Page 32 - 2024 Olympics

No gold medal bouts at next year's Paris Olympics qualifiers for wrestling

The next year's Continental qualifiers offering spots for the Paris Olympics will not have gold or bronze medals bouts and the winners of the two semifinalists will make the cut for the 2024 Games, according to the new format approved by the world governing body UWW. Apart from four Continental Qualifiers, the World Qualifier will also not offer gold medal and the two semifinal winners will earn quotas while the winners of the bronze-medal bouts will compete for the third quota in each of the six weight categories in three styles. The Pan-American Qualifiers in Acapulco, Mexico from February 28 to March 1 will open the qualification opportunities. "All five Paris Olympic Qualifiers next year will have four seeds in each of the weight classes and no gold-medal bouts," UWW said on its website. African & Oceania Qualifiers will be held in Alexandria, Egypt from March 22-24 and the European Qualifiers in Baku, Azerbaijan are scheduled to take place from April 4-7. The Asian Qualifiers

Saga of sacrifices inspires Indian women hockey team for Asiad, Olympics

If one saw her mother working tirelessly for earning Rs 800 a month, the other endured the agony of being unemployed for almost a decade, while another learnt the game by playing with bamboo sticks. To Savita Punia, Neha Goyal and Nikki Pradhan hockey brought solace, and these Indian women's team players did not let personal turmoil affect their game. Also plenty of sacrifices were made during their journey to the top, making them hungrier for success. They had their 'Chak de' moment in the Tokyo Olympics where they missed a podium finish by a whisker, and now they are on a mission to realise an unfulfilled dream. The first step would be to secure direct qualification to the Paris Olympics through the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games. They are not leaving any stone unturned, including giving up on their favourite food, in order to improve their willpower and fitness and win gold in Hangzhou. "We know that there are immense expectations from us post Tokyo Olympics and this team is cap

Hockey Olympic qualifiers: FIH withdraws hosting rights from Pakistan

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Tuesday withdrew hosting rights of the Olympic Qualifiers from Pakistan, slated to be held next January. The FIH decision came as a result of the infighting between the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and the state-owned Pakistan Sports Board (PSB). The FIH, while taking away our hosting rights, made it clear it was convinced that the sports board and government were not willing to cooperate with the PHF in the successful hosting of the event, said an inside in the PHF. The decision has come as a big blow to Pakistan hockey, which had got the rights to host an international event after more than a decade. The PHF had picked Lahore as the venue to host the event. However, recent attempts by the PSB to interfere in affairs of the PHF and bring in its preferred officials into the federation have led to chaos. Several former Olympians, encouraged by the government's ministry of inter provincial coordination and PSB, have been trying to st

Olympics 2024: 'There can't be a Russian flag in Paris' - France president

French President Emmanuel Macron said the Russian flag has no place at next year's Paris Olympics because of the war crimes committed by Vladimir Putin's regime in Ukraine. Russia has not been allowed to fly its flag at the Olympics since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. Since then, Russians have been competing at the Summer and Winter Olympics under various names because of doping issues. In an interview with L'Equipe newspaper published Thursday, Macron said he didn't want them to fly their flag in Paris because of the war in Ukraine. Russia, as a country, has no place at a time when it has committed war crimes and deported children, Macron said. The interview was published a day after a Russian missile tore through an outdoor market in eastern Ukraine, killing 17 people and wounding dozens. The IOC has encouraged governing bodies of individual sports to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete as neutral athletes without national symbols or flags in Olympic qualifying events. T

