Indian sports establishment is going through a particularly frustrating phase with three of its athletes testing positive in the recent anti-doping tests. Wrestlers Narsingh and Sandeep Yadav, and more recently, shot put player Inderjeet Singh have tested positive in the doping tests conducted on them by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). &nbsp;Already chosen to be part of India&#39;s Olympic squad, neither Narsingh nor Inderjeet can now participate in the upcoming competition at Rio. Sandeep, though not part of the Indian squad, faces the possibility of years of expulsion from the game.&nbsp; 
 
Both Narshing and Sandeep had methandieone, an anabolic steroid in their urine. &nbsp;In case of Inderjeet, sources could not confirm the banned material found in his body other than referring to it as a &quot;fancy sounding drug&quot;. With largest ever contingent of 120 contestants registered to participate, this year&#39;s Olympic could have been one of the high-marks in independent India&#39;s sporting history instead the country squirms in the humiliation of the scandal.&nbsp; 
 
The Rio Olympic authorities have outlined Anti-Doping Rules, which will remain effective from the opening of the Athletes&#39; Village on 24 July until the closing ceremony on 21 August 2016. &nbsp;These rules are drafted in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and the List of Prohibited Substance and Methods that are put together, updated and modified annually by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) . Founded in 1999, WADA&#39;s authority is pervasive in the sporting world with its Code been presently adopted by 600 sports organisations internationally.&nbsp; 
 
The Anti-Doping rules of the Rio Olympic states that all athletes registered to compete at the Game can be tested at anytime, anywhere in the world, including outside the Olympic Village. The test procedure specifies that two separate samples, A and B, &nbsp;will be collected from athletes. If the testers find some banned substance in sample A, they will look for the same substance the sample B. The concerned athlete will retain the right to either accept the result of the first test or request for another test on sample B. The two analysis should be consistent, else the entire test will be considered void. &nbsp; 
 
All the three concerned contestants from India have tested positive in both counts of tests. Shot put player Inderjeet Singh, however , had been protesting his innocence. He alleges to be the victim of a &quot;conspiracy&quot; because of his alleged critical attitude towards the authorities. &quot;I have been framed because I am outspoken. This is a conspiracy against me&quot;, Singh lashed out to TV channels. Singh had progressively improved his performance over the years both at the domestic and international competitions. In 2015, he won three Gold medals while representing India at the Asian Championship at Wuhan, the Asian Grand Prix at Bangkok and at the Summer Universiade at Gwangju.&nbsp; 
 
Though no direct comment was available from Narsingh Yadav, similar conspiracy theories, however, are making rounds. Deeply disturbed by this sudden turn of events, Narsingh&#39;s mother Bhulna Devi confidently quips, &quot;He is implicated in it....all these things in the papers are incorrect.&quot; She cannot seem to come in terms with the fact that the high-achiever son who have consistently won Gold (Common Wealth Games 2010), Silver (Commonwealth Championships 2011) and Bronze medals (Asian Games 2014, Asian and World Championships 2015) could miss the chance of representing India at the Olympics.&nbsp; 
 
Even if we decide to ignore Bhulna Devi&#39;s claims as emotionally-triggered, the doubts expressed by people who are reputed to have expertise on the science of doping cannot be easily brushed aside. Dr PSM Chandran, the former director of sports medicine at Sports Authority of India (SAI), for instance, expressed his confusion as to why, so close to the competition, will some sportman consume any banned substance. All athletes, in their right mind, know that any such intakes will show up in random tests both in India and in Rio. Particularly, as the kind of steroid Narsingh used is &quot;quite ancient in use&quot;, Chandran points out; he still fails to find a reasonable motive.&nbsp; 
 
Notwithstanding their protestations, Narsingh and his roommate Sandeep Yadav have appeared before the disciplinary committee of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) .&nbsp; 
 
India&#39;s sport personalities have repeatedly failed drug test. In 2004, Athens Olympics, weightlifters Pratima Kumari and Sanamacha Chanu were found to be using performance enhancing drugs. Chanu tested positive again before the beginning of the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. This time She was banned for eight long years. Over the years Indian Weightlifting Federation had been banned in 2004, 2006 and 2009. The symptoms have affected other sporting fields too. In 2011 &nbsp;NADA handed out one year bans to its quartermilers Ashwini Akkunji, Sini Jose, Mary Tiana Thomas, Priyanka Pawar, Jauna Murmu, Mandeep Kaur who tested positive ahead of the Asian Championship. Last year NADA declared that 21 weightlifters have tested positive and they were provisionally suspended by the Indian Weightlifting Federation. 
 
