<p>As the Indian filmmakers’ love for the biopics continue, a film is being planned on weightlifter Karnam Malleswari. Announcing the project on her birthday on Monday, Kona Film Corporation said it was time to make a film on Karnam Malleswari as she is the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Olympics. She won a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Announcing the movie, Kona Film Corporation tweeted: "On her birthday, we proudly announce our next, a biopic on Karnam Malleswari, FIRST Indian Woman to win a medal at Olympics. A multilingual Pan Indian movie. Happy Birthday Karnam Malleswari."</p>

<p>MVV Satyanarayana and Kona Venkat are producing this project under the banners of MVV Cinema and Kona Film Corporation.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The movie will be directed by Sanjana Reddy, who made her debut with Raj Tarun's ‘Raju Gadu’.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The script for the biopic has been written by Kona Venkat. His ‘Nishabdam’, starring Anushka Shetty and Madhavan, is slated for release this year.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The details regarding the film's title, cast and crew are yet to be revealed officially. However, sources say that the makers are thinking of casting Bollywood actor Bhumi Pednekar of ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ fame as the biopic will be released in Hindi as well.&nbsp;</p>


As the Indian filmmakers’ love for the biopics continue, a film is being planned on weightlifter Karnam Malleswari. Announcing the project on her birthday on Monday, Kona Film Corporation said it was time to make a film on Karnam Malleswari as she is the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Olympics.

As the Indian filmmakers’ love for the biopics continue, a film is being planned on weightlifter Karnam Malleswari. Announcing the project on her birthday on Monday, Kona Film Corporation said it was time to make a film on Karnam Malleswari as she is the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Olympics. She won a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Announcing the movie, Kona Film Corporation tweeted: "On her birthday, we proudly announce our next, a biopic on Karnam Malleswari, FIRST Indian Woman to win a medal at Olympics. A multilingual Pan Indian movie. Happy Birthday Karnam Malleswari." MVV Satyanarayana and Kona Venkat are producing this project under the banners of MVV Cinema and Kona Film Corporation. The movie will be directed by Sanjana Reddy, who made her debut with Raj Tarun's ‘Raju Gadu’. The script for the biopic has been written by Kona Venkat. His ‘Nishabdam’, starring Anushka Shetty and Madhavan, is slated for release this year. The details regarding the film's title, cast and crew are yet to be revealed officially. However, sources say that the makers are thinking of casting Bollywood actor Bhumi Pednekar of ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ fame as the biopic will be released in Hindi as well.

Bhumi Pednekar being considered for biopic on Karnam Malleswari, first Indian Olympic medallist

<p>What does it take for a woman to claim her place in the adrenaline-fuelled, male-dominated world of sport? It takes much more than pushing the limits of the human body. It takes challenging societal norms, defying stereotypes and defeating inequality at every step along the way. Through stories of struggle and triumph of 16 women athletes, ‘She Dared – Women in Indian Sport’ (Rupa Publications) illuminates the obstacle course that lies in front of every sportswoman in India that dares to take up the challenge to break the glass ceiling.</p>

<p>These are real stories of hope that are meant chronicle leaps and falls of some of the biggest names among women in Indian sport and to inspire girls eager to carry the flame forward. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Authors <strong>Abhishek Dubey</strong> and <strong>Sanjeeb Mukherjea</strong> set out their intelligible differentia right at the beginning – these are sportswomen not selected on the basis of mere athletic merit, but on the basis of the impact, they have had in shaping the history of their sport for all who will come after.</p>

<p>The book voyages through the vast history of sports and sketches out the rise of women in the field of sports.</p>

<p>The names that grace the pages include P T Usha, Shiny Wilson, Vandana Rao, Sania Mirza, Sakshi&nbsp;Malik, Dutee Chand, Hima Das and many more.</p>

<p>‘She Dared’ is an extremely well-researched work of labour that paints a riveting picture of the lives of some sportswomen. It is a page-turner, where poignant accounts of the struggles and determination of these sportswomen seem surreal. From Hima Das’s intensive training in acute poverty to P T Usha’s resolve to empower more Indian women in the track field, the stories narrate much more than their rise to podium.</p>

<p>It recounts the journey of Anju Bobby George who dared to soar where many others couldn’t. It talks of the steel grit of Karnam Malleswari who brought India her first Olympic medal by a woman. From the indomitable will of MC Mary Kom to the ascent of Indian badminton through Saina Nehwal and then P V Sindhu, to the gripping tale of how a flat-footed kid from Tripura had the world in awe pulling off the death-defying gymnastic routine called Produnova, ‘She Dared’ jogs a generation’s memory through a comprehensive peek into the lives of these special athletes. This is a book that binds their stories together into an inspirational journal like no other.</p>

