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Tag: Olympics

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Badminton qualification for Paris 2024 explained: Which Indians are in Olympic fray and how does process work?

As the 2024 badminton season is here, Indian shuttlers resume their Paris 2024 qualification quests. The first major event of the year is in Kuala Lumpur from Tuesday – the Malaysia Open Super 1000 – and that will be followed by the India Open Super 750 in New Delhi the week after.Here’s a look at how qualification to Paris works and how the Indian contingent is placed at the start of the year. How do players qualify for the Olympics? A total of 172 players across the five categories – men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles – will compete at the Olympics. A maximum of 8 men and 8 women can qualify per NOC. The ‘Race to Paris’ ranking lists as of 30 April 2024 will be used to allocate the athletes’ quota places and each list will be based on res...
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Runs, wickets, medals and glory beckon India in 2024 | More sports News – Times of India

In the sporting calendar, an Olympic year consumes everything – the months leading up to the Games brim with anticipation and stories of preparations for war. The months after are dominated by memories of great performances, stories of grit, determination, joy, grief, of new stars making their breakthroughs, and last hurrahs for the fading ones.Cricket mania continues But this is also a cricket World Cup year. Lest there be any doubt about the frenetic, near-insane stacking of cricket tournaments in the year, there are, in fact, three cricket World Cups in 2024. In February, the India Under-19s will defend their title in South Africa. India are the most successful side in the tournament’s history, having won it five times, including in 2022 under the captaincy of Yash Dhull.Hunting for ...
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After year spent in dealing with one injury after another, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu still looks ahead to possible route to Paris Olympics podium

For some of India’s top stars, 2023 was the year when they had to pause, reflect and reboot. In some cases, to recover from injuries; in a few others, to rediscover lost form. All in the hope that when the big day comes, they’ll be ready and recharged for the challenge Vijay Sharma, her coach, manages a few words. Although they might not be too flattering. “Bohut hi bekaar (very bad),” the Dronacharya awardee, who transformed Mirabai from just another weightlifter to an Olympic silver medallist, despondently admits. It’s been that kind of a year for Mirabai. One where she has spent as much time, if not more, on the surgeon’s table and sitting before a psychologist as she has lifting weights and defying gravity, which she so gracefully does. One where she has endured more injuries than t...
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After Satwik-Chirag, a host of badminton doubles pairings ready to step up in Olympic year

One of the rub-offs of the success of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in doubles is a bunch of younger-paired shuttlers starting to aim high. As soon as the possibility of an Olympic qualification was dangled in front of Tanisha Crasto, the formerly laidback 20-year-old got her act together. Her off-court habits – sleep and food-related – have wisened up. And she’s considerably calmer on court, helped by Ashwini Ponnappa’s composed presence. The year’s final month has seen Tanisha enter the Top 25 in doubles rankings with Ashwini, and the rejigged pair of Tanisha and Dhruv Kapila win their first minor title in mixed, raising hopes of a strong headway in a category where Indians haven’t quite taken off since Jwala Gutta-V Diju left the scene a decade ago. Tanisha had a blossomi...
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Russians, Belarusians to participate at Paris Olympics as neutrals: IOC | More sports News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The International Olympic Committee on Friday gave the green light to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals without flags, emblems or anthems at the next year's event in Paris. The IOC added that there were currently only eight athletes from Russia and three from Belarus who had qualified as neutral athletes. In comparison, more than 60 Ukrainian athletes have qualified for next year's Paris Olympics.The athletes were initially banned from competing internationally following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.In March, however, the IOC issued a first set of recommendations for international sports federations to allow Russian and Belarusian competitors to return and they have since done so in most events."The Executive Board (EB) of the IOC has ...
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Abhinav Bindra roped in as ‘mentor’ to prepare shooting team for Paris 2024 – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The failure of the country’s shooters to land a single medal at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Games has forced the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) to knock on the doors of the Indian shooting’s stalwarts to guide the current lot of marksmen to Olympic glory at the Paris edition in 2024.In its efforts, the NRAI has officially roped in India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, as ‘mentor’ to prepare the air pistol and rifle teams for the Paris Games.Bindra will be associated with the squad till the end of the ParisOlympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11. Similarly, four-time Olympian trap shooter, Mansher Singh, has come on board as ‘mentor’ to train the shotgun team.While Bindra hasn’t officially travelled with the team so far and has larg...
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For Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, China’s smiling assassins biggest challengers heading into Olympic year