Faster, Higher, Stronger: In adopting these three aspirational words as the Olympic motto, &nbsp;Pierre de Coubertin hardly realised that sportsperson would narrowly interpret it - focusing on its technical meaning- while leaving out its moral and educational perspectives. The temptation to give in to shortcuts often deafens athletes to the original call to challenge physical limitations through hard work, grit and patience. The recent doping trend has alarmed many a sportslover who have lamented the loss of sportsmanship from the game. But the pressure to win, to prove one&#39;s skill, and to retain sponsors have become such paramount objectives that athletes are often willing to make choices that are eventually ruining the very dream that made them love the sports at the very first place.&nbsp; 
 
(WION)

Indian trio fails dope test, two will not make to Rio Oympics

Indian sports establishment is going through a particularly frustrating phase with three of its athletes testing positive in the recent anti-doping tests. Wrestlers Narsingh and Sandeep Yadav, and more recently, shot put player Inderjeet Singh have tested positive in the doping tests conducted on them by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). Already chosen to be part of India's Olympic squad, neither Narsingh nor Inderjeet can now participate in the upcoming competition at Rio. Sandeep, though not part of the Indian squad, faces the possibility of years of expulsion from the game. Both Narshing and Sandeep had methandieone, an anabolic steroid in their urine. In case of Inderjeet, sources could not confirm the banned material found in his body other than referring to it as a "fancy sounding drug". With largest ever contingent of 120 contestants registered to participate, this year's Olympic could have been one of the high-marks in independent India's sporting history instead the country squirms in the humiliation of the scandal. The Rio Olympic authorities have outlined Anti-Doping Rules, which will remain effective from the opening of the Athletes' Village on 24 July until the closing ceremony on 21 August 2016. These rules are drafted in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and the List of Prohibited Substance and Methods that are put together, updated and modified annually by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) . Founded in 1999, WADA's authority is pervasive in the sporting world with its Code been presently adopted by 600 sports organisations internationally. The Anti-Doping rules of the Rio Olympic states that all athletes registered to compete at the Game can be tested at anytime, anywhere in the world, including outside the Olympic Village. The test procedure specifies that two separate samples, A and B, will be collected from athletes. If the testers find some banned substance in sample A, they will look for the same substance the sample B. The concerned athlete will retain the right to either accept the result of the first test or request for another test on sample B. The two analysis should be consistent, else the entire test will be considered void. All the three concerned contestants from India have tested positive in both counts of tests. Shot put player Inderjeet Singh, however , had been protesting his innocence. He alleges to be the victim of a "conspiracy" because of his alleged critical attitude towards the authorities. "I have been framed because I am outspoken. This is a conspiracy against me", Singh lashed out to TV channels. Singh had progressively improved his performance over the years both at the domestic and international competitions. In 2015, he won three Gold medals while representing India at the Asian Championship at Wuhan, the Asian Grand Prix at Bangkok and at the Summer Universiade at Gwangju. Though no direct comment was available from Narsingh Yadav, similar conspiracy theories, however, are making rounds. Deeply disturbed by this sudden turn of events, Narsingh's mother Bhulna Devi confidently quips, "He is implicated in it....all these things in the papers are incorrect." She cannot seem to come in terms with the fact that the high-achiever son who have consistently won Gold (Common Wealth Games 2010), Silver (Commonwealth Championships 2011) and Bronze medals (Asian Games 2014, Asian and World Championships 2015) could miss the chance of representing India at the Olympics. Even if we decide to ignore Bhulna Devi's claims as emotionally-triggered, the doubts expressed by people who are reputed to have expertise on the science of doping cannot be easily brushed aside. Dr PSM Chandran, the former director of sports medicine at Sports Authority of India (SAI), for instance, expressed his confusion as to why, so close to the competition, will some sportman consume any banned substance. All athletes, in their right mind, know that any such intakes will show up in random tests both in India and in Rio. Particularly, as the kind of steroid Narsingh used is "quite ancient in use", Chandran points out; he still fails to find a reasonable motive. Notwithstanding their protestations, Narsingh and his roommate Sandeep Yadav have appeared before the disciplinary committee of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) . India's sport personalities have repeatedly failed drug test. In 2004, Athens Olympics, weightlifters Pratima Kumari and Sanamacha Chanu were found to be using performance enhancing drugs. Chanu tested positive again before the beginning of the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. This time She was banned for eight long years. Over the years Indian Weightlifting Federation had been banned in 2004, 2006 and 2009. The symptoms have affected other sporting fields too. In 2011 NADA handed out one year bans to its quartermilers Ashwini Akkunji, Sini Jose, Mary Tiana Thomas, Priyanka Pawar, Jauna Murmu, Mandeep Kaur who tested positive ahead of the Asian Championship. Last year NADA declared that 21 weightlifters have tested positive and they were provisionally suspended by the Indian Weightlifting Federation. Faster, Higher, Stronger: In adopting these three aspirational words as the Olympic motto, Pierre de Coubertin hardly realised that sportsperson would narrowly interpret it - focusing on its technical meaning- while leaving out its moral and educational perspectives. The temptation to give in to shortcuts often deafens athletes to the original call to challenge physical limitations through hard work, grit and patience. The recent doping trend has alarmed many a sportslover who have lamented the loss of sportsmanship from the game. But the pressure to win, to prove one's skill, and to retain sponsors have become such paramount objectives that athletes are often willing to make choices that are eventually ruining the very dream that made them love the sports at the very first place. (WION)

