Category: Beijing Olympics
The pain of being turned back from the podium could be excruciating. No one knows it better than Saina Nehwal.
She might still be hogging the limelight for her stupendous performance of being the first Indian shuttler to enter the Olympic quarter-finals, but she cannot forget that the door was slammed on her when she was at the doorstep of a medal.
Saina feels she has an unfinished job and that makes her much more determined to win a medal at the next Olympics in London.
Saina says she made the cardinal mistake of thinking of semi-final when she led 11-3 in the decider, forgetting that she had still to close out her quarterfinal match against Indonesian Maria Kristin Yulianti. The match was certainly hers for the taking, but that’s where the script went horribly wrong for the 18-year-old Hyderabadi.
All of a sudden, her feet would not move and she conceded points in a reel. Panic gripped her the moment she realised the entire country must be watching her in the hope that she was only a step or two away from a medal. Everything was over in a flash. She could not believe that she had lost the match and was too upset to even react. Her first thought was if only she could only play the match all over again.
“I did not know what hit me. For few moments, I was in a trance,” Saina told IANS.
“The court was very slow and I was making too many errors. She was picking my shots from any angle and corner. I got impatient. I wanted to rush through the match. My mind was in a state of flux. I was thinking of the semi-final. The game slipped so quickly from my hands, I could not even hear what Gopi sir was telling me. I was blank. I should have heard him out. I could not believe when I lost the match. I was so disappointed. If only I could replay the match,” Saina says.
“No point worrying too much about the loss, but the only way I could set the record straight is by beating her the next time I play Yulianti.
“I am just waiting to play her next time. I will beat her,” Saina says.
Saina has grown up dreaming of nothing but an Olympic medal. And she did enough to come close to getting one. Like a good sport, she has taken the defeat in her stride.
“Now I know that even if I am down 3-11 in any match, I can comeback. That’s the lesson the Beijing defeat has taught me.”
“It was my career-best performance. Winning the Philipinnes Open, my first international tournament was the biggest, but the Beijing quarter-final has surpassed it.” she says.
“I know the people will expect me to win a medal in London 2012 and I will be better prepared for that. But, before that I would concentrate on Commonwealth Games 2010.”
Saina’s rise to the top has been swift. She has not looked back since her breakthrough win in the Philippines Open. Her progress has been steady and she has proved she belongs there.
“Yes, everything has happened so fast in my career. I have worked hard for it. But I do not want to be satisfied with what I have achieved, though it has come at a young age. I just want to keep winning.”
Her family though is living a dream, Saina says.
“My parents are not able to believe all this. My playing in Olympics, entering the quarterfinals and returning with such accolades, it is a dream for them. They are happy and they are prepared to back me in whatever I do.”
Saina’s biggest career win also came at the Olympics. She knocked out World No 6. Chen Wang of Hong Kong in the prequarters.
“I had played her twice before and lost both the times. But this time I was confident of putting it across her. Perhaps, I was inspired by the occasion. I could retrieve all her shots and that’s when I realised that it was my day. I was also pumped up after Abhinav Bindra won the first individual gold medal for India. It is the kind of achievement that inspires you.”
“The ambience at the Olympics was also a motivating factor. Meeting athletes from different countries was a great experience. They are so friendly and so focussed on the game. Everybody wanted to win and that instill confidence in you. I did not feel the pressure and that also helped me to perform well.”
She might have lost the quarterfinal but her achievement in her first Olympics shows that she is a born fighter and the whole nation has only praises for her.
“Everyone was watching me with high hopes and that makes you feel good. I am having a hectic time now. I am meeting so many people. I am meeting the Prime Minister Tuesday. It feels so good when your effort is appreciated. I met the Sports Minister and the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister. They all had encouraging words for me.”
Source: Indo-Asian News Service
Courtesy: sports.in.msn.com
India’s Olympic bronze medallists, wrestler Sushil Kumar and boxer Vijender Singh, returned home to a euphoric reception from thousands of wildly cheering fans at the Indira Gandhi International airport in the wee hours of Tuesday.
The red-carpet might not have been laid out for the heroes but hinterland India from where the two young men hail came out in hordes carrying musical instruments to create the effect of an ensemble. There was a cacophony of drums to match the fireworks.
The convoy of cars was unending. The sound of drums was deafening as flowers rained on the new deities of Indian sport. Above all was the love and affection showered by the village folk.
It was a welcome that Indian cricketers would envy. It looked as if the entire Bapraula village of Najafgarh in West Delhi was there to receive their famous son Sushil. Not to be outdone, busloads of Vijender’s fans from Bhiwani district of north Indian state of Haryana joined the streams of people engulfing the airport terminal. Add to that the Sushil’s fellow-wrestlers from Chattarsal stadium and a large number of Delhi Akharas (wrestling clubs) and it was a crowd whose joy knew no bounds.
Village elders were carried up to the terminal, the womenfolk who seldom leave their homes appeared lost as they came to the airport for the first time and children were star struck seeing the two who have become their instant role models.
Some came to see their two childhood friends, who were unrecognisable in their new-found status this night. Some others came to see their next-door neighbours who have suddenly caught the imagination of a billion people. Then there were those who came to thank the brave men for giving their nondescript villages a face and name.
They all came by whatever mode of transport they could hitch on to. From Bhiwani the trains were full and the motor vehicles crammed. They all came to have a glimpse of the stars and if possible to pat them on their backs.
