After cashing in on the Munni campaign to market the Zandu Balm brand in 2010, the company has now roped in five sporting icons -- cricketer Gautam Gambhir, Olympic medal winning boxer Vijender Singh, badminton champion Saina Nehwal, five-time world boxing champion Mary Kom and wrestler Sushil Kumar -- for its Fast Relief brand.
Wrestler Sushil Kumar, the only Indian sportsperson to win back-to-back individual Olympic medals, is disappointed to miss out on the Padma Bhushan award though his name had been recommended.
Check the pictures from the celebrations...
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.
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.
L Devendro Singh put up a gallant fight against Ireland's Paddy Barnes but lost the light-flyweight (49 kg) quarter-final bout 18-23, at the London Olympics, on Wednesday night. With Devendro's defeat, India's campaign in the boxing competition at the Games ended.
The sheer diversity of medal winners was a heartwarming aspect of the Games for India. There were medals from squash, although not gold, there were nine medals from boxing, 12 from wrestling, 16 from shooting and nine from weightlifting.
Here's what your favourite Bollywood celebrities are tweeting.
Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal and boxing hero Vijender Singh are among six sportspersons who were named brand ambassadors on Tuesday for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
The pugilists were due to start training later this month or early in August after the Boxing Federation of India got the SAI nod to conduct the national camp amid the pandemic.
Panghal is the only Indian Olympic-bound boxer to be ranked as number
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
All of the sudden there is a boom of super moms in the media. Women with a penchant for different sporting fields. Where Indian men would have thought twice about venturing, these women are making a name for themselves as pioneers in their chosen fields.
World Championship bronze medalist Vikas Krishan stormed into the men's 69kg category final while five-time world champion woman boxer MC Mary Kom made a shock quarter-final exit in the Olympic boxing test event in London on Sunday.
After a splendid season, where he scored first-ever double century in One-day and climbing the 14000-runs peak, Sachin Tendulkar on Saturday night was named the Indian cricketer of the Year. Our Correspondent Harish Kotian reveals the other winners at the Sahara India Sports Awards.
Basking in the glory of a bronze medal at the London Olympics, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal says it was very tough for her to win the medal in a sport dominated by the Chinese.
At a time when Indian boxing is on an unprecedented high, a book captures the history and essence of the sport in the country, finds Sumit Bhattacharya.
As the #FitnessChallenge goes viral, especially with cricketer Virat Kohli daring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, here are some other mantris and netas who took the challenge.
M C Mary Kom punched her way into the women's boxing semi-finals at the Olympic Games to ensure India of at least a bronze medal while Vikas Gowda joined a select group of the country's track and field athletes by entering the finals of men's discus throw on Monday.
Strong medal contender MC Mary Kom opened her campaign on an impressive note as she punched her way into the quarter-finals but the men's hockey team continued its freefall after being thrashed 4-1 by South Korea at the London Olympics in London on Sunday.
For the first time ever, three top sportspersons -- boxers M C Mary Kom and Vijender Singh and wrestler Sushil Kumar -- were on Wednesday selected for the country's highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.
A cash bonanza awaits Indian boxers if they notch up medals at the London Olympics.
Having modelled the aggressive style of former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson to claim an Olympic berth, Indian boxer Devendro Singh knows curbing those attacking instincts is the only way to achieve his dream of a medal at the London Games.
Take a look at the list.
'Watch our Indian athletes in Tokyo Olympics,' Virat Kohli said in a video
Virat Kohli? M C Mary Kom? Neeraj Chopra?
2020 could well have been a year of biopics with females taking centre-stage. After Chhapaak, it was time for Shakuntala Devi and Gangubai Kathiawadi to release later in the year with many more in the pipeline for 2021.
Mary Kom (51kg) will open her campaign against Dominica's Miguelina Hernandez on July 25; Panghal gets bye into pre-quarters.
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The tinsel town's overall financial performance would have been in a bad shape if it was not for the success of the woman-oriented blockbusters, writes Urvi Malvania.
Olympic heroes boxer Vijender Singh, wrestler Sushil Kumar, along with four-time world champion woman pugilist M C Mary Kom, were on Saturday conferred the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in a glittering ceremony in New Delhi. For the first time in the history of national sports awards, three sportspersons were individually bestowed India's highest sporting honour, which comes with an enhanced cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh and a newly-designed statuette.
The following is the timeline of the chain of events that led to the suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India by UWW, the sport's global governing body.
Not a man for diplomatic circumlocution, wrestler Sushil Kumar on Wednesday said it would have been injustice if he was denied the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award even after winning the bronze medal in Beijing Olympics.
'We are confident, we will win the fight for justice.'
'Right now hockey is totally changed and anyone can beat anyone depending on the day. It depends on how many chances you create.'
Saina Nehwal's preparation for the 2012 London Games received a shot in the arm on Saturday with the ace shuttler signing a contract with Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ).
Do you think the IOA has done the right thing in apponting Salman as the brand ambassador which they clam is to the motivate the athletes and also increase awareness of Olympic sports in the country? Or do you think the appointment is just a gimmick?
Achanta Sharath Kamal said the ongoing protest by the wrestlers has shown the importance of an athletes' body in all National Sports Federations.
Amit Panghal will be eager to exorcise the ghosts of disappointing Tokyo Games
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