A ban imposed on Russia's Paralympic team to compete in Rio is cynical and immoral, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, while saying that Moscow acknowledged its mistakes and would improve the national anti-doping system.
Bhavinaben Patel became only the second Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympics after she claimed a historic silver following a 0-3 loss to world number one Chinese paddler Ying Zhou in the women's singles table tennis class 4 final at the Tokyo Games on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Adana gathered 569 -18x to finish 6th in the qualifications.
Nishad Kumar and Simran Sharma won their maiden World Para Athletics Championships gold in high jump and 100m race respectively, as India clinched four medals to jump to fourth spot on the most productive day, in New Delhi, on Friday.
India's only para-athlete to win two Paralympics gold medals, Devendra Jhajharia is overwhelmed to have found a 'fan' in country's Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, which he feels would motivated him to go for his second yellow metal at the upcoming World Championships.
The 34-year-old Patel, who had surprised even the Indian camp in this Paralympics with her sensational show, stunned China's Miao Zhang 7-11, 11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8 in the semi-final showdown which lasted 34 minutes.
Dharambir and Pranav Soorma scripted history as they won the gold and silver medal respectively in men's club throw - F51 final, at the Paralympics.
Four Indian Paralympics medal winners at the Rio Games last month -- Devendra Jhajharia, Mariyappan Thangavelu, Deepa Malik and Varun Singh Bhati -- were on Monday felicitated by a host of personalities, including cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
India's Deepa Malik created history by becoming the first-ever woman from the country to win a medal at the Paralympics when she bagged a silver in the shotput F-53 event in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.
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.
The same scandal has led to 109 out of 387 athletes originally included in the Russian team for the Rio Olympics being banned, including its entire track and field squad.
'Neeraj's gold medal can be a turning point for the game in India. India's first Olympic medal in track and field and that too a gold.'
Deepa Malik believes the country's medal count will be in double digits at the Tokyo Games next year.
The ceremony is set in a 'Para Airport' -- a symbol of diversity and inclusion -- and began with a video that depicted the strength of para-athletes.
The Tokyo Paralympics slated to begin on August 24, will be Jhajharia's third Paralympics.
Speaking to ANI, Deepa Malik, the president of Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), said that the Indian team looks in great shape.
Says he has given 'lesson of humanity'.
India swept all the three medals in men's high jump T63 and men's club throw F51 events
Michael Phelps has launched a scathing attack on USA Swimming's leadership, with the 23-times Olympic gold medallist branding the body weak and demanding sweeping reforms
Britain's Grinham becomes first pregnant athlete to win Paralympics medal
Shah Rukh Khan said all individuals are 'incomplete' in their own way despite any amount of 'power and stardom' as he wished the Indian Paralympic Contingent for the Asian Para Games 2018 at their send-off ceremony.
Iranian cyclist Sarafraz Bahman Golbarnezhad has died after crashing in the C4-5 event at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, the first such death at the Games since they began in 1960, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has said.
Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who missed out on an Olympic medal by a whisker in Rio de Janeiro recently, on Sunday showered praise on Thangavelu Mariyappan and Varun Singh Bhati for winning gold and bronze in the Paralympics. "You have achieved something what I could not. I would have loved to meet both of you in person," Dipa said in her congratulatory message.
Russia's disabled athletes will not be allowed to compete as neutrals at this month's Rio de Janeiro Paralympics after their country was banned because of a state-sponsored sports doping programme. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said in a statement on Thursday it had rejected more than 175 Russian athletes who filed individual cases to try to take part in the Brazil event. "The International Paralympic Committee ... will not allow individual Russian athletes to participate as neutral athletes at the Rio Games", the organisation said on its website (www.paralympic.org).
Thangavelu Mariyappan, who became only the third Indian ever to clinch a gold medal in the Paralympics, will be the country's flag-bearer at the closing ceremony of the Rio Games on September 18. "Thangavelu Mariyappan will take lead as the flag bearer of the closing ceremony at the Paralympic Games 2016!," the Indian Olympic Association tweeted from its official handle.
Javelin thrower Tek Chand will be India's flag-bearer at the Tokyo Paralympics opening ceremony after Thangavelu Mariyappan, who was initially named as flag-bearer, was quarantined following close contact with a COVID-19 positive person on their flight to Tokyo.
Infuriated over Khel Ratna snub Paralympian Deepa Malik gets Haryana CM backing 'And I am not lobbying for it. Lobbying is when you try to influence people before the committee sits and decide. When I found my name is not there, I wrote to the ministry, it's an appeal. I have got the backing of my state CM. Haryana is a sports conscious state. He (CM) also felt that I have been overlooked'
The 43-year-old asserted that the para athletes are physically and mentally ready for the Paris Games and will continue the trend of doing well at marquee events as they did at the Para Asian Games last year and in the recent world championships.
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.
There was double joy for India at the Rio Paralympics on Saturday, as high jumpers Mariyappan Thangavelu and Varun Singh Bhati won gold and bronze. Thangavelu scripted history, becoming the first Indian para-athlete to win a gold medal in the men's high jump-T42 final, on Day 2 of the Games at the Olympic Stadium.
Brazil's Alexandre makes Olympic debut, eyes Paralympic gold
The village will host more than 18,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes, officials, staff and volunteers in 31 buildings and more than 3,600 apartments.
Images of the Padma Shri conferred on sports stars on Thursday
Neeraj Chopra not to try anything new during competition worked wonders for Sumit Antil who heeded to the superstar javelin thrower's advice to win back-to-back gold
Sharad and Bhati participated in the T-42 category of men's high jump event.
The Indian started the match on the front foot as she took the first game 11-9
The bad water quality at Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay puts Paralympic sailors in constant fear of their health during competitions with organisers having failed to live up to their promises, Paralympic champion Heiko Kroeger said on Tuesday. The experienced German sailor, who won a gold medal at the Sydney 2000 and silver at the London 2012 Paralympics, said sailors in wheelchairs would be especially vulnerable in the polluted waters during the Sept. 7-18 Paralympics in the Brazilian city. "Usually when you are sailing you open your mouth and take in some water to refresh yourself," Kroeger told Reuters a day after returning from a competition in Rio. "But in Rio last week, mouths and noses stayed shut and heads turned away from the spray," he said. "I have been sailing a long time but I have never seen that happening. "There is a constant fear in our heads, a fear that you could get sick," said Kroeger, who also sailed in the bay back in September. "That of course affects the competition because you know that if you get sick you are out."
Mariayappan Thangavelu on Tuesday rued that rain foiled his bid for a second consecutive gold medal at the Paralympics, saying the wet sock did not let him give his best in the T42 event in Tokyo.
Russia's exclusion from next month's Paralympic Games in Rio is a different situation from the IOC's decision to allow some Russian competitors to take part at the Olympics, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on Monday.
