Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday asked all stakeholders involved in the preparation of Indian athletes for the Paris Olympic to ensure the elite players are in the best possible mental and physical shape to excel on the grand stage. A total of 118 athletes, including 48 women, across 16 sports disciplines will compete at the Paris Games. While 72 athletes have qualified for Games for the first time, 26 have come through the government’s ambitious programme, Khelo India.

“As our athletes enter this critical phase of preparation and competition, it’s essential that we ensure they are in the best physical and mental condition to excel,” said Mandaviya, while chairing a high-level meeting to review India’s preparation for the Olympics.

The ministry has also established a coordination group to ensure holistic support for athletes and to address any issues that arise in the lead-up to and throughout the Paris Games.

The minister also expressed satisfaction that over 80 per cent of the qualified athletes were already training at various locations in Europe, ensuring they would not encounter acclimatisation issues.

“The government is committed to providing comprehensive support to Indian athletes through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), ensuring they have the best possible preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympics,” said a sports ministry statement.

“This includes the engagement of world-class coaches and experts to enhance training programs, organising competitive exposures to give athletes vital experience, and taking initiatives focused on rehabilitation and injury management.

“For the first time, a recovery centre with sports science equipment will be available for Indian athletes at the Games Village. Additionally, India House has been set up at the Park of Nations in Paris, joining 14 other countries, including France, with similar houses. Importantly, all decisions are made with a focus on the athletes’ needs and perspectives,” the statement added.

“These efforts underscore the dedication to optimizing athletes’ performance and well-being, demonstrating a strong commitment to their success and achievement,” said the statement. 

Avinash Sable had won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.© AFP

Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh gave herself the perfect pre-Olympic tonic by setting a new world record in the women’s high jump at the Diamond League meet in Paris on Sunday. Just three weeks out from the Paris Games, reigning world champion Mahuchikh set a new best of 2.10 metres. That mark beat by 1cm the previous record set by Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova at the 1987 world championships in Rome, one of track and field’s longest-standing. “I feel fantastic because it was an incredible jump and I managed to do it in my first attempt,” Mahuchikh said.

Mahuchikh had entered the competition at 1.92m and despite three failures on her way to clearing 2.03, then passed at 2.05m.

One jittery failure at 2.07 was swiftly followed by a successful attempt to improve her own personal best by 1cm.

The bar was raised to 2.10m, the Ukrainian clearing it at the first time of asking to rapturous applause from the packed-out crowd at the Stade Charlety in southern Paris.

She sprinted arms held aloft in triumph to embrace her coaching team.

“It was really incredible, even more so because I only jumped 2.07 at my second attempt, and it was already my personal best,” she said.

“My coach told me that maybe I should stop because of the Olympic Games coming up – of course that is more important – but I felt inside I could do it, and, to be honest, I wanted to try the world record – and I did it at my first attempt.”

Mahuchikh added: “Of course we have been doing a lot of work with my coaches, a lot of hard work, also to recovery from a small injury before the European Championships” in Rome where she won gold.

Her record-setting feat will see Mahuchikh, who fled the Russian bombardment of her native city of Dnipro in February 2022, return to the French capital as one of the nailed-on stars for the Games.

“Now that I am healthy, I am ready to fight… I am looking forward to the Olympic Games here,” she said.

“I am sure it will be a great competition and an even better atmosphere, but I know it will be hard, and will be very competitive.

“A major event like the Olympics you really need to be mentally strong, and like my coach says, it is a celebration, and you should definitely enjoy it.”

The Ukrainian sports ministry was quick to hail Mahuchikh’s feat.

“Congratulations to Yaroslava and her coach Tetiana Stepanova on their incredible result in pre-Olympic Paris!” the ministry said.

The 22-year-old claimed world gold in Budapest last year after claiming silver in Eugene, losing to Australian Eleanor Patterson on countback, the same result she achieved in Doha in 2019.

Because of the war, the Ukrainian had to make a six-day car journey to Belgrade in 2022 where she added the world indoor high jump title to those two world silvers and Olympic bronze she had already collected. This season also saw Mahuchikh claim world indoor silver in Glasgow in March.

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon poses after beating the world record in the women’s 1500m on July 7, 2024© AFP

Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s mother Saroj Devi said she will send a special ‘choorma’ (a popular delicacy from Haryana and Rajasthan) for Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the latter requested for it during a recent interaction with the athlete. “We wish that Neeraj wins the gold medal again and get the opportunity to meet PM Modi again. Yes, this time I’ll send special churma made with ‘desi ghee’, ‘shakkar’ and ‘khand’,” Saroj Devi told IANS.

On Thursday, PM Modi hosted Paris Olympic-bound athletes at his residence to have a conversation with them. During such a chat with Neeraj, PM asked the javelin thrower to bring homemade ‘churma’ for him prepared by his mother.

