Paris, July 27 (IANS) Ahead of their first match against New Zealand in the Paris Olympics on Saturday, Indian men’s hockey team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh said they will focus on giving their best in every game to qualify for the quarterfinals.

India are placed in Pool B with New Zealand, defending champions Belgium, Australia, Argentina and Ireland.

“Every journey has its own challenges. From New Zealand up until we play Belgium, each match presents a unique test. Our focus is to perform consistently, adapting to the different styles of play, defensive setups, and attacking strategies of each team. Taking it one match at a time and giving our best in every game is crucial for accumulating the points needed to qualify for the quarterfinals,” Sreejesh told JioCinema.

After the historic bronze medal finish in the Tokyo Olympics, the Indian team raised the expectations of the country in Paris. Sreejesh echoed that by saying they’re focused on returning home with a medal.

“We need to have that belief in our potential to win medals. If our mindset is only about participation, we’ll remain just participants. But when we start dreaming about winning a medal, that’s when every player will believe in himself and the team and believe that we deserve to be on the podium. This fuels our passion and dedication, motivating us to work harder each day to become an Olympic medallist,” he said.

The veteran added their recent Europre tours will help them to acclimatise to Paris weather and turf.

“Europe’s weather is unpredictable. One day it’s hot, the next it could rain, and then it might be cold. However, our team is quite familiar with such conditions as we frequently travel to Europe for matches against teams like Holland, Germany, Spain, and Belgium. We’ve trained on all three pitches in Paris, which are fast and good,” he said.

When asked does he feels pressure with ‘Wall of India’ tag attached to him, Sreejesh said, “The tag is more a responsibility than pressure. It means I must minimize mistakes because any error by the goalkeeper is visible on the scoreboard. While perfection is the goal, I am human and do make mistakes. However, I have a good team to cover my mistakes. If I concede a goal, my forwards are ready to score, and my defenders always help me improve. It’s a team effort where each member backs the other.”

On the current mix of experienced and youngsters in the squad, he said, “Every team I’ve played with has been special. From 2012 to 2021 and now, each squad was the best at that time. What sets this team apart is the mix of 11 members from the last Olympics, who have medal-winning experience, and the newer players who have been training with us for years. This blend of experienced players and young talent will be our strength in this tournament as we need to have fresh legs to carry you throughout this tournament.”

Reflecting on his remarkable journey in Indian hockey which will come to an end after the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, the goalkeeper said, “For me, it was a great moment because when I joined GV Raja Sports School in 2000, I never imagined I’d be playing hockey for so long. Approaching the Paris Olympics, the first thing that came to my mind was carrying that jersey, symbolising the significance of this journey. It’s hard to think about the next Olympics in LA, but for now, my focus is on Paris 2024.”

“I hope to be remembered as a good person with a positive attitude and a smiling face. In hockey, I want to inspire future generations. When youngsters pick up a hockey stick or decide to become goalkeepers, I want them to say, ‘I want to be like Sreejesh PR.’ If I can inspire even a few kids to take up the game, that would be the greatest legacy I could leave,” he added.

–IANS

ab/

Paris, July 27 (IANS) India’s sole rower Balraj Panwar advanced to the repechages after finishing fourth in heat 1 of the men’s singles scull competition in the Paris Olympics on Saturday.

The 25-year-old missed out on the direct qualification for the quarterfinals after coming behind New Zealand’s Thomas Mackintosh (6:55.92), Stefanos Ntouskos (7:01.79) and Abdelkhalek Elbanna (7:05.06), respectively. Panwar finished fourth with the timing of 7:07.11.

The top three in each heat get direct qualification for the quarters. However, the Indian rower will have another chance in the repechages.

Panwar won a bronze medal in the Asian and Oceanian Olympic Qualification Regatta in Korea and finished fourth at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

–IANS

ab/

Chateauroux, July 27 (IANS) Not a good start to the day for Indian shooting fans as the two pairs of Ramita Jindal-Arjun Babuta and Elavenil Valarivan-Sandeep Singh failed to qualify for the final of the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team qualification round at the Paris Olympics, here on Saturday.

Ramita and Arjun shot a total of 628.7 in a series of 30 shots for each. Elavenil Valarivan and Sandeep Singh, the second Indian team, finished 12th with 626.3 points.

China, Korea, Germany, and Kazakhstan will compete in the 10m air rifle mixed team medal matches. Only the top four teams in the rankings proceed to the medal rounds, with the first and second-placed teams competing for the gold medal.

More to follow….

