All posts tagged: Paris Olympics

Lakshya Sen returns to top 10 in BWF rankings after 440 days

Lakshya Sen returns to top 10 in BWF rankings after 440 days

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Lakshya Sen has returned to the top 10 of the Badminton World Federation men’s singles rankings, marking a major milestone in the Indian shuttler’s comeback journey after a prolonged period affected by injuries and setbacks. The 24-year-old climbed back to World No. 10 for the first time since March last year, completing a resurgence that has taken more than 440 days. The achievement comes after a challenging phase in which Lakshya dealt with injuries, rehabilitation and inconsistent form while attempting to regain his place among the world’s elite. Despite the difficult period, Lakshya continued to produce notable performances on the international stage. Over the course of his career, he has won titles such as the Canada Open, secured a silver medal at the prestigious All England Open and played a key role in India’s Thomas Cup campaigns. The Indian shuttler also represented the country in the bronze medal-winning team at the Thomas Cup 2026, further underlining his importance to Indian badminton. Strong performances fuel rankings rise Lakshya has shown encouraging form throughout the 2026 season …

Virat Kohli compares fitness levels

Virat Kohli compares fitness levels

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2 min readMay 20, 2026 01:14 PM IST Indian cricketing legend Virat Kohli has acknowledged the fitness standard of hockey players claiming that cricketers don’t have even 15% of fitness. His claim has drawn heartfelt reactions from Indian hockey players. Considered one of the fittest cricketers, Virat Kohli said if hockey players watch their sessions, they would laugh as the sport of hockey demands much more. “I know people sometimes look at fitness as something extraordinary, but for me, it is what the job demands. It should be the norm, not something celebrated as special,” Kohli said while speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit. “Cricket is in such prime focus in our country that we often overlook other sports. If I am being honest, we aren’t even 15% of the fitness of an Indian hockey player. If the hockey players watch our training sessions, they would laugh because their sport demands far more,” Kohli added. ALSO READ | Virat Kohli reveals why he gave up captaincy Earlier hockey players like Indian vice …

Vinesh Phogat vs wrestling system, and sadly the champion is on the mat

Vinesh Phogat vs wrestling system, and sadly the champion is on the mat

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On that traumatic night before her gold-medal bout at the 2024 Olympics, a desperate Vinesh Phogat pleaded with the doctor to draw some blood out of her body. She had spent half an hour inside a 98 degree Celsius sauna, but sweat beads hadn’t surfaced on her severely dehydrated body. The coaches had cut her hair, even shortened her singlet, but still she weighed 57.1 kg — the stubborn extra 100 grams that eventually led to her disqualification weren’t being shed. Blood, sweat, a potential medical complication and even the possibility of permanent internal organ damage — Vinesh had risked everything to have a shot at a gold medal and history. She wasn’t going to let her country down. She would get sympathy and praise. The all-time great American wrestler Jordan Burroughs said Vinesh deserved a silver medal and that the weight rule needed to change. India’s top table tennis star Manika Batra would get emotional. “You’ve shown us what it means to chase dreams with passion and grace. India is proud to call you …

Wrestling: WFI shuts door on Vinesh Phogat’s Asian Games hopes | Sports News

Wrestling: WFI shuts door on Vinesh Phogat’s Asian Games hopes | Sports News

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3 min readMay 6, 2026 10:42 PM IST The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) effectively ended Vinesh Phogat’s bid to compete at the Asian Games, stating that the eligible events for selection didn’t include next week’s National Open Ranking tournament. The governing body announced that it will conduct the Asian Games trials for women on May 30 in New Delhi and a day later in Lucknow for men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. It was earlier expected that the ranking tournament in Gonda from May 10-12 would open the door for Vinesh, who is set to return to the mat after 20 months, to be in contention for the Asian Games trials. However, in a circular issued on Wednesday, the WFI laid down the eligibility criteria. It said that only the medallists at the 2025 National Championships, held in December, and last February’s Federation Cup would be allowed to compete in the selection trials. Vinesh, who gave birth to a baby boy in July last year, did not compete in either tournament. The WFI’s decision will come …

From Rafael Nadal to Viktor Axelsen, tributes pour in for Spanish badminton legend – ‘Achieving feats that seemed impossible in Spain…’

From Rafael Nadal to Viktor Axelsen, tributes pour in for Spanish badminton legend – ‘Achieving feats that seemed impossible in Spain…’

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3 min readUpdated: Mar 26, 2026 10:59 PM IST As Carolina Marin announced on Thursday her decision to retire from professional badminton, tributes poured in for the three-time World Champion and Rio 2016 Olympics gold medallist, from her compatriot, Rafael Nadal, and a variety of badminton superstars. Marin, who had to pull out of her semi-final at the Paris Games due to a knee injury, said she didn’t want to retire this way (due to injuries and not on the court) but she couldn’t put her body at risk any longer. The ​32-year-old Spaniard had planned to return to competition at the European Championships in her birthplace Huelva next ​month. “I’d have ​liked for us ⁠to see each other one last time on court, but ‌I don’t want to put my body at risk for that,” Marin said in a video on Instagram. “Deep down, I did retire on court, in Paris ⁠in ⁠2024. We just didn’t know it at the time.” Marin ⁠won ‌the World Championships in ​2014, 2015 and 2018, ‌and beat India’s …