My endeavour is to defend my Olympic gold in Paris next year: Neeraj Chopra

Superstar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Friday said he will do everything under the sun to defend his Olympic title in Paris next year and his World Championships title in 2025. The 25-year-old Chopra on Sunday became only the third javelin thrower in history to hold both the Olympic and World Championships crowns after winning the worlds title in Budapest. Asked if he can emulate the legendary Czech Republic athlete Jan Zelezny, who won three Olympics and three World Championships titles, Chopra said, "Everything is possible if I remain motivated and focussed in my game." "My endeavour would be to defend my title (Mera koshish hai ki mujhe mera title phirse dohraana hai) and whatever hard work I need to do to achieve that, I will do." Before Chopra, the iconic Zelezny and Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway had held the Olympics and World Championships title simultaneously. Zelezny, also Chopra's idol, clinched the Olympics gold in 1992, 1996 and 2000 while winning World Championshi

World Athletics 2023: 4x400m men's team, Parul Chaudhary's journey to final

Apart from 3 Javelin throwers, India's men's 4x400m relay team and 3000m steeple-chase runner Parul Chaudhary also made it to the final of their events at the World Athletics Championships 2023

Paris 2024: Shooter Rajeshwari Kumari earns India's seventh Olympic quota

Shotgun shooting runs in her family, and trap exponent Rajeshwari Kumari showed why she is among the best in the country when she earned a seventh 2024 Paris Olympic quota place by finishing fifth in the ISSF World Championship here on Thursday. The 31-year-old, daughter of legendary shotgun shooter and one of the top sports administrators the country has produced, Randhir Singh, made it to the finals in an extremely tough field but bad luck forced her to miss out on a medal. Rajeshwari also became the second trap shooter after Shagun Chowdhary to ever earn an Olympic quota in women's trap. In a heartbreak for the shooter, she could score only 19 out of 30 shots in the final. Despite the below-par score in the finals, Rajeshwari was elated at having clinched the Olympic quota. "I am feeling great. It's unbelievable. It's finally done. It's done for the country. I mean I wish I could win a medal but this is great. Paris," said Rajeshwari after the final. The daughter of Randhir --

Shooting World Championships: Sheoran secures India's fifth Olympics quota

India's Akhil Sheoran secured the country's fifth Paris Olympics quota in shooting after winning the bronze medal in men's rifle 3-position competition at the ISSF World Championships here on Sunday. Sheoran aggregated 450.0 in the eight-man final to finish third and also bag a quota for next year's Olympic Games. He was placed sixth in the qualifications with an aggregate score of 585. Austria's Alexander Schmirl won the gold medal in the event with 462.6 and Czech Republic's Petr Nymbursky settled for the silver with a total score of 459.2. The Indian team of Rhythm Sangwan, Esha Singh and Manu Bhaker shot a combined score of 1744 to beat Chinese Taipei for the gold medal in 25m women's pistol, aggregating 1744. China won bronze. Sangwan finished eighth in the individual final to miss out on a Paris Olympics quota in the 25m women's pistol. Sheoran won two medals on the day, as she combined with Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Niraj Kumar for a total of 1750 to clinch the men's

India Men's hockey coach Fulton calls ACT triumph big boost for Asian Games

The Asian Champions Trophy title triumph will "really count" as India set sights on Asian Games gold in order to secure automatic qualification to 2024 Paris Olympics, said head coach Craig Fulton. The India hockey team fought back from two goals down to eke out a 4-3 win over Malaysia in the final to claim their fourth ACT title here on Saturday. With the Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled to commence on September 23, Fulton was asked whether a thrilling final like this will help the side in the continental showpiece event. "Finals are cagier; they never go smooth. It comes down to a moment or shootouts. So, it's important to have a game like this because it really counts. "At the same time, it's (ACT) not the Asian Games. So, our feet are firmly on the ground. But, if you said to me to win the Asian Games and lose this final, I would obviously vouch for winning the Games," added Fulton. Fulton said the comeback story of the team had begun two months back. "Two months ago," Fulton t

