Five nations, including Russia, whose doping records have risked weightlifting's place on the Olympic schedule have been limited to just two athletes for the 2020 Tokyo Games by the sport's governing body, according to a document seen by Reuters.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will look into allegations that Azerbaijan was promised two gold medals at next year's London Olympics in exchange of cash and could launch its own inquiry, it said on Friday.
Defender Giorgio Chiellini scored three times, including an own goal, as Italy beat Azerbaijan 2-1 in their Euro 2016 Group H qualifier in Palermo on Friday.
Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran was denied a podium finish by Nigel Short of England in the 10th and final round of Tradewise Gibraltar chess tournament, which concluded in Gibraltar.
Hockey India announced a 18-member women's squad for the London Olympic qualifiers, to be held at the Major Dhyan Chand National stadium, New Delhi from February 18.
The youngest World Championships medallist in Indian boxing, teen sensation Vikas Krishan says the bronze he notched up in the recently-concluded mega-event in Azerbaijan was a bonus after he achieved his main target of qualifying for next year's London Olympics.
Teen Indian boxing sensation Vikas Krishan's dream run at the World Championships came to an end as he settled for a bronze medal after losing his welterweight (69kg) semifinal bout in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday.
Indian boxers packed a powerful punch as Jai Bhagwan (60kg) joined Commonwealth Games medallists Manoj Kumar (64kg) and rookie teen sensation L Devendro Singh in qualifying for the London Olympics by advancing to the World Championships' quarter-finals with contrasting wins in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday.
Teen sensation L Devendro Singh (49kg) and Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manoj Kumar (64kg) booked Olympic berths by advancing to the World Boxing Championships' quarter-finals with contrasting wins in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday.
Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manoj Kumar's sensational upset win over a European champion left him just one step away from Olympic qualification but it was curtains for Suranjoy Singh as he was ousted following a second-round loss in the World Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist Jai Bhagwan thrashed Evaldas Petrauskas of Lithuania to enter the second round, on Saturday, continuing the impressive show by Indian boxers in the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Indian boxers' unbeaten run in the World Championships continued with Asian Games silver-medallist Dinesh Kumar, advancing to the second round of the light heavyweight (81kg) category with a thumping win in his opening bout in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday.
Rookie teen L Devendro Singh gave India's campaign at the World Boxing Championships a perfect start, sailing into the second round in the light-flyweight 49kg division with a thumping win in his opening bout in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday. Devendro beat Nazarliev Asylbek of Kyrgyzstan 14-8 and will now take on Mexico's Joselit Velazquez.
The underdogs Mumbai Fighters rallied back to cause a huge upset as they handed over the unbeaten Baku Fires their first defeat of the season to gain an upper-hand in the first leg of the World Series Boxing quarter-final match in Mumbai on Friday night.
World Championship bronze medalist Vikas Krishan stormed into the men's 69kg category final while five-time world champion woman boxer MC Mary Kom made a shock quarter-final exit in the Olympic boxing test event in London on Sunday.
A new match, a new look team; the fate nevertheless stayed the same. India went down to Azerbaijan 0-3 in the second international friendly played at the Rugby 7s Stadium in Dubai.
The Indian women's team will look to break a 32-year-old jinx as they mount a challenge for a berth in the London Olympic Games taking on a lowly Ukraine in their opening match of the qualifier at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.
After jumping to joint lead following a crushing victory over Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France, Anand could not repeat the magic and Caruana deserved all the credit for taking chances.
Naveen Kumar marched into the finals at the second AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships after a comprehensive victory, while Sandeep Kumar had to settle for a bronze after losing in the semi-finals, in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Friday.
Coach Jaidev Bisht feels the Asian meet will be a good opportunity for Indian boxers to prepare for the World Championships.
Indian boxers L Devendro Singh (49kg) and Manoj Kumar (64kg) fought gamely, but eventually ran out of steam against fancied opponents and bowed out in the quarter-finals, at the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday. Having secured Olympic berths after reaching the quarter-finals, the Indians were aiming for medals at the mega event.
