How athletes have strived for achieving greatness during extraordinary times.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing for the World Cup match against Bangladesh?
Determined to keep the Olympic dream alive despite the long-standing administrative mess, a spirited Indian boxing team, featuring the likes of M C Mary Kom and Shiva Thapa, will take off on Monday night for the Asian Qualifiers in Qian'an City, China. Ten men and three women form the 13-strong team which will be in action from March 25. In the men's competition, only the top three boxers in each weight category will make the Olympic cut with the third spot decided via a box-off between the two bronze-medallists. In the women's draw, only the gold and silver medal winners will qualify for Rio de Janeiro. In the absence of a recognised federation, the Indians will once again compete under the flag of the International Boxing Association (AIBA). "It is going to be a very tough tournament because not many from the Asian region qualified during last year's World Championships. I am expecting around 30 countries and more than 250 boxers to be there at this event," national coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu told PTI ahead of the team's departure.
Concerned about the administrative logjam in Indian boxing, Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom said future seems dark for the country's pugilists, who are losing motivation to train.
M C Mary Kom says she is a shade "nervous" heading into her ninth appearance at the showpiece, not because of the competition that awaits her but the overwhelming expectations at home.
Here is the current state of play among the 28 Olympic sports.
Deepak 'Boxer', one of the most wanted fugitives in India who was nabbed by the police authorities in Mexico, was brought to New Delhi on Wednesday, officials said.
The needs of Indian athletes during multi-sporting events are a tad more hard to satisfy than others, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Acting [resident Anil Khanna said on Thursday, referring to the controversy surrounding Lovlina Borgohain's coach Sandhya Gurung.
Seventy two years ago, a newly independent India ventured to hold the the first Asian Games in Delhi with meager resources.
In a dense and dusty neighbourhood in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, eight young girls lined up against a cement wall, touching their hands to their faces in prayer before boxing practice began.
Boxer Sarita Devi finally received her Asian Games bronze medal which she had refused at the victory ceremony in Incheon under controversial circumstances with the Indian Olympic Association Secretary General Rajeev Mehta presenting it to her in New Delhi.
She understands the emotion behind L Sarita Devi's tearful protest on the Asian Games podium but M C Mary Kom, who became the first Indian woman boxer to win gold at the mega-event, said faced with a similar crisis, she would have shown dissent differently.
S S Rajamouli's period action film RRR has scooped nominations in two categories at the Golden Globe Awards: Best Picture, Non-English, and Best Original Song, Motion Picture.
Vikas Krishan, one of the three Indian boxers to qualify for the Rio Olympics, is confident of winning a bronze medal at the upcoming Games, which could be his last.
Led by Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, India will seek to showcase its ascendency as a sporting power at the Asian Games, which opens formally on Saturday after an unprecedented one-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A tough draw will put their grit to test when the three-member Indian boxing team begins its Olympic campaign, aiming to lift the gloom that pervades the sport back home owing to the long-standing administrative mess.
The VAR system took several minutes to confirm the ball had not gone out before Mitoma's touch
Commonwealth Games silver-medallist L Devendro Singh (49kg) stormed into the semi-finals, while Manoj Kumar (64kg) and Sumit Sangwan (81kg) entered the quarters to be just one win away from clinching Olympic berths at the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) World Qualifying Tournament in Baku on Tuesday.
India's boxer L Sarita Devi's career could be finished after her 'unacceptable' behaviour at the Incheon Asian Games where the fighter refused to accept her bronze medal on the podium, the president of the governing AIBA said on Wednesday.
With only one Asian Games gold to show after four days of competition, India's hopes of improving on their medal tally in China four years ago are diminishing fast.
Legendary sprinter Milkha Singh criticised boxer Sarita Devi for refusing to accept the bronze medal during the Incheon Asian Games victory ceremony last year, saying it was not proper to protest that way.
Indian Pro boxer Chandni goes down to Shin Bo in WBO Asia Pacific title clash.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
An oncologist, Vishal Rao built an innovative voice prosthesis that costs to help people who've lost their voices.
Facebook, Airbnb, Paytm, eBay join the film's cast of brands, look to connect with young audiences.
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) could soon allow professional boxers to compete in big-ticket amateur events like the Olympics, British professional boxing star Amir Khan has revealed, saying that he would grab the chance as and when it comes along.
Every medal is a story of struggle, says the indomitable M C Mary Kom, who considers her fifth Asian Championship gold medal special as it came despite the many roles she has had to play outside the ring in the past one year.
Boxing and weightlifting federations were given 18 months time to set their house in order to be considered for the 2028 Games.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
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'I have played two World Cup finals but couldn't win the trophy. That remains my only regret.'
By removing headgear, it has changed the way boxers and coaches prepare, it has changed tactics. Now you have to defend better, use good techniques to protect your head.
'On an average we have been getting four to five such proposals a month, but we aren't pursuing them as they don't tick the boxes.'
The construction work for the first phase of the stadium is likely to take 24 to 30 months.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field
Vijender Singh gives up amateur boxing to turn full-time professional, perhaps the words ring truer than ever.
As the one-year ban for the tearful outburst at the Asian Games ends on Thursday, former World champion Laishram Sarita Devi says the forced sabbatical proved a blessing in disguise and helped her become a thinking boxer and calmer person.
The former Olympic and World Championship bronze-medal winner's return to the ring is being closely watched after the sabbatical he was forced into due to a drug scandal earlier this year.
Boxing India is confident of L Sarita Devi's return to the ring before too long after the International Boxing Federation (AIBA) suspended the 29-year-old for her petulant display at the recent Asian Games at Incheon, South Korea.
Having offered an unconditional apology for an emotionally-charged protest during the Asian Games medal ceremony, Indian boxer L Sarita Devi hoped that her outburst will ensure better judging at next month's World Championship in Korea.
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