Vaccination for Olympic-bound athletes likely from March end
NEW DELHI, Feb 11: The COVID-19 vaccination for India’s Tokyo Olympic-bound athletes is likely to start from the end of March after the sports ministry formally requested the health ministry to enlist the qualifying sportspersons and their coaches in the priority category. (PTI)
Indian judoka team in Grand Slam
NEW DELHI, Feb 11: Indian judokas will aim to secure Olympic rankings points when a six-member team heads to Israel to participate in the Tel Aviv Grand Slam, scheduled to be held from February 18 to 20. With less than six months left for the Tokyo Olympics, which will start on July 23, the tournament will provide Indian judokas a chance to pocket vital ranking points in their bid to qualify for the Games. The Indian team consists of five players — three men and two female — and a coach. (PTI)
Elavenil set world record in shooting
New Delhi, Feb 11: TCurrent world number one Elavenil Valarivan bettered compatriot Apurvi Chandela’s finals world record to win the women’s 10m air rifle competition in the third national selection trials here on Thursday. On Wednesday, Divyansh Singh Panwar had also gone past the finals world record mark, previously held by a Chinese shooter, in the men’s 10m air rifle final. In the other events of the day, the Tokyo quota winners won their respective trials. Manu Bhaker, the present world number two in her event, won the third women’s 10m air pistol trials quite comfortably. (PTI)
Super League Kho Kho from Feb 12
New Delhi, Feb 11: The Kho Kho Federation of India’s 2021 Super League tournament will be held at the national capital’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from February 12 to 15. The country’s top Kho Kho players have been exploring various facets of the fitness required to excel in the sport with the help of sports science-based technologies in a first-ever scientific high performance national camp. (PTI)
Devender, Nimisha win gold
DUBAI, Feb 11: Promising para-athletes Devender Kumar and Nimisha Suresh Chakkungalparambil won a gold each as India started their campaign at the 12th Fazza International World Para Athletics Grand Prix event by winning six medals here on Thursday. Devender cleared a distance of 50.61m in his second attempt to take the gold in men’s discus throw F-44 event, while Nimisha claimed the yellow metal in women’s long jump F46/47 event with an effort of 5.25m. In F-44 classification, athletes with a leg deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement in the legs compete in a standing position. F46/F47 is for athletes with arm deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement in arms, competing in a standing position. In fact, India took the one-two position in men’s discus throw F-44, with Pardeep winning the silver with a throw of 41.77m. Belarus’ Dmitry Bartashevich (37.08m) claimed the bronze. (PTI)
Mori to resign from Tokyo Olympics
TOKYO, Feb 11: The long saga of Yoshiro Mori appears to be near the end. Japan’s Kyodo news agency and others reported on Thursday — citing unnamed sources “familiar with the matter” — that Yoshiro Mori will step down on Friday as the president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee. The move follows his sexist comments about women more than a week ago, and an ensuing and rare public debate in Japan about gender equality. They also come just over five months before the Olympics are to open. A decision is expected to be announced on Friday when the organizing committee’s executive board meets. (AP)