WebinarsNew
Explore Business Standard
Asian Games
Grinding it out is the only way forward, and out-of-favour Indian archer Komalika Bari has learnt it the hard way. Once seen as the next big thing in Indian archery after Deepika Kumari, the 24-year-old has slipped to a lowly 498 in world rankings and is currently out of the national team since 2024. From a career-best rank of 51 in September 2022, it has been a steep fall. But Komalika is not giving up. With a packed season ahead, culminating in the Asian Games in Japan later this year, she is hoping to fight her way back and revive her 2028 LA Olympics dream. "I am currently in the Top 16 (among Indians) and part of the training camp and I am preparing seriously for the Asian Games selection," Komalika told SAI Media on the sidelines of the inaugural Khelo India Triba Games here. "I am also looking to participate in as many competitions to gain experience while maintaining our training schedule." Her journey had once mirrored that of the five-time Olympian and former world No.
The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) on Saturday opened registrations for the National Esports Championships, a qualification tournament that will determine the country's contingent for the Asian Games. India will have the opportunity to compete across 10 video game titles at the Games, scheduled to be held in AichiNagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4. Esports will feature as a full-fledged medal event for only the second time, since the Hangzhou Asian Games held in China in 2023. Registrations for the Nationals will continue till March 7. The NESC qualification will feature competition across titles confirmed under the Asian Games Esports Program and will include Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, The King of Fighters XV (clubbed as one team event), Pokemon Unite, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version), Puyo Puyo, Naraka: Bladepoint, eFootball and Gran Turismo. Through NESC 2026, ESFI will identify and select athletes to represent India across eight medal events,
Athletes with "real chance of winning medals" will be the only ones considered for inclusion, stated the Sports Ministry as it unveiled a stringent selection criteria for the 2026 Asian Games, which focusses on continental rankings and bars additional coaches and support staff even at no cost to government. The five-page document uploaded on the ministry's website on Wednesday makes it clear that only those among the top-six in individual and top-eight in team sports at the Asian level would be eligible for nomination from the national federations. The Asian Games will be held in Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4 next year. "The aim is to ensure that the athletes who have real chance of winning medal are only considered for participation in multidisciplinary sports events," stated the ministry, tightening the process that has been criticised for being haphazard and lacking in clarity in the past. "If it comes to notice of the Ministry and the Sports Authority of India (S
Former India captain and goalkeeping stalwart P R Sreejesh believes the just-concluded FIH Pro League was a good wake-up call for the men's national hockey team ahead of next year's Asian Games and the World Cup. India struggled in the European leg of the Pro League and finished eighth out of nine teams to avoid relegation by a whisker. But Sreejesh, who was part of India's bronze medal winning sides in Tokyo and Paris Olympics, felt that players didn't perform too badly but unfortunately results didn't favour the team. "I think the players performed really well, we created lot of opportunities. We gave very good fight on the field but sometimes it happens the result went against us," Sreejesh said on the sidelines of the launch of Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Wednesday night. "The preparation was perfect but unfortunately the result was not perfect for us but the coaches have enough time to prepare the team for the Asia Cup and definitely next year the Asian Games and World Cup
India's Lakshya Sen fought his way back to reach the second round of the All England Championships on Tuesday, while compatriot HS Prannoy was eliminated in the opening round of the men's singles competition here. Lakshya, ranked 15th in the world, came from behind to defeat Chinese Taipei's world No. 37, SU Li Yang, with a 13-21, 21-17, 21-15 win in the opening round of the Super 1000 event. The 23-year-old from Almora will face Indonesia's third seed Jonatan Christie next. Lakshya had defeated Christie en route to his fourth place finish at the Paris Olympics last year. Prannoy, a bronze medallist at the 2023 World Championships and Asian Games, struggled against France's Toma Junior Popov, who is ranked 17th. Prannoy fought for 53 minutes before going down 19-21, 16-21. In the mixed doubles, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath had a tough outing against China's world No. 7 pair of Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui, losing 6-21, 15-21 in 51 minutes. After losing the first ga