Indian wrestlers have not missed a medal since the 2008 Beijing Games and the onus is now on Vinesh Phogat & Co to continue the trend.
The arms training camp of Bajrang Dal has triggered a war of words among political parties in Uttar Pradesh with Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati expressing concern over Governor Ram Naik's support to the "illegal exercise" and Samajwadi Party accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of whipping up communal frezy with an eye on state assembly polls.
Top India batsman Shikhar Dhawan saw it as a historic day of celebration, while former cricketer Mohammed Kaif reminded the country of its culture of peaceful coexistence as sportspersons reacted to the bhoomi pujan ceremony for a temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
Ahead of 2020 Olympics, ace Indian wrestler and Asian Games gold medallist Bajrang Punia stated that safety of athletes should be the topmost priority in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar supremo Sharad Pawar on Saturday said there was no question of taking back those leaders who had deserted the two parties.
India's impressive show at the World Wrestling Championships continued as Bajrang bagged a bronze medal in the 60kg freestyle category with an overwhelming 9-2 win over Mangolia's Nyam-Ochir Enkhsaikhan, in Budapest on Tuesday.
Wrestler Bajrang Kumar's scuttled trip to the USA for a crucial competition was brought back on track by Olympic bronze-medallist Yogeshwar Dutt, who convinced SAI officials in New Delhi to sanction his expenses for the Dave Schultz Memorial International Tournament in Colorado Springs.
A dominant Bajrang Punia overpowered his opponents with remarkable ease to claim gold medal in the men's freestyle 65 kg event at the 21st Commonwealth Games on Friday.
'Thankfully, now nationals will be held. All that the wrestlers need is competition. We are not from any party. We just want the betterment of our sport.'
The ministry felt the new WFI body was working under the complete control of its former office-bearers, which was not in conformity with the National Sports Code.
Antim Panghal along with several other wrestlers were out on the streets to protest against IOA ad-hoc panel's "unfair" decision to exempt Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat from the Asian Games trials.
Last month, the ad hoc committee handed Vinesh and Bajrang exemptions from the Asian Games trials.
Wrestler Bajrang Punia clinched India's first gold medal in the 18th Asian Games after defeating Takatani Daichi of Japan in the men's 65 kg freestyle title bout, in Jakarta, on Sunday.
Newly-appointed Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh on Saturday lashed out at the protesting grapplers for "engaging in politics" and asserted that he is not a dummy candidate of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Around 150 people, including family members of the wrestlers, are seeking a meeting with Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President P T Usha and ad-hoc panel chief Bhupender Singh Bajwa.
"Raj Kumar alias Bittu Bajrangi, who is said to be a Bajrang Dal worker, has never had any relation with Bajrang Dal. The Vishva Hindu Parishad also does not consider the content of the video allegedly released by him to be appropriate," the right-wing outfit said in a statement.
From wrestlers' protest to WFI elections: Timeline
Members of the right-wing outfit burn PK posters.
Only one male and five female wrestlers qualified for the upcoming edition. Here's a look at the strength and weakness of all the six contenders.
Photographs of the saffron cadres brandishing rifles, swords and even lathis (sticks) in the camps in some Bajrang Dal-managed schools had gone viral on social media and news channels.
'Vinesh you are a gold medalist of courage and morality.'
2018 was largely forgettable for Sushil Kumar -- India's only double Olympic-medallist -- and Sakshi Malik -- the country's first and only woman wrestler to win a medal at the biggest stage.
Sakshi Malik, one of the prominent faces of the agitation against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, welcomed the WFI's suspension.
The Samajwadi Party on Tuesday demanded a ban on Bajrang Dal in the wake of attacks on churches and missionaries in Orissa and Karnataka, saying when there is a ban on SIMI the same action can be taken against the saffron outfit.
Three years ago, India returned from Tokyo with seven medals, and it is only natural that a double-digit performance is now desired in Paris.
The ministry, while suspending the newly-formed WFI panel under president Sanjay Singh on December 24, three days after he was elected its head, had cited the office running from Brij Bhushan's residence as one of the reasons for taking the stringent action.
Olympian Deepak Punia skipped the national trials, in Patiala on Saturday.
The Sports Ministry warned of legal action against suspended Wrestling Federation of India president Sanjay Singh for making 'absolutely baseless and mischievous' claims.
'No one is propagating RSS ideology as a government officer.'
Accusing Congress of 'abuse culture', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged the people of Karnataka to punish those indulging in abuse, while casting their vote in polling booths on May 10.
Taking cognisance of unlawful activities being carried out by Bajrang Dal in Ayodhya on May 10, the Faizabad police has lodged an FIR against 50 activists and office bearers of the saffron outfit for disturbing peace, law and order and communal harmony, Faizabad SSP Mohit Gupta said.
Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik on Thursday said she never demanded any exemption from Asian Games trials despite the IOA ad-hoc panel offering to consider her case.
Despite his apology, the Bajrang Dal sought his arrest, while Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said action would be taken against him as per law.
The film, directed by Rajkumar Hirani, is a satirical take on godmen and superstitions.
A special investigation team will be formed to probe all cases of violence. If there was any conspiracy, it will also be investigated and the guilty will not be spared. The role of Bajrang Dal's Monu Manesar is also being investigated, Agrawal said.
Former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Narsingh Pancham Yadav was elected chairman of the Wrestling Federation of India's Athletes' Commission in Varanasi on Wednesday, completing a process that was mandated by the sport's world governing body.
The Hindu-right group carried out its demonstration despite the imposition of CrPC Section 144 in the city.
A total of 149 kgs of mephedrone or 'meow meow' drug (both in powder and liquid form), 50 kg ephedrine, and 200 litres of acetone was recovered from the three labs located in Bhinmal of Jalore district and Osian in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan and Gandhinagar in Gujarat, the officer said.
Two first information reports were registered by the police at Siyana police station in Bulandshahr -- one over cow slaughter and the other on the mob violence in which a village man was also killed.
The MLA said the people indulged in stone pelting but police opened fire on them and the inspector was hit by their gunshot. "Police did not murder him deliberately," he said.
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