Manisha Kumari created history as the first athlete from Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur district to win gold in an international event when she triumphed in the women's 4x400m relay at the South Asian Athletics Championships.
Senior India quarter-miler and Asian games medallist MR Poovamma has been handed a three-month ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency for failing a dope test last year.
MR Poovamma was a member of the gold-winning 4x400m women's and mixed relay teams in the 2018 Asian Games and also part of the 4x400m relay squad that won the gold at the 2014 Asian Games.
Following is India's schedule on Friday, Day 14 of competition at the Paris Games:
Quarter-miler Machettira Raju Poovamma and heptathlete Liksy Joseph won a silver each as India added four medals on the second day of the 21st Asian Athletics Championships in Wuhan, China, on Thursday.
'if my body is giving me company why should I stop the sport? Some foreign athletes run till 35 or 37. So I wanted to set an example for other athletes that age does not matter,' says MR Poovamma, Arjuna Awardee and the senior-most member of the Paris Olympics-bound Indian women's 4x400m relay team.
Expressing happiness at the recommendation for the coveted Arjuna Award, ace quartermiler M R Poovamma described it as a "dream come true".
The men's quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Santosh Kumar, Mijo Chacko Kurian and Arokia Rajiv also failed to stand on top of the podium as they clocked 3:05.76 to finish second behind Sri Lanka (3:04.48). Vietnam was third with 3:07.37.
The team couldn't maintain the momentum on the anchor leg.
The squad comprises 17 men and 11 women athletes with some of the other prominent names being Asian Games champions Avinash Sable, Tejinderpal Singh Toor along with sprint hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, to name a few.
Yarraji also competed in the women's 200m event in Warsaw and clocked 23.53 to finish second behind compatriot Kiran Pahal, who timed her run at 23.33.
India will send 117 athletes to the Paris Olympics, starting July 26 in the French capital. This will be India's second-biggest contingent at an Olympic Games after 121 athletes went to Tokyo in 2021. A total of 47 female and 70 male athletes will be part of the Indian contingent at the Games.
A low-down on the eight runners -- four men and four women -- who finished second in their qualifying heats to make the Olympic cut.
It's a downfall for the powerhouse that produced some iconic names such as PT Usha, Shiny Wilson, Anju Bobby George, Rosa Kutty, Mercy Kuttan and Bobby Aloysius among others."
"The men's 4x400m relay team had a good start. Muhammad Anas clocked 45.93 seconds in the first leg, but the second runner -- Rajesh Ramesh -- fell down due to cramps in leg muscles at the first bend," read a statement from the Athletics Federation of India.
India now have 19 Paris-bound track and field athletes and the list includes defending javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra among others.
Here's your complete guide to when India's athletes compete at the Paris Olympics, with dates, events, and timings in IST.
A few Indian stars will have to go through the disappointment of watching all the action from afar.
India had lodged a protest, stating that a Bahraini runner had caused obstruction to Hima Das during the relay race in which India finished second.
Bahrain, which had topped the 4x400 mixed relay final, was disqualified after Kemi Adekoya was handed a four-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for failing a dope test.
India's 4x400 mixed relay team is in line for an Asian Games gold in the event after Kemi Adekoya of Bahrain was handed a four-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for failing a dope test.
The protest has been admitted by the jury of appeals which will give a ruling at 10am (local time) on Wednesday.
Avinash Sable's national mark headlines strong showing in IGP 2
India's 4x400m women's relay team on Thursday clinched its fifth consecutive gold medal in the Asian Games in Jakarta to maintain a remarkable domination in this event in the continental showpiece.
The Indian women's 400m relay team, which won a gold at the Asian Athletics Championships on Sunday, has qualified for World Athletics Championships to be held in Moscow from August 10-18.
Tamil Nadu's S Dhanalakshmi, who had stunned Dutee Chand in the 100 metres final, beat Hima Das, another star athlete, in the 200 metres semi-final heats, clocking a new meet record time of 23.26 seconds, in the Federation Cup National Senior Athletics Championships, in Patiala, on Thursday.
Sprinter Revathi Veeramani is part of the 4x400m Indian mixed relay team in the Tokyo Games, starting July 23.
World junior champion Hima Das has been ruled out of the upcoming World Championships due to a nagging back problem.
S Dhanalakshmi, who had beaten Dutee in the final of women's 100m sprint in the Federation Cup last month, was also named in the team,
The 22-year-old Anas clocked 45.32 sec under hot and humid conditions at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. He also qualified for the World Championships to be held in London in August. The entry standard for the World Championships stands at 45.50secs.
With the two silver and one bronze on Tuesday, India stood fourth in the medal tally with two gold, five silver and six bronze at the end of the third and penultimate day.
The Indian 4x400m women's relay team, led by Jauna Murmu, Ashwini Akkunji, Anilda Thomas and MR Poovamma, clocked 3.31.39sec to win the gold medal at the PTS Athletics Meeting in Samorin, Slovakia. Only 16 countries are eligible to compete in the relay events of track and field at the Rio Olympics, and as a result of their performance in Slovakia last night, India has improved its 4x400m women quartet's world ranking to 15th position which is a step towards that goal. As per the IAAF regulations, the 2016 OG qualification standards has to be attained between the period, January 1, 2016 to July 11, 2016. The Samorin performance is the Indian relay quartet's second fastest timing and improves its average from two-fastest races to 3:30.24sec.
The Indian women 4x400m relay quartet of Jauna Murmu, Ashwini Akkunji, Anilda Thomas and M R Poovamma enhanced its Rio Olympic Games qualification chances by winning a gold medal at the PTS athletics Grand Prix with an impressive timing of 3:31.39.
Jobless Manjit pipped pre-race favourite and national record holder Jinson Johson to take the gold in 1:46.15
India continued their stranglehold in women's 4x400m relay event in the Asian Games as its quartet ran a brilliant race to win the gold for the fourth time on the trot in Games record time in the 17th edition in Incheon on Thursday.
World Athletics Championships to be held in Doha from September 27.
Narinder Batra said that the government is supporting all sports in the country and there is a lot of positivity among players and they want to get back on the track.
Hima dropped out midway through her 400m heats on April 21 at the Asian Championships due to lower back spasm and she was later ruled out of the women's 4x400m relay and mixed 4x400m relay races.
The Athletics Federation of India has submitted a list of 51 athletes, including the 11 called for trials, for the August 18 to September 2 Asian Games.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
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