Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was on Saturday recommended for the coveted Khel Ratna Award by the committee constituted by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for the third time in a row. The 22-year-old Chopra is the only track and field athlete to be recommended by the AFI for the country's highest sports award this year.
Responding to debate on the bill, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anurag Thakur said it will promote sports and protect the interest of sportspersons.
India's sportsperson could not perform well in the past due to nepotism and corruption but his government cleaned up the system, he said.
Neeraj will be competing in his first Olympics and he has already qualified for the Tokyo Games early last year before the COVID-19 pandemic began
'The gold medal (in Tokyo) has motivated me in life to do even better. Performing well and ending up on podium will be my target in the World Championship (in July)'.
Olympic bronze-winning Indian men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh was on Tuesday added to the list of Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardees, taking the total number of this year's winners to an unparalleled 12.
Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has installed a special strength-building German machine for the use of the country's elite javelin throwers like Olympic-bound Neeraj Chopa and Shivpal Singh at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports in Patiala.
Led by young flag-bearer Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, the athletes, clad in blue suits, waved to the crowd with small flags in their hands.
Chopra expressed his disappointment a day after Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha came down heavily on the wrestlers for hitting the streets to resume their protests instead of approaching its athletes' commission to lodge their complaints against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
She finished fifth in the Group B qualification round and made it to the finals as the eighth best across two groups on the fifth day of competitions.
Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra on Monday hailed Devendra Jhajharia after the javelin thrower won a stupendous third Paralympic medal in Tokyo.
The Delhi Police on Friday registered two FIRs in connection with sexual harassment allegations levelled by women wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Abhinav Bindra became India's first individual gold medallist at the 2008 Olympic Games when he registered a thrilling come-from-behind victory in the men's 10m air rifle event on August 11, 2008.
India would be looking for at least half a dozen medals in the July 28 to August 8 Games.
Neeraj Chopra, on Sunday, won a gold in the Savo Games in Finland with an impressive performance, beating his Chinese Taipei rival Chao-Tsun Cheng as the duo warmed up for an Asian Games showdown.
Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.86m at the ACNE League meeting in Potchefstroom, South Africa, making an impressive return after recovering from an elbow injury. The 22-year-old Indian, who missed the entire 2019 season due to the injury, breached the Olympic qualification mark of 85m in his fourth attempt and secured the top place at the international event on Tuesday.
'My approach has been to do my best on the day according to the situation'
'If you try to use every resource that you have, you won't feel like you've let yourself down. Don't think because wherever you came from that you cannot be successful. No matter if you make an Olympic team, you gave your heart and you put your heart out there to be as successful as you could be.'
Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair said the athletes were prepared for the Hangzhou Asian Games but the postponement should lesson their workload this season.
Gold medal-winning javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was the undisputed star as the Indian track and field team returned from the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games to a warm reception in New Delhi.
Images from the felicitation for India's Tokyo Olympics medal-winners, in Delhi, on Monday.
India's triumphant Tokyo Olympics contingent, including history-making Javelin Throw gold-medallist Neeraj Chopra, returned to the country on Monday and was greeted by frenzy and chaos at the New Delhi airport, where supporters jostled to catch a glimpse of their sporting heroes.
Neeraj Chopra's soaring javelin did not just earn India their first Olympic gold in athletics on Saturday, it also meant that the contingent will return from Tokyo with seven medals, their biggest Games haul ever.
Murli Sreeshankar qualified for the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday after bettering his own National record with a leap of 8.26 metres on the second day of the Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championships, in Patiala.
A former world champion, Sindhu is one of the favourites to win the women's singles gold medal in Birmingham, having won the silver and bronze in the last two editions at Gold Coast and Glasgow.
Rishabh Pant was hospitalised following a major car crash on Friday.
While the first chopper was controlled by Wing Commander Baldev Singh Bisht, the second was commanded by Wing Commander Nikhil Mehrotra.
Iconic boxer MC Mary Kom and ace archer Deepika Kumari were told they need not say sorry after returning without medals while hockey player P R Sreejesh was asked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he has learnt Punjabi when he hosted the Tokyo-returned Olympians at his residence.
Sporting fraternity hails Kohli's epic knock in win against Pakistan as one of a kind
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister late Kalyan Singh, often termed as a Hindutva icon, and actor Victor Banerjee were among the 65 distinguished personalities who were conferred with Padma awards by President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday.
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said a team has been formed to draw up a post-lockdown Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be followed by athletes, coaches and other staff during outdoor training that will resume in a "planned manner". He assured the athletes that their training will resume soon but given the risks the coronavirus pandemic poses, the process will involve consultations with home and health ministries.
His much-awaited Olympic debut has been delayed by a year but star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is unfazed as he feels humanity needs to focus on the coronavirus pandemic more than anything else right now.
Modi leads politicians and sportspersons in wishing countrymen on National Sports Day
'For the first time a para-athlete has been chosen for the honour and I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has a vision for para-athletes and has taken care of their requirements.'
Jeswin Aldrin, who had already qualified for the championships, however missed the cut.
The Jhansi-born athlete, who was raised by a single mother -- a tailor by profession -- currently trains at the academy of Anju Bobby George in Bengaluru. She is coached by Anju's husband Bobby George.
Dramatic scenes from Track and Field at the Tokyo Olympics.
Chopra opened the competition with an effort of 83.03m before having two foul throws. After a fourth throw of 83.36m, Chopra sent the javelin to 88.07m amid loud cheers from a sizeable audience at the NIS Patiala.
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