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India Clinches Asian Games Quotas In Surfing

August 24, 2024, 11:14 pm

In a historic milestone for Indian surfing, the team competing in the Asian Surfing Championships 2024 has secured its first-ever quotas for the 2026 Asian Games, earning one spot each for both men and women. These quotas were achieved based on the ranking points accrued by Indian surfers during the championship.

Kishore Kumar, who reached the semi-finals but narrowly missed out on advancing further, played a crucial role in securing these quotas with his exceptional performance throughout the tournament. The championship, which also serves as a qualifier for the 2026 Asian Games, featured eight Indian surfers competing across four categories.

Kumar, a multiple national champion, competed in the U-18 Boys category and finished third in the Heat 2 semi-final with a score of 8.26. Chengzheng Wang of China and Taro Takai of Japan took the top two spots in the heat. Despite his strong performances in earlier rounds, Kumar fell just short of the finals.

Harish Muthu, another standout, became the first Indian to reach the quarterfinals of the Asian Surfing Championships but did not progress further.

Arun Vasu, President of the Surfing Federation of India, expressed pride in the achievement: “This milestone reflects the dedication of our surfers, coaches, and the federation. While it would have been fantastic for Kishore to reach the finals, we are incredibly proud of his performance given his age and talent. I am optimistic about our surfers’ future prospects, including potential participation in the Olympics.”

IOA President PT Usha Advocates Yoga’s Inclusion In Asian Games

June 27, 2024, 8:26 pm

PT Usha, President of the Indian Olympic Association, has strongly advocated for the inclusion of Yoga in the Asian Games programme. In a letter to Raja Randhir Singh, President of the Olympic Council of Asia, Usha emphasized Yoga’s global embrace and its significant benefits for physical and mental health. She credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting Yoga, noting its universal appeal celebrated during the 10th International Day of Yoga on June 21.

Highlighting India’s role as the spiritual home of Yoga, Usha urged for its inclusion in major sporting events like the Asian Games and eventually the Olympics. She referenced global initiatives, such as Yoga sessions at the Louvre Museum in Paris, as a testament to Yoga’s growing recognition worldwide.

Usha also mentioned the support of Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, who sees the Asian Games as a stepping stone towards Yoga’s inclusion in the Olympics. She highlighted Yoga’s success in events like the Khelo India Games and its recent inclusion in the National Games in Goa, including Mallakhambh and Yogasanas.

Expressing confidence in Yoga’s appeal to broadcasters and its potential to attract global audiences, Usha urged the Olympic Council of Asia to consider her proposal favorably.

Evolution and Innovation: The Future of Kabaddi Mats

October 28, 2023, 6:30 pm

India established its dominance in the world of Kabaddi by winning the Asian Kabaddi Championship title in June 2023 and now sets its eye on the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China slated to be held from September 23^rd onwards. Kabaddi a traditional sport with deep roots in South Asian culture, has been capturing the hearts of sports enthusiasts for centuries.

Over the years, the sport has gained international recognition and a global fan base. An essential element of kabaddi is the playing surface, often referred to as the kabaddi mat. As the sport evolves and adapts to modern times, so too does the technology and innovation behind the manufacturing of these mats. Through this article we will be exploring the evolution of kabaddi mats and their significance in ensuring a conducive practice environment for athletes.

From Humble Traditional Beginnings

In its earliest days, kabaddi was played on natural surfaces like mud or grass. Players relied on their agility and skills to navigate these terrains. However, as the sport progressed and formal competitions emerged, the need for a consistent and safe playing surface became evident. The transition from natural surfaces to mats brought about a revolution in the sport, allowing players to showcase their abilities without the unpredictability of natural elements.

The Evolution of Manufacturing

The manufacturing of kabaddi mats has seen remarkable advancements, aligning with the growing popularity and demands of the sport. Initially, mats were simple and functional, serving the purpose of providing a level playing field. However, as kabaddi gained international attention and recognition, manufacturers began to incorporate innovative materials and technologies into the production process.

