
Japan's Floating Asian Games Village: Innovation or Disaster? First Sports With Rupha Ramani
Japan's Floating Asian Games Village: Innovation or Disaster? | First Sports With Rupha Ramani | N18G
As Japan prepares to host the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, a bold and unprecedented idea has taken centre stage - a floating athletes' village on a luxury cruise ship. While the concept sounds innovative and eco-conscious, it's raising serious concerns. Scheduled during Japan's peak typhoon season, is this a smart risk or a repeat of Paris 2024's failed eco-experiment? From anti-sleep cardboard beds to protein-deficient meals and tarnished medals, the Paris Olympics showed how good intentions can fall flat. Japan's history with natural disasters, including Typhoon Hagibis during the 2019 Rugby World Cup, adds weight to the scepticism. Can Japan ensure the safety of athletes and officials living on water? Or is this an ambitious gamble that might compromise performance and well-being? Rupha Ramani looks at the logistics, risks, past examples and how this could turn out to be a disaster.
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Too much too young? Swimming's dilemma over 12-year-old schoolgirl
Swimming is a sport well used to talented teenagers, but Yu Zidi 's participation aged 12 at the world championships has sparked debate about how young is too young. The prodigious Chinese schoolgirl is not just making up the numbers at the event in Singapore this week. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Management Design Thinking Data Science Leadership Healthcare Others Data Science CXO MCA Operations Management Data Analytics Digital Marketing Finance healthcare others Project Management Artificial Intelligence MBA Degree Public Policy Cybersecurity PGDM Technology Product Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK GMPBE India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK General Management Programme India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 Months IIM Calcutta CERT-IIMC APSPM India Starts on undefined Get Details Yu qualified for Monday's final of the 200m individual medley and came fourth, missing out on a remarkable medal by just 0.06sec in what is not considered her strongest event. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Orthopedic Knee Surgeon: Suffering From Pain After Age 50? Do This Every Morning Wellnee Undo The race was won by Canada's Summer McIntosh -- she competed at the Tokyo Olympics as a 14-year-old and last summer in Paris won three golds at age 17. Yu was at it again on Wednesday in Singapore, racing alongside comparative veteran McIntosh to reach the finals of the 200m butterfly. Live Events Yu, who turns 13 in October, will also race in the 400m medley later this week. The Chinese prodigy, who discovered swimming aged six as a way to cool off in China's roasting summers, has drawn historical comparisons to Inge Sorensen. At 12, the Dane was the youngest-ever winner of an Olympic swimming medal after her bronze at the Berlin Games of 1936. More recently, there was Bahrain's Alzain Tareq, who was 10 when she competed at the swimming world championships in Kazan, Russia, in 2015. Unlike Yu, however, she never came close to a medal. Asked this week if she was a "genius", Yu replied: "No, not really. It's all the result of hard training." Too early While Yu's performances have been impressive and could well yield a medal, not everyone thinks she should be competing in Singapore. Some in the sport have raised questions about the impact on Yu mentally and physically of high-level training and competing at an age when she is still developing as a person. Under current World Aquatics rules, the minimum age is 14 but younger swimmers can compete at the championships if -- like Yu -- they are fast enough. Christian Hansmann, sports director of German swimming, called her participation in Singapore "questionable". "Putting a girl of 12 in front of a world championship crowd of 5,000 spectators, with the high pressure from the media and the coaches, is far too early in my opinion," said Hansmann, who has children of a similar age. French swimmer Lilou Ressencourt admitted it "pisses me off to be beaten by a girl 10 years younger than me" and said she was surprised by how fast Yu is at such a young age. She too fears for Yu's physical and mental well-being. "I'm 22 and handling world championships, even French championships, can be difficult," Ressencourt told AFP. "I tell myself that at 12, you have a heavy responsibility... it's not normal at 12 to have that kind of pressure." Finding balance Yu's presence in Singapore could force a rethink of the rules at World Aquatics, the sport's governing body. Executive director Brent Nowicki admitted they had been surprised that someone as young as Yu had been fast enough to qualify. Nowicki said World Aquatics "feel quite good about where we are with our safeguarding approach in our sport", but admitted that Yu could force a re-evaluation of its rules. "She's great. I mean, there's a big future there for her. Hopefully there could be good things that could happen out of this, and it could be great," he said. But he added: "Obviously we have to make sure that that's what it is, right? We don't want to tip that balance and go the other way, and we have to be careful about that." Many other sports have wrestled with the same age issue. In 2022, ice skating's governing body voted to raise the minimum age for senior competition from 15 to 17, months after an Olympics drug scandal involving Russian teenager Kamila Valieva. Katarina Witt, who was 18 when she won Olympic skating gold at the 1984 Sarajevo Games for East Germany, said the change was "primarily protecting the female athletes from their sometimes over-ambitious managers".


