Deepa Malik became the first Indian woman para-athlete and the oldest to be conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said on Tuesday that athletes would not be forced to get COVID-19 vaccinations ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, but he said they should as a "demonstration of solidarity" with the Japanese.
Australia is considering not sending any government officials to the Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing next year amid growing calls from lawmakers for an official diplomatic boycott, the Sydney Morning Herald said in a report on Thursday.
Chosen by schoolchildren across Japan and announced before a gymnasium of cheering pupils in Tokyo, the as yet unnamed blue character will be the mascot for the Olympics and the pink cherry blossom-inspired one for the Paralympics.
Wani is a part of the six-member Indian delegation at the Winter Olympics where Jammu and Kashmir skier Arif Khan is the only athlete from the country to have qualified this time.
The government has announced cash awards of Rs. 90 lakhs for Rio Paralympics 2016 medal winners.
Most Japanese do not want international spectators to attend the Tokyo Games this summer amid fears a large influx of visitors could spark a resurgence in new coronavirus infections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met the Indian athletes who took part in the Rio Paralympic Games, including the four medallists, and applauded them for making the country proud with their achievements. The 19-member Indian contingent had returned home from the Paralympics with two golds, one silver and a bronze. Mariyappan Thangavelu (men's T42 high jump) and Devendra Jhajharia (men's F46 javelin throw) had won gold in their respective events while Deepa Malik (women's F53 shot put) and Varun Singh Bhati (men's T42 high jump) had bagged a silver and bronze respectively.
Plastic podiums, recycled medals, cardboard beds put focus on sustainability at Tokyo 2020.
Tokyo's Olympic 2020 contract allows it to postpone the Games until the end of the year, Japan's Olympics minister said on Tuesday, amid concern the coronavirus could disrupt the event. To curb the coronavirus, Japan's government has asked schools to close and encouraged the curtailment of events, including sports meetings, that could attract large crowds.
The flame was carried to the podium by three-time Paralympic shooter Taguchi Aki. It was a special moment for Taguchi, as it came 106-days after she lit the celebration cauldron when the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay was re-started in Fukushima on March 25, this year.
In other India-related news, Manish Kaurav (KL3 men 200m) and Manjeet Singh (VL2 men 200m) made it to the finals of their respective events for the first time in the history of the tournament.
Olympic organisers say they will not reveal the final torchbearer's identity until the torch arrives in the stadium on live television, watched by billions of spectators.
The committee also picked 19 sportspersons for the Arjuna Award, including the likes of cricketers Ravindra Jadeja and Poonam Yadav, track and field stars Tejinder Pal Singh Toor, Mohammed Anas and Swapna Barman.
The stance of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in potentially banning athletes who kneel in support of anti-racism protests is a breach of human rights, the Global Athlete movement said on Sunday. Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter states that "no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas".
You'll need extra eyes for the amount of OTT content available this week. Sukanya Verma invites you to take your pick.
Last Thursday, the awards selection committee of Khel Ratna recommended para athlete and Rio Paralympics gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia for the prestigious award for 2017.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Saturday
The beds have been manufactured such that after both the marquee events, the beds will be recycled into paper products, while the mattresses formed of polyethylene materials will be reused for plastic products.
Chebet picked up his first major victory in two hours six minutes and 51 seconds, with compatriots Lawrence Cherono and Benson Kipruto second and third.
"Athletes' health and well-being are always at the heart of our concerns," IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement.
India's Tokyo Paralympics gold winner Pramod Bhagat was on Thursday named among six shuttlers for the Male Para Badminton Player of the Year by the sport's world body but none of his compatriots featured in the able-bodied awards' categories.
She added that Suga had encouraged her to make the Games successful but declined to say anything further until after a Tokyo 2020 executive board meeting later in the day, when an official announcement on the post was likely to be made.
'If the Olympics were to spread infection, then what are the Olympics for?'
'The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games given the PRC's ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses.'
Slipping out of the usual top-five was seen as a real possibility in absence of shooting but phenomenal success in athletics and lawn bowls propelled India to a commendable fourth place finish at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham
Murli Manohar Joshi makes a rare public appearance.
Japan government says no truth to report of possible Olympics cancellation.
Village residents are asked to eat alone to avoid spreading potentially contagious droplets. Each seat is screened off with plexiglass.
Veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh on Monday said the Indian men's hockey side's main focus is qualifying for the Paris Olympics by winning the Asian Games this year besides giving opportunities to youngsters.
The poll released on Tuesday found a global average of 46 per cent interest in the Games, but excitement varied across markets
The Belarus team carried Russia's flag as well as their own at the Paralympic Games opening ceremony, in a show of support for their near-neighbours, who were banned from the competition in Rio de Janeiro. The head of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) Vladimir Lukin told the TASS news agency that he was grateful for the gesture at the ceremony on Wednesday night.
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will be allowed to compete in the women's singles in figure skating at the Beijing Olympics after a decision by sport's top court on Monday.
The Olympics will take place without spectators in host city Tokyo, organisers said on Thursday, as a resurgent coronavirus forced Japan to declare a state of emergency in the capital that will run throughout the event.
The 2021 Japanese Formula One Grand Prix has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the second successive year.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Wednesday said it might freeze the world rankings for a while as it works on a "fair solution" to the Olympic qualification process after the coronavirus pandemic forced a postponement of the Tokyo Games to 2021. There have been growing calls to freeze the world rankings after cancellations and postponements wrecked the sport's calendar. Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal, B Sai Praneeth, Parupalli Kashyap and H S Prannoy have been leading the way in expressing concerns.
The US track and field federation joined another leading US Olympic sport, USA Swimming, in seeking a delay to the Games. Neither US Olympic officials nor the IOC were immediately available for comment on USATF's request.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
Lekhara put up a strong challenge in the R2 - women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 final but fell short in the end, losing to Ukraine's Iryna Shchetnik by just 0.3 points.
'No significant impact' on Tokyo 2020 from possible cyber attacks
