Failure is hard to digest. This is exactly what once happened to the newly crowned weightlifting world champion Saikhom Mirabai Chanu.

Mirabai, who brought laurels to the country by clinching a Gold medal at the World Weightlifting Championships last month, actually thought of quitting the sport after receiving flak for her failure to win a medal at the Rio Olympics.

&quot;I was really low after the Olympics. It took me a lot of time to get over the disappointment. I even thought of giving up the sport and stop training. The comments in social media, the criticism against my coach really hurt me,&quot; said Chanu, as reported by PTI.

To overcome the failure at the Olympics, Chanu left no stone unturned and worked on her technique and even went for regular sessions to her psychologist.

&quot;My psychologist also played a big role. I used to go to my psychologist twice in a month but after the Olympics, I started taking sessions every week and it really helped me,&quot; she added as per PTI.

In Rio 2016, Chanu had put up a disappointing performance as she could not get an overall total in women&#39;s 48 kg, after failing to lift the weight in any of her three attempts in clean and jerk section.

But now, after taking India to new heights, Chanu eyes the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games scheduled to take place next year.

Chanu went for regular sessions to a psychologist to get over the Rio loss

Failure is hard to digest. This is exactly what once happened to the newly crowned weightlifting world champion Saikhom Mirabai Chanu. Mirabai, who brought laurels to the country by clinching a Gold medal at the World Weightlifting Championships last month, actually thought of quitting the sport after receiving flak for her failure to win a medal at the Rio Olympics. "I was really low after the Olympics. It took me a lot of time to get over the disappointment. I even thought of giving up the sport and stop training. The comments in social media, the criticism against my coach really hurt me," said Chanu, as reported by PTI. To overcome the failure at the Olympics, Chanu left no stone unturned and worked on her technique and even went for regular sessions to her psychologist. "My psychologist also played a big role. I used to go to my psychologist twice in a month but after the Olympics, I started taking sessions every week and it really helped me," she added as per PTI. In Rio 2016, Chanu had put up a disappointing performance as she could not get an overall total in women's 48 kg, after failing to lift the weight in any of her three attempts in clean and jerk section. But now, after taking India to new heights, Chanu eyes the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games scheduled to take place next year.

'Thought to quit after Rio loss,' says Weightlifting World Champion Mirabai Chanu

Australia hopes to bring a full delegation of athletes to the 2022 Asian Summer Games in China and is seeking approval from the continent&#39;s Olympic council, Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President John Coates has said.

Australia, a member of the Oceania Olympic federation, has sent 30 athletes to the ongoing Asian Winter Games in Japan&#39;s northern city of Sapporo as a &quot;guest&quot; delegation following an invitation from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

Coates said it was too late for Australia to compete in next year&#39;s Summer Games in Indonesia but their bid for inclusion at the 2022 event in China&#39;s eastern city of Hangzhou would be tabled at an OCA meeting in September.

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<h5>&#39;I believe participating in the Asian Games would be very good for us,&#39; said Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates</h5>
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&ldquo;Discussions are underway and I believe there would be great interest in the Asian Games amongst our member sports,&rdquo; Coates told News Ltd media.

&ldquo;Particularly in sports where the Asian countries are strong (such as) gymnastics, badminton and table tennis.

&quot;I believe participating in the Asian Games would be very good for us.&quot;

The Asian Games, the biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics, will have 45 OCA member countries competing in 2018.

Australia participates in the quadrennial Commonwealth Games and will host the 2018 event in the Gold Coast.

Both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games are scheduled for 2022, presenting a logistical challenge should Australia hope to send athletes to both.

Australia has long sought closer sporting ties with Asia to expose their athletes to stiffer competition from the likes of China, Japan and South Korea.

In 2006, Australia&#39;s national soccer body left Oceania to join the Asian Football Confederation, a move that has helped generate interest in the game Down Under.

Australia qualified for the 2010 and 2014 soccer World Cups through Asian qualifying and hosted the 2015 Asian Cup.

