She couldn't make the cut through qualifiers but star woman boxer M C Mary Kom's Olympic dream is not quite over yet as India has decided to seek a wildcard entry for her in the Games scheduled from August 5 this year. Mary Kom (51kg) had missed out on qualifying for the Olympics after bowing out in the second round of last month's World Championships -- the second and final qualifying tournament for women for the Games. The 33-year-old was required to make at least the semifinals to be assured of an Olympic berth in the mega-event in Astana, Kazakhstan. "She has been a phenomenal athlete and looking at her overall contribution to the sport, we have decided to request for a wildcard for her. However, her application will be among the many that the International Boxing Association (AIBA) will examine before taking a final decision," Chairman of the ad-hoc committee currently running boxing in India, Kishen Narsi, told PTI. Mary Kom, who is called 'Magnificent Mary' by AIBA, is a five-time world champion besides being a bronze-medallist from the London Olympics. The multiple-time Asian champion could not get an Olympic quota place in either of the two qualifying events for women boxers and is keeping her fingers crossed for a wildcard.
Yohan Blake believes if not for Usain Bolt, he would have been the fastest man in the world.
Disgraced Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is joining the 'Dancing With the Stars' cast, ABC television announced on Tuesday, as the gold medalist said he thought reaction to his tale about being held up at a Rio de Janeiro gas station had been blown out of proportion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded India's athletes for their spectacular showing at the Tokyo Olympics, saying their tremendous show has inspired the youth of the country.
Chief National coach Pullela Gopichand, who guided India to two Olympic medals, has opted out of India's Olympics-bound badminton contingent to create space for Indonesia's Agus Dwi Santosa, who trains singles shuttler B Sai Praneeth.
A veteran of four consecutive Olympics, legendary Leslie Claudius, bemoaned the disastrous display of the Indian hockey team in the London Olympics where it touched its nadir and finished last, and said the national game is "dead".
Parupalli Kashyap, who surprised all and sundry by reaching the quarter-finals of the badminton men's singles event at the London Olympics, is disappointed to return empty-handed from London but said the experience has made him more mature as a shuttler.
Mary Kom has inspired young girls in the country to take up the sport.
Manjunath will play Taipei's Yu Jen, who was lucky to progress after fifth seed Rasmus Gemke retired in the second game after pocketing the first.
I want a room full of medals before retiring, says Chirag Shetty
India's Pooja Rani out-punched Algeria's Ichrak Chaib in her opening bout to enter the quarter-finals of the 75kg boxing competition in her maiden Olympic Games in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Chijindu Ujah has been provisionally suspended since Ostarine and S-23 -- both substances prohibited by world anti-doping organisation WADA -- were detected in his A and B samples following the final.
'During the grass court season, I unfortunately experienced a setback with my knee, and have accepted that I must withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games.'
'I'm least bothered about the rankings of Kashyap or Srikanth. I want to make it on my own by winning titles.'
With his sights firmly on a medal, shooter Ronjon Sodhi will look to emulate compatriot Gagan Narang when he takes to the range for the double trap event at the London Olympic Games on Wednesday.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday barred Suresh Kalmadi from attending the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 27. However, the sacked Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman claimed he had only sought permission to attend the IAAF Council meeting in London.
Seventy two years ago, a newly independent India ventured to hold the the first Asian Games in Delhi with meager resources.
Bollywood star Salman Khan's appointment as the Indian Olympic contingent's goodwill ambassador has not gone down well with star wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, who feels a sportsperson should have been chosen for the role. Salman, who is playing the role of a wrestler in his upcoming film 'Sultan', was named goodwill ambassador by the Indian Olympic Association on Saturday in the presence of star woman boxer M C Mary Kom, hockey captain Sardar Singh, and shooter Apurvi Chandela among others. Yogeshwar, the London Olympics bronze-medallist, said he cannot understand what purpose such an appointment will serve for the athletes. "Everybody has the right to promote movies in India, but Olympics is not a place to promote films." Yogeshwar tweeted in Hindi. "Can anyone tell me what the role of goodwill ambassador is? Why are you fooling the public?" he added.
