Former Asian Games gold-winning heptathlete Swapna Barman has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) after testing positive for the banned anabolic-androgenic steroid Boldenone. Barman, who recently announced her retirement, won gold at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and represented India in the 2016 Olympics.
Asian Games gold-winning quarter-miler VK Vismaya has been suspended for two years by NADA after testing positive for a banned substance, while sprinter N Shanmuga Srinivas received a four-year ban for evading sample collection.
Pakistan's Olympic gold-medallist javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem will skip the upcoming Diamond League meet in Lausanne to concentrate on his preparation for the Asian Games and another international event. He will undergo a training camp in South Africa under coach Terseus Liebenberg, aiming to improve his performance after recent struggles.
After making history as the first Indian male judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold, Harsh Singh is now focused on securing a medal at the upcoming Asian Games.
Having won silver in Birmingham in 2022, 27-year-old Murali Sreeshankar added another medal to his collection at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games after producing a best leap of 8.09 metres, capping an emotional comeback from the career-threatening knee injury that had nearly derailed his career.
Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem is embroiled in a controversy with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for travelling to South Africa for training without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC). This unapproved travel could impact his participation in upcoming international competitions like the World Ultimate Athletics Championship and the Asian Games.
The 13-year-old skateboarder won the women's street event at the Asian Games on Wednesday.
Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu is now setting her sights on an Asian Games medal, acknowledging the immense pressure that comes with high expectations after her successful Commonwealth Games campaign.
Five Indian tennis players were excluded from the Asian Games squad because they did not meet the Sports Ministry's stringent international ranking criteria, a decision that has drawn criticism from veteran players like Rohan Bopanna but is being upheld by authorities to maintain administrative integrity.
Asian Games gold medallist Manjit Singh, who doesn't have a regular job, on Tuesday requested the sports ministry to include him in the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme to prepare for the upcoming big events like the 2020 Tokyo Games
Ace Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu is gearing up for an 'Olympic-level' competition at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where she expects to face the strongest lifters from China, North Korea, and Thailand, making it her toughest challenge yet.
Asian Games gold medallist Joseph Abraham's hopes of qualifying for London Olympics were virtually dashed as he finished second in the men's 400m hurdles on the third day of the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Hyderabad on Monday.
SAI has defended the exclusion of five Indian tennis players from the Asian Games squad, saying they failed to meet the prescribed continental ranking criteria.
India's Commonwealth Games medallists, fresh from a triumphant campaign in Glasgow, received a rousing welcome in New Delhi but quickly shifted their focus to the upcoming Asian Games, expressing determination to secure more medals.
The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has clarified that Manika Batra's exclusion from India's Asian Games squad was due to strict adherence to existing selection criteria. Despite her name being considered, Batra did not meet the requirements, primarily lacking a national ranking and not being in the top 50 of international rankings at the time of selection. The decision was a collective one by the selection committee, based on a comprehensive assessment.
Indian rowers Balraj Panwar and Babu Lal Yadav are confident of winning gold medals at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, aiming to improve upon their previous performances and end India's wait for a rowing gold at the event.
Long jumper Shahnavaz Khan and high jumper Basant Kumar Meghwal, both recent World Athletics U20 Championships medalists, are now setting their sights on podium finishes at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, aiming to improve their personal bests.
The Sports Ministry has approved a 492-member Indian contingent, comprising 265 male and 227 female athletes, for the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Athletics forms the largest group with 73 participants, including star athletes like Neeraj Chopra and Jyothi Yarraji. Other prominent sports like shooting, weightlifting, badminton, boxing, and wrestling also feature strong teams, with some adjustments made due to doping violations.
Four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari, along with Atanu Das and Abhishek Verma, failed to secure a spot in India's archery squad for the Asian Games in Japan after a selection trial. Teenagers Kirti Sharma and Kumkum Mohod emerged as notable gainers in the women's recurve section.
Star Indian table tennis player Manika Batra has accused the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) of violating its own Constitution during the selection of the Asian Games squad, where she was named a reserve. Batra claims a nine-member committee, exceeding the constitutional limit, finalised the team, leading to her "mental exhaustion" from the ongoing fight.
Women's hammer gold medallist Zhang Wenxiu of China has failed a doping test at the Asian Games and has been thrown out of the competition, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced on Friday.
Lovlina Borgohain and Sakshi Chaudhary secured their spots for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games after winning their respective selection trials.
Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and reigning men's doubles champion Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will headline the Indian badminton squad at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen faced a surprising defeat at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games trials, coinciding with widespread support among boxers for the reinstatement of the trial-based selection system.
Indian table tennis star Manika Batra has threatened legal action against the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) if she is not provided a 'factual explanation' for her omission from the Asian Games squad.
Deepadhar, featuring former Asian Games gold medallists, has taken an early lead in the fifth East Zone Bridge Championship in Kolkata, accumulating 65.22 Victory Points after four rounds. The tournament, a Bridge Federation of India Ranking Two event, involves around 300 players from 50 teams across East Zone states competing for a Rs 6 lakh prize purse, with the top 16 teams advancing to the knockout stage.
Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu secured her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold, breaking records in the women's 48kg weightlifting. Rishikanta Singh and Raja Muthupandi also added silver medals, contributing to India's growing tally at the Games.
Neeraj Chopra will compete in the Asian Games in Japan in September-October in his bid to defend the title.
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.
Three-time world champion and former Olympic gold medallist Carolina Marin, who had to pull out of her semi-final at the Paris Games due to a knee injury, announced her retirement on Thursday.
Vinesh Phogat's return to competitive wrestling ended in a semi-final loss at the Asian Games selection trials, dashing her hopes of re-entering the national team after the 2024 Paris Olympics trauma.
Olympian dressage rider Anush Agarwalla and the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) ad-hoc panel are engaged in a heated dispute over the selection process for the upcoming Asian Games. Agarwalla, a gold medallist and Paris Olympics representative, alleges a lack of transparency after being named a reserve member, while the EFI defends its process as compliant with selection criteria.
Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, who recently returned from a career-threatening injury, is confident of achieving a 'big jump' soon and aims to upgrade his silver medal to gold at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Jaspal Rana, a renowned Indian shooting coach and former Asian Games gold medallist, has passed away at the age of 49. He died in a Delhi hospital after undergoing a medical procedure for an illness that occurred during a flight from the ISSF World Cup in Munich. Rana was serving as the high-performance coach for Indian pistol shooters.
Dingko Singh, who made Manipur proud by clinching a gold medal in boxing at the 1998 Asian Games is fighting for his survival as he is going toe-to-toe with bile-duct cancer.
Olympian and 1978 Asian Games gold medallist Suresh Babu, who inspired a lot of youngsters to take up athletics in the 1970s and 80s, died at a hospital in Ranchi on Saturday. He was 58 and is survived by his wife, a son and daughter.
In a tough final bout, the 22-year-old Indian boxer didn't get bogged down and kept landing his punches even as the Uzbek tried to overpower him.
Vinesh Phogat's return to competitive wrestling ended in disappointment as she lost in the Asian Games selection trials, highlighting the challenges she faces in her comeback journey after the Paris Olympics trauma.
President Droupadi Murmu expressed her condolences on the passing of Asian Games gold medallist shooter Jaspal Rana, highlighting his significant contributions to Indian sports as both an athlete and a mentor.
India's Esha Singh clinched the gold medal in the women's 25m pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, outperforming Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker, who secured the bronze. This marked a double-podium finish for India, with both shooters expressing confidence for upcoming major assignments.
