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Athens 2004 - India watch



August 31, 2004



Indian athletes should train in China
The Chinese training method, says former athletics ace P T Usha, is the best in the world.

Kalam lauds Major Rajyavardhan Rathore
Major Rathore's wife Dr Gayatri said it was the 'greatest thing' to have happened to them.




August 30, 2004



The Great Indian Excuses resurface
There seems to be no end to the excuses given by Indian athletes for their shoddy performances at yet another Olympiad.

Sad end to my Olympics
Hockey ace Dhanraj Pillay says his farewell match in the Olympics ended on a bitter note, thanks to the team management.




August 29, 2004



India's performance was not bad: Dutt
India finished their Olympic campaign with only one silver medal but Sports Minister Sunil Dutt is not disappointed.

Creditable performance by Anju
P T Usha says Anju George's focus should now be 'Mission Beijing', not the next Asian Games.




August 28, 2004



Big names at IOA's Athens bash
IOA president Suresh Kalmadi arranged a high-profile party to tell foreign delegates about the Half Marathon Championships, which Delhi will host in October.

At last, some cheer for the team
The thumping victory over South Korea in India's concluding match of the Olympic men's hockey tournament was a fitting tribute to Dhanraj Pillay and Baljit Dhillon, who most likely played their last Olympics, says V Bhaskaran.

Indian wrestlers bow out
Indian grapplers Sushil Kumar and Sujit Mann crashed out of competition without putting even a semblance of a fight.

Sujit Mann loses first bout
India's Sujit Mann lost his first elimination round pool A bout 0-8 to Kunihiko Obata of Japan in the 74 kg freestyle category of the men's wrestling competition.




August 27, 2004



4x400 team breaks nat. mark
The quartet of K M Beenamol, Manjeet Kaur, Rajwinder Kaur and Chitra K Soman clocked 3 minutes 26.89 seconds to qualify to the final in the event.

Anju breaks Nat. record, finishes 6th
The Indian long jump ace cleared 6.83 metres in her first jump at the Olympics in Athens.

Ramesh Kumar wins but fails to advance
The Indian wrestler beat Zhirayr Hovehannisyan of Armenia 3-1 in the 66kg elimination round but his opening bout loss proved costly.

Pakistan take fifth place, Egypt last
Sohail Abbas scored thrice from penalty-corners as Pakistan beat New Zealand 4-1 in their concluding match in the Olympic men's hockey tournament.

Olympics is different ball game, says Paes
The Indian tennis ace says the Olympics is about playing for the prestige of flag and nation.

Indian hockey needs foreign coaches: Zafar
The former captain and Olympic gold medallist said Indian hockey had reached its nadir and Indian coaches had failed to revive it.

Dhanraj not ready to quit
The veteran forward regretted not being able to win a medal at the Olympics.

Nothing wrong with Rach's tactics: Gill
The IHF chief said the Indian team could have fared better at the Olympics but for certain things that he did not want to discuss.

Pillay, Dhillon opt out of Pakistan tour
Gagan Ajit Singh and Deepak Thakur will also miss the first leg of the series, in Pakistan, because of injuries.

India rout Korea, finish seventh
Gagan Ajit Singh scored twice in 5-2 victory in India's concluding match in the Olympic men's hockey tournament.

Wrestler Anuj finishes 16th in 84kg
The Indian grappler lost both his bouts in the freestyle wrestling competition.

Hockey: India beat South Korea 5-2
Gagan Ajit Singh scored four goals.

We messed up everything from day one
India's poor showing at the Olympics, says Dhanraj Pillay, had nothing to do with the strategy of the team.

Sounds impossible, but Anju can do it
To win a medal, Anju needs to jump at least .20m more than the 6.69 she cleared in qualifying for the women's long jump final, says P T Usha.




August 26, 2004



Misery ends for Indian sailing duo
Malav Shroff and Sumeet Patel finished last in a field of 19 in the 49er Double-handed Dinghy open Olympic Regatta in Athens.

India let down by younger players
Former India captain and coach V Bhaskaran says the players should start thinking more about their performance and not airing views to media.

