Page 2 - Olympics

Joyful Parisians take first legal plunge into Seine in over 100 years

Cries of It is warm! rang out across the Seine on Saturday morning as Parisians jumped into the river legally for the first time in more than 100 years. Public swimming was allowed in designated areas of the Seine, including two newly built wooden decks near the Eiffel Tower and the Ile Saint-Louis in central Paris. Before sunrise, a municipal officer skimmed away the last few patches of algae with a fishnet. Soon after, a line of eager Parisians formed, towels in hand, waiting for their chance to jump in. Woos and cries of joy echoed across the riverbanks as the first swimmers entered the emerald-green water. Every swimmer wore a bright yellow lifebuoy tied around their waist, part of strict safety measures enforced by a dozen lifeguards in high-visibility vests. The current was weak, just enough to tug gently at their limbs a reminder that this is still a living, urban river. It's so nice to swim in the heart of the city, especially with the high temperatures we've been having

Sports visa controversy: Why can't India deny a visa to Pakistani athletes?

India's decision to honour IOC's Rule 44, even during political friction, protects its ambitions of hosting major events, including the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics

IOC to India on hosting 2036 Olympics: 'First, put your house in order'

IOC told the Indian delegation in candid terms that while India could continue preparing its bid to host a future Games, it must first address the structural concerns

Indian delegation engages IOC in discussions to host future Olympic Games

A delegation, featuring IOA President P T Usha and Gujarat's Minister of State for Sports Harsh Sanghavi, met officials of the International Olympic Committee here to "explore the opportunity and feasibility of India hosting a future edition of the Olympic Games". The delegation was here despite new IOC President Kirsty Coventry declaring that the entire host selection process was being paused and a working group being set up to figure out the "appropriate time" to identify a future host. She had, however, made it clear that officials from India, which is seeking to host the 2036 Games, were welcome to engage in a dialogue. The delegation also included senior officials from the IOA (Indian Olympic Association), the central sports ministry and the government of Gujarat, which is positioning itself as the future host. "This crucial exchange aimed to explore the opportunity and feasibility of India hosting a future edition of the Olympic and Paralympic Games," stated a press release f

Cabinet approves Khelo Bharat Niti to boost India's global sports rank

Calling it a "strategic roadmap" for India's elevation into the top five of world sports, the cabinet on Tuesday approved the Khelo Bharat Niti to create "world-class systems" of coaching and athlete support along with a robust administrative set-up to make the country a strong contender for the 2036 Olympics. Previously called the National Sports Policy and introduced for the first time in 1984, the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 will supersede the 2001 policy. It is a "guiding document" to formulate plans and schemes for betterment of the country's sporting ecosystem. "We have used the experience of the last 10 years and the new policy will work towards improvement of sports. Major objective is to make India a top-five sporting nation by 2047. That's the overall objective," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters while unveiling the policy and other cabinet decisions. "The PM has given a different kind of emphasis to sports, especially in rural areas," he ...

Delhi fully prepared to host 2036 Olympic Games, says CM Rekha Gupta

India is prepared to host the 2036 Olympics, says Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, citing PM Modi's commitment to building top-tier sports infrastructure and pursuing an ambitious but achievable national goal

International Olympic Day 2025: History, significance, theme and more

International Olympic Day is celebrated on June 23 every year across the world to celebrate the honour of the Olympic spirit. Here's all you need to know

Hosting 2036 Olympics will be win-win for India in every aspect: MoS sports

India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics is not merely an attempt to make a statement internationally but also a well thought out plan to create world-class infrastructure, bolster the economy and tackle pressing social issues affecting the country's youth, says Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse. In an exclusive interview to PTI, the 38-year-old three-time Lok Sabha MP from Maharashtra's Raver constituency, dismissed criticism from some quarters that the country needs to focus more on becoming a sporting powerhouse before aiming for something as expensive as hosting the Olympics. "Preparing to host events like the 2036 Olympics or the 2030 Commonwealth Games is about creating world-class infrastructure, economic investment, and legacy systems that directly benefit athlete development," she asserted in the interaction at her office here. "Sports is also a way to deal with so many issues such as depression and even drug addiction. And keeping all this in mind, when you bring an

Is boxer Imane Khelif a biological male? What does 'leaked' lab report say

Imane Khelif's 2023 New Delhi test revealed an XY karyotype - indicating that she is a male; World Boxing now requires sex tests to verify eligibility for female competitions

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu targets the missing medal in her trophy cabinet

Chanu opens up on why winning an Asian Games medal would mean the world to her, her love for Lata Mangeshkar songs, and the plans to open an academy for weightlifters in Manipur

