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Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) decision to appoint Sharath Kamal as the flag bearer for the 2024 Paris Olympics has sparked controversy, with legendary athlete Anju Bobby George questioning the omission of Neeraj Chopra.George, a Commonwealth and Asian Games medalist, took to Instagram to express her surprise at the decision, stating that Chopra, the reigning Olympic champion in javelin throw, should have been considered. She questioned the IOA's rationale, especially since the federations, including table tennis, have yet to announce their Olympic teams.Sharath Kamal, a 10-time national table tennis champion, has an impressive record, including 13 Commonwealth Games medals and two Asian Games medals. However, Chopra's Olympic gold medal and world ranking of 88 make him a more deserving candidate for the honor, according to George.The IOA has also appointed Olympic bronze medalist MC Mary Kom as the chef de mission for the Paris Games. Kom, a six-time world champion and five-time Asian champion, is the first female boxer to win an Olympic medal for India.Gagan Narang, a bronze medalist in the 10m air rifle event at the 2012 London Olympics, has been appointed to head the shooting village operations for the Paris Olympics. Shooting has not produced an Indian medalist since London 2012, despite earning India its first individual Olympic medal in Beijing 2008.The Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024. The Indian contingent will be led by a distinguished team of officials, including Sharath Kamal, MC Mary Kom, and Gagan Narang.

The Arizona Diamondbacks made a resounding statement on opening day, obliterating the Colorado Rockies 16-1 in a historic offensive outburst. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. led the charge with five RBIs and three hits, including a two-run homer.The Diamondbacks' 14-run third inning was a franchise record and the most in an opening day inning for any team since 1900. Arizona sent 18 batters to the plate, collecting 13 hits, two walks, and a sacrifice fly. Remarkably, they did not hit a single home run during the inning.Ketel Marte, Gurriel, Christian Walker, Gabriel Moreno, and Geraldo Perdomo all contributed with multiple hits. Corbin Carroll drew two walks, while Blaze Alexander notched his first major league hit with a single that drove in the 14th run.The offensive explosion broke franchise records for most hits, runs, and batters in a single inning. It took the Rockies 34 minutes to record three outs.Arizona ace Zac Gallen pitched five solid innings, allowing only one run on three hits. He was aided by stellar defensive plays from third baseman Eugenio Suarez and center fielder Alek Thomas, who snuffed out potential scoring opportunities for the Rockies.Colorado's Kyle Freeland bore the brunt of the damage in the third inning, surrendering 10 earned runs on 10 hits and a walk in just 2 1/3 innings. It was Freeland's third opening day start for the Rockies, tying him with Germán Márquez for the most in franchise history.Ryan McMahon provided some offense for the Rockies with two hits, including an RBI double in the second inning.The Diamondbacks' victory was a resounding start to their title defense, while the Rockies will look to regroup and avoid a similar fate in their next outing.

Toronto's Maple Leafs emerged victorious over the Washington Capitals 5-1 on Thursday night, fueled by Tyler Bertuzzi's two goals and Joseph Woll's impressive performance in net.Bertuzzi, who has now scored six goals in his last seven games, opened the scoring for Toronto in the second period, followed by a goal from Mark Giordano, who returned to action after a lengthy injury absence. Conner Dewar and Bobby McMann also contributed goals to the Maple Leafs' tally.Washington's lone goal came from Nic Dowd, while Charlie Lindgren made 43 saves in a valiant effort. The Capitals, who are battling for a playoff spot, fell to 36-27-9 with the loss.Woll, who had struggled in his previous two starts, rebounded with a solid performance, making 24 saves and helping Toronto improve to 41-22-9.Despite missing top-line winger Mitch Marner and several key defensemen due to injuries, the Maple Leafs managed to secure the win. Auston Matthews, the NHL's leading goal scorer, played for Toronto despite missing the morning skate due to illness.Giordano, the oldest player in the league at age 40, scored his first goal in 31 games, a poignant moment as he celebrated by pointing to the sky in honor of his late father.Bertuzzi's second goal of the night came off a turnover with less than 10 minutes remaining, sealing the victory for Toronto.

