With IOA's help, the number of support staff went up from 4 to 8 for the entire contingent of 12 boxers."—PTI

Lovlina Borgohain's personal coach Sandhya Gurung on Tuesday received her accreditation for the Commonwealth Games, a day after the Olympic bronze medallist claimed her preparation for the event was getting affected due to "continuous harassment" of her coaches.

CWG 2022: Lovlina's coach Sandhya receives accreditation

<h4>Birmingham: As Indian hockey's goalkeeping stalwart PR Sreejesh gears up for the Commonwealth Games semifinal clash against South Africa on August 7, he is drawing inspiration from the team's bronze-medal win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which came exactly a year ago.</h4>&nbsp;The bronze in Tokyo 202 sparked the resurgence of India as a superpower in world hockey. Sreejesh, who played a crucial role in India winning the bronze medal, recalls the historic campaign fondly, saying, "I cannot believe it has been a year already, as I remember the Tokyo Olympics campaign very clearly. That moment was truly special as it ended the country's wait of over four decades. Now, the team is poised for bigger feats and definitely we are on the right path."&nbsp;India outclassed Germany in an entertaining bronze-medal tie that ended 5-4. "The last few seconds were very close, intense and we even conceded a PC. Thinking of those moments, I have goosebumps," recalled Sreejesh, as he gears up for the all-important semifinal clash at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.&nbsp;The star goalkeeper added, "We learnt a lot about ourselves as a team at the Tokyo Olympics, which has helped us improve as a squad, and now we are completely focused on the upcoming challenges such as the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela and the Paris Olympics 2024, where hopefully we can go even further. But first, our target is on the match against South Africa and we are all set." —IANS

As Indian hockey's goalkeeping stalwart PR Sreejesh gears up for the Commonwealth Games semifinal clash against South Africa on August 7, he is drawing inspiration from the team's bronze-medal win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which came exactly a year ago.

 A year on from historic bronze in Tokyo Olympics, Sreejesh says he still has goosebumps

Bhubaneswar (The Hawk): Amit Rohidas, an outstanding defender, believes that India's historic bronze medal victory at the Tokyo Olympics has revolutionised the sport of hockey in the nation and encouraged young people to play.
Many village children, according to Rohidas, are anticipating the FIH men's World Cup, which will be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29. "A lot of things have changed as a result of the bronze medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Children in the areas who previously didn't play hockey have started doing so, according to Rohidas on Hockey Te Charcha, a podcast series produced by Hockey India.
"Seeing such a spectacle while I travel back home makes me feel really happy. There has been an uptick in kids playing hockey at almost every school. Rohidas, an Odisha native, claimed that competing in the World Cup on home soil is an emotional experience for any athlete.
"Playing at home is a very different experience because the crowds are so encouraging and truly encourage you. While we have Indian supporters that follow us outside of India as well, in Odisha the supporters have a different energy level, which gives us more drive. India's success at the World Cup, according to Rohidas, will depend on a step-by-step strategy building up to the event.
The FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 will be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela after our matches in the FIH Hockey Men's Pro League 2022–2023 in Bhubaneswar, followed by a series in Australia. "We are going game by game, step by step. Our training sessions are still going strong, and we're working hard to make sure everything turns out correctly, he remarked.
Rohidas claimed that after more than 100 games for India, he has been able to control his inclination toward aggression. "I used to have an aggressive streak, but over the last few years, I've learned a lot from the senior players about controlling pressure and making sure that my response doesn't interfere with the team's goals. So that it doesn't manifest itself on the field, he remarked, "I strive to keep aggression on the inside."
(Inputs from Agencies)

Amit Rohidas, an outstanding defender, believes that India's historic bronze medal victory at the Tokyo Olympics has revolutionised the sport of hockey in the nation and encouraged young people to play.

Village kids were deeply affected by India's historic hockey bronze: Rohidas

New Delhi News: The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the governing body for the Olympic sport of shooting, has announced a 22-member Indian squad for the upcoming International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol, to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from May 08- May 15.

This would be the year's fourth ISSF World Cup stage after the third was successfully concluded recently in Bhopal. The fourth will be held from April 11 in Lima, Peru, where India has chosen not to participate.

Shahu Tushar Mane in the men's 10m Air Rifle and Shiva Narwal in the men's 10m Air Pistol are the two new names in the squad from the Bhopal World Cup, the NRAI said in a release on Friday.

Shahu, after posting a solid 630.7 in Bhopal when playing for ranking points only, replaced Divyansh Singh Panwar in the top three when the latest rankings were revealed.

Shiva Narwal also posted a score of 585 in Bhopal while playing for ranking points, which was incidentally also the top qualifying score in the event. He replaces Sumit Raman in the squad.

In another slight change, Esha Singh replaced Manu Bhaker in the women's 10m Air Pistol event, also doubling up in the women's 25m pistol. Bhopal bronze medallist Manu will only shoot the 25m event in Baku.

