Madari Pillyalil Jabir, better known as M.P. Jabir of Kerala has become the first Indian hurdler to qualify for Olympics in 33 years for the 400m hurdles event. Jabir has won a bronze medal previously at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships in 400 m hurdles with a timing of 50.22 seconds. 

His qualification was confirmed after he won a gold medal at the recently concluded Iter-state Athletics Championships in Patiala. Jabir is part of the Indian navy and is posted in Kochi. The 25-year old is currently ranked 34 in world athletics. Jabir is the first male to qualify for the 400m hurdles in 57 years. The last person to qualify for the event was PT Usha during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. PT Usha also belongs to the same state that Jabir comes from, i.e. Kerala. 

In the 2019 Asian Athletics Championships in Doha, Jabir set his personal best timing of 49.13 to win bronze and achieved the qualification standard for the 2019 World Athletics Championships.

Jabir started taking keen interest in sprinting when he was in 11th grade and then he mastered himself in the 400m events. It will be interesting to see the Keralite competing in his first-ever Olympics. 

New Delhi: Indian sprinter from Assam, Hima Das is going to miss her first-ever Olympics tournament due to an unfortunate injury. She made this announcement on Twitter. Das was reportedly injured during her qualification for 100m and 200m events. 

Hima holds the national record in 400m race. With this news, India’s hope of securing a medal in athletics have become grim. In her statement, Hima was confident to “make a strong comeback” in the “Asian Games 2022 and World Championship 2022.”

Nicknamed ‘Dhing Express’, Hima Das is a 20-year-old Indian sprinter from Assam. She became the first Indian woman indeed the first-ever Indian athlete to win a gold medal in any format of a global track event at IAAF World U20 Championships when she clocked a speed of 51.46 seconds.

Hima Das’ Statement:

“I will miss my first Olympics due to untimely injury when ai was close to achieve qualification standard in my new event 100m and 200m. I would like to thank my coaches, support staff and my teammates for their continuous support. But I will make a strong comeback and looking forward to Commonwealth Games 2022, Asian Games 2022 and World Championship 2022”

She shared this information by using a heartbreak emoji on Twitter. Hima Das has won two gold medals at the Asian Games and one gold medal at the U-20 Championships. Recently, the  World Championship sprinter was appointed as a Deputy Superintendent of Police in her home state of Assam. 

 

Indian sprinter from Assam, Hima Das is going to miss her first-ever Olympics tournament due to an unfortunate injury. She made this announcement on Twitter. Das was reportedly injured during her qualification for 100m and 200m events. 

Hima holds the national record in 400m race. With this news, India’s hope of securing a medal in athletics have become grim. In her statement, Hima was confident to “make a strong comeback” in the “Asian Games 2022 and World Championship 2022.”

Nicknamed ‘Dhing Express’, Hima Das is a 20-year-old Indian sprinter from Assam. She became the first Indian woman indeed the first-ever Indian athlete to win a gold medal in any format of a global track event at IAAF World U20 Championships when she clocked a speed of 51.46 seconds.

Hima Das’ Statement:

“I will miss my first Olympics due to untimely injury when ai was close to achieving qualification standard in my new event 100m and 200m. I would like to thank my coaches, support staff, and my teammates for their continuous support. But I will make a strong comeback and looking forward to Commonwealth Games 2022, Asian Games 2022, and World Championship 2022”

She shared this information by using a heartbreak emoji on Twitter. Hima Das has won two gold medals at the Asian Games and one gold medal at the U-20 Championships. Recently, the  World Championship sprinter was appointed as a Deputy Superintendent of Police in her home state of Assam. 

 

Tokyo: As virus cases grow in the host city of Tokyo just three weeks before the Games, Japan’s prime minister Yoshihide Suga has warned that the Olympics may be staged behind closed doors. 

Despite the organisers of the Games announcing last month that the maximum number of spectators allowed would be 10,000, or half of the total capacity of the venue, the chances of spectators seem bleak, especially with the government planning to expand anti-virus measures in the city due to an increase in new cases. 

Recently, the Japanese PM reiterated his warning saying that if the situation worsens, spectators may be barred from sporting events at all.  

“We will act with the safety and security of the Japanese people as our top priority. There is a possibility of there being no spectators”, he said on Thursday. 

As reported by Japanese local media, The Yomiuri, organizers might also delay the ticket lottery which was earlier set to be held next Tuesday to allocate tickets for events that are oversubscribed under current attendance limits. 

However, because of the uncertainty around attendance limitations, the lottery is likely to be postponed, leaving some supporters anxious about their seats with the Games set to begin in less than three weeks. This also means that there will be no more tickets available, and spectators from outside the United States have already been denied entry. 

“Infections are rebounding in Tokyo and other places, and people are calling for prevention measures to be strengthened,” the Yomiuri report said. 

Since a state of emergency was revoked last month and replaced with eased Covid restrictions that are due to expire on July 11, 19 cases have been reported in Japan. However, the government is expected to extend them as soon as next week, ensuring that they are in place when the Games begin on July 23.

