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National record holder Jyothi Yarraji has made a triumphant start to her outdoor season, claiming gold in the 100m hurdles at the Harry Schulting Games in Vught, the Netherlands. The 24-year-old clocked a time of 12.87 seconds, her fourth career best, to secure victory in the World Athletics category E event.Yarraji's performance is a testament to her consistent progress and unwavering determination. Last year, she made history by winning a silver medal in the 100m hurdles at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Her impressive display in Vught suggests that she is well on track to qualify for the Paris Olympics, even though she has yet to meet the qualifying standard of 12.77 seconds.Currently ranked 26th on the World Athletics Road to Paris list, Yarraji is poised to secure a spot in the Olympic field through world rankings. Only 25 athletes will qualify for the women's 100m hurdles in Paris based on entry standard, while 15 will earn their place through world rankings.Yarraji's national record stands at 12.78 seconds, a mark she set during the World University Games last year. Her versatility was evident in February when she claimed gold in the 60m hurdles at the Asian Indoor Championships in Tehran.Yarraji's success is a source of inspiration for aspiring athletes in India and around the world. Her unwavering commitment to excellence and her ability to overcome challenges serve as a reminder that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.

Bajrang Punia, India's star wrestler and Tokyo Olympic medalist, has been provisionally suspended by the United World Wrestling (UWW) for an alleged anti-doping rule violation. The suspension stems from an incident on March 10, when Punia refused to provide a sample after the selection trials in Sonepat.The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) issued a notice to Punia on April 23, requesting a response by May 7. In his defense, Punia released a video on social media, questioning NADA's use of an expired sample collection kit in December.Punia's lawyer, Vidhuspat Singhania, confirmed that they had submitted a reply to NADA's notice on May 7. However, he expressed unawareness of the UWW suspension.According to UWW records, Punia's suspension will remain in effect until December 31, 2024. The suspension is based on NADA's provisional suspension for an alleged anti-doping rule violation.Provisional suspensions by anti-doping authorities apply to all competitions, both domestic and international, until the charges are resolved. International federations typically do not issue separate suspensions in such cases.The hearing in Punia's case has yet to commence. However, UWW rules allow for provisional suspensions in cases of anti-doping rule violations that do not involve an adverse analytical finding or a final hearing.Punia's suspension is a significant setback for his Olympic aspirations. He failed to qualify for the two Olympic qualifiers after losing in the Sonepat trials. India has yet to secure an Olympic berth in the 65kg weight class, which will be contested by Sujeet Kalkal in the ongoing World Qualifiers.If Punia is ultimately banned for refusing to provide a sample, his Olympic dreams will be shattered.In a separate development, NADA has withdrawn a notice of "three whereabouts failures" against Punia. Singhania clarified that the notice was issued in error and that it had been retracted.

Newly-crowned FIDE Candidates' champion D Gukesh displayed resilience and determination in the Superbet rapid and blitz tournament, a part of the Grand Chess Tour. After a slow start, Gukesh recovered to defeat compatriot R Praggnanandhaa and Vincent Keymer.Praggnanandhaa, who lost to Gukesh in the first round, bounced back strongly in the fifth round by defeating Anish Giri. Gukesh also capitalized on his opportunities to crush Keymer.Romanian Kirill Shevchenko's impressive run was halted by Erigaisi Arjun, who secured his first victory in the event. World number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway joined Shevchenko in the lead with seven points out of a possible ten. Wei Yi of China trails by one point.Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun share the fourth spot with five points, alongside Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan. Jan-Kryzstof Duda of Poland and Vincent Keymer of Germany occupy the eighth spot with four points, while Giri languishes at the bottom with just two points.Four more rounds remain in the rapid section before an 18-round blitz tournament commences.Earlier, Arjun held Carlsen to a draw in the opener and drew two more games to stay within striking distance of early leader Shevchenko. Gukesh lost his first two games before drawing the third, while Praggnanandhaa recovered in the third round to beat Abdusattorov.Shevchenko emerged as the early leader with three consecutive victories. He benefited from a blunder by Gukesh in the first round, defeated Praggnanandhaa in a brilliant game, and outplayed Keymer.Arjun showcased a solid approach with three draws, while Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa had mixed results. Gukesh blundered his queen in the first round against Shevchenko and lost to Abdusattorov in the second round. Praggnanandhaa drew against Duda but lost to Shevchenko before defeating Abdusattorov.

