Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes that poured in for Badminton Association of India president Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta, who passed away in Lucknow after suffering a heart attack on Wednesday.
A resolute Vikas Krishan (69kg) and Simranjit Kaur (60kg) advanced to the finals with impressive victories but the legendary M C Mary Kom (51kg) and world number one Amit Panghal (52kg) settled for bronze medals at the Asian/Oceanian Olympic Qualifiers, in Amman, on Tuesday. Also ending with bronze medals were Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg). All the six boxers have already secured their tickets to the Olympic Games by making the semi-finals but Krishan and Kaur will come back with at least silver medals after entering the finals.
The ranges are bursting at the seams with young talent and Indian shooting's present state could be a harbinger of hope for a perfect future.
The change means that Panghal, an Asian Games gold-medallist in 49kg, will now have to move to 52kg, while Thapa and Kaushik will have to forego the 60kg division and move up to the newly-created 63kg. Thapa is a three-time Asian Championships medallist and a world bronze-medallist, while Kaushik won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games last year.
The ban prevents India from taking part in the weightlifting competition at December's Asian Games.
Mary Kom will represent the Asian bloc in the group
Over 500 dope tests every year in the last four years, specialised diet and nutritional supplements only from Germany -- these are the ingredients that went into the Indian weightlifters' sensational haul of five gold medals at the 21st Commonwealth Games, in Gold Coast.
IOA president Suresh Kalmadi said India's bid is fully backed by Pakistan, Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries.
'Technically we are as good as anyone else,' said IOA secretary general Randhir Singh.
Two leading Indian athletes -- Mandeep Kaur and Juana Murmu have been suspended and face the prospect of a two-year ban after flunking an out-of-competition dope test.
Sacked as Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chief, the embattled Suresh Kalmadi got the full backing of the Indian Olympic Association, the national apex sports body which he heads, in its General Body Meeting (GBM) in New Delhi.
Shailaja Pujari is believed to have returned a positive test following random out-of-competition testing by WADA officials.
Usain Bolt and his Jamaican team mates who won the 4 x 100m relay at the 2008 Beijing Games have been told by the country's Olympic Association to return their gold medals following Nesta Carter's failed drug test.
Sports Minister Jitendra Singh was far from impressed as he took stock of India's preparations for next year's Commonwealth and Asian Games in a meeting with SAI officials here and expressed dissatisfaction with the progress made so far.
Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian javelin thrower to win an Asian Games gold medal as he shattered his own national record by clearing a distance of 88.06m, in Jakarta, on Monday.
Former badminton World No 1 Lee Chong Wei has been nominated for Malaysia's 2014 sportsman of the year award.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
Boxer Vikas Krishan prefers US Pro bouts to National camp in Patiala
Ontario says it will introduce football for the first time if its bid for the event is successful.
Five-time world champion M C Mary Kom had an unlikely training partner on Thursday when Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore donned the punching mitts and sparred with her.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have become 'incubators' of terrorism, and pose a threat to Russia and all constituents of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) of former Soviet republics, Russian security chief said on Tuesday. "These countries have become an 'incubator' of terrorism and extremism, which are spreading into the region, CIS countries and the whole world," Director of Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov was quoted as saying.
Commonwealth Games women's 100 metres gold medallist has tested positive for a banned stimulant, Games Federation chief Mike Fennell said on Monday. Oludamola's sample contained the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine, which was added to the World Anti Doping Agency's (WADA) list of banned substances for the first time this year.
Commonwealth Games Federation chief Michael Fennell on Thursday apologised for a freak accident resulting in injuries to three Ugandan officials, including the team's Chef de Mission, at the Games Village in the early hours of Wednesday.
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry president and Bharti Enterprises vice president Rajan Bharti Mittal chaired a symposium on corporate leadership on climate change in the presence of the Prince of Wales, who is here in connection with the Commonwealth Games.
Vijay Kumar Malhotra, senior vice-president of Indian Olympic association and The General Association of National Sports Federations (GANSF) urged the government to ensure that President of India inaugurates the Commonwealth Games.
The NADA Disciplinary Panel hearing the case of 12 dope-tainted athletes, including seven in Commonwealth Games squad, remained inconclusive and said participation of the athletes in the mega event was left to their respective federations.
Mike Fennell, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, was more than assertive when he held the Organising Committee of the Delhi Commonwealth Games responsible for the mess and delay in building infrastructure for the Games scheduled to be held in New Delhi from October 3-14.
Commonwealth Games Federation chief Mike Fennell inspected the Commonwealth Games Village on Friday and said "considerable improvements" have been made there even as embattled the organisers continued their sprint against time to complete preparations for the October 3-14 event.
In yet another controversy ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, a group of Indian cyclists has alleged that the selection trial for the event was not transparent and some worthy riders were ignored.
After several flip-flops, Australia's world indoor long jump champion Fabrice Lapierre has finally confirmed his participation in the Delhi Commonwealth Games.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Netball New Zealand (NNZ), Hockey New Zealand (HNZ) and the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) have hired independent security consultants ahead of next month's Delhi Commonwealth Games.
'Mr. Bhamara would like to state that he was and remains a clean competitor and has always played basketball fairly'
Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) on Saturday suspended SAI coach Ramesh Malhotra after Sydney Olympic bronze medallist Karnam Malleswari alleged sexual harassment by him on junior lifters.
Weightlifter Gururaja Poojary said he hasn't done too badly for himself as he reflected on the silver medal around his neck that opened India's medal count in the 21st Commonwealth Games.
MC Mary Kom pulled no punches as the celebrated Indian boxer announced her intention to stretch her career by another "three-four" years and while the 2018 Asian and Commonwealth Games remain her "main focus", Tokyo Olympics, she said, is also not out of the radar yet. The London Olympics medallist and five-time world champion recently decided to go back to the light flyweight (48kg division) amid speculation that it is among the two categories that the International Boxing Association (AIBA) is pushing for inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The 33-year, a mother of three, is back in the ring with renewed hopes.
Dope tainted athletes Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose got the axe as Athletics Federation of India on Sunday named a 37-strong team for the Asian Championships starting on July 7 in Kobe, Japan.
The price eclipsed the A$425,000 achieved by the late Don Bradman's baggy green when it was sold in 2003.
Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Michael Fennell on Sunday dismissed reports that the water in the swimming pool for the aquatics at the Delhi Games was of "poor quality."
After having faced flak from several quarters for its shambolic state in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games, the Athletes Village today drew effusive praise from the head of the Games Federation who described it as the best-ever he has seen.
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