After that three-year break, you obviously get a little comfier with just training once a day, or training one day and resting for two. The hardest part is to just try and fit in three sessions a day on a daily basis,” says Dipika Pallikal, who made a triumphant return to squash with two gold medals at the World Doubles Championships.
“I know there is a lot of difference between the conventional javelin throw and para-javelin throw, but my attempts will be to reduce the gap as much as possible,” says Sumit Antil.
For Dipika Pallikal Karthik, who made a triumphant return to squash, the goal now is to keep up and not burst into flames in trying to outdo herself. The twin gold medals from the World Doubles Championship in Glasgow are a statement of intent ahead of the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.
Love your athletes, design safe drills, keep it professional, work hard, stay in shape and prioritise player development over programme promotion.
“There’s one Indian playing an ATP250 event or in an ATP Masters, for example, out of a billion people and if you’re not able to show that match, how do you encourage young athletes?,” asks Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna.
“It’s up to the selectors to decide. But as far as I am concerned, I am preparing myself and whenever they give me a chance, I will try to perform to the best of my abilities and will give my 100 per cent,” says Umran Malik, the 22-year-old pace sensation from Jammu and Kashmir.
Repackaging any sport can be exciting, even if the governing body of the modern pentathlon thinks it is aiming for a sport that is a cross between a James Bond movie and the television game show, The Krypton Factor.
Malappuram has given a fresh lease of life to Santosh Trophy. The final, which host Kerala won in a penalty shootout, was attended by more than 27000 fans who hooted, chanted and roared their hearts out to make it a night to remember.
The Indian paddlers are expected to do well in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and overhaul the record eight-medal tally from Gold Coast four years ago.
Glenn McGrath talks about the state of pace bowling, what pacers need for sustained growth and why bowling consistently in the nets can help address the no-ball issue in the game.
In 20 seasons, Sharath has figured in 15 finals, winning 10 of them. This speaks of the man’s commitment, form and fitness over two decades.
Priya Mohan and Dutee Chand had a point to prove in the 200m clash at the Khelo India University Games. The duo was neck and neck in the first 100 metres, before Priya pulled away to record a comfortable victory.
Among the 17 bowlers who have so far claimed 100 or more wickets in IPL cricket, Rashid Khan, at 23, is by far the youngest to reach this landmark.
Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur left a dent in the Reds’ neck and neck title race with Manchester City, which clinched a 5-0 win against Newcastle United.
All-rounder Ben Stokes has been appointed as the captain of England’s Test team; Nicholas Pooran has been appointed as the West Indies captain in One-Day Internationals and T20 Internationals.
Just about every IPL match which should finish in 190 minutes, including the time taken for the strategic time out, is finishing around 220 to 240 minutes.
It was the third win of the season for reigning champion Max Verstappen and he now has been on the top step of the podium in all the races he has finished. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz completed the podium with Sergio Perez finishing fourth at the Miami Grand Prix.
After being associated with the team as its captain-mentor till 2011, Shane Warne was involved with Rajasthan Royals as mentor and brand ambassador till IPL 2020.
Liverpool beat Villarreal 5-2 on aggregate, while Real Madrid made it to the final with a 6-5 aggregate win over Manchester City.
While some sportspersons and federations are able to spot potential silver linings, for the most part, India's athletes will have to adapt not only to the disruption in the schedule but also the uncertainty of planning for the Games in an Olympic qualification year.
Archers Tarundeep Rai and Jayanta Talukdar had rediscovered their touch to a large extent making it to the Indian side for the three World Cups and the Asian Games this year after selection trials.