Others

India concluded their campaign at the Asian Table Tennis Championships with a historic haul of three medals, including a bronze in the women's doubles. The bronze medalists, Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee, had previously stunned the reigning world champions from China at the Asian Games last year. However, in the semifinals, they faced a tough challenge from Japan's Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara, losing 4-11, 9-11, 8-11.Prior to their semifinal loss, the Indian duo had defeated South Korea's Kim Nayeong and Lee Eunhye in the quarterfinals, securing India's first-ever women's doubles medal at the Asian meet.The Indian women's team had earlier made history by winning a bronze medal in the team event. The trio of Manika Batra, Ayhika Mukherjee, and Sutirtha Mukherjee secured the country's first-ever medal in the women's team category since the competition began in 1972. However, they eventually lost 1-3 to Japan in the semifinals.In the men's category, India secured another bronze, their third straight in the tournament, after the team of Achanta Sharath Kamal, Manav Thakkar, and Harmeet Desai fell 0-3 to Chinese Taipei in the semifinals.In men's singles, Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah bowed out in the pre-quarterfinals. World No. 60 Thakkar, who had earlier shocked world No. 14 Jang Woojin of South Korea, was defeated by Hong Kong's Baldwin Chan, 4-11 4-11 8-11. Meanwhile, Manush put up a tough fight against Lin Yun-Ju of Chinese Taipei and took two games before narrowly losing 8-11 5-11 11-7 11-6 12-14.

Indian Table Tennis Squad Announced for Asian ChampionshipsVeteran Sharath Kamal and star player Manika Batra will lead the Indian contingent at the upcoming 27th Asian Table Tennis Championships, scheduled to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from October 7 to 13.The Indian Table Tennis Federation (TTFI) has named a strong squad for the tournament, which will serve as a crucial qualification event for the World Table Tennis Championships and the Asian Games.The men's team, captained by Sharath Kamal, includes Manav Thakkar, Harmeet Desai, G. Sathiyan, and Manush Shah. The women's team, led by Manika Batra, comprises Sreeja Akula, Ayhika Mukherjee, Diya Chital, and Sutirtha Mukherjee.The selection process was based on world ranking, international experience, and performance at the national level. The Indian team has been training under the guidance of foreign expert Massimo Constantini, who has been working to enhance their skills and strategies."I am hopeful they will put their best foot forward in the Astana championships," said Constantini.The Indian team had a successful outing at the Paris Olympics, with the women's team reaching the quarterfinals and the men's team losing to China in the round of 16. It was the first time that India qualified for team events at the Olympics.The Asian Championships hold significant importance for the Indian team as it provides an opportunity to qualify for major international tournaments. The team will be aiming to perform well and secure a berth in the World Table Tennis Championships and the Asian Games.

Dipa Karmakar, India's trailblazing gymnast, has etched her name in history by becoming the first Indian to win gold at the Asian Championships. Despite enduring a litany of challenges, including injuries, a doping ban, and Olympic qualification setbacks, Karmakar's unwavering determination and resilience have propelled her to this remarkable achievement.Karmakar's journey has been marked by both triumph and adversity. Her fourth-place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she showcased her gravity-defying Produnova routine, catapulted her to national fame. However, injuries and a subsequent doping ban threatened to derail her career.Undeterred, Karmakar continued training relentlessly, even during her suspension. With the support of her coach, Bishweshwar Nandi, she switched to a less demanding routine to preserve her injury-prone body.At the Asian Championships, Karmakar faced stiff competition from athletes eager to secure Olympic qualification. Despite her best efforts, she narrowly missed out on a Paris berth. However, her gold medal victory served as a testament to her indomitable spirit and the power of perseverance.Karmakar's triumph is a beacon of hope for aspiring athletes, demonstrating that even in the face of adversity, dreams can be realized through hard work and unwavering belief. Her legacy as a pioneer in Indian gymnastics will continue to inspire generations to come.

Indian boxers Aryan, Yashwardhan Singh, Priyanshu, and Sahil have stormed into the semifinals of the Asian U-22 & Youth Boxing Championships 2024 in Astana, Kazakhstan.Aryan kicked off India's campaign with a dominant 5-0 unanimous decision victory over Uzbekistan's Juraev Shakarboy in the 51kg category. Yashwardhan (63.5kg) displayed resilience, overcoming an early setback to secure a 4-1 win against Iran's Mirahmadi Babaheidari.Priyanshu (71kg) and Sahil (80kg) made light work of their opponents, securing referee stop the contest (RSC) victories against Chinese Taipei's Wu Yu En and Turkmenistan's Yklymov Abdyrahma, respectively.However, Jatin's journey in the 57kg category came to an end with a 1-4 loss to Uzbekistan's A Nodirbek.In the youth category, Aryan (92kg), Nisha (52kg), Akansha Phalaswal (70kg), and Rudrika (75kg) will compete in their respective quarterfinal bouts later today.On Tuesday, Jugnoo (86kg), Tammana (50kg), and Preeti (54kg) secured victories to advance to the U-22 semifinals.On Thursday, eight U-22 pugilists will take the ring for their quarterfinal bouts: M Jadumani Singh (51kg), Ashish (54kg), Nikhil (57kg), Ajay Kumar (63.5kg), Ankush (71kg), and Dhruv Singh (80kg) in the men's category, while Guddi (48kg) and Poonam (57kg) will represent India in the women's section.The finals for the youth and U-22 categories will be held on May 6 and 7, respectively.

