Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's obsessive pursuit of excellence and a new-found sprint sensation in Hima Das gave Indian athletics audacious Olympic hopes but familiar dope shame kept things in perspective in an eventful 2018.
The medal count was nowhere close to satisfactory at the senior level but junior performances held out hope for a brighter future as Indian wrestling searched for new stars in a challenging 2025.
The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar is one of the best facilities in the country and it has hosted several national championships and the Asian Championships in 2017 during which it had earned praise from the current World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.
Renowned Indian wrestler and MMA fighter Sangram Singh is set to make history once again as he prepares to compete in a series of international Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bouts with the Levels Fight League (LFL), Europe's premier MMA promotion.
Indian athletes ended their campaign in the three-leg Asian Grand Prix with an impressive 12-medal haul -- including five gold -- in the final meet, in Colombo on Sunday.
Chopra qualified for this year's DL Final in fourth place after competing in two of the four qualifying legs.
Out of the 14 DL meetings, four have men's javelin throw on their roster.
Meghana Sajjanar clinched her first-ever World Cup medal, a bronze, in the women's 10m Air Rifle, as India finished fifth in the season-ending ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Ningbo, China.
Ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, widely admired for his humility and poise, on Saturday acknowledged the greatness of India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who he believes can be a javelin throw star.
As debates around Jasprit Bumrah's workload continue, Sanjay Manjrekar has taken a firm stance - arguing that the onus lies on the pacer to adapt, not the system.
Veteran all-rounder Shardul Thakur said a cooling off period is essential for players of this era where they go through hectic schedules.
The matter of Bumrah's availability for the series should have been a highly-guarded secret. That it was bandied about all through suggests the matter was deliberately placed in the public domain. This has become the basis of the hounding of Bumrah, by some former players and fans, asserts Rohit Mahajan.
'I wasn't just racing, I was paving the way for others.'
Incumbent Ajay Singh was on Thursday re-elected President of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) for a third consecutive term after his comprehensive victory over Jaslal Pradhan in the long-overdue polls.
Pictures of the meet were splashed across social media as Indian captain Shubman Gill looked like a happy chappy meeting United captain Bruno Fernandes.
Rahul has arguably looked the most assured batter of the series so far. His ability to leave the ball well and play late has helped him excel in English conditions.
Vijayveer Sidhu won India's fourth gold medal at the ISSF World Cup after he emerged victorious in the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol event in Buenos Aires.
Stunning 1-2 finish for India after Shambhavi, Ojasvi's keen tussle
The 27-year-old Chopra won the title with his first round throw of 88.16 metres in a star-studded field having five competitors in the 90m club. His second throw measured 85.10m and he then fouled his next three attempts before recording 82.89m in his sixth and final effort.
India captain Shubman Gill has had a trial by fire in his debut series as captain with all three Tests against England lasting five days but more than the physical fatigue, he feels tired mentally.
Both of them are banking on "conducive" conditions to ensure a strong performance.
A veterans' cricket match involving India and Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends in London on Sunday has been cancelled after Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, refused to be a part of it citing the Pahalgam terror attack in April.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts bought the first announced team in the WBL, which is yet to announce the franchises and schedule of the first event of the league featuring mixed-gender teams.
'We have done everything in our power to help him take his game to the next level and become a star player.'
Double Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra will kick off his season at the Doha Diamond League on May 16.
National record-holders Gulveer Singh and Parul Chaudhary are also competing in the men's 5000m and women's 3000m steeplechase events respectively, making this the country maximum representation ever in a DL event.
India defeated Australia by seven wickets in the final to win the T20I Tri-series for the Deaf.
India will miss Virat Kohli more than Rohit Sharma in the marquee Test series against England and the duo's recent retirement from the format will "hurt" the transitioning team's chances in the rubber starting on Friday, reckons the legendary Geoffrey Boycott.
Check out how India's athletes fared on Day 8, Saturday, August 3, 2024:
Manu Bhaker marched into the final of women's 10m air pistol event at the Olympics after finishing third in qualifications on Saturday.
Mondo Duplantis was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, while American gymnast Simone Biles bagged the top women's honour at the Laureus World Sports Awards.
Indian wrestlers will miss the second Ranking Series in Albania after the Sports Ministry withheld approval, citing the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) failure to submit necessary recommendations on time.
Asian champion Sunil Kumar, U-23 Asian Championship gold winner Minakshi, and several other Indian wrestlers gathered at Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya's residence, requesting his intervention to secure approval for their participation in the upcoming Ranking Series in Albania.
Pranati Nayak, who represented the country at the Tokyo Olympics, came up with a total score of 13.417 in the vault final to finish third, behind American duo of Jayla Hang (13.667) and Claire Pease (13.567).
The big names who will be bidding for a podium finish before bidding farewell...
Parul Chaudhary became only the second Indian female athlete to qualify for the final of a track event at the World Athletics Championships.
India's fielding coach T Dilip has praised the team's "incredible" fielding efforts during their 3-0 ODI series sweep against England.
Check out India's report card on the fifth day of the 2016 Olympics.
Pranati Nayak secured a bronze medal in the Vault Final at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup in Antalya, Turkey.
The Sports Ministry on Tuesday lifted its suspension on the Wrestling Federation of India, paving the way for the organisation of domestic tournaments.
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