Of all the pairings that Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty battled this outstanding season, the Chinese Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang have proven to be the trickiest to tactically break down.A couple of specific pairings, Seo-Kang and Astrup-Rasmussen, will demand a few technical tweaks from the Indians but Satwik-Chirag will be on their way against those sooner than later. Against Liang-Wang, though, they need careful and constant threadbaring and strategy upgrades and improvs heading into the 2024 season. The Chinese are not exactly nemeses who just can’t be stubbed out or swatted aside like the Minions once were. They aren’t India’s bogey team either, yet can morph into a bee in a bonnet. For, their ability to shape-shift and dish out new threats is dangerous as Indians head ...
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Paris metro ticket prices to nearly double during 2024 Olympics | More sports News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: To accommodate the increased demand and operational costs during the 2024 Paris Olympics, the city's regional transport authority has announced a significant price increase for metro tickets. The move aims to offset the expenses associated with providing transportation services for the millions of additional visitors expected during the Games.According to the announcement, single metro tickets will see a nearly doubling in price, increasing from 2.10 euros to 4 euros.Similarly, 10-ticket blocks will be sold for 32 euros, up from the current 16.90 euros. The adjustments are set to be effective from July 20 to September 8, covering the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.Valerie Pecresse, the head of the Paris region's transport authority, assured that the substantial ...
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Becoming world No. 1 in six months is the aim, says Indian men’s hockey coach Craig Fulton | Hockey News – Times of India

CHENNAI: It’s been only seven months since Craig Fulton took over as the India men’s hockey head coach. Since then, the team has won the Asian Games gold medal and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Fulton, who is here in Chennai to observe the Indian players’ performance in the senior hockey Nationals, said he admires the ambition of the squad.In an interaction, the 49-year-old South African spoke on Olympic preparation and more. Excerpts:How is the Paris Olympics preparation going?First thing was to qualify, so we did that well at the Asian Games. It was a good milestone. Now, it’s just to put a good programme together, so we peak at the right time physically, and everything comes together at the right moment. We’ve quite a few tournaments before the Olympics which can become diff...
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IOC to decide on Afghanistan’s participation in LA Olympics 2028, says ICC CEO Allardice | Cricket News – Times of India

LONDON: ICC CEO Geoff Allardice has said that the final call on Afghanistan's participation in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will be taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).He also said that the ICC will not have much role to play in this case."(In) the Olympic competition teams are fielded by the National Olympic Committees of those countries. As an international sporting federation, we position our sport with the LA28organisers for inclusion.And, the IOC and they (LA28) have included cricket," Allardice said during the BBC's Stumped podcast."In terms of the position of the National Olympic Committee of Afghanistan, it's probably something for the IOC to be able to address more accurately than me."But, I know that they (IOC) have been following the progress or the ...
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I have reached this stage through series of defeats: Neeraj Chopra | More sports News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Friday said he braved many adversities and defeats in the initial days of his career to become what he is today, a champion athlete.Introduced into the game to overcome obesity, Chopra scaled the pinnacle of javelin throw event by winning the Olympic gold as well as the World Championship.But by his own admission the journey was far from rosy."It is through defeats that I have reached this stage. In 2017 I had started competing in international events in Diamond League, so since 2017 till 2021, I kept losing. It was in 2022 Diamond League when I first got a position in the podium. So the winning didn't start all of a sudden," Chopra said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here.Injuries also made him stronger as Chopra missed the 201...
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‘My job is to shoot, jab goli nishane pe lage…” Anish Bhanwala clinches Paris Olympics shooting quota for India

The Haryana shooter Anish Bhanwala didn’t go back to his home in Karnal after he finished 22nd at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Instead the 21-year-old called his coach, the Commonwealth medallist Harpreet Singh, to Delhi to train him at Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges for two-three weeks leading into the Asian Shooting Championships. On Monday, Bhanwala secured India’s 12th Paris Olympics quota in shooting with a bronze medal in the men’s 25m Rapid Fire final in the Asian Shooting Championship in Changwon, Korea. He is now headed to the Changwon market to get a gift for his longtime coach and his father. “Mera kaam hai goli chalana and jab goli nishane pe lage toh who choti choti Khushi hi badi Khushi ka rasta banati hai (My job is to shoot and when the bullet hits the bulls eye, those sma...
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Faster, higher, stronger… warmer: How future editions of Summer Olympics could evolve due to climate change

Last week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were forced to confront the growing challenge that climate change could have on the Games. IOC chief Thomas Bach pointed out that due to warming temperatures, there will practically remain just 10 countries that could host snow events by 2040. The most recent edition of the Winter Olympics — hosted by China in Beijing — heavily relied on artificial snow. To deal with the issue, the IOC said it was exploring the idea of having a small rotating pool of host countries in place for the Winter Olympics. “Climate change is already having an effect on sport. In winter sports, the lack of snow is already leading to a shift: from the sports of snow, which means outdoor sports, to sports competed on ice, which means indoors,” Bach had told a se...
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Cricket approved by IOC for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The International Olympic Committee's executive on Friday approved the inclusion of cricket in the programme for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.IOC President Thomas Bach, following a meeting of the executive board in Mumbai, announced that LA organisers' proposal for Twenty 20 cricket, the sport's shortest established international format, had been accepted.ICC World Cup 2023 expected to inject $2.6 Billion into India's Economy, here's howCricket is set to be one of five new sports, along with baseball/softball, flag football (a non-contact variant of American football), squash, and lacrosse.However, the final decision for the inclusion of these new sports will depend on a vote by the IOC membership, scheduled for Monday, before they can be confirmed as part of the 2028 Games....
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IOC chief Thomas Bach: Serious considerations, interest in India on hosting Olympics

