Latest news with #KheloIndiaGames
Hans India
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Khelo India Games in Bihar were big hit: PM Modi hails young talent, record-breaking performances
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the Khelo India Youth Games 2025, recently hosted in Bihar, as a "big hit" and a testament to India's rising sporting spirit. He highlighted the record-breaking performances and the growing global recognition of the nation's young athletes. Addressing the 122nd episode of his monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister said, "Recently, Khelo India Games were a big hit. Five cities of Bihar hosted the Khelo India games. Matches of different categories were held there. The number of athletes who reached there from all over India was more than 5,000. These athletes have praised the Sporting Spirit of Bihar and the warmth shown by the people of Bihar." He noted that this edition marked a new milestone for Indian sports on the global stage. "The land of Bihar is very special. Many unique things happened here in this event. This was the first edition of the Khelo India Youth Games, which reached the whole world through the Olympic channel. People from all over the world saw and appreciated the talent of our young players. I congratulate all the medal winners, especially the top three winners -- Maharashtra, Haryana and Rajasthan," PM Modi said. Highlighting the outstanding performances, he mentioned, "A total of 26 records were made in Khelo India this time. In the Weight Lifting competitions, the brilliant performances of Asmita Dhone of Maharashtra, Harshvardhan Sahu of Odisha and Tushar Chaudhary of Uttar Pradesh won everyone's heart. Sairaj Pardesi of Maharashtra went on to create three records." He also praised the athletes who participated in various athletics events, adding, "In athletics, Qadir Khan and Sheikh Zeeshan of Uttar Pradesh and Hansraj of Rajasthan performed brilliantly. This time, Bihar also won 36 medals." Emphasising the role of such tournaments in nurturing young talent, he said, "The one who plays, blooms. The tournament holds great significance for Young Sporting Talent. Such events will further enhance the future of Indian sports."
New Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
From shadow shooting to Junior World Cup silver: Adriyan's journey
CHENNAI: The day when Adriyan Karmakar shot silver in prone on his debut at the junior World Cup at Suhl (Germany), thousands of miles away one person was silently admiring his son's effort. It is not easy to be born into a shooting family where a father has left an illustrious trail of records and medals. It's never easy to emulate such a star. 'I am emotional because in 2010 I had won a silver at the same event (but senior) in Sydney,' Joydeep told this daily. Adriyan lost the gold to Sweden's Jesper Johansson by just 0.3 points. Griffin Lake (USA) won bronze with 624.6 points. For Adriyan, who started shooting at seven and competed at the senior nationals three years later (it was allowed by the National Rifle Association of India back then), however, the path he chose was not easy. Father Joydeep was not just an incredible shooter, he finished fourth at the London Olympcis, but is an able master (coach) with a keen eye for talent. Sitting in Bhopal, he was recollecting the day when he had a serious discussion with his son about pursuing the sport. 'It must be when he was around 16 or 17 and it was not a discussion,' he corrected the word and said it was a spat. 'I thought he was not being too serious about the sport and I asked him to quit. I told him shooting is not what you should do. There was a lot of tension and he said that his place was in the shooting range and he shall shoot. I told him if he wants to shoot he has to be serious and I will support him financially, morally and mentally.' Joydeep realised that brought in a kind of transformation in his son. Months later he went on to win at Khelo India Games and worked very hard to improve his game. 'He was mentally in the sport,' he said. Still, Joydeep was not expecting this kind of results from 20-year-old Adriyan. 'I was hoping for a score around 620-624 but a 626.7 off 60 shots should be considered great,' said the father. In fact, Adriyan started shadow shooting in Kolkata and continued with it for quite some time. 'He won a medal without shooting in a range because we did not have one in Kolkata,' he said.