All Rifle and Pistol shooters are now preparing for the national selection trials coming up in Bhopal in two weeks. IANS

Shooting: Shahu, Shiva make the cut for the upcoming Baku World Cup

The Hawk: It’s an exciting time for sports in India. India has always had a promising and large pool of sporting talent. What was needed was modifying the existing policies and bringing newer ones that match their needs and aspirations. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government is in mission mode to transform the sports landscape of the country by focusing on grassroots-level talent identification, sports infrastructure building, support to elite athletes, and creating an ecosystem that provides equal opportunities to women, divyangjan, and youth from even the remotest corners of the country. The success stories as well the stories of grit, struggle and determination of multiple sportspersons, of every age group, have found a place in the Prime Minister’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ and the hearts of the nation. &nbsp;
Khelo India has been a game changer. In fact, Khelo India Games have become like the mini-Olympics of India. The incentive of being recognised at the national level has given the impetus to not only the young athletes but also the individual States to develop their own robust sporting infrastructure. Apart from the development of an overall sports culture in the country, the personal interest that the Prime Minister takes in knowing every athlete and their progress is also something that was never seen before in our country. He makes it a point to interact with the Indian contingent before the final send off and after an international tournament/sporting event and motivate and congratulate them on their success or sincere efforts.&nbsp;
The Prime Minister also talks a lot about sports in his monthly radio programme, ‘Mann ki Baat’. In the past, the newspaper was the only medium to get any information about the sports achievers of our country, but now even before they head for the international tournaments, we are celebrating them. Be it the Commonwealth or Olympics-bound Indian contingent or the youth taking part in the Khelo India Games, ‘Mann ki Baat’ has become a platform where the country’s achievements on the sports front are brought to light. And today, when ‘Mann ki Baat’ is going to hit its century-mark on 30th April 2023, I am sure that all its episodes, all through these years, have worked as an inspiration for the athletes to hone their talent and build a future in sports.&nbsp;
When I had won the first medal for the World Championship, my fellow athlete who had also won a medal had got a call from the head of her country which was being projected on the stadium screens. And I was wondering when I would get a similar opportunity. In that sense, today’s young athletes are really lucky that the Prime Minister is talking about them at such an important platform like ‘Mann ki Baat’. He also knows their personal interests well and is giving them grand send overs and felicitating them when they come back. The entire India is watching this and especially the younger generation. &nbsp;
The Prime Minister has repeatedly stressed on the fact that sports does not stop short at winning medals and putting India on the global map. What it primarily brings to the table is development of individual personalities by making us physically fit, mentally alert, and nurturing sportsmanship. Sports, as a whole, holds much importance for the development of a nation. Gone are the days when people used to follow only cricket. Today, there is a huge national pride attached to India’s participation in every international sporting event. Be it badminton, javelin throw, handball, or fencing, and even indigenous sports like Mallakhamb and Kalaripayattu, people today are united in their appreciation for the sportspersons who are waiving the tricolour high all around the world. &nbsp;
Just before the Olympics 2020, the Prime Minister urged the listeners of ‘Mann ki Baat’ to support the Tokyo-bound athletes with #Cheer4India, which subsequently transformed into a campaign, witnessing participation from school students to celebrities who sent their wishes for the athletes. It is interesting to see the different ways that we are finding as a country to celebrate our sportspersons. This momentum on the sports front is unprecedented for India and I am grateful to the Prime Minister for injecting a renewed vigour into sports. &nbsp;
The results are there for all to see. With seven medals in the Tokyo Olympics and 19 in the Paralympics, India performed its best in four decades. India recorded one of its best performances at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with a total of 61 medals including 22 Gold medals. For the first time in the history of the prestigious international Thomas Cup (Badminton) tournament, the Indian men’s team won the championship by defeating 14 times World Champion Indonesia. The Indian contingent for Deaflympics Brazil gave the best-ever performance for the country with 16 medals. New young talent is performing tremendously well and the entire nation is enjoying their victories. &nbsp;
‘Mann ki Baat’ as a platform has inspired among the citizens, especially the youth, a collective enthusiasm towards sports in the country. In multiple episodes of ‘Mann ki Baat’, the Prime Minister has appealed directly to the younger generation to make sports a crucial part of their lives. Through his radio programme, he has instilled a feeling of Sabka Prayas to make sports an important aspect for India’s holistic development and together the people, the Governments, athletes and associations are striving to make this vision a reality of the New India. I am looking forward to the upcoming 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat and to hear our Prime Minister inspire, encourage and talk of ordinary people who have made huge difference in the life of others. - Anju Bobby George&nbsp;

Mann Ki Baat-100: Celebrating India as A Sporting Nation

New Delhi: A court here on Wednesday sought from the Delhi Police a status report pertaining to the sexual harassment case against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Since April 23, prominent Indian wrestlers such as Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, who have achieved Olympic and World Championships recognition, have been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar against WFI chief.

