India’s Schedule At Paris Paralympics 2024, September 3: Avani Lekhara© Twitter

Determined to return with their best-ever haul in the Paralympic Games, India’s biggest-ever contingent for the mega event will launch a historical campaign in French Capital on Thursday with action starting in badminton, archery and table tennis. India’s archers, shuttlers and paddlers will get into action on the opening day of competition, getting through the preliminary rounds.

The 16-year-old para-archer Sheetal Devi will be among the first Indian participants to take the field for the Women’s Individual Compound Open Ranking Round along with compatriot Sarita. Sheetal, the wonder archer who shoots arrows in bullseye with ease using her legs and mouth, won two gold and one silver medal in the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou last year. 

In the men’s compound archery, India’s Rakesh Kumar, who had narrowly missed a medal in the Tokyo Paralympic Games, is hoping to bag his maiden medal in Paris and will also start his campaign in the men’s individual compound open ranking round. Also starting their campaigns will be Harvinder Singh in men’s recurve individual, Shyam Sundar Swami in men’s compound individual and Pooja in women’s recurve open individual.

The top Indian medal contenders will also get into action in para-badminton with Sukant Kadam, Manoj Sarkar, Suhas Yathiraj, Manasi Joshi, Tarun Dhillon, Nitesh Kumar, Thulasimathi Murugesan, Manish Ramdass and Palak Kohli playing their respective Group Stage matches.

India’s main hope in para-taekwondo, Aruna Tanwar will be getting onto the mat in the Women’s K44-47 kg section. She will start her campaign with a Round of 16 stage clash with Nurcihan Ekinci of Turkey. If she wins her first match, she will progress further to the quarterfinals.

1. Para Badminton 

Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 (Group Stage)

Nitesh Kumar/Murugesan Thulasimathi vs Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj/Palak Kohli (12 PM)

Mixed Doubles SH6 (Group Stage)

Sivarajam Solaimalai/Nithye Sre Sumathy (Not before: 12:40 PM )

Women’s Singles SL3 (Group Stage)

Mandeep Kaur

Manasi Joshi

(Not before 2 PM)

Men’s Singles SL4 (Group Stage)

Sukant Kadam (Not before 2:40 PM)

Suhas Lalinakere Yathira (Not before 3:20 PM)

Tarun (Not before 3:20 PM)

Men’s Singles SL3 (Group play)

Nitesh Kumar vs Manoj Sarkar (Not before 4 PM)

2. Para Cycling

Jyoti Gaderiya – Women’s C1-3 3000m Individual Pursuit Qualifying (Not before 4:25 PM)

3. Para Archery (From 4:30 PM)

Harvinder Singh – Men’s Individual Recurve Open (Ranking Round)

Sarita, Sheetal Devi – Women’s Individual Compound Open (Ranking Round)

4. Para Badminton

Palak Kohli – Women’s Singles SL4 (Group play) – 4:40 PM onwards

Murugesan Thulasimathi – Women’s Singles SU5 (Group play) – 5:20 PM onwards

Sivarajam Solaimalai – Men’s Singles SH6 (Group play) – 7:30 PM onwards

Manisha Ramadass – Women’s Singles SU5 (Group play) – 7:30 PM onwards

Nithya Sre Sumathy – Women’s Singles SH6 (Group play) – 7:30 PM onwards

Krishna Nagar – Men’s Singles SH6 (Group play) – 7:30 PM onwards

5. Para Archery (8:30 onwards)

Shyam Sundar Swami, Rakesh Kumar – 8:30 PM onwards

Pooja – Women’s Individual Recurve Open (Ranking Round)

Sheetal Devi-Rakesh Kumar, Sarita-Shyam Sundar Swami – Mixed team Compound Open (Ranking Round) – 8:30 PM onwards

Harvinder Singh-Pooja – Mixed team Recurve Open (Ranking Round) – 8:30 PM onwards

6. Para Taekwondo

Aruna – Women K44 – 47kg – 8:30 PM onwards

7. Para badminton

Nitesh Kumar/Murugesan Thulasimathi – Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 (Group play) – not before 10:10 PM

Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj/Palak Kohli – Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 (Group play) – not before 10:50 PM

With IANS inputs 

Double Olympic-medallist shooter Manu Bhaker’s coach Jaspal Rana has slammed the national federation’s “ever-changing” Olympic selection policy, saying that it has hurt some of the most promising talents in the past and will damage more youngsters if there is no consistency going forward. Rana, a pistol legend in his own right who won three Asiad gold medals in the 2006 edition, hardly minced words as he questioned the federation’s tendency to make last-minute changes to its policy, and its stubborn refusal to acknowledge or facilitate the presence of shooters’ personal coaches at national camps and trials. He made these observations during a visit to PTI headquarters with Bhaker, who won bronze medals in 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team (alongside Sarabjot Singh), for an interaction with its editors on Friday.