Olympics: Saga of the game, glory and dope

The Australian Olympic Committee has demanded Rio 2016 organisers enforce a strict ban on smoking in the athletes&#39; village after saying a fire in the basement of their building was probably caused by a cigarette tossed into rubbish. 
 
Delegation head Kitty Chiller said it was also &quot;completely unacceptable&quot; that a previously tested fire alarm system had been switched off at the time without the Australians being informed. 
 
The incident, which filled the stairwells with smoke on Friday evening, came after the Australians and several other teams had complained about unfinished and dirty rooms before moving in. 
 
&quot;The fire did seem to be accidental, probably a cigarette thrown into rubbish in the building,&quot; Chiller told a news conference on Saturday. 
 
&quot;We have asked Rio 2016 to enforce a very strict non-smoking policy. Every athletes&#39; village in the Olympic Games should be non-smoking so we&rsquo;ve asked for that to be enforced because at the moment it&#39;s not.&quot; 
 
A spokesman for the local organisers confirmed that a discarded cigarette butt was suspected. 
 
Firemen were stationed on every floor, with security guards in the basement, as a precaution after the scare but Chiller said such measures would not continue. 
 
Chiller said she had spoken to several other national committees warning them to check basements for refuse, and the matter would be raised at a meeting of team chiefs today. 
 
She said organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had been &quot;extremely responsive&quot; and had promised a full report by Saturday evening. 
 
An investigation on Friday night had already established that the fire alarm system was turned off for several hours pending work on the next door building occupied by Germany and Belgium. 
 
&quot;We&rsquo;ve now absolutely insisted that that fire alarm system is never deactivated again,&quot; said Chiller. 
 
The Australians had complained last weekend about exposed wiring and blocked toilets, saying accommodation in the village was &quot;not safe or ready&quot; for the Games which open on Aug. 5. 
 
Organisers then deployed a task force of 600 workers to tackle repairs. 
 
Friday&#39;s scare saw some 100 athletes and officials evacuated under an emergency response plan, but some still managed to sleep through it. 
 
Shooter Warren Potent, a 2008 bronze medallist in the 50m rifle prone category, confessed he was one of them and made light of the situation. 
 