Everyone at the airport knew Sushil, Vijender, Jitender and Akhil. They all found a connection, claiming them to be either their relatives or friends. “These boys have done us proud. Nobody had heard of Bapraula before. We are thankful to Sushil that he gave a medal to country. We always knew that he had the potential. In fact, we were sure he would win gold,” said Surender Solanki, his cousin who had come in a flower-bedecked open-air jeep to take Sushil and his mentor Sat Pal at the head of a motorcade to the village.
If Abhinav Bindra’s gold medal win was a watershed in Indian sport, then rural India went a step further to show the nation how to treat its heroes.
Sushil’s mother Kamla Kumari came with food and flowers.
“I want to welcome him first. The entire family has come. The women in our households seldom stir out, but now they are all here. The village was all keyed up, preparing for this unforgettable day,” she said.
For a middle-aged farmer from Bhiwani, the whole thing was like an inspirational folk story to be told and retold to the grandchildren.
The crowd started gathering hours before the arrival of the flight. As news filtered in that the Beijing Airways flight has landed, the excitement in the crowd ran high and the security men had a tough time controlling them.
Sushil and Vijender came out and the fans rushed to carry them on the shoulders. Soon the surging crowds overran the security barricade. People strained their necks to see the two champions, photopgraphers climbed over each other for a perfect click and reporters tried to get as close as possible for a byte. There was pandemonium as the security went haywire, clueless about how to control the crowd. Mercifully, nothing untoward happened as even the police seemed to enjoy the occasion.
Vijender was escorted out by politician and Indian Amateur Boxing Federation President Abhay Singh Chautala’s posse of security guards. Sushil had no such luck and he was brought back to the main entrance. It was utter chaos as the police had a scrap with the lens men. Sushil finally left for his village after half an hour when sanity was restored.
“I cannot explain how happy I am to see so many people turning up to receive me. This reception is motivational enough for me to work with renewed vigour to win gold next time,” said Sushil.
Officials of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), including its president Suresh Kalmadi, secretary-general Randhir Singh also came by the same flight and, for a change, they had to take the backseat as the focus was on the heroes.
Sports Minister MS Gill and officials of his ministry, Sports Authority of India and the IOA were there to greet the members of the Indian contingent.
Source: Indo-Asian News Service
Courtesy: sports.in.msn.com
Ask any person who they consider the superstars of the Beijing Olympics that ended Sunday and you will – in all probability – get just two names: Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt.
With eight gold medals from these games and 14 overall, Phelps has set new records and standards that will most likely not be broken for a long-long time (unless, of course, he is still around in 2012 in London).
En route to picking up his eight gold medals (100m and 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 200m and 400m individual medley, 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays and 4x100m medley relay), he broke seven world records.
The 23-year-old said that his success is built on total determination. “You make sure you are focused on what your goal is and what you want to achieve. That’s just all that I did. I was focused on what I wanted to do and what I wanted to accomplish.”
He admitted that he did not know what made him special. “I don’t know what makes me different – it beats me. I do what I love. I love to compete and I love to swim. I have very, very high goals that I have set for myself and that’s what really motivates me and keeps me going strong.”
Bolt, who won three gold medals, will be remembered just as much for his three sprint medals (100m, 200m and 4x100m relay), in which he also broke the world record three times, as for his near-flippant way of running and exuberant celebrations.
The way he ends his runs and his celebrations thereafter prompted IOC president Jacques Rogge to say that his celebrations could be construed as disrespect for his opponents.
“I think he should show more respect for his competitors and shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones immediately after the finish and not make gestures like the one he made in the 100 metres,” Rogge said.
Bolt, however, countered that by saying that he would not change. “I am a performer. I come down here to perform and if the people enjoy themselves I did well. This is my job.”
With the likes of Phelps and Bolt around, it was hardly surprising that most other performances and athletes paled into insignificance.
Bolt, in fact, was not the only athlete to win three gold medals. Chris Hoy, otherwise known as The Flying Scotsman, won the cycling men’s keirin, the men’s team sprint and also the men’s individual sprint, to take his personal overall tally to four golds and a silver, making him the most successful cyclist in the history of the Olympics.
Australian Stephanie Rice, was the most successful swimmer behind Phelps, winning three golds (200m and 400m individual relay and 4x100m medley relay), while local favourite Zou Kai contributed three of the host nation’s 51 gold medals.
Going into the competition, the 20-year-old was not considered as one of the favourites in the gymnastics, but gold on the floor and horizontal bar, as well as the team competition made him one of the most popular athletes in his country.
Another star at these Games is undoubtedly Dara Torres. Although she does not rank in the top 20 with her three silver medals, she still became the oldest-ever swimmer to win an Olympic medal when she was a part of the US 4x100m freestyle relay.
The 41-year-old added a silver in the 50m freestyle and the 4x100m medley relay for a personal tally of four golds, four silver and four bronze from an astonishing five different Olympic Games.
Another athlete who seemed to have followed the same saying was Sheila Taormina.
The 39-year-old American might have failed to medal in the Modern Pentathlon, but she still found her way into the record-books, becoming the first woman athlete to compete in three different sports at the Olympics – and that though she first became an Olympian at 26.
She won a gold in swimming with the US relay team in 1996, competed in the triathlon in 2000 and 2004 and then decided that she should try something else.