Neeraj casually greeted the PM, saying, “Namaskar sir, kaise hain?” (Hello sir, how are you?) To which PM Modi replied with a chuckle, “Mai vaisa hi hu” (I am just the same).

PM Modi then joked, “Mera choorma abhi tak aaya nahi” (I haven’t received my churma yet), sparking laughter all around.

With a shy smile, Neeraj replied, “Is baar Haryana wala choorma khilayenge sir, pichli baar Delhi ka cheeni wala khaya tha” (This time I will treat you with churma from Haryana; last time we had the sugary one from Delhi).

The PM eagerly expressed his craving for homemade churma, saying, “Mujhe tumhari maa ke haath ka choorma khana hai” (I want to savour churma made by your mother).

After their humorous banter, PM Modi wished Neeraj all the best for the Paris Olympics, urging him to stay fit and injury-free.

Neeraj’s father Satish Kumar said his son detailed his training and preparations for the Olympics to PM Modi.

“Neeraj told PM that his training is going well and he’ll give his all to clinch the second gold medal for the country,” he said.

“He has missed some of the events in the past due to groin injury but now he has recovered and wants to focus on the Olympics. He wants to better his previous record and win a medal. He is currently training for 6-8 hours daily under the guidance of his coach and physio,” Satish added.

 

Confident that India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics will be successful, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged athletes bound for this month’s Paris Games to share their views on the arrangements in the French capital to help his government’s ambitious plan to bring the quadrennial showpiece in New Delhi. In an interaction with Paris-bound athletes, conducted both in person and online on Thursday, Modi said those travelling to the French capital would do the country a huge service by providing inputs from their experience.

“We are hoping to host the Olympics in 2036, it will help in creating a sporting atmosphere (in the country). Work is in progress to prepare infrastructure for it,” he said in the interaction, which was attended by the national men’s hockey team, the shooting contingent, boxers and track-and-field stars such as Neeraj Chopra among others.

The complete video of the PM’s light-hearted conversation with the athletes was shared by his office on Friday. The meeting with the contingent was also attended by sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Indian Olympic Association (IAO) President P T Usha.

“I won’t ask you to do anything in the middle of your events but when you are free, I would urge you to observe the arrangements. Your inputs will help our bid for 2036. We will have an understanding on how to make sure that we are better-prepared,” he added in his closing remarks to the athletes.

The upcoming Games will be held from July 26 to August 11 and India would be hoping to better its best ever tally of seven medals, including Chopra’s historic javelin throw gold, achieved in the Tokyo Games.

Over 100 Indian sportspersons have qualified for the Games, including an unprecedented 21 shooters, who would be aiming to end the medal drought of last two editions.

India has repeatedly asserted its desire to host the Games and found support from International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach.

However, it would be no walk in the park to secure the rights as several other strong contenders such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia are also expected to throw their hats in the ring.

A decision on the 2036 Games host is not expected before next year’s IOC elections where a new President is expected to take charge.

Deepanshi has been suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA)© X (formerly Twitter)

Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is in best physical condition to claim a medal at the Paris Games, said Spencer Mackay, the head of strength and conditioning at Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS). The 26-year-old Indian, who had undergone rehabilitation at IIS for an elbow injury before winning the Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021, has been troubled by an adductor niggle for the past couple of months. Chopra is not participating in Sunday’s Paris Diamond League and will straight away compete at the Olympics.

Mackay said he is “keeping a close track of him.” “He is in excellent physical condition and well-prepared,” Mackay said in an interview with PTI videos.

“His past injuries and recent niggles are now an afterthought. When the Olympic finals begin, Neeraj will be in a fantastic position to win another medal for the country.” The Olympic and World champion Chopra had returned to competitions in June after a month-long break to fetch his maiden gold medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland. He had finished second at the Doha Diamond League in May.

Chopra also participated at the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, where he secured the gold medal.

“For an athlete, it is not warranted to perform at the best all the time, especially for athletes like Neeraj who compete at the highest level. But his plan is very clear: to keep himself fit, strong, and well-balanced to give his best shot at the Olympics.” The Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS) here has been a go-to place for various Indian athletes over the years for injury recovery and rehabilitation.

Spencer, who has been at the state-of-the-art facility since its inception, pointed out that sports science and rehabilitation are vital components of modern athletic training, playing a pivotal role in enhancing performance, preventing injuries, and promoting effective recovery.

“India has a lot of scope to enhance the performance of their athletes which will result in better results.

“As long as the scope for sports training supplemented with sports science, development of coaches, the scope for India to massively increase the medal haul come the next Olympics games is going to be clear.” Talking about the rehab programs, he said: “Our elite performers train offsite but our main focus is to tailor rehab programs based on the situation and the injury sustained based on the data we have about them. “We also have in mind the psychological aspect of an athlete suffering a specific injury and the way he or she suffered it in mind.” “If we have more contact with them, we can do more based on the capability of the athlete and how much we have been able to expose him or her to development over time being a key component of the rehabilitation process during the injury situation.