–IANS

cs/

Paris, July 27 (IANS) Four Indian women boxers will be fighting for glory at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (women’s 50kg) will be marking her Olympic debut in Paris. IANS bring you the profile of the four Indian women pugilists.

Nikhat Zareen (50 kg)

Date of Birth: 14-06-1996

Place of Birth: Nizamabad, Telangana

Style: Orthodox

Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen is amongst the current crop of boxers to have flourished at the international stage. With her slew of wins as a teenager and a promising career to look forward to, she was soon struck by a tragedy. The 2011 world junior champion snapped her shoulder in 2017 during an Inter-University Championships bout, forcing her out of the ring for nearly a year.

While the Nizamabad-based pugilist broke all barriers to become the first Muslim girl to take up boxing professionally and represent India, staying away from the ring for almost a year was the toughest phase of her life so far.

Nikhat participated in two international tournaments in 2024 winning the silver medal in 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament and a gold medal in the Elorda Cup 2024.

With all international accolades already in her cabinet Nikhat will look to complete her Olympic dream in Paris.

Achievements:

2024: Gold medal at Elorda Cup 2024, Kazakhstan.

2024: Silver medal at 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament, Bulgaria

2023: Bronze medal at Asian Games, Hangzhou, China

2023: Gold medal at World Championships, New Delhi, India

2022: Gold medal at National Boxing Championship, Bhopal

2022: Gold medal at Commonwealth Games, Birmingham

2022: Gold medal at World Championships, Istanbul

2022: Gold medal at Strandja Boxing Tournament, Bulgaria

2021: Gold medal at National Boxing Championships, Hisar

2021: Bronze medal at Istanbul Bosphorus tournament in Turkey

2019: Bronze medal at India Open, Guwahati

2019: Silver medal at Thailand Open

2019: Asian Boxing Championships, Bangkok: Bronze

2019: 70th Strandja Boxing Tournament, Sofia, Bulgaria: Gold

2018: 56th Belgrade Winner International Championship; Serbia:

2018: Women Senior Nationals; Rohtak; Haryana: Bronze

2015: Gold at Senior National Championship, Guwahati

2011: Junior and Youth World Championship, Turkey: Gold

Preeti (54kg)

Date of Birth: 23-10-2003

Place of Birth: Bhiwani, Haryana

Stance: Southpaw

Preeti started boxing at the tender age of just 14. With no interest in boxing, Preeti was introduced to the sport by her uncle Vinod who was himself a national-level medallist boxer. Vinod convinced Preeti’s father who works as an ASI officer in Haryana Police to let her try hands in boxing and started coaching her.

Preeti got full support from her family in pursuing a career in boxing and she didn’t let down their belief. Preeti quickly climbed the ladder, playing her first major tournament at the Open State tournament in Panipat and clinching a gold medal at the youth nationals. Preeti continued her phenomenal form winning the silver and gold medal at the Khelo India Games 2020 (Guwahati) and 2021 (Panchkula) respectively.

Preeti won her first major international medal when she clinched the bronze medal at the Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China. With the medal, she also won the women’s 54kg Olympic quota for India.

Achievements:

2024: Gold at ASBC Asian U-22 & Youth Boxing Championships

2023: Bronze medal at Asian Games

2023: Women’s World Championships – Participated

2022: Bronze medal at the Asian Championships, Jordan

2021: Gold at Khelo India Youth Games, Panchkula

2021: Youth Asian Championships, Silver

2020: Silver at Khelo India Youth Games, Guwahati

Jaismine (57kg)

Date of Birth: 30-08-2001

Place of birth: Bhiwani, Haryana

Style: Southpaw

The young pugilist, who dreams to win gold in the Olympics, is single-mindedly focused on achieving her dreams. She has grown up watching two of her uncles winning international tournaments and that inspired her to explore the world of Boxing. Belonging from a humble family where her father works as a home guard and mother, a housewife, Jaismine had a fair share of struggle during the initial days of training. However, she is grateful to her uncles as they are her support system and trained her while she juggled between studies and training. She sheds her blood and sweat while being under rigorous training at her uncle’s training academy as her aim is to win the international championships.

With the support of her uncle, who is also her coach, Jasmine was able to win several national and international tournaments and won gold at Youth Eskar All Female Box Cup 2019 at Dublin, Ireland and 3rd Youth Women’s National Boxing Championship 2019 at Rudrapur, Uttarakhand. She made her senior debut at the 2021 Boxam International tournament where she impressed everyone and won a silver medal. And in the same year at the Asian Championships, she claimed a bronze medal.