But just like Phelps, Bolt, Rice and all the others, Taormina and Torres are stars. They might be stars without gold medals, but they are stars of the Beijing Olympics nevertheless.
Source: DPA
Courtesy: sports.in.msn.com
Olympic hopefuls in India have been given a massive boost after the country’s cricket chiefs said they would plough millions of dollars into helping nurture future medal winners.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said the move was inspired by India’s showing at the Beijing Games, where they picked up three medals — beating their record of two — which included their first gold since 1980 and two bronzes.
The BCCI said it would donate 11 million dollars a year to the National Sports Development Fund, which was set up in 1998 by the government to mobilize resources for sports other than cricket, which is by far the most popular sport in the country.
Rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra won the country’s first ever individual Olympic gold in 10 meter event, while wrestler Sushil Kumar and boxer Vijender Kumar each won a bronze. The last time India took gold was in hockey at the Moscow Games.
“We contributed nearly one million dollars to support all our Beijing bound athletes,” BCCI chief executive Ratnakar Shetty told AFP on Monday.
“But we have now decided to set aside eleven million dollars annually in view of the country’s show in the Beijing Games.
“This fund would be initially used to assist prospective medal winners in boxing, judo, swimming and archery. But we are open to helping any other deserving sportsperson from any other discipline.”
Shetty said the BCCI will soon announce a committee to make sure the money was not misused.
“The credit for this unique initiative taken by the Board goes solely to our president Sharad Pawar, who first thought about it last year.
“After Pawar’s proposal, we amended the Board’s constitution as it did not provide for spending funds on any activity not related to cricket.”
Shetty said the BCCI could afford to assist other sports since its income had almost doubled in the past three years.
“We increased our spending on infrastructure development manifold and also started a monthly gratis scheme for former players and officials. After meeting all our targets, we decided to help other sports.”
Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill was quick to express gratitude, saying: “BCCI is our richest sports body and Pawar has been kind enough to give an annual grant of eleven million dollars for development of Olympic sports.
“This gesture, just when the country has done so well in the Beijing Olympics, will be welcomed by all our people and will give a boost to sports which have been suffering due to lack of adequate finances.”
The BCCI has also announced cash awards for the medal winning trio, with Bindra set to take home 60,000 dollars and the Kumars 23,000 dollars each.
Private funding started pouring in for disciplines other than cricket only recently after the government struggled to put aside money to raise sporting standards.
The situation was so bad that Indian shooting officials were on the verge of pulling the team out of the Beijing Olympics before the sports ministry and private sponsors stepped in.
Source: AFP
Courtesy: sports.in.msn.com
A little Indian-origin girl who starred in the spectacular Olympic closing ceremony in Beijing said she was more excited about meeting footballer David Beckham than appearing in front of 90,000 people.
Tayyiba Dudhwala, 10, won the heart of the world Sunday when she hopped off a red London bus to kick off an eight-minute show put up by organisers of the 2012 London Olympics.
Standing in the centre of the packed 90,000-seater Bird’s Nest stadium, Dudhwala – showcasing the plurality and multicultural identity of London – did not seem a bit overawed.
The closing ceremony was seen by an estimated 1.5 billion people across the world.
Tiny Dudhwala, a football fan from east London, was the first person to appear from the double decker bus as it drove into the stadium. She then had to catch a ball and run over the backs of a line of crouching dancers.
Later she stood beside singer-songwriter Leona Lewis, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and former England captain Beckham as her hero dropkicked a ball into the audience.
Tayyiba, who won a BBC television competition to take part in the handover ceremony, was described by the deputy head teacher of her school as “football crazy”.
“We were really proud of her – it’s amazing what she has achieved. She is an incredibly bright pupil. The school made a really big deal of her achievement. She will be representing the British people in Beijing,” she said.
Tayyiba’s cousin, Zakir Dudhwala, said she returned home from school one day to find a BBC TV crew waiting to give her the good news.
“They gave her such a shock. She had been hoping she would win but I don’t think she could believe it when she actually did.
“She is definitely excited about it. She was really looking forward to going and it was quite emotional for her,” he said.
When Tayyiba entered the competition she had to write a postcard explaining why she was excited about the Olympic or Paralympic Games. “She wrote that different people from all over the world come together at the Olympics and she thought that was special,” Zakir Dudhwala said.
Source: Indo-Asian News Service
Courtesy: sports.in.msn.com
Olympic hopefuls in India have been given a massive boost after the country’s cricket chiefs said they would plough millions of dollars into helping nurture future medal winners.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said the move was inspired by India’s showing at the Beijing Games, where they picked up three medals — beating their record of two — which included their first gold since 1980 and two bronzes.
The BCCI said it would donate 11 million dollars a year to the National Sports Development Fund, which was set up in 1998 by the government to mobilize resources for sports other than cricket, which is by far the most popular sport in the country.
Rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra won the country’s first ever individual Olympic gold in 10 meter event, while wrestler Sushil Kumar and boxer Vijender Kumar each won a bronze. The last time India took gold was in hockey at the Moscow Games.
“We contributed nearly one million dollars to support all our Beijing bound athletes,” BCCI chief executive Ratnakar Shetty told AFP on Monday.
“But we have now decided to set aside eleven million dollars annually in view of the country’s show in the Beijing Games.
“This fund would be initially used to assist prospective medal winners in boxing, judo, swimming and archery. But we are open to helping any other deserving sportsperson from any other discipline.”