<p>The book also highlights the fact that in India, there is a general perception that only cricket counts. In other sports, we tend to chase the champions and the process of the making of the champions is overlooked by the media. Finding comprehensive accounts of their journeys in prose is even more difficult. &nbsp;And it is here that ‘She Dared’ comes as a sparkling surprise.</p>

<p>The book not only talks about the women’s achievers but more importantly the sweat, the pain and the efforts which went behind these achievements. It talks about the winners, but more importantly, also about those who may have fallen short of the finish line, but succeeded in paving the way for others to come and win big. This is a book not shackled by the victory-and-defeat binary in its storytelling.</p>


What does it take for a woman to claim her place in the adrenaline-fuelled, male-dominated world of sport? It takes much more than pushing the limits of the human body.

What does it take for a woman to claim her place in the adrenaline-fuelled, male-dominated world of sport? It takes much more than pushing the limits of the human body. It takes challenging societal norms, defying stereotypes and defeating inequality at every step along the way. Through stories of struggle and triumph of 16 women athletes, ‘She Dared – Women in Indian Sport’ (Rupa Publications) illuminates the obstacle course that lies in front of every sportswoman in India that dares to take up the challenge to break the glass ceiling. These are real stories of hope that are meant chronicle leaps and falls of some of the biggest names among women in Indian sport and to inspire girls eager to carry the flame forward. Authors Abhishek Dubey and Sanjeeb Mukherjea set out their intelligible differentia right at the beginning – these are sportswomen not selected on the basis of mere athletic merit, but on the basis of the impact, they have had in shaping the history of their sport for all who will come after. The book voyages through the vast history of sports and sketches out the rise of women in the field of sports. The names that grace the pages include P T Usha, Shiny Wilson, Vandana Rao, Sania Mirza, Sakshi Malik, Dutee Chand, Hima Das and many more. ‘She Dared’ is an extremely well-researched work of labour that paints a riveting picture of the lives of some sportswomen. It is a page-turner, where poignant accounts of the struggles and determination of these sportswomen seem surreal. From Hima Das’s intensive training in acute poverty to P T Usha’s resolve to empower more Indian women in the track field, the stories narrate much more than their rise to podium. It recounts the journey of Anju Bobby George who dared to soar where many others couldn’t. It talks of the steel grit of Karnam Malleswari who brought India her first Olympic medal by a woman. From the indomitable will of MC Mary Kom to the ascent of Indian badminton through Saina Nehwal and then P V Sindhu, to the gripping tale of how a flat-footed kid from Tripura had the world in awe pulling off the death-defying gymnastic routine called Produnova, ‘She Dared’ jogs a generation’s memory through a comprehensive peek into the lives of these special athletes. This is a book that binds their stories together into an inspirational journal like no other. The book also highlights the fact that in India, there is a general perception that only cricket counts. In other sports, we tend to chase the champions and the process of the making of the champions is overlooked by the media. Finding comprehensive accounts of their journeys in prose is even more difficult. And it is here that ‘She Dared’ comes as a sparkling surprise. The book not only talks about the women’s achievers but more importantly the sweat, the pain and the efforts which went behind these achievements. It talks about the winners, but more importantly, also about those who may have fallen short of the finish line, but succeeded in paving the way for others to come and win big. This is a book not shackled by the victory-and-defeat binary in its storytelling.

Book review: She Dared — Women in Indian Sports

<p>With 2017 coming to an end, let&#39;s look back at the 10 most precious moments where Indian sportspersons made the country proud and captured the hearts and minds of the people.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Virat Kohli-led team India became World No. 1 in both ODIs, Tests&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Following their 5-wicket victory against Australia in September this year, India surged to the top of the International Cricket Council&#39;s (ICC) official rankings. Virat Kohli&#39;s troops became the first ever Indian team to reach the number one position in both Test and ODI rankings since the ICC team rankings began in 2002.</p>

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<p>Virat Kohli-led Team India (Zee News Network)</p>
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<p><strong>Mirabai Chanu won gold at World Weightlifting Championships</strong></p>