Lot to learn from the semi-finals
Former Olympian Mervyn Fernandis was impressed by the the positional play and penalty-corner variations by the Aussies.

Archery official blames foreign experts
A top Archery Association of India official blamed the foreign coaches for spoiling the natural ability of the players.

Anju qualifies for long jump final
The 27-year-old World Championship bronze medallist cleared 6.69 metres in her first jump to make the grade at the Olympics.




August 25, 2004



Pakistan whip India
Pakistan scored a 3-0 victory and will play-off with New Zealand for fifth place in the Olympic men's hockey tournament.

Holland, Australia to clash in final
The Dutch beat Germany while the Aussies whipped Spain in the semi-finals of the Olympic men's hockey tournament.

Hockey teams seek foreign secrets of success
India and Pakistan have hired foreign coaches in the hope that their global experience will restore them old glory.

Lifters glad to be rid of coach Sandhu
The sports ministry has also sought details of foreign coach Leonid Taranenko's contract.

India way behind Asian nations
Thailand, Indonesia and the UAE, have bagged at least one gold each at the Olympics, while China are giving the United States a run for their money.

Wrong on players to blame coach: Harbinder
Three-time Olympian Harbinder Singh says once a new coach takes over the team players should follow his instructions and not dispute them.

Our appetite for winning was simply not there
Dhanraj Pillay laments the inability to force penalty-corners and concede too many.




August 24, 2004



All eyes on Anju
The long jump ace will carry the hopes of a second medal for India when she takes the field on Wednesday.

Anju drawn in tough group
In addition to Marion Jones, French world champion Eunice Barber, Fiona May of Italy and Irina Simgina of Russia are in her group.

YAI fears losing govt. patronage
The performance of the sailing duo of Malav Shroff and Sumeet Patel at the Athens Olympics could invite the government's wrath.

No rift in the team, says Pillay
The four-time Olympian dismissed reports about differences between him and coach Gehrad Rach and fellow-forward Gagan Ajit Singh.

Indian sailors still 'at sea'
Malav Shroff and Sumeet Patel remained anchored in last place after the 15th and penultimate race in the 49er Olympic regatta.

Bronze medal loss still hurts: Paes
The tennis ace said the close defeat in the men's doubles bronze medal match will haunt him for a long time to come.

Forward line has been non-existent
The trio of Baljit Singh Dhillon, Prabhjot Singh and Adam Sinclair were clueless in the match against Argentina.

India sack weightlifting coaches
Pal Singh Sandhu and Belarussian Leonid Taranenko were sacked in the wake of the doping incidents.

Adrian saved us the blushes
There should not be any excuse for not being able to finish among the top six at the Athens Olympics, says Vasudevan Bhaskaran.

Coach Rach hits back
Prabhjot has not performed up to expectations and is trying to hide his failures, said India's German hockey coach.

Mukesh Khatri loses first bout
He lost his first bout of group B elimination round in the men's 55 kg Greco-Roman wrestling competition.

Gagan disappointed, hopes for better results ahead
Shooter Gagan Narang, who failed to qualify for the Olympics final, will aim for a better show in the days ahead.

Pillay to retire after Athens Games
Mercurial striker and four-time Olympian Dhanraj Pillay would retire after the Athens Games.

Kerala villages pray for Anju's victory
"It is a season of prayer for my daughter these days," K T Markose, the ace athlete's father, said. "People love our daughter. All of us want her to win the gold."

Holmes ends Mutola's dream in the 800m
The Briton deposed friend and training partner Maria Mutola as women's 800 metres Olympic champion in one of the biggest upsets of the Athens Games.

Shobha made us all proud
She proved that she was there to fight it out, not as a passenger like some of her better known teammates, says P T Usha.

Argentina hold India with late goal
The draw gave India the fourth position in Group B in the Olympic men's hockey tournament.




August 23, 2004



Prabhjot slams coach for poor show
The ace forward accused German coach Gerhard Rach of trying to change the team's style of play.

Saraswati Saha bows out
The 25-year-old Kolkata-based athlete finished a poor fifth in a sub-par time of 23.43 seconds in the first round heat.




