Others

Para-athlete Deepthi Jeevanji returned to India on Thursday as a national hero after securing a bronze medal in the women's 400m T20 final at the ongoing Paris Paralympics. Jeevanji, making her Paralympic debut, showcased exceptional speed and determination throughout the competition.In the final, Jeevanji started strongly but faced a challenge in the final phase of the race. Despite her best efforts, she finished behind Ukraine's Yuliia Shuliar (gold) and Turkey's Aysel Onder (silver). However, her time of 55.82s was enough to secure a podium finish and add to India's growing medal tally.Jeevanji's bronze medal is a testament to her hard work and dedication. She qualified for the final with a sensational run in the qualification round, finishing first in her heat with a time of 55.45s. Her performance in Paris has not only brought glory to India but also inspired countless aspiring athletes.India's Paralympic contingent has enjoyed a remarkable run in Paris, with several athletes achieving podium finishes. Para-athletes Dharambir and Pranav Soorma claimed gold and silver medals, respectively, in the men's club throw F51 final. Ajeet Singh and Sundar Singh Gurjar also secured silver and bronze medals in the men's javelin throw F46 event.In addition to Jeevanji's bronze, India has also won gold medals in para archery, para shooting, and para-shuttle. Para-archer Harvinder Singh made history by winning India's first-ever gold medal in para archery at the Paralympics. Para-shooter Avani Lekhra and javelin thrower Sumit Antil also contributed to India's gold medal count.The Indian contingent's success at the Paris Paralympics is a testament to the country's growing support for para-sports. The athletes' achievements have not only brought pride to the nation but also raised awareness about the abilities and potential of individuals with disabilities.

India's Paralympic Contingent Aims for Record-Breaking Performance in ParisIndia's Paralympic contingent is poised to make history at the Paris Paralympics 2024, aiming to surpass their previous best tally of 25 medals. With several promising athletes in contention, the Indian team is confident of achieving their ambitious goal.On Thursday, September 5, India will have a busy schedule with athletes competing in shooting, archery, athletics, power-lifting, and judo. In shooting, Sidhartha Basu and Mona Agarwal will participate in the Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1 event, while Pooja and Harvinder Singh will represent India in the Mixed Team Recurve Open (Pre Quarterfinals).Athletics holds another medal opportunity for India, with Arvind competing in the Men's Shot Put F35. In archery, Pooja and Harvinder Singh will face Amanda Jennings and Taymon Kenton-Smith of Australia in the Mixed Team Recurve Open (Pre Quarterfinals). If they qualify, they will advance to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and potentially the medal matches.Power-lifter Ashok will compete in the Men's up to 65kg final, while judokas Kokila and Kapil Parmar will participate in the Women's 48kg J2 and Men's 60kg J1 events, respectively.India's Paralympic contingent has already made a strong start to the Games, with several athletes securing medals in various events. The team's determination and resilience are evident, and they are eager to continue their success in Paris.The Indian government and sports authorities have provided significant support to the Paralympic contingent, ensuring that athletes have access to world-class training facilities and resources. The team's performance at the Paris Paralympics is a testament to their hard work and dedication, and they are determined to make India proud.

Indian discus thrower Yogesh Kathuniya has expressed the need to enhance his mental fortitude after securing a silver medal at the Paris Paralympics, marking his fifth consecutive second-place finish since the Tokyo Games.Kathuniya, 27, achieved a season-best throw of 42.22m in the discus throw F-56 event, but acknowledged that his mental strength has been lacking. "I have lacked in mental strength. I will have to build up more, just as it was before, in 2022. Since I got injured, due to cervical, it has come down," he said.The athlete, who competes from a seated position, has faced challenges including chickenpox and cervical radiculopathy. Despite these setbacks, he remains determined to improve. "It's okay. I am still young. I can easily play two more Paralympics. I will do better. I will change my style this time. I have a World Championship next year. I will perform well next year," he said.Kathuniya's silver medal in Paris follows similar results at the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, as well as the Asian Para Games last year. He believes that participating in more competitions leading up to the Paris Games would have been beneficial. "I think I made a mistake. I should have played a little more competition. I should have played more events. I was not ready. I played only two events this year. I should not have done that."Despite his recent string of silver medals, Kathuniya's hunger for success remains strong. "To be honest, my hunger will never end. Even if I hit 50m, my hunger will not end. I want to show the world that it was Yogesh Kathuniya who crossed 50m in a seated throw, the first person in the world."Kathuniya is now planning a two-month break, including a solo trip to Switzerland, to focus on his mental well-being. "I think my mind should be relaxed. And I will have to go away from sports once. So that I can focus more on mental strength."