Achievements:

Asian Games 2022- Quarter-finals

Women’s World Championships 2023 – Participated

Bronze at 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham

2021 Asian Boxing Championships- bronze medal

Boxam International Boxing tournament Castellon Spain 1st to 7th March 2021 – Silver medal

Youth Eskar All Female Box Cup 2019 at Dublin, Ireland (gold medal)

ASBC Asian youth men’s and women’s boxing championship in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 2019 (bronze medal)

Lovlina Borgohain (75 Kg)

Date of Birth: 02-10-1997

Place of Birth: Assam

Style: Orthodox

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina has enjoyed success since her foray and her journey into the contact sport is an intriguing affair. Following the footsteps of her twin sisters Licha and Lima, the Assamese first took up kickboxing. It was only when she met her first coach Padum Boro, her life took a definite turn. Boro, who worked at Sports Authority of India’s Shillong and Dimapur centers, introduced her to boxing and since then there has been no looking back for Lovlina.

Having found her love in boxing, Lovlina was always on the lookout for an opportunity. And it came within a few months. SAI was holding the trials at Barpathar Girls High School, where she studied, and Lovlina showed her skills when she took part in the trials. That’s how Boro noticed her exceptional talent and started honing it from 2012.

In 2019, she won another bronze medal in the World Championships in Russia and in 2020, became the first boxer from Assam to qualify for Tokyo Olympics and then became India’s only second woman boxer to win a medal at the Olympics after Mary Kom.

Achievements:

2024: Silver medal at Grand Prix

2023: Silver at Asian Games, Hangzhou, China

2023: Gold medal at World Championships, New Delhi, India

2022: Gold at 2022 Senior National Championships, Bhopal

2022: Gold at 2022 Asian Championships, Dubai

2021: Bronze at Tokyo Olympics

2020: Bronze at Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifier, Jordan

2019: Bronze at World Championships, Russia

2019: Gold at Umakhanov Memorial International Boxing Tournament, Russia

2019: Silver at India Open, Guwahati

2019: 70th Strandja Elite Women Boxing Championships, Sofia, Bulgaria: Bronze

2019: 3rd Women’s National Championship, Vijaynagar: Gold

2018: 20th AIBA Women’s World Championship, Delhi: Bronze

2018: Ulaanbaatar Cup, International Boxing Championship, Mongolia: Silver

2018: Indian Women’s Senior National Championships, Rohtak: Silver

2018: Indian Open Boxing Tournament, New Delhi: Gold

2017: President’s Cup tournament in Astana: Bronze

2017: Asian Boxing Championships, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Bronze

2015: Nations Women’s Youth Cup (Subotica, Serbia): Silver

2014: Golden Gloves of Vojvodina Youth Memorial Tournament (Subotica, Serbia): Bronze

2014: Nations Women’s Youth Cup (Vrbas, Serbia): Bronze

2013: Nations Women’s Junior Cup (Zrenjanin, Serbia): Silver

2012: Indian Women’s Junior National Championships: Gold

–IANS

cs/

Paris, July 27 (IANS) Two men Indian boxers will be fighting for glory at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Reigning Commonwealth Games champion Amit Panghal (men’s 51kg) will be participating in the Olympics for the second time and is India’s major medal prospect.

IANS bring you the profile of the two Indian pugilists.

Men’s

Amit Panghal (51 Kg)

Date of Birth: 16-10-1995

Place of Birth: Rohtak, Haryana

Stance: Southpaw

Amit Panghal is among the top pugilists in the country. He came into limelight with a rich haul in 2017 that included a bronze at the Asian Championships and he also reached the Quarter-finals at the World Championships in Hamburg, Germany. Amit also won a gold medal at the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem Boxing tournament in Czechoslovakia, establishing himself as the rising star of the nation.

The 22-year-old continued his sublime form in 2018 which saw him come up with successive gold medals at the India Open International tournament in January, followed by the triumph in Bulgaria where he won the final at the 69th Strandja Memorial in Bulgaria. One of the shortest and lightest among male boxers, Panghal, grabbed the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games to solidify his place as one of India’s great boxers.

Panghal won the gold medal in the men’s nationals held in November 2023 and continued on his form to clinch another gold at 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament held in Bulgaria in February.

Based on his exceptional form Panghal was selected in India’s squad for 2nd Olympic qualifiers in May in Thailand. Panghal was clinical in all his bouts and ended up winning the Paris Olympic quota in men’s 51kg.

Playing his second consecutive Olympics Panghal will surely benefit from his experience and will look to win a medal.

