Olympics

Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker left out of Khel Ratna nominations

Despite clinching two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics 2024, Manu Bhaker's exclusion from the Khel Ratna recommendation list has sparked outrage and questions about the selection process.

Mirabai Chanu and the struggle for glory in 2024 in Indian weightlifting

Not many sports are inseparably linked with an individual, but Mirabai Chanu has been that one name in Indian weightlifting for several years now and 2024 was no different as she carried the weight of the nation's aspirations for Olympic glory once again. However, this time those dreams ended in heartbreak not just for her but also for the sport that has struggled to find a worthy successor to her. Chanu, who etched her name in history by ending India's 21-year Olympic medal drought in the sport with a silver at the Tokyo Games, embarked on a quest this year to achieve an extraordinary feat -- a second consecutive Olympic medal in weightlifting. While no other Indian lifter came close to qualifying for the Paris Games, Chanu secured her spot with an underwhelming 184kg (81kg + 103kg) at the Phuket World Cup, while making a remarkable return from a six-month injury layoff. Her journey to Paris was fraught with challenges. At 29, Chanu faced an uphill battle against an injury-ravage

Coaching crisis, Olympic setbacks mark a disastrous year for Indian boxing

Indian boxing endured a turbulent year marred by coaching turmoil, crushing defeats, and a medal-less Paris Olympics campaign, all of it made worse by the national federation's negligence that brought unprecedented embarrassment to the country. There were very few positives to count in a year when, after a widely successful 2023, expectations were sky high. Yet no boxer was able to add to the three bronze medals -- Vijender Singh (2008), M C Mary Kom (2012) and Lovlina Borgohain (2021) -- that India had secured in the previous editions of the Olympics. Nishant Dev, unlucky to miss out on an Olympic medal, was India's top performer but the likes of world champions Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina disappointed despite widely held belief that fortunes of women's boxing were following an upward trajectory. Outside the ring, the Boxing Federation of India's (BFI) negligence cost India an Olympic quota even as administrators globally scrambled to retain the sport on the Olympic roster. Controv

Year in review: Top five moments which defined Paris Olympics 2024

India had a decent run at the 2024 Paris Olympics as they ended up with six medals under their belt

Paris Olympics organisers claim event was greener than recent Games

The Paris Olympics says it was far less polluting than recent Games but is not claiming to have been "carbon neutral" despite funding projects to compensate for its emissions. Organisers said on Wednesday that this summer's Olympics and Paralympics generated 1.59 million tons of climate-warming carbon dioxide, from the food athletes ate and construction of their rooms to flights that spectators took and energy that powered events. According to a French government carbon-impact calculator, 1.59 million tons of CO2 is equivalent to driving a car 182,675 times around the globe or 898,305 return flights between Paris and New York. Still, Paris Games organisers said they more than met their goal of slashing the Olympics' pollution footprint by half announcing a 54.6 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the London Olympics in 2012 and the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. Here's a look at how they did it and tips they offered to future hosts, starting with the 2026 Milan-Cortina

Bach highlights collaboration with Trump for 2028 Los Angeles Games

Olympic leaders are very confident and relaxed about working with the incoming Trump administration ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games, outgoing IOC president Thomas Bach said Thursday. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has talked up his own role helping get the games for LA in 2017, though a White House meeting during that campaign with an Olympic delegation including Bach was not a success. Still, the two men could meet again as soon as Saturday in Paris, which hosted the 2024 Olympics that LA originally bid for. Trump is traveling to the French capital for ceremonies this weekend to reopen Notre Dame Cathedral that was devastated by fire five years ago. Bach also is invited to return to the Olympic host city where he has excellent relations with French President Emmanuel Macron, who formally opened the Summer Games on July 26. President Trump should do the same duty at the LA Olympics opening ceremony on July 14, 2028 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Though the LA Olympic

India announces team for Asia Pacific Bocce & Bowling Special Olympics

Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) has announced a 16-member squad for the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Bocce and Bowling Competition, scheduled to be held at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex here from November 18 to 22. The team includes eight athletes each for Bocce and Bowling, supported by eight coaches. The Men's Bocce squad comprises Kabir Pritam Baruah, Ebenezer David, Wilfred Dsouza, and Devansh Agarwal, coached by P. Arun and S. Anandan. The Women's Bocce team includes Priyanka, Manjula, Purnima Madan, and G. Subhashini, guided by Mamta and Pushpa Tripathi. The Women's Bowling team features Neha Singh, Simran Pujara, Shraddha Patel, and Susri Sangeeta Nayak, with coaches Shafali Gupta and Anupama Singh. Representing the Men's Bowling team are: Ibhanan Sahu, Ankit, Prakash Veghela, and Nirupam Dey, coached by Akshat Sharma and Ileshbhai Raval. The competition, a first of its kind in India, will focus on athletes aged 22 and above with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID

India joins race to host 2036 Olympics with formal letter of intent to IOC

The buzz around India's bid to host the prestigious Olympics has been doing rounds since the Paris Olympics was held in France in August

India enters race to host 2036 Olympics

Paris Olympics displaced nearly 20,000 people, local associations say

Nearly 20,000 people were forcibly displaced in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics from tent camps or shelters in the Paris region, a coalition of more than 100 community groups said Monday. In its report, the group Le Revers de la Mdaille, which translates as the other side of the medal, claimed that 19,526 people were displaced from informal housing between April 2023 and September 2024 as part of what it calls social cleansing by authorities. The report notes that some people were evicted multiple times and, as a result, may be counted more than once. As the city prepared to host millions of spectators for the Games, facilities and infrastructure underwent significant renovation, which the report alleges included the eviction of migrants and squatters from visible locations near event venues. Paul Alauzy, spokesperson for Le Revers de la Mdaille, claimed that there is direct evidence linking these displacements to Olympic preparations. There are images, internal government ...

IOA submits 'Letter of Intent' to host the 2036 Olympics in India

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has submitted a 'Letter of Intent', expressing the country's desire to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, to the International Olympic Committee's Future Host Commission, taking the first concrete step in an ambitious plan. The letter was submitted on October 1, according to a source in the sports ministry. "This monumental opportunity could bring substantial benefits, fostering economic growth, social progress, and youth empowerment across the country," the source added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had first talked about his government's aspiration to host the 2036 Olympics last year. A decision on the host will not be taken before the IOC elections next year and India will also have to face competition from several other nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, who are positioning themselves as strong contenders to host the sporting spectacle. India's plan has been backed by current IOC head Thomas Bach. The last time India host

There's no acting CEO of IOA: Usha declares bid against her illegal

Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha Thursday barred the IOA staff from taking any instructions from joint secretary Kalyan Chaubey and the rest of the Executive Council members while declaring that the agenda unveiled by him for the October 25 Special General Body Meeting was "illegal and unauthorised". On Wednesday, Chaubey issued a circular on official IOA letterhead, listing 26 agenda items for the SGM to be held here on October 25. One of the items was a vote of no confidence against Usha "in light of alleged constitutional violations and actions potentially detrimental to Indian sports". Chaubey, who had issued the circular "pursuant to a directive from 12 members of IOA EC", had signed it as IOA's joint secretary and acting CEO. Usha declared that Chaubey does not hold the acting CEO's post. He had earlier served as IOA's acting CEO before Raghuram Iyer took charge of the post in January. Usha, in a press release, termed Chaubey's action as "both illegal and in ...

Rana defends PT Usha, credits her 'support' for Manu's Olympic medals

Manu Bhaker's personal coach Jaspal Rana on Wednesday gave full credit to Indian Olympic Association chief PT Usha for the young shooter's historic twin medals at Paris Games and said she "fought" and extended him all the support. Manu became the first Indian sportsperson post Independence to win two medals in a single Olympics, claiming bronze in both the women's 10m air pistol individual and mixed team events. "I give the credit for these two medals to PT Usha. She's the one who fought and gave me all the support despite whatever problems we had," Rana told PTI Video in an exclusive interview here. There were allegations by IOA officials that Usha bypassed certain provisions to get things done in the organisation. "PT Usha is trying to do something, and everybody is after her. Why? Why do people get stuck in a position and not want to come out? Let her do whatever she's doing," the 51-year-old added. "She was not there in the last 20 years? Put out in public what she has done wr

Target to take India among top 5 Olympic medal winning countries: Mandaviya

Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said target has been set to position India among the top five Olympics medal-winning countries by 2047, when it celebrates the centenary of its independence. In order to achieve this target, the country needs a talent-pool of world-level coaches and training, the Youth Affairs and Sports Minister told reporters here after taking part in the 10th Convocation ceremony of Laxmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE) here. "I am happy to be in Gwalior as it is the workplace of late Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia. The country is marching ahead in the sports sector. When India hosts the Olympics in 2036, it should rank among the top 10 nations in sports," Mandaviya said. "And when the nation celebrates 100 years of independence in 2047, the country should rank among the top five countries in the field of sports," he said. "For achieving this target, the country needs a talent pool of world-level coaches and training and the LNIPE in ...