(Reuters)

It has sent 30 athletes to the ongoing Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan as a 'guest' delegation

Australia hopes to bring a full delegation of athletes to the 2022 Asian Summer Games in China and is seeking approval from the continent's Olympic council, Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President John Coates has said. Australia, a member of the Oceania Olympic federation, has sent 30 athletes to the ongoing Asian Winter Games in Japan's northern city of Sapporo as a "guest" delegation following an invitation from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). Coates said it was too late for Australia to compete in next year's Summer Games in Indonesia but their bid for inclusion at the 2022 event in China's eastern city of Hangzhou would be tabled at an OCA meeting in September. 'I believe participating in the Asian Games would be very good for us,' said Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates × “Discussions are underway and I believe there would be great interest in the Asian Games amongst our member sports,” Coates told News Ltd media. “Particularly in sports where the Asian countries are strong (such as) gymnastics, badminton and table tennis. "I believe participating in the Asian Games would be very good for us." The Asian Games, the biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics, will have 45 OCA member countries competing in 2018. Australia participates in the quadrennial Commonwealth Games and will host the 2018 event in the Gold Coast. Both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games are scheduled for 2022, presenting a logistical challenge should Australia hope to send athletes to both. Australia has long sought closer sporting ties with Asia to expose their athletes to stiffer competition from the likes of China, Japan and South Korea. In 2006, Australia's national soccer body left Oceania to join the Asian Football Confederation, a move that has helped generate interest in the game Down Under. Australia qualified for the 2010 and 2014 soccer World Cups through Asian qualifying and hosted the 2015 Asian Cup. (Reuters)

Australia seeks full inclusion in Asian Summer Games

Santhi&nbsp;Soundarajan was in the wilderness for ten years after she failed a gender test.

In 2006, Soundarajan was the toast of the nation after winning an Asian Games silver medal in the 800m event. But the euphoria was shortlived as she was stripped of her medal when she was diagnosed with&nbsp;hyperandrogenism, a medical condition characterised by excessive male hormones.

For the next decade, she languished&nbsp;in the heart of darkness -- she tried to end her life, saw her prize money not being disbursed by the government and was denied a job under the sports quota. Until the high court stepped in.&nbsp;

On 29 July 2015, The Madras High Court directed the state government to consider Soundarajan&#39;s plea for relaxation in educational qualifications and help her become a coach.&nbsp;

Fast-track five months, Soundarajan received the news that the government has given her a coaching job at the&nbsp;state sports development authority.

&quot;I&#39;m very happy that they have given me a job offer. I would like to thank the Tamil Nadu government and the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu. I would be coaching women athletes. I will start working from&nbsp;Thursday&nbsp;onwards,&quot; said the elated athlete, who won 12 medals at the international level.

&quot;I thank everyone who stood by me in trying times,&quot; The News Minute quoted her as saying.

Soundarajan&#39;s case underscores gender insensitivity in India&#39;s sports fraternity. Not only was she shunned by the administration, she was perilously&nbsp;close to the subsistence minimum level all these years despite the multiple accolades she won for the country.

In sharp contrast, the celebrated middle-distance runner from South Africa, Caster Semenya, was vociferously backed by her country when she failed a similar gender test. The support was so overwhelming that she was given the prestigious responsibility of being her country&#39;s flag-bearer in London 2012.

Last month, Soundarajan tweeted: &quot;No woman should undergo what i&nbsp;(sic) underwent. I was humiliated on world stage, my country did not stand for me but I love my country for no reason.&quot;&nbsp;

(WION)

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The middle-distance runner, who failed a gender test in 2006, took 10 years to bag a government job & only because the high court stepped in

