Shooting has provided some rare Olympic joy for India
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
Continuing his good run of form, pistol shooter Jitu Rai clinched a silver medal in the ISSF World Cup in Maribor, Slovenia, after Ayonika Paul bagged her maiden international medal as a senior shooter by settling for a bronze in the 10m air rifle event.
Police said that Pakistan-based Anees Ibrahim, who is brother of Dawood Ibrahim, was connected with the underworld operatives to execute the terror plan.
India's in-form shooter Jitu Rai gave the country its first gold medal in the 17th Asian Games, cutting through a tough field to finish on top in the 50m pistol event in Incheon on Saturday.
Tokyo should remain the benchmark and source of inspiration till at least Paris 2024. In the shorter run, India's preparations for the Asian and Commonwealth Games next year must begin based on lessons learnt now, asserts Raj Kishore Mishra, former joint secretary at the sports ministry.
'The entire idea behind the serial bomb blasts was to strike fear in the minds of Indians.' 'I don't think the blasts were targeted to derail the Indian economy; the idea behind the blasts was retribution.'
The Indian Olympic Association proposed boycott of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games for dropping shooting from the roster.
Apurvi Chandela won the gold in the women's 10 metres air rifle event on the concluding day of the 58th National Shooting Championships.
India's total medal count stood at 252 (132 gold, 79 silver, 41 bronze), leaving behind hosts Nepal and Sri Lanka behind. Nepal has won 165 medals (45 gold, 44 silver, 76 bronze) while Sri Lanka have collected 197 medals (36 gold, 68 silver, 93 bronze).
He joins pistol shooter Jitu Rai, rifle shooters Apurvi Chandela and Gagan Narang, who all had sealed berths earlier.
'Jaan hai to jahaan hai' 'It's a good decision because everyone is disturbed. Athletes' health is paramount'
Commonwealth Games champion Samaresh Jung said he is concentrating only on the air and free pistol events to secure an Olympic quota place.
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Former Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra will lead the 25-member Indian shooting contingent in the third leg of the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup (Rifle/Pistol), to be held in Munich from May 19 to 26. The Indian team comprises of 17 shooters and eight officials. But with the Rio Games less than three months away, all eyes will be on those shooters, who are selected to represent India at the Olympics. Apart from Abhinav, other Indian shooters in the World Cup team who will also be heading to Rio include the likes of Jitu Rai, Gagan Narang, Chain Singh, Apurvi Chandela and Ayonika Paul, Gurpreet Singh, P N Prakash and Heena Sidhu.
Six athletes from the track and field, shooting and weightlifting disciplines were on Wednesday inducted into the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, with the Sports Ministry including discus thrower Seema Punia and leaving out seasoned shooter Gagan Narang.
It was mixed day for Indian shooters at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup as Olympic medallists Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang failed to qualify for the final round of the men's 10m Air Rifle event, while Jitu Rai progressed to the qualification round in 50m Pistol on the opening day at Fort Benning, United States on Thursday.
The focus is firmly trained on teen sensation Manu Bhaker as the fancied Indian shooting team eyes a head start at the 21st Commonwealth Games
American Kristin Armstrong became the first cyclist to win the same road event at three different Olympic Games on Wednesday. Britain's surprise packet Joseph Clarke won the Canoe gold in the K-1 slalom course on Wednesday.
Dhruv Munjal gets up close and personal with Chandro and Prakashi Tomar, the inspiration for Saand Ki Aankh.
Champion shooter Gagan Narang's Gun For Glory academy in Secunderabad is on its way to recovery, less than a month after a relentless downpour flooded the facility and damaged equipment.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
According to a preliminary analysis, the flying object was a hexa m-copter with six wings and had a GPS device and a flight controller, the officer said.
Chinky Yadav upstaged the experienced Rahi Sarnobat and the fancied Manu Bhaker to win gold as India swept the women's 25m pistol event of the ISSF Shooting World Cup in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The duo of Hayden Stewart and triple Olympic champion and skeet legend Kimberly Rhode of the USA won the top prize in the event defeating Argentine siblings Federico and Melisa Gill 29-26 in the gold-medal match.
Two members of the small Pakistani contingent participating at the Rio Olympics have the country's military to thank for much of their training.
Ace shooter Abhinav Bindra shot 208.9 to win the gold medal in the 10 meter air rifle event while Vijay Kumar had to be content with silver in the centre fire event on the concluding day of the 57th National Shooting championship, in New Delhi.
Saurbah Chaudhary would dream of excelling in the Olympic sport one day.
Debutant teenager Saurabh Chaudhary clinched India's first shooting gold of the 18th Asian Games, fetching the top honours in the men's 10m air pistol event, in Palembang, on Tuesday.
Ace shooter Jitu Rai won India's first senior medal at the 13th Asian Shooting Championship, finishing second behind Korea's Park Daehun in the finals of the men's 50m pistol, in Kuwait City, on Wednesday.
Nepalese officials had alleged that the four entered Nepal for the smuggling of narcotics. They also claimed to have recovered 'brown sugar', a pistol and a machine used to print fake currency notes from Govinda Singh.
A village head says that after the IAF pilot landed on Pakistani soil he attempted to destroy documents in his possession.
Meet first-time Indian athletes hoping to make an impression in Rio.
Mehuli Ghosh's effort will, however, not be considered as a world record, as the South Asian Games' results are not recognised by the international body (ISSF) for the purpose of records.
Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore says the corporate sector is very much willing to support development of sports and athletes in India but it needs to be given the assurance that the money is going in right hands.
Pakistani officials handed over Varthaman to Indian officials, including from the IAF, at the Attari-Wagah Border.
Kapil was tired of travelling extra kilometeres due to protests at Shaheen Bagh, said his uncle. He said Kapil usually had to travel 10 km to reach home but due to protests, he had to travel 35 km.
Police claimed that the arms and ammunition recovered from them are manufactured in Pakistan, China and Brazil.
India's squash ace Dipika Pallikal will be in action against the formidable Nicol David in the semi-final round on Monday, the third day of the Asian Games.
The operation to fully sanitise the Pathankot base, which was attacked by six terrorists last Saturday, is in its final phase.
