PV Sindhu had to dig deep to down a fighting Vu Thi Trang of Vietnam but Saina Nehwal did not break any sweat as India's top two shuttlers advanced to the women's singles second round at the 18th Asian Games, in Jakarta, on Thursday.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
It was largely made possible by Manika Batra, who ended up winning four medals, the most by an Indian in Gold Coast.
India is sending a 800-plus contingent, including 572 athletes, to the Asian Games, to be held from August 18 to September 2 in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang.
The first Indian woman to clinch a silver medal at the World Championship in the 2015 edition at Jakarta, Saina has been struggling ever since, limping out of the Olympics last year with a knee injury.
In the past decade-and-a-half, sections of urban India have become much more liberal about accepting gay men and women than our colonial-era laws might have suggested, says Rahul Jacob.
According to Bali police sources, decks have been cleared for his return, but volcanic eruption at Mount Rinjani led to cancellation of all flights.
In the women's singles match, Sindhu brought some smiles back in the Indian camp after seeing off Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-15, 19-21, 21-13, setting up a clash with Japan's Aya Ohori on the eve of her 23rd birthday on Thursday.
National badminton coach, Pullela Gopichand, on Wednesday expressed happiness at the performance this year of Indian shuttlers and termed Kidambi Srikanth's feat of winning four Super Series titles as 'phenomenal'.
Neeraj's gold and three other athletics silver medals, along with Saina Nehwal's badminton singles bronze, propelled India's overall medal count to 41 (8 gold, 13 silver, and 20 bronze).
Dipika Pallikal Karthik and Joshna Chinappa had to be content with bronze medals in women's singles after losing to their respective opponents in the semifinals of the 18th Asian Games, in Jakarta, on Saturday.
Indian shuttler H S Prannoy continued his giant-killing spree to stun World and Olympic Champion Chen Long of China to enter the semi-finals of the Indonesia Super Series Premier along with Kidambi Srikanth, in Jakarta, on Friday.
M C Mary Kom managed to surpass even herself, obliterating everyone and everything else along the way in a tumultuous year for the sport.
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.
Sports Ministry has cleared a 804-member Indian contingent, including 572 athletes, for the Asian Games but said it will bear the expense of 755 members with 49 out of 232 officials allowed at no cost to government.
The Olympic silver medallist settled for second place yet again following a 19-21, 10-21 loss to Olympic champion Caroline Marin of Spain.
An AirAsia flight from Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people aboard reportedly went missing on Sunday morning after losing contact with air traffic controllers.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday.
The AirAsia aircraft that went missing after taking off from Indonesia with 162 people on board may be at the bottom of the sea, a top Indonesian official said on Monday, as the multinational search for the Airbus continued amid fading hopes of finding any survivors.
With this win, she also became the only second Indian to reach the finals of World Championship after Saina.
Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong Wei was a relieved man on Monday after being handed a backdated eight-month ban for doping by the Badminton World Federation, leaving him free to go for gold at the Rio Olympics next year.
India-Pakistan peace seem like a pipe dream but it does turn into a reality at sporting events like the ongoing Asian Games
With the search for missing Malaysian plane turning to India's neighbourhood, China has sought permission for sending its four warships into the Indian waters, causing a major dilemma for the authorities.
Defending champion Saina Nehwal survived a scare in her campaign opener as she struggled past Indonesia's Lindaweni Fanetri in an energy-sapping three game thriller at the Indonesian Super Series Premier in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Eyeing greater cooperation with South East Asian countries on economic and security issues, India on Thursday announced a separate Mission for ASEAN region to be set up in Jakarta with a full-time resident Ambassador.
'To be good at the heptathlon takes at least seven years; to compete internationally and win medals takes 10 years.' 'Swapna became Asia's best heptathlete in just five years!' 'Nobody would have believed it. but she did it.'
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
Mary Kom is just a couple of months shy of turning 36 but said she isn't going to slow down either at home or inside the ring.
'I think it was a fantastic game for me. I started off really well in the first game but he was playing well in the second game, leading 11-6 at the break and fighting it out. But overall, I think my game was going great, my attack was going well for me'
India's Gaganjeet Bhullar was in his element as he carded 16-under-268 for the week to lift his fifth Asian Tour title with victory at the Indonesia Open, in Jakarta on Sunday.
Former India hockey Olympian Joseph Antic's condition has improved since being hospitalised in Mumbai on Friday morning.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
More opportunity awaits in India, thanks to decent economic growth with a rising middle class that's just discovering the web through smartphones
Two large metal objects have been found in the search for the AirAsia airliner in the JavaSea, Indonesian officials said on Saturday, even as continuing bad weather held back efforts to hunt for the plane's data recorders.
Underworld don Chhota Rajan, who was arrested on arrival from Australia, on Sunday received consular access with an Indian diplomat.
Heptathlete Swapna Barman added a dash of heroism to her historic gold medal
