Tag: Sports

In a sparkling show by India’s women wrestlers at the Under-17 World Championships, four grapplers annexed the titles in Amman (Jordan) on August 22, and at least two more are in gold medal contention.
Aditi Kumari (43kg), Neha (57kg), Pulkit (65kg) and Mansi Lather (73kg) won world titles in their respective categories with remarkable ease. Kajal (69kg) and Shrutika Patil (46kg) will also compete in the gold medal bouts on Friday after making the finals.
India can bag more medals as Raj Bala (40kg) will compete in the bronze playoff while Muskan (53kg) and Rajnita (61kg) are still in contention for podium finishes by making the repechage round. India are now certain to win the women’s team trophy despite not fielding a wrestler in the 49kg weight class.
Aditi emerged champion after blanking Maria Louiza Gkika of Greece 7-0 in the title clash. Neha overpowered Japan’s So Tsuitsui as she stood out with her double-leg attacks. Neha hardly gave a chance to her rival in the gold medal bout. Pulkit faced Daria Frolova, who is competing as a neutral athlete, and won 6-3. She was leading 5-0 but conceded a pushout point and caution late in the bout that allowed Frolova to gain three points. Frolova made a desperate attempt to get the winning move but Pulkit defended well in the final 20 seconds to claim the title.
Mansi raced to a 5-0 lead against Hanna Pirskaya and then found a way to pin her rival, ending the bout in style. India also won two bronze medals in the Greco-Roman category with Ronak Dahiya and Sainath Pardhi (51kg) ending on the podium.
Vinesh Phogat’s brand value skyrockets after Paris Olympics 2024
Vinesh Phogat had a memorable, but disappointing Paris Olympics 2024 campaign. It was supposed to be a moment of redemption, but it became a stuttering end to her glittering career. With Antil Panghal in her weight category, she had to drop down to 50 kg and qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024.
According to Economic Times, Vinesh’s performances in Paris caught the entire’s nation’s attention and her endorsement fee has also taken a huge surge. She reportedly charged Rs 25 lakh for each endorsement deal before Paris 2024, and has increased it in the region of Rs 75 lakh and 1 crore for a single brand.
Vinesh also returnedto India to a rousing welcome. He was feted by several supporters and khap panchayats as she made her way to her village Balali. Hundreds of supporters were outside the IGI airport and welcomed her to the beats of dhol, as she made her way out.
With at least silver expected, tragedy struck ahead of the gold medal bout. In the weigh-in for the final, Vinesh was 100 gm overweight and was therefore disqualified. Stunned by the decision, she appealed to the CAS, and also announced her retirement. The CAS verdict also didn’t go to her side.

Cricket Australia (CA) on Thursday, August 22, announced their squad for the upcoming Women’s Under-19 Tri-series involving New Zealand and Sri Lanka, set to take place from September 19 in Brisbane. The Youth Selection Panel has selected 15-player squads for each format (T20 and 50-over) for the Tri series in Brisbane and Gold Coast. Former Australian player Kristen Beams has been named as the head coach of the squad. In this 14-day tri-series, Australia will play four T20s and two One-Day matches. The squad comprises three Indian origin players in Ribya Syan, Samara Dulvin, and Hasrat Gill. “Their inclusion reflects the growing diversity within Australian cricket and the significant contributions of players with Indian heritage,” CA said in their statement. Australian U19 Women’s – T20 Squad: Bonnie Berry, Caoimhe Bray, Ella Briscoe, Maggie Clark, Samara Dulvin, Lucy Finn, Hasrat Gill, Lucy Hamilton, Amy Hunter, Eleanor Larosa, Ines McKeon, Ribhya Syan, Tegan Williamson, Elizabeth Worthley, Hayley Zauch.
Australian U19 Women’s – 50 Over Squad: Bonnie Berry, Caoimhe Bray, Ella Briscoe, Maggie Clark, Samara Dulvin, Lucy Finn, Hasrat Gill, Amy Hunter, Eleanor Larosa, Ines McKeon, Juliette Morton (NSW) Ribhya Syan, Tegan Williamson, Elizabeth Worthley, Hayley Zauch.

Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finished second in the Lausanne Diamond League as he recovered in time to produce a season’s best effort of 89.49m in his last attempt on Thursday, August 22.
The 26-year-old Chopra was at fourth spot till the fourth round before sending his spear to 85.58m in his fifth attempt. He saved the best for the last as his sixth and final attempt measured 89.49m, which was better than his performance in the Paris Olympics.
He was in danger of missing the sixth throw but his fifth round effort of 85.58m saved him. Only the top three after five rounds get their respective final attempts.
Two-time world champion and Paris Olympics bronze medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada won the event with his second round monster throw of 90.61m while Julian Weber of Germany took the third spot with 87.08m.
“The feeling wasn’t great at first, but I´m happy with my throw, especially the second (career) best throw on my last attempt. It was a tough start, but the comeback was really nice and I enjoyed the fighting spirit I showed,” Chopra said after the event.

“Even though my early throws were around 80-83m, I pushed hard in the last two attempts finishing strong. Competing at this high level, it’s important to stay mentally tough and fight through.” Nursing a long-standing groin injury, Chopra claimed a silver in the Paris Olympics on August 8 with an 89.45m throw, having won a historic gold in the Tokyo edition of the Games three years ago. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem had beaten Chopra for the gold in Paris with an Olympic record throw of 92.97m.
Peters, who had struggled to find his form last year, led the competition from beginning to end and he stamped his class with the 90m-plus throw in the last round. He has a personal best of 93.07m which he had produced in 2022. With seven points from Thursday’s second-place finish, Chopra will be on joint third spot with Weber on Diamond League standings with 15 points. Peters jumped to top spot with 21 points.
Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, who finished seventh (82.03m) on Thursday, is in second spot with 16 points.
On Saturday, Chopra had confirmed his participation at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, leaving a decision on a possible surgery after the end of the season.
Chopra was the Diamond League champion in 2022 and finished second behind Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic in the winner-takes-all DL final in Eugene, USA, last year.
This season’s DL finals will be held in Brussels on September 14. He needs to finish in the top-six of the Diamond League meetings series standings to qualify for the season finale.
There is another DL meeting — in Zurich on September 5 — which has a men’s javelin throw event in its roster. Chopra had won the Lausanne leg of the Diamond League in 2022 and 2023, but could not do so this time. In fact, Chopra is yet to win a DL meeting this year. He finished second behind Vadlejch in Doha on May 10.
Chopra has been managing his groin injury since winning the gold in the Budapest World Championships last year. Source: PTI

T10, the latest and shortest version of instant cricket, will make its debut in Canada later this month. This time, girls and women in colorful clothing will take to the field in the first-ever major international T10 event on Canadian soil. Instead of Brampton, the acknowledged cricket capital of cricket in Canada, this marquee event will be held at Danville Park in Mississauga.
After the mixed success of the weather-marred T20 World Cup for men jointly staged by the USA and West Indies, cricket looks set to spread its base in North America. Early this month, Brampton organized its second edition of the GT 20 cricket tournament. Women cricketers will now take over the onerous task of popularizing this bat and ball game further in Canada through this three-day extravaganza featuring both present and upcoming women cricketers.
“We are thrilled to bring such a high-caliber event to Mississauga,” Atul Ahuja, Curator, said. “The World T10TM Women’s Series and World T10TM Rising Star Women Series are set to be incredible showcases of talent and skill. We invite fans from all around to join us in celebrating the sport and supporting these fantastic teams and players.”
After Brampton, it is now the turn of Mississauga to host an exciting sports extravaganza. It is all set to welcome the World T10TM Women’s Series and the World T10TM Rising Star Women’s Series from August 31 to September 2. This thrilling weekend of T10 will feature some of the best players from across Canada and the Caribbean, showcasing high-energy matches and unparalleled sporting talent. Former Member of the Provincial Assembly and sitting Councillor Dipika Damerla will inaugurate the series on August 31.
In the World T10TM Women’s Series, three teams – Trinidad South Young Warriors, Mississauga Premiers and Montreal Thunders – will battle it out for supremacy:
Since it will be a premier event, each team will bring its A-game to the field, promising exhilarating matches to showcase of high-octane fast paced sport. T10, being the latest and shortest version, not only promises exciting battles between the bat and the ball but also some sizzling shots, some spectacular saves on the field and some immaculate bowling to ensure each game witnesses rapid scoring, dynamic gameplay, and intense competition as these teams vie for the top spot.
Simultaneously, the World T10TM Rising Star Women Series will highlight the emerging talent of three promising teams – East Credit Rapids, Meadowvale Glory, and Malton Arrows. This series for promising and upcoming players will provide a platform for the next generation of players to shine and demonstrate their skills on a grand stage. The Rising Star Series promises to be a launchpad for future stars. The T10 format, known for its fast-paced and action-packed nature, ensures that both series will be a spectacle of high-intensity match-ups, providing entertainment for all fans of the sport.