Shetty said the BCCI will soon announce a committee to make sure the money was not misused.
“The credit for this unique initiative taken by the Board goes solely to our president Sharad Pawar, who first thought about it last year.
“After Pawar’s proposal, we amended the Board’s constitution as it did not provide for spending funds on any activity not related to cricket.”
Shetty said the BCCI could afford to assist other sports since its income had almost doubled in the past three years.
“We increased our spending on infrastructure development manifold and also started a monthly gratis scheme for former players and officials. After meeting all our targets, we decided to help other sports.”
Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill was quick to express gratitude, saying: “BCCI is our richest sports body and Pawar has been kind enough to give an annual grant of eleven million dollars for development of Olympic sports.
“This gesture, just when the country has done so well in the Beijing Olympics, will be welcomed by all our people and will give a boost to sports which have been suffering due to lack of adequate finances.”
The BCCI has also announced cash awards for the medal winning trio, with Bindra set to take home 60,000 dollars and the Kumars 23,000 dollars each.
Private funding started pouring in for disciplines other than cricket only recently after the government struggled to put aside money to raise sporting standards.
The situation was so bad that Indian shooting officials were on the verge of pulling the team out of the Beijing Olympics before the sports ministry and private sponsors stepped in.
Source: AFP
Courtesy: sports.in.msn.com
Hey, the Olympics are finally over. In case you just got back from a two-week round-trip journey to the moon, here’s what you missed…
Day 1: Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic wins the games first gold medal in “air rifle“, not be confused with “air guitar” which was won by Jimmy “Aces” Pasquali of Hoboken, New Jersey.
Day 2: South Korean set the new world mark in a 24 arrow team match against Italy in women‘s team archery, presumably killing a record number of Italians on the field of battle.
Day 3: A Russian athlete celebrates a world record in the men’s 100 m backstroke with a time of 53.06 seconds! It’s an incredible accomplishment, a record that will stand the test of time – or as long as it takes for them to run the second heat during which an Australian athlete breaks it with a time of 52.97 seconds.
Day 4: Far more interesting than his winning the men’s 200 m freestyle to tie the record for most gold medals for an athlete is Michael Phelp’s Olympic diet comprised of chocolate chip pancakes, ham and cheese sandwiches, pasta carbonara, and a large pizza.
Day 5: A Hungarian weightlifter dislocates his elbow at a most inopportune time – while he was hoisting up a 148 kg (325.6 lbs) weight. As my second grade teacher Mr. Vowels used to say “That’s an ouchie.”
Day 6: A Swedish wrestler is robbed by the judges and expresses his outrage by dropping his bronze medal and walking off. The IOC throws a hissy fit and takes away his bronze medal…then, quietly, days later, admits the judges made a mistake. They keep his medal anyway.
Day 7: A flexible young woman named Nastia puts on a show. Believe it or not, I’m still talking about the Olympics.
Day 8: Russia wins the men’s 20 km silly walk competition. In a good new bad news deal, four men from Great Britain become coxless champs. Ironically, on the same day, a woman from South Korea demonstrates world-class proficiency in the, uh, snatch, and the, um, clean and jerk.
Day 9: An American athlete competing in the men’s 50 m rifle three positions blows it on account of a premature discharge. This is terrible news for Team U.S.A., but great news for late night comedians.
Day 10: The Chinese men’s team clean up in table tennis. The rest of the world is shocked, not so much by the sweep but the fact that table tennis is actually an Olympic event. What’s next? Foosball?
Day 11: American hottie Lolo Jones learns that the obstructions littering the track in the 100 m hurdles are not merely there for decorative purposes.
Day 12: Today’s society frowns on constraining childhood creativity. Complete freedom is encouraged and so, when kids draw, they are no longer advised to “Stay inside the lines!”. As a result of this type of upbringing, athletes from the U.S. and the Netherlands don’t stay inside the lines – and are summarily disqualified in the men’s 200 m.
Day 13: The American men 4 x 100 m relay team blow their chances when they flub the baton hand-off. It is an unfortunate but very rare circumstance…that is later repeated by the American women’s 4 x 100 m relay team. All in all, the Americans can take solace in the fact that their women’s softball team, that had not lost a game in Olympic competition since Sydney in 2000, was going for the gold. And, uh, ending up with the silver, losing to Japan 3-1.
Day 14: A Jamaican athlete stumbles into her British neighbor, taking them both out of contention in the Women’s 4 x 100 m relay. As a result, critics insist than in addition to being tested for performance-enhancing drugs, participants should also be made to take a sobriety test prior to each event.
Day 15: A Cuban taekwondo athlete allows his feet to do the talking, registering his displeasure with the officiating by kicking a judge upside the head. Give ’em a kick from me too, buddy.
Day 16: The U.S. basketball team, made up of the very best players in the NBA, DOESN’T lose to Spain and wins the gold medal. Evidently, this is HUGE news and not at all expected.
Courtesy: josephmallozzi.wordpress.com
Indian boxer lost Vijendra Emilio Korea BAYEAUX the semi-final match in Cuba for boxing 75kg at 22nd august.
India’s Virender Kumar lost 5-8 to Cuba’s Emilio Bateaux Korea in the semi-finals of the Middleweight boxing event in Beijing Olympics 2008 china. But Vijendra will still receive a bronze, as per the rules, the two losing semifinalists to resolve the bronze medals.