Modern kabaddi mats are designed with careful consideration of player safety, performance, and durability. Advanced materials such as high-density foam, rubber compounds, and synthetic fabrics are used to create mats that offer excellent shock absorption, non-slip surfaces, and resistance to wear and tear. These attributes are crucial for preventing injuries and ensuring a high standard of play during intense practice sessions and competitive matches.

The Role of Technology

Technology has played a pivotal role in the evolution of kabaddi mats. Computer-aided design (CAD) software allows manufacturers to create precise mat dimensions and patterns, ensuring consistent playing conditions across different venues. Additionally, digital printing technology enables intricate designs, team logos, and sponsor branding to be seamlessly integrated into the mat’s surface.

One of the most significant technological advancements in kabaddi mat manufacturing is the incorporation of smart sensors. These sensors, embedded within the mat, can provide real-time data on player movements, impact forces, and positioning. This information is invaluable for coaches and athletes, as it enables detailed analysis and optimization of training routines. Smart mats not only enhance the training experience but also contribute to injury prevention by identifying potentially risky movements or techniques.

Ensuring Accessibility and Practice

While the evolution of kabaddi mats has undoubtedly enhanced the sport, there remains a crucial consideration – accessibility. As the popularity of kabaddi grows globally, it is essential to ensure that aspiring athletes, regardless of their location or resources, have access to suitable practice facilities.

Portable and lightweight kabaddi mats are being designed, allowing players to set up practice areas in diverse environments. These mats retain the quality and performance characteristics of their traditional counterparts while providing greater flexibility and affordability. This democratization of practice facilities contributes to the growth of kabaddi and the nurturing of future talent.

The evolution of kabaddi mats mirrors the evolution of the sport itself – from humble beginnings to a global phenomenon. The combination of traditional knowledge, modern materials, and cutting-edge technology has led to the creation of mats that ensure player safety, enhance performance, and facilitate skill development.

By- Paras Maheshwari, Director, Gravolite

Asian Games: India defeats Bangladesh by nine wickets to reach final

October 6, 2023, 1:43 pm

India defeated Bangladesh by nine wickets on Friday to advance to the final of the cricket competition at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou thanks to a stellar bowling performance from spinner Sai Kishore and explosive innings from the skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma. India won the toss and decided to field first. The Bangladeshi batting order was completely destroyed by the Indian spinners, who also quickly eliminated the top order.

At the end of the powerplay, Bangladesh was at 21/3 in six overs.
Sai Kishore, Washington Sundar and Tilak Varma were at their destructive best, reducing Bangladesh to 40/4 in ten overs. Pavez Hossain Emon (23 in 32 balls) was the top contributor till that point.

Wickets kept falling for Bangladesh, but wicket-keeper batter Jaker Ali (24* in 29 balls) and Rakibul Hasan (14) helped Bangladesh reach 96 in their 20 overs at the loss of nine wickets.
Sai Kishore (3/12) was the pick of the bowlers for India. Washington (2/15) also bowled well. Tilak, Arshdeep Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed and Ravi Bishnoi got a wicket each.

After scoring a century against Nepal in a previous match, India lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for a four-ball duck in the 97-run chase. However, India’s skipper Gaikwad and Tilak Varma began to score runs quickly after that, propelling them to 68/1 in six overs. Gaikwad (40* in 26 balls with four boundaries and three sixes) and Varma (55* in 26 balls with two fours and six sixes) were both unbeaten as India reached the target of 97 in just 9.2 overs.

Asian Games: Indian men’s hockey team advances to the finals, defeats South Korea 5-3

October 4, 2023, 4:02 pm

The Indian men’s hockey team continued its unmatched performance by defeating South Korea 5-3 in the semifinal to set up a summit match at the Asian Games.

