SYDNEY: Organisers of the women's Olympic soccer qualifying tournament, which quickly relocated to Sydney after the deadly Coronavirus outbreak, were forced to switch matches due to quarantine restrictions imposed on Chinese players.More than 200 people in China have died of the influenza-like virus, with nearly 6,000 infected after it appeared late last year in Wuhan, central Hubei Province.On Thursday, the World Health Organization said the outbreak was a public health emergency.The Chinese women's team arrived in Australia on January 29 and quarantined in Brisbane even after February 5. According to the Chinese Football Association, neither of the players has been positive for the virus.They were originally scheduled to play their first match against Thailand on February 3, but the organizers said on Friday that they will now play their first match on February 6.The Australian Football Confederation said in a statement on Friday that an additional day is already scheduled for February 12, when China will play against Australia."As always, the health of all participants, from players and officials to fans and contractors, remains the first priority," said James Johnson, CEO of the Football Association."This new coordination allows us to organize these matches with this priority in mind, and we now hope to welcome all teams and organize a successful tournament."Many other international sporting events, including boxing championships and the qualification of the basketball for this year's Tokyo Olympics, have been cancelled, postponed or transferred from China. The four-team championship which includes China, Australia, Taiwan and Thailand was transferred from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, to Australia by the Asian Football Confederation.Read More: Schedule of Hockey Test Event in the Olympic
Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Prize victor Muhammad Yunus will get the Olympic Laurel at the Tokyo Games, the second time the prize has been granted, the IOC said Thursday. Yunus, whose spearheading miniature loan specialist has been hailed for cutting neediness across the globe, will be respected for "his broad work in sport for advancement", the International Olympic Committee said in an explanation. The 81-year-old business analyst turned globe-jogging VIP speaker won the Nobel in 2006. He will be given the honour at the Tokyo 2020 opening service on July 23. The Olympic Laurel was made five years before perceiving tries in culture, instruction, harmony and advancement through sport, as per the IOC. Also Read: ICC Announced New Points System For Next World Test Championship CycleIt was given interestingly at the 2016 Rio Games to Kenyan previous Olympian Kip Keino, who opened a youngsters' home, a school and a competitors' instructional hub in his nation of origin. Yunus established the Grameen Bank during the 1980s and shared the Nobel Prize with the miniature loan specialist. His drives incorporate the Yunus Sports Hub, an organization of social undertakings that advance improvement through sports. Yunus experiences confronted lawful difficulties as of late after he was sacked in 2011 as head of Grameen Bank. His allies say he has been focused on by Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheik Hasina, who blamed him for "sucking blood" from the poor with exorbitant financing costs. In March 2020, he was fined $88 after conceding that a social business firm he set up had overstepped work laws.Also Read: Olympics: PM Narendra Modi Collaborates With Tokyo Bound Indian Competitors Certain They Will Make The Nation ProudPicture Credit: Twitter
The Indian shooters will have their first instructional meeting in Tokyo in front of the Olympic Games on Monday. The Indian shooting unexpected arrived in the capital city last week and have recuperated from the stream slack after a long departure from Europe where they were preparing ahead of the pack up to the Games. The National Rifle Association of India on Sunday said the shooting unforeseen of 15 individuals has settled down well at the Games Village and are content with the offices and food accessible. Indeed, the shooters went through the day investigating the town, gathering their endowments, visiting selfie-focuses and inviting their countrymen from different games, other than making up for lost time with much-required rest. The shooting crew has been offered twin-sharing beds at the Games Village as they gear up for what vows to be their greatest tests. A ton is anticipated from the Indian shooters as they are hoping to bob back after drawing a clear 5 years prior at the Rio Games. Also Read: Tokyo 2020: World No 1 Novak Djokovic Affirms He Will Contend At Olympics"The rifle group has booked a transport for 6.55 am to go for training," said senior rifle shooter Sanjeev Rajput to the Press Trust of India, who will show up in his third Olympics. "It's an ideal opportunity to go look at the reach," he added.They will go through their first instructional meeting on Monday at the Asaka Shooting range. "The group has settled down well in the town. The climate is acceptable and we are partaking in some genuinely necessary rest after a long excursion. We anticipate starting preparing from Monday," said public rifle mentor Deepali Deshpande. The shooters additionally said that courses of action for food and all the other things were phenomenal furthermore mandatory wearing of veils, there were no limitations on development inside the town for any competitor. Also Read: Five Awesome Android Games Like COD Mobile With PvP Multiplayer Modes
India tennis star Sania Mirza said that she was amazingly glad to prepare for her fourth Olympic appearance at 34, adding that she could have just longed for this at the start of her profession. Sania brought up that playing at the Olympics is something that each competitor longs for and she was glad to be on the plane to Tokyo to contend in her fourth Olympics. Sania Mirza is good to go to turn into the primary Indian lady to highlight in four Olympic Games when she takes to the court in the ladies' occasion in Tokyo in the wake of meeting all requirements for the masterpiece occasion through her secured positioning. In the wake of bringing forth her first kid, Izhaan, in 2018, Sania Mirza made a triumphant rebound in January last year as she won the Hobart International WTA occasion. Also Read: Tokyo 2020: World No 1 Novak Djokovic Affirms He Will Contend At Olympics"Playing at the Olympics is something that any competitor just dreams of. To have the option to play four of them is something that I could have just longed for toward the start of my profession. So it involves incredible pride," Sania Mirza disclosed to India Today Consulting Editor, Sports, Boria Majumdar in a meeting while at the same time venturing out to Tokyo. Sania Mirza had missed out on her lady Olympic decoration just barely five years prior in the 2016 Rio Games when she slammed out of the blended duplicates bronze award match with Rohan Bopanna. "If someone had advised me at the last Olympics that I'll have one more shot at it, I would have dismissed it," Mirza further added. Sania Mirza will collaborate with Olympic debutant Ankita Raina in women's doubles.Also Read: India To Send A 228 Strong Contingent To Tokyo Olympics With 119 Competitors In It