Score the semi-finals: Korea vs. Emilio Bayeaux Vijendra Kumar
- Round 1: 2-0
- Round 2: 2-3
- Round 3: 2-0
- Round 4: 2-2
- Total: 8-5
Vijender’s journey to semis:
The round of 32: J. G. Beat Badou Jack 13:2
Gambia defeated Jack in Badou Vijendra Kumar, 75 kg bout to go to the second round, but it was just a glimpse of what was to come on.
The round of 16: Beat Angkhan Chomphuphuang 13:3
Vijendra Kumar in the Quarterfinals of the Middleweight 75kg event wearing the Olympic Games in Beijing after a heavy Angkhan Chomphuphuang of Thailand 13-3 in a pre-sided quarterfinal unbalanced. Vijendra attack from the word ‘Go’ and the dominance of the Middleweight . His quick reflexes and didnot height of the Thai pugilist to let him in any of the four rounds.
The Quarterfinals: Beat Carlos Gongora 9:4
Vijendra Kumar defeated Ecuador’s Carlos Gongora 9-4 in the quarterfinal. Akhil Kumar and Kumar after Jitnder disappointed, his nerve held in Vijendra Kumar and outplayed Gongora. and your reflexes sharp sound with the defence, he took advantage of his opponent does not allow points.On the other hand, Cuba’s Emilio Korea has been Bateaux on their toes throughout his visit to the semifinals. This round of the round of 32 and 16, Emilio was drubbed their opponents and deadly 17:4 and 18:4 in the round is concerned. in Quarterfinals he defeated Elshod Rasulov 9:7.
Courtesy: 24timepass.com
The Beijing Olympics have turned the spotlight of corporates and sponsors on some new sports. While cricket will continue to draw mega bucks, the success stories in new areas like boxing, wrestling and shooting are catching the fancy of advertisers and sponsors.
And the emerging ‘brands’ are today’s heroes – Vijender Kumar, Akhil Kumar, and Jitender Kumar in boxing, Sushil Kumar in wrestling and above all, gold medallist Abhinav Bindra in shooting.
In fact, bronze medal-winner Vijender, with his good looks, has caught the imagination of people, and become ‘an icon close enough to popular cricketers’, advertising agencies and sponsors say. Companies associated with action, youth and machismo are eager to leverage his success at the Olympics, which may include motorcycle, apparel, deodorant and soft drink brands.
“Boxing is an aggressive sport and has its own glamour for youth. The good performance of the three boxers including Vijender’s medal win has the nation waking up to the glamour of boxing. This will really boost the visibility of the sport in India, with Vijender soon assuming the status of a fashion icon. Brands associated with youth, action and macho will be pouring money into the sport”, says Sanjeev Bhargava, COO FCB Ulka.
Media buying agency Lodestar Universal COO Anamika Mehta says: “There’s a lot of excitement around sports like boxing and shooting after India’s success at the Olympics. Vijender will be an attractive marketing and ad proposition for sports, sportswear, and even the Cola companies”.
Media agencies, however, say that the nature of the sport (boxing or shooting) is such it will be difficult to carry forward the player’s achievement (unlike cricket which is played more frequently).
Referring to ace shooter Bindra, Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman, McCann Worldgroup India, says, “Currently Bindra is the superhero, at par with big cricketers like Dhoni or Sachin. If he is able to renew the popularity of the sport over the next few months, he will be alive in the consciousness for a long time.”
Ditto is the case with the other non-cricket players. “Vijender’s win gives a big visibility and boost to non-cricket sports like boxing. But going forward, his endorsement value will depend on how he is able to encash it through his future performance”, opines Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media India.
Agrees VS Mani, senior VP, Initiative, saying, “Though the sport will be in the limelight for a while, it remains to be seen, how much value it derives in the long term”.
Advertisers have also pointed to the fact that there’s a fatigue factor associated with cricket. Some companies such as Samsung and LG have consciously moved away from pouring money in cricket, and have identified other sports. Consumer electronic major Samsung India left cricket a couple of years back, and has decided to promote Olympics till 2016, as part of a worldwide decision.
Courtesy: olympics.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
A Norwegian lady tapped you on the shoulder in a corridor of the Silk Street a well-known departmental store in the heart of the city here on Saturday and said, “Gold medal.” You turned around and she took an aim from her shoulder, indicating a rifle. “Cheers,” she said. That was one of the defining moments of these past 20 days of Olympic journey.
A medal changes so many things. And this time we are talking of medals. Journalists from other countries stop to acknowledge you. They want to know more about Abhinav Bindra and Vijender Kumar. They ask you whether Sushil Kumar has got a job. All kinds of questions, questions even you and I would want answers to.
It’s such a different feeling. Back home, these little known faces of Indian sport have overnight become household names. Their stories are being told again and again while politicians are rushing in to announce awards. Everyone wants to be on this bandwagon. Three medals in one Olympic Games is something no Indian dreamed of.
Of course, claims were made like they always are every four years. Some officials, as expected, are moving around with that “I told you so” expression on their faces. But the fact is most Indians have been surprised or even stunned, while some are already talking of a paradigm shift.
The fact also is that Beijing could well become a plank to build for the future. It has given hope. It could change mindsets of people who cannot see beyond cricket, it could see more children playing sports in our fields which are slowly being devoured by the builder mafia in cities across the country.
But that’s in the unknown future, as in our country devoid of a sporting culture it is difficult to hope for a discernible change in a short period of time.
