Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and defending shot put champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor have been named as India's flag-bearers for the Asian Games opening ceremony. Bhaker's Olympic achievements and Toor's past Asian Games gold medals highlight their selection.
Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker shared her emotional experience as India's flag-bearer at the Asian Games opening ceremony, deeply missing her late coach Jaspal Rana. Rana, who passed away recently, was instrumental in her career and had a unique philosophy about attending opening ceremonies, making Bhaker's flag-bearing role particularly poignant.
Indian shooting star Manu Bhaker, a flagbearer at the Asian Games, has called upon her fellow athletes to concentrate on their performance and not be distracted by the organisational challenges and logistical issues marring the event's build-up. She emphasised that the opportunity is rare and should be seized with full dedication.
Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and defending shot put champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor have been selected as India's flag-bearers for the Asian Games opening ceremony. This decision highlights the significant contributions of shooting and athletics to India's medal tally, with a 158-strong contingent participating in the event.
India is set to begin its Asian Games shooting campaign in Nagoya with a formidable 30-member squad, featuring Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and other world-class performers. The team aims to build on its previous success, with strong prospects in rifle, pistol, and shotgun events, facing a significant challenge from China.
Double Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker expressed mixed feelings about her 25m pistol bronze at the Hangzhou World Cup, acknowledging room for improvement despite the podium finish.
Double Olympic medallist shooter Manu Bhaker has voiced her concern over student protests against alleged exam paper leaks, advocating for every child's fundamental right to education, safety, and a fair chance at life. She emphasised that the issue transcends politics and demands greater accountability to protect the nation's future.
India's Esha Singh clinched the gold medal in the women's 25m pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, outperforming Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker, who secured the bronze. This marked a double-podium finish for India, with both shooters expressing confidence for upcoming major assignments.
India has dispatched a formidable contingent, including Olympic medallists Manu Bhaker and Swapnil Kusale, to the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, China.
Indian shooter Esha Singh won the gold medal in the women's 25m pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, outperforming Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker, who secured the bronze.
Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and defending shot put champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor have been named India's flag-bearers for the Asian Games opening ceremony. Both athletes have significant achievements, with Bhaker making history at the Paris Olympics and Toor winning gold in previous Asian Games editions. Their selection highlights the importance of shooting and athletics to India's medal tally.
Ace pistol shooter Manu Bhaker's mother stated that Manu is unable to comment on the sudden demise of her coach, Jaspal Rana, due to the shock. Rana, a legendary shooter and coach who guided Bhaker to two Olympic medals, passed away from heart-related complications.
Ace Indian shooter Manu Bhaker expressed profound grief over the death of her mentor and high-performance coach, Jaspal Rana, who passed away at 49 due to cardiac complications.
The 20th Asian Games have officially commenced in Nagoya with a high-tech opening ceremony. India's 501-member contingent is led by flag bearers Manu Bhaker and Pawan Sehrawat, with some events already underway, including India's women's cricket team reaching the semifinals and a teqball bronze medal opportunity.
Manu Bhaker and Pawan Sehrawat will lead the Indian contingent as flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat has replaced shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor as India's male flag-bearer for the Asian Games opening ceremony due to Toor's ceremonial kit not being available. Toor was unable to collect his kit in time to attend the event, leading to the last-minute change.
Seasoned kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat has been named India's male flag-bearer for the Asian Games opening ceremony, replacing shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor. Toor was unable to attend due to not receiving his ceremonial kit in time, a logistical issue stemming from the athletics team's acclimatisation camp near Tokyo.
The 20th Asian Games have officially commenced in Nagoya with a high-tech Opening Ceremony. India's 503-member contingent is being led by Manu Bhaker and Pawan Sehrawat. Early events have seen India's women's cricket team reach the semifinals and a medal opportunity in debutant sport teqball, building on India's record performance at the previous Games.
Japan inaugurated the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya with a vibrant opening ceremony that seamlessly blended advanced technology and rich cultural traditions, despite earlier organisational challenges.
Indian shooter Manu Bhaker is preparing for the Asian Games and World Championships, aiming to reignite her competitive edge after a quiet spell following the Paris Games. She also expressed excitement about shooting's return to the 2030 Commonwealth Games in India.
The 20th Asian Games have officially commenced in Nagoya, Japan, with a vibrant opening ceremony. Emperor Naruhito declared the Games open, which saw contingents from 45 nations and the OCA Refugee Team participate in the athletes' parade.
