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Malaysia Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- Malaysia Sun
Double Paralympic medallist Preethi Pal targets personal best timings at World Para Athletics Championships
Bengaluru (Karnataka)[India], August 10 (ANI): In the latest episode of the House of Glory podcast, an initiative by the Gagan Narang Sports Foundation, Double Paralympics medallist Preethi Pal spoke about her plans for the upcoming World Para Athletics Championships and her aim to regain form and hit her Personal Best timing there. 'I am currently training for the upcoming Para Athletics World Championships, which are set to take place in Delhi soon. My aim for the event would be to change the colour of my medal, though I am aware that I am not at the same level as I was during the Paris Paralympics last year. So, at present, I am just aiming to hit my Personal Best (PB) timings there and accept whatever the colour of the medal I get,' she said. Preethi had won two bronze medals at the World Para Athletics Championships in May 2024 and later that year went on to repeat the feat and win a bronze medal each in the 100m and 200m T35 race events at the Paris Paralympics 2024. Recalling her experience of winning two medals at the Paris Paralympics, Preethi said, 'When I came back from the Paris Paralympics and was at the airport, a rally was taken out from there to my village in Muzaffarnagar. I remember it was night and raining, yet there were nearly 1750 cars behind my car in that rally. It was like people were treating me like I'm some kind of god. People had waited with garlands outside their houses in my village and asked me to give blessings to small kids, and I can never forget that feeling.' During the interaction, Preethi credited the improvement in her performance to her idol, Simran Sharma, and her coach, Gajendra Singh. Talking about her relationship with them, Preethi said, 'Simran Di has been my idol since I played my first inter-state tournament and I saw her running there. When I moved to Delhi, it was she who took me to her husband and coach, Gajju Bhaiya, to train me. Though he had initially refused to train me, she convinced him to take me on and coach me.' She then further went on to add, 'I have seen huge improvement in my performance since Gajju Bhaiya started training me. In 100m events, even if you improve by a microsecond, it's a huge accomplishment, and with his training, I have improved by dropping nearly one to one and a half seconds, so it has made a huge difference in a very short period of time. And I've seen the impact of that by getting medals at the World Championships and Paralympics.' Preethi would next be seen at the World Para Athletics Championships, 2025, which is set to take place in New Delhi from September 27 onwards. (ANI)
India Gazette
27-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
With age, 57kg becomes troublesome: Ravi Dahiya on why he's moving to a higher weight category
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): In the latest episode of the House of Glory podcast, an initiative by the Gagan Narang Sports Foundation, Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Kumar Dahiya opened up about his sporting journey and future plans in wrestling. One of the key takeaways from the conversation was his decision to move up to a higher weight category and the reasons behind it. 'I won't be continuing in the 57kg weight category as, with age, it becomes a very troublesome weight, and I thus have decided to go higher up in my weight,' Ravi said in the latest episode of the House of Glory podcast. While the next Olympic weight category for the LA Olympics 2028 is 65kg, 28-year-old Ravi has been in and out of competitions in the past few years due to injuries and has been competing in the non-Olympic 61kg weight category. In the podcast, Ravi also spoke about his early days of wrestling, his father's sacrifices, and his admiration for Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi. Crediting his father for introducing him to wrestling, Ravi recounted his journey from a small mud akhara to becoming an Olympic medallist. 'It was my father who was very fond of wrestling in my family. There used to be a small mud akhara near the fields where he used to do farming, and I used to go and play there when I was really young. It was there that I started wrestling, and initially, it was just for fun, without any intention of taking it up as a profession. My father was really fond of it, and it was only because of him that I got into this game today,' Ravi said. He then went on to talk about his father's dedication and added, 'Compared to my parents' sacrifice, I have sacrificed nothing in my life. Our village is 30-35 km away from Chhatrasal Stadium, which is around 70-75 km both ways. My father has been coming here daily in the morning with our dietary needs and still continues to do so today. Coming for one or two days is different, but he has been continuously coming here for nearly 20 years now (since 2007), whether it's sunny or raining heavily, and that is dedication and sacrifice that motivated me to win international medals.' The podcast also touched on Ravi's relationship with Aman Sehrawat, saying, 'In any sport, people might be rivals on the mat, but outside, we are all humans, and it has always been like that. Aman is like a brother to me, and that's always been the case.' Ravi ended the podcast on a lighter note, sharing his admiration for footballer Lionel Messi and enjoying his free time with friends. (ANI)
NDTV
27-06-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Ravi Dahiya Reveals Reason Behind Moving To A Higher Weight Category From 57 Kg