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Pune wrestler wins Gold at Khelo India Youth Games
Sujay Tanpure, 17-year-old Pune wrestler, won the gold medal in the 71 kg freestyle category at Khelo India Games held in Patna on May 15. 'I feel happy because the practice that my coaches Mahesh Mohol, Akshay Shinde, and other coaches made me do has come to fruition,' he told The Indian Express. When asked how his family reacted to his win at the Khelo India Games, Tanpure said, 'My family was normal after this win because they have greater expectations than this from me. They say that I should not stop here. I also won gold Asian Championships in 2023 in Jordan. My family says that I should get gold medals in national juniors and worlds as well.' Born in Shiur in Jamkhed Taluka, Ahilyanagar in 2008, Tanpure moved to Pune around 2018-19 as there weren't enough partners for him to practice within his hometown. 'After practicing for a few years, I got the gold medal in national championships (junior) and I got selected for an international tournament.' Previously, Tanpure won the gold medal in the 2023 U15 Asian Championships in the 68 kg category held in Jordan, Amman. He received a hero's welcome at the airport when he returned to India. Describing his future plans, Tanpure says that he wants to get a medal in the national juniors or seniors and appeal for a government job. He also aims to get selected and win the Gold in international tournaments like the Commonwealth Games. A one-man show who likes to focus on himself, Tanpure does not have any inspirations or favourite players. He explains, 'I don't have any such inspiration. I look at myself and try to see what I am lacking in, look at my international tournaments to see what can be improved. My coaches also point out whatever needs to be improved. I have no favourite player at this point.' Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune. A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ex-sports secretary Sujata Chaturvedi appointed UPSC member
New Delhi, Former sports secretary Sujata Chaturvedi was on Thursday sworn in as a member of the Union Public Service Commission, officials said. Chaturvedi was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Lt Gen Raj Shukla , the senior most member of the Union Public Service Commission , a statement issued by the UPSC said. A UPSC member is appointed for a term of six years or until attaining 65 years of age. The Commission, which conducts civil services examinations to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service , Indian Foreign Service and Indian Police Service , among others, is headed by a chairman and can have a maximum of 10 members. With Chaturvedi's appointment, there exists a vacancy of three more members. UPSC chairperson Preeti Sudan's term ended on Tuesday. A 1989-batch IAS officer, Chaturvedi was allotted Bihar cadre, the statement said. She has vast administrative experience of more than three decades in the cadre, as well as in the government of India, it said. In Bihar, she served as the principal secretary, department of finance; commercial tax commissioner; secretary, department of finance; and as vice-chairman, department of urban development, the statement said. At the Centre, Chaturvedi held the post of secretary, youth affairs and sports; additional secretary, department of personnel and training ; and as regional deputy director general in the Unique Identification Authority of India , it said. During her tenure as the secretary, department of sports, she contributed significantly to many initiatives for the overall development of sports in the country, the statement said. "To name a few, some of her initiatives include hosting the annual Khelo India Games, the FIDE Chess Olympiad, FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup, implementation of a National Sports Repository System, country-wide mapping of standard sports facilities and the enactment of the anti-doping bill to strengthen the nation's fight against doping," the statement said. Hailing from Maharashtra, Chaturvedi is conversant in Hindi, English, Urdu, Russian and Marathi, it added. Chaturvedi did her graduation in English and post-graduation in history from the Nagpur University. She also did her MPhil in public administration and has a diploma in Russian language, the statement said.
New Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
'Mindset of a champion' Himanshu has all the ingredients to be javelin champ
CHENNAI: On a warm humid evening at the port city of Dammam in Saudi Arabia, a young athlete from India, with the javelin in hand had set his eyes on gold at the recently-concluded Junior Asian Athletics Championship. However, he was surrounded with doubts and question marks, thanks to the incessant pain he had on his left ankle. The throws coach at the national camp Virender Dabbas, although sceptical, urged him to get the job done. " Coach saab, ap tension na lo, mein throw marunga, Rashtragaan bajega (coach, don't get tensed, I'll go for the throws and will let the national anthem play)," the teenager replied. He was Himanshu Khakkar, who, at 17 may be leading India's next generation of javelin throwers, as the culture of throw grows. His 67.57m throw earned India's solitary gold at the event as the camp returned home with 11 medals. Hailing from Salhawas in Jhajjar district in Haryana, Himanshu practiced in Akheri Madanpur, which was an hour away. "I wake up at three (o'clock) in the morning and start practicing at four. Then I would come back for school and go back to practice in the evening," he said while sharing his daily routine. Before the tournament, Himanshu shared some time with two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra in South Africa. "Neeraj (bhaiya) asked me to focus on my aim and practice well. He explained how everyone is different, and everyone has their own advantage," Himanshu recounted the advice he got. Describing the throw, Himanshu said he had set his eyes on winning gold. It was when the coach had pointed out that the National Anthem had not played in the meet so far. "At that time, my injury was of no concern. All that I could focus on was that I needed to get it (anthem) played," he said. His yearning materialised when his throw, which is far off his personal best of 74.56m, put him on top of the podium. "I was delighted. I am looking forward to repeat the same in the Khelo India Games in Bihar next month," he added. He may not be as well-built and tall as Arshad Nadeem or Andreas Hoffman, but the 5'10 foot boy has got the 'mindset of a champion' according to Dabbas. "It may be too early, but he has good potential. It should be a matter of time before he refines himself to be the best," Dabbas told this daily. What stood out for Dabbas was Himanshu's self belief. "The remark he made before his throw - that's typical of Haryanvi athletes. Their mindset to win even with injuries is exemplary," he added. Although Himanshu's speed and aggression are his strengths, the coach felt that his rhythm needs to improve. "He tends to start fast and end slow. But I back him to change that part a bit. He also has a good arm jerk which helps with his release," the coach said.