Today is the time to be realistic and assess the performance of the 56-member Indian contingent, which completed its assignment on Friday night. The maximum hopes this time were from the shooters. Given the performances in the past two years in the World Cups and World Championship, the feeling was that more than one medal was a possibility.
Only one medal happened and it went to the man who moved away from the system and trained alone, on his own. He did get monetary support from the government, but Bindra decided to plan his own journey.
The other shooters complained about the shortage of ammunition after failing to make even the final. They may have a point there but it’s strange why such things come out only after below par performances. And it’s highly irritating that the government does not look into the ammunition issue. Why should our shooters need to smuggle ammunition from Europe?
Bindra’s gold is then a huge gain and the second consecutive medal in shooting should give the sport even more prominence and support in coming days.
However, the sport which made the maximum impact for the country is boxing. Three out of five boxers in the quarter-finals was simply unexpected. All three fought bravely, though only one won a medal. Indian boxers have been accused of lacking the killer instinct in the past. This time, they were surprisingly aggressive and willing to take on the big names. This performance should force the government to take boxing more seriously.
As the focus shifted from shooting to boxing midway through the Games, wrestling gate-crashed into national consciousness – Sushil Kumar had decided to enjoy his day in the sun. Wrestling was a sport which was not expected to give us medals.
Sushil’s bronze was a bonus that somehow made the Olympic experience richer, and made one wiser. Saina Nehwal also gave reasons to celebrate. She became the first Indian to enter the singles quarters. She almost got past her Indonesian opponent in the quarters. She is the future star of Indian sports.
One sport which promised a lot but disappointed was tennis. Sania Mirza pulled out due to injury in singles while the experienced duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi ran into an inspired and angry Roger Federer. That was it.
Archery was a huge disappointment. The performance of the Indians in recent times had suggested that they should have at least gone into the finals of their events. They were just not there.
But the biggest disappointment was athletics. Anju Bobby George could not have one clean jump against her name while the runners and throwers were way off their personal bests. They were here to just make up the numbers as were some of the others.
GOOD: Rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra, wrestler Sushil Kumar, boxer Vijender Kumar helped India to her best ever show in Olympics. Also impressive were badminton star Saina Nehwal and boxers Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar as they finished tantalisingly close to a dream medal.
BAD: Surendra Singh and Preeja Sreedharan, the only two athletes who managed to come near their best show, won a place in the bad list. Others who fall in this class include the archers, the other two wrestlers, two swimmers, the table tennis duo and shooters Gagan Narang and Mansher Singh.
UGLY: Those who had a nightmarish outing in Beijing were the rest of the athletes including Anju B George, the tennis trio of Leander, Mahesh and Sania, shooters Manavjit Singh Sandhu, Anjali Bhagwat, Avneet Kaur and the two judokas.
Courtesy: olympics.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
The Bhiwani pugilist won a bronze medal in the 75kg category event, which made him the national hero. Army marksman Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was India’s flag bearer during the spectacular opening ceremony of the Games on August 8.
“We have decided to give the honour to Vijender,” IOA spokesman Sandeep Mehta said.
Courtesy: olympics.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Boxer Vijender Singh could not convert India’s third Olympic medal from bronze into silver or gold by losing his middleweight (75kg) bout here on Friday.
Vijender lost 5-8 to Cuban Emilio Correa Bayeaux in a closely contested semi-final at the Workers Gymnasium, but his will be the first-ever boxing medal for India.
Both the losing semi-finalists are awarded bronze.
Emilio, a two-time Pan-American Champion, was clearly the better boxer on view with his quick footwork and reach. To Vijender’s credit, he fought gallantly to carry the bout right into the fourth round, though the portents were clear that the Cuban had the edge by the end of the third round.
Vijender, who conceded a 0-2 lead in the first round, fought back brilliantly in the second round to reduce the margin to 3-4. But Emilio came back strongly in the third round and scored three points to take a big lead of 7-3.
In the fourth and last round, Vijender tried his best, but the Cuban made sure he stayed in the lead with his passive movements. A warning to the Cuban fetched the Indian two more points, but Vijender could not really launch himself and went down 5-8.
Vijender’s bronze is the third medal in what turned out to be the best Olympics for India. Last week shooter Abhinav Bindra gave the country its first ever individual gold while wrestler Sushil Kumar won the bronze Wednesday.
Courtesy: olympics.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
A slice of history and an Olympic bronze already in his pocket, Vijender will show up in Friday’s semi-final with nothing to lose and only newer heights to gain.
Though the strapping six-footer from Haryana has achieved his primary goal and cannot wait to stand atop the podium with the medal dangling from his neck, success has only whetted his appetite and Vijender says he is hungry for more.
“I’ve achieved what I came here for and none can take it away. That surely takes the pressure off my shoulders and I’ll be in a free state of mind tomorrow,” said Vijender, ahead of his 75kg semi-final bout against formidable Cuban Emilio Correa Bayeaux at the Worker’s Stadium.
“But that does not mean I’ll just go through the motions. It will be the same vigour and the intensity too would remain same. I’m going for the gold,” Vijender said.
The two-time Pan-American champion Cuban would not be an easy meat but if Vijender’s recent form is to go by, the Indian who would enjoy a slight height advantage has it in him to punch the Cuban’s light out.
“I don’t think personal reputation would count. So many world champions and Olympic medallists have bowed out, losing to unheralded opponents,” added Vijender, who beat Athens gold medallist Bakhtiyar Atrayev in a recent competition.