(Prabhjot Singh is a senior journalist. He writes with equal aplomb on sports and politics. He can be reached at Prabhjot416@gmail.com)

Lanky goalkeeper from Kerala, PR Sreejesh, chose an opportune moment to say goodbye to competitive hockey. His heroics helped India to win back-to-back- bronze medals in Olympic hockey. For India, it was India’s fourth bronze medal of the games. Two contrasting retirements announced during the past two days have set in motion, animated debates in Indian sports circles. After the weighing-in fiasco in the 50 kg event in wrestling for women forced Vinesh Phogat to say goodbye to competitive sport, goalkeeper Sreejesh had declared that the Paris Olympic Games would be his last international outing. Vinesh Phogat left on a bitter note. For the year preceding the Olympic Games, she was out in the streets fighting for the dignity and honor of her fellow wrestlers and women grapplers. She faced the wrath of the police normally associated with its strong-arm tactics in handling peaceful demonstrations. Her pleas to the Union Government, including the Prime Minister, against the alleged “misconduct of the President of the Wrestling Federation of India”, went unheeded. The only outcome of the struggle led by Vinesh was a change in the leadership of the Federation. The “controversial” outgoing President got his nominee installed in his place. She could not compete in any international wrestling meet for the whole year. The Federation chose another wrestler in the weight category – 53 kg – she used to compete. Instead, she was offered a higher weight – 57 kg – category for the Paris Olympic Games. Vinesh chose a lower weight – 50 kg – category.
She put up a performance unprecedented by any woman wrestler of the past. In three bouts she participated in the Paris Olympic Games, she defeated world and defending Olympic champion Yui Sasuki of Japan besides Oksana Livach of Ukraine. In the semi-finals, she took on Guzman Lopez of Cuba. She majestically marched into the gold medal round where she had set up a summit clash with American Sarah Ann Hildebrandt.
Weighing-in ceremony on the day of her glory turned out to be her nightmare. Shocks were aplenty in store for her. She weighed 100 gm more than the maximum body weight permissible in the category. She was disqualified. She was also deprived of the credit for winning three bouts she had contested legitimately by adhering to the weighing-in norms.
She lost her battle. She tweeted “Mother wrestling you won, I lost.” It expressed her anguish as her struggle spanning over three Olympic Games ended in agony, despair, and humiliation. In Rio, she got injured and in the second Olympics in Tokyo, she got no respite, and Paris left no choice but to say goodbye to a sport she dedicated her entire life. She left the Olympic village disappointed, dejected, and tired. It came as a sad end to a career in a sport where women were made to fight for their dignity and honor while pursuing their future in sports.
Sreejesh, on the other hand, decided to say goodbye to a sport he remained associated with for more than two decades. Two bronze medals are no mean achievement in a sport where India won an Olympic medal after a gap of 41 years in Tokyo.
He played a stellar role in the just concluded hockey competition for men, performing consistently well throughout the tournament, executing several superb saves, including a couple in the penalty shootout in the quarterfinals against Great Britain.
India started its Olympic campaign with a bronze medal in shooting. Competing in her second Olympic Games, Manu Bhaker, a shooter from Jhajjar in Haryana, opened the country’s account with a podium finish in the 10 m Air Pistol event. three bronze medals in shooting, there was a hiatus in the hunt for medals.
Manu Bhaker emerged as the new sports icon of the country as she got her second bronze in the same games in the 10 m Air Pistol Mixed team event in partnership with Sarabjot Singh. She came close to winning her third successive medal in Paris as she finished a close fourth in her pet event of 25 m Air Pistol.
Swapnil Kusale became the first male athlete to win a medal for India in Paris. He finished third in the 50 m Air Rifle 3 positions. Other shooters came close but could not win a medal. Arjun Babuta was one of them. Expectations were high from the 117-member squad that had set a target of getting into double figures for its medal tally. The slogan “Iss bar, dusk ke paar” looked working at the start. But once the medal hunt in shooting came to a standstill, the Indian challenge started fizzling. Vinesh Phogat had raised hopes of first-ever silver or gold in women’s wrestling. But it was not to be. Rather, it left a bitter taste in the mouth. Quest for ascertaining the truth behind the unsavory controversy may continue for a while till one of the parties breaks the silence on the subject.
The Badminton squad also gave hopes of a couple of medals, including third in a row by women’s singles ace, PV Sindhu, and our world champion men’s doubles champion team of Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. After these medal hopes failed to cross the pre-quarterfinal hurdle, Lakshya Sen emerged as a strong contender for first-ever badminton medal in the men’s section. He, however, met his Waterloo in the defending champion Viktor Alexsen before losing the bronze medal hope to Malaysian Zii Jin. Bronze medal triumph in hockey warmed the cockles of hearts of ardent not only in the country but worldwide.