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, India's golden boy in javelin throw, has acknowledged the challenges of balancing his stardom with his training and competition schedule. The 26-year-old superstar, who is also the reigning world and Asian Games champion, is set to kick off his season with the first leg of the Diamond League on Friday.Chopra, who has spent the majority of the past few months training abroad in South Africa, Turkey, and Switzerland, expressed his desire to prioritize his sport over social obligations. "For me, my sport is more important," he said. "It's good for my profile if I play in India, but there are too many functions and marriage functions. I also want to join my family and friends, but more than that, I want to train in an Olympic year."Chopra's stardom has undoubtedly elevated the stature of athletics in India. "It's not like cricketers, like Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni, but a lot of people know me," he said. "I go to India sometimes, people know me, which is good for athletics. People know about athletics and follow athletics because of the Olympic gold."Despite the recognition, Chopra remains focused on his ultimate goal: breaking the elusive 90m mark. "About 90m, last year I said I will throw 90 and threw 88. This year, I don't want to say, I want to show," he said. "People have been asking me this question since 2018, when I threw 88.06 at the Asian Games. But, a lot of things happened, my elbow injury, the surgery, and now I have been stuck between 88 and 90m."Chopra is aware of the expectations that come with his status as an Olympic champion, but he tries to focus on his technique. "Obviously, it is the Olympics year and India is a big country and everyone expects gold," he said. "But, it's really hard in Olympics because the best from the world are competing with you.""My focus is to just stay healthy and concentrate on my technique. And yes, if I stay healthy everything will be good."

Indian shooters continued their disappointing performance at the ISSF World Cup in Baku, with none of the skeet exponents in both men's and women's events qualifying for the finals.In the men's skeet event, Asian Games silver medalist Anant Jeet Singh Naruka finished 15th with a qualifying score of 120/125. Veteran marksman Mairaj Ahmad Khan, 48, managed only 105 and finished 76th among 80 shooters. Sheeraz Sheikh finished 54th with an aggregate of 115.In the women's skeet event, Raiza Dhillon finished 16th with an aggregate of 114/125, while Maheshwari Chauhan was 20th with 113 points. Ganemat Sekhon finished 25th with 111 points.The Indian trap shooters had also failed to impress earlier in the World Cup, with none of them making it to the finals. Vivaan Kapoor narrowly missed the six-shooter finals, finishing seventh, while Prithvi Tondaiman finished 24th and Bhowneesh Mendiratta finished 39th. Veteran Zoravar Singh Sandhu finished 52nd.Olympic quota winner Rajeshwari Kumari finished 23rd in trap with a qualification round score of just 108/125, while Shreyasi Singh managed only 107.The dismal performance of the Indian shooters in Baku is a cause for concern, as it comes just months before the Tokyo Olympics. The shooters will need to improve their form significantly if they want to challenge for medals at the Games.

India's javelin stars, led by Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, are poised to kick off their outdoor season at the Doha leg of the Diamond League on May 10th. Chopra, along with his comrade Kishore Jena, will spearhead India's challenge, fueled by a newfound sense of belief.Chopra, who made history with a gold-silver finish alongside Jena at the Hangzhou Asian Games, believes that a third javelin thrower, DP Manu, should also qualify for the Paris Olympics. "We have to take this Budapest belief forward and in Paris anything is possible," Chopra said.Manu, who has yet to meet the qualifying standard of 85.50 meters, is currently ranked 11th in the Road to Paris rankings. This position should secure him a ticket to Paris unless others surpass him or he fails to improve his distance.The Indian Grand Prix I in Bengaluru saw Manu win the men's javelin throw with an effort of 81.91m, short of the Olympic qualification mark. However, he has been training diligently in South Africa with his coach Kashinath Naik.Chopra, Jena, and Manu have all benefited from the government's Target Olympic Podium Scheme, which provides funding for athletes to prepare for global events. Chopra alone has received close to 4 Crore INR in support.Chopra emphasizes the importance of meticulous planning and overseas training. "The entire scenario changes when you arrive at the Games Village. The real pressure starts building up then. But I should be prepared," he said.Chopra credits his success to his international training experiences in Finland, South Africa, the UK, and Turkey. "After Tokyo, I found out how international athletes plan their schedule and choose their training centers," he said.While Chopra acknowledges the role of belief, he cautions that performance cannot be guaranteed. "It will be on how we do on that day. I strongly believe we all are training hard and doing a Budapest encore is not impossible," he stated.Chopra, who holds the world-leading throw of 88.67 meters, will be a favorite in Doha, facing competition from Jakub Vadlejch, Anderson Peters, Max Dehning, and Jena.