&quot;They had the protocol in place but that doesn&rsquo;t actually work when I&rsquo;m asleep and the phone&rsquo;s on silent,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;At least now I can say I&rsquo;ve survived a burning building.&quot; 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Australia claims a fire in the basement of their building was probably caused by a cigarette tossed into rubbish

The Australian Olympic Committee has demanded Rio 2016 organisers enforce a strict ban on smoking in the athletes' village after saying a fire in the basement of their building was probably caused by a cigarette tossed into rubbish. Delegation head Kitty Chiller said it was also "completely unacceptable" that a previously tested fire alarm system had been switched off at the time without the Australians being informed. The incident, which filled the stairwells with smoke on Friday evening, came after the Australians and several other teams had complained about unfinished and dirty rooms before moving in. "The fire did seem to be accidental, probably a cigarette thrown into rubbish in the building," Chiller told a news conference on Saturday. "We have asked Rio 2016 to enforce a very strict non-smoking policy. Every athletes' village in the Olympic Games should be non-smoking so we’ve asked for that to be enforced because at the moment it's not." A spokesman for the local organisers confirmed that a discarded cigarette butt was suspected. Firemen were stationed on every floor, with security guards in the basement, as a precaution after the scare but Chiller said such measures would not continue. Chiller said she had spoken to several other national committees warning them to check basements for refuse, and the matter would be raised at a meeting of team chiefs today. She said organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had been "extremely responsive" and had promised a full report by Saturday evening. An investigation on Friday night had already established that the fire alarm system was turned off for several hours pending work on the next door building occupied by Germany and Belgium. "We’ve now absolutely insisted that that fire alarm system is never deactivated again," said Chiller. The Australians had complained last weekend about exposed wiring and blocked toilets, saying accommodation in the village was "not safe or ready" for the Games which open on Aug. 5. Organisers then deployed a task force of 600 workers to tackle repairs. Friday's scare saw some 100 athletes and officials evacuated under an emergency response plan, but some still managed to sleep through it. Shooter Warren Potent, a 2008 bronze medallist in the 50m rifle prone category, confessed he was one of them and made light of the situation. "They had the protocol in place but that doesn’t actually work when I’m asleep and the phone’s on silent," he told reporters. "At least now I can say I’ve survived a burning building." (Reuters)

Olympics: Australia demands smoking ban after fire

The roar from the stands in Florence could not have been louder if it had been stars Usain Bolt or Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on the track. 
 
It was the first world competition for athletes with Down&#39;s Syndrome, and Nicole Orlando and Nicolas Virapin made it to the victory podium in the Tuscan city - a first step, they hope, on the path to Olympic glory. 
 
Orlando, a runner from Italy who has become the face of the &#39;Trisome Games&#39;, scooped up the silver for a 400-metres relay, sending her flag-waving delegation leaping into each others arms with joy as the national anthem rang out. 
 
Almost 1,000 contenders from 36 countries spent the week here fighting for gold in a series of categories from athletics to fusbol, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, synchronised swimming, tennis and table tennis. 
 
The athletes taking part are dubbed T21s, named after the most common form of Down&#39;s Syndrome, trisomy 21, where sufferers have an extra copy of chromosome 21. 
 
&quot;The Trisome Games are a unique opportunity to distinguish the T21 and bring them into the light,&quot; Marc Truffaut, head of the French Adaptive Sports Federation (FFSA), said. 
 
The Trisome Games were created by Marco Borzacchini, president of the FISDIR (the Italian Federation of Sports for Intellectually and Relationally Disabled), who believes they will help challenge stereotypes surrounding T21 athletes. 
 
&quot;The games are the culmination of a long process which began more than 10 years ago to enable people with Down&#39;s Syndrome to experience sport as something other than mere entertainment,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;It was generally thought they could only play around or enjoy themselves with sports, but actually they are capable of high quality sporting performances just like conventional athletes.&quot; 
 
With the Olympic Games opening in a few weeks time in Brazil, organisers here are abuzz with plans to try to reintroduce Down&#39;s Syndrome athletes to the world`s most prestigious competition. 
 
The Paralympics suspended all intellectually disabled athletes from the 2004 games onwards after members of several national championship teams taking part in the 2000 event were discovered not to have mental disabilities. 
 
Truffaut believes their best chances lie with Paris, should the French capital win their bid to host the next Olympic Games. 
 