Sports For All (SFA) is revolutionizing grassroots sports in India with the launch of the SFA Championships 2024-25. This grand event will span 10 cities across the country, engaging over 150,000 participants from 7000 of India's leading sporting schools. The championships will feature a staggering 31 sports, providing a platform for young athletes to showcase their talents.For the first time in its nine-year history, the SFA Championships will venture into Nagaland (Dimapur). Registrations are now open for this highly anticipated event.Since its inception in 2015, the SFA Championships have witnessed remarkable growth. Starting with Mumbai as the inaugural host, the championships have graced Hyderabad, Uttarakhand, Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru, Indore, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur. The 2024 edition will commence on October 4 in Uttarakhand, culminating in the grand finale from December 6-16 in Jaipur.SFA's mission is to transform India into a nation that values and invests in sports culture. Rajas Joshi, Founding Member and Chief Operating Officer of SFA, emphasized, "Our commitment extends beyond organizing championships; it's about elevating grassroots and participative sports across India. By prioritizing athletes' needs and leveraging technology, we have created a unified platform to discover talent across multiple sports."The SFA Championships have ignited a passion for sports among over 350,000 young athletes from nearly 7000 schools. This initiative aims to foster a resilient and resurgent sporting nation by placing school sports in the spotlight.The championships will return to the national capital for the second time, taking place from October 5-15 in Delhi. Prestigious venues like Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Indira Gandhi Stadium will host the event. In the inaugural Delhi edition, over 6200 athletes from 500 schools participated, bringing glory to their institutions.SFA offers a wide range of sports for athletes aged 3-18, including basketball, football, volleyball, swimming, athletics, and many more. To enhance the experience and benefits for competing athletes, SFA has integrated technology into the championships. AI-powered match videos and tech-enabled fitness assessments provide athletes and coaches with detailed performance analytics, enabling them to make data-driven training decisions.The SFA Championships will also be showcased in a series on grassroots and participative sports on JioCinema, one of India's largest OTT platforms.

India's Nihal Singh and Rudransh Khandelwal narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 final at the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Singh finished 19th with a score of 522, while Khandelwal placed 22nd with 517 points in the 60-shot qualification round.This setback comes after Singh's failure to reach the Mixed 25m Pistol (SH1) final, where he finished 10th in the qualification. Both Singh and Khandelwal had previously secured silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the Mixed 50m Pistol (SH1) at the Para-Shooting World Cup in March 2023.Despite their individual disappointments, the duo, along with Tokyo Paralympics medalist Singhraj Adhana, contributed to India's silver medal in the Mixed 50m Pistol team event.Khandelwal's journey to the Paralympics has been marked by resilience. After losing his left leg in a fireworks blast in 2015, he spent months recuperating at home. His parents encouraged him to try shooting, and he began training at a local range in Bharatpur, Rajasthan.India's Paralympic contingent has so far amassed 21 medals in Paris, surpassing its tally of 19 at the Tokyo Games in 2021. The current medal count stands at three gold, eight silver, and ten bronze.

