1. India clinched five gold medals at World youth women boxing championship.
India topped the medals` chart after claiming five gold medals on the final day of the AIBA World Women`s Youth Boxing Championships on Sunday.
Nitu, Jyoti, Sakshi, Shashi Chopra and Ankushita Boro clinched the yellow metals. India earlier had also won two bronze medals. It was the biggest medal haul in the championship, followed by Russia (2 gold, 4 silver).
It was Nitu who began the day successfully in her light flyweight bout against Kazakh Zhazira Urakbayeva. The Indian won 5-0 as she qualified for 2018 Youth Olympics.
Up next, flyweight boxer Jyoti unleashed a flurry of fierce punches, surprising her opponent Ekaterina Molchonova of Russia in a 5-0 triumph.
Then, Ankushita demolished Russia`s Ekaterina Dynnik in a 5-0 victory in the light welterweight final.
In the bantamweight final, Sakshi edged past Ivy-Jane Smith of England 3-2, while featherweight boxer Shashi floored Vietnam`s Nghc Do Hong 4-1.
The Russian charge was led by the indestructible Anastasiia Shamonova who crushed England`s Georgia O`Connor 5-0 in the middleweight category to take gold.
Kristina Tkacheva too was in a league of her own, routing Kazakhstan`s Dina Isdlambekova 5-0.
The only American in the final, Citalli Oritz, scored a 3-2 win over Nataliya Sychugova of Russia in the welterweight final.
2. Gopi Thonakal becomes 1st Indian man to win Asian Marathon Championship.
Gopi Thonakal became the first Indian man to win Asian Marathon Championship after he achieved the feat in the 16th edition of the prestigious event here today.
Gopi Thonakal clocked 2 hours, 15 minutes and 48 seconds to clinch the gold. Andrey Petrov of Uzbekistan bagged the silver with a timing of 2:15:51s, while Byambalev Tseveenravdan of Mongolia won bronze by clocking 2:16:14s.
The 29-year-old from Wayanad district of Kerala had won the New Delhi Marathon in 2.15.37 earlier this year. He was 28th in the London World Championships in August with a timing of 2:17:13.
In the Rio Olympics last year, he had clocked his personal best of 2.15.25 while finishing 25th.
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“I am proud to have won a gold for my country. I am also proud to become the first Indian man to have won a gold in this championship,” Thonakal told PTI after the race.
“I was confident of clocking a very good time today. I could change gear according the situation of the race. I had a lot in my tank and I feel I could have run a faster time,” he added.
Asked about his chances in big events next year, including the Asian Games, he said, “Now that I have won the Asian Championships, naturally I can look forward to winning a medal in the Asian Games also.
“But you never know, I will give my best and try to win a medal in the Asian Games. Let us see.”
Thonakal is the first Indian male runner to have won the Asian Marathon Championship. Vijay Singh (1988) and Deep Chand (2010) have earlier won a bronze each.
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He is the third Indian overall to have won a gold in the event. Asha Agarwal won the women’s title in 1985 when the event was a part of the biennial Asian Track and Field Championships. Sunita Godara won the women’s title in 1992 after the event was moved out as a separate one away from the Asian Athletics Championships in 1988.
Vally Sathyabhama and Indiresh Dhiraj are the other two Indian women medallist as they have won a silver and bronze respectively in the 1998 edition.
3. Mirabai Chanu lifts 194 kgs to win gold medal at 2017 World Weightlifting Championships.
Mirabai Chanu today became the first Indian in over two decades to claim a gold medal at the World Weightlifting Championship in Anaheim, USA, exorcising the ghosts of her forgettable outing at the Rio Olympics.
Chanu, who is employed with the Indian Railways, lifted 85kg in snatch and 109kg in clean and jerk to total an impressive 194 kg in the women’s 48kg, in the process setting a new national record.
Seeing the tricolour from the podium, tears of joy rolled down her cheeks, as Chanu picked up a rare honour for an Indian at the marquee event.
Olympic bronze medallist Karnam Malleshwari had won the top prize in worlds twice—in 1994 and 1995.
Chanu’s outing in Anaheim was very different from the way things panned out in Rio last year when she put up a disappointing performance as she could not get an overall total in women’s 48kg after failing to lift the weight in any of her three attempts in clean & jerk section.
In a field of 12 lifters at the Rio Games, she was one of two lifters who did not finish (DNF) her event.
Thailand’s Sukcharoen Thunya won the silver medal with a total lift of 193, while Segura Ana Iris bagged the brozne with 182kg.
Some of the world’s top weightlifting nations such as Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Azerbaijan could not take part in the competition due to issues related to doping.
4. Archers Abhishek Verma and Jyoti Surekha Vennam bags Gold and Bronze medal in Asia Archery Championship.
The duo, on Tuesday, had clinched a silver medal in the compound mixed team event. It defeated Iran 157-151 in the quarterfinals. The compound women’s team of Jyothi Surekha, Parveena and Trsiha scored 2089/2160 and stood second in the ranking round.
On Wednesday’s compound men’s gold medal match, Abhishek beat South Korea’s Kim Jongho in a thrilling shoot-off after the scores were tied 147-147 after five rounds.
Jyothi beat Chinese Taipei’s Wu Ting-Ting 146-142 in the compound women’s bronze medal match. Gurwinder Singh missed the compound men’s bronze medal after losing to South Korea’s Hong Sung Ho 145-148.
Asian Archery Championships is the Archery Asian Championship organized by the World Archery Asia.
It has been held biannually, and since 2001 has included both the recurve and compound disciplines. The tournament began in 1980 and it was first hosted in India. Countries such as South Korea, China, Japan and India compete, with many of the world`s leading archers representing them.
This year the championship is held in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka.
5. Odisha Chief Minister unveils logo and mascot of Hockey World Cup 2018.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday unveiled the logo and mascot for the Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
“I feel privileged to have unveiled the logo of Hockey World Cup,” Patnaik said.
Stating that Odisha is fast becoming a sporting destination of India, Patnaik said the state had successfully hosted the Asian Athletics Championships a few months ago.
The Chief Minister also launched the countdown timer for the international event scheduled to be held here from November 28 to December 16, 2018.
As many as 16 countries, including hosts India, will participate in the 14th edition of the Hockey World Cup.
Patnaik also gave away cash awards worth Rs 76.75 lakh to 59 sportspersons from the state for their outstanding contributions in their respective sports.
Hockey players Dipsan Tirkey, Amit Rohidas, Sunita Lakra, Deep Grace Ekka, Namita Toppo and Rashmita Minz were given cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh each.
Para athletes Jayanti Behera, Pramod Bhagat, Mohit Tandi also featured in the list.
6. IOA Formally Recognises Boxing Federation of India.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which earlier removed the terminated Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) as its affiliate, on Wednesday recognised the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) as the sport’s governing body in the country, thus ending months of indecision.
The Ajay Singh-led BFI already recognised by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) and the Sports Ministry, finally got the green signal from IOA.
“As per the Olympic Charter, the sporting federation must be recognised by the international body (AIBA). BFI has already got that recognition long back. Today it was just the ratification process carried out by the IOA in its special annual general meeting,” Debojo Maharshi, Chairman Marketing Commission of BFI told IANS.
“The Sports Ministry had already recognised the BFI as the national body responsible for governing Olympic boxing in the country. Today’s decision by the IOA has only put an end to all the doubts and recognised BFI as a full member.
“The ministry had earlier barred IABF from using India as it was no longer a national federation,” he added.
The BFI assumed office last year after elections conducted in the presence of observers from the AIBA and the Sports Ministry. (With IANS inputs)