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Players with disabilities checkmate odds with chess spirit
The World IPCA (International Physically Disabled Chess Association) Chess Championship was held in Asia for the first time Panaji: It's not winning but taking part that counts. It's a maxim made famous by the founder of the Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who said, 'The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well. ' Nowhere were the words more apt than at the World Chess Championship for Persons with Disabilities at Dona Paula, which ended on Wednesday. Just getting here, and taking part, was an achievement for many of the players. 'I got to learn a lot,' V S Sobethaa, a 12-year-old player with locomotor disability, told TOI. 'My dream is to become a grandmaster (the highest title in the sport), so I make it a point to train at least two hours every day. Chess provides me with a lot of joy.' For many like Sobethaa, who hails from Tamil Nadu, chess is more than just a sport. It helps her assimilate, and like she did at Dona Paula, win plaudits too. The youngster picked up a silver in rapid (U-15 category) and bronze in blitz. No wonder her twin, V S Shokshithaa, admitted that her sister was the better player. There were other 'success' stories too. Take Eshmuratov Abbas for example. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Private Jet - The Prices May Surprise You! Private Jet I Search Ads Learn More Undo On a wheelchair, the player from Uzbekistan plays by indication of moves through movement of his retinas, with his father holding his chin for support. Abbas soon became the star attraction at the tournament with several people flocking to the venue to see him play. He had an impressive five wins from nine rounds and finished 35th among 97 participants. His achievement did not go unnoticed as chief minister Pramod Sawant handed him a special prize. Khlypovka Lada, a teenager from Russia, also proved to be a fine example of grit and determination. She missed four rounds due to surgery and hospitalisation, yet playing five rounds from her hotel bed, she maintained incredible focus to maintain an all-win record and pick up gold in the women's wheelchair category. She left Goa for the airport in an ambulance. 'It is only because of my love and respect for the participants that I made time to attend this special ceremony, even while the assembly session is in progress,' said CM Sawant. 'I congratulate all the winners, participants, and support teams from across the globe for showcasing determination and excellence throughout the championship.' FIDE flag countries comprising Russia and Belarus won 21 medals, which included 12 golds, to finish on top. India also picked up 21 medals but with just five golds had to settle for the second spot, ahead of Kazakhstan (nine medals, two golds) who finished third.


Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
NSFs to publish Games selection policy two years in advance: Mandaviya
New Delhi: With a view to encouraging transparency in selection for elite events such as Olympics and Asian Games, all sports federations are mandated to publish their selection policy two years in advance, union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Rajya Sabha in a written response on Thursday. Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya. (PTI) Almost all major National Sports Federations (NSFs) have complied with the directive with Badminton Association of India (BAI), Boxing Federation of India (BFI), and National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) making their selection criteria available on their website. Selection of the boxing team is done on the basis of an evaluation system where pugilists are judged on key parameters such as sparring, weight management, gym performance and running. NRAI relies on two-stage selection trials. The rankings are determined after four selection trials and the rifle, pistol and shotgun shooters are picked and slotted in Group A and B. Only the Group A shooters are considered for senior international events. The system worked well for India at last year's Paris Olympics where shooters ended an eight-year duck, claiming three medals. The same system was recently used to pick teams for Asian Championships and the junior and senior World Cups. Like NRAI, the badminton association too picks its teams from an elite core group that is 'formed in consultation with the department concerned of Sports Authority of India,' as per its website. 'For participation in international tournaments, entries of senior players are sent from the core group as per their BWF Ranking. Apart from above, for a few international tournaments, players are selected from sr ranking tournaments. These selection tournaments are declared in advance and put in website,' it states. The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) too is largely in compliance. The squads are chosen on the basis of selection trials, and while it's way too early for WFI to announce the trials for next year's Asian Games, it has put out notifications for all international senior and age-group events on the website. 'We have been quite transparent with our policies. The wrestlers are notified well in advance and the same is uploaded on the website,' a WFI official said. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) picks teams based on athletes meeting entry standards or qualifying via the rankings route. 'All our policies are clearly mentioned on our website. We are among the first NSFs of the country to adopt such a transparent approach. Our directives to athletes are also put out well in advance to ensure there is no confusion,' AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla said. Mandaviya's statement also recalled the instructions released in March with respect to the selection for international meets, inclusion in coaching camps and selection of coaches and support staff. An important mandate from the ministry makes it mandatory for NSFs to record selection trials. 'Selection trials must be video recorded or monitored via CCTV. Recordings must be sent to SAI with minutes of the selection committee,' Mandaviya said. It is also mandatory for NSFs to have a Grievance Redressal Mechanism. 'It must be in place and grievances resolved within seven days. Grievance committees must be independent of the selection committee,' he stated.