New Delhi: The World Athletics, the forum that overlooks various athletic events around the world has mentioned India’s Neeraj Chopra as a medal prospect in Tokyo Olympics to watch out for. 

Neeraj Chopra represents India in the javelin throw and has previously held the world record for U-20 Javelin throw. World Athletics is compiling a list of 100 athletes to watch out for from various sports. They have included Chopra in the top 10 athletes in Long Throws. 

The list includes Maria Andrejczyk of Poland, Lauren Bruce of Thailand, Neeraj Chopra of India, Pawel Fajdek of Poland, Anderson Peters of Grenada, DeAnna Prince of the USA, Roza Rodriguez of Venezuela, Barbora Spotakova of Czech Republic, Johannes Vetter of Germany, and Rudy Winkler of the USA.

While mentioning Neeraj Chopra, the World Athletics wrote: “Five years ago Chopra had a breakthrough performance to win the world U20 title, setting a world U20 record of 86.48m at the age of 18. That came too late for him to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio but he will now head to Tokyo looking to make history for his nation. Only one athlete – Norman Pritchard – has ever won Olympic athletics medals for India, back in 1900, and Chopra will aim to emulate that, with an eye on becoming the nation’s first ever gold medallist.

The 2018 Commonwealth and Asian Games champion missed 2019 due to injury but threw 87.86m during his one competition in 2020 and then improved his own Indian record to 88.07m earlier this year. “I hope to continue competing for my country,” he said in 2018, “and making my country proud.”

 

 

London: As the 23-time grand slam champion, Serena Williams took to the court for her practice before the start of Wimbledon, she amused the media with an unexpected announcement. Serena Williams who is currently prepping for Wimbledon 2021 will not be a part of the United States (US) team for the Tokyo Olympics 2020. 

“I’m actually not on the Olympic list – not that I’m aware of. If so, then I shouldn’t be on it,” Williams said during a press conference here on Sunday. The 39-year old has won 4 gold medals for the USA. She won a singles gold medal in London 2012 Olympics, while the other three came in women’s doubles (where she partnered with her sister, Venus). 

Serena Williams was sceptical to elaborate about the details of her being out of the United States’ Tokyo contingent. She said, “There’s a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision. I don’t feel like going into them today. Maybe another day. Sorry.” (as reported by AP) 

Serena holds the record for winning the most number of grand slam titles in the Open Era. (Even more than Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal). Serena is considered the best female tennis player ever by some pundits. She is in quest of her 24th grand slam title. She will face Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus in the first round on 29 June 2021. 

Wiliams isn’t the first one to back out of the Olympics. Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem are some top-seeded players who have decided to not take part in Tokyo Olympics 2020. 

 

(With inputs from News agency AP)

FINA, a recognised governing body by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administering international competitions in water sports, terminated the results of the Uzbekistan Open Swimming Championship, which was held in April. The event was an Olympic qualifier, and Indian swimmer SP Likith, who was part of the meet had alleged that the timings were altered during the event in order to favour the local swimmers to help them qualify for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

The same was confirmed by the Swimming Federation of India secretary general Monal Chokshi in a report in The New Indian Express. “It has been invalidated by FINA. There were issues related to the timing. FINA has a strict rule as it is an Olympic qualifying event also.  If there are any doubts or discrepancies related to the timing system, FINA would not consider it as an official timing result. That is the reason why it has been invalidated,” the official was quoted as saying in the report. 

 Exclusive: Indian hockey captain Rani Rampal gears up for Tokyo showdown post COVID-19 recovery 

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Likith stated that when he tried to lodge a complaint to the official, he was asked to declared himself as “mentally ill and deaf”. The Indian swimmer also alleged that he was told by the official that it was an old practice happening since early 2000 and they were directed to ensure “qualification of 10 Uzbeki swimmers” for the upcoming Tokyo Games. 

“The first day at the heats, the scoreboard wasn’t displaying, and the heat results on the scoresheet were different, up to 5-7 seconds, from the actual timings which everyone was recording manually. But I thought it must be a glitch and they would change it. That didn’t happen,” Likith told The Indian Express. 

“When I complained, they casually told me that this has been happening since 2000-2004. And they have orders to ensure they send 10 Uzbeki swimmers to Tokyo,” the 21-year-old added.  

Tokyo Olympics | PV Sindhu frontrunner to become one of India’s flag-bearers at the Games 

The report also mentioned that Likith felt something fishy, when results of India’s Sajan Prakash in the 100m butterfly event were tampered. It was then he decided to lodge a complaint. 

Meanwhile, after completing his 200m breaststroke event, Likith enquired the officials if this was a new world record, after which he was told “this is politics, you don’t get into it”. 

“That’s when the officials told me, this is politics, you don’t get into it. They offered me money to shut up. They said ‘we have to give an explanation why you didn’t swim and just stood there on the block’. So they came up with this idea to get me to give in writing that I was mentally ill and deaf,” Likith was quoted further saying in the report. 

