In what comes as a late reaction following the backlash received over Salman Khan's appointment as Goodwill Ambassador for India for Rio Olympics, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has now turned to cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar to be the Indian contingent's ambassador.
Union Sports minister Ajay Maken will not be going to Rachi to take part in the closing ceremony of the National Games.
On August 16, 1980, the Kolkata football derby between arch rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, played at the Eden Gardens (there was no Salt Lake Stadium then) witnessed a massive clash between the supporters of two teams, leading to 16 deaths.
Forced on the back foot after being slammed for appointing Salman Khan as goodwill ambassador of India's Olympic contingent, the IOA said, on Sunday, it would also rope in icons from music, cricket, and other sports to motivate the athletes.
The Indian Olympic contingent was given a warm send-off on Monday, but it was Bollywood actor and IOA's Goodwill Ambassador Salman Khan who turned out to be the cynosure of all eyes, instead of the 20-odd Rio-bound athletes present on the occasion.
The BCCI on Tuesday announced that it will not send either the men's or the women's cricket team for this year's Asian Games in China, where cricket makes its debut in the Twenty20 format.
Young wrestler Antim Panghal, who challenged stalwart Vinesh Phogat in the Asian Games trials, is determined to prove a point in the continental showpiece and the subsequent World Championships.
The participation of Indian athletes in Friday's Tokyo Olympic Games opening ceremony will be kept to a 'bare minimum' in view of the COVID-19 threat, while only six officials from the contingent will be allowed to take part in the event.
Sindhu, Lakshya to head India's campaign at Asian C'ships
After seeking a delay in the Asian Games trials, the protesting wrestlers have now written to the Sports Ministry.
Thangjam Tababi Devi became India's first judo medallist at the Olympic level, claiming a silver at the ongoing Youth Games after losing to Venezuela's Maria Giminez in the final of the women's 44kg category.
Australian police said the 35-year-old man has been charged with one count of indecent assault and one count of unlawful assault.
Addressing a press conference, in New Delhi on Thursday, along with visiting International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra said, "We are bidding for three events, 2026 Youth Olympics, 2030 Asian Games and 2032 Olympics. We don't know whether they will come to India or not. Let us see how fierce the competition is."
Commonwealth Games corruption scandal tainted Suresh Kalmadi was on Tuesday made the Life President of Indian Olympic Association in its Annual General Body Meeting in New Delhi. Another tainted official Abhay Singh Chautala was also made the Life President by the IOA.
Former hockey captain P R Sreejesh was chosen for the Padma Bhushan, while Ravichandran Ashwin was among the Padma Shri winners.
Here are some of the controversies, which cast a shadow on Indian sport as the athletes prepared for the Asian Games.
The eight disciplines comprised archery, badminton, table tennis, hockey, judo, gymnastics, swimming and weightlifting.
The 34th National Games will be held in Jharkhand from February 15-28 after the organisers were given the green signal by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Sunday. Originally, the Games was supposed to start from November 30, but the IOC extended it following the state's request as infrastructure worth Rs 1000 crore would only be in place by January 31 next, he said.
"The unfair and discriminatory" rules have drawn sharp criticism from the Indian Olympic Association, which has written to the Games' organising committee requesting it to ensure that mechanisms to prevent COVID-19 do not have any "adverse and detrimental impact" on performance of athletes.
In an official communication to concerned national sports federations, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has informed them about about the staying arrangements and the need to undergo an RT-PCR test for COVID-19 72 hours prior to their arrival in the UK.
India has reversed its decision to pull out its hockey teams from next year's Birmingham Commonwealth Games and will compete in the multi-sport quadrennial event 'if they qualify', a Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) official said on Saturday.
In a last-ditch attempt to fetch M C Mary Kom a berth at the Rio Olympics, the Indian Olympic Association and ad-hoc committee administering boxing in the country have officially sent a request for a wildcard entry to the celebrated boxer who could not make the cut via the qualifiers.
The Indian Olympic Association returned to the Olympic fold after a 14-month suspension following the election of N Ramachandran as Indian Olympic Association president after the new elections that were held on Sunday.
Don't run IOA office as one-man show, IOA secretary Rajeev Mehta tells chief Narinder Batra in a stinging letter.
India's date with Formula One racing is delayed by another year, to 2011, Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi said on Thursday but refused to give any reason for it. 'Formula One will be held in India in 2011. Bernie (Ecclestone, Formula One supremo) and GP Group are working on this plan,' he told reporters on the sidelines of a function.
India appears no closer to a return to the Olympic fold as officials from the country's Olympic association and sports ministry bicker over a controversial government sports code.
Besides legendary boxer MC Mary Kom and wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, the panel includes archer Dola Banerjee and Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) president and IOA treasurer Sahdev Yadav.
Three wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh, who were to take part in the World University Games beginning on Friday in Chengdu, were issued 'stapled visas' by the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, which led to the entire team being held back while the players from other sports left the country.
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday asserted that the Indian contingent will win a record number of medals in the upcoming Asian Games in Huangzhou, China.
The development comes a day after the world body de-listed the Archery Association of India for violating the constitution by unanimously electing two parallel bodies in Chandigarh and New Delhi.
Padma Bhushan recipient PR Sreejesh, a legendary Indian hockey goalkeeper, expressed his gratitude for the honor, stating that India has given him more than what he has contributed to the sport.
The NRAI said that it made arrangements for a chartered flight for the entire squad to fly to Zagreb
More than 120 athletes are bound for the Games, even though the Indian Olympic Association is yet to officially divulge the strength of the contingent.
India will go unrepresented in five categories at the upcoming Zagreb Open in Croatia as Bajrang Punia, Antim Panghal and three others didn't give consent for their selection to the ad-hoc panel that announced a 13-member team on Tuesday.
The suspended WFI, despite being warned of legal action by the Sports Ministry for organising the 'nationals', went ahead with the tournament in Pune from January 29-31.
'Due to the ongoing pandemic and lockdown, we the sports bodies are unlikely to get any sponsorship and hence we may find it very difficult to restart our activities effectively'
Bhupinder Singh Bajwa will be the chairman of the panel with hockey Olympian M M Somaya and former international shuttler Manjusha Kanwar being the other two members.
The IOA also said that the decision will now relieve the Indian athletes of having to train amidst lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
'I yet again implore you to start working as a team for the betterment of the athletes and the Olympic Movement in India.'