Hardik Singh (5′), Mandeep Singh (11′), Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (15′), Amit Rohidas (24′) and Abhishek (54′) scored to guide the Indian men’s hockey team to the final. Jung Manjae (17′, 20′, 42′) scored a hat-trick for South Korea, as per Olympics.com.
The Indian men’s hockey team will face the winner of the other semi-final match between China and Japan in the gold medal match on Friday.

India, under the direction of Craig Fulton, had earlier won all of their group matches to take first place in Pool A. South Korea came in second place in Pool B. India, which is currently third in the men’s FIH rankings, got off to a strong start and took the lead after five minutes. Before Hardik Singh scored to give India the lead, a skillful passing move down the right side cracked open the Korean defense. A few minutes later, Mandeep Singh, an Indian forward with 11 goals to his credit going into the game, missed a close-range shot that would have doubled the lead.

Asian Games: Neeraj Chopra begins the men’s javelin throw competition today with the 90-m mark in focus

October 4, 2023, 12:48 pm

Neeraj Chopra, a world champion and star javelin thrower from India, will begin his Asian Games campaign in the men’s javelin throw final on Wednesday.

Neeraj will compete in the title clash in the javelin throw at 4:35 PM IST.
The athlete had won a gold medal in javelin back in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. With a throw of 88.06 m, he made a mark at continental level, giving signs of a fine future. Previously, he had also secured a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games 2018, with a throw of 86.47 m.

Five years later, the 20-year-old upstart has evolved into a 25-year-old living legend. Neeraj has won it all, so he has very little to prove in terms of accomplishments and trophies. He won the Olympic gold medal in 2021 in Tokyo with a best throw of 87.58 meters. He was the first Indian to ever win an athletics gold with this accomplishment. He became a national celebrity as a result of his victory. His victory was made even more glorious by the love and support of his followers, cricketers, politicians, and Bollywood celebrities. Neeraj became the talk of India all of a sudden, appearing in social media campaigns, commercials, shows, etc. People pondered his future plans.

Asian Games: India wins bronze medal in table tennis women’s doubles

October 2, 2023, 1:58 pm

India made history at the Asian Games when Ahyika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee clinched the bronze medal in the Table Tennis Women’s Doubles event on Monday.

In the second semi-final of the table tennis women’s doubles competition at the ongoing Asian Games, India’s Ahyika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee faced a 4-3 defeat against North Korea’s Suyong Cha and Sugyong Pak. This achievement marked the first-ever table tennis medal for India in the history of the Asian Games.

India started strongly in the match by winning the first game 7-11 but couldn’t maintain their consistency. They managed to secure victories in the third and sixth games, with scores of 7-11 and 5-11, respectively. However, in the final and deciding game, they were unable to stage a comeback, ultimately settling for the bronze medal.

“SMASHING IN STYLE: THE MUKHERJEE SISTERS, India’s Table Tennis phenomenal duo, Ahyika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee script history at #AsianGames2022 by clinching the BRONZE MEDAL in the women’s doubles event! They’ve broken the barrier in style, getting India’s first-ever medal in TT doubles event in the Asian Games history. Kudos, champs,” tweeted Sports Authority of India (SAI) Media.

Asian Games: Jyothi Surekha wins the women’s compound qualification round; India ranked first

October 1, 2023, 1:19 pm

Jyothi Surekha Vennam, the reigning world champion, finished first in the women’s compound qualification of the Archery event at the Asian Games on Sunday.
On the first day of the Archery events, Jyothi qualified for the next round with a score of 704, including 57 10s and 34 Xs.

Aditi Gopichand Swami is ranked fourth after collecting 50 10s and 14 Xs taking her score to 696. Parneet Kaur qualified with the rank of 12, scoring 43 10s and 18 Xs with a total of 687. Avneet Kaur was also placed 15th with a score of 685, including 42 10s and 12 Xs. As a team, India ranked first in the women’s compound event with a score of 2087.