&quot;The slogan of the Paris bid for the 2024 Games is &#39;Power of Dreams&#39;. The dream would be that every athlete, regardless of their defining features, can participate in the games. Including the T21s,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP)

The athletes taking part are dubbed T21s, named after the most common form of Down's Syndrome, trisomy 21

The roar from the stands in Florence could not have been louder if it had been stars Usain Bolt or Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on the track. It was the first world competition for athletes with Down's Syndrome, and Nicole Orlando and Nicolas Virapin made it to the victory podium in the Tuscan city - a first step, they hope, on the path to Olympic glory. Orlando, a runner from Italy who has become the face of the 'Trisome Games', scooped up the silver for a 400-metres relay, sending her flag-waving delegation leaping into each others arms with joy as the national anthem rang out. Almost 1,000 contenders from 36 countries spent the week here fighting for gold in a series of categories from athletics to fusbol, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, synchronised swimming, tennis and table tennis. The athletes taking part are dubbed T21s, named after the most common form of Down's Syndrome, trisomy 21, where sufferers have an extra copy of chromosome 21. "The Trisome Games are a unique opportunity to distinguish the T21 and bring them into the light," Marc Truffaut, head of the French Adaptive Sports Federation (FFSA), said. The Trisome Games were created by Marco Borzacchini, president of the FISDIR (the Italian Federation of Sports for Intellectually and Relationally Disabled), who believes they will help challenge stereotypes surrounding T21 athletes. "The games are the culmination of a long process which began more than 10 years ago to enable people with Down's Syndrome to experience sport as something other than mere entertainment," he said. "It was generally thought they could only play around or enjoy themselves with sports, but actually they are capable of high quality sporting performances just like conventional athletes." With the Olympic Games opening in a few weeks time in Brazil, organisers here are abuzz with plans to try to reintroduce Down's Syndrome athletes to the world`s most prestigious competition. The Paralympics suspended all intellectually disabled athletes from the 2004 games onwards after members of several national championship teams taking part in the 2000 event were discovered not to have mental disabilities. Truffaut believes their best chances lie with Paris, should the French capital win their bid to host the next Olympic Games. "The slogan of the Paris bid for the 2024 Games is 'Power of Dreams'. The dream would be that every athlete, regardless of their defining features, can participate in the games. Including the T21s," he said. (AFP)

Italy hosts first Down's Syndrome Olympics

When India&#39;s Dipa Karmakar launches into her soaring vault at the Rio Olympics, chances are that only a handful of people will be aware that the foundations of the skill were built on Do It Yourself apparatus made from second-hand parts of a discarded scooter. 
 
&quot;We initially had no apparatus and had to use our imagination to improvise,&quot; Karmakar&#39;s coach Bisweshwar Nandi said in an interview in his native Bangla. 
 
&quot;For example, we stacked eight to 10 crash mats on top of each other to make a vaulting platform. We bought second-hand springs and shock absorbers from discarded scooters, then asked a local carpenter to make some kind of a spring board with the bits. 
 
&quot;So when Dipa first started to vault, she used to jump from this onto a pile of mats.&quot; 
 
In August, the gymnast will get a chance to show the world just how far she has come since her rather primitive start in the sport when she attempts a daring Produnova vault. 
 
It is a skill so difficult, consisting of a front handspring and two front somersaults, that Karmakar is one of only five women to have landed it in competition. 
 
But as the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the Olympics, Karmakar knows she has to pull off something spectacular if she wants the world to take notice. 
 
&quot;My coach was frightened when I first started doing the vault because he thought I could break my neck or end up dead, but I wanted to push the boundaries,&quot; Karmakar, the only Indian to reach an appartus final at the world championships, told Reuters. 
 
&quot;But my coach and I felt we had to take some risks if we wanted to compete with the best.&quot; 
 
Scared 
 
Her coach added: &quot;At times my heart was in my mouth when she took off for the vault. I was so scared but she was fearless.&quot; 
 
Such has been her dedication in perfecting the skill that she decided to note down her attempts for one week in a diary she keeps. The final tally? -- 127 vaults. 
 
In comparison, American gold medal favourite Simone Biles attempts about 15 complete vaults a week. 
 
But then again, Biles had access to top-of-the-range apparatus from the start and did not have to overcome the challenges faced by Karmakar. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think my rivals know what obstacles and hardships I had to face to get myself to Rio,&quot; Karmakar, who hails from Agartala in north-east India, said. 
 
