Olympic host city Tokyo entered a fresh state of emergency on Monday, less than two weeks before the Games begin amid worries whether the measures can stem a rise in COVID-19 cases. Organisers last week announced that spectators would be banned from nearly all venues, all but depriving of Japan of hopes for Games with public spectacle.

Spectators from abroad had been banned months ago, and officials are now asking residents to watch on TV. “We would ask people to support athletes from home,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on a Sunday TV programme.

The Games, postponed from last year because of the pandemic, run from July 23 to August 8, while the state of emergency – the capital’s fourth – lasts until August 22, shortly before the Paralympics begin. The government and organisers had long seen the event as a chance to display the country’s recovery from a devastating 2011 earthquake and nuclear crisis.

On Saturday, the governor of Fukushima prefecture, site of the nuclear disaster, said spectators would also be banned from softball and baseball games there, reversing an earlier decision.

World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic said on Sunday he was ‘50-50’ about competing at the Tokyo Olympics following the organisers’ decision to ban fans from attending and limits on the number of people he can take to the Games. Some of the sport’s biggest names, including Rafa Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka, Nick Kyrgios, Serena Williams and Simona Halep have already announced decisions to skip the Games.

Japan has not seen the explosive coronavirus outbreak seen elsewhere but has recorded more than 815,440 cases and nearly 15,000 deaths. Recent rises in Tokyo have been particularly worrisome amid a vaccination rollout that got off to a slow start and has faced supply glitches after speeding up. Only about 28% of the population has received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Tokyo recorded 614 new cases on Sunday, the 22nd straight day of week-on-week gains, and many areas were crowded with shoppers. The coronavirus curbs include asking restaurants to close early and stop serving alcohol in exchange for a government subsidy, measures that have hit the eateries hard and caused many to complain of unfairness as the Games are set to go ahead.

Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is also in charge of the pandemic response, sparked outrage when he suggested late on Thursday he would ask banks to put pressure on eateries that do not comply with the stricter measures.

In an about-face, the government’s top spokesperson Kato said on Friday it had decided banks would not be asked to press restaurants and bars that do not follow the government request to stop serving alcohol under the emergency restrictions.

But Kozo Hasegawa, president of Global-Dining Inc (7625.T), which runs 43 restaurants including one that inspired a bloody fight scene in the movie ‘Kill Bill: Volume I’, said on Friday that he would not obey the rules and would open as normal.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be interacting with the Indian athletes bound for Tokyo Olympics on July 13 at 5 pm via video conferencing.

“The interaction by the Prime Minister is an endeavour to motivate the athletes ahead of their participation at the games. He had recently reviewed the preparations for facilitation of India’s contingent at Tokyo-2020,” stated an official release from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Recently, Prime Minister Modi had discussed the inspirational journeys of some of the athletes on Mann Ki Baat, besides urging the nation to come forward and wholeheartedly support them.

The event will be attended by Anurag Thakur, Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports; Nisith Pramanik, MoS Youth Affairs and Sports and Kiren Rijiju, Law Minister.

A total of 126 athletes across 18 sports disciplines from India will be heading to Tokyo. This is the biggest-ever contingent India is sending to any Olympics. The 69 cumulative events across the 18 sport disciplines that India will participate in are also the highest ever for the country.

There are several notable firsts in terms of participation. For the first time in its history, a Fencer from India (Bhavani Devi) has qualified for the Olympic Games. Nethra Kumanan is the first-ever female Sailor from India to qualify for an Olympic Games. Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj are the first Swimmers from India to qualify for an Olympic Games by achieving the ‘A’ Qualification Standard in Swimming.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has already confirmed that boxer Mary Kom and men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh would be the flagbearers for the Indian contingent at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in the opening ceremony. Wrestler Bajrang Punia will be the flagbearer at the closing ceremony.

The Indian contingent would depart for Tokyo on July 17. Olympics will run from July 23-August 8.

Live TV

Shooter Divyansh Singh Pawar is also among the Indians participating in the Tokyo Olympics. The whole country has hope from Divyansh. Divyansh, who was considered a contender for winning a medal in shooting at the Tokyo Olympics. He swas once fond of playing pubg once. Divyansh, who listens to Arijit Singh’s songs, practices for 6 hours a day.