Meanwhile, Likith also backed his decision to report the matter in Uzbekistan itself and asserted if he would have revealed it now, his words would have been considered a “bluff”. 

“If I’d kept quiet in Uzbekistan and spoken of it now, everyone would’ve thought I’m bluffing. There’s still no official statement. They declared it invalid and will move on. But the next time swimmers see this happen, they’ll know they have a voice,” the swimmer said.  

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday announced that his government will reward sportspersons who bag medals in the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games. CM MK Stalin said that sportsperson who win a gold medal will be given Rs 3 crore as prize money, while those winning silver medals will be given Rs 2 crore and Rs 1 crore will be given to bronze medal winners.

Gagan Narang, a Chennai native who represented India in shooting and won a bronze in the 2012 London Olympics in the Men`s 10m Air Rifle event, is still the only individual medallist from the state.

Earlier, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on the occasion of International Olympic Day on Wednesday, announced that sportspersons who have won medals in international games will be given jobs in the sports department so that new players can be encouraged by their experiences.

A total of 102 Indian athletes across 14 sporting categories have so far qualified or been named in the final squad by their respective federations for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics slated to begin on July 23. So far, the London Olympics in 2012 proved to be India`s best show at the showpiece event as the athletes won six medals.

New Delhi: India’s star wrestler Bajrang Punia on Friday suffered a right knee injury while competing in a local Russian tournament, less than a month before the start of Tokyo Olympics. However his coach Shako Bentinidis assured that there is not nothing to worry about.

Competing in Ali Alyev tournament, Bajrang was up against A Kudyev in the semifinal when he sustained the injury. It all started with a right leg attack that Bajrag launched on the Russian but Kudyev got hold of the Indian wrestler’s right leg and pulled him. With Bajrang lying on his back on the mat, Kudyev went for a pin but the Indian, writhing in pain, had given up by then. 

Bajrang Punia appears to injure his right knee against Abdulmazhid Kudiev of Russia in the semifinals of Ali Aliyev tournament. Forfeits match while down 4-0. h/t @Anonymo50383417 https://t.co/FJQCQadopj

— jonathan selvaraj (@jon_selvaraj) June 25, 2021

The referee immediately stopped the bout and called the physio.

Bajrang was struggling to stand and was seen limping as he forfeited the bout.

“He is fine and normal. He has been given pain-killing injection. It does not look serious, he should be okay,” Bajrang’s Georgian coach Shako Bentinidis told PTI from Russia.

One of India’s medal favourites at the Tokyo Games, Bajrang has been in Russia for a few weeks now as he skipped the Poland Open, preferring to continue his training in Russia.

Ali Alyev meet used to be a regular event on UWW’s annual calender but this year the Russian Federation did not get permission from the world governing body due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Russian federation then went ahead with the tournament to organise it at local level.

Tokyo: Earlier this week, media reports that organisers were considering allowing alcohol consumption in Olympic venues sparked a public outcry, with the hashtag “cancel the Olympic Games” receiving tens of thousands of tweets.

With only 30 days until the start of an Olympic Games marred by the coronavirus pandemic and controversy, Tokyo Olympics organisers decided on Wednesday to prohibit the sale of alcohol at venues while defending plans to allow thousands of spectators.

“Following experts’ advice, the organising committee decided against selling and drinking alcohol drinks at the venues so as to prevent spread of infections,”
Tokyo Olympics President Seiko Hashimoto told reporters that the decision to ban alcohol sales was supported by sponsor Asahi NSE -1.27 percent Breweries.
Alcohol sales have been restricted in and around Tokyo after health officials warned that drinking would encourage close contact, loud speech, and mingling in bars, all of which could aid in the spread of the virus.

ALSO READ | Fans ‘Won’t Be Allowed To Cheer’ In Tokyo: The New Normal Of Olympics – Check Full Guidelines

Earlier, Hashimoto defended the decision of the organisers to allow spectators into Olympic venues. Last Friday, Japanese medical experts stated that prohibiting spectators was the least risky option, but they also included recommendations on how to host the Games if spectators were admitted. 

On Monday, organisers announced that up to 10,000 domestic spectators would be permitted into venues. Foreign visitors are not permitted.
“We decided that it would be better to do the best preparations we can for a Games with spectators,” according to Hashimoto, who spoke at a media roundtable attended by Reuters on Tuesday, saying the decision was in line with the medical experts’ recommendations. 

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has not ruled out holding the Games without spectators if Tokyo is declared a state of emergency again, as it was only on June 21. The opening ceremony for the Games is scheduled for July 23.

Over the past year, organisers have pushed ahead with preparations for the Games, which were postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic, despite widespread public concern in Japan that hosting thousands of delegations from around the world could result in further outbreaks of COVID-19 infections.
Many Japanese people are sceptical that even a scaled-down Games can be held safely during a pandemic.