In the recurve men’s solo event, archer Atanu Das finished fourth with 678 points after striking 36 10s and 14 Xs, while Dhiraj Bommadevara finished seventh with 675 points. The Indian men’s recurve team finished third in the qualification stage with an overall score of 2022.
Indian archers earned only two silver medals in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, one in the men’s compound team category and the other in the women’s compound team competition, and the current team will try to improve on that number in Hangzhou 2023.

Asian Games: Palak won gold and Esha takes silver in the women’s 10 m air pistol final

September 29, 2023, 11:27 am

The Indian contingent’s unrivaled run in shooting at the present Asian Games in Hangzhou continues on Friday, as 17-year-old Palak won a gold medal and 18-year-old Esha Singh won a silver medal in the 10m air pistol women’s solo final.
With an individual score of 242.1 points, Palak not only won gold, but also broke the Asian Games record in her category, surpassing China’s mark from 2018.

Esha won the silver with 239.7 points, continuing her incredible run as a shooter in Hangzhou with her fourth medal of these games.

With this, India’s total number of shooting medals in Hangzhou has risen to 17.
India now has 30 medals from the 2018 Asian Games, including eight gold, 11 silver, and 11 bronze.
Earlier in the day, the men’s trio of Swapnil Kusal, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, and Akhil Sheoran won gold in the 50 m rifle men’s 3P event.
Team India won gold with a total of 1769 points. The silver medal was won with 1763 points, and the bronze medal was won with 1748 points by South Korea.

Smriti Mandhana on winning gold medal in Asian Games:”Very special moment for all”

September 28, 2023, 4:26 pm

Smriti Mandhana, India’s vice-captain, expressed her happiness at adding to her country’s medal total after winning the gold medal at the 19th Asian Games on Thursday. She also mentioned that singing the national anthem on the podium in Hangzhou made her emotional. India won the gold medal in the Asian Games women’s cricket tournament in their first game thanks to a standout performance from Titas Sandhu and outstanding spin bowling from Deepti Sharma and Devika Vaidya. The Women in Blue defeated Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the championship match for the gold. A prestigious medal was a very special accomplishment for the team and vice captain, she said.

“It was a very special moment for all when we won the gold medal. It felt great to see our national flag and sing our national anthem play there. I was emotional. I am really happy that we could contribute to the medal tally,” Mandhana told ANI at an event in Ahmedabad.
Earlier, the star batter Mandhana received a warm welcome at Mumbai airport. Many fans and family members gathered at the Mumbai airport to welcome the gold medalist, when she returned to Mumbai from China.

Asian Games: Men’s 10m Air Pistol Team winners Sarabjot Singh, Shiva Narwal, and Arjun Singh Cheema take home the gold

September 28, 2023, 10:54 am

Sarabjot Singh, Shiva Narwal, and Arjun Singh Cheema won another gold medal for India in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol Team event at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Thursday, continuing the country’s impressive shooting record. China, who won the silver medal, finished one point behind the Indian team. This is the sixth gold medal overall and the fourth in shooting at the current Asian Games.

Sarabjot Singh made a comeback during the contest and finished fifth, qualifying for the individual event final. Arjun Singh Cheema placed eighth and advanced to the final. Shiva Narwal placed 14th and was unable to advance to the individual final, but the Indian team’s overall score was enough to defeat China by one point and win the gold medal. (1734 points) With 1733 points, China finished second, while Vietnam took home bronze. The Indian team won the competition.

India have now 13 medals in shooting with four gold, four silver and five bronze.

Earlier, India’s Sift Kaur Samra bagged a gold in the women’s 50 m rifle 3P individual final on Wednesday.

The Indian shooting trio of Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh and Rhythm Sangwan continued the country’s dominating run at shooting as they captured a Gold medal in the women’s 25 m pistol team event on Wednesday.