As 4 athletes from Delhi have been selected to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia called for a meeting to discuss how to improve the quantum of support for these athletes along with the Delhi Sports University Vice-Chancellor Karnam Malleshwari.

The stress was laid on the immense importance of boosting enthusiasm and providing multidimensional support to athletes from Delhi participating in the coveted Tokyo Olympics 2020, and the role of the Delhi Sports University in building the next cohort of athletes who would represent India in the future Olympic games.

On the eve of the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Delhi Government has further announced cash prizes to the tune of Rs. 3 crores for all those athletes from Delhi who bag a Gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Rs. 2 crores will be awarded to those who win a Silver medal and Rs. 1 crore to those who receive a bronze medal in the Olympics.

Rs. 10 lakhs will also be awarded to all the coaches of these aforementioned athletes who receive medals. The athletes from Delhi include Deepak Kumar, Manika Batra, Amoj Jacob, and Sarthak Bhambri.

दिल्ली में हमारी कोशिश खेल प्रतिभाओं को वो मंच देने की है जहाँ उनके लिए अवसर से लेकर सुविधाओं तक की कोई कमी ना हो। हमारी यही प्रतिभाएँ भविष्य में ओलम्पिक मेडल जीतकर पूरी दुनिया में भारत का नाम रोशन करेंगी। https://t.co/yE1nNemv1g

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 9, 2021

Khel Ratna Awardee Manika Batra will represent India in Table Tennis while Deepak Kumar will represent the country in the 10m Air Rifle Shooting event.

Amoj Jacob will participate in the 4x400m relay and Sarthak Bhambri from Delhi is also representing the country in the 4x400m relay.

Discussing the role of Delhi Sports University, Deputy Chie Minister Manish Sisodia said, “Preparations are in full swing for Delhi to birth future Olympians and we are ensuring that no stone is left unturned to build a world-class Sports University. Delhi Sports University will work to prepare those sportspersons who will win medals for the country in the Olympic Games.

“Sporting events will be organised to promote Delhi as a major sports hub. In order to promote sports in this direction, the university will organize sports events all over Delhi through community sports so that an active environment is created for sports in Delhi as well as in the whole country and we can host the 2048 Olympic Games,” he added.

Vice-Chancellor of Delhi Sports University Karnam Malleshwari said, “Delhi Sports University congratulates each and every athlete participating in the Tokyo Olympics.

“With the preparation to build Delhi Sports University, I promise each and every student in the nation who has dreams of becoming a strong sportsperson that Delhi Sports University will provide world-class facilities and sports equipment to build athletic acumen,” he added.

Delhi Sports School is also being established under Delhi Sports University. Admissions for Delhi Sports School will begin from the next session.

Allocation of sports for students will be done keeping in mind their abilities and interests, and they will be given the best training in their sport.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of India’s Olympic preparations on Friday and also announced an interaction with the country’s Tokyo-bound sportspersons on July 13, three days before the first batch departs for the Japanese capital. The interaction with the athletes will be held virtually owing to the COVID-19 situation. “Reviewed preparations for facilitation of India’s contingent at @Tokyo2020. Discussed the logistical details, their vaccination status, the multi-disciplinary support being given,” Modi tweeted.

“On behalf of 130 crore Indians, I would be interacting with the Olympics bound athletes on 13th July to wish them luck. Let us all #Cheer4India,” he said.

The earlier announcement of his July 13 engagement with athletes was made on government’s citizen engagement platform, MyGovIndia’s Twitter page. The first batch of India’s Olympic-bound athletes will depart for Tokyo in a charter Air India flight on July 17.

More than 120 athletes are bound for the Games, even though the Indian Olympic Association is yet to officially divulge the strength of the contingent. In view of the raging COVID-19 cases, the Tokyo Olympics will be held under a state of emergency in Japan without spectators from July 23 to August 8.