Son of Emilio Correa Vailant, one of the best boxers in the 1970s who won the welterweight gold in the 1972 Munich Olympics, Bayeaux hopes to follow in the footsteps of his illustrious father and Vijender would need to do something special to halt the Cuban in his strides.
“I have not played him earlier but watching recordings of his bout to get a fair idea about him. He is a tough customer but I’m no novice either and you can be sure that we would not be treating each other with kid gloves,” Vijender predicted.
“Winning a medal has been a dream-come-true and I’m not in a hurry to return,” quipped the Indian.
Coach G S Sandhu refused to predict the outcome of tomorrow’s bout and said anything can happen.
“All we can say is that we have done our home work well. We have studied the Cuban and formulated a strategy. But plans alone won’t win you bouts, it all depends on how you react in the rings.
“No doubt Vijender has got a tough opponent to tackle but then he is also in good form. We’re keeping our fingers crossed,” Sandhu said.
Courtesy: olympics.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
A star was born on Wednesday with Vijender packing enough punch in the ring to assure himself of an Olympic medal, the hue of which would be determined by the outcome of his semi-final match on Friday.
The Haryana boxer shunned extravagance and clung on to his hard-earned lead to outsmart Carlos Gongora of Ecuador 9-4 and set up a semi-final clash with formidable Cuban and two-time pan American champion Emilio Correa Bayeaux.
Vijender looked indefatigable and his nimble footwork stood him in good stead as he tired out his opponent and connected most of his blows to run away with the game. The Bhiwani boxer refrained from playing to the gallery and maintained a dour defence which Gongora simply could not breach.
Once he got himself into a 3-0 lead, Vijender decided he was not going to do anything silly and started evading, with a desperate and exasperated Gongora chasing him all over. Vijender often looked cornered but he bobbed and weaved fast enough to avert most of the blows and Gongora’s frustration knew no bound.
In round three, Vijender, who has been relying so far on straight punches, unleashed a couple of vicious upper-cuts that had the intended effect and Gongora had no real chance of a comeback once Vijender stretched his lead to 7-2 with just one round to go.
“It’s a dream-come-true moment for me. I was shown the door in the first round four years ago at Athens, this was my redemption,” Vijender said.
“After Akhil and Jitender’s defeat, there was lot of pressure on me and my coaches. But I came here today fully prepared. Anyway, I’m not stopping here and just want to keep going till I land the gold,” said the boxer with a model’s look.
Vijender said once he had taken a 3-0 lead, he knew that the bout was his. “From there onwards, it was just a matter of protecting the lead. It was about defend and watch, defend and watch,” he explained.
With just one day in between before he plays the semi-final, Vijender said, “I have not played him earlier and don’t have much idea about him. He is a formidable boxer and I’m going to watch his recording tomorrow, so that I’m not caught unprepared.”
Earlier, Akhil Kumar could only watch haplessly from outside as his protege Jitender, too, faltered when it mattered most.
“I was also conscious of the stitches I had on my chin and knew another blow would tear it open. That played on the back of my mind and I just could not shut that thought out,” Jitender said.
He also said he had done his preparation well.
“We had done our home work well. I had lost a close bout against him in World Championship; Akhil too had played him. So we had a plan ready. But once I entered the ring, things went haywire and I could not recover from the early deficit,” he added.
Despite the defeat, Jitender still derived some positives from the outcome and said, “I have age on my side and I learnt a lot. I’ll come back stronger in 2012 Olympics.”
Courtesy: In.com
It was yet another historic day for Indian sports as freestyle wrestler, Sushil Kumar, won the bronze medal thrashing Leonid Spriridonov of Kazakhstan in the 66 kilograms category in Beijing Olympics. Sushil beat Leonid 3-1 after crushing American Doug Schwab and Belarrussian Albert Batyrov in the first two repechage rounds after losing his opening round bout earlier in the day.
This is a phenomenal success for India as for the first time it has managed to win two medals in Olympic game. Sushil is only the second Indian wrestler to win the wrestling bronze after Kashabha Jadhav who won the same in 1952 Helsinki Games.
It was shooter Abhinav Bindra who gifted India the ‘lone’ gold medal ever in Olympic games. After Abhinav and Sushil now all eyes are on the Kumar boxers. (With inputs from PTI)
Courtesy: http://www.in.com/active18/readnow/storypage.php?docid=5572369&clusid=29782
Vijender Kumar made sure of India’s first ever Olympic boxing medal by punching his way into the middleweight (75 kg) semifinal with an emphatic 9-4 victory over Ecuador’s Carlos Gongora here Wednesday.
The boxer-turned-model from the Bhiwani stable in the northern state of Haryana, won the lopsided quarterfinal bout, and now he will at least get a bronze.
Taking to the ring on a day the country won a surprising bronze in wrestling through freestyle (66 kg)competitor Sushil Kumar, Vijender never kept anyone in doubt about his victory since the bout started at the Workers’ Gymnasium.
In the opening round, the Indian went ahead 2-0, putting his lethal left hooks to good use while never dropping guard, and went on widening the gulf.
Even in the fourth and last round, he tried to accumulate more points instead of defending his lead.
The Ecuadorian tried his best to stage a comeback in the fourth round, picking up a couple of successive points, but by then the contest was more or less sealed by Vijender.