Ahead of the 141st session of the International Olympic Committee here, IOC president Thomas Bach said he has noted India’s “great interest” in hosting the Games, while adding that the T20 format, which is set to be included in the 2028 edition, was the perfect vehicle to re-introduce cricket into the quadrennial sporting extravaganza. There has been talk of India throwing its hat in the ring to stage the Olympics, possibly in 2036, and while the official bidding process hasn’t started yet, Bach said there are “serious considerations” about the possibility. “We have so far noted that there’s a great interest and there are apparently serious considerations here within India (to bid for the Games). We have to wait now how this will turn into a project and will be brought forward to us. On...
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Cricket at the Olympics – good news all around for a sport going global

For the average cricket fan, the news that the sport will be featured at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 is welcome, even inspiring. Modern players from Steve Smith and Trent Boult to Ravichandran Ashwin and Shubhman Gill have said they are all for it. An Olympic gold is the most coveted honour in international sport even if world championships are sometimes seen to be on a plane of their own. But administrators seldom think like the average fan – their pulls and pressures are different. For long the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was opposed to Olympics participation for a variety of reasons, as were the players themselves. The International Cricket Council (ICC) was not too keen either, seeing the quadrennial event cutting into their already crowded calendar. Unique and...
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LA28’s recommendation for inclusion of cricket in Olympics delights ICC | Cricket News – Times of India

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is thrilled with the decision made by the organisers of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics to propose the inclusion of cricket as a sport in the Games.Following a comprehensive two-year process, during which the ICC collaborated closely with LA28, the selection of sports to be added in Los Angeles now incorporates cricket. This development marks a significant milestone, as cricket's inclusion will be submitted for approval to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).“We are delighted that LA28 have recommended cricket for inclusion in the Olympics," said ICC chairman Greg Barclay in a media statement.“Whilst this is not the final decision, it is a very significant landmark towards seeing cricket at the Olympics for the first time in more than a centur...
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LeBron James interested in joining Team USA at 2024 Paris Olympics Games, say reports

LeBron James may have sat out the last two Olympics but the NBA’s all-time leading scorer is interested in making a return to the international stage with USA Basketball at the 2024 Paris Games, according to multiple reports on Monday.Most Read 1 India vs Pakistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2023: Kuldeep Yadav claims fifer as India defeat Pakistan by 228 runs 2 Jawan box office collection Day 4: Shah Rukh Khan-starrer grosses Rs 520 crore globally in four days See More Citing unnamed sources, ESPN said James is among a number of top players who are interested in competing in Paris while The Athletic said the Los Angeles Lakers forward has already called multiple stars in a bid to recruit them.James has not played for...
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Neeraj Chopra looks to maintain Diamond League unbeaten streak in Zurich | More sports News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Newly-crowned world champion Neeraj Chopra is poised to extend his unbeaten record into the esteemed Diamond League meet. He is set to showcase his skills in a high-profile men's javelin throw competition in Zurich on Thursday.Chopra secured his maiden World Championshipstitle in Budapest on Sunday, achieving an impressive throw of 88.17 meters.This achievement follows his silver medal win in the 2022 edition of the Championships.The Indian sensation has also joined an elite club of javelin throwers, becoming only the third athlete in history to hold both the Olympic and World Championships titles.The other two members of this exclusive group are Jan Zelezny from the Czech Republic, the current world record holder, and Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen.Zelezny clinched Olympic gol...
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Why World Champion Neeraj Chopra took to javelin | More sports News – Times of India

Fiddling with bee hives, stealing mangoes and fighting with friends - boyhood was a playbook of hinterland pranks for Neeraj Chopra. Food was the problem. It had too many calories and too much love. Dollops of fresh cream and choorma, a fat-friendly mix of roti, ghee and sugar, fed by a doting grandmother meant Neeraj stepped into his teens chubby and flabby. The family elders had a simple solution: hit the gym.When the gym at a nearby village shut down, Neeraj was forced to move to another fitness centre in Panipat, about 15 km from his village Khandra in east-central Haryana. Little did he know then that the town would change his life's direction much the same way it had altered the course of history centuries ago.Near the gym in Panipat, a town immortalised in medieval history as the...