In a further blow to the organisers’ assurances that the Games will be safe, a member of the Ugandan delegation who arrived in Japan over the weekend tested positive for coronavirus despite having been vaccinated and testing negative for COVID-19 prior to arrival.

According to local media, the nine-person delegation has cancelled their training plans and is currently quarantined in a hotel. Hashimoto stated the incident demonstrated the effectiveness of the coronavirus mitigation measures in place.

“We were able to precisely identify this person at the border because we have the appropriate border measures in place,” she explained. However, the arduous preparations for the Olympics appeared to have taken their toll on the organisers. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike was hospitalised on Tuesday, according to Kyodo, citing unidentified sources. The metropolitan government announced earlier on Tuesday evening that she would be out of the office for the rest of the week due to exhaustion.

New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Committee was furious with the decision of the Japanese government to have a different set of rules for the Indian athelets. The players from the India team that are bound to leave for Japan to play the Tokyo Olympics 2020 will require to undergo RT-PCR tests every day for eight days before leaving for Tokyo. On reaching the Japanese capital the Indian players will be in isolation for three days. 

This has left the IOC fuming. India’s Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said that a formal complaint has been registered and action will be soon taken. The Indian contingent feels that they are been discriminated against. But in the same interaction, he also said that the Olympics are happening under “challenging circumstances”. 

 “…as per the Olympic charter there can’t be any discrimination with any country. Any discrimination has to be addressed,” Rijiju said in online interaction with media.

“I have asked the IOA to register a formal complaint with the Tokyo organisers which they already did. We will strongly raise any issue which affects our athletes preparation and chances. The Olympics are happening under challenging circumstances, it’s a challenge for everybody,” he added.

Tokyo has already banned fans from abroad to enter the city. Only Japanese fans would be present during the games. They will have to comply with all the social-distancing norms. The people at the stadium will have to wear a mask at all times. 

“…our priority is to ensure safe and secure environment for the training and participation of our athletes. We have to ensure that our athletes are not in any mental stress,” Kiren Rijiju said.

The IOA recently announced that there will be 10,000 people allowed at venues of Toyo 2020. This received a negative reaction from Japanese civil society as well as from medical experts of Japan. 

 

 

(With inputs from PTI)

Tokyo: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other organising committee officials set some new rules for the Tokyo Olympics 2020. A maximum of 10,000 people will be allowed in the stadiums. There are other ground rules that are set by the IOC which also disallow fans from cheering during a game. These norms are set considering the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. 

The Newsagency Associated Press (AP) reported that these decisions were announced after a meeting between Five Decision-making Parties. These include the local organizers, the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, the Japanese government and the government of metropolitan Tokyo.

Tokyo has already banned fans from abroad to enter the city. Only Japanese fans would be present during the games. They will have to comply with all the social-distancing norms. The people at the stadium will have to wear a mask at all times. 

Decision Against Japan’s Medical Advisor

A group of 26 medical experts headed by Dr. Shigeru Omi had (in a report) advised on Friday that holding Olympics with fans will increase the risk of the spread of Covid-19.  “We believe the risks of infections inside venues would be lowest by holding the event with no fans,” said the report. Dr Omi is a former World Health Organisation member. 

“We believe it would be most desirable not to have fans inside venues,” Omi told a press conference on Friday. “Regardless of holding the Olympics or not, Japan has continuing risks of a resurgence of the infections that puts pressure on the medical systems.”

3.6-3.7 Million Tickets Sold

The organisers also said that almost 40 lakh tickets have been already sold to local Japanese fans. This can also be a reason for having a complete ban on fans inside the stadium. 

Meanwhile, Tokyo is under a state of “quasi emergency” before the games begin. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that further measures will be taken if the problem persists.  “If a state of emergency is necessary, I will be flexible and open to no fans in order to achieve that the games give top priority to safety and security for the people,” Suga said. ”In case of a state of emergency, it is quite possible for safe and secure (games) I will not hesitate to have no fans.”

Bengaluru: India on Friday named 10 Olympic debutants in its 16-member men’s hockey squad, which also features seasoned performers like PR Sreejesh and Manpreet Singh, for the Tokyo Games to be held from July 23 to August 8.

Amit Rohidas, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit, Shamsher Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay are the 10 players who will make their Olympic debut in Tokyo.

Besides, the 16-member team also includes six seasoned campaigners like former skipper and goalkeeper Sreejesh, midfielder Manpreet, defenders Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh and Surender Kumar and forward Mandeep Singh. 

These players were a part of the previous Olympic squad in Rio de Janeiro.

Veteran defender Birendra Lakra, who missed the 2016 Games due to a knee injury, has also been named in the side and is set to make his Olympic debut in Tokyo.

The team has only one goalkeeper in Sreejesh, which means promising Krishan Bahadur Pathak missed out on an Olympic berth despite being an integral part of the team in the lead up to the quadrennial Games.

The Olympic-bound Indian team has five defenders, five midfielders and as many forwards.

The notable absentees in the squad are strikers Akashdeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh, who were a part of the Rio Games team.