Avani Likhara created history on Monday at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. She became the first Indian shooter to win a Paralympic medal, she also became the first woman to win an individual gold medal in the country's history at the Paralympic. 19-year-old Avani Likhara made an impressive debut at Paralympic Games She created world record and setting a new Paralympic record with 249.6 in R2 women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 final. The teenager, who suffered spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012, began shooting in 2015. Initially, her father introduced her to archery and shooting, but Avani Likhara wanted to make her mark on archery after reading Abinav Bindra's autobiography. And it was a special moment for Avani Likhara on Monday, as her idol, shooter great Abinav Bindra was among the first to congratulate her on winning the historic gold medal. "Gold it is! Brilliant display by @AvaniLekhara to win India its first Paralympic gold medal in shooting. Immensely proud ! Many Congratulations on your shot at history," Bindra wrote in a social media post. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the Lekhara gold as a "really special moment for Indian sport." "Phenomenal performance @AvaniLekhara! Congratulations on winning a hard-earned and well-deserved Gold, made possible due to your industrious nature and passion towards shooting. This is truly a special moment for Indian sports. Best wishes for your future endeavors," PM Modi said. Several sports stars joined the bandwagon to celebrate the Golden Girl of India from the Tokyo Paralympic Games.Gold it is! Brilliant display by @AvaniLekhara to win India its first Paralympic gold medal in shooting. Immensely proud ! Many Congratulations on your shot at history ! #Praise4Para #Tokyo2020— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) August 30, 2021Phenomenal performance @AvaniLekhara! Congratulations on winning a hard-earned and well-deserved Gold, made possible due to your industrious nature and passion towards shooting. This is truly a special moment for Indian sports. Best wishes for your future endeavours.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 30, 2021It's a Golden Day!! #GoldenGirl @AvaniLekhara wins India's First medal in @ShootingPara & it's a #GOLD!!! Avani has equalled the World Record to achieve this feat! This is unparalleled, first Indian Woman in @Olympics or @Paralympics ever to win GOLD.#Praise4Para #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/hxJoP1edCi— Paralympic India #Cheer4India #Praise4Para (@ParalympicIndia) August 30, 2021She has created history. The first ever woman from India to win a #Paralympics #Gold Wow #AvaniLekhara on the outstanding feat. Also equals the current WR to win the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 final! #Tokyo2020 #ShootingParaSport pic.twitter.com/saehkl2tJt— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) August 30, 2021Also Read- India vs England: Wounds of 2014 hurt Virat Kohli again
Sumit Antil, who has participated in able-bodied events including the Indian Grand Prix, said his goal is to qualify for both the Paralympic Games and the Olympics in 2024 and he will begin his training once he returns to India. Indian javelin thrower Sumit Antel now wants to compete against able-bodied athletes at the Paris Olympics three years from now. The 23-year-old from Sonipat shown his impressive performance on Monday when he broke his own world record not once but five times to take gold in the men's F64 javelin with a throw of 68.55 meters. Antel, who has participated in able-bodied events including the Indian Grand Prix, said his goal is to qualify for both the Paralympic Games and the Olympics in 2024 and will begin his training once he returns to the country. During my training, I have been touching the 70m-mark. And I dream of throwing between 75 to 80m and that should be enough to compete amongst the able-bodied athletes. “I wish to take part in both the Olympics and Paralympics. That’s my dream,” Antil, who lost his left leg below the knee after he was involved in a motorbike accident in 2015, said in a release issued by Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). “Once I return from Tokyo, I will be training for that for sure,” he added. If Sumit is allowed to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, he will compete against countryman Neeraj Chopra, who recently won gold medal in men's javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics. Interestingly, as the son of a JWO officer in the Indian Army, Antel competed against Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra in the able-bodied 3rd series of the Indian Grand Prix on March 5 at Patiala, where he finished seventh with a best throw of 66.43 meters. On Tuesday, Antel broke the previous world record of 62.88 meters, which is also set by him, five times a day. His last throw was a foul. His series read 66.95, 68.08, 65.27, 66.71, 68.55 and foul.Also Read- Shooter Avani Lekhara First Indian Woman To Win Gold At Paralympics"At the 2019 World Para-Athletics Championships, I settled for silver. I always wanted to win the gold medal," said Antel, who was inspired by Neeraj Chopra medal show. "My coach told me to be aggressive at the Paralympic Games. I'm glad I was able to finally come out with a good performance and inspire the upcoming generation." It was very hot and humid that day in Tokyo, but Antil never looked bothered. "During the pandemic, I got special permission from the Sports Authority of India to train at home. I was prepared for all conditions - hot and humid. I trained late at night and this paid off well," said Antel, who hails from Sonepat. The Haryana athlete now hopes that Paralympic gold will give him a job once he returns to India. "Currently, I am unemployed and I am doing full-time training but I hope to get a job after this. Let's see what happens when I return to India," he signed off.Also Read- US Open 2021: Naomi Osaka kicks off title defence with straight sets win over Marie Bouzkova