On Thursday, August 8, Neeraj Chopra’s second throw did the magic for him. An 89.45m long second throw helped him achieve the second position on the podium. His other five throws were all adjudged as fouls. Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan won the gold medal, as he logged a 92.97m throw in his second attempt, creating a new Olympic record. Grenada’s Anderson Peters finished third in the competition after hus 88.54m throw. And Aman Sehrawat wins bronze, becomes India’s youngest Olympic medal winner.

As long as sports rivalries are confined or restricted to competition venues or playfields, they can pave the way for bonhomie between nations locked in conflicts. The latest rivalry to hit the world of sports is between World Champion Neeraj Chopra and new Olympic champion Nadeem Arshad. They both compete in Javelin throw events in Track and Field. Nadeem Arshad created a new Olympic record when he hurled the javelin to 92.97 meters. Andreas Thorikildsen of Norway held by the previous record of 90.57 m he had set during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, India earned its sixth medal, a bronze in wrestling. Aman beat Darian Toi Cruz (Portugal) 13-5 in the bronze medal match in the 57 kg category. Aman had lost to Higuchi Rei of Japan in the semi-finals yesterday.
Aman has become the only Indian wrestler to win a medal in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Earlier, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) started hearing the petition filed by Vinesh Phogat against her disqualification for weighing 100 gm more than the permissible weight in her category. The CAS decision on the appeal is expected before the curtain is rung down on the Games on Sunday.
Vinesh had won all her three bouts while qualifying for the gold medal match before she was disqualified for being 100 gm overweight on the day of the final.
Cricket, hockey, kabaddi, and wrestling rivalries between India and Pakistan are well known. They not only act as catalysts in enhancing the performance of players of the rival nations but also serve as great crowd pullers to venues of competitions of such rivalries.
Neeraj Chopra had become the first Indian athlete – track and field – to win an individual Olympic gold in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Nadeem Arshad who was placed fifth in the Tokyo Olympic Games created a sensation with a record throw of 92.97 meters to become the new Olympic champion pushing his friend-cum-rival Neeraj Chopra to second spot. Neeraj could clear 89.45 m.
Incidentally, Nadeem Arshad has become the first Pakistani athlete to win an Olympic gold for his country in the Track and Field events. Only two individual Olympic medals have been won by Pakistan since it got its independence in 1947.
In the 1960 Rome Olympics, Pakistan won a bronze in wrestling and 28 years later, it got its second individual medal in boxing in Seoul (1988). Now Nadeem has given the country its first-ever individual medal in Olympic sports. Pakistan has been the winner of Olympic hockey gold a couple of times. It first won the hockey crown in the Rome Olympics in 1960.
Thursday’s (Aug 8) contest between Neeraj Chopra and Nadeem Arshad had assumed tremendous interest as both come from low middle-class families. Neeraj Chopra, now serving the Indian Army, hails from Haryana while Nadeem Arshad comes from Khanwala in Pakistan.
Khanwala is a small city with a population of over 1.15 lakh. It has three international colleges and a business school. Nadeem had been visiting nearby villages and towns to raise funds for his training. Some months ago, when he left a message on social media seeking help to buy a new javelin, Neeraj Chopra was among the first few to respond.
Though Neeraj and Nadeem have competed against each other 11 times, they remain good friends outside the competition arena. Neeraj was the first to congratulate Nadeem when he created a new Olympic record on Thursday.
Of six throws, Nadeem, like Neeraj, had his first throw declared null. He, however, twice sent the javelin past the 90-metre mark, his second turned out to be the ultimate winner as it cleared 92.97 meters. His sixth and last was 91.79 meters.
The second throw by Neeraj was not only his best but also the only legitimate hurl. He cleared 89.45 m, his season’s best that got him the silver. It was a rare achievement by any Indian athlete to win a gold and a silver in back-to-back Olympic Games.
Though India missed a gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Neeraj Chopra’s second successive Olympic medal accorded some respectability to the Indian medal tally that stood at one silver and four bronze medals. Earlier, India won its second – back-to-back – bronze medal in Olympic hockey for men.