Japan hosted a vibrant opening ceremony for the Asian Games in Nagoya, showcasing its technological advancements and cultural heritage. The event, themed 'Harmonic Heart Beat', welcomed 11,000 athletes from 45 nations, despite prior logistical challenges.
A senior coach from India's shooting contingent for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has voiced disappointment over the logistical arrangements, particularly the long travel times to the training venue.
Indian shooters bound for the Asian Games will participate in preparatory camps in Delhi and Bhopal this month. These camps, focusing on mental conditioning and technical refinement, are crucial for the athletes to achieve peak performance at the quadrennial event in Japan, which begins on September 19. The article also lists the full shooting squad.
Olympic silver medallist Vijay Kumar has urged the 30-member Indian shooting contingent for the Asian Games to prioritise individual medals over team events. He also highlighted the need for significant improvements in coaching, advocating for more former international medallists in the system, and stressed the importance of better grassroots talent identification, drawing comparisons with China. Kumar also commented on the void left by coach Jaspal Rana's death and questioned recent selection policies.
Indian shooters Manu Bhaker and Samrat Rana won a silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup in Munich, narrowly missing gold to China.
Due to a delay in receiving his official kit, shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor has been replaced by kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat as India's flag-bearer for the Asian Games opening ceremony in Nagoya.
Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha announced the institution of two new memorial awards: the Raja Randhir Singh Trophy for the best male athlete and the Jaspal Rana Trophy for the best female athlete at the Asian Games. These awards honour the significant contributions of the late sports administrator Raja Randhir Singh and renowned pistol coach Jaspal Rana to Indian sports. Usha also addressed accommodation concerns for Indian athletes at the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Indian shooter Vidarsa Vinod, making her Asian Games debut at 27, secured a silver medal in the women's 10m air rifle team event. Despite missing an individual final, Vinod maintained a calm demeanour, treating the continental stage like any other competition. Her journey from an NCC cadet to an international medallist highlights her rapid progression and adaptability, especially as she only recently started training in the 10m air rifle discipline.
India is set to field a strong contingent at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, with key athletes like PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, and Lovlina Borgohain leading the charge to defend titles in cricket, kabaddi, and men's hockey.
India's large contingent of 501 athletes is set to compete at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, aiming to showcase the nation's growing sporting depth and its ambition to become a global top-10 sporting power by 2036. Despite initial accommodation challenges, the focus is on building on the momentum from the record 2022 Hangzhou Games, with strong medal hopes in shooting, athletics, cricket, badminton, and hockey.
Olympic medallist Swapnil Kusale highlights the growing respect and "fear factor" Indian shooters command internationally due to their consistent performances. He expresses confidence in the Indian contingent for the upcoming Asian Games, despite some notable absences, and discusses challenges like range maintenance.
The Sports Ministry has approved a 492-member Indian contingent, comprising 265 male and 227 female athletes, for the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Athletics forms the largest group with 73 participants, including star athletes like Neeraj Chopra and Jyothi Yarraji. Other prominent sports like shooting, weightlifting, badminton, boxing, and wrestling also feature strong teams, with some adjustments made due to doping violations.
Arshdeep Kaur emerged victorious in the 25m pistol women's event at the National Selection Trials, surpassing Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker.
Olympian Manu Bhaker emerged victorious in the women's 10m pistol event at the national selection trials, showcasing her shooting prowess.
A national high-performance shooting camp has commenced in New Delhi, bringing together 35 Indian athletes for intensive training. The camp is crucial preparation for the upcoming ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, China, and the Asian Games in Japan, featuring top talent and international coaching expertise.
The Sports Ministry is set to commence the nomination process for the National Sports Awards next month, following a delayed announcement of the 2025 awards. The delay was due to a re-evaluation process aimed at preserving the integrity of the honours, which resulted in no Khel Ratna awardee for 2025 and fewer Arjuna awardees than recommended. The article also details the criteria for these prestigious awards and highlights some of the notable Arjuna awardees for 2025.
Seventeen Indian sportspersons, including World Cup winning chess player Divya Deshmukh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, and shuttler Gayatri Gopichand, have been named for the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2025.
Former Asian Games gold medallist Ronjan Sodhi believes India's ambitious target of 30-40 medals at the 2036 Olympics is a 'distant prospect', citing significant delays in talent identification, scouting, and critical infrastructure improvements.
Renowned Indian shooting coach and former Asian Games gold medallist Jaspal Rana has passed away at 49 after a medical procedure following illness during a flight from the ISSF World Cup.