August 22, 2004



Thakur stable, out of ICU
The Indian hockey forward collapsed after the match against New Zealand and was rushed to the hospital with an oxygen mask.

Coach's absence affected Suma's showing
Ace shooter Suma Shirur said the absence of a coach and lack of experience in finals stood between her and a podium finish at the Olympics.

Indians shell-shocked in Athens
P T Usha says there's a deathly silence in the Indian camp since the positive dope tests of two of its athletes.

India must now make best of worst
Former captain and coach V Bhaskaran says India's showing against New Zealand was insipid and shocking.

Another shoddy showing
The Indians, says Mervyn Fernandis, should now focus on their last league game, else they could have the rare distinction of playing for the wooden spoon.

India's second appeal also turned down
The IHF's jury turned down the appeal on the ground that the team manager had not launched the protest in time.

Deepak Thakur in ICU for breathing problem
India's dashing forward had collapsed after the match against New Zealand on Saturday.

Shobha finishes creditable 11th in heptathlon
The Karnataka girl came up with an impressive performance, recording her personal best in four of the seven events as she finished eleventh in a field having 34 competitors.

Binu 7th in 400m semis
The Indian one-lap champion had set a national record of 45.48 seconds in the first round while making it to the semi-finals.




August 21, 2004



Spain whip Pakistan
Holland and Australia won their matches in the Olympic men's hockey tournament to seal places in the semi-finals.

India make fresh appeal
India appealed against the decision of tournament director Wiert Doyer to dismiss their protest against the award of a penalty corner to New Zealand.

Athens hero Rathore thanks army
It is the determination of players backed up by proper facilities and training that brings medals and not the sheer population of a country, he remarked.

Kiwis hand India third defeat
A 1-2 defeat put India out of the semi-final race in the men's Olympic hockey tournament.

India lose in men's team archery event
India went down 236-248 to Australia in the pre-quarter final of the men's team archery event.

Binu sets new 400 m national mark
India's K M Binu qualified for the semi-finals of the one-lap race.

Indian discus throwers fail to qualify
Indian women discus throwers Harwant Kaur and Seema Antil narrowly missed qualifying for the final.

Rajyavardhan Rathore returns to a hero's welcome
The 34-year-old armyman, who won the country's first ever Olympic silver medal in the double trap shooting event, was received at the Indira Gandhi International Airport by the Union Sports Minister Sunil Dutt and top army officials.

Lee-Hesh lose bronze play-off
The ace Indian pair of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi lost to Croatia's Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic in the men's doubles.

Strategic failure by Team India
The boys showed great character to fight back when down 1-3, but it was just not our day, says Dhanraj Pillay.

Diwakar Prasad bows out
His exit in the 54 kg category brought down the curtain on India's challenge in the roped square at the Games.

India at the Games on Saturday
Indian sportspersons will be in action in the following events at 28th Olympic Games in Athens.




August 20, 2004



Dutt learns of 34 year-old link with Rathore
The sports minister's day, however, ended on a sour note when he learnt that weightlifter Sanamacha Chanu too had failed a dope test.

Athens hero Rathore returns on Saturday
Government and sports officials, army officers, and Arjuna Award-winners will join members of his family and Sports Minister Sunil Dutt in welcoming India's first ever individual Olympic silver medallist home.

Indian sailors continue to disappoint
Malav Shroff and Sumeet Patel came up with another dismal show in the 49er (double-handed dinghy open) in the sixth race at the Olympic Games regatta.

India's strategy was flawed
Former India captain and coach V Bhaskaran on India's men's Olympic hockey match against Australia.

Indians choked at the crunch
Mervyn Fernandis says sloppy defending cost India the Olympic men's hockey match against Australia.

Govt to take tough action: Dutt
Sports Minister Sunil Dutt said the government would take strong action against dope offenders.

Tandon finishes 40th in 50m freestyle
Shikha Tandon's odyssey at the 28th Olympic Games came to a tame end on Friday.

Indian women archers lose to France in quarters
The trio of Dola Banerjee, Reena Kumari and Sumangala Sharma suffered a solitary point defeat in the team event.