Reviewed preparations for facilitation of India’s contingent at @Tokyo2020. Discussed the logistical details, their vaccination status, the multi-disciplinary support being given. pic.twitter.com/JELGZsls3X

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 9, 2021

The Games were slated to be held last year, but the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday, it was announced that the upcoming Tokyo Olympics will be held without spectators as there was a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in the region. The decision of barring spectators was agreed on at a meeting attended by International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach and representatives of the four bodies, the organizing committee, the International Paralympic Committee, as well as the Japanese and Tokyo metropolitan governments.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak to Indian athletes going to the Tokyo Olympics on July 13, while the first batch of Indian athletes will leave three days later.

The government’s public participation platform ‘MyGovIndia’ tweeted, “Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will speak to Indian athletes going for Olympics to Tokyo from July 23 to August 8 to encourage them,”

India’s first team will leave by Air India. More than 120 players from India have qualified for Tokyo Olympics. The Indian Olympic Association has not yet officially announced the number of players.

Sportspersons should be supported without pressurizing them – PM Narendra Modi

Earlier, in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, PM Modi said regarding the athletes who qualified for the Olympics, the country should support them without pressuring them during the Tokyo Games. The Prime Minister said, “Most of the players in our country come from small towns, cities, and villages. Our Olympic team going to Tokyo also includes many such players whose life inspires a lot.”

PM mentioned Priyanka Goswami

Priyanka Goswami of Uttar Pradesh will represent the country in a 20 km race walk. Her father is a bus conductor. PM Modi said, “Priyanka’s father is a bus conductor. As a child, Priyanka loved the bag that medal winners get. In this attraction, she took part in the race walking competition for the first time. Now, today she is a big champion.”

 

 

He’s made it to the Tokyo Olympics 4x400m relay and will be representing India at the Games later this month. But, his parents – Pandi, a construction labourer and Panchavarnam, a homemaker – hardly have any inkling of how significant their son’s feat is. However, for his colleagues at the Tamil Nadu Police, this is a historic leap as one from their service has made it to the world’s biggest sporting event. Zee News English spoke to the 25-year old sprinter to understand his journey so far.

Growing up, Naganathan never had it easy. His father’s meagre income from working as a construction or agricultural labourer was what fed the five children and their homemaker mother. It was a struggle for his parents to even make ends meet, while also ensuring that the five children got their education. After they turned 15, Naganathan and his brother worked as construction labourers, ferrying material and performing masonry over the weekends to support their family. 

It was around 10th grade (aged 15) that Naganathan had taken to running. His foray was purely out of fascination from seeing his peers succeed on the track in his village school. He started off as a barefoot runner, as shoes were too much of a luxury. With the support of his physical training teacher from school he ran 1500m races. Following his encouraging performance, the school gifted him a pair of running spikes, by the time he was in 12th grade.

While pursuing his BA History at the PTMTM college in his hometown, he continued his stellar runs by winning golds at the college and University level with 400m timings of nearly 49 seconds. A certificate from having taken part in an All-India meet in Bengaluru made him eligible to apply for a job in the State Police department, under the sports quota.

Having passed the entrance tests, he joined the Tamil Nadu Police in 2017 as a constable, with a posting in Chennai. To better his track performance, despite having less time to spare, he trained before and after his duty hours. It was Prabhakaran, a friend and batch mate who recognized the inherent potential and coached Naganathan during his initial days in the service, in the absence of a dedicated coach.

To continue his training and nutrition, along with his basic living expenses in an expensive metropolis like Chennai, Naganathan even secured a loan of Rs.5 lakhs – of which he spent 3 lakhs for his needs and offered the rest to his family, back home in Ramanathapuram. Manikandan, an athlete since his schooling and also Naganathan’s roommate was also instrumental in helping the sprinter cope with injuries and better his technique, besides making the necessary arrangement for training and equipment.

Since 2019, there has been no looking back for Naganathan who went on to bag an individual Gold (400m) at the Chief Minister’s Meet, a gold at the 400m individual and relay events in the All India Police meet in Chandigarh, followed by another gold in the 400m individuals at the Indian Grand Prix. He also ran a personal best and completed the 400m dash in 46.09 seconds at the Federation Cup, which took him to the Indian Camp at Patiala that was training sportspersons for the Olympics.

To this day, his friends continue to lend him money to support his training and basic needs. The sprinter says that he repays his friends promptly after he receives his salary, but whatever remains is barely sufficient for his sustenance. Recently, he was also gifted a running kit by the Greater Chennai Police.