Prabhjot Singh, a senior sports journalist, in his career spanning 40 years, has witnessed, and reported on six summer Olympic games, one winter Olympic games, seven World Cups in Hockey, FIFA World Cup in 2006, besides three World Cups in Cricket, and two editions of Pan Am Games (Toronto and Lima). He has also covered Asian Games (New Delhi and Jakarta) and Commonwealth games in Melbourne and New Delhi.
He will be in Paris from July 23, 2024 till August 13, 2024 to cover the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris which has the distinction of hosting the Olympic Games for a third time. Earlier , Paris hosted the Olympic Games in 1900 and 1924. The only other city to host Olympic Games three times is London which hosted Olympic Games in 1908, 1948 and 2012.
Readers of The Indian Panorama will get to read Prabhjot Singh’s special reports on Olympic Games 24 straight from Paris on a daily basis at www.theindianpanorama.news besides selected reports in the weekly editions. Prabhjot Singh can be reached at prabhjot416@gmail.com
India has done it again. It prevented a sweep by European teams in Olympic hockey while reasserting Asian presence among the top three. India’s convincing 2-1 win over Spain in a pulsating bronze medal reiterated that the similar position win in the previous edition of the Games was no fluke. Incidentally, both in Tokyo and here, India beat European opponents for the bronze medal match. In Tokyo, it was Germany.
Skipper Hamanpreet Singh again led the team from the front. He not only proved a big inspiration for all members of the team. He not only emerged as one of the top scorers of the tournament with an individual tally of 10 goals – six penalty corners and four penalty strokes – but also his presence on the field when the team needed him most proved in the battle for a second successive Olympic medal.
India was known for its longest trail of gold medal triumphs from 1928 to 1956. And now, it has its bronze medal trial with two triumphs in successive editions of the Olympic games.
It was Spain that drew the first blood. In the 18th minute when Gerard Clares was obstructed at the top of the penalty circle, a penalty stroke was awarded. It was greeted with a pin-drop silence as the stands were overflowing with fans of Indian hockey.
India decided to take it in its stride. Captain of Spain Marc Miralles made no mistake with the stroke to put his team ahead. The goal spurned the Indian team as it put everything in its game to restore parity as early as possible. With more ammunition in its firing line, it saw both Lalit and Hardik making valiant attempts on their opponent’s goal. In between Spain earned a penalty corner which Indian defense cleared. Spain followed with another good move between Borja Ladalle and Gerard Clares in the 25th minute. As usual veteran of many such battles, Sreejesh stood his ground well and prevented Spain from consolidating its lead. Indian goal had another providential escape in the 28th minute when the attempted shot at the goal hit the goal post and bounced back into play. A penalty corner followed.
Indian team, however, had different plans. Just seconds before the game broke for the interval, India earned a penalty corner. Skipper Harmanpreet had set for himself an onerous task of restoring parity for his team. He made no mistake and put the teams as par.
Harmanpreet continued from where he left in the first half. Three minutes into the second half, after a video referral, India got a penalty corner. This time again, the Indian skipper was ruthless with his flick to give his team a crucial 2-1 lead. India survived some powerful attacks, including a series of penalty corners in the last three minutes. The defense stood its ground well and did not allow the Spaniards any clear look at its goal.
There was a commotion when India defended two penalty corners in the dying minutes. Sreejesh went down on the field and all players in an emotive gesture sprawled over to him to give him a warm farewell from competitive hockey.