A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia will be the first in more 35 years to be held without spectators after organisers introduced tighter measures to protect against the coronavirus. Here is a list of international sports events hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
Rahi Sarnobat beat all expectations to become India's first woman shooter with an Asian Games gold and the low-profile wushu players delivered their best ever performance even in defeat on another high-yielding day for the country at the regional showpiece.
China shrugged off badminton's biggest Olympic scandal to sweep all five titles at London four years ago but the Asian super-power is trying to keep a lid on expectations of another bumper gold medal haul at the Rio de Janeiro Games. The peerless team that set up the 'Great Haul of China' in London will line up almost unchanged at Rio, anchored by men's singles great Lin Dan and women's champion Li Xuerui. So strong were the Chinese in 2012 that they swept the titles without the reigning world champion women's doubles pairing of Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang, who were expelled from the tournament in disgrace.
R Sridhar recalls 'Ravi ship' and more
Despite former world No 1 Serena Williams not being in action for almost a year, British No 1 Johanna Konta still views Williams as the player to beat at the Australian Open in 2018.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
The spotlight though was on the 36-year-old former India captain, who now has to fend off questions about his future with alarming regularity.
There will be no Indian presence in the singles main draw at the Australia Open this year with Yuki Bhambri stumbling at the final hurdle, losing his third and final qualifying round match to Ernesto Escobedo, in Melbourne on Saturday.
Djokovic continues to lead ATP Rankings
International Premier Tennis League founder Mahesh Bhupathi, one of India's most successful doubles player, confirmed the absence of the two star players.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 2022 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Monday.
In fact, barring 2014 when Stan Wawrinka won the title, no player apart from the quartet has even been involved in the men's final at Melbourne Park since 2008.
Wales will move higher than their richer rivals and neighbours England when the new FIFA rankings are announced after Euro 2016, the first sign for what, many predict, will be a bright future after they made history at the tournament. Playing in their first finals since 1958, the Welsh reached the last four of a major tournament for the first time and are expected to move up close to the top 10 countries in the world rankings.
Manjit Singh came from nowhere to snatch the men's 800m gold for the biggest medal of his life but finals continued to be a riddle for P V Sindhu
'Twenty20 cricket can be a lottery at times, but I think we'll definitely reach the semifinals.'
BCCI's decision to not send Indian teams for the Asian Games drew sharp criticism from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Saturday, which accused the influential cricket board of treating the sport just as a business venture.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday.
Stuns World No 1 Djokovic to win 'biggest title of career'
Novak Djokovic handed Kei Nishikori a brutal lesson in hardcourt tennis as the Serb began his bid for a record fourth successive title at the ATP World Tour Finals with a 6-1, 6-1 win on Sunday.
Tennis fans expressed frustration that the players weren't getting better crowds.
Gunning for a record seventh appearance at the Olympics this year, one more milestone beckons veteran Indian tennis star Leander Paes which is a testament to his longevity on the professional circuit. If the 42-year-old veteran manages to win 11 more matches on the ATP doubles tour this season, he will displace American Sherwood Stewart in the list of players with most number of doubles wins. Stewart is sitting sixth in the table with 728 wins while Paes, a winner of 17 Grand Slam titles, has taken his number to 718 after reaching the third round of the ongoing French Open in Paris. These staggering statistics do not include Paes' victories in the mixed doubles event and the ones on the ATP Challenger Tour. Last year when Paes recorded his last win of the season, he overtook Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman (712), ending 2015 with 713 wins.
While every other team practises their hardest in the few hours left for the Rio Olympics 2016, the Indian contingent was left looking for rooms, extra pair of jerseys and assembling chairs.
'I always feel that to shake up human beings, you have to go a little extreme.'
The haul of 64 medals at the Commonwealth Games, in July-August, which included 15 gold, should act as the ideal springboard for the Indian contingent to better its medal tally at Guangzhou, China, four years ago.
India's gold haul from track-and-field continued at the Asian Games on Thursday, culminating in its best showing at the continental showpiece in close to seven decades. However, there was heartbreak in the hockey arena as its men's team was beaten by Malaysia in the semi-finals.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday.
Bikash Mohapatra traces the rise of the Swiss, first man to win multiple Slams in the 'Big Four' era.
Hit hard. Don't give up. Just do it!
The overall tally of six gold, five silver and 14 bronze medals at the end of day six put the country in 8th spot in the table with China leading the pack by quite a distance, having already crossed the 100-mark.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
I tried to reason in my mind that wouldn't beating Pakistan again and again -- in the league matches and in the knockouts if they made it -- be a better tribute to our martyred soldiers? A revealing excerpt from Vinod Rai's Not Just A Nightwatchman: My Innings In The BCCI.
Indian Aces notched up their third win on the trot with a 28-20 victory over UAE Royals in the battle of two unbeaten sides in an India Premier Tennis League match in Manila.
Images from Day 1 of the US Open in New York, on Monday.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
'You should do a detailed study on what exactly you want for the team looking at the season ahead.' 'If you are not clear with your plans, you will get carried away at the auction table,' says Pravin Amre, former talent scout chief at the Delhi Capitals.
In an unprecedented move, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sporting award, will be conferred on four athletes this year. The Sports Ministry announced on Monday that Olympic medalists P V Sindhu and Sakshi Malik will be honoured alongside trail-blazing gymnast Dipa Karmakar and ace shooter Jitu Rai.
Images from Day 3 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