&quot;There were barely any world class gymnastics facilities in the whole of India so in a small city like Agartala there was practically nothing. 
 
&quot;So I feel that to get to Rio is a really big deal and it means the world to me. 
 
&quot;To have started off with nothing and get to the level I have today proves that Indian gymnasts have the kind of talent people expect to see from someone like Simone Biles.&quot; 
 
Success at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, when Karmakar claimed a bronze on the vault, had initially failed to change her fortunes. 
 
&quot;Dipa also faced sex discrimination because whenever we went to the national camp, the officials used to hype up the achievements of the male gymnasts,&quot; added Nandi. 
 
&quot;Ashish Kumar got so much recognition for the silver and bronze medals he won at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. 
 
&quot;I was really disappointed that women&#39;s gymnastics was not getting the same recognition or investment and I always had big dreams for Dipa. I was determined she was going to make a name for herself, no matter what the obstacles.&quot; 
 
Breaking Barriers 
 
With next to no funding available, Karmakar had to make do with practising her skills on out-of-date apparatus. 
 
When Delhi hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games, manufacturer Gymnova gave her the cast-offs from that competition. Until three months ago, those were the equipment she used even if the world of gymnastics had moved on to more high-tech gear. 
 
But when she qualified for the Olympics at the Rio test event in April, the recognition and funding finally started to flood in. 
 
&quot;Dipa has made India proud and brought glory to its name. She has achieved the feat through her determination. Lack of resources never came in her way,&quot; said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 
 
The Sports Authority of India spent $120,000 importing state-of-the-art apparatus from France. Another $45,000 has been allocated for her day-to-day expenses, including training and commuting costs. 
 
In addition, Nandi said the Indian government is also giving Karmakar $1,500 a month &quot;in pocket money&quot; from May until August. 
 
&quot;The problem with India is that you have to first prove what you are capable of achieving before any help comes your way,&quot; added Nandi. &quot;There is no system of nurturing gymnastics talent at grassroots level. 
 
&quot;Dipa is so excited. She can&#39;t train enough. She keeps telling me to push her harder in training. 
 
&quot;Dipa has shown India just what female gymnasts are capable of doing. By becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to go to the Olympics, Dipa has broken down so many barriers. She has paved the way for girls who might want to follow in her footsteps.&quot; 
 
And what are Karmakar&#39;s expectations in Rio? 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to jinx myself by setting sights on a medal but I would be hugely disappointed if I did not at least make the vault final,&quot; said Karmakar, who will celebrate her 23rd birthday during the Games. 
 
&quot;I am attempting the vault morning, noon and night so I can get it right for the Olympics. My goal is to produce my best performance.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The Indian gymnast practises Produnova vault, toughest of its kind, 127 times a week, which the US gold medal favourite attempts 15 times

