Page 16 - Asian Games

Asiad 2023: NRAI approaches OCA to get accreditation for skeet coach

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) is frenetically trying to get a shotgun coach on board the flight to the Asian Games in Hangzhou after an accreditation muddle, and has approached the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to help it out. The accreditation confusion has left the skeet contingent without an expert to guide them in the continental showpiece. A source told PTI that NRAI had sought the help of acting chief of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Randhir Singh, to get an "extra accreditation" as soon as the top-ranking official reaches Hangzhou. For now, only one shotgun coach, Vikram Chopra has got the Asian Games accreditation and can accompany the Indian squad, comprising of trap and skeet shooters. The source said that Chopra is a trap coach and might not be able to help the skeet shooters, given his area of expertise. "Randhir Singh (a former Asian Games gold medallist in shotgun himself) will be reaching Hangzhou soon and the NRAI has requested him to help the

Asiad 2023: Well prepared Indian women's hockey team leaves for Hangzhou

The Indian women's hockey team is well prepared and will look to seal an Olympic berth with a good show at the Asian Games, said skipper Savita ahead of the side's departure for Hangzhou, China. The Indian women's hockey team, which is placed in Pool A along with Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong China and Singapore, left for China on Tuesday night. The quadrennial event gets underway in Hangzhou on September 23. India will open their campaign at the prestigious event against Singapore on September 27. Japan, China, Thailand, Kazakhstan, and Indonesia are placed in Pool B. The top two teams from each Pool will qualify for the semifinals. The gold medal winning team will directly qualify for next year's Paris Olympics. "We have had a long and strenuous National Camp where we worked on all the areas where we need to improve. We have formulated our strategies as per our strengths and we have studied our opponents as well, thoroughly to understand their styles of play," Savita said in a ...

Asiad 2023: Indian men beat Cambodia 3-0 to begin volleyball campaign

India put up a dominant performance to outclass Cambodia 3-0 in their opening match of the men's volleyball competition at the Asian Games here on Tuesday. India comfortably defeated lower-ranked Cambodia 25-14, 25-13, 25-19 in a Pool C match. But a stern test await India on Wednesday as they are up against world No.27 South Korea, the other team in Pool C. A total of 19 teams are participating in men's volleyball at the Hangzhou Games. Japan, China and South Korea are regarded as the three major powerhouses of the competition. While Japan has secured 27 podium finishes with 16 golds in men's volleyball at the Asian Games, China follows closely behind with 11 golds and Korea is on the third spot with five gold medals. Men's volleyball was first introduced at the Tokyo Asian Games in 1958, where India secured a third position. The Indian men have won a total of three volleyball medals so far. Their best performance came in 1962 when they were runners-up. India's other two medals w

Asiad 2023: Shooter Rudrankksh aims for consistency with Paris 2024 in mind

World champion air rifle shooter Rudrankksh Patil will be aiming for "consistency" at the upcoming Asian Games and Asian Championships, which he feels will help him in achieving the bigger goal of winning gold at next year's Paris Olympics. Rudrankksh, following his World Championship gold medal-winning performance in Cairo last year and his sublime form throughout the year, is a favourite to clinch the yellow metal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, but he said such big competitions "help us prepare and grow" as shooters for major events. Asked if the Asian Games, commencing on Saturday and the Asian Championships in Changwon (South Korea) later this year, will be a stepping stone for winning the gold in Paris, the 19-year-old told PTI, "Our main focus is on the consistency of process, to keep ourselves maintained and to grow. Sometimes we find new methods to grow... I think all that (Asian Games) is helping (prepare for the Olympics)." The Maharashtra shooter, who was not included in

Asiad 2023: Atanu Das takes lead as recurve archers aim to shake off 'jinx'

He may no longer be the India No. 1 recurve archer, but the seasoned Atanu Das is fully aware of the responsibility of not only bringing out the best in him but also the team as they look to overcome the Asian Games 'jinx'. Recurve archery, an Olympic discipline, has been on a downward spiral and its slide has ironically coincided with the rise in the compound section, where India now boast of two recently-crowned world champions in Ojas Deotale and Aditi Swami. With the postponed Asian Games taking place just a year before the Paris Olympics, the pressure is more on recurve where no archer is inside the top-10 in world rankings. India have not won a recurve medal, individual or team, since the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Das, who is set for a third Asian Games participation, is the senior-most archer in the recurve team, which will have promising Army man Dhiraj Bommadevara and the rookie duo of Mrinal Chauhan and Tushar Shelke. In the women's section, two-time Asian Games ...