<p>On November 30, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu became the first Indian in over two decades to win a gold medal at the World weightlifting championships. Chanu lifted 85kg in snatch and 109kg in clean and jerk, to total an impressive 194 kg, in the women&rsquo;s 48kg, in the process of setting a new national record. She is only second Indian weightlifter after Olympic bronze medallist Karnam Malleswari to achieve this feat. Karnam had won the top prize in the Worlds twice in 1994 and 1995.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Mirabai Chanu (Zee News Network)</p>
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<p><strong>Indian women&rsquo;s hockey team won 2017 Asia Cup title</strong></p>

<p>Indian Women&rsquo;s Hockey team won the 2017 Asia Cup hockey title In November. India defeated China by 5-4 goals in a penalty shootout in the final match held in Japan. With this victory, India qualified for the 2018 World Cup. It was India&rsquo;s second Women&rsquo;s Asia Cup title. The first one was won in 2004.</p>

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<p>Indian women&rsquo;s hockey team (Zee News Network)</p>
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<p><strong>Sundar Singh Gurjar clinched gold medal at World Para Athletics</strong></p>

<p>21-year old Sundar Singh Gurjar made India proud after he grabbed a gold medal in the men&rsquo;s javelin throw event at World Para Athletics Championships in London, United Kingdom in July 2017. In the F46 category, Sundar recorded his personal best effort of 60.36m ahead of Dinesh Priyantha Herath (Sri Lanka) who emerged second with 57.93m, followed by defending champion Guo Chunliang (China) with 56.14m.</p>

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<p>Sundar Singh Gurjar (Zee News Network)</p>
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<p><strong>Mary Kom claimed gold in Asian Women&rsquo;s Boxing Championships</strong></p>

<p>Five-time world champion Mary Kom won a gold medal in Asian Women&rsquo;s Boxing Championships in Light Flyweight (48 kg) category in November. Kom defeated North Korea&rsquo;s Kim Hyang Mi in the final bout 5-0 by unanimous judges&rsquo; decision, in the final match which held in Vietnam. This was Mary Kom&rsquo;s first international gold medal since 2014 Asian Games.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Mary Kom (Zee News Network)</p>
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<p><strong>Sushil Kumar clinched gold at Commonwealth Wrestling Championships</strong></p>

<p>Sushil Kumar secured a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Johannesburg, South Africa in December 2017. The Double Olympic medalist returned to international wrestling after a gap of almost three years. The Indian wrestler defeated New Zealand&#39;s Akash Khullar in the final of the men&#39;s 74-kilogram freestyle category. It was Sushil&rsquo;s first international medal since his gold medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.</p>

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<p>Sushil Kumar (Zee News Network)</p>
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<p><strong>Gopi </strong><strong>Thonakal</strong><strong> became 1st Indian man to win gold at Asian Marathon Championships</strong></p>

<p>In November, Gopi Thonakal clinched gold to become the first Indian man to win Asian Marathon Championships in Dongguan. Gopi clocked 2 hours 15 minutes and 48 seconds to grab the medal in the 16th edition of the event. After formation of separate Asian Marathon Championships, Gopi became the first Indian man to win the title. Earlier, Asha Agarwal won the women&#39;s title when it was part of the biennial Asian Track and Field Championships.</p>

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<p>Gopi Thonakal (Zee News Network)</p>
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<p><strong>Indian men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s teams claimed 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championships &nbsp; &nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The Indian men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s kabaddi teams were both crowned the champions of Asia after beating Pakistan and South Korea in Gorgan, Iran, in November. Star raider Ajay Thakur led from the front in the men&rsquo;s final, as India beat their arch-rivals Pakistan 36-22, winning the match by a comfortable 14-point margin. Meanwhile, the women&rsquo;s team defeated South Korea 42-20 in their finals. At half-time, India had a seven-point lead at 19-12 before breaking away in the second, eventually winning by a 22-point margin.</p>

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<p>Asian Kabaddi Championships (Zee News Network)</p>
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<p><strong>PV Sindhu wins silver at World Badminton Championships</strong></p>

<p>This year in August, Indian Badminton player PV Sindhu settled with a silver medal at the World Badminton Championships. She lost the women&rsquo;s singles final to Japan&rsquo;s Nozomi Okuhara 19-21, 22-20, 20-22 in the final of the competition held at Glasgow, Scotland. The ace shuttler made a fine comeback after losing the first game to win the next two against Okuhara.</p>

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<p>PV Sindhu (Zee News Network)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Indian sports stature has grown immensely in world following a phenomenal 2017