In a country where winning an Olympic medal is a rarity and bagging two in a row a distant dream, India's lone double-Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar revealed that he was advised to 'bow out on a high' after his bronze-medal feat at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Olympic medallist Yogeshwar Dutt on Thursday termed the suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India by the international body as "very distressing".
Beijing Games gold medallist Abhinav Bindra crashed out of the 10m Air Rifle event at the London Olympics with a dismal display in the qualifying rounds, but compatriot Gagan Narang kept alive India's hopes by advancing to the medal round in London on Monday.
India's chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand admitted to crammed BWF itinerary causing a problem but at the same time believes that onus is on a player of PV Sindhu's calibre to adapt to the calendar instead of complaining about it. Apart from the World Championships gold, Sindhu failed to win any other tournament last year.
Country's archers have proved their mettle at the international level but they tend to choke at the biggest stage.
A sensational run over the last two weeks has given wings to Ashwini Ponnappa's Olympics dreams, and the ace Indian shuttler now wants to continue her fine run in the upcoming bigger tournaments to stay on course for a trip to Paris.
Neeraj Chopra's soaring javelin did not just earn India their first Olympic gold in athletics on Saturday, it also meant that the contingent will return from Tokyo with seven medals, their biggest Games haul ever.
Canada and Australia said they would not be sending athletes to the Tokyo Olympics if the Games went ahead as scheduled in July and August this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Here is a list of previous cancellations, boycotts and changes of venues of the Summer and Winter games.
Kamalprest Kaur, who had a best throw of 64 metres in the qualification round of the women's Discus Throw, could only attain 63.70 metres in the final.
India's 16-member squad for Rio Olympics was announced on Tuesday in New Delhi. Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will lead the side with SV Sunil as the vice captain.
Britain's Galal Yafai and Bulgaria's Stoyka Zhelyazkova Krasteva won first boxing golds for their countries at the Tokyo Olympics after dominant displays in their flyweight finals on Saturday.
Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal is currently in a tight spot in her bid for a Tokyo Olympics singles berth but a couple of good performances in the coming weeks can put her back in contention, her mentor Parupalli Kashyap said on Friday. Saina, a 2015 World Championship silver medallist and two-time Commonwealth Games champion, is racing against time to make the cut for her fourth successive Olympics.
As we celebrate International Women's day on March 8, meet the Indian sportswomen who have made the nation proud with their superlative performances in the sporting arena.
Mid-fielder Salima Tete on Thursday replaced veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia as captain of the 24-strong Indian women's hockey squad for the Belgium and England legs of the FIH Pro League starting later this month.
The spotlight is on wrestler Sushil Kumar to fetch India a medal in the London Olympics as he now remains the main hope for the country, and the 2008 Beijing Games hero says he is determined to give his best.
Beijing Games gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra on Monday insisted that he has no plans to retire from the sport after crashing out of the London Olympics by failing to make the finals of the 10m air rifle event in London.
Indian archers would look to make amends for the flop-show in London when they take aim in the 31st Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Friday -- archery and football kick-start before the official opening ceremony of the Games.
P V Sindhu on Monday said she received congratulatory message from chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand but she has not got any such gesture yet from senior shuttler Saina Nehwal following her bronze medal winning feat at the Tokyo Olympics.
Star wrestler Sushil Kumar created history on Sunday, scripting his name as India's best-ever individual Olympian by winning a silver medal at the London Olympics. The Indian grappler put up a superb show to reach the final, but was outclassed by Japan's Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu 3-1 in the gold medal bout of the 66kg class.
First lady Jill Biden cheered her countrywomen to an upset victory over the French in the debut of 3x3 basketball at the Olympics as President Emmanuel Macron watched on from the sidelines.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), on Thursday, denied sending any list of Olympic probables, sans Sushil Kumar, to the Indian Olympic Association, insisting that the two-time medallist is not yet out of contention for the Rio Games.
The Army on Wednesday charged the National Rifle Association of India of having a "biased selection policy" after one of its officer Lt Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was excluded from the 2012 London Olympics shooting squad.
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