Asian Games: India wins a second gold medal in shooting,top finish for Women’s 25 m pistol team

September 27, 2023, 11:49 am

The Indian shooting trio of Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, and Rhythm Sangwan won the gold medal in the women’s 25 m pistol team competition on Wednesday at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou, continuing their nation’s dominant shooting streak. India earned a total of 1759 points, which was sufficient to win the gold. China earned the silver medal with 1756 points. With a total of 1742 points, South Korea won the bronze. Manu Bhaker set the team’s pace with an outstanding rapid series.

Manu Bhaker finished at the top of the qualification standings in the women’s 25m pistol event, scoring 590. Esha Singh finished 5th with 586 while Rhythm Sangwan came 7th with 583. Their combined score was enough to edge China out by 3 points.

With this, India has won its fourth overall gold medal and seventh shooting medal. In the men’s 10 meter air rifle team event, the trio of Divyansh Singh Panwar, Rudrankksh Patil, and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar earlier broke the world record. Ashi Chouksey, Ramita Jindal, and Mehuli Ghosh won silver in the women’s 10 m air rifle team as well. A bronze medal was also won by Ramita in the women’s 10 m air rifle individual competition.

Union HM Amit Shah hails India’s shooting trio:”They have made our nation proud”

September 24, 2023, 11:37 am

Amit Shah, the union minister for the interior, thanked the Indian shooting trio of Ramita, Mehuli Ghosh, and Ashi Chouksey, who on Sunday at the ongoing 19th Asian Games started India’s medal count by winning a silver medal in the women’s 10m Air Rifle team competition.
India made an exciting start to the Asian Games by winning their first medal with the assistance of the trio. Shah praised the shooters, saying they had made the whole country proud.

“Congratulations to our shooter trio Ramita, Mehuli Ghosh, and Ashi Chouksey on winning the silver medal in the women’s 10m Air Rifle event at the #AsianGames. They have made our nation proud. My best wishes are with them for future endeavours,” Shah wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
https://x.com/AmitShah/status/1705802611008606371?s=20
In the Women’s 10 Metre Air Rifle India finished with a score of 1886 with Ramita finishing with 631.9 Mehuli 630.8 and Ashi 623.3.

The team of Ghosh, Ramita, and Ashi Chouksey came in second place in the 10 M Air Rifle Team competition. Mehuli and Ramita placed second and fifth, respectively, to go to the individual event finals. Ashi (623.3) came in 29th place.
Ramita went on to earn bronze in the women’s 10m air rifle individual competition after taking home silver in the team competition.
After China’s Han Jiayu, who won the silver medal with 251.3, and her fellow countrywoman Huang Yuting, who won the gold medal with 252.7, a new Games record, Ramita came in third with 230.1.
The other Indian who made it to the final, Mehuli Ghosh, came in fourth.

Sports Minister cancels Asian Games trip to China due to Arunachal athletes’ denial of visas

September 22, 2023, 3:24 pm

After three Arunachal Wushu athletes were refused regular Chinese visas to compete in the Games, sports minister Anurag Thakur canceled his trip to China for the Asian Games. Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, stated that India reserved the right to take actions to protect its interests.

“As a mark of our protest against the Chinese action, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports of India has cancelled his scheduled visit to China for the Games. Government of India reserves the right to take suitable measures to safeguard our interest,” Bagchi said.
The MEA spokesperson said that India rejects the treatment of its players by Chinese Authorities.

“Government of India has learnt that the Chinese authorities have, in a targeted and pre-meditated manner, discriminated against some of the Indian sportspersons from the state of Arunachal Pradesh by denying them accreditation and entry to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China” he said.

“In line with our long-standing and consistent position, India firmly rejects differential treatment of Indian citizens on the basis of domicile or ethnicity. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” Arindam Bagchi added.

Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu, two Arunachal Pradesh-born Wushu competitors who had been given the go-ahead to compete by the organizing committee for the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, were unable to access their accreditation cards, which serve as visas for entry into China. Nyeman Wangsu, the third athlete, was informed that she would not be permitted to leave Hong Kong even though she had downloaded her accreditation. The athletes were expected to compete in the martial arts sport’s individual competitions.

