From Covid-19 essentials, such as Vitamin C supplements and thermometers, to bicycles, laptops, and personal weighing scales, demand for certain items galloped during last financial year as the pandemic altered what Indians used on a day-to-day basis. Imports of outdoor sports equipment, handbags for women, and dentures, among others, plummeted. With outdoor activities coming to a halt last year and schools functioning virtually, imports of sports goods witnessed a decline, while inbound shipments of laptops and battery chargers saw a sharp uptick, according to the import data for the financial year 2020-21.
On a high after winning the WTA Finals doubles crown and a clutch of prestigious titles this year, Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza says she is now bracing up for the International Premier Tennis League where she would play in the same team as World No 2 Switzerland's Roger Federer.
Rediff.com gives you a quick flashback, in pictures of the month gone by...
Professional athletes across the world should not be rushed back to action once the coronavirus pandemic subsides, and they must have a strong say in determining the conditions for their return, the World Players Association said on Tuesday. Sports competitions around the world have come to a screeching halt this year as the virus spreads across the globe, starving clubs, leagues and federations of revenues and putting tens of thousands of professional athletes on hold.
Russia asks World Athletics to postpone decision on possible expulsion.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist will be making his fifth Olympic appearance this year.
Cricket's last appearance at the Games was at Kuala Lumpur in 1998, when a South African team featuring Jacques Kallis won the men's 50-over competition.
Organisers hope the anxious buildup will be forgotten when the action begins.
Novak Djokovic, who has never bagged a French Open title, admits that he has got one problem on the clay court and that is Rafael Nadal.
Describing his German coach Klaus Bartonietz as the 'best' for him, Olympic gold-winning javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Friday said he would like to continue their spectacular partnership in the 2024 Paris Games as well.
Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic capped a brilliant run to the Rogers Cup title on Sunday.
Many top athletes around the globe might be pulling out of the Rio Olympics due to Zika virus concern but chef de mission of the Indian Olympic contingent Rakesh Gupta said they are taking every possible step to address any possible risk. "We are concerned about Zika virus but we are taking every possible precaution for the Indian contingent that will travel to Rio. Whatever advisory we have received from the international body we have forwarded that to the players and federations," Gupta said on the sidelines of an event where Amul became the official sponsor of the Indian contingent.
Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra defended football's exclusion from the Asian Games contingent and justified the decision of including lesser known sports like pencak silat, saying they are potential medal winners and there is no place for "also rans" in the squad.
Not satisfied with winning the WTA Finals doubles crown with Zimbabwean Cara Black, Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza wants to clinch the women's doubles Grand Slam title before hanging up her tennis shoes.
The Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) said on Monday four athletes had tested positive at the Russian Winter Indoor Athletics Championships in February.
The Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy, which opened last autumn on the Spanish island of Mallorca, is charging kids 56,000 euros ($62,000) a year for tennis lessons and school.
Sushil Kumar quashed talk of retirement and insisting that postponement of Tokyo Olympics has given him a very good shot at qualifying for his fourth Games. The 36-year-old was struggling to make the cut for the Olympics, postponed to 2021 owing to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Hawk-Eye technology will be used to decide whether the ball has crossed the goal-line at next month's Copa America Centenario in the United States, the tournament's organising committee said on Wednesday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday
Images from Day 1 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
India cricket captain Virat Kohli is among the world's highest-paid athletes, according to a Forbes' compilation topped by American boxing champion Floyd Mayweather.
Leander Paes yet again turned the clock back in company of Rohan Bopanna as the Indian duo recorded a dramatic come-from-behind 1-6, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3, 8-6 win over Serbian pair of Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac to keep home team's chances alive in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie in Bangalore on Saturday
Rafael Nadal will play for the Indian side in the second edition of the International Premier Tennis League.
In the career spanning half a century, the actor featured in many critically-acclaimed and commercial blockbusters such as The Hunt for Red October, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Murder on the Orient Express and The Rock.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Wednesday that some of the athlete data leaked by a Russian cyber espionage group has been changed from its initial form, and has asked "affected parties" for feedback on any inaccuracies.
A look at the top tweets from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
Mahesh Bhupathi was on Friday accused of non-payment of dues by the production company that was involved in the broadcast of his star-studded league International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) but the Indian tennis ace said he is not responsible for the situation.
Shooters Suma Shirur and Deepali Deshpande are unhappy over the sport being left out of the 2022 Commonwealth Games
Former India badminton coach Vimal Kumar on Tuesday blamed the withdrawals by Asian nations for the postponement of the Thomas and Uber Cup Final, calling it a "big setback" for the sport.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Tuesday
Already ranked ninth in Forbes' list of top tennis earners, Japan's Kei Nishikori is due for a bigger share of the off-court largesse despite losing Monday's final at the US Open, US marketing experts say.
The women's singles is wide open, Arantxa said, but picked Halep as favourite.
The 36-year-old Jhajharia, who is the first Indian to win two Paralympic gold medals, was the first choice of the awards selection committee.
The Big Four were always going to come into the year's first Grand Slam knowing fully well that their days of dominance are drawing to a close, if not already a thing of the past, says Dhruv Munjal.
International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) cannot be called an Indian league, its founder managing director Mahesh Bhupathi has clarified though the new competition has borrowed heavily from the cricket-based IPL, especially in the franchise business model.