Asiad 2023 India vs China football highlights: China thrashes India 5-1

This was India's 57th game in the Asiad history as they returned to the continental tournament after a break of 9 years

Asian Games 2023 football: China thrash under-prepared and jaded India 1-5

A severely-fatigued and under-prepared Indian team got a rude reality check with hosts China out-muscling them 1-5 in an opening group league encounter of the Asian Games football competition here on Tuesday. Giao Tianyi (17th min), Dai Weijun (51st min), Tao Qianglong (72nd and 75th minute) and Hao Fang (90+2) scored for the hosts, while Rahul KP's (45+1 minute) equaliser from an acute angle was possibly the best strike of the match. It was heartening to see a third-string team holding the title contenders on an even keel during the first 45 minutes, which saw Indian custodian Gurmeet Singh Chahal valiantly save a spot-kick taken by rival captain Zhu Chenjie. India now need to beat Bangladesh and Myanmar in their remaining two games to qualify for the second round. Myanmar beat Bangladesh 4-2 in another game in this group. Having reached the Games Village late on Monday evening, the third-string Indian team, with not even four specialist defenders in their ranks, didn't have enoug

Asiad 2023: More than its share of controversies for Indian team already

The deepening crisis in wrestling ahead of the Asian Games turned out to be the biggest controversy in the run-up to the continental showpiece, which will begin in Hangzhou on September 23. Even as the Indian contingent prepares to fly out to China with the target of achieving the 100-medal mark for the first time in the history of the Games, the country's grapplers, especially Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia will be in the spotlight, as he along with five others launched a campaign to oust the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, to ensure "safety of women grapplers". Here are some of the controversies, which cast a shadow on Indian sport as the athletes prepared for the continental Games. WRESTLING: The sport took centre stage not for sporting achievements but off the mat issues as some of the most decorated grapplers in the country, including Olympic medallists Punia and Sakshi Malik and 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat protested for

Asiad 2023: Why do certain events of Hangzhou 2023 begin on September 19

Fans of the Asian Games are confused as to why certain events like football cricket and Volleyball begin on September 19 while the opening ceremony is on September 23

Asiad 2023: A look at India's medal tally in 2018 Jakarta-Palembang games

India's medal tally at the Jakarta Asian Games 2018 was the best ever by the country in the history of the games. In spite of that, it was ranked 8th overall

Asiad 2023: No training and proper rest, India football team face China

Set to play their opening match without any training session and proper rest after the last-minute announcement of the squad, India will be the clear underdogs against formidable China in their Asian Games group game here on Tuesday. India were able to stitch a rag-tag final squad only on Friday and the team left for China on Sunday, leaving no time for the players to even have a training session together. Moreover, two players -- defenders Konsam Chinglensana Singh and Lalchungnunga -- out of the 22 players picked will join later as their visas were not ready. The Indian contingent's chef de mission Bhupinder Singh Bajwa has, however, said that the duo will get their 'express visas' in a day or two and they will join the team. In any case, the duo will not be available for the Group A match against China on Tuesday and that will be a blow for India. Also head coach Igor Stimac said on Sunday that senior defender Sandesh Jhingan and talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri will not play the

Asiad 2023: India's athletics contingent, full schedule, streaming in India

At 68, the Indian athletics contingent for Hangzhou 2023 is the largest the nation has ever seen. Athletics has been the happy hunting ground for Indians at the Asian Games

Asiad 2023: How India fared in previous editions of the Asian Games

India have remained one of the best-performing countries at the Asian Games, finishing in the top 10 of the medals table in all editions except one

Asiad 2023: Akash Deep replaces injured Shivam Mavi in Indian cricket squad

Bengal pacer Akash Deep was on Saturday named as a replacement for injured Shivam Mavi in the Indian men's squad for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. Mavi is suffering from a back injury and is ruled out of the tournament, the BCCI said in a statement. The men's cricket competition will take place from September 28-October 8 in a T20 format. Meanwhile, the women's selection committee named Pooja Vastrakar as replacement for Anjali Sarvani. Vastrakar was a part of the standby list of players. Left-arm pacer Sarvani has been ruled out with a knee injury. The women's cricket competition will take place from September 19-28 in the T20 format. Indian men's squad Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Akash Deep. Standbyes: Yash Thakur, Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda and S

Asiad 2023: A look at India's biggest medal prospects for Mission Hangzhou

India will be sending its biggest ever contingent of 655 athletes to the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou. The country will be vying for top honours across 39 sporting disciplines, including individual and team events. While 'Aab ki Baar, Sau Paar' (which translates to crossing 100 medals this time) has been the catchline, the fans and the sporting establishment would like to temper its expectations but with an eye to surpass the tally of 70 medals won in the previous edition in Jakarta and Palembang. The PTI looks at some of India's brightest medal prospects in the quadrennial extravaganza starting September 23. *ATHLETICS ======== Men's Javelin Throw: Neeraj Chopra The 25-year-old Olympic and world champion is the best bet for a gold in athletics. Having achieved legendry status, defending the gold he won in 2018 could be a cakewalk for Neeraj. Pakistan's World Championships silver medallist Arshad Nadeem, who claimed a bronze in the 2018 Asian Games, will be his main rival i