Indian wrestlers Akash Dahiya and Anirudh Kumar have advanced to the bronze medal matches at the Asian Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. However, three of their teammates have been eliminated from the tournament.Dahiya, competing in the non-Olympic 61kg category, started with a narrow 10-8 victory over Uzbekistan's Sardor Ruzimov. He then defeated Korea's Sanghyeon Son 7-3 in the quarterfinal. However, Kazakhstan's Assyl Aitakyn proved too strong for Dahiya in the semifinal, winning by technical superiority. Dahiya will now face Mongolia's Enkhbold Enkhbat for the bronze medal.Anirudh Kumar, competing in the 125kg category, began with a 3-0 win over Pakistan's Zaman Anwar. However, he was outplayed by Iran's Amir Hossein Abbas Zare in the quarterfinal, losing by technical superiority. Since Zare reached the final, Kumar remains in contention for bronze and will face Bahrain's Shamil Magomed A Sharipov.Yash Tushir (74kg), Sandeep Singh Maan (86kg), and Vinay (92kg) were all eliminated from the tournament after losing in their respective categories.India had won three medals on Thursday through Udit (57kg, silver), Abhimanyou (70kg, bronze), and Vicky (97kg, bronze). The men's free-style competition will conclude today, while the women's bouts will begin on Saturday.

The upcoming two-day selection trials for the Paris Olympic qualifiers and Asian Championships will feature India's top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya, and Vinesh Phogat. The trials will be conducted by an ad hoc panel in Sonepat and Patiala.Initially, United World Wrestling (UWW) had raised concerns about accepting India's entries for the competitions due to the suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) by the sports ministry. However, after a Delhi High Court hearing, the ad hoc panel was authorized to hold the trials.To ensure official status for the trials and clear India's entry for the tournaments, WFI has agreed to send officials and coaches to monitor the proceedings. The trials for Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestlers will take place in Sonepat on Sunday, while the women's trials will be held in Patiala on Monday.Winners in the Olympic weight categories will represent India in the Asian Olympic Qualifiers and World Olympic Qualifiers. Runners-up will compete in the Asian Championships.Several top wrestlers are returning from injuries, including Ravi Dahiya, Anshu Malik, and Sonam Malik. Antim Panghal, the only Indian to secure an Olympic quota, has received a direct entry to the Asian Championships.Bajrang Punia, a Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, will need to win the trials to qualify for the Asian Olympic Qualifiers. Vinesh Phogat, who underwent knee surgery, will face a fitness test in Patiala.Ravi Dahiya and Aman Sehrawat will compete in the 57kg category, while Yash and Sagar Jaglan will battle for the 74kg berth. Deepak Punia remains the favorite in the 86kg category.In the women's 59kg class, Anshu Malik and Sarita Mor will face off. Both are world championships medalists, with Malik having defeated Mor at the National Championships in Jaipur.The selection trials will be crucial for wrestlers aiming to represent India at the Paris Olympics. The trials will provide an opportunity to assess their form and fitness and determine who will represent the country in the upcoming international competitions.

Kevin Sireau, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, has embarked on a new journey as India's first foreign cycling coach. Despite initially pursuing football and judo, Sireau's passion for cycling ignited when he discovered track cycling at the age of 12.In his maiden assignment with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), Sireau guided India to six medals at the Asian Track Cycling Championships. He attributes his success to the robust cycling infrastructure in France, where talent identification and competition begin at an early age.Sireau believes that India has immense cycling potential and is working to overhaul the training system. He plans to decentralize training centers and identify each rider's core discipline. This approach aims to create a smaller, elite group of cyclists who can focus on specific events.Sireau emphasizes the importance of mentality in cycling. He looks for riders who exhibit confidence and determination on the track. He believes that a strong build is beneficial but that a fearless mindset is crucial for success.The CFI is taking cues from the French model and is planning to implement a similar systemic approach. They aim to identify and nurture young talent, providing them with the necessary support and training to excel at the international level.Sireau's expertise and experience will be invaluable in shaping India's cycling future. His focus on talent identification, performance-oriented training, and mental toughness will help India produce world-class cyclists.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has announced strict measures to ensure the integrity of the upcoming national trials for the Asian Championships and Asian Olympic Games Qualifiers. The trials, scheduled for March 10-11, will allow wrestlers to compete only from their original states, and no grappler will be permitted to participate in multiple weight categories.The WFI's decision stems from concerns raised over wrestlers representing states other than their own at the recent Senior National Championship held in Jaipur. "Several wrestlers, who actually hailed from Haryana, represented states like Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim at the Nationals conducted by the ad-hoc committee in Jaipur. This is wrong and we will not allow this," a WFI source told PTI.To verify the genuineness of wrestlers' state affiliations, the WFI has instructed them to bring their WFI Licence Book, Birth Certificate, and Adhar Card to the trials. "Sikkim and Arunachal are not even affiliated state bodies. We will not stop anyone from competing, but wrestlers have to come from their original state," the source added.The trials will be crucial in selecting the Indian teams for the Asian Championships and Asian Olympic Games Qualifiers, both scheduled to be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. To ensure a strong squad, the WFI has allowed wrestlers to compete in multiple weight categories over the two days of the trials."It will ensure that if a strong wrestler like Aman Sehrawat or Ravi Dahiya misses out on selection in the Olympic weight category (57kg), then he can get a chance in the non-Olympic weight category (61kg). That way, we will have a strong Indian squad," the source explained.However, Antim Panghal, the only Indian grappler to secure an Olympic quota so far, has been exempted from the March 10-11 trials. She will instead compete against the winner of the trials at a later date this month.