Courtesy: http://sports.in.msn.com/olympics/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1643082
India’s fledgling Olympic campaign on Wednesday received a sensational boost with unheralded grappler Sushil Kumar clinching a bronze medal and boxer Vijender Kumar assuring himself of at least a bronze to give the country a record three medals for the first time ever.
After Abhinav Bindra’s gold-winning feat during the first week of the sporting extravaganza, the 25-year-old Sushil Kumar shot into fame by winning a bronze medal in the wrestling arena while Vijender has put himself on course for a silver or gold medal on a historic day for Indian sports.
Sushil and Vijender’s heroics not only provided the late sparks to an otherwise dismal campaign but has created a record of sorts as India had never returned with three medals from the Olympics.
India had won two Olympic medals in the 1952 Helsinki Games when the hockey team had won the gold medal and wrestler KD Jadhav had won a bronze medal, a record which had stood for 56 long years.
While Sushil and Vijender did the country proud, there was some heartbreak for the Indians with another medal contender pugilist Jitender Kumar losing his quarter-final bout despite a valiant effort in the ring.
After days of disappointments, it turned out to be a day to cherish for the Indians as Sushil found his way to the record books by becoming only the second wrestler in India’s Olympic history to win a bronze medal in the men’s 66 kg freestyle category.
Vijender then brought more cheers for the contingent by beating Ecuador’s Carlos Gongora in the quarter finals of the 75 kg category with a 9-4 verdict.
Sushil’s campaign seemed nearly over when he lost his first round battle against eventual silver medallist Andriy Stadnik but repechage provided him a ray of hope and the Indian proved simply irresistible as he beat three grapplers on the trot to win the bronze.
Down in the dumps after his opening round defeat, Sushil came up with an incredible show, beating Doug Schwab (USA), Albert Batyrov (Belarus) and finally the losing semifinalist Leonid Spiridonov (Kazakhstan) in the repechage rounds to earn his slice of history.
Incidentally, in the 2006 Doha Asian Games also, Sushil had beaten Leonid to win the bronze.
“Probably you may say that there was no expectation from the people back home and the media too. But me and my coach (Satpal) always knew I had a fair chance of winning a medal and I’m happy I could achieve that,” a beaming Sushil said after winning the medal at the China Agricultural University here.
“While it is good not to have that burden of expectation on your shoulder, I think we can give even more provided we get better facilities,” said the wrestler.
Against Leonid, Sushil grabbed early initiative by scoring two technical points that proved decisive in the end.
Though the Kazakh grappler scored one in the second period and managed to thwart Sushil, the Indian proved his superiority again in the third period and eventually prevailed 3-2 to trigger frenzied celebration among the Indians present at the venue.
“I thought I’ll do whatever it takes and the end result is the medal is mine. It’s an unforgettable moment in my life and it seems I’m living in a dream,” Sushil said.
Jitender faltered when it mattered the most and missed the Olympic medal by a whisker, losing his quarterfinal bout in the 51 kg event.
Jitender, who entered the ring with 10 stitches on his chin necessitated by a cut he had received in his previous match, threw everything at his experienced Russian rival Georgy Balakshin but the European champion maintained his superiority throughout four rounds to win the tie 15-11.
The seasoned Russian pugilist also had a better idea of when to engage and when to evade which gave him an edge throughout against Jitender.
After a rather sedate opening round which the Russian led 2-1, both started breathing fire and unleashed flurry of punches to share 10 points but Jitender simply lost the plot in the third round.
“I’m sorry I could not win the medal but I tried my best,” rued Jitender, blood dripping from the cut he had received in the chin.
In table tennis, an erratic Achanta Sharath Kamal joined the fast-growing list of home-bound Indians after 32 minutes of futility in the second round of the men’s event. ( Watch )
The lanky Indian tried every trick in the book before eventually bowing to his Chinese-born Austrian opponent Chen Weixing and crash out with a 1-4 defeat in just over half an hour.
It turned out to be a learning experience indeed for the Indian at the Peking University Gymnasium where Chen, armed with stinging whiplash forehand and vicious backhands, prevailed 11-5, 14-12, 11-2, 8-11 and 12-10.
Unheralded Sushil Kumar rose from obscurity to find his rightful place in the history of Indian sports when he won the bronze medal in men’s 66kg freestyle category at the Beijing Olympics here on Wednesday.
Sushil’s campaign seemed nearly over when he lost his first round battle against eventual silver medallist Andriy Stadnik but repechage provided him a ray of hope and the Indian proved simply irresistible as he beat three grapplers on the trot to win the bronze.
Down in the dumps after his opening round defeat, Sushil came up with an incredible show, beating Doug Schwab (USA), Albert Batyrov (Belarus) and finally the losing semi-finalist Leonid Spiridonov (Kazakhstan) in the repechage rounds to earn his slice of history.
Sushil thus became the second Indian wrestler after K D Jadhav who won a bronze in the 1952 Helsinki Games to win an Olympic medal.
Incidentally, in the 2006 Doha Asian Games also, Sushil had beaten Leonid to win the bronze.
Against Leonid, Sushil grabbed early initiative by scoring two technical points that proved decisive in the end.
Though the Kazakh grappler scored one in the second period and managed to thwart Sushil, the Indian proved his superiority again in the third period and eventually prevailed 3-2 to trigger frenzied celebration among the Indians present at the Chinese Agricultural University here..
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Courtesy: http://olympics.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3384854.cms