Even though Manpreet has been the captain of the side for sometime now, Hockey India hasn’t named the leader of the Tokyo-bound team but it is expected that the ace midfielder will be retained in the role.

The Indian men’s hockey team has a rich Olympic history having won the gold medal eight times in the past. But this time around, they will be looking to break their four-decade-long Olympic medal drought. India won their last of the eight Olympic gold medals way back in the 1980 Moscow Games.

The Indian men’s team has been clubbed along side defending champions Argentina, three-time world champions and current world no.1 Australia, New Zealand, Spain and hosts Japan in Pool A. 

Our  warriors who will fight for the prestigious at #Tokyo2020 

Team India #HaiTayyar #IndiaKaGame #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia #Hockey pic.twitter.com/Hj2enQcZ1Y

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) June 18, 2021

Sqaud:

Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh

Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Surender Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Birendra Lakra

Midfielders: Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit

Forwards: Shamsher Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh.

Eight debutants in women’s hockey squad for Tokyo Olympics 

India named eight Olympic debutants in its 16-member women’s hockey squad for the Tokyo Games. The squad includes eight experienced campaigners who last featured in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The Indian women’s hockey team will be captained by star striker Rani Rampal in the quadrennial Games. 

INTERVIEW | Indian hockey captain Rani Rampal gears up for Tokyo showdown post COVID-19 recovery 

The eight Olympic debutants include drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur, Udita, Nisha, Neha, Navneet Kaur, Sharmila Devi, Lalremsiami, is the first player hailing from Mizoram in the team, and Salima Tete.

Tete had led the Indian team at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games at Buenos Aires to a silver medal performance. This will be the Indian women’s hockey team’s third appearance at the Olympic Games and their second consecutive outing, with previous appearances coming in 1980 and 2016. 

This is the Indian Women’s Hockey Team for Olympics. I have high expectations from them. My best wishes!
Savita (Gk), Deep Grace, Nikki, Gurjit Kaur, Udita, Nisha, Neha, Sushila Chanu, Monika, Navjot, Salima Tete, Rani, Navneet, Lalremsiami, Vandana, Sharmila Devi. #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/Ut4e04hGHe

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) June 18, 2021

Squad:

GOALKEEPERS: Savita
DEFENDERS: Deep Grace Ekka, Nikki Pradhan, Gurjit Kaur, Udita.
MIDFIELDERS: Nisha, Neha, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Monika, Nanjot Kaur, Salima Tete.
FORWARDS: Rani, Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Vandana Katariya, Sharmila, Devi.

A month after battling the COVID-19 virus, India women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal is back on the field with her same old spirit and zeal. Rani, whose goal against the USA ensured India a spot at the Tokyo Olympics, confirmed that she has regained the desired level of fitness and has begun training with the old intent for the showpiece event, which is currently scheduled to go as per plans. 

“I started to train slowly after completing the mandatory 14-day quarantine period. The doctors too had advised against high-intensity training. But now it’s almost a month since I’ve recovered, and have started training at full pace,” Rani told Zee News English in an exclusive interview.  

Giving insights on her work module post-COVID recovery, Rani credits the changes she made in her lifestyle, which according to the 26-year-old has helped immensely.        

“It was very difficult initially. I used to quickly drain out while practicing, there was weakness post-recovery. But I have given special attention to several factors.

“Eating healthy food, sleeping in time, and keeping my body hydrated has been the main area where I’ve been focusing to keep myself fit,” said Rani. 

Bootcamp at Bengaluru  

Rani, who is currently lodged at the Sports Authority of India center in Bengaluru with 24-other Tokyo probable, discussed in length the team’s preparation, and in doing so, the forward also spoke about a specific routine that they have come up with.

“Apart from the regular training, we also practice an hour daily in the heat, when we feel the temperature to be maximum.

“There are sessions in the day, which normally start at 10:30 to 12:30 or 11.00 to 1.30 in the morning, apart from the regular evening sessions,” said the forward, who is also the only women hockey player to win the prestigious Khel Ratna award.  

Filling up the gaps  

The team endured poor run in their recent tours to Germany and Argentina, where the unit failed to notch a single win. However, the skipper terms the experience as a learning ground, considering the nature of the competition, and asserted it was not the creativity, but the execution that hurt the team the most.  

“They (Germany and Argentina) are the top teams in the world and we gave them a great fight. If you keep the results aside, our performance was not that bad. One thing to win in hockey is creating chances, so if we look back, we did create a lot of chances, but it was the finish that was not up to the mark,” pointed out the captain.  

The forward mentioned the unit has been working in this area, adding they are also practicing various drills on defending penalty corners to prevent conceding soft goals. 

**** 

Rani, who desires to set an example for others going into the Olympics, says the team will take one match at a time and doesn’t want to rush things up. “There’s no particular opponent that we are focusing on. We are taking everything match by match, like our first match is against Holland followed by Germany. So, we don’t want to rush things up and focus one match each and our initial goal is to make it to the quarter-finals of the game.” 