Nick Martini's historic opening day performance propelled the Cincinnati Reds to an emphatic 8-2 victory over the Washington Nationals. The 33-year-old outfielder, making his first opening day start, electrified the crowd with two towering home runs, becoming the first Reds player to achieve the feat since Adam Dunn in 2007.Martini's first homer, a two-run shot in the second inning, set the tone for the Reds' offensive onslaught. He followed it up with a three-run blast in the third, giving Cincinnati an early 5-0 lead. The veteran outfielder's heroics were a testament to his resilience and determination, having played for four different teams since 2018.Frankie Montas, making his Reds debut, was equally impressive on the mound. The right-hander pitched six shutout innings, allowing only four hits and striking out four. Montas' dominant performance was a welcome sight for the Reds, who had high expectations for the former New York Yankees starter.The Nationals, on the other hand, struggled to keep pace with the Reds' offense. Isaiah Gray, making his first start for Washington, allowed seven runs in four innings. Eddie Rosario provided the Nationals' only offense with a two-run homer in the seventh inning.Reds manager David Bell praised Martini's performance, saying, "We've known this guy can hit, so for it to all come out opening day and his first one, which us surprising or shocking when you think about it because this guy has been a good player for a long time."The Reds will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday when they face the Nationals in the second game of the series. Patrick Corbin will start for Washington, while Hunter Greene will take the mound for Cincinnati.

The Detroit Tigers kicked off their season with a 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, thanks to a stellar performance from starting pitcher Tarik Skubal.Skubal, making his first opening-day start, was dominant over six innings, allowing just three hits and striking out six batters without issuing a walk. The 27-year-old left-hander picked up where he left off last season, when he went 4-0 with a 0.90 ERA in his final five outings.The Tigers' offense provided just enough support for Skubal, scoring the game's only run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Andy Ibáñez. Javier Báez singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a groundout before Ibáñez drove him in.The White Sox, who finished with just six hits, were unable to mount any serious threats against Skubal or the Tigers' bullpen. Garrett Crochet, making his first professional start, pitched six strong innings for Chicago, allowing one run on five hits while striking out eight.However, the White Sox bullpen was unable to hold the lead, with Michael Kopech allowing a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning. Jason Foley came on to strike out Yoán Moncada and Luis Robert Jr. to earn the save.The victory was a promising start for the Tigers, who are looking to improve on their 77-85 record from last season. The White Sox, on the other hand, opened their season on a familiar note, coming off a 101-loss campaign.

The Hero Indian Open, often referred to as the National Open, has witnessed a dearth of Indian winners in recent years. The last local triumph came in 2017, and the opening day of the 2023 edition suggests that the drought may continue.On a day of low scoring, Dutchman Joost Luiten, Japan's Keita Nakajima, and Italy's Matteo Manassero emerged as the frontrunners, all carding seven-under rounds. Luiten and Nakajima displayed aggressive play, while Manassero navigated the course bogey-free.India's hopes were pinned on OP Chouhan, Aman Raj, and Karandeep Kochhar, who finished tied 14th with four-under rounds. Chouhan, who earned his European card by topping the 2023 PGTI money list, attributed his success to a new set of irons.Chouhan's round was highlighted by birdies on the par 5 fourth, par 3 fifth, and par 5 eighth holes. However, bogeys on the 14th and 18th holes prevented him from finishing in the top 10.Raj, 28, also had a solid round, making three birdies and a bogey on the front nine and two birdies on the back. Kochhar, 24, came into his own towards the end of the day, making three birdies and a bogey on each nine.Disappointment struck Shubhankar Sharma and Anirban Lahiri. Sharma finished tied 34th with a two-under round, while Lahiri, the 2015 winner, had a disastrous day with seven bogeys.