“The (federation’s) selection policy changes every six months. I met the sports minister and told him ‘get the selection policy from the federation. Let them decide… whatever they decide, right or wrong, we are not discussing that, and then stick to it’.

“You will see the difference (in the performance of shooters),” said the decorated marksman.

Several talented shooters like Saurabh Chaudhary, the only one to make the 10m air pistol final at the Tokyo Games, and Asian Games gold-medallist pistol shooter Jitu Rai faded away in a matter of few of years at a time when they were among the brightest prospects for Olympic glory. Rana said the system failed them and many more.

“Where is (pistol shooter) Saurabh Chaudhary, where is (Asian Games gold medallist pistol shooter) Jitu Rai? Does anybody talk about them? No. Are we talking about (10m air rifle shooter) Arjun Babuta, who finished fourth in Paris? He missed the medal by a fraction,” the firebrand 48-year-old asked.

“Nobody is thinking how to get him back on the platform (again),” said Rana, who was allegedly told to leave the Karni Singh ranges by the federation’s High Performance Director Pierre Beauchamp during the Paris Olympics Selection Trials.

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) amended its selection criteria in 2021 after a second successive medal-less Olympic outing in Tokyo, drastically reducing the bonus points awarded to quota winners and re-introducing trials to decide the final squad after a considerable gap.

Earlier, the composition of the final squads was at NRAI’s discretion and quotas used to be swapped if the federation did not consider a shooter good enough.

Names were finalised based on NRAI’s own obscure assessment of the shooters’ performance leading up to the Games, causing anxiety among even the best of performers.

But even with the introduction trials, there was no consistency and NRAI faced criticism for restricting the number of shooters who could aim for an Olympic berth to just top five based on international and camp performances.

This made it impossible to even have a full field of eight shooters at the trials, which was widely ridiculed and criticised.

Rana said he wasn’t against change but would like more consistency during an Olympic cycle.

He said, currently, there is no mechanism to protect Olympic and world medallists and lamented that Bhaker, despite winning two medals in Paris, will have to fight for a place in the national squad once she returns from a three-month break.

“All the Olympic medallists, we don’t see them after one or two Olympics because there is no system by which we can protect them,” he observed “The squad is selected from the Nationals. So, if she is not playing the Nationals, which she is not, then next year she will not get the facilities other shooters will get. Those who have competed in the Olympics and proved themselves, let them be there to compete in every trial,” the coach asserted.

“She walked with me”

Rana had to coach Bhaker from the spectators’ gallery at the Paris Games as he did not have the requisite accreditation for access to field of play. He was also lodged away from the Games village but the Dronacharya awardee said none of it had any impact on his zeal to see Bhaker succeed.

“They (federation’s restrictions) made us stronger by putting all the restrictions. We were ready for it and it didn’t affect us at all, not even one per cent. (The coordination) between me and Manu (is such that) we don’t need to talk and I think every coach has to learn that.” “It used to be a long walk (to my hotel) from the range but she used to walk with me,” Rana said, to which Bhaker quipped, “It only made you fitter.” The personal-versus-national-coach debate caused a lot of rancour in the lead-up to Paris.

Rana, when asked what was the solution going forward, said: “There cannot be two cooks (coaches). I think one person has to take the lead.” “There has to be a little understanding and thankfully, there was little understanding this time.” Bhaker, on her part, thanked Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha for ensuring that Rana makes the trip to Paris to assist her.

“We requested PT Usha ma’am and she assured us that ‘you do your job and you just don’t bother about it’. I did not have to ask her again,” disclosed Bhaker.

India’s Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem are fierce competitors on the field of javelin but off the ground both share a really good bond. The two players hold a lot of respect and love for each other, so much that it remains unaffected by the outcome of the results of the events they compete in, together. In the recently-concluded Paris Olympics 2024, Arshad claimed the gold medal in the javelin throw event while Neeraj bagged the silver. An interview of the duo after the medal ceremony is going viral on social media. In the clip, an anchor of the host broadcaster asked Neeraj about who he would want to play the role if a biopic is made on Arshad. The Indian athlete picks Amitabh Bachchan.

“You should look for a hero with height because Arshad has good height. In India, a young Amitabh Bachchan could have played the role,” Neeraj said.

When Arshad was asked a similar question for Neeraj’s biopic, the Pakistan star said, “You can use Shah Rukh Khan.”

King Khan Neeraj Chopra!

Which Bollywood actor would you cast as Neeraj Chopra in his biopic?