The captain also asserted that this is a fitter Indian team and has the potential to compete against any opponent. “We have trained enough to compete against any team, and we have improved a lot in terms of fitness. Earlier, we used to feel the European teams were ahead of us in terms of fitness, but I don’t see the gap anymore,” the skipper concluded.  

Abhishek Verma is one of India’s best hope for a medal in the upcoming Tokyo Games. The world number one in the 10m air pistol event, who has won medals at the Asian Games and ISSF World Cup, will surely look to add another accolade in his already decorated resume. 

But Verma’s destiny could have been different had the engineer and lawyer stuck with his academics and treated the shooting discipline as his hobby. 

It was not until 25, Verma became serious about taking up shooting as a career. The 31-year-old recently in an interview with Hindustan Times also discussed how this decision was initially not welcomed by his father, who is a judge at the Punjab & Haryana High Court.

“They would say if you have done engineering for four years, law for three years, then how can you keep that aside and get into a sport?” said Verma. “They thought I was confused.” 

A pact was also made between the father and the son: “My father made it clear that if I was not able to break into the Indian team in a year then I would have to start the practice in court.”  

How did it begin? 

Verma, who belongs to Hisar, Haryana, first started his training at the Eklavyaa Shooting Academy in Bhondsi, Gurugram under the supervision of coach Omendra Singh. In order to focus more and give his career the required thrust, the shooter enrolled himself in a hostel inside the range, and took time away from all the possible distractions. 

Even before a year could pass, Verma secured a gold in a north zone event and broke into the national squad. Fast-forward six more months, Verma possibly shot his best and rose to fame by clinching a bronze at the Jakarta Games.  

Olympic qualification

It didn’t took long for Verma to seal the tickets to Tokyo. Appearing in his second ISSF World Cup in Beijing in 2019, the hobby shooter-turned professional secured a gold medal in the 10m air pistol event, which helped him seal a quota place for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.   

New Delhi: Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, on Thursday informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting over the preparation of athletes for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.Rijiju also said the Prime Minister has appealed to everyone to cheer for the Indian athletes in the upcoming Games.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held a review meeting over the preparation of athletes for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. The PM has appealed to all to cheer for the athletes,” said Rijiju while unveiling India`s Olympic uniform.

Last week, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had confirmed that its entire contingent bound for the Olympics will be vaccinated against Covid-19 before the Tokyo Games.

The IOA also said its entire contingent has at least received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while some have been fully vaccinated as well. 

“The Indian Olympic Association, therefore, is confirming to IOC and Tokyo Organising Committee its commitment and pledge to follow all necessary precautions and guidelines, ensuring that all the participants through the Indian Olympic Association for the Tokyo Olympics including athletes, technical officials, and delegate members will follow all precautions and will be vaccinated before leaving for Japan, presently each of the above has had the first vaccination and 2nd will happen as per vaccination protocols,” the IOA had said in an official statement.

“We thank the Government of India for their support in securing vaccinations for each of the contingent members and any representatives from India,” it added.

On May 22, the IOA had informed that 19 Olympic-bound athletes had received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine and hence they were fully vaccinated against the virus.

131 athletes and 13 para-athletes had received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine while 17 athletes and 2 para-athletes had received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine as of May 20.

23 members of the coaching staff had received both doses of the vaccine while 87 members had taken the first dose of the vaccine.

Spain: The three-time World Champion and reigning Olympics gold medalist, Carolina Marin of Spain has opted out of the Tokyo Olympics 2020. She picked up a knee injury on Tuesday. After her walkout from the tournament, the chances of India’s PV Sindhu have gone up as Sindhu faced difficulty in facing the Spaniard.

“After the examinations during the weekend and the medical consultation, I confirm that I have torn the ACL and both meniscus on my left knee. I will undergo surgery this week and start my recovery,” Marin said in a social media post.

“I want to thank everyone for your support and messages during these days. This is another blow that I have to deal with, but I will certainly be back.

Also Read | Confirmed! Saina Nehwal And Kidambi Srikanth Do Not Qualify For Tokyo Olympics 2020, All Hopes On PV Sindhu

“The preparation during the last two months had become very difficult for reasons beyond the team’s control, but we were excited and knew that I would be in the best shape for the Olympics. It won’t be possible. I know that I am in safe hands and I have a lot of people by my side,” she added.

Recently, India’s Saina Nehwal didn’t qualify for the Olympics. “The Badminton World Federation (BWF) can confirm no further tournaments will be played inside the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualifying window,” the apex body said in a statement last Friday.

A player needs to be in the top 16 rankings by 15 June 2021 for him/her to qualify for the Olympics, as announced by the BWF in a statement ad Saina is ranked 22 currently. The statement read, “As such, while the qualification period officially closes 15 June 2021 as per the Revised Tokyo 2020 Qualification System, the current Race To Tokyo rankings list will not change.” 

