Jhansi's boxer Imroz clinches gold at World Police Games
Imroz secured a decisive 5-0 victory over American boxer Janet Johnson in the final bout, claiming the top podium spot for India. 'I am feeling very happy after winning the gold for my country and intend to play in the Olympics. My parents are also thrilled after hearing the news, as I started playing because of their happiness,' she said.
The 28-year-old hails from the Chaniyapura area in Jhansi's old city. Her father works as a TV mechanic and her mother is a homemaker. She initially began her sports journey in hockey before switching to boxing and pursuing training in Jhansi.
Imroz was recruited into the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) through the sports quota and is currently posted at Bengaluru airport. She is training with the central boxing team in Haridwar to further refine her skills.
Regional sports officer Suresh Bonkar noted that Imroz had regularly trained at the Dhyan Chand Stadium in Jhansi until her selection in the CISF. 'She has represented the city and state in several national-level competitions and has been a disciplined player throughout,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
8 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
India's on track to build a strong sporting culture
Sports in India have undergone a significant transformation after the introduction of the National Sports Policy in 2001. India now participates in a wider range of sporting events and achieves commendable results, including in the Olympics. Given these developments, a new policy that aligns with contemporary India and gives voice to its growing sporting ambitions was needed. The National Sports Policy 2025 — Khelo Bharat Niti — reflects a vision that we athletes have long aspired to. Abhinav Bindra, and I were part of the initial committee formed in 2014 to draft a new sports policy. We worked for a year, before the committee evolved and underwent several changes. Finally, the new policy has been introduced. It places strong emphasis on holistic development — from nurturing grassroots talent and supporting elite athletes, enhancing sports infrastructure, public-private partnership model and CSR activities to drive sports, strengthening anti-doping efforts, promoting economic and social well-being through sports, and ensuring greater transparency and accountability in national sports federations. For me, the standout feature of the policy is its emphasis on grassroots development. How do we generate interest in sports among schoolchildren and, just as importantly, their parents? At the elite level, we already have a functional structure in place. We've achieved important benchmarks, developed sports infrastructure, attracted CSR support for athletes and federations, and even the National Anti-Doping Agency is undergoing reform. But if we want to truly build a sports culture, it has to begin at the grassroots. We need to change the mindset that sports is not just an extracurricular activity. It must be seen as essential to a healthy lifestyle. Children should be introduced to sports from an early age. When it becomes part of the school curriculum, people will begin to take it seriously, and then it becomes a necessity and a habit for life. Sports shouldn't be viewed only as a means to win medals for the country, but as a vital part of youth development and well-being of an individual. As children grow, academics often take precedence. A child who is academically inclined will take that path. But if introduced early, sports will become a part of their routine and help them stay fit. At a time when mental health issues and lifestyle diseases are on the rise, this could be a gamechanger. Promoting sports from a young age will reduce the burden on our health care system. The new policy emphasises the importance of hosting sports competitions and leagues at the community, school, district, and panchayat levels. Every panchayat and district should have its own playgrounds and involve former sportspersons in promoting physical literacy. In the past, schools used to have their own open playgrounds, but now many schools have small buildings without access to proper playground facilities. We don't need expensive infrastructure like synthetic or cemented tracks; especially for young children, these can even lead to injuries. Simple grass fields or mud tracks are enough, as long as they offer safe spaces for children to play freely. In countries like the US and across Europe, sports culture is deeply rooted. Parents go for a morning run, and their children follow. Sports training in schools is compulsory. Every child picks up a sport, supports a team, or follows sporting events. It's a way of their life. The policy includes a focus on 'build for economic development,' aiming to boost industries such as tourism, manufacturing, and sports technology. My humble suggestion is to remove the GST on sports training and sports equipment. As far as Olympic medals are concerned, once a child is placed in a structured system from school onward, their ambition will take shape. With clear pathways to progress to the elite level, distractions will reduce. In the past, many athletes weren't sure how to reach the international stage. Today, there is a system in place. Anju Bobby George won India's first World Championships medal in athletics. The views expressed are personal.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Javelin throw: Has a spear ever hit anyone during a competition?
