The Sports Ministry on Thursday said it has started a "thorough review" of India's dismal outing at the Rio Olympics and is also seeking feedback and suggestions from the athletes who competed in the quadrennial extravaganza. India finished with a disappointing two medals, through PV Sindhu's silver in badminton and Sakhsi Malik's bronze in wrestling, at the two-week sporting gala last month.
Will the fans rush back to the stadium once sport resumes? Will training abroad be as hassle-free as it used to be? What about contact sports where social distancing can't really be practised? Some of India's biggest sportspersons -- current and former -- gave their views on future of sports once the action resumes.
Haryana on Wednesday honoured its 'daughter' Sakshi Malik by appointing her as brand ambassador of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign and presenting the Olympic bronze medallist a cheque of Rs 2.5 crore.
'Sakshi Malik's medal is her individual and singular accomplishment.' 'So is P V Sindhu's badminton medal.' 'So is Dipa Karmakar's loss-by-a-whisker.' 'So is the surprise that is 18-year-old golfer Aditi Ashok,' says Mitali Saran.
The novel coronavirus outbreak has affected their Olympic preparations but India's top athletes like P V Sindhu and Bajrang Punia say they are optimistic about the quadrennial event going ahead as scheduled despite the current health crisis. Olympic silver-medallist Sindhu says she can understand the apprehensions of fellow shuttlers, including compatriot Sania Nehwal, who is racing against time to qualify for the Games due to the cancellation of tournaments in the wake of the outbreak. The Olympic Games are scheduled to start in Tokyo, from July 24.
Rathore said the government was 'leaving no stone unturned' to train 200 elite athletes for the 2020 Olympics
As we prepare to cruise into the New Year, Rediff.com gives you a glance back, through photos, into all the sporting moments that made the last 12 months memorable.
Two unassuming young women saved India the humiliation of returning empty-handed from the Olympics for the first time since Barcelona in 1992 with awe-inspiring performances at Rio.
India cricket captain Virat Kohli and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu were on Monday recommended for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna by the awards selection committee.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
'The WFI has taken a decision in principle to let these wrestlers prepare on their own and not disturb them. On their requests, we have decided to let them skip the trials as they are best bets in their weight categories and hardly face any competition'
'No country can go from zero to hero at the Olympics.' 'A hundred Indians now feature in the world's top 25 and that's progress,' says Shekhar Gupta.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
Wrestling's international governing body, FILA has announced a rejig in weight classes for its competitions, including those of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, a development which would lead to India's medallists Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt moving up to a higher weight category.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Sunday
Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore says the corporate sector is very much willing to support development of sports and athletes in India but it needs to be given the assurance that the money is going in right hands.
Caught in the middle of a controversy over arranging a selection trial to choose between Sushil Kumar and Narsingh Pancham Yadav for this year's Rio Olympics, the Wrestling Federation of India is likely to meet on Tuesday to break the deadlock, which is threatening to snowball into a massive furore.
They shut up the naysers with sheer success.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
London Olympics bronze medallist M C Mary Kom was on Monday voted the 'Most Valuable Player' of India's campaign at the Incheon Asian Games, at a felicitation for the medal winners by the contingent sponsors, Samsung India.
Away from the cricket field, it was a year in which Sania Mirza was unarguably the biggest success story with her staggering 10 titles on the Tour -- two of them Grand Slams.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Looking back, the Indians had rubbed their hands in delight at the variety of marquee events at home the sporting calendar of 2017 offered, and they now look forward, with optimism and anticipation, to a challenging 2018.