Until he started winning big at the National level, Naganathan didn’t even tell his parents about his athletics training and achievements. All this was owing to fear of backlash from his uneducated parents, who wanted their five children to continue and focus on their respective academic pursuits and careers to support the family. In the eyes of his parents, sports are a needless pursuit, in the face of all their struggles to fend for themselves.

Now he coyly admits that his parents have some knowledge about the Olympics and are happy about his feats. He credits his siblings for having convinced their parents and conveyed the message of his having won the coveted ticket and an India jersey to Tokyo.

Former Indian cricket team’s star opener and present BJP MP Gautam Gambhir took to Twitter on Thursday to issue clarification over a tweet shared by him which raised concerns over Delhi’s Yamuna Sports Complex Archery ground. Gambhir had posted a video which raised concerns among top archers like Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari. 

“East Delhi ready for Pro Cricket!” Gambhir had earlier tweeted while posting a video of the cricket ground. Both Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari, who will be representing India in Tokyo Olympics, pleaded with Gambhir not to convert the archery ground into a cricket stadium, stating that it is “the best archery ground in Asia”.

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“To set the record straight. Yamuna Sports Ground has not been converted but only upgraded. Archery & other sports will continue like before,” Gambhir tweeted on Thursday.

“Being a sportsman myself, will never let anything hamper the growth of any sportsman!,” he added.

“I became Deepika in this ground in 2010 Commonwealth Games. Please do not make this Archery Ground to a Cricket Ground. This is the one of the best Archery Ground in Asia. International Archery tournaments can be happen here,” Deepika Kumari had tweeted, responding to Gambhir’s original tweet.

“Please do not make this Archery Ground to a Cricket Ground. We have very few good grounds and this is one of the best Archery ground in Asia. 2010 Commonwealth Games Happened here. Where Should We archers go?” Atanu Das, Kumari’s husband, had written.

In the recent Archery World Cup, Deepika Kumari won three gold medals, including one with Atanu Das in the recurve mixed team event.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday announced cash awards for the Tokyo-bound athletes from the state, who would be able to secure medals in the upcoming Olympic Games starting July 23.

During a virtual interaction with the athletes from the state, Patnaik said that the state government will provide Rs 6 crore to those winning gold, Rs 4 crore for silver, and Rs 2.5 crore for bronze. Besides, Rs 15 lakh will be given to each of the athletes from the state who have qualified for the Olympics, he said.

Wishing good luck to the Olympic-bound athletes, Patnaik in an official release said: “For every athlete, Olympics is the biggest dream, and you all have turned role models for the youth. You have brought pride to your family and the state. With your utmost determination, hard work and discipline, you will definitely win medals.”

World Champion para shuttler, Pramod Bhagat, ace sprinter Dutee Chand and hockey players, Namita Toppo, Deep Grace Ekka, Amit Rohidas, and Birendra Lakra who joined via video-conferencing were applauded for their achievements in sports by the Chief Minister and senior officials of the Odisha Government and officials of Sports and Youth Services Department and encouraged to perform to the best of their potential at the Games.

Participating in the event, Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera congratulated the athletes and hoped that their success at the Olympics would bring glory to Odisha in the field of sports.

Sprinter Dutee Chand has been selected for the Tokyo Games in the 100m and 200m events, while para shuttler Pramod Bhagat has also qualified for the Paralympics. Similarly, Lakra and Rohidas are part of the 16-member Indian men’s hockey team, while Ekka has been included in the 16-member Indian women’s hockey squad.

India’s PV Sindhu, gunning for her second successive medal, and B Sai Praneeth were handed a difficult draw and are slated to face tricky opponents in the knockout stages of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, starting on July 23.

In the draw conducted by Badminton World Federation on Thursday, the Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty was clubbed in Group A with Indonesia’s world number one combination of Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon.

Men’s doubles top seeds Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo find themselves in a tricky group as the draws for the #Tokyo2020 @Olympics were conducted today.https://t.co/SCFdBMeptn

— BWF (@bwfmedia) July 8, 2021

In women’s singles, sixth-seeded Sindhu is placed in Group J with Cheung Ngan Yi of Hong Kong and Kesinia Polikarpova, a Russia-born Israeli player. Though the 26-year-old Indian may not break much sweat in topping her group, problems will start for her in the first knockout round, which is the Round of 16.