With 2017 coming to an end, let's look back at the 10 most precious moments where Indian sportspersons made the country proud and captured the hearts and minds of the people. Virat Kohli-led team India became World No. 1 in both ODIs, Tests Following their 5-wicket victory against Australia in September this year, India surged to the top of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) official rankings. Virat Kohli's troops became the first ever Indian team to reach the number one position in both Test and ODI rankings since the ICC team rankings began in 2002. Virat Kohli-led Team India (Zee News Network) × Mirabai Chanu won gold at World Weightlifting Championships On November 30, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu became the first Indian in over two decades to win a gold medal at the World weightlifting championships. Chanu lifted 85kg in snatch and 109kg in clean and jerk, to total an impressive 194 kg, in the women’s 48kg, in the process of setting a new national record. She is only second Indian weightlifter after Olympic bronze medallist Karnam Malleswari to achieve this feat. Karnam had won the top prize in the Worlds twice in 1994 and 1995. Mirabai Chanu (Zee News Network) × Indian women’s hockey team won 2017 Asia Cup title Indian Women’s Hockey team won the 2017 Asia Cup hockey title In November. India defeated China by 5-4 goals in a penalty shootout in the final match held in Japan. With this victory, India qualified for the 2018 World Cup. It was India’s second Women’s Asia Cup title. The first one was won in 2004. Indian women’s hockey team (Zee News Network) × Sundar Singh Gurjar clinched gold medal at World Para Athletics 21-year old Sundar Singh Gurjar made India proud after he grabbed a gold medal in the men’s javelin throw event at World Para Athletics Championships in London, United Kingdom in July 2017. In the F46 category, Sundar recorded his personal best effort of 60.36m ahead of Dinesh Priyantha Herath (Sri Lanka) who emerged second with 57.93m, followed by defending champion Guo Chunliang (China) with 56.14m. Sundar Singh Gurjar (Zee News Network) × Mary Kom claimed gold in Asian Women’s Boxing Championships Five-time world champion Mary Kom won a gold medal in Asian Women’s Boxing Championships in Light Flyweight (48 kg) category in November. Kom defeated North Korea’s Kim Hyang Mi in the final bout 5-0 by unanimous judges’ decision, in the final match which held in Vietnam. This was Mary Kom’s first international gold medal since 2014 Asian Games. Mary Kom (Zee News Network) × Sushil Kumar clinched gold at Commonwealth Wrestling Championships Sushil Kumar secured a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Johannesburg, South Africa in December 2017. The Double Olympic medalist returned to international wrestling after a gap of almost three years. The Indian wrestler defeated New Zealand's Akash Khullar in the final of the men's 74-kilogram freestyle category. It was Sushil’s first international medal since his gold medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Sushil Kumar (Zee News Network) × Gopi Thonakal became 1st Indian man to win gold at Asian Marathon Championships In November, Gopi Thonakal clinched gold to become the first Indian man to win Asian Marathon Championships in Dongguan. Gopi clocked 2 hours 15 minutes and 48 seconds to grab the medal in the 16th edition of the event. After formation of separate Asian Marathon Championships, Gopi became the first Indian man to win the title. Earlier, Asha Agarwal won the women's title when it was part of the biennial Asian Track and Field Championships. Gopi Thonakal (Zee News Network) × Indian men’s and women’s teams claimed 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championships The Indian men’s and women’s kabaddi teams were both crowned the champions of Asia after beating Pakistan and South Korea in Gorgan, Iran, in November. Star raider Ajay Thakur led from the front in the men’s final, as India beat their arch-rivals Pakistan 36-22, winning the match by a comfortable 14-point margin. Meanwhile, the women’s team defeated South Korea 42-20 in their finals. At half-time, India had a seven-point lead at 19-12 before breaking away in the second, eventually winning by a 22-point margin. Asian Kabaddi Championships (Zee News Network) × PV Sindhu wins silver at World Badminton Championships This year in August, Indian Badminton player PV Sindhu settled with a silver medal at the World Badminton Championships. She lost the women’s singles final to Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara 19-21, 22-20, 20-22 in the final of the competition held at Glasgow, Scotland. The ace shuttler made a fine comeback after losing the first game to win the next two against Okuhara. PV Sindhu (Zee News Network) ×

Yearender: Sportspersons who made 'India proud' in 2017

<p>Failure is hard to digest. This is exactly what once happened to the newly crowned weightlifting world champion Saikhom Mirabai Chanu.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>&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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>&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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>But now, after taking India to new heights, Chanu eyes the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games scheduled to take place next year.</p>


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