Breaking into world's top three is my target now, not Olympics: HS Prannoy

He may be one of the front-runners in the Olympic race but star Indian shuttler HS Prannoy doesn't want to think about Paris right now and is instead focussing on "short-term targets" like breaking into the world's top three. The most consistent Indian singles player in the last 12 months, Prannoy, ranked world number 9, won the Malaysia Masters in May and came within sniffing distance of bagging another title in Sydney, before finishing runner-up at last week's Australian Open. "Right now, probably I am in a good position. I had a few decent tournaments post-May but I would say I am never satisfied and I always want to go out there and win big tournaments, that's been always my ambition," Prannoy told PTI. "Last couple of years, I have been consistently able to play quarterfinals and semifinals and now I am trying to make sure that I go that extra one more round and be in the final and win those tournaments." The 31-year-old Indian, who reached three quarterfinals and a semifinal

India will win gold in 2028 LA Olympics if not Paris 2024: Bhola Nath Singh

Hockey India (HI) secretary general Bhola Nath Singh on Saturday claimed that India will definitely win gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if they miss out on the yellow metal in Paris next year. He said the current HI brass under former India captain Dilip Tirkey is leaving no stone unturned to take Indian hockey to the top again. "I have big plans for hockey and you will see some new things being introduced. We will try our best to change HI during this time," Bhola Nath told PTI. "I want to assure you that if not the Paris Olympics, India will surely win a gold medal in the Los Angeles Olympics. If they don't, you can come back to me." To help Indian hockey recapture its past glory, Bhola Nath said HI is working on creating a bigger talent pool. He said plans are in place to give the junior teams the best facilities as the senior side, coupled with enough international exposure, which would again make India a major hockey powerhouse. "As far as the junior teams are concerne

Indian hockey teams aim for Paris berth via Hangzhou Asian Games

Indian men's and women's hockey teams are keen to win the gold medal at the upcoming Asian Games to secure direct qualification for the next year's Paris Olympics. The men's team, who ended a 41-year wait for an Olympic medal winning a bronze at Tokyo Games, will compete in the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai from August 3 in the build-up to the Hangzhou showpiece in September-October. "We have important matches coming up as we inch closer to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. We are excited about our upcoming tour as it also gives us a great opportunity to play against quality teams," Indian men's team skipper Harmanpreet Singh told Hockey India. India will battle it out against the likes of South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan and China in the Asian Champions Trophy. "These matches will be crucial for us as we prepare for the all-important Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled later this year. We are aware of what is at stake, and we are not taking anything for granted. In addition to t

Olympics 2024 pushing Paris to confront crack cocaine use on city streets

Neighborhoods in northeast Paris have struggled for years with the scourge of crack cocaine and its use in public. The Summer Olympics, kicking off a year from Wednesday, are offering an impetus to tackle the problem. Yet despite a surge in arrests and new promises of tougher security around the 2024 Paris Games, some residents question whether the newfound focus is just pushing users elsewhere instead of treating medical and mental health problems, a lack of housing and jobs and other deeper ills at the root of the crack crisis. Residents in the 18th and 19th arrondissements, or districts, of the French capital have long complained about the open-air crack use in their neighborhoods that stands in sharp contrast to the postcard-perfect tourist areas of Paris farther south. Small groups of people could be seen using illicit drugs on Sunday at the Porte de la Chapelle metro station and a nearby tram stop located across the street from a new multi-purpose arena that is slated to host

Olympic qualifiers: Pak to host international hockey event after 19 years

Pakistan is set to host an international hockey event after nearly 19 years with the International Hockey Federation (FIH) allocating the Olympic qualifying rounds to the country for early next year. Pakistan, which last hosted an FIH event back in 2004, will host eight teams in Lahore from January 13 to 24 next year. "Pakistani hockey fans have been deprived of seeing international hockey stars at home for 20 years now and the FIH Olympic qualifiers will no doubt boost the sport in Pakistan again," said Haider Hussain, the Secretary-General of the FIH. He said the Pakistan Hockey Federation had succeeded in convincing the FIH to allocate the event to Pakistan after much lobbying in the apex body. "We are happy many countries supported our stance that if international hockey returns to Pakistan it will help boost the game again in the country." Unfortunately, Pakistan has failed to qualify for the last two Olympic Games in 2016 and 2021 but Hussain said he was hopeful that fans wo