Asiad 2023: India's golden generation of squash ready for one last dance

Saurav Ghosal, Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal, synonymous with Indian squash over the past two decades, have unfinished business going into what could be their last appearance at the Asian Games. Ghosal and Joshna, who both turned 37 recently, will be featuring in their sixth Asian Games, a testament to their remarkable longevity in a physically demanding sport like squash. A week way from celebrating her 32nd birthday, Dipika will be entering her fourth and in all probability last Asian Games. The mother of two, who doesn't play singles anymore, will be eyeing a mixed doubles gold alongside Harinder Pal Sandhu in Hangzhou. Ghosal and Joshna too are in the twilight or their careers and Hangzhou could be their one final chance to add a singles gold to the rich medal count at the continental event, having won seven and four medals respectively since their maiden outing in 2002. Though the level at Asian Games is not as high as the Commonwealth Games, the job for Ghosal and Joshn

Asiad 2023: Watch out for the Indian 'Super moms' competing at Hangzhou

Returning to work after giving birth to a child is a difficult task but an increasing number of Indian athletes are now smashing stereotypes by continuing to compete. Perhaps the most well-known sporting moms in the country are legendary boxer Mary Kom and six-time Grand Slam winner Sania Mirza. PTI takes a look at the Indian mothers who will be competing at the Hangzhou Asian Games beginning on September 23. Dipika Pallikal (Squash) =============== The poster girl of Indian squash, Dipika Pallikal has been a consistent performer for the country. She paired up with Joshna Chinappa to win India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in squash in the Glasgow edition of CWG in 2014. Her other accomplishments include several medals in World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, besides becoming the first Indian woman to be ranked in the top 10. In October 2021, she and her husband Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik were blessed with twin boys -- Kabir and Zian. A few months

Asiad 2023: Indian women's hockey coach says handling pressure will be key

Indian women's hockey coach Janneke Schopman believes handling pressure will be crucial for her team as it will enter the upcoming Asian Games as one of "favourites". "I believe the mindset the players have as individuals and as a team will make the difference. Can we perform under pressure and deal with the circumstances handed over to us? "We have talked about this over the past couple of months and what it means to not be the underdogs like we were in Tokyo but being the favourites," Schopman said on the latest episode of Hockey Te Charcha, a podcast series launched by Hockey India. "We have spoken about the expectations from this team. We have also addressed what dangers are out there that might cause distraction, and trip us up, and how we can deal with the same." The Dutch coach said if her team plays to its potential, it can win win the gold in Hangzhou and qualify directly for next year's Paris Olympics. "It is important to enjoy the journey as well. I hope we win; I think

Asiad 2023: Stimac says certain elements stopped us from having best team

India football team head coach Igor Stimac, on Sunday, lashed out at the Indian Super League (ISL) organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and clubs for not releasing players for the Asian Games as the national federation was forced to stitch an under-strength ragtag side at the last moment after hectic parleys. While Stimac did not take names while addressing a virtual press conference ahead of team departure but dropped enough hints about who all scuppered his and AIFF's plan to field a strong squad, comprising players from current senior national side. "If I knew that certain elements will stop us from going with the best possible team, I would have rather picked all the players from the I-League and request to train with them for two months and prepare with them for the Asian Games," a fuming Stimac said during media interaction. "It would not have been much different," he added, making clear what he thinks about the third-string players that ISL clubs have ...

Asiad 2023: Indian football team departs for Hangzhou without two players

Defenders Konsam Chinglensana Singh and Lalchungnunga did not accompany the Indian football team that left the country on Sunday for the Asian Games in China as their visa was not ready but a top IOA official said the duo will get their travel documents in a day or two. Chinglensana and Lalchungnunga were apparently not in the initial long list of 50 players submitted by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for the Asian Games and hence they did get their accreditation even though they were named in the 22-member team named in the last minute. India's Asian Games contingent Chef de Mission Bhupinder Singh Bajwa allayed any fears of the two players missing out of the Asian Games. They will, however, not be available for the first match against China on Tuesday. "I and AIFF president (Kalyan Chaubey) have applied for express visa for the two players with letter from the sports ministry and the visa should come by tomorrow or day after. The Chinese embassy said normal visa will tak