When India's Dipa Karmakar launches into her soaring vault at the Rio Olympics, chances are that only a handful of people will be aware that the foundations of the skill were built on Do It Yourself apparatus made from second-hand parts of a discarded scooter. "We initially had no apparatus and had to use our imagination to improvise," Karmakar's coach Bisweshwar Nandi said in an interview in his native Bangla. "For example, we stacked eight to 10 crash mats on top of each other to make a vaulting platform. We bought second-hand springs and shock absorbers from discarded scooters, then asked a local carpenter to make some kind of a spring board with the bits. "So when Dipa first started to vault, she used to jump from this onto a pile of mats." In August, the gymnast will get a chance to show the world just how far she has come since her rather primitive start in the sport when she attempts a daring Produnova vault. It is a skill so difficult, consisting of a front handspring and two front somersaults, that Karmakar is one of only five women to have landed it in competition. But as the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the Olympics, Karmakar knows she has to pull off something spectacular if she wants the world to take notice. "My coach was frightened when I first started doing the vault because he thought I could break my neck or end up dead, but I wanted to push the boundaries," Karmakar, the only Indian to reach an appartus final at the world championships, told Reuters. "But my coach and I felt we had to take some risks if we wanted to compete with the best." Scared Her coach added: "At times my heart was in my mouth when she took off for the vault. I was so scared but she was fearless." Such has been her dedication in perfecting the skill that she decided to note down her attempts for one week in a diary she keeps. The final tally? -- 127 vaults. In comparison, American gold medal favourite Simone Biles attempts about 15 complete vaults a week. But then again, Biles had access to top-of-the-range apparatus from the start and did not have to overcome the challenges faced by Karmakar. "I don't think my rivals know what obstacles and hardships I had to face to get myself to Rio," Karmakar, who hails from Agartala in north-east India, said. "There were barely any world class gymnastics facilities in the whole of India so in a small city like Agartala there was practically nothing. "So I feel that to get to Rio is a really big deal and it means the world to me. "To have started off with nothing and get to the level I have today proves that Indian gymnasts have the kind of talent people expect to see from someone like Simone Biles." Success at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, when Karmakar claimed a bronze on the vault, had initially failed to change her fortunes. "Dipa also faced sex discrimination because whenever we went to the national camp, the officials used to hype up the achievements of the male gymnasts," added Nandi. "Ashish Kumar got so much recognition for the silver and bronze medals he won at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. "I was really disappointed that women's gymnastics was not getting the same recognition or investment and I always had big dreams for Dipa. I was determined she was going to make a name for herself, no matter what the obstacles." Breaking Barriers With next to no funding available, Karmakar had to make do with practising her skills on out-of-date apparatus. When Delhi hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games, manufacturer Gymnova gave her the cast-offs from that competition. Until three months ago, those were the equipment she used even if the world of gymnastics had moved on to more high-tech gear. But when she qualified for the Olympics at the Rio test event in April, the recognition and funding finally started to flood in. "Dipa has made India proud and brought glory to its name. She has achieved the feat through her determination. Lack of resources never came in her way," said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Sports Authority of India spent $120,000 importing state-of-the-art apparatus from France. Another $45,000 has been allocated for her day-to-day expenses, including training and commuting costs. In addition, Nandi said the Indian government is also giving Karmakar $1,500 a month "in pocket money" from May until August. "The problem with India is that you have to first prove what you are capable of achieving before any help comes your way," added Nandi. "There is no system of nurturing gymnastics talent at grassroots level. "Dipa is so excited. She can't train enough. She keeps telling me to push her harder in training. "Dipa has shown India just what female gymnasts are capable of doing. By becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to go to the Olympics, Dipa has broken down so many barriers. She has paved the way for girls who might want to follow in her footsteps." And what are Karmakar's expectations in Rio? "I don't want to jinx myself by setting sights on a medal but I would be hugely disappointed if I did not at least make the vault final," said Karmakar, who will celebrate her 23rd birthday during the Games. "I am attempting the vault morning, noon and night so I can get it right for the Olympics. My goal is to produce my best performance." (Reuters)

To have started with nothing to the level I have today, proves Indian gymnasts are world class: Dipa Karmakar

The International Olympic Committee said today it would decide &quot;within seven days&quot; on whether to ban Russia from the Rio Games over rampant state-run doping.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We expect (to have) a decision within seven days on the participation of Russian competitors in Rio,&quot; IOC media relations chief Emmanuelle Moreau said. 
 
The Games in Rio de Janeiro open on August 5.&nbsp; 
 
The IOC has faced growing calls to hit Russia with an outright ban after a report commissioned by the World Anti Doping Agency found the country ran an elaborate cheating programme at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and other major events. 
 
Following an emergency conference on Tuesday, the IOC&#39;s executive board said it would study the &quot;legal options&quot; regarding a prospective Russia suspension. 
 
It would be an unprecedented move, as no country has been excluded from an Olympics over doping. 
 
IOC leaders said they would consider a decision due Thursday from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on a previously imposed ban by the International Association of Atheletic&#39;s Federation (IAAF) against Russia&#39;s track field and team. 
 
That ban followed similar revelations of rampant doping with support from Moscow. 
 
Sixty-eight Russian athletes have appealed to CAS challenging the IAAF&#39;s right to punish an entire national federation, since some team members have no positive drug tests on their record. 
 
The CAS ruling on the validity of collective punishment is expected to help guide the IOC&#39;s decision on Russia&#39;s eligibility for Rio.&nbsp; 
Moreau said IOC leaders would have further talks on the Russia dispute in the coming days, following the CAS ruling. 
 