Achievements:

2024: Gold at Strandja Memorial Tournament

2022: Gold at Commonwealth Games

2022: Silver at Thailand Open

2021: Bronze at Governor’s Cup, Russia

2020: Gold at Cologne World Cup

2020: Bronze at Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifier, Jordan

2019: Silver at World Championships, Russia

2019: Gold at India Open, Guwahati

2019: Gold at Asian Championships, Bangkok, Thailand

2019: 70th Strandja Memorial Boxing Championships, Bulgaria: Gold

2018: Asian Games 2018, Jakarta: Gold

2018: Chemistry Cup, Halle: Bronze

2018: Commonwealth Games 2018, Gold Coast: Silver

2018: 69th Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament, Bulgaria: Gold

2018: India Open International Boxing Championships, New Delhi: Gold

2017: World Championships (Hamburg, GER): Quarter-finalist

2017: Grand Prix Ustinad Labem (Ustinad Labem, CZE): Gold

2017: ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships (Tashkent, UZB: Bronze)

2017: Strandja Memorial Tournament (Sofia, BUL): Bronze

2016: National Championships: Gold

2012: Indian Youth National Championships: 5th

2011: Indian Junior National Championships: Silver

2010: Indian Junior National Championships: Silver

2009: Indian Sub-Junior National Championships: Gold

Nishant Dev (71 kg)

Date of Birth: 23/12/2000

Hometown: Karnal, Haryana

Stance: Southpaw

Nishant Dev burst onto the scene when he reached the quarter-finals of the Elite World Boxing Championship in 2021 in his debut International tournament. That, however, was just a glimpse of the talent that Nishant Dev possesses. Nishant bettered his previous editions standing by winning the bronze medal at 2023 edition of the IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships. The 22 year old displayed his ability through his world class performances by notching three wins by unanimous decisions and one by referee stopping the contest (RSC).

Hailing from Haryana’s Karnal district, Nishant started boxing in 2012, after getting inspired by his uncle who was a professional boxer. He used to train at Karan stadium under coach Surender Chauhan. He remembers those days when his Father used to wake him up at 4 AM and accompany him to the training centre before going along with his son again in the evening to make sure that he gets to train properly.

Representing Karnataka, he had lost in the quarter-final at his first Senior National Championships in Baddi in 2019, but impressed the then high-performance director of Indian boxing Santiago Nieva and joined the Indian camp to learn from the best in the business.

In 2021, he grabbed the gold medal at the National Championships and went on to represent India at the World Championships. It was the first International tournament of his career as before that, he had not even competed at Junior or Youth level internationally. He impressed everyone with his fearless boxing as he played without any pressure.

He defeated Hungary’s nine-time National Champion Laszlo Kozak in the first round before outclassing two time Olympian Merven Clair of Mauritius in the second round. High on confidence after defeating two big names, he went on to win against Mexico’s Marco Alvarez Verde before bowing out in the quarter-finals.

Nishant had dislocated his right shoulder in 2010 after falling from stairs. The old injury came back to haunt him at the beginning of 2022 as the rod that was put in his shoulder in 2010 got infected. He underwent surgery in March and was in rehab for most of the year. During his rehabilitation period, he had a lot of doubts and insecurities regarding his comeback but he kept fighting on and worked on his strength, power and conditioning. Despite limited training, he came back strongly to retain his title at the National Boxing Championships in Hisar in January 2023.

At the 2023 World Championships, he impressed everyone and won the bronze medal.

Nishant’s impressive run continued as he reached the quarter-finals of the Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China losing against former world champion Japan’s Okazawa Sewonrets.

Nishant also made it to the final stage of the first Olympic qualifiers held in Italy in March and was one win away from securing the quota, eventually losing the bout 1-4. The hard work didn’t stop as when the Southpaw got another opportunity in 2nd Olympic qualifiers in May in Thailand he made sure to comeback with a quota in men’s 71kg.

Fitter, stronger and wiser, Nishant, is a fan of Floyd Mayweather

Achievements:

2023- Quarter-Final Finish at Asian Games 2022

2023 – Bronze at Men’s World Championships, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

2023 – Gold medal at 6th Elite Men’s National Boxing Championship

2021- Quarter-Final Finish at World Championships, Serbia

2021 – Gold medal at 5th Elite Men’s National Boxing Championship

2019 – Gold medal at Grand Slam Asian boxing championship

2019 – Silver medal at 4th elite men’s national boxing championship

2019 – Gold medal at 2nd Khelo India youth games

–IANS

cs/