If things go as per seeding, she is likely to face Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt, who was ranked 11th in the world a couple of years ago, in the pre-quarter finals. Mia had sent Sindhu packing from the Thailand Open, beating her 21-16, 24-26, 13-21 in the opening round in January this year.

If Sindhu gets past the dangerous Dane, she may run into former world number one Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the quarter-finals.

Things will be tricky for Sai Praneeth too, as he has been drawn in Group D and slated to face Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long Angus in Round of 16 and, if successful, will meet top seed and home favourite Kento Momota in the quarters.

For Shetty and Rankireddy, the world number one pair is not the only tough opponents in Group A. They also have to deal with a tricky pair in the form of Great Britain’s Ben Lane and Sean Vendy.

Tokyo: The Tokyo Olympics 2020 will be played behind closed doors without the spectators. The decision has been taken due to the rising cases of Covid-19 in Japan. 

Tokyo: The Olympic Games are going to start on July 23 in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. But the increasing cases of the Covid-19 in Tokyo have caused another setback for the Japanese government and the organizers of the Olympic Games. In light of rising Covid-19 cases, a meeting with experts was called in which government officials proposed to impose a state of emergency in Japan from next Monday till August 22. 

The Olympic Games were earlier postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The government of Japan can take more strict decisions because of the Olympic Games. Foreign spectators will not be allowed in the field during the games. 

Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Games said that the situation was “regrettable” and the committee will make sure that the people who bought tickets are refunded. 

Tokyo had earlier banned fans from abroad to enter the city. Only Japanese fans would be present during the games but with this announcement, the scenario has changed again. 

A group of 26 medical experts headed by Dr. Shigeru Omi had (in a report) had advised 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. 

The Japanese civil society was against holding the Tokyo games with the fans present in the stadium. 

 

 

BJP leader Gautam Gambhir has clarified that the Yamuna Sports Complex in East Delhi in not being converted into a cricket ground. His response came after Indian archer Deepika Kumari’s request of not using the ground for cricket matches.

The Member of Parliament from East Delhi, a former India cricketer, had tweeted a 20-second video of the ground on Wednesday night with a caption: “Ads can’t substitute for intent & hard work. East Delhi ready for Pro Cricket! #DelhiNeedsHonest”.

On Thursday afternoon, Deepika, who is set to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, tweeted her anger against the supposed move. “I became Deepika in this ground in 2010 Commonwealth Games. Please do not make this Archery Ground to a Cricket Ground. This is the one of the best Archery Ground in Asia. International Archery tournaments can happen here. @PMOIndia @KirenRijiju @ianuragthakur @lokesharcher”.

I became Deepika in this ground in 2010 Commonwealth Games. Please do not make this Archery Ground to a Cricket Ground. This is the one of the best Archery Ground in Asia. International Archery tournaments can be happen here.@PMOIndia @KirenRijiju @ianuragthakur @lokesharcher https://t.co/mOrBd5y5UT

— Deepika Kumari (@ImDeepikaK) July 8, 2021

Just an hour after her tweet, Gambhir took to Twitter to clear Deepika’s doubt. “To set the record straight. Yamuna Sports Ground has not been converted but only upgraded. Archery & other sports will continue like before. Being a sportsman myself, will never let anything hamper the growth of any sportsman!” said the former Indian cricketer’s tweet.

To set the record straight. Yamuna Sports Ground has not been converted but only upgraded. Archery & other sports will continue like before. Being a sportsman myself, will never let anything hamper the growth of any sportsman!

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) July 8, 2021

The Yamuna Sports Complex hosted the archery events during the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Deepika, then a teenager, stepped into the limelight with gold medals in individual and team events.

She recently won three gold medals in individual, mixed, and team events at the third stage of the 2021 Archery World Cup in Paris.

Olympic organisers are set to ban all spectators from the Games, the Asahi daily said on Thursday (July 8), as Japan prepared to declare a state of emergency for Tokyo that will run through its hosting of the event to curb a new wave of coronavirus infections. Organisers were set to formally reach the decision on the spectators during five-way talks between key parties to be held on Thursday evening, the newspaper said, citing people involved in the Games.