Wrestling's governing body, United World Wrestling (UWW), has suspended Bajrang Punia until December 31, 2024, following the National Anti-Doping Agency's (NADA) provisional suspension for refusing a dope test. Despite this, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has sanctioned nearly Rs 9 lakh for Punia's training abroad, despite being aware of NADA's order.Punia, a Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist, was suspended by NADA on April 23 after failing to provide a sample for testing. He claims he did not refuse to give a sample but questioned the use of expired kits.The UWW has updated its system to reflect Punia's suspension, stating that he is suspended until December 31, 2024, for an alleged Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).Despite the suspension, SAI approved Punia's proposal for training in Dagestan, Russia, from May 28. The proposal included travel expenses for his strength and conditioning coach and sparring partner.SAI officials have not responded to requests for an explanation for the decision to sanction Punia's training. Punia confirmed that he had submitted a proposal to SAI but has since canceled his training plans.In the same meeting, SAI also sanctioned training expenses for Sarita Mor and Anshu Malik. Mor will train in the USA, while Malik will train in Japan.If the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) holds a final selection event, Mor will need to win to challenge Anshu Malik, who has already secured an Olympic quota in the women's 57kg category.

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra is set to kick off his season at the prestigious Diamond League meet in Doha on Friday, facing a formidable field that includes former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and Olympic and world-medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic.Chopra, who is also the reigning world and Asian Games champion, will be aiming to set the tone for his Paris Games preparations in Doha. The 26-year-old Indian javelin superstar has a personal best of 89.94m, which is also the national record.Joining Chopra in the fray will be his compatriot Kishore Jena, who will be making his Diamond League debut. Jena has a personal best of 87.54m.The 10-man field also includes European champion Julian Weber of Germany, who finished fourth in the Olympic Games and World Championships.Chopra is the defending champion in Doha, having won the event in 2022 ahead of Vadlejch and Peters. He has also won three individual legs of the Diamond League and lifted the champion's trophy in 2022.After Doha, Chopra will compete at home for the first time in three years at the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar from May 12 to 15. He will then compete in the prestigious Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on June 18.Chopra's goal for this season is to defend his Olympic title and to break the elusive 90m barrier. He has been training overseas at different international centers in Finland, South Africa, UK, and Turkey to prepare for the upcoming season.The Indian government has spent close to Rs four crore to assist Chopra's training, equipment, coach's salary, and out-of-pocket allowances in the current Paris Olympics cycle.Chopra attributes his preparedness to the training he has undergone overseas and the support he has received from the government. He has also emphasized the importance of staying injury-free and adjusting to a proper diet.

Marc Marquez's impressive performance at the Spanish MotoGP has reignited hopes of a seventh world title, but the 31-year-old remains cautious. After a challenging period marked by injuries and vision issues, Marquez's second-place finish behind Francesco Bagnaia in Jerez was a significant step forward.Marquez's pole position and relentless pursuit of Bagnaia showcased his determination to return to the top. It was his best result since finishing runner-up in the Australian MotoGP in October 2022. "I won in terms of my plan," said Marquez. "I am getting better and better, and I must maintain my consistency."Despite being just 32 points behind series leader Jorge Martin, Marquez downplays his title chances. "It is way too early," he said. "I know I will have plenty of trouble on several tracks."Marquez's surprise at being so close to Martin highlights the competitiveness of the season. "We are racing to our limits," he said. "The title race will be very close."For Bagnaia, the Jerez race was equally important. His victory ended a winless streak since the season opener in Qatar. The 25-year-old is now 17 points behind Martin and aims to become the first Italian to win three world titles on an Italian bike since Giacomo Agostini in 1966."Our goal is always to win," said Bagnaia. "We closed the gap, and every race counts."Bagnaia's superstitious pre-race routine, which includes touching his bike, kissing his glove, and tapping the tank, helps him stay calm. He believes this season resembles his championship-winning year in 2022. "We have collected a lot of data that should help us overcome the current problems," he said.As the MotoGP season continues, Marquez and Bagnaia will face stiff competition from Martin and other top riders. The battle for the world title promises to be intense and unpredictable.