Cricket to feature 6 teams in 2028 LA Olympics, More medal events added

Cricket will feature six teams battling for top honours when the sport returns to the Olympics at the 2028 Los Angeles Games after a gap of 128 years. This was confirmed by the organisers on Wednesday. Cricket last featured at the Olympics in the 1900 edition of the Games in Paris, where a one-off, two-day match between Great Britain and France was held, which is now recognised as an unofficial Test. At LA 2028, cricket will be played in the T20 format, with six teams competing in both the men's and women's competitions. Every team will be able to name a 15-member squad as a total of 90 athlete quotas have been allocated for each gender. The International Cricket Council (ICC) consists of 12 full members in Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Zimbabwe. Another 94 countries form the associate members group. Qualification criteria for the 2028 Games are yet to be confirmed for the cricket

Coventry's rise as IOC's first woman president: A giant leap for womankind

Hours after her ascension, Coventry, 41, found herself facing inquisitive reporters, who probed her on how she would handle US President Donald Trump in her new role

JetSynthesys to take e-sports global, starting with Middle East entry

JetSynthesys already made an investment in the Middle East region through Jetapult, a gaming investment start-up backed by JetSynthesys and Accel

Crocodile rowing course, new stadium highlight Brisbane 2032 plans

Sailing the Whitsunday islands. Surfing an iconic Gold Coast break. Rowing in a crocodile-inhabited river in Rockhampton. Extra tourism-focused venues and a new 60,000-seat Olympic stadium to be built in inner-city parkland have been unveiled as part of a major overhaul of planning for the 2032 Brisbane Games. David Crisafulli, the third premier of Queensland state in the almost four years since the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2032 Games to the capital of Queensland state, announced the latest plans on a rainy Tuesday. He said it's not going to be like last year's Paris Olympics or the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, promising instead it'll be uniquely-Queensland. It's been more than 1,340 days since that IOC decision in 2021, and local organisers still haven't started the Olympic venue construction program. "The time has come to just get on with it get on with it, and build," Crisafulli said, marking his 150th day in office. "We are going to start immediately.

I'll share my ideas on future host soon: Coventry on India's 2036 bid

Newly-elected International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kristy Coventry was expectedly guarded on India's bid to stage the 2036 Games, saying she will reveal her "ideas" on the selection of future host in coming days. The 41-year-old Coventry was elected president of the IOC on Thursday to become the first woman and first African to get the biggest job in world sports. Asked if there is any chance of India's bid to be converted to "accelerated targeted dialogue" before incumbent president Thomas Bach leaves office on June 23, Coventry said, "At the end of the day there is a process in place and that process is ongoing and that will remain, as far as I know, for the next few months." "I do think that we need to involve the members in the selection of future host and I have few ideas and may be willing to share those, may be next week," she said at the press conference after her election. She will take charge as IOC president from Bach on June 23, the Olympic Day, after three

Who is Kirsty Coventry? First female, youngest, African IOC president

Securing 49 out of 97 votes, Kirsty Coventry won a decisive victory over Spanish IOC vice-president Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe

Kirsty Coventry makes history as 1st female, African IOC President

Kirsty Coventry was been elected president of the International Olympic Committee as the first woman and first African to get perhaps the biggest job in global sports aged just 41. The Zimbabwe sports minister and two-time Olympic swimming gold medalist got a stunning first-round win in the seven-candidate contest after voting by nearly 100 of her colleagues in the IOC membership. It had been the most open and hard-to-call IOC presidential election in decades with no clear front-runner before the vote.

Dept of Future to ₹2100 for women: Highlights of Haryana's ₹2.05 trn budget

CM Saini made various announcements in the budget, including earmarking Rs 5,000 crore for 'Lado Lakshmi Yojana' under which Rs 2,100 will be given to the state's women

Lakshya Sen advances, HS Prannoy out of All England Championships

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

Sports minister to hold chintan shivir on Olympic preparations from Mar 7-8

Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya will chair a two-day meeting with his state-level counterparts, senior administrators, and key government officials here to "exchange ideas and craft a roadmap" for India's Olympic preparations. The March 7-8 gathering will be held at Kanha Shanti Vanam in the city. India is eyeing a double digit medal haul at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and is also bidding to host the 2036 Olympics for which a letter of intent has been sent to the International Olympic Committee. "The deliberations will focus on enhancing sports governance, grassroots talent identification, infrastructure development, inclusivity, and fostering collaborations," the sports ministry stated in a press release. Key focus areas of the brainstorming session will be an overview of various government schemes and co-ordination with states on the subject. Sports infrastructure development partnership with corporates, talent search, and promotion of good governance will also come ...