The move is the latest blow to the troubled Olympics, already delayed by a year because of the pandemic and plagued by a series of setbacks, including massive budget overruns. Medical experts have said for weeks that having no spectators at the Games would be the least risky option amid widespread public concern that the influx of thousands of athletes and officials will fuel a fresh wave of infections.

Organisers have already banned overseas spectators and have for now set a cap on domestic viewers at 50 per cent of capacity, up to 10,000 people. Anyone wanting to support athletes has been told to do so by clapping rather than cheering or singing. Public viewing sites have been cancelled and companies, wary of public opposition, have been hesitant about advertising related to the Games, adding to a subdued mood in the Japanese capital.

The evening talks are to be chaired by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach, who arrives in Tokyo on Thursday. Other participants include the Tokyo and national governments and Paralympic officials. Japan has not experienced the kind of explosive COVID-19 outbreaks seen in many other countries but has had more than 810,000 cases and 14,900 deaths.

A slow vaccine rollout has meant only a quarter of Japan’s population has had at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot. The imposition of a new state of emergency in Tokyo comes after new daily infections in the capital rose to 920 on Wednesday, the highest level since mid-May.

Japan`s economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who heads the government`s coronavirus response, said the new restrictions will begin on July 12 and run through August 22.

The Games are scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8. Tokyo is currently under slightly less strict ‘quasi emergency’ curbs. Under the heightened restrictions, restaurants will be asked to stop serving alcohol, Nishimura said.

Areas neighbouring Tokyo where some Olympic events are also slated to take place, such as Chiba and Kanagawa, are set to remain under ‘quasi emergency’ through August 22.

Underscoring the last-minute nature of the preparations, organisers have presented various spectator scenarios to Olympic sponsors as late as Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the situation. Sponsors were told that in the case of a no-spectator scenario, all sports and opening and closing ceremonies will likely be carried out without fans, including tickets allocated to the sponsors.

The lack of crowds may further strain the Games’ budget, which has already blown out to an estimated $15.4 billion, with ticket revenues of around $815 million expected to take a big hit.

The organising committee did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment. Until this week, officials have insisted they could organise the Games safely with some spectators, but a ruling party setback in a Tokyo assembly election on Sunday, which some allies of Suga attributed to public anger over the Olympics, had forced the change of tack, sources said.

Japan will hold a parliamentary election later this year and the government’s insistence that the Games – postponed last year as the virus spread around the world – should go ahead this year could cost it at the ballot box, they said.

At the age of just 18, Manu Bhaker has won 8 gold medals in World Cup shooting representing the country. Apart from this, Manu is also a gold medalist in Commonwealth Games and Asian Shooting Championships. The young talent is now participating in the Tokyo Olympics. While talking to ABP News, Manu shared her practice schedules and aim to win gold.

Had her grandmother, her only guardian paid heed to relatives and other villagers of Sakkimangalam, 23-year old Revathi Veeramani would have been living a different life today, perhaps, as a married woman. Now, she’ll have more than a billion hearts rooting for her, as she dons the India jersey and races for the country in the 4x400m mixed relay event at the Tokyo Olympics, for which she recently secured the berth. The sprinter who is making her Olympics foray revealed this and much more about her life in an exclusive conversation with Zee Media.

Raised in a very poor family in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai, Revathi, the first of two daughters, lost her parents at a very young age and was brought up by her grandmother K. Aarmmal. Struggling to make ends meet and with even a single meal too hard to get, their grandmother had no option but to leave the girls in a Government Hostel. From their second grade until completing their twelfth grade, the sisters remained in the hostel and carried on with their education, barely meeting their grandmother once a month.

While she had been taking part in school-level track events during her schooling years, it was during 12th grade that Revathi took part in a state-level 100m dash. Despite running barefoot, she put on a stunning performance and made the finals, thus impressing Mr. K. Kannan, an athletics coach, who spotted her talent.