Odisha CM Patnaik announces Rs 10 lakhs to Asian Games qualified Odisha Athletes

September 13, 2023, 4:24 pm

Ahead of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games in China, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik offered financial support for the state’s athletes who will compete in the future Asian Games on Wednesday.

Each Asian Games competitor will earn Rs 10 lakhs to help with training, preparation, and participation in the famous athletic event. The Asian Games, noted for bringing together great athletes from around the continent, provide a forum for competitors to demonstrate their dedication and talent.

Quarter-miler Priya Mohan aims Asian Games medal

May 25, 2023, 1:29 am

Back on the track after a hamstring injury, the talented Priya Habbathanahalli Mohan aims to become the fastest quarter-miler of the country once again with the aim of bagging a medal in the upcoming Asian Games under the guidance of new Cuban coach Anier Garcia.
Priya emerged as the fastest women’s 400-metre runner in 2021 with a time of 52.77 seconds when she was just 18 and competing at the junior level then.
Two years later, after failing to win individual medals in two world U-20 championships, she said she needed a new beginning.
Two months ago, she parted ways with her long-time coach, Arjun Ajay, who spotted her during a national school meet in 2018, and is now training at the Inspire Institute of Sport at Bellary in Karnataka under Cuba’s Anier Garcia, the 2000 Olympic 110-metre hurdles champion.
“I have had ups and downs in these four years of my career.
Once you go up, you have to come down. That fall is important in an athlete’s life because it teaches you the lessons required in order to make a stronger comeback,” Priya stated in an interaction.
“I have started with a new coach. I feel this is a new beginning. We have many more targets to achieve. I will try to become the fastest quarter-miler in 2023 and try and win a medal in the Asian Games, but I can’t promise.”
The bronze medal winner at the 2018 Asian Games had clocked 52.63 seconds. The 20-year-old has a personal best of 52.37 seconds, which she clocked last year.
She was part of the bronze-winning Indian 4×400 mixed relay team in the 2021 World U-20 Championships and the silver-winning
team in 2022.

Indian DOTA 2 team sweeps South Asian countries to enter Asian Championship

May 19, 2023, 6:22 pm

Team India put up scintillating performances to conquer Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal in the South Asian qualifiers and secured their berth at the Asian Championships LAN Finals that are set to be contested in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 10 to July 17, 2023.

The star-studded outfit comprising skipper Manav Kunte (mnz), Vishal Vernekar (HBK), Abhishek Yadav (Abhi-), Shahbaz Hussain (PinkMaN), Krish Gupta (Krish`), and substitute Jaikishan Malik (KaEL) got off to the best possible start after effortlessly defeating Pakistan by 54-12 and Sri Lanka by 39-14 on the opening day.

The team further extended their dominance by beating Nepal by 47-24 and Bangladesh by 40-16 on Day 2 in the best-of-one matches. Going up against Nepal in the best-of-three finals, Team India was at the top of its game and secured comprehensive victories in the first two rounds by 34-27 and 36-34 to emerge as the champions of South Asian qualifiers and become the only team from the region to qualify for Asian qualifiers.

The team qualified for the South Asian qualifiers by defeating Team Mob in the finals of the National Esports Championships (NESC) 2023, conducted by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) earlier this year. The squad’s prominent players, Vishal and Abhishek, were also part of the historic DOTA 2 team that won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Esports Championships in 2022.

They will now be competing against the leading DOTA 2 teams in Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Mongolia, Australia, Jordan, Myanmar, and Saudi Arabia to qualify for the 15th World Esports Championships (WEC) in Iasi from August 24–September 4, 2023.

Following the DOTA 2 team’s qualification, India ensured a flawless performance at the South Asian regionals, with the country’s CS:GO male and female teams also making their way to the Asian Championship with stellar displays.