Farmers have also extended their support to wrestlers and had arrived from Haryana and Punjab on Monday to join the wrestlers' protest.

During the hearing, the judge issued notice to Police on protesting wrestlers' plea seeking monitoring of the investigation and recording of the statement of the alleged victims before the court.

The court then directed the police to file the report by May 12, also the next date of hearing.

On Tuesday, Delhi Commission for Women also issued summons to Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Pranav Tayal for failing to arrest the accused in the matter of sexual harassment with women wrestlers.

The women wrestlers had approached the Supreme Court and two FIRs were registered on April 28, one under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for allegedly sexually harassing a minor girl and another for sexual harassment of other complainants. IANS

A court here on Wednesday sought from the Delhi Police a status report pertaining to the sexual harassment case against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Court seeks Delhi Police's status report on sexual harassment case against WFI chief

A court here on Wednesday sought from the Delhi Police a status report pertaining to the sexual harassment case against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.


Bengaluru: The Indian Men's Hockey Team on Monday left for London, United Kingdom for their away FIH Hockey Pro League 2022/23 matches in Europe starting from May 26.  The Indian team will start the first leg in London, where they will face reigning Olympic Champions Belgium (May 26 and June 2) and hosts Great Britain (May 27 and June 3). They will then travel to Eindhoven for their last set of matches against the hosts Netherlands (June 7 and 10) and Argentina (June 8 and 11).  "We have very crucial matches coming up as we get to the business end of the FIH Pro League season. We are in a strong position in the table so far and we will look to get as many points as possible in the remaining matches. We are excited about this tour as it also gives us a great opportunity to play against quality teams. These matches will be really important for us as we prepare for the all-important Asian Games scheduled later this year," Captain Harmanpreet Singh said prior to the team's departure from Bengaluru.  In their recent matches at home, India remained unbeaten against reigning World Champions Germany and Australia which helped them top the pool table. This will be India's first outing under newly-appointed Chief Coach Craig Fulton.  Speaking about the team's preparedness, Harmanpreet said, "We have had good intensive training sessions at the National Coaching Camp in SAI Centre, Bengaluru. The preparations have been really good, and our previous matches in Rourkela were a big confidence booster for us, so we will look to replicate the performance in the upcoming matches."  "We will go step-by-step, try to play good hockey and most importantly look to keep the momentum going as we have a long tour and a busy season ahead as well," he added.  The Indian Men's Hockey Team will resume their FIH Pro League 2022/23 campaign against Belgium on May 26 at 07:10 PM IST. —IANS

The Indian Men's Hockey Team on Monday left for London, United Kingdom for their away FIH Hockey Pro League 2022/23

Indian men's hockey team leaves for FIH Hockey Pro League 2022/23 matches in Europe

Lucknow: Yoonus Shah, from Uttar Pradesh, won the 1500m race by creating a new Games record in the 1500m event at Khelo India University Games 2022, is working hard and aims to break the national record of 3:35.24 minutes that was set by Jinson Johnson in 2009.
The 21-year-old Yoonus created a new meet record of 3:51.61 minutes at Guru Gobind Singh Sports College track in Lucknow. He improved upon the previous meet record of 3:52.54 minutes representing Mahatma Jyotiba Phule University, Bareilly.
"I can do even better. I achieved a timing of 3:45 minutes earlier. I am putting in a lot of effort to break the national record. Presently, my full focus is on the World University Games, with trials scheduled to take place in Bhubaneswar next month," said Yunus in a media release.
Yoonus, who hails from the village Patihan in the Pilibhit district, dreams to represent India and win a medal in the Olympics.
"My dream is to win a medal for our nation. I compete in the 1500m and 800m races, but the 1500m race is my favorite. My father is a farmer. Besides my parents, I have a brother and a sister. Currently, I am training under coach Vipin Lohit at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi," he said. Recalling his journey, Yoonus said, "I went to play for Sevaram Nathu Ram Inter College in Jograjpur, Pilibhit in 2018. Coach Dinesh Pandey asked me to participate in the event. I performed well there, and then Dinesh Sir advised me to compete in the district-level events in Pilibhit. I won gold medals in the 800m, 1500m, and 5000m races. After that, I started training and represented the UP state as well."
Yoonus is participating in the Khelo India University for the maiden time.
"I have previously competed in the All India University Games. My race finish timing there was 3:45. I have also ran for the Uttar Pradesh state team. In the Uttar Pradesh state meet that took place in Meerut, I won a silver medal in the 1500m event and a bronze medal in the 800m event," he revealed.
Talking about his experience at the Khelo India University Games, Yoonus said, "It is an excellent platform. My first experience of participating here has been great. It provides a very good exposure to young athletes. I also received good exposure. The facilities here were of International standard. The track was excellent, and that helped me a lot to perform better."—IANS

Yoonus Shah, from Uttar Pradesh, won the 1500m race by creating a new Games record in the 1500m event at Khelo India University

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