Denmark's 2017 World Champion Viktor Axelsen and home favourite Okuhara Nozomi, who won bronze at Rio 2016, are also among the star names.
India hockey star P R Sreejesh feels that goalkeepers are like wine which gets tastier if kept longer, reflecting on his illustrious career from warming the bench to becoming one of the best in the world.
Veteran tennis player Rohan Bopanna said he plans to team up with Divij Sharan and represent India in the men's doubles event in next year's Tokyo Olympics.
Kerala's Ancy Sojan created history on Saturday by breaking the long-standing national record in women's long jump at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar.
Japan's Olympic delay has upended years of careful planning by organisers and spawned costly headaches for small businesses, hotels and even pro baseball teams, compounding a $12 billion price tag. New dates have yet to be set, leaving sponsors and businesses uncertain and scrambling.
The postponed Olympic Games will now begin on July 23 next year and run until August 8, the head of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee said on Monday, as the coronavirus pandemic made it impossible to plan and prepare for them properly this year. The Games were postponed last week - the first such delay in the 124-year history of the modern Olympics. The move was a huge blow for Japan, which invested $13 billion in the run-up to the event and raised $3 billion from domestic sponsors.
Veteran sports administrator and India's first Asian Games shooting gold medallist Randhir Singh was cremated in Haridwar. Singh died at his New Delhi residence after battling age-related ailments. He was 79.
Addressing a parliamentary committee, medical adviser Shigeru Omi said organisers should explain to the public why they are going ahead in the middle of a pandemic.
He will now clash with Switzerland's Stefan Reichmuth for a place in the gold medal match.
Simranjeet Kaur and Sahil Jadhav emerged as India's standout performers at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai, both advancing to the semifinals in their respective recurve and compound sections.
Legendary golfer Jeev Milkha Singh has expressed strong confidence in the Indian contingent's ability to secure multiple medals at the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. He particularly highlighted the strength of the women's team, backing them for a gold medal, and identified Aditi Ashok as India's top medal hope. Singh also offered crucial advice on adapting to Japan's challenging course conditions, emphasising the importance of a strong short game and mental focus.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday.
British Olympic Association (BOA) chairman Hugh Robertson said they are likely to follow Australia and Canada out of the Tokyo Games. 'If the virus continues as predicted by the government...I don't think there's any way that we could send a team'.
India hockey captain Manpreet Singh considers the recent success against reigning Olympic champions Argentina a big confidence-booster, but insists that the team still needs to address some grey areas as it pursues a podium finish at the Summer Games in Tokyo later this year.
Taking to social media, Sindhu reflected on her long-standing rivalry and friendship with the Rio Olympics gold medallist, recalling their journey from teenage competitors to seasoned rivals on the global stage.
Indian women boxers dominated the Asian Boxing Championships, securing four gold, two silver, and four bronze medals. Minakshi Hooda, Preeti Pawar, Priya Ghanghas, and Arundhati Choudhary all won gold in their respective weight categories.
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.
Indian women's hockey team chief coach Sjoerd Marijne emphasises the importance of discipline for consistent performance in upcoming tournaments, following an impressive outing against Argentina. The team is preparing for the FIH Nation's Cup in New Zealand and the Asian Games.
Tokyo 2020 organising committee is not considering postponing or cancelling the 2020 Games despite the spread of coronavirus.
Olympic champion Sha'Carri Richardson was arrested in Florida for dangerous excessive speeding after allegedly driving at 104 mph, according to local authorities.
Human rights and sports advocacy groups are urging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reconsider reported plans for universal genetic sex testing for female athletes and a blanket ban on transgender and intersex competitors, warning of potential harm to gender equity in sports.
The fear of COVID-19 pandemic has made way for a fierce desire to compete in star Indian boxer M C Mary Kom's mind as she gears up for her first tournament in a year next week, having recovered from the muscle loss triggered by a recent bout of dengue.
Athletes capable of adapting to uncertainty amid the coronavirus outbreak will be best placed to succeed at the Tokyo Olympics, India's sole individual Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra said. Known for his Zen-like poise and attention to minute details in preparation, Bindra, who won shooting gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing, said adaptability is key for athletes training to excel in Tokyo amid concerns about the virus.
The Sapporo Challenge Half Marathon 2021 was held on Wednesday as a dress rehearsal for the marquee Olympic event
Anshu Malik and Sonam Malik are best friends, thanks to a timely truce called by their parents and coaches.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra and his wife Himani Mor at his official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Disappointed but not disheartened to miss out on a Rio Olympic berth, sensational javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, on Wednesday, said he is looking to put in the hard yards to earn India a medal at 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Wrestling Federation of India has appointed three foreign coaches and a High Performance Director to enhance national camps in preparation for the Asian Games and the 2028 Olympics.
IOC president Thomas Bach said on Thursday that the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games will be held as scheduled, in an interview with Kyodo News.
India's chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand admitted to crammed BWF itinerary causing a problem but at the same time believes that onus is on a player of PV Sindhu's calibre to adapt to the calendar instead of complaining about it. Apart from the World Championships gold, Sindhu failed to win any other tournament last year.
Serena Williams is set to make a comeback to competitive tennis after a nearly four-year absence, receiving a wildcard entry into the Queen's Club Championships doubles draw.
Indian Olympic officials are reportedly seeking legal advice on whether the name represents a political statement.
India's boxers are headed in the right direction and will do something big at the Tokyo Olympic Games next year, reckons High Performance Director Santiago Nieva.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics must acknowledge the coronavirus crisis which forced their postponement and incorporate it into next year's opening ceremony, executive producer Marco Balich said. Balich, an Italian with great experience in producing Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, said the Japanese had almost completed preparations for this year.
Indian equestrian Fouaad Mirza is yet to decide which one of his two horses will accompany him to the Tokyo Olympic Games and said he will pick the one carrying the best form leading up to the time of submitting the entry later this month.
Baldev Singh, a hockey coach who transformed Shahabad Markanda into a hub for hockey talent, will be awarded the Padma Shri by President Droupadi Murmu on May 25.
Organisers should be prepared to act swiftly to ban spectators or declare another state of emergency if needed, the experts said. If spectators are allowed, rules should be strict, such as limiting fans to local residents, the experts said.
In a setback to India's medal chances in tennis at the Tokyo Olympics, Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan missed the cut for men's doubles, which also rules out the country's presence in the mixed team competition -- its best chance for a podium finish.
India's Uber Cup campaign ended with a 0-5 defeat to China, despite a strong start from PV Sindhu. The Indian team struggled to capitalise on opportunities against the formidable Chinese side.
Marathoners are spending the precious few moments of downtime before Saturday's competition focused on strategy and rest, and do not fear Olympic cancellation