(AFP)

Court of Arbitration for Sport's ruling on the validity of collective punishment is expected to help guide the IOC's decision

The International Olympic Committee said today it would decide "within seven days" on whether to ban Russia from the Rio Games over rampant state-run doping. "We expect (to have) a decision within seven days on the participation of Russian competitors in Rio," IOC media relations chief Emmanuelle Moreau said. The Games in Rio de Janeiro open on August 5. The IOC has faced growing calls to hit Russia with an outright ban after a report commissioned by the World Anti Doping Agency found the country ran an elaborate cheating programme at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and other major events. Following an emergency conference on Tuesday, the IOC's executive board said it would study the "legal options" regarding a prospective Russia suspension. It would be an unprecedented move, as no country has been excluded from an Olympics over doping. IOC leaders said they would consider a decision due Thursday from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on a previously imposed ban by the International Association of Atheletic's Federation (IAAF) against Russia's track field and team. That ban followed similar revelations of rampant doping with support from Moscow. Sixty-eight Russian athletes have appealed to CAS challenging the IAAF's right to punish an entire national federation, since some team members have no positive drug tests on their record. The CAS ruling on the validity of collective punishment is expected to help guide the IOC's decision on Russia's eligibility for Rio. Moreau said IOC leaders would have further talks on the Russia dispute in the coming days, following the CAS ruling. (AFP)

International Olympic Committee to decide on Russia Rio ban 'within a week'

Visa Inc, operator of the world&#39;s largest payments network, said on Wednesday it had signed sponsorship deals with all ten members of the International Olympic Committee&#39;s (IOC) refugee team, essentially becoming their first corporate sponsor. 
 
The IOC introduced its inaugural refugee team in June to draw global attention to the plight of refugees. The athletes, six men and four women, will compete in swimming, judo and athletics and march with the Olympic flag just before host Brazil at the opening ceremony on August 5. 
 
The team includes five athletes from South Sudan, two from Syria, two from Democratic Republic of Congo and one from Ethiopia. All are required to have official refugee status, according to the United Nations. 
 
Some advocates for refugees have questioned whether it is opportunistic for companies to use refugees in advertising campaigns.&nbsp;The value of Visa&#39;s deals with refugee athletes, which it brokered directly with them with the help of the IOC, was not disclosed.&nbsp;Curtin said the contracts are &quot;identical, comparable deals&quot;, to the sponsorship agreements Visa has with more well-known athletes. 
 
The company can use the refugees in their marketing campaigns if the IOC approves it. The IOC could not be reached for comment on Visa&#39;s campaign. 
 
Chris Curtin, Visa&#39;s chief marketing innovation and brand officer, said sponsoring refugee athletes ties into the concept of acceptance that is one of the creative threads behind the company&#39;s Olympic campaign, and also an idea consumers associate with credit cards.&nbsp;Visa is working with 60 Olympians and Paralympians ahead of Rio, including US athletes Missy Franklin, beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings and Ashton Eaton, who won the gold medal in decathlon in London. 
 
Visa had previously announced a sponsorship deal with Yusra Mardini, an elite swimmer who left Syria last August. Mardini and her sister swam for more than three hours in the open sea to get to Greece after the small boat she was on started to capsize. She helped more than a dozen or so people on the boat survive the journey who could not swim. 
 
Mardini now trains in Germany. Visa posted a photo of Mardini on its Facebook page with the text &#39;Accept me because I&#39;ve swum against the current to get where I belong&#39;. 
 
(Reuters)

Some advocates have questioned whether it is opportunistic for companies to use refugees in advertising campaigns

Visa Inc, operator of the world's largest payments network, said on Wednesday it had signed sponsorship deals with all ten members of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) refugee team, essentially becoming their first corporate sponsor. The IOC introduced its inaugural refugee team in June to draw global attention to the plight of refugees. The athletes, six men and four women, will compete in swimming, judo and athletics and march with the Olympic flag just before host Brazil at the opening ceremony on August 5. The team includes five athletes from South Sudan, two from Syria, two from Democratic Republic of Congo and one from Ethiopia. All are required to have official refugee status, according to the United Nations. Some advocates for refugees have questioned whether it is opportunistic for companies to use refugees in advertising campaigns. The value of Visa's deals with refugee