“But regardless we are happy to be in a situation where we have been able to affect athlete rehabilitation in a positive way and to see them returning back to the performance level they had before, is an incredibly rewarding position.”

Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Wednesday clarified that Sunday’s Paris Diamond League was never a part of his competition calendar this year. The statement came after a media report stated that Chopra pulled out of the event due to the adductor niggle that has been troubling him for the past couple of months. The 26-year-old took to ‘X’ to say that there was no question of a withdrawal when he had not even entered his name.

“Hello, everyone. Just to clarify: the #ParisDL wasn’t part of my competition calendar this season, so I haven’t ‘withdrawn’ from it. I’m focusing on getting ready for the Olympic Games.

“Thanks for your understanding and support, and wishing all the athletes competing all the best! #RoadToOlympics,” Chopra posted.

He was exempted from last week’s National Inter-State Championships, which was a mandatory event for all Indian athletes, by the Athletics Federation Of India.

The AFI said the relaxation was given to him due to the short turnaround time between the domestic event and the Diamond League on July 7.

“We have made it very clear that every athlete will compete in India at the Inter-State Championships,” AFI president Adille Sumariwalla had said, “But Paris Diamond League is clashing with the Inter-State Championships and we feel that Paris Diamond League will be very important for him (Neeraj) before the Olympic Games therefore he is the only guy who has been given special permission to participate in the Federation Cup,” he added.

However, Chopra had indicated last month that his schedule will be decided according to the state of his body.

“We had a discussion that I would play in the National Inter-State Championships (June 27-30) and it’s going to be held in Panchkula in Haryana but it was very near to the Paris Olympics,” Chopra had said.

“Since I was playing in Doha which is near to India. Moreover, there is Paris Diamond League (on July 7) between National Inter-State and Olympics. So, we decided to compete here (Federation Cup),” Chopra had said.

“Further competition schedule will be decided later according to situation and my body. Otherwise, I will go to Paris from there (after competing in Turku).” Chopra, who scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win a track and field medal at the Tokyo Olympics, had won the gold at the at the Paavo Nurmi Games last month.

Following this, he had opened up about his adductor niggle which has affected his season, saying he will consult “different doctors” after the Paris Olympics.

Olympics, Asian, and World Championships gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is a ‘cool cat’, very consistent, and goes quietly about his job without taking too much pressure, says Athletics Federation of India (AFI) President Adille Sumariwalla about his star athlete’s chances of retaining his gold medal in Paris Olympic Games. Sumariwalla said whenever he runs into Neeraj and enquires about his preparations and chances, the first Indian to win an Olympic medal tells him not to worry.

“He just tells me. ‘don’t worry, I will do it’ when I ask him about his preparations. He is a cool cat, very consistent. He knows that everyone expects him to win the gold medal in Paris but he will go about his preparations and deliver when it matters most,” Sumariwalla said during a panel discussion about India’s chances at the upcoming Paris Olympics organised by the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM) on the occasion of World Sports Journalists Day on Tuesday.

“His strength is his consistency. There are at least four to five throwers in the world today, throwing over 90 meters, which Neeraj has never done. Everybody keeps putting pressure on Neeraj. We need to understand that the only reason why he’s won the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and the Olympic Games is simply because of his consistency.

“He has never been the number one thrower in the world. He’s always been, in terms of highest performance that year, number four or five. He’s never thrown over 90 meters. But when it comes to crunch, he will throw his 88.89 meters. Those guys will throw 87 meters. He will win the gold,” said Sumariwalla.

The AFI President, a top sprinter of his time who represented India in two Olympics, said India’s recent success in athletics should not be evaluated in terms of medals but rather the progress we have in the last decade or so.

“I think the Indian athletes will do better than they did at the last Olympics. When I say better, I never talk in terms of medals. I am not an astrologer. I can’t predict metals. You see data and I think you need to go by data. You need to follow a process. Now, what you need to see also is what is the progression that has happened. What is the progression in India? What is the progression approach?

“What you also need to understand is in London, 10 athletes qualified. In Rio, 16 athletes qualified, and in Tokyo, 20-odd athletes qualified. More than 30 athletes will qualify for these Olympics. So you need to see that progression. Not only that, you really need to study how many were in the top eight, how many came to the top six, and how many came in the top four. How many could get medals,” said Sumariwalla, adding that India’s success should be measured in terms of this progress.

Sumariwalls, who is also vice-president of World Athletics, the global body of track and field, said they have put in place the processes for the development of elite and grassroots athletes and it is these processes that would get India the medals in the Olympics.

Hockey Olympian and Olympic Gold Quest CEO Viren Rasqinha, former badminton star Leroy D’Sa, chief coach of Indian rifle shooting team Suma Shirur and former India Davis Cupper Purav Raja were the other participants in the panle discussion.