Sports leaders meet amid uncertainty over Russians playing Olympics 2024

Olympic sports bodies meet Wednesday amid ongoing uncertainty about if and how Russian athletes could return to their competitions ahead of the 2024 Paris Games. The annual meeting of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) comes more than two months after the IOC detailed advice on how individual athletes from Russia and its military ally Belarus could be reintegrated as neutral athletes. Exactly how that neutrality is being defined is not very much clearer now as key qualification events start for the Olympics that open in July next year. The International Olympic Committee in March advised that some Russians and Belarusians could return in individual events but not team sports, if they had not actively supported the war in Ukraine, and are not contracted to "military or national security agencies." The IOC also suggested ASOIF and the winter sports umbrella group, AIOWF, could oversee "creating a single independent panel" to run and "harmonize" the ..

Business side of sports very fragmented: JSW Sports' Manisha Malhotra

No consolidation has been made to create an industry of sports, she says

Akshdeep, Priyanka win men's and women's 20km race championship gold

Unheralded Akshdeep Singh clinched the men's 20km event gold with a stunning national record time to qualify for this year's World Championships as well as 2024 Paris Olympics on the opening day of the National Open Race Walking Championships here on Tuesday. The 22-year-old from Punjab clocked 1 hour 19 minutes and 55 seconds to obliterate the earlier national record of 1:20:16 which was in the name of veteran Sandeep Kumar who finished a lowly seventh with 1:23.28. The men's 20km race walk qualifying time for both the World Championships to be held in Budapest in August and 2024 Olympics is 1:20:10. Before Tuesday's surprise result, Akshdeep's personal best was 1:26:10 which he had clocked at the Inter-University Championships at Moodbidri in Karnataka early last year. Women's 20km event national record holder Priyanka Goswami expectedly won gold with a time of 1:28:50 to also qualify for both the World Championships and 2024 Olympics. Her national record stands at 1:28:45 which

'No place' for Russia at upcoming Paris olympics: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Russian athletes have no place at next year's Paris Olympics while their country's invasion of Ukraine continues, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a summit of sports officials from 36 countries Friday. The International Olympic Committee argues it would be discriminatory to exclude Russia and ally Belarus from sports ahead of the 2024 Paris Games. With qualifying in many sports already underway, the IOC wants athletes from those countries to compete in a neutral capacity without national symbols. While Russia kills and terrorizes, representatives of the terrorist state have no place at sports and Olympic competitions, Zelenskyy told the summit in an opening address by video link, according to a transcript issued by his office. And it cannot be covered up with some pretended neutrality or a white flag. Because Russia is now a country that stains everything with blood even the white flag. It must be recognised. And this must be recognised, in particular, at the level of t

Russia's path to 2024 Olympics takes shape, Ukraine objects amid war

Russia's path to sending a team to the Paris Olympics next year became clearer on Thursday amid fierce objections from Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee indicated on Wednesday it favors officially neutral teams from Russia and its ally Belarus at the 2024 Olympics despite a plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to exclude them entirely. A day later, Russia and Belarus were invited to compete at the Asian Games, a key Olympic qualifier. Russia typically competes as part of Europe but has a tense relationship with many of the countries set to host qualifying events there. Russia and Belarus have been barred from almost all international competitions in Olympic sports following the invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy has said he told French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is hosting the Olympics, that Russia should have no place there. Ukraine is seeking to rally support against the IOC-brokered plan. IOC has been disregarding Russian war crimes, claiming t

Perfect 12 from Indian wrestlers at CWG 2022, but tougher tests await them

As expected Indian wrestlers had a medal rush as they got a perfect 12 at the Commonwealth Games from their contingent. However, a tougher test awaits them at Asiad, World Championships and Olympics