New-look Great Britain team wins 4x100m relay bronze but Dina Asher-Smith suffers injury scare
Great Britain claimed bronze in the 4x100m men’s relay at the World Athletics Championships as star Dina Asher-Smith suffered an injury scare.
Birmingham Sport News
Not easy to live up to expectations of fans every time: Mirabai Chanu
However, the 27-year-old lifter from Manipur expressed hope that she would not disappoint people with her performance in the upcoming Commonwealth Games. India have been the best performers in weightlifting in 1990, 2002 and 2018 and the Chanu-led 15-member strong team is again hoping to repeat their winning streak at Birmingham. Mirabai went on to break the Games record enroute the gold medal at the 2018 CWG at Gold Coast and all eyes will be on her to win the gold because of her Tokyo 2020 performance.
WFI president believes wrestlers will make it 12 out of 12 medals at CWG in Birmingham
Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Birmingham, and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh claimed in an interview with TOI that all 12 will return home with medals. Excerpts…What are your expectations from the Indian wrestling contingent at the upcoming CWG?Twelve wrestlers are going for the Games, and I think all 12 can bring home medals. Colour of the medal will depend on their performance. A lot of factors come into play during big events; for example, we were expecting a medal from Vinesh (Phogat) during the Tokyo Olympics, then we were hoping for a gold or silver for Bajrang (Punia)… there are circumstances, but if the wrestlers going to Birmingham give their best, they’re surely going to win a medal. Even our sixth or sixth number wrestler – from the pool we have – can get a medal at the Commonwealth Games. After the Tokyo Olympics, you had problems with organisations like the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) or JSW…We had talks with these organisations for a long period and now they are going to comply with our rules. The federation doesn’t want a single paisa from them. But whichever young wrestler they’ve to sponsor, for that performance should be the only criteria. Nobody should be given money by just looking at their faces, check the performance. So now we have given the list of best performers to them and they can support these wrestlers. There were some issues with the players after the Olympics…Those are things of the past. I can assure that our players are disciplined now. They totally act in accordance with the federation and government of India. We have full control over the sport in India.
Chris Hoy on Commonwealth Games memories, Richard Moore's legacy and why Edinburgh needs a velodrome
The new marker for ageing isn’t policemen looking younger. It’s realising Sir Chris Hoy has been retired for nearly ten years. How on earth did that happen?
India's two CWG-bound para-athletes fail dope test
Commonwealth Games (CWG) and the Indian contingent has been rocked by another doping episode. TOI has learnt that two of the CWG-bound para athletes have failed the drug test for banned substances in an out-of-competition testing by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) officials in Pune and Delhi, respectively.
Lakshya Sen eager to prove mettle in his first Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games. The 20-year-old from Almora defeated Loh to win the India Open this January. A couple of months later he came up with a sensational show at the All England Championships, where he became the first Indian to reach the final in two decades. He even dethroned reigning champion Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia. Lakshya , who trains at the Prakash Padukone Academy in Bengaluru, excelled at the junior level before making rapid strides in the senior category. Last December, he stunned many by becoming the youngest Indian man to win a medal at the World Championships, where he lost to Srikanth in the semifinals. The CWG field in men’s singles is weak and it would be a major upset if Lakshya, Srikanth or Loh don’t win in Birmingham. The withdrawal of Lee Zii Jia and Loh’s loss of form have increased the chances of Indian men.
Commonwealth Games is another box waiting to be ticked by PV Sindhu
Commonwealth Games gold for India in the bustling host city of Birmingham, England come August. Nah… we will just stick our necks out and say she will be on top of the podium, flashing that ear-to-ear smile soon. Cue: Next Amul ad. No doubt, she will have a lot of ‘home’ support too. A stroll down New Street leading up to the much-photographed shiny bronze bull and you will come across a motley crew of Indians and friends from the subcontinent, most of them conversing in a monotone Brummie accent but unable to hide the fact they are yearning for that visit ‘back home’. Indian shopkeepers have their bundle of tales, to make that connect, just a means to the end of selling their wares. A month from now, they will probably have another story of how shuttle queen Sindhu charmed them all. Having clinched the Singapore Open last Sunday, in a three-game encounter against China’s Asian champion Wang Zhi Yi, the leader on the World Tour will be beaming with confidence. First, of course, comes the team test as India look to retain the gold they earned at Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018. Sindhu, 23 then, did not participate in that event but don’t we all remember the highly-charged Saina-vs-Sindhu final where personal pride was also at stake? As the shuttle flew wide, Sindhu, in red, was left feeling the blues as Nehwal, in traditional Indian colour, pumped her fists in an overwhelming display of emotions.
Heartbreak for Great Britain as Dina Asher-Smith injured in relay final
Dina Asher-Smith faces a race against time to be fit for the Commonwealth Games after suffering a relay nightmare at the World Championships.