Brazil's Sports Minister Leonardo Picciani expects there to be almost no cases of the Zika virus during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, adding that the country is prepared for the Games, despite health concerns and political instability. The World Health Organization's Emergency Committee on Zika will meet in the coming weeks to evaluate the risks associated with the event. More than 150 health experts, in a public letter, have also called for the August Games to be postponed. U.S. health officials have concluded that infections by the mosquito-borne Zika virus in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. However, Picciani, who was appointed by interim President Michel Temer, said the situation had significantly improved. "We hosted 43 test events in Rio with 7,000 athletes and we have not had any case of Zika or dengue," he told
American swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, said on Tuesday he hopes this year's Rio Olympics can help heal a sports world hit by recent doping and corruption cases.
Tennis champion Rafael Nadal has said that he is eager to experience the incredible energy of Brazilian carnival before gearing up to defend his title at the Rio Open.
The Indian contingent's schedule at the Rio Olympics for Tuesday.
Brazil's government authorized an emergency transfer of 2.9 billion reais (US $850 million) on Tuesday for the cash-strapped state of Rio de Janeiro to help pay for infrastructure projects and security for the Olympic Games in August.
Quartermiler Mohammad Anas and long jumper Ankit Singh booked their Olympic tickets with national record shattering efforts while 200m specialist Srabani Nanda also qualified for the Rio Games in various competitions aboard on a memorable day for Indian track and field athletes on Sunday.
Saina Nehwal eschews the 'natural talent' tag thrust upon her by Indian media and says only hard graft and good coaching have given her the chance to turn the Olympic badminton bronze she won four years ago in London into gold at the Rio Games.
India's schedule on Day 9 of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, on Sunday.
US swimmer Ryan Lochte has been charged by Brazilian police for filing a false robbery report over an incident during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the Indian athletes who will represent the country at the forthcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In Rio, over 10,000 athletes will compete for the biggest prize in sport -- an Olympic gold medal.
Krishna Poonia has failed to qualify for the Rio Olympics as she could not touch the qualifying standard in the competitions she took part in the United States.
The Rio 2016 Olympics have opened with a colourful and pulsating ceremony at Maracana stadium on Friday night.
As preparations for the Rio Olympics gather pace, India may be headed for yet another paltry medal haul.
Fourteen-time grand slam singles tennis champion, Rafael Nadal, will carry Spain's flag at the opening ceremony for this year Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he said on Wednesday.
A short display of Brazilian culture, including their music and dance, greeted the Indian contingent at the formal Welcome Ceremony in the Games Village for the 31st Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Here is a flashback of the top moments from the just concluded quadrennial Games...
India's first and only individual Olympic gold-medallist Abhinav Bindra was named Chairman of a five-member review committee to probe the shooters' Rio Games debacle but has rescued himself from questioning them as he was himself a part of the team.
Judoka Avtar Singh has qualified for the Rio Olympic Games in under 90kg weight category, the national federation said on Saturday.
PR Sreejesh says his dual role as India hockey captain and goalkeeper is to allow his team mates the freedom to express themselves in Rio but knows he must keep them focused on the medal hunt in the "magic world" of the Olympics. The 30-year-old was second choice at London 2012 behind then captain Bharat Chetri but has since established himself as the clear number one. He was named captain for the recent Champions Trophy in London where India rested some seniors, including regular captain Sardar Singh, ahead of the Rio Games.
Former Brazil football great Rivaldo is telling tourists to stay away from the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
World number one Novak Djokovic was dumped out of Rio Games in the first round on Sunday by Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, who also defeated him in the bronze medal match at the London Olympics.
Shawn Barber, the Canadian record holder and 2015 World champion in pole vault, died of medical complications.
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.
Showering praise on Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said these "daughters" were the saving grace of India at the Rio Games. Speaking at the inaugural function of Sauni irrigation project in Sanosara (Gujarat), Modi touched upon several social issues plaguing the country including gender-based discrimination.
India's Amit Kumar Saroha missed the bronze medal by a whisker in the men's F51 club throw competition at the Rio Paralympic Games on Friday.
Olympic silver medallist shuttler PV Sindhu admitted that there is more responsibility on her shoulders post the Rio Games as everyone now wants her to achieve more laurels for the country. Sindhu, who was here to receive Rs 30 lakhs from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as prize money for winning silver in Rio Olympics, said she is focused on keeping things simple despite the responsibility. "Definitely there is more responsibility and everybody's eyes are on me to achieve more. That is there but I said to myself I should not take too much pressure. My aim is to keep playing well. After the Olympics, I have won a Superseries and I have done well," the lanky Hyderabadi shuttler said.
Here is the current state of play among the 28 Olympic sports.
India's tennis star Rohan Bopanna picked young Saketh Myneni over the legendary Leander Paes as his choice of partner for the men's doubles event at the Rio Games, on Friday.
A loud blast was heard near the finishing line of the men's cycling road race at the Rio Olympics on Saturday but there were no signs of panic or injuries and the race continued, a Reuters witness said. Bomb squad agents in protective clothing were operating near the press tribune at the site but the cause of the blast was not immediately clear. In recent days, bomb squad members have detonated a number of unattended bags in controlled explosions in Rio.
The flame will be flown in special safety lanterns to Switzerland for a ceremony at the United Nations in Geneva on Thursday
Parts of a mutilated body washed up on the sands of Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, police said, just meters (yards) from where beach volleyball athletes will compete in the upcoming Olympics.
India's Prakash Nanjappa has earned a quota place for the 2016 Rio Olympics after finishing eighth in the finals of 50-metre men's pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Gabala, Azerbaijan.
The government has announced cash awards of Rs. 90 lakhs for Rio Paralympics 2016 medal winners.
Three track and field athletes, including veteran triple jumper Renjith Maheswary, on Monday booked their berths for next month's Rio Olympics with national record breaking performances in the fourth Indian Grand Prix in Bengaluru.
Indian discus thrower Seema Punia has qualified for the Rio Olympic Games with a throw of 62.62 metres.
Carlos Alcaraz is the first man to defend a championship in the California desert since Novak Djokovic won three straight between 2014-2016.
Anirban Lahiri and SSP Chawrasia will be representing the nation at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Ask athletes what goes into Olympic gold medals, and they will likely say sweat and years of training. For Brazil's National Mint the answer is simpler: recycled silver.
'My son needs me, my husband and I have been together since before I won in 2008. He has sacrificed for me'
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