Seema Punia gets 16-month ban for failing dope test
Indian discus thrower Seema Punia has qualified for the Rio Olympic Games with a throw of 62.62 metres.
Seema Punia bagged a silver medal for India while defending champion Krishna Poonia finished a disappointing fifth in the women's discus throw competition at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, on Friday.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Olympics-bound woman discus thrower Krishna Poonia created a new national record en route to her silver medal winning performance at the Altius Track Crew Throwdown meet in Maui Island, Hawaii on Monday.
Indian discus thrower Seema Antil-Punia, who secured Rio berth after clinching gold at the Pat Young Throwers Classic held, in California, on Sunday, believes, "I have a gut feeling that Rio will be my best Olympic Games."
A season-best performance of 60.56 metres gave the Indian lass second place in the women's discuss throw at the Commonwealth Games.
Seema Punia Antil ended India's gold medal drought in track and field on the third day of athletics competitions when she beat back a strong challenge from two Chinese athletes to win the women's discus throw at the Asian Games.
Seema Punia would once again be one of India's strongest bets for a medal when she hurls the discus one last time at the Commonwealth Games next month.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Sunday
The Athletics Federation of India has submitted a list of 51 athletes, including the 11 called for trials, for the August 18 to September 2 Asian Games.
In the women's draw, world silver-medallist Sonia Chahal (57kg) advanced to the last-four stage at the continental showpiece.
Top discus thrower Seema Punia's decision to train in Russia to prepare for the Rio Olympics has left the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) fuming as that country is now at the centre of an unprecedented doping scandal.
The event, in Astana, Kazakhstan, is the final qualifying tournament for women boxers in the 51kg, 60kg and 75kg Olympic categories and has 12 Rio tickets on offer. Which means pugilists will have to at least make the semi-finals in the three chosen divisions to book a berth.
Celebrated boxer M C Mary Kom will aim for a historic sixth gold at the AIBA Women' World Championships, the build up of which has been marred by a row over lone Kosovan boxer's participation and poor quality air in the national capital.
The 35-year-old mother-of-three defeated China's Wu Yu 5-0 in the light flyweight (48kg) category quarterfinals to enter the last-four stage and be assured of at least a bronze.
A judging controversy couldn't stop the Indian juggernaut from rolling with as many as eight pugilists reaching the quarterfinals in the ongoing AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships on Monday.
India will be represented by six athletes, including three women, in the World Athletics Championships to be held in Berlin from August 15-23.
The 25-year-old Kaur heaved the discus to 65.06 metres in her first throw at the Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championships.
India's 572 athletes hope to return home with an overflowing treasure chest of medals.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Saturday.
For a discipline that has given Indian athletes only the Olympian's tag, the country's track and field participants will begin their campaign in the Rio Olympics on Thursday, with little hope to break the 116-year-old medal jinx.
An overview of India's underwhelming performance in athletics
The haul of 64 medals at the Commonwealth Games, in July-August, which included 15 gold, should act as the ideal springboard for the Indian contingent to better its medal tally at Guangzhou, China, four years ago.
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