Santhi Soundarajan was in the wilderness for ten years after she failed a gender test. In 2006, Soundarajan was the toast of the nation after winning an Asian Games silver medal in the 800m event. But the euphoria was shortlived as she was stripped of her medal when she was diagnosed with hyperandrogenism, a medical condition characterised by excessive male hormones. For the next decade, she languished in the heart of darkness -- she tried to end her life, saw her prize money not being disbursed by the government and was denied a job under the sports quota. Until the high court stepped in. On 29 July 2015, The Madras High Court directed the state government to consider Soundarajan's plea for relaxation in educational qualifications and help her become a coach. Fast-track five months, Soundarajan received the news that the government has given her a coaching job at the state sports development authority. "I'm very happy that they have given me a job offer. I would like to thank the Tamil Nadu government and the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu. I would be coaching women athletes. I will start working from Thursday onwards," said the elated athlete, who won 12 medals at the international level. "I thank everyone who stood by me in trying times," The News Minute quoted her as saying. Soundarajan's case underscores gender insensitivity in India's sports fraternity. Not only was she shunned by the administration, she was perilously close to the subsistence minimum level all these years despite the multiple accolades she won for the country. In sharp contrast, the celebrated middle-distance runner from South Africa, Caster Semenya, was vociferously backed by her country when she failed a similar gender test. The support was so overwhelming that she was given the prestigious responsibility of being her country's flag-bearer in London 2012. Last month, Soundarajan tweeted: "No woman should undergo what i (sic) underwent. I was humiliated on world stage, my country did not stand for me but I love my country for no reason." (WION)

Santhi Soundarajan: Silver lining after a decade in wilderness

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand made the cut for the women&#39;s 100m at the Rio Olympics today, less than a year after she was cleared to race following the Court of Arbitration for Sport&#39;s (CAS) ruling on gender testing guidelines. 
 
The Lausanne-based court suspended the governing International Association of Athletics Federations&#39; (IAAF) regulations regarding hyperandrogenism, a condition which produces high testosterone levels, for two years. 
 
It cleared the way for Chand to compete again in both domestic and international events after she was forced to sit out about a year of competition. 
 
She clocked a national record 11.30 seconds in the 100m heats at the G. Kosanov Memorial Meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to qualify for the Rio Games, the qualifying mark for which was set at 11.32. 
 
&quot;I am really happy at the moment,&quot; she said in a statement. &quot;It has been a tough year for me and I am so happy that my coach ... and my hard work has paid off.&nbsp;I would like to thank all the people in India who were praying for me to qualify. Your wishes have paid off.&quot; 
 
The daughter of weavers from Odisha, Chand was dropped from India&#39;s contingent for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Incheon after her naturally-occurring testosterone levels were found to be in breach of IAAF&#39;s guidelines. 
 
She was advised to have surgery and take medication, but instead decided to challenge the guidelines at CAS, who asked the IAAF to present scientific evidence proving enhanced testosterone levels improved performance in hyperandrogenic athletes. 
 
South Africa&#39;s former world champion 800m runner Caster Semenya was also subjected to gender testing by the IAAF before being cleared to compete as a woman. 
 
The Rio Olympics take place from August 5-21. 
 
(Reuters)

Chand was dropped from Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Asian Games after her high testosterone levels were found

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand made the cut for the women's 100m at the Rio Olympics today, less than a year after she was cleared to race following the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) ruling on gender testing guidelines. The Lausanne-based court suspended the governing International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) regulations regarding hyperandrogenism, a condition which produces high testosterone levels, for two years. It cleared the way for Chand to compete again in both domestic and international events after she was forced to sit out about a year of competition. She clocked a national record 11.30 seconds in the 100m heats at the G. Kosanov Memorial Meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to qualify for the Rio Games, the qualifying mark for which was set at 11.32. "I am really happy at the moment," she said in a statement. "It has been a tough year for me and I am so happy that my coach ... and my hard work has paid off. I would like to thank all the people in India who were praying for me to qualify. Your wishes have paid off." The daughter of weavers from Odisha, Chand was dropped from India's contingent for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Incheon after her naturally-occurring testosterone levels were found to be in breach of IAAF's guidelines. She was advised to have surgery and take medication, but instead decided to challenge the guidelines at CAS, who asked the IAAF to present scientific evidence proving enhanced testosterone levels improved performance in hyperandrogenic athletes. South Africa's former world champion 800m runner Caster Semenya was also subjected to gender testing by the IAAF before being cleared to compete as a woman. The Rio Olympics take place from August 5-21. (Reuters)

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand qualifies for Rio Olympics following ruling on gender testing

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'Thought to quit after Rio loss,' says Weightlifting World Champion Mirabai Chanu

Australia seeks full inclusion in Asian Summer Games

Santhi Soundarajan: Silver lining after a decade in wilderness

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand qualifies for Rio Olympics following ruling on gender testing