Mr. Kannan went on to coach her and support her financially, while also providing food and accommodation at his own house. Realizing her immense talent and potential, he urged the young athlete to work harder and pursue her career in sports. With his help, Revathi got admitted into the Lady Dock College in Madurai, where she continued to train.

What followed was the sweetness of her maiden victory – Gold medals in both 100m &200m at the Junior Nationals in 2016, following by a Silver medal at the Senior Nationals, which landed her a place at the Indian National camp in Patiala that was training for the Olympics.

Training under the National Camp Coach and Galina Bukharina she worked on getting faster and honing her technique, following which she competed at the 2019 Asian Championship in Doha, securing 4th place in the 4x100m relay. Under the advice of her coach, she also made the switch from 100m races to the 400m dash. Later that year she also took part in the World Championship in the 4x400m relay.

It was in 2019 that she got employed by the Southern Railways’ Madurai Division as a Commercial Clerk and Ticket Examiner. She is immensely grateful to her organization for having provided her continued support and encouragement while she trains in faraway Patiala. She says that her income from the Railways and that of her sister (who is a Policewoman in Chennai) is of great help in supporting their grandmother, aged 76.

Injury struck in November 2020, when she suffered knee pain, which further aggravated and kept her off the track for a handful of months. The young sprinter underwent the most difficult phase of her track career while being under strict bed rest and being treated by her physio Simoni Shah. A victory at a state meet, following her recovery helped her regain her spirits, which also reflected in her personal best of 400m in 53.55seconds and first place at the Olympics qualifier event.

Revathi says that her Granny is more delighted than ever, after having known the news of her granddaughter qualifying for the Olympics. Looking back at her journey, she exudes that if she could make it to the Olympics, despite the circumstances she grew up in, anyone can do it.

“These days there are separate hostess for sportspersons at the district level, training and schooling is free and they take care of everything. Back in our days, we didn’t know much about this. But the most important part is to perform to the fullest of our ability – Sponsors, coaching, and support facilities will follow” she signs off, with immense gratitude for everyone that has supported her get thus far.

Chennai: The coronavirus pandemic has hit many sections of the society but with Tokyo Olympics around the corner the sports fraternity in the country was badly impacted. Carrying chinks in armoury, the Indian contingent has been displaying unflinching grit to make it to the Olympics and Tamil Nadu’s Arokia Rajiv is one such example.

Arokia along with his men’s 4x400m relay team Muhammed Anas, Amoj Jacob, Naganathan Pandi and Noah Nirmal Tom made the cut to Tokyo Olympics by clocking 3.01.89 in the selection trial.

The 30-year-old relay runner has moved to the National Institute of Sports in Patiala from Tamil Nadu’s Trichy just ahead of lockdown imposed.

“For the last one year I couldn’t go home and the scenes here in the institute were horrifying. As sportsmen were getting tested positive for Covid, I have taken an oath to keep myself safe. It’s been quite some time since I spoke properly to my teammates,” Indian Sprinter Arokia Rajiv told ABP Live.

Arokia was part of a gold-winning 4x400m mixed relay team and he settled for a silver medal in the men’s 4x400m at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta.

This is Arokia’s second Olympics as he flew to Rio in the 2016 Summer Games but got disqualified from the race. Taking a cue from the previous failure, the sprinter said that he is optimistic about meeting the expectations this time in the Olympics.

“We are expected to bring a medal from the Olympics and I am sure we will clinch one for our country for sure this time,” the Tamil Nadu sprinter said confidently.

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When asked about his daily regime in the institute, he said, “Now, our daily routine is like being in a small bubble. I have been practicing for six hours a day — three hours morning and three hours in the evening. Doing work out in my room itself, not talking much to people, stay at bay from people due to the covid scare. All this was mentally disturbing and at times I felt really low and depressed but now the Olympics qualification has been a respite from a lot of negativity. I really feel happy and all set to take the onus of big responsibility.”

Mental strength plays a crucial role in a sports person’s life and despite many barriers in his way, Arokia makes a great leap in his career and he hopes to make the country proud by saluting the national flag while standing on an Olympic podium. “I want to make a podium finish at this Olympics,” the 30-year-old sprinter signed off.