British gymnast Becky Downie’s Tokyo 2020 hopes almost took a dash after a tragedy struck her family. However, the world silver medallist, was assured of an additional chance by the country’s gymanstic body, who extended their support to Downie and her family at this grieving hour. 

Downie, who was scheduled to take part in UK’s final Olympic trials in Cardiff, was forced to skip the event after the death of her cricketer brother John, who passed away in the middle of a practice session.  

The women’s Olympic selection process has been extended.

Read more on our website  https://t.co/6zsmaqX7Ru pic.twitter.com/JebPSyOnDr

— British Gymnastics (@BritGymnastics) May 13, 2021

“We felt it important in such an unprecedented situation to take time to look at how we might be able to grant an extension to the selection window to allow for a further opportunity to complete the trial,” British Gymnastics said in a statement on last week. 

“In such difficult circumstances we feel strongly that this is the right thing to do,” it added. 

EXCLUSIVE: G Sathiyan remains unperturbed amidst Tokyo 2020 cancellation calls 

As per reports, Josh Downie collpased during a pratice session in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, on May 6 and was later died due to a heart attack in the same evening.

The reports mentioned that Josh was one of the premier batsman of Burton Joyce, a cricket club, who also held the record of accumulating the highest individual score in its history. The cricketer had also featured for several other cricket clubs including Hucknall CC, Fikserton & Thurgarton CC, and Burton Joyce CC in Nottinghamshire. 

Meanwhile, Becky also dedicated a post to her late brother on social media, in which she described the phase as the hardest three days of her life. 

The hardest 3 days of my life but I didn’t come this far to only come this far. I know Josh would want me to take it as far as I could go & I owe it to myself to finish what I started.
Doing it for us both  pic.twitter.com/TwPHMfksp6

— Becky Downie (@Bdownie) May 10, 2021

The 29-year-old has bagged a silver medal on the uneven bars. at the 2019 Stuttgart world championships. 

With almost two months remaining for the Tokyo Olympics 2020, an event that has already been rescheduled due to the global pandemic, there are now fears of the sporting extravaganza getting completely scrapped. 

As per fresh development, campaigners in Japan have submitted a petition with over 3.5 lakh signatures arguing the Summer Games to be cancelled, thus putting a toss on athletes’ fate, who have been eagerly waiting to make a mark in the quadrennial event. 

However, Indian paddler G Sathiyan, who will be taking part in his first Olympics in Tokyo if everything goes according to the plan, feels both the Japanese government and the International Olympic Committee will come up with what’s best going ahead. Instead, the Asian Games medalist chooses to remain aloof from these thoughts as no one has any control over the current situation.       

“I’m looking at things that are in my control at this point of time and avoid getting into these kinds of discussions or talks, which affect your preparation and mental part,” Sathiyan told zeenews.india.com.    

Sathiyan, who on Saturday donated 1 lakh to Tamil Nadu CM’s Public relief fund, is also confident that India will fight the pandemic just like the country have fought other hardships.  

“It is a very deadly wave and since I lost my father a few years back so I know how it feels to lose loved ones in our family. This is a situation when everyone needs to be together and follow all the protocols. We have always faced innumerable difficulties and hardships and we’ve come through it and I’m sure in few weeks or months India will fight this as well,” added Sathiyan, who also holds the record of bagging the first-ever table tennis medal for India at the Asian Games. 

It is really heart wrenching to see what’s happening around in our country with people suffering a lot and losing their loved ones everyday.

It is time to support each other and fight this pandemic together.

I hereby donate a sum of Rs 1 lakh to TN CM’s Public relief fund. pic.twitter.com/kteFQEhK7G

— Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (@sathiyantt) May 14, 2021

Locked-down with mother and her Sambhar  

Sathiyan, who is expecting to receive his second dose of COVID-19 vaccine by the end of June, is currently staying at his residence in Chennai with his mother and sparring partner Anirban Ghosh.

With COVID almost setting foot at your doorstep, the 28-year-old says apart from the sport, which he claims to be a “big big stressbuster”, staying at home with his mother and having one of the best “Sambhar rice” has been a huge relief.

“When I open Instagram it makes me feel anxious and helpless. So I’ve reduced social media usage and exposure to news channels as well. The sport has always been a saviour for me and playing it is a big big stressbuster,” the paddler answers when asked about how he manages to deal with the stress with the crisis looming in our country, and then quickly adds, “being with mom and having home food, that’s a luxury for sportsperson like us and it has been really helpful in the current scenario.”

YAYYY
Officially qualified for Tokyo Olympics 

Always dreamt of being at the Olympics right from my childhood days & certainly a dream come true moment

Years of struggle and sacrifice has definitely paid off pic.twitter.com/hfD4glFE2I

— Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (@sathiyantt) March 18, 2021

Tokyo 2020 preparation  

Sathiyan, who is currently training at his house along with Anirban, believes his biggest asset has been his speed and reflex, but the 28-year-old wants to make sure he has a bag of variations and immense power game before landing in Tokyo for the mega event.

