The 25-year-old, who shot to fame by becoming the second Indian to win an ITTF event -- the Belgium Open in 2016, is a strong medal hope in the Gold Coast Games starting April 4. He has also won a gold in the ITTF Challenge -- Spanish Open last year in the men's singles category.
World Championships bronze medallist Simranjit Kaur (60kg) and GeeBee Boxing silver medallist Dinesh Dagar (69kg) confirmed their places in the final, while Ankush Dahiya (64kg) and Ananta Pralhad Chopade (52kg) made it to the semi-finals.
Cricket's last appearance at the Games was at Kuala Lumpur in 1998, when a South African team featuring Jacques Kallis won the men's 50-over competition.
The 36-year-old Jhajharia, who is the first Indian to win two Paralympic gold medals, was the first choice of the awards selection committee.
Devendra Jhajharia, on Tuesday became the first para athlete to receive India's highest sporting honour -- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna -- along with hockey star Sardar Singh, who has endured trying times off the field in the last one year.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth won their respective singles matches, while Satwik Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa triumphed in the mixed doubles to help India outclass Malaysia in the final and clinch the gold medal in the Mixed Team badminton gold medal match at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
A golden dream unfulfilled for over 30 years remained just that in women's hockey but India equalled its best ever medal haul as sailors joined the assorted contributors to the country's tally at the 18th Asian Games, on Friday.
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.
Indian freestyle wrestlers claim Asian team title in U-17 category
With only one Asian Games gold to show after four days of competition, India's hopes of improving on their medal tally in China four years ago are diminishing fast.
Two unassuming young women saved India the humiliation of returning empty-handed from the Olympics for the first time since Barcelona in 1992 with awe-inspiring performances at Rio.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
BCCI's decision to not send Indian teams for the Asian Games drew sharp criticism from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Saturday, which accused the influential cricket board of treating the sport just as a business venture.
'It was a big relief to get it out of the way. Now he can concentrate on future progress.'
Mary was back in her preferred 48kg category as she overcame the challenge from younger competitors to make it to the Indian team for the marquee continental event, which is to be held from November 2 to November 11 in the Ho Chi Minh City.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
Novak Djokovic handed Kei Nishikori a brutal lesson in hardcourt tennis as the Serb began his bid for a record fourth successive title at the ATP World Tour Finals with a 6-1, 6-1 win on Sunday.
India has huge expectations from these champions. Rediff.com's Laxmi Negi and Norma Godinho glance at their chances at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Gunning for a record seventh appearance at the Olympics this year, one more milestone beckons veteran Indian tennis star Leander Paes which is a testament to his longevity on the professional circuit. If the 42-year-old veteran manages to win 11 more matches on the ATP doubles tour this season, he will displace American Sherwood Stewart in the list of players with most number of doubles wins. Stewart is sitting sixth in the table with 728 wins while Paes, a winner of 17 Grand Slam titles, has taken his number to 718 after reaching the third round of the ongoing French Open in Paris. These staggering statistics do not include Paes' victories in the mixed doubles event and the ones on the ATP Challenger Tour. Last year when Paes recorded his last win of the season, he overtook Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman (712), ending 2015 with 713 wins.
Hit hard. Don't give up. Just do it!
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday.
Leander Paes, one of the 12 individual Olympic medal winners that India has produced in its sporting history, says that surviving the Centennial Park bombing during the 1996 Atlanta Games.
The year is coming to an end and overall, it's been one hell of a year! We have had our share of ups and downs and we look forward to a better 2020. While we count down the days to the new year, let's also reflect on those who gave us strength to stand up in what we believe, the courageous who didn't bow down and the ones with gumption who inspired us to be better. We, Rediff.com, have selected 26 personalities, who we think are worthy of the title -- HERO OF THE YEAR -- and we want you, dear readers, to choose your hero!
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
By 2020, we should have some 10 listed sports companies, with one or two big enough to be on the Sensex
Four individuals who have taken up poker professionally tell Norma Godinho/Rediff.com how their stars have changed for the better.
Practising his strokes for over seven million times has given him an unforgettable muscle memory and an uncompromising diet has kept his enviable fitness intact in an astonishing 25-year long career but Leander Paes is not training the way he used to train 20 years ago. The 43-year-old has just finished another season in his glorious career and he is not finished yet. Rather, he has set himself a new target - taking his Grand Slam tally to 20. Passion for the game and a knack for creating history has kept him going but it also involves pain of hard work that may become difficult to sustain year after year.
Some of the big moments of the sporting world from 2010-2019!
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
If you don't have power in a game you are masters of, the world will walk all over you, notes Shekhar Gupta.
Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom led the charge as Indian women boxers packed a powerful punch by assuring themselves of medals in each of the three weight categories at the 17th Asian Games, in Incheon on Sunday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Saturday
'Put cricket, first and foremost, at the centre of every decision you take.' 'The bottom line must always be the sport that we love.' Rahul Dravid as eloquent as always in his M A K Pataudi Memorial Lecture.
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