In case you're watching the Neeraj Chopra Classic and are having some intrusive thoughts — like wondering if the javelin has ever injured anyone during a competition, allow us to introduce you to Juha Laukkanen. The Finnish javelin thrower is a man who has managed to injure not one, but two people(!) with his javelin throws. Thankfully, he's long retired now. But over the course of his career, Laukkanen injured two judges during competitions (accidentally, and not intentionally, it must be noted). He first injured a judge in his arm in 1994 during the Bislet Games in Oslo, Norway. Clips from this day that are still available on YouTube show the judge pull out the javelin immediately and throw it on the grass. Not sure that one would have registered a distance. Laukkanen, meanwhile, wasn't done. While competing in another event four years later, the FInnish javelin thrower hit Engelbert Perchthaler, a judge whose job was measuring the javelin throw distances, right in the stomach! The story of that particular javelin throw incident goes that Perchthaler was blinded by the sun and didn't see the javelin flying directly towards him. 'I was distracted for a brief moment and couldn't see the spear in the air. I only saw it shortly before it came toward me. But by then it was already too late,' Perchthaler said years later in an interview. And in case your next question was, what happens to you when a javelin hits you, here's what Perchthaler had to say: 'The spear impaled me at the level of my belly button. I didn't realize what was happening to me, I just heard a dull thud. But I didn't feel any pain, just a slight tingling. No, I didn't feel fear or panic. Quite the opposite. I lay down very slowly on the grass.' So what should you do when a javelin hits you? Well, don't pull it out. 'Out of reflex, I pulled the spear out of my stomach myself. That was wrong. That exacerbated the internal bleeding,' Perchthaler said. Of course, Laukkanen is not the only man to hurt someone accidently during a javelin throw competition. In July 2007, during a Golden League meeting in Rome, Finland's Tero Pitkämäki hurled the javelin which was a little off mark, and ended up hitting French long jumper Salim Sdiri. Sdiri was released from the hospital within 24 hours, but suffered serious internal injuries, including a torn liver and a punctured kidney. There are other incidents where the javelin ALMOST hit someone. Like this incident where Thomas Rohler's throw crossed the 90m mark, but ended a few metres short of the camera guy. Rohler, who is a Rio 2016 Olympics gold medallist, is currently competing at the Neeraj Chopra Classic event. Javelin throw, which evolved from the military practice of hurling spears during wars, has been an Olympics event since London 1908. Of course, the sport was also at the Ancient Olympics, where the original javelin was made of olive wood. As the sport grew at the Olympics, a German thrower, Uwe Hohn, came onto the scene. History will remember him as the first man to hurl the javelin past the 100m mark. (he was also one of Neeraj Chopra's coach.) Till date, he is the only human to throw the javelin past the fabled 100m mark. In 1984, Hohn went much past 100m: he sent the javelin to a whopping distance of 104.8m in Berlin. That kind of distance will be near impossible right now. Why? Because the men's javelin was redesigned in 1986 for safety reasons and to prevent the high number of flat landings (when the javelin doesn't stick into the ground). The javelin's centre of gravity was also moved forwards by four centimetres. It must be noted that even now, javelins can fly at speeds touching 60mph (96kmph).
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
FIA urges neutrality after Mayer launches presidency bid
Motor sport's ruling body the FIA on Saturday insisted it would remain impartial after American Tim Mayer launched a potentially acrimonious challenge to incumbent president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in December's election. Mayer launched his campaign Friday at Silverstone, ahead of the British Grand Prix, with an attack on the controversial Ben Sulayem. 'The FIA Presidential election is a structured and democratic process, to ensure fairness, transparency, and integrity at every stage. It is conducted in accordance with the FIA Statutes,' said the FIA statement. 'In line with the FIA's commitment to impartiality and to preserve equal treatment of candidates, FIA staff members are required to maintain strict neutrality throughout the process. 'The Federation will continue to operate as normal, delivering on its responsibilities to its Members and across all areas of motor sport and mobility.' The election will take place during the FIA General Assemblies on December 12. The statement followed Mayer's attack on Ben Sulayem's time in office. The American said the president had delivered on none of his promises and had gone 'in completely the other direction'. 'We have the illusion of integrity and what we've seen is wave after wave of statute changes, which are designed to concentrate power in one office, which is the exact opposite of what he promised.' Mayer added that he would reverse the statute changes. He said the sport's two World Council 'have been gagged and are not able to represent the people who elected them'. Mayer, 59, the son of former McLaren boss Tim Mayer, is an experienced motor racing official who was dismissed as a Formula One steward last year in a text message sent by an assistant of Ben Sulayem. He launched his 'FIA Forward' campaign on Friday and was given a warm welcome by most F1 team bosses. 'I like Tim,' said compatriot and McLaren chief Zak Brown. 'And he's got some family history with McLaren. Aston Martin's Andy Cowell also pointed to Mayer's Formula One heritage. 'Racing is in his blood,' Cowell said.