“I’m currently working on variations. Be it receive or stroke, I want to bring in the surprise element in different parts of my game.” 

“I’ve also been working on my power game, something that I need to step upon. To have more power in my strokes and pace behind my strike so that I can go for the kill,” added the current world No. 38.  

However, due to the lockdown, Sathiyan is currently being assessed by coach S Raman virtually and the three have been working on his fitness regime.

Meanwhile, talking about his aspirations for the upcoming Games, the Indian says he would love to contest against the current world number 5 Tomokazu Harimoto, whom he has earlier defeated in 2019. 

“I would love to play against the crowd favorite Harimoto. To play against him in Japan at the Tokyo Olympics would be a great experience. However, I wouldn’t want him early in the draw but a little later. If I can pull a big win, like how I defeated Harimoto earlier. It would be a memorable moment,” said Sathiyan.  

“As we had done it in Asian Games, it’s really important to have that belief. If we come out with a good draw and me bringing my A-game, a medal is definitely possible,” the paddler concluded. 

The Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8. 

New Delhi: The Malaysia Open Super 750 tournament, one of badminton’s last two Olympic qualifying events, was on Friday postponed due to a recent COVID-19 surge in the host country, dealing a severe blow to the Tokyo hopes of Indian stars like Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth. The USD 600,000 event was scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur from May 25 to 30.

“All attempts were made by the organisers and BWF to provide a safe tournament environment for all participants, but the recent surge in cases left no choice but to postpone the tournament,” Badminton World Federation said in a statement.

“BWF can confirm the rescheduled tournament will no longer take place in the Olympic qualifying window. New tournament dates will be confirmed at a later date.”

The decision came as a huge setback for London Olympics bronze-medallist Saina and men’s star Srikanth’s last hopes of Olympic qualification.

Following the postponement of the India Open (May 11-16), Saina and Srikanth’s qualification for the Tokyo Games hinged on the Kuala Lumpur event followed by the Singapore Open (June 1-6).

It is highly unlikely that the Indian duo will be able to travel to Singapore as the country has suspended all flights from COVID-ravaged India.

The Badminton Association of India had earlier said that as per the laid-out guidelines, for any Indian to enter Singapore, they have to either be in quarantine in a foreign country other than India for 14 days to be allowed to enter Singapore.

“Alternatively all players have to maintain a 21 days quarantine in Singapore.”

Malaysia too has banned all flights from India and BAI had been exploring alternative routes to reach there via Doha or Sri Lanka but with the suspension of the Kuala Lumpur event, efforts would now be directed towards Singapore.

Indian shuttlers who have already made the cut for the Olympics include PV Sindhu, B Sai Praneeth and the men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy.

Besides the quartet, Srikanth, Saina and the women’s doubles pair of N Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa were supposed to participate in the two Olympic qualifiers.

New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard is on track to become the first transgender athlete to compete at an Olympics after meeting modified qualifying requirements for the Tokyo Games.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) said the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) had revised its qualifying due to the impact of COVID-19, putting Hubbard in the frame for Tokyo selection.

“The NZOC can confirm that revised International Federation (IF) qualification systems are very likely to see a number of New Zealand weightlifters, including Commonwealth Games transgender athlete Laurel Hubbard, allocated an IF quota spot for Tokyo 2020,” the NZOC said in a statement. “A previous requirement to attend six competition events has been reduced to four due to the impact of COVID-19.”

Hubbard, 43, competed in men`s weightlifting competitions before transitioning in 2013. She has been eligible to compete in the Olympics since 2015, when the IOC issued guidelines allowing any transgender athlete to compete as a woman provided their testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months before their first competition.

Some scientists have criticised these guidelines, saying they do little to mitigate the biological advantages of those who have gone through puberty as males, including bone and muscle density.
Advocates for transgender inclusion argue the process of transition decreases that advantage considerably and that physical differences between athletes mean there is never a truly level playing field in sport.

The NZOC said it expected nomination and selection for its weightlifting team would not happen until June, when it would have a final list of qualified athletes from the IWF.

“Prior to that all athletes must provide evidence of capability to finish in the top 16 at the Games, with the potential to achieve a top 8 placing,” the NZOC added.

Weightlifting New Zealand, the national body for the sport, did not provide immediate comment when contacted by Reuters but has been a staunch supporter of Hubbard`s right to lift in women`s competitions.

Weightlifting has been at the centre of the debate over the fairness of transgender athletes competing in women`s sports, and Hubbard`s presence in Tokyo could prove divisive.
Her gold medal wins at the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa, where she topped the podium ahead of Samoa`s Commonwealth Games champion Feagaiga Stowers, triggered outrage in the island nation.

Australia`s weightlifting federation sought to block Hubbard from competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast but organisers rejected the move.
Rival weightlifters and coaches at the Commonwealth Games also complained. Hubbard withdrew from the tournament after injuring herself lifting, allowing Stowers to take gold in the 90+kg division.