Transgender women banned from competing in female categories at Olympics, citing fairness concerns

Transgender women banned from competing in female categories at Olympics, citing fairness concerns

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4 min readMar 26, 2026 09:36 PM IST The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday banned transgender women and DSD (Differences in Sex Development) athletes from competing in the female categories at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and beyond. Announcing the decision, IOC president Kirsty Coventry said it would ‘not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.’ The IOC also added that athletes wanting to compete in the female category at the Olympics would have to undergo a one-time SRY gene screening. This would also apply to biological females. The SRY gene screening would be done via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample, the IOC said, adding that they are ‘unintrusive compared to other possible methods.’ The umbrella body for Olympic sports and national organisations said they ‘expect’ all international federations and National Olympic Committees, along with continental associations, to adopt and implement the policy. Participation of athletes with higher testosterone levels, or XY chromosomes, led to a massive controversy at the 2024 Paris Olympics after Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and …

2025: Her Year – How Paris Olympics setback is fuelling boxer Preeti Pawar | Sport-others News

2025: Her Year – How Paris Olympics setback is fuelling boxer Preeti Pawar | Sport-others News

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Sree Charani’s ice-cool control. Sheetal Devi’s relentless grit. Chess queen Divya Deshmukh unleashing gambits. In 2025, India’s young sportswomen didn’t just compete — they conquered. From Unnati Hooda and Tanvi Sharma ushering in a new era in badminton to the rise of another ‘Phogat’ — Suruchi — this time on the shooting range, Ankita Bhagat rattling South Korea’s archery dynasty, Preeti Pawar’s clinical power in the ring, or Antim Panghal reminding she still owns the mat. Express Sports dives deep into ‘Gen She’ – the trailblazers who kept the Tricolour flying high. The brightest days could not slay the memories of boxer Preeti Pawar’s darkest evenings. She can’t take the eyes of the gold medal she won in the Delhi World Cup, shocking big names. The naib subedar’s uniform, after she became the first sportsperson to be directly inducted into the Indian Army as a junior commissioned officer, brims her heart with pride. At her home in Bhiwani, father Somvir Sai Pawar, an ASI in Haryana Police, is eagerly awaiting her return to salute her …

Lakshya Sen: ‘Could stay calm in closing stages of first game’ | Badminton News

Lakshya Sen: ‘Could stay calm in closing stages of first game’ | Badminton News

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Lakshya Sen finally nailed down a title, the Super 500 in his last tournament abroad this season at Sydney’s Australia Open. And after a tough year when he lost at Hong Kong finals, and made a late surge while dealing with injuries, finished with a stomping 21-15, 21-11 win against Japanese Yushi Tanaka. Unlike a few botched attempts at bagging the initiative, most notably at the Paris Olympics, Sen showed composure to finish in the first set. Far too often, Sen has taken leads but succumbed to opponent’s increasing intensity from the 17th point onwards. After the triumph, he told the Olympics channel, that on Sunday at Sydney, he kept his nerve. “It was important to get a good start. And also the first game, and first mid game was quite even, the scores and then I got good momentum and could finish the first set. And it was important for me to get a good start in the second as well and maintain that pressure on him. I could really be calm in closing …

Triathlon Paris Olympics gold medallist finishes 14th at London Marathon, enduring ‘dark moments’

Triathlon Paris Olympics gold medallist finishes 14th at London Marathon, enduring ‘dark moments’

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Alex Yee, the Londoner who won the triathlon gold medal at Paris Olympics decided to fulfill a childhood dream when he entered to compete at the London Marathon on Sunday. But he said he endured more “dark moments” on his 42.195 km run debut than during his Olympic triathlon-title in Paris. He still declared it an experience of a lifetime, after ending 14th amongst elite athletes and second amongst British athletes, behind Maha met Mahamet. The 27-year-old Londoner completed the race in two hours, 11 minutes and eight seconds. “It was seriously tough,” said Yee, “but probably one of the best moments in my life. Just the feeling of everyone, that experience, I can’t really put into words. The experience of running into London, the crowds,” he said of the highs. Story continues below this ad However it was a testing run. “Definitely a lot more dark moments, I’d say, more than Paris, today. Once I got to 32, 33k there’s a lot of pain there. My legs are cramping and I just had to …

Hockey star Manpreet Singh loses six kilos, develops six packs to prolong career

Hockey star Manpreet Singh loses six kilos, develops six packs to prolong career

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And just like that, he breaks ice over an eternal sporting dilemma — the ageing athlete. For a decade-and-a-half, since debuting in 2011, he’s witnessed the insecurities that creep into a players’ psyche, the pitfalls of living in denial of their fading superpowers, and the endless chatter over their relevance. “I didn’t want people to think that I am taking it easy; that I have become slow…” the former captain, 32, says. Story continues below this ad Last September, he had his first brush with reality. India ended the international season with the Asian Champions Trophy title, a month after the Paris Olympics bronze medal, and Manpreet — though overjoyed — experienced an unfamiliar feeling. During the tournament, he felt his feet dragging, reflexes slowing down and huffing and puffing almost every time he had to chase the ball. “I felt heavy,” he says. When he stepped on the weighing scale, the needle stopped at 73 kg. “It was the heaviest I had ever been!” The weight gain, albeit just 3 kilos, was a direct …