Meanwhile, on Monday evening the Athletics Federation of India finalised a 26-member-contingent in Athletics for Tokyo Olympics.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Monday announced a 26-member team to compete in the Tokyo Olympics to be held from July 23 to August 8. The list included the name of India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra.

“We are happy that the national squad is well prepared, physically and emotionally, for the Olympic Games. We are pleased that our athletes have remained in training ever since the lockdown was lifted. The federation is looking forward to a good show by the team,” said Adille Sumariwalla, president AFI, in a release issued on Monday.

The Tokyo Olympic Games will officially open on July 23, but track and field events will start from July 31.

As many as 12 athletes and the 4x400m mixed relay team has achieved entry standards laid down by World Athletics, to secure automatic berths.

Dutee Chand (women’s 100m and 200m), MP Jabir (men’s 400m hurdles), Gurpreet Singh (men’s 50km race walk) and Annu Rani (women’s javelin throw) qualified for the Olympics in their respective events on the basis of their world rankings points.

The squad:

Men: Avinash Sable (3000m steeplechase); MP Jabir (400m hurdles): M Sreeshankar (long jump); Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put); Neeraj Chopra and Shivpal Singh (javelin throw); KT Irfan, Sandeep Kumar and Rahul Rohilla (20km race walk) and Gurpreet Singh (50km walk); 4x400m men’s relay: Amoj Jacob, Arokia Rajiv, Muhammed Anas, Naganathan Pandi, Noah Nirmal Tom; 4x400m mixed relay: Sarthak Bhambri, Alex Antony.

Women: Dutee Chand (100m and 200m); Kamalpreet Kaur and Seema Antil-Punia (discus throw) and Annu Rani (javelin throw); Bhawna Jat and Priyanka Goswami (20km race walk) and Revathi Veeramani, Subha Venkatesan and Dhanlakshmi Sekhar (mixed 4x400m relay).

World champion boxer and London Olympics bronze medallist MC Mary Kom and men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh were on Monday named flag bearers of the 200-strong Indian contingent in the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 23.

At Tokyo, Mary Kom, 38, will be participating in her second Olympics after failing to qualify for the Rio Games in 2016.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday confirmed that boxer Mary Kom and men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh would be the flagbearers for the Indian contingent at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Wrestler Bajrang Punia will be the flagbearer at the closing ceremony.

“The flagbearers for the Indian contingent of Tokyo 2020 for the opening ceremony on July 23rd are Mary Kom and Manpreet Singh,” IOA President Narinder Batra said in an official letter.

“The flagbearer for the Indian contingent at the closing ceremony on August 8 will be Bajrang Punia,” he further stated.

Batra also confirmed that the total contingent for the Olympics would be around 126 athletes and 75 officials, and as a result, the total contingent would be around 201.

The contingent comprises 56 percent of men and 44 percent of women. It has 76 quota places and will compete in about 85 medal positions.

The Tokyo Olympics would be held from July 23 to August 8. The event was slated to be held last year, but it had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A member of Serbia’s rowing team for the Olympics has tested positive for the COVID-19 after arriving in Japan for the upcoming Games which is set to get underway from July 23.

According to a report in Kyodo News which cited Japanese health ministry officials, an athlete of the rowing team was found to have contracted coronavirus when he was tested upon arrival at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Saturday.

The health official said the concerned person has been isolated and four other members, who travelled with him have been sent to a facility near the airport.

The rowing team had been scheduled to train in Nanto in central Japan but their training is likely to be cancelled.

Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) President Thomas Bach is set to arrive in Japan on Thursday, July 8, with just over two weeks to go until the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics.

Upon his arrival, the IOC President will work remotely. His official programme of in-person and remote meetings with arriving delegations, Games stakeholders and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee will then commence on July 12.

His destinations are registered, and his activities will be conducted under the strict rules defined by the Playbooks.

A visit to Hiroshima on July 16 to mark the start of the Olympic Truce is currently being arranged for President Bach. For John Coates, Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission, a visit to Nagasaki is being planned on this day.

The IOC Executive Board meeting will then take place in Tokyo on July 17 and 18, followed by the 138th IOC Session on July 20.

Tokyo Olympics are slated to go ahead from July 23 to August 8. The Games were scheduled for last year, but it had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.