Commonwealth Games bronze medal winner Jai Bhagwan (60kg) and rookie teen L Devendro Singh (49kg) inched closer to Olympic qualification by advancing to the pre-quarter-finals with thumping victories in their respective second-round bouts at the World Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday. The 19-year-old Devendro pummeled Joselito Velazquez of Mexico 40-19 in what is the biggest points win of the ongoing event.
Olympic hero Vijender Singh was, on Saturday, ousted in the very first round, upstaged by his Cuban nemesis Emilio Correa Bayeux, but Jai Bhagwan entered the second round on a mixed day for Indian boxers at the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Manoj Kumar eased past Valentino Knowles of the Bahamas, winning 17-11, to enter the second round in the light-welterweight (64kg) category and continue the Indian boxers' fine show at the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Friday. Manoj, the lone Indian in action on Friday, has a tough bout next, as he is up against reigning European champion and fourth seed Raymond Moylette of Ireland.
Indian boxers continued to pack a mighty punch at the World Championships, as Manoj Kumar (64kg) and Manpreet Singh (91kg) entered the pre-quarter-finals with contrasting victories in their respective second round bouts, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Friday.
Rookie L Devendro Singh was the surprise pick while established names such as Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar expectedly fetched a berth in a 10-member Indian boxing team announced on Thursday for the World Championships in Azerbaijan next month.
With an increased talent pool to choose from, the Indian Boxing Federation's selection panel is faced with a problem of plenty at the trials to pick the team for the World Championships next month.
Naveen Kumar's dream run at the second AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships came to a disappointing end after he lost in the final of the flyweight category (50kg) to settle for a silver in Astana, Kazakhstan.
'The picture only looks worse from where Bajwa sits.' 'He sees a domineering India to the east, an unravelling Afghanistan and a complex Iran to the west, an overbearing China on the north and a US which is no longer an ally,' observes Shekhar Gupta.
Panic struck the Indian camp at the World Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan just hours ahead of the official weigh-in and draw on Sunday, as two of its team members found their names missing from the list of registered entries but the confusion was sorted out just in time.
Delay in getting visas has prevented Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh and Dinesh Kumar from joining the Indian boxing team in Bugeat, France for a training trip and the duo will now head straight to the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan on September 20.
Former World Cup silver medalist Seema Tomar of India missed out a podium finish and finished fifth in women's trap event at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in San Marino on Friday. Australia's Emma Elizabeth Cox won the gold medal, USA's Corey Cogdell bagged silver while Carole Cormenier of France clinched the bronze in the women's trap event. The former Asian Airgun gold medallist had qualified for the first competition stage semi-final but could not get into the shoot-off. In the men's trap, Prithviraj Tondaiman was placed 16th after shooting rounds of 23 and 24 and will shoot the remaining three series on Saturday. On the opening day of qualification, Manavjit Singh Sandhu (73rd) shot 23 and 21, while Kynan Chenai (36th) had 23 and 23.
Former World champion Viswanathan Anand played out an effortless draw with Fabiano Caruana of Italy to finish second in Shamkir Chess tournament in Shamkir, Azerbaijan, on Sunday.
As he gears up to chase his 'London Dreams' with the first Olympic qualifiers next month, star Indian boxer Vijender Singh is not just working hard on his game, he is also trying to figure out an all-new system of scoring that has left him "confused".
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
Ace shooters Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu brought joy to the Indian squad competing at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rife/Pistol stage at Gabala, Azerbaijan, when they clinched gold in the 10m mixed team air pistol event by beating Russia 7-6 in the finals on Monday.
Germany all but secured a place at the Euro 2012 finals with a 3-1 win in Azerbaijan while Zlatan Ibrahimovic got a hat-trick as Sweden demolished Finland 5-0 to provide an unexpected spark to the end of the European season.
Dipa Karmakar will look to secure an Olympic berth with 'some good performances' at back-to-back Artistic Gymnastics World Cups
Switzerland's Jolanda Neff won the first ever European Games gold medal when she triumphed in the women's Mountain Bike.
World Champion Viswanathan Anand came back to sole third spot after defeating Vugar Gashimov of Azerbaijan 1.5-0.5 in the 10th and penultimate round of 20th and last edition of Amber blindfold and rapid chess tournament in Monaco.
