Day 2 Glory: Manika Batra creates history; keeps medal hopes alive
On a historic day for Indian sports, Manika Batra battled her way into the 3rd round of the Tokyo Olympics. This achievement makes her the first-ever Indian paddler, to reach the last 32 at any edition of the Olympic Games. Manika Batra's grit and determination were clearly on display, as the World No. 62 pulled off a breathtaking comeback in...
Tokyo Moment: At 12, Syria’s Hend Zaza makes Olympic debut; instills hope despite her exit
12-year-old Syrian Hend Zaza, rose above the challenges posed by civil war to make her way to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and make history, by becoming the youngest Olympian to participate not just in this particular edition, but the youngest one since 1968. Syria had a small 6-person delegation to grace the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony. But what...
Day 1 Glory: “The entire country was watching me and…..”Mirabai Chanu fulfils every Indian’s expectation
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu has made history, bagging India's first medal on Day 1 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. She won the silver medal in 49 kg category of Weightlifting. Mirabai Chanu was on a mission to redeem herself from her rather forgettable outing at the 2016 Rio Games where there was not even a single legitimate lift logged by...
An amended Olympic motto; IOC adds ‘Together’ after ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’
The Olympic motto now has the word 'Together' added after 'Faster, Higher, Stronger' in response to the COVID-19 crisis. 'Citius, Altius, Fortius',- the original motto of the Olympics was adopted by the founder of the modern Games Pierre De Coubertin in 1894 as he wanted a slogan that expressed excellence in sport. 127 years later, International Olympic Committee (IOC) amended the...
Sushila Chanu- From ticket collector to Tokyo Olympics; an M S Dhoni tale in Indian Hockey
From landing a job as a junior ticket collector to leading the Indian Women’s Hockey team in the Rio 2016 Olympics and now travelling to the Tokyo Olympics as an experienced and crucial member of the squad, it’s been a long journey for Pukhrambam Sushila Chanu. In 2016 Rio Olympic Games, the Indian Women’s Hockey Team was qualified to play...
‘Babe’ Didrikson Zaharias: an extraordinary Track and Field Olympian who excelled in Golf and was proficient in a handful of other sports as well
Sometimes regarded as one of the greatest athletes ever to have lived, 'Babe' Didrikson Zaharias, byname of Mildred Ella Zaharias, holds more records and medals than any other 20th-century athlete. Mildred Ella Didrikson achieved particular success in Basketball, Baseball and Track and Field. However, she is most widely known because of her exploits in Golf. Mildred won 2 gold medals...
Dueball starlet, Pankaj Bhardwaj, reflects on why he loves the sport and how it will surely become popular
"I can't keep calm when Dueball's on". That is what Pankaj Bhardwaj has to say about how much the sport means to him. For the uninitiated, Dueball is a hybrid sport that was both invented and developed by Firoz Khan on Indian soil in Nagpur. It has quickly gone on to become one of India's fastest growing sports. Now coming...
Olympics with ‘No Spectators’- the first time ever in the history of the Games
The Olympic organisers have announced that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be held in the absence of any spectators in the host city of Tokyo, with resurgence in the number of coronavirus cases that have forced Japan to declare a “State of Emergency” in the capital, for the entire duration of the Games. Last month the Olympic organizers had said...
Hockey India bids adieu to Kesav Datt: the last Olympic legend of India
Two-time Olympic winning legend of India Keshav Datt, passed away due to age-related issues. The formidable centre halfback breathed his last, aged 95 at his own residence in Kolkata. With his death, India lost the last remaining member of the legendary Olympic-winning team of 1948. Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam issued a statement saying, "We are all very saddened to...
Inclusion in Olympics- The ‘refugees’ who stand for world peace and harmony
The Olympic Refugee Team comprising of 29 athletes will be representing the Olympic Flag in this edition of Olympics at Tokyo. Abdullah Sediqi – Taekondo Tekondo has been a guiding light for Abdullah Sediqi since he fled from Afghanistan. Sediqi feared for his life in his native place after he received threats due to his sporting ability. Now settled in Wilrijk,...