Catch the closing ceremony of the Olympics tonight from 12:30 AM onwards, LIVE on #Sports18, and stream it FREE on #JioCinema #OlympicsOnJioCinema #Javelin #Cheer4Bharat pic.twitter.com/RZ6ZD0K9so

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) August 11, 2024

Neeraj, who won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics, said he couldn’t push himself to his extreme. Chopra fell short of retaining his gold medal in the men’s javelin throw at the marquee event securing silver with a best throw of 89.45 meters.

Speaking at a virtual press briefing, Neeraj said that mentally he was ready but lacked in the physical area. The 26-year-old accepted that his legwork was not how it should have ben during the final.

“I never thought I couldn’t do it… Arshad Nadeem’s previous best was at 90.18 metres which he threw at the Commonwealth Games, and my previous best was 89.94 metres… I couldn’t push myself to my extreme. Mentally I was ready but physically, I was retraining myself. My legwork on the runway was not how it should have been. My efforts were going in vain. My throw immediately after Nadeem’s throw was good because I was extremely positive…,” Neeraj said.

Neeraj also revealed his next competition and said that he will participate in the Lausanne Diamond League, which will kick off on August 22.

“… I have finally decided to participate in the Lausanne Diamond League, which begins August 22,” he added.

(With ANI Inputs)

Arshad Nadeem has been bestowed with several honours and rewards after his javelin throw gold at Paris Olympics 2024. From PKR 150 million to gold crowns and civil awards, Nadeem has received immense tribute from his nation. But none have created as many headlines as the unique gift that his father-in-law had gifted him. Arshad’s father-in-law – the father of his wife Ayesha – gifted the star athlete a buffalo. Now, Nadeem and his wife have joked about the gift, with Nadeem requesting something else instead.

“It’s just a buffalo, he could’ve given me five acres of land instead!” joked Nadeem, in an interview to Pakistan-based news channel ARY News, much to the amusement of the interviewer.

“But I thought, ‘okay, a buffalo is not bad either'”, he added.

Arshad Nadeem’s reaction on his father gifting him a buffalo after winning the Gold medal

He wanted 5-6 acre plot from his father-in-law and not a buffalo. Man, he’s so simple #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/EzRv68GyAl

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) August 16, 2024

Nadeem’s wife Ayesha admitted that her father had not told her about the gift, and that she had learnt about it from an interview.

“I did not know either, I got to know from an interview,” said Ayesha.

“I told her ‘He’s so rich and he gave me a buffalo?’ I asked her to tell him to give 5-6 acres of land, but she hasn’t yet!,” joked Nadeem.

Arshad Nadeem showered with prizes

After his 92.97m Olympic record throw earned him gold, Arshad Nadeem has received a hero’s welcome upon his return to Pakistan.

On Tuesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a grand reward of PKR 150 million to Nadeem, as well as a civil award. Chief Minister of the province of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, awarded Nadeem PKR 10 million, as well as a Honda Civic Car with a specially stylized number plate reading ‘PAK 92.97’.

Nadeem beat India’s Neeraj Chopra to the gold medal at Paris Olympics 2024, the first time he had beaten Neeraj in ten javelin contests.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi heaped praise on wrestler Vinesh Phogat for her scintillating show at the Paris Olympics and becoming the first Indian woman grappler to reach the final. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met and greeted the Indian athletes and medal winners of the recently concluded Paris Olympics at his residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in the national capital on Independence Day. While interacting with Indian contingent from the Paris Olympics, PM Modi noted Vinesh’s achievement and said, “Vinesh became the first Indian (women) to reach the finals in wrestling, which is a matter of great pride for all of us.”

Vinesh’s historic feat suffered a nosedive as she was disqualified from the women’s 50 kg gold medal bout at the Paris Olympics after being weighed “few grams over” the permissible limits on morning of the final match.

Following the major heartbreak at the grand sporting arena, Vinesh took to social media to announce her decision to retire from wrestling.

The wrestler from Haryana has three Commonwealth Games golds, two World Championships bronze medals and one Asian Games gold medal to her name. She was also crowned Asian champion in 2021.

However, she appealed against her Olympic disqualification with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and demanded a joint silver medal in the 50kg weight category.

But, the Ad-Hoc Division of the CAS dismissed the Vinesh’s petition against her disqualification, shattering her dream of clinching her maiden Olympic medal.

A total of 117 Indian athletes participated across 16 sports at the Paris Games: archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, equestrian, golf, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, wrestling, table tennis, and tennis.

India clinched six medals at the Paris Olympics, one silver and five bronze. Although hopes were high for a historic performance, the country fell just short of surpassing its previous best at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when they secured seven medals (1 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze) and ranked 48th.