Indian hockey star PR Sreejesh and Chilean defender Camila Caram have been appointed as co-chairs of the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) newly established Athletes Committee. This appointment marks a significant step towards empowering athletes and ensuring their voices are heard in the decision-making process of the sport.The FIH Athletes Committee serves as a consultative body, providing recommendations to the FIH Executive Board, committees, and other bodies. Its members are responsible for seeking and providing feedback on behalf of all athletes, developing resources and initiatives to support their well-being, and promoting the sport to attract new fans.Sreejesh, the Indian goalkeeper who led his team to a historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, expressed his honor and responsibility in assuming this role. "Being part of the athletic committee itself is a great honor for me. Getting in as the co-chair is an added responsibility," he said. "I'm looking forward to working with Camila and all the athletic committee members for the betterment of hockey players around the globe."Caram, a key member of the Chilean women's hockey team, echoed Sreejesh's sentiments. "Very happy and honored that my fellow colleagues voted me as Co-chair," she said. "I will work hard to be the voice of the athletes and have always the channels open for communication."The appointment of Sreejesh and Caram as co-chairs reflects FIH's commitment to the "Athletes First" approach enshrined in its "Empowerment and Engagement" strategy. FIH President Tayyab Ikram emphasized the importance of athlete involvement in shaping the future of hockey. "Athletes have always been at the center of all sporting endeavors of the FIH," he said. "The Athletes Committee will play a crucial role in the execution of this vision, and I look forward to working closely with all our hockey athletes to safeguard the present and improve the future."In addition to Sreejesh and Caram, the FIH Athletes Committee includes several other prominent hockey players from around the world. Matt Swann (Australia), Catherine Fabiano (Argentina), Jacqueline Mwangi (Kenya), Mohamed Mea (South Africa), Juliani Mohamad Din (Malaysia), Marlena Rybacha (Poland), and Cesar Garcia (Mexico) will serve as regular members and representatives in various committees.The establishment of the FIH Athletes Committee is a testament to the growing recognition of the importance of athlete voices in sports governance. By empowering athletes to participate in decision-making, FIH aims to create a more inclusive and responsive organization that truly represents the interests of the hockey community.

Reigning Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is set to kick off his season at the prestigious Diamond League series in Doha on May 10. The 26-year-old Indian, who won gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year, is aiming to defend his Olympic title in Paris later this year.Chopra will face a star-studded field in Doha, including his well-known rivals Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic and Anderson Peters of Grenada. Vadlejch won silver in the Tokyo Olympics and bronze in the 2023 World Championships, while Peters is a former world champion and holds the fifth-longest throw in history (93.07m).Chopra's compatriot Kishore Jena, who finished fifth in the 2023 Budapest World Championships and won silver in Hangzhou with a personal best of 87.54m, will also make his Diamond League debut in Doha.Chopra is eager to start his season strongly and is targeting a throw of over 90m. "This year, my personal goal is to defend my Olympic title, but it would also mean a lot to me to break the 90m barrier," he said. "The Doha Meeting, with good conditions and a great atmosphere, is a perfect opportunity to get my season off to the best start."The javelin event has become increasingly competitive in recent years, with several athletes capable of throwing over 90m. Chopra's continued excellence has raised the bar for Indian athletes, and he is confident that India is making progress as a nation in the sport."Last year my dream was to win the World Championships, but to have three Indian athletes competing in the final - that shows we're progressing as a nation," he said.The Doha Meeting is the third meeting of the 2024 Diamond League series, which comprises 15 legs in total across four different continents. The first two meetings in Xiamen and Shanghai do not have men's javelin throw as a Diamond League event.

India has set its sights on hosting the 2030 Youth Olympics and the 2036 Summer Olympics, according to Union Minister Anurag Thakur. Speaking at the NDTV Yuva Conclave, Thakur expressed confidence that India will improve its medal tally at the upcoming Paris Olympics in 2024.Thakur's announcement aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier statement at the IOC session in Mumbai last year, where he expressed India's desire to host the Olympics in 2036. The 2024 Olympics will be held in Paris, followed by Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.Meanwhile, veteran table tennis player Sharath Kamal has been named India's flag bearer for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kamal, who is a reigning Commonwealth Games champion, expressed his delight at the honor. "It is the biggest honor and fairytale stuff considering it is going to be my fifth and last Olympics," he said.Legendary boxer MC Mary Kom has been appointed as the chef de mission of India's contingent for the Paris Olympics. Kom and former hockey skipper Manpreet Singh were India's flag bearers at the 2020 Tokyo Games.India's Olympic aspirations have received a boost with the appointment of Kamal and Kom. Kamal's experience and leadership will be invaluable for the Indian team, while Kom's legendary status will inspire the athletes.The Indian contingent is expected to perform well at the Paris Olympics, with several athletes having already qualified for the Games. The country's medal hopes rest on the shoulders of athletes such as Kamal, Kom, wrestler Bajrang Punia, and shooter Manu Bhaker.India's bid to host the 2030 Youth Olympics and the 2036 Summer Olympics is a testament to the country's growing sporting prowess. If successful, India will become the first South Asian nation to host the Olympics.