The country’s well-renowned Tekken 7 professional Abhinav Tejan and eFootball athlete Ibrahim Gulrez have already secured their qualification at the 15th WEC, which has a whopping prize pool of $500,000 (INR 4.12 crore) and is set to be the largest edition of the tournament to date with at least 130 countries participating in eFootball, DOTA 2, Tekken 7, Mobile Legends, PUBG: Mobile, and CS:GO.

ESFI meets IOA, presents training kits for Asian Games

May 18, 2023, 4:21 pm

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) handed over the training kits to the country’s eSports athletes as they gear up to represent the country in four eSports titles—DOTA 2, FIFA 22, Street Fighter V, and League of Legends—at the Hangzhou Asian Games, which will be held in September-October this year.

Joint secretary and acting CEO of the IOA, Kalyan Chaubey, handed over the exclusive kits produced by Hama to the Indian eSports contingent on Wednesday at the IOA Office in Delhi, as per a press release from ESFI. The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) organised a special meeting with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) yesterday. Chaubey, Joint Secretary and acting CEO of the IOA, presented the training kits to ‘Street Fighter V’ athlete Mayank Prajapati, ‘League of Legends’ player Mihir Ranjan, and FIFA ace Harman Tikka in the presence of Lokesh Suji, Director of ESFI and Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF), Yugal Sharma, Vice President of ESFI, and Prabhat Kumar, Vice President of ESFI.

Chaubey also engaged in a discussion with the ESFI representatives and Indian athletes to motivate them for the Asian Games and talk about fostering an ecosystem that enables eSports to thrive in the country.

Esports recently gained official recognition as a multi-sport event by the Government of India and is set to make its debut as a full-fledged medal sport at the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games. The country will be sending a proficient 15-member contingent to compete in four different titles, including Dota 2, FIFA 22, Street Fighter V, and League of Legends, at the prestigious tournament set to take place from September 23 to October 8.

The athletes secured their berth for the tournament by prevailing in the National Esports Championship (NESC 22) organized by the ESFI last year. The rest of the members of the Indian contingent will receive their training kits via courier. Comprising state-of-the-art gaming accessories including a mouse, mousepad, headset, keyboard, and a bag, the training kits will enhance the performance of the country’s athletes when they represent India on the international stage.

While the ESFI has been instrumental in preparing the Indian eSports contingent for the Asian Games, their recent multi-year partnership with FITGMR will be key to enabling a comprehensive training programme that will provide the athletes with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed on the global stage.

The IOA and the ESFI will work together to promote eSports in India, provide a conducive environment for growth, and ensure opportunities for budding eSports athletes to showcase their talent on the international stage.

Mission Olympic Cell aprroves Murali, Goswami, Sandeep’s proposal to train, compete abroad

April 22, 2023, 3:37 pm

Sreeshankar Murali’s request to train in Greece for 32 days in order to get ready for the next World Athletics Championship and Asian Games was accepted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) at their 95th meeting. Sreeshankar Murali won the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Sreeshankar and his coach, Sivasankaran Murali, would both be covered by MYAS’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) for their training in Greece. Among other charges, there are airfare, visa fees, health insurance, local transportation costs, boarding and lodging fees, and out-of-pocket allowances (OPA). The cost of Sree’s training at Texas Tech University under the direction of international coach Keith Herston has also been funded by TOPS.

The MOC authorised Priyanka Goswami and Sandeep Kumar’s requests to train and compete in Melbourne, Australia for 16 days in addition to Sreeshankar’s request. On 15 May, the pair and their trainer Gurmeet Singh are anticipated to go to Australia. Along with athletics, MOC also agreed to Judoka Linthoi Chanambam’s request for foreign training tournaments in Poland and Georgia.

Linthoi, who had previously received support from TOPS to train in Japan, is preparing with her coach Mamuka Kizilashvili for the Gori Cadet European Cup throughout Georgia and Poland. Linthoi will practise and compete in Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Poland throughout the course of the 28-day overseas training tournament.