Vinesh Phogat in action at Paris Olympics 2024© AFP

India’s star wrestler Vinesh Phogat was on cusp of history in the women’s freestyle 50kg category at Paris Olympics 2024, after two giant-killing victories in the Round of 16 and quarter-final. Vinesh beat two titans of 50kg wrestling: Japan’s Yui Susaki and Ukraine’s Oksana Livach. In the semi-final, she beat Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez. However, before her final bout, Vinesh Phogat, the 29-year-old was disqualified from the women’s 50kg free-style final for being 100gm overweight at the time of weigh-in. Vinesh, who was making her third Olympic appearance here, announced her retirement from the sport a day after her disqualification, saying that she doesn’t have the strength to continue.

The world championships bronze-medallist had resorted to desperate measures to save herself from disqualification, including cutting her hair, going without food and water, and working out an entire night.

She ultimately needed IV fluids due to extreme dehydration and her plight evoked sympathy across the board.

Let’s take a deep-dive about Vinesh’s two opponents, to get a better grasp of how brilliant her wins were.

Yui Susaki

Susaki is not only the no. 1-ranked wrestler, she is also the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the category. What’s even more crazy is that she had won the gold in Tokyo 2020 without giving up a single point to her opponent.

Before her match against Vinesh, Susaki had never lost an international wrestling match, boasting a mind-boggling record of 82-0. She is also a four-time gold medalist at the Wrestling World Championships. Open her Wikipedia page, and you won’t spot a single tinge of silver or bronze; it’s all gold. Susaki was the overwhelming favourite to retain her Olympic gold, but lost 3-2 in a tight contest against Vinesh.

Oksana Livach

After the monumental victory over Susaki, Vinesh Phogat rode on the momentum to beat eighth seed Oksana Livach from Ukraine in the quarter-final. Livach is a former World Championships bronze medalist (2018), and narrowly lost out on bronze in the 2024 European Wrestling Championships.

Much like Vinesh, Livach entered the quarter-final with great momentum, having won her Round of 16 match 10-0. However, Vinesh overpowered her opponent yet again, to seal her spot in the semi-final of the women’s 50kg freestyle event at Paris 2024.

Yusneylis Guzman Lopez

Guzman lost to Vinesh Phogat in semifinal but still returned home with the silver medal as she was promoted to the final  after Vinesh’s disqualification. She lost to Sarah Hildebrandt of the USA in the final. Guzman is a gold medallist at the Pan American Games and the Pan American Wrestling Championships. 

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Vinesh Phogat will play her semi-final match against Cuban wrestler Yusneylys Guzman, the reigning 50kg gold medalist in the Pan American Games, on Tuesday, August 6, at 10:15 PM IST tentatively.

Olympics 2024: Vinesh Phogat with Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha.© Twitter

The Indian badminton contingent did not win a single medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 with Lakshya Sen coming close but failing to win his men’s singles bronze medal match against Lee Zii Jia. Badminton legend Prakash Padukone, who was the coach and mentor of the badminton team at the Paris Olympics, was extremely disappointed with the showing and after Lakshya’s loss, he said that it was “high time the players step up and win as expected”. The comments resulted in quite a bit of criticism for Padukone with Ashwini Ponnappa coming up with a fiery reply. However, former Indian cricket team batter Sunil Gavaskar has come to Padukone’s defence. In his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar said that “making excuses” has become a habit of the country and that resulted in the criticism of a legend like Padukone.

“Making excuses is where our country will win gold medals every single time, so the debate around his assessment was more about that than looking without tinted glasses at what he said,” Gavaskar wrote.

Gavaskar further added that the players have a lot of support from the government at present and he agrees with Padukone’s statement that players should take responsibility for the defeats.

“And what did he say? He said that the players today get all the backing and facilities from their Federations and the government too. Therefore, they should take responsibility for their performances too. It was a point well-made and well-articulated too, without pointing fingers at anybody.”

“Yet as it invariably happens in our country, which again is a champion at reading between so-called lines and imagining unintended poisoned arrows, we were quick to jump on him and denounce his comments rather than take the time to digest them and then come out with our comparatively uninformed views.”

“If a player is not going to take responsibility for his performance, then who is? So what wrong did he say? Some say the timing was wrong, but it’s always better to say that when a player is searching for excuses and support rather than later. Yes, he could have said that privately in the changing room, but believe me, nothing has more impact on a player than a public rebuke.”

“If he has the heart of a champion, then he will want to make the person who rebuked him eat his words. Otherwise, he will continue to flatter only to deceive,” the former Indian cricket team skipper added.