In the latest episode of the House of Glory podcast, an initiative by the Gagan Narang Sports Foundation, Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Kumar Dahiya opened up about his sporting journey and future plans in wrestling. One of the key tak`eaways from the conversation was his decision to move up to a higher weight category and the reasons behind it. "I won't be continuing in the 57kg weight category as, with age, it becomes a very troublesome weight, and I thus have decided to go higher up in my weight," Ravi said in the latest episode of the House of Glory podcast. While the next Olympic weight category for the LA Olympics 2028 is 65kg, 28-year-old Ravi has been in and out of competitions in the past few years due to injuries and has been competing in the non-Olympic 61kg weight category. In the podcast, Ravi also spoke about his early days of wrestling, his father's sacrifices, and his admiration for Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi. Crediting his father for introducing him to wrestling, Ravi recounted his journey from a small mud akhara to becoming an Olympic medallist. "It was my father who was very fond of wrestling in my family. There used to be a small mud akhara near the fields where he used to do farming, and I used to go and play there when I was really young. It was there that I started wrestling, and initially, it was just for fun, without any intention of taking it up as a profession. My father was really fond of it, and it was only because of him that I got into this game today," Ravi said. He then went on to talk about his father's dedication and added, "Compared to my parents' sacrifice, I have sacrificed nothing in my life. Our village is 30-35 km away from Chhatrasal Stadium, which is around 70-75 km both ways. My father has been coming here daily in the morning with our dietary needs and still continues to do so today. Coming for one or two days is different, but he has been continuously coming here for nearly 20 years now (since 2007), whether it's sunny or raining heavily, and that is dedication and sacrifice that motivated me to win international medals." The podcast also touched on Ravi's relationship with Aman Sehrawat, saying, "In any sport, people might be rivals on the mat, but outside, we are all humans, and it has always been like that. Aman is like a brother to me, and that's always been the case." Ravi ended the podcast on a lighter note, sharing his admiration for footballer Lionel Messi and enjoying his free time with friends.
India Gazette
29-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Naraen Pranav, Mukesh Nelavalli among 11 Indian athletes to win medals at ISSF Junior World Cup
New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): Indian athletes shone brightly at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2025, winning a total of 11 medals- three gold, four silver and four bronze medals. A 57-member Indian contingent was sent to the tournament, which was held in Suhl, Germany, from 19-27 May, of which eight athletes trained at the Gun for Glory academy, run by Gagan Narang Sports Foundation. Two promising athletes from the academy, Naraen Pranav and Mukesh Nelavalli, made the nation proud and returned with medals. Naraen won a silver and a bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Junior Team event and 10m Air Rifle Junior Men event, respectively, whereas Mukesh grabbed a bronze medal in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Junior Men's event. Another athlete, Anushka Thokur, successfully made it to the finals of the 50m 3P Junior Women's event but finished 7th in the finals. All eight athletes from the academy, who represented India at the tournament, trained under GNSPF's Flagship Program Project Leap, a sponsored project that aims to inculcate holistic improvement in selected athletes, targeting technical, physical and mental aspects of the sport. On winning two medals in the tournament, Naraen Pranav expressed his happiness and stated, as quoted by Gagan Narang Sports Foundation press release, 'It feels great and is a major moment in my career so far. Just being able to represent the country on such a global stage is a great honour,r and to return with a medal makes it even more special. I would like to thank my coaches at the Gun for Glory academy and mentor Gagan Narang sir for guiding me at every step, because of which I was able to win these two medals', he said. The 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist, Gagan Narang, also expressed his pride in the achievements of the academy's athletes and said, 'We are extremely proud of these youngsters who made the entire nation stand tall at the ISSF Junior World Cup. This achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication and resilience they have put in their training all these years. Our academy aims to continue building many more such athletes and ensuring that the future of Indian shooting is in safe hands.' (ANI)
News18
29-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
ISSF Junior World Cup 2025: 11 Indian Athletes Win Medals
Last Updated: Indians won a total of 11 medals- three gold, four silver and four bronze medals - at the 2025 ISSF Junior World Cup. Indian athletes triumphed at the 2025 ISSF Junior World Cup, securing eleven medals: three gold, four silver, and four bronze. A 57-member Indian contingent participated in the tournament, held in Suhl, Germany, from 19-27 May. Eight of these athletes trained at the Gun for Glory academy, managed by the Gagan Narang Sports Foundation (GNSPF). Two standout athletes from the academy, Naraen Pranav and Mukesh Nelavalli, achieved notable success. Naraen secured a silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Junior Team event and a bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Junior Men's event. Mukesh claimed a bronze medal in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Junior Men's event. Fellow academy athlete, Anushka Thokur, reached the finals of the 50m 3P Junior Women's event, finishing seventh. Expressing his elation, Naraen Pranav commented, 'It feels great and is definitely a major moment in my career so far. Representing the country on such a global stage is a great honour, and returning with a medal makes it even more special. I would like to thank my coaches at Gun for Glory academy and mentor Gagan Narang sir for guiding me at every step, which enabled me to win these two medals." Gagan Narang, the 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist, expressed his pride in the academy's athletes, stating, 'We are extremely proud of these youngsters who made the entire nation stand tall at the ISSF Junior World Cup. This achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and resilience they have put into their training over the years. Our academy aims to continue developing many more such athletes and ensuring the future of Indian shooting is in safe hands." First Published: May 29, 2025, 13:31 IST