Indian para-athlete Amisha narrowly missed out on a medal in the F46 Shot Put final at the ongoing Paris Paralympics, finishing 14th with a personal best of 9.25 m. The podium was dominated by Noelle Malkamaki of the USA, who set a new world record with a throw of 14.06 m, Mariia Shpatkivska of Ukraine with an area record of 12.35 m, and Holly Robinson of New Zealand with a throw of 11.88 m.In the men's up to 49 kg para-lifting category, India's Parmjeet Kumar also failed to secure a medal, finishing eighth with a best lift of 150 kg. The gold medal went to Jordan's Qarada Omar Sami Hamadeh (181 kg), followed by Turkey's Abdullah Kayapinar (180 kg) and Vietnam's Le Van Cong (171 kg).Despite these setbacks, the Indian contingent has already amassed 21 medals (three gold, eight silver, and ten bronze) and is poised to extend its record medal haul in a single edition of the Paralympics. In the Tokyo edition, India recorded its best-ever medal tally of 19 (five gold, eight silver, and six bronze).On Wednesday, para-athlete Sachin Khilari clinched the silver medal in the men's shot put F46 final with a throw of 16.32 m, setting an area record. However, he narrowly missed the gold by 0.6 m.Over the past few days, the Indian contingent has won 13 medals, including golds for Avani Lekhara in the women's 10m air rifle and Sumit Antil in the men's javelin throw F64, silver medals for Manish Narwal in the men's 10m air pistol SH1 and Nishad Kumar in the men's high jump T47, and bronze medals for Mona Agarwal in the women's 10m air rifle, Rubina Francis in the women's 10m air pistol SH-1, Preeti Pal in the women's 100m T35, Yogesh Kathuniya in the men's discus throw F56, Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi in the mixed team compound archery, Nithya Sre Sivan in the women's SH6 para-badminton, Nitesh in the men's singles SL3 para-badminton, Thulasimathi Murugesan in the women's singles SU5 para-badminton, and Manisha in the women's singles SU5 para-badminton.

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.

India's Sachin Sarjerao Khilari has etched his name in Paralympic history by securing a silver medal in the men's shot put F46 event at the ongoing Games in Paris. With an Asian record distance of 16.32m, Khilari showcased his exceptional athleticism and determination.Khilari's triumph marks the 11th medal for India in para-athletics at these Games. The 34-year-old athlete had previously won a gold medal at the World Para-Athletics Championships in Japan in May, setting an Asian record of 16.30m.In Paris, Khilari's best throw came in his second attempt, surpassing his own previous record. Canada's Greg Stewart, the defending Paralympic champion, retained his gold with a throw of 16.38m. Luka Bakovic of Croatia claimed the bronze with a distance of 16.27m.Khilari's success is a testament to his unwavering spirit and the support he has received. The F46 classification is designed for athletes with arm deficiency, impaired muscle power, or impaired passive range of movement in arms. Khilari competes in a standing position despite having an impaired left hand.His journey to the Paralympic podium has been marked by hard work, dedication, and a belief in his abilities. Khilari's silver medal is a source of pride for India and an inspiration to athletes around the world.

Indian Cyclists Arshad Shaik and Jyoti Gaderiya Finish Respectably at ParalympicsIndian cyclists Arshad Shaik and Jyoti Gaderiya showcased their determination and resilience at the Paralympics in Paris on Wednesday, competing in their respective cycling events.Gaderiya, competing in the women's C1 individual time trial, faced a challenging 5.8km course. Despite finishing in 16th and last position, she displayed unwavering spirit, completing the race in 30 minutes and 0.16 seconds. Germany's Maike Hausberger emerged victorious, securing the gold medal with a time of 21:30.45. Britain's Frances Brown and Sweden's Anna Beck followed closely, claiming silver and bronze with times of 21:46.18 and 21:54.71, respectively.In the men's C2 time trial, Arshad Shaik also faced a demanding 5.8km course. Despite finishing 11th and last, he demonstrated his tenacity, crossing the finish line in 25:20.11. France's Alexandre Leaute dominated the event, winning the gold medal with an impressive time of 19:24.25. Belgium's Ewoud Vromant and Australia's Darren Hicks secured silver and bronze with times of 19:26.45 and 19:26.61, respectively.Athletes in the women's C1 and men's C2 classes typically have limb deficiencies, impaired muscle power or range of motion, or impairments affecting coordination. Jyoti Gaderiya's journey to the Paralympics has been marked by adversity. Following a bike accident in May 2016, she underwent a left leg amputation. Despite this setback, she has persevered, and the Paralympics marks her participation in four events.Arshad Shaik has also faced challenges, having suffered multiple injuries, including a left leg above-knee amputation, in a road accident in 2004 at the age of 11. His determination and resilience have propelled him to the Paralympics, where he continues to inspire others.