IOA feud: Usha calls SGM to address corruption charge against treasurer

Embattled Indian Olympic Association President P T Usha has called a Special General Meeting of the body on October 25 to address contentious issues, including the appointment of CEO Raghuram Iyer, complaints of corruption against treasurer Sahdev Yadav and the alleged ineligibility of some Executive Council members to hold office. Usha has been at loggerheads with a majority of EC members on all these issues. Iyer's appointment is the most talked about issue as it is being aggressively resisted by EC members on account of his pay package and suitability for the job. "All these issues are extraordinary and emergent in nature and require the participation of the House so that an effective decision is taken...In this regard I am convening a Special General Meeting of the IOA to be held on 25th October 2024 at the IOA Bhawan at 11AM," the sprint great wrote in an email to office-bearers and other stakeholders. "The SGM shall be a hybrid meeting as per Article 8.3 of the Constitution of

India's Neeraj Chopra set to part ways with coach Klaus Bartonietz

The hugely successful partnership between star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and his long-time coach Klaus Bartonietz of Germany is set to end after five years of working together. The 75-year-old Bartonietz has cited his age and family commitments to part ways with Chopra. "He (Bartonietz) is 75 and he now wants to be with his family and does not want too much travel also," an official of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) told PTI. "It is not that Neeraj wants to end the association, it is Bartonietz who has expressed his inability to continue as his (Neeraj's) coach," he added. The 26-year-old Chopra has been working with Bartonietz, who is a biomechanics expert but doubled up as Chopra's coach, since 2019. The German first came on board as a biomechanical expert and took over as Chopra's coach after Uwe Hohn fell out with the AFI and the Sports Authority of India. Under Bartonietz, Chopra won Tokyo Olympics gold, Paris Games silver, became world champion and Diamo

Usha's claim of EC not felicitating Olympic medallists 'lie': Treasurer

Indian Olympic Association Treasurer Sahdev Yadav on Tuesday hit back at president PT Usha for claiming that IOA Executive Committee members were not agreeing on a proposal to felicitate Paris Olympics medal-winners, saying her assertion is a "blatant lie". Usha on Monday said that it was "deeply concerning" that the EC members failed to honour Olympic medallists and accused the Finance Committee of blocking funds intended to support Indian athletes' preparation for the Paris Games. In a rebuttal to Usha's claims, Sahdev said, "... there has been no discussion with EC members nor any official proposal in writing for organizing a felicitation ceremony for the medallists of Paris Olympics 2024." Sahdev, who is also the president of the Indian Weightlifting Federation, accused Usha of "spreading lies" and "cooking up" things instead of taking responsibilities as per the IOA constitution. "...we fail to understand why IOA President is spreading lies across the whole country, to put dow

India's 2036 Olympic vision: Army hosts sports conclave to align efforts

As India sets its sight on hosting the 2036 Olympics, the Army on Monday hosted a sports conclave here that serves as a crucial platform to align efforts and contribute to this national mission with a "comprehensive roadmap". Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Union Minister of Labour and Employment & Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, and Rajasthan minister Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (retd) attended the event, the defence ministry said in a statement. The Army Sports Conclave, with an emphasis on fostering collaboration with various national stakeholders, stressed the importance of drawing up collaborative strategies with the Indian Olympics Association, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and national sports federations to enhance India's global sporting aspirations, it said. The Army hosted the much-anticipated conclave, highlighting its role in India's sporting ecosystem. As India sets its sight on hosting the 2036 Olympics, the Army Sports Conclave ...

PR Sreejesh says every save he made in Paris Olympics was for his team

Retired hockey legend PR Sreejesh manned the Indian goal like a wall and made some crucial saves during the country's bronze-winning campaign at the recent Paris Olympics and he said each one of his efforts was made for the entire team and the nation. The 36-year-old Sreejesh, who retired from the game after a glorious 18-year international career, was nominated for the prestigious FIH Men's Goalkeeper of the Year Award 2024 after playing a pivotal role in India's campaign in the Olympics. "Every save I made in that tournament was not just about me; it was about the entire team and our country's support," Sreejesh said. "Being nominated for this award is a reflection of our collective spirit and the incredible journey we've had together. I hope my career inspires future generations to chase their dreams on the hockey field." The nomination is the latest in a series of accolades for the legendary goalkeeper, often referred to as the 'Great Wall of Indian Hockey.' In what was his fi

India aims to host 2036 Olympics, come in top 10 of medals tally: Mandaviya

Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said India is aiming to host the 2036 Olympics and finish in the top 10 in the medals tally. Speaking at the 'Viksit Bharat Ambassador - Yuva Connect' initiative at SP College here, the Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister said the aim was to make India among the top five sports nations by 2047. "In Viksit Bharat, special impetus needs to be given to the sports sector as we aim to develop ourselves in every sector. By 2047, our goal is to be among the top five countries in sports. To achieve this goal and ensure we do not miss the 2047 opportunity, we must create world-class sportspersons," he said. "To develop such talent, we initiated Khelo India. With the help of Khelo India, young sportspersons should get the opportunities to play. We will have to identify sports talent and provide them with the necessary facilities. These talented individuals, in the coming days, will become athletes like Swapnil Kusale," he added. Shooter ...