India name Chanu as second dope offender
Sanamacha Chanu has been named as the second Indian woman weightlifter to be caught for doping at the Athens Olympics, a top Indian official said on Friday.

It's conspiracy, says Pratima
Disgraced woman weightlifter Pratima Kumari, who tested positive for testosterone, pleaded innocence and accused coaches Pal Singh Sandhu and Leonid Taranenko of hatching a conspiracy against her.

India at the Games on Friday
Indian sportspersons will be in action in the following events at 28th Olympic Games in Athens.

Late goal sinks India
A goal 30 seconds from the hooter gave Australia a 4-3 victory in a tightly contested Group B match in the men's Olympic hockey tournament.




August 19, 2004



Time we learn from Rathore
'Majorsaab' has removed the inferiority complex that every Indian was suffering from till now. But where were all those who are now basking in his glory when he needed their help, asks P T Usha.

Lee-Hesh fall in semis
The fifth seeds were shocked by Germany's unseeded pair of Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler 6-3, 6-3 in the quarter-finals.

Indian sailors placed 18th
Malav Shroff and Sumeet Patel are way behind the field after four races in the 49er (Double-handed Dinghy Open) at the Olympic Games regatta.

And the gold medal for embarrassment goes to....
New Zealand eventing rider Heelan Tompkins did not know she was sitting and chatting with a guy who answers to the name of Roger Federer.

Lee-Hesh expect a fight in semis
Leander Paes said Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler is an unorthodox pair and it will be tough to beat them.

Last arrow heartbreak for Prasad
The Indian archer was on the threshold of upsetting men's top seed Im Dong Hyun of South Korea in the individual archery competition at the Olympics.

Pratima, Chanu test positive for drugs
Pratima Kumari tested positive even before the Games while Chanu was caught in the testing after her 53kg event.

Sandhu washes hands off Malleswari flop show
Chief coach Pal Singh Sandhu refused to take responsibility for the Karnam Malleswari flop-show.

Sunil Dutt to visit Rathore's house
The time of the trip is not yet fixed, but it could be sometime in the evening.

Down two goals was a scary experience
Dhanraj Pillay says players in unfamiliar positions are proving detrimental to India's showing.

India at the Games on Thursday
Indian sportspersons will be in action in the following events at 28th Olympic Games in Athens.

Lee-Hesh in semis
The ace Indian pair upset the fourth seeded pair of Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyet of Zimbabwe in the quarter-finals of the men's doubles tennis tournament.




August 18, 2004



Kitajima wins breaststroke double
The Japanese student won the 200 metres breaststroke gold to add to the 100m win.

'Rathore can win the gold in 2008'
But before that, says former Olympic Russell Mark, his coach since the last three months, he'll be World champion.

Shroff-Patel in 18th place
The Indian sailors are placed 18th at the end of the fourth race in the 49er (double-handed Dinghy Open) at the Olympic Games regatta.

'Just the beginning of a great shooting career'
Dr Gayatri Rathore, wife of Major Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, on his success.

India's frontline yet to perform to potential
Former India captain and coach V Bhaskaran says forwards Deepak Thakur, Gagan Ajit Singh and Prabhjot Singh did not do anything worthwhile in the match against South Africa.

Pillay's goal was the turning point
Mervyn Fernandis says the Indian think-tank made the right decision of using the experienced players for longer spells in the second session.

'I asked my son to come back with a medal'
'His next target is to win the Gold medal in Olympics,' says Manju Rathore, mother of Major Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

Atal Bihari Vajpayee greets Rathore
The former PM said that the first ever individual Olympic silver medal was a result of Rathore's dedication, commitment and "quest for perfection".

Shikha fails to qualify for final
Shikha Tandon finished seventh in women's 100 metre women's freestyle heat of swimming event.

Bahadur Singh's "no throw" show him the door
Bahadur Singh fouled on all the three attempts to see his challenge wind off.

Archer Reena Kumari bows out
Reena lost to Chi Shu Yuan of Chinese Taipei in the pre-quarter final of the women's individual archery comeptition.

Rs 21 lakh and a house for Rathore
The Rajasthan Govt. announced a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh and a house while Samsung will award Rs 10 lakh to the ace shooter.

Quarters will be tough: Paes
Leander Paes said he and partner Mahesh Bhupathi are expecting a tough match in the next round from Zimbabwean doubles specialists Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett.

India at the Games on Wednesday
Indian sportspersons will be in action in the following events at 28th Olympic Games in Athens.

Lee-Hesh romp into quarters
The ace Indian pair beat Switzerland's Roger Federer and Yves Allegro in the men's doubles second round at the Olympic Games.

'I could see nothing else but the target'
'I am happy I could struggle and come up, because there was a time when I thought I had lost it,' said India's first Olympic individual silver medallist Rajyavardhan S Rathore.

Prasad wins, Akhil loses
Diwarkar Prasad beat Morocco's Hamid Ait Bighrade in the 54 kg bantamweight round of 32.




August 17, 2004



'The whole family is very happy'
"I was very sure that he would fight back after finishing fifth in the qualifying round," said Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's wife.

The Late Bloomer
Major Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is our Olympian of the Day.

Satyadev Prasad in last 16
The Indian archer beat Ron van der Hoff of The Netherlands in the second round of the men's individual event.

Shroff-Patel pair finish last in 49er opener
Indian sailors Malav Shroff and Sumeet Patel finished 19th and last in the opening race of the

India stage grand rally to beat South Africa
Two goals down, India won their Group B match 4-2 and stayed in the hunt for a semi-final berth in the men's hockey tournament.

Shooter Rathore strikes silver
The army major finished second in the double trap shooting event and claimed India's first ever silver medal at the Summer Olympics.

All eyes, hopes on Malleswari
The Sydney Games bronze medallist will be in action in the 63ks women's weightlifting event on Wednesday.

Rathore in double-trap final
The Indian marksman finished fifth in the qualifying round.

Kanetkar also falls by the wayside
The Indian ace was beaten by former world champion and sixth seed Peter Gade of Denmark in the second round of the badminton singles.

Kunjarani will be placed fourth
The Indian lifter is likely to be awarded the fourth place in the women's 48 kg weightlifting event following a positive drug test returned by Aye Khine Nan of Mayanmar.

Reena in pre-quarters, Sumangala out
The 20-year-old Indian archer edged past Bhutan's Tshering Chhoden in the individual archery competition.




August 16, 2004



India at the Games on Tuesday
Indian sportspersons will be in action in the following events at 28th Olympic Games in Athens.

Satyadev Prasad in second round
However, his teammates Majhi Sawaiyan and Tarundeep Rai went down tamely in the first round of the men's individual archery tournament.

We committed unforgivable mistakes
Dhanraj Pillay says Holland deserve credit for converting half chances into goals in their opening match against India.

Kanetkar wins, Abhinn loses
Nikhil Kanetkar beat Spain's Sergio Llopis to enter the last 16 in the men's singles badminton.

One down, three to go: Paes
Paes said he and Bhupathi are taking one match at a time, after beating Roddick and Fish.

Mistakes of the past are being repeated
Former India captain and coach V Bhaskaran says Sandeep Singh's lapses cost India its opening Olympic hockey match against The Netherlands.

Sawaiyan crashes out
The 22-year-old Indian armyman went down tamely to Wunderle Vic of the United States in the opening round of men's individual archery competition.

India pay price for schoolboy errors
Former Olympian Mervyn Fernandis says the Indians must take a cue from the Dutch and use the flanks to enter the opponent's circle.

Paes-Bhupathi in second round
The ace Indian doubles pair beat Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish in their opening match of the men's doubles tennis at the Olympics.

India at the Games on Monday
Indian sportspersons will be in action in the following events at 28th Olympic Games in Athens on Monday.

India pay dearly for defensive lapses
The eight-time champions were beaten 1-3 by The Netherlands in their opening match in the men's hockey tournament.

Vijender goes down fighting
India's light-welterweight boxer lost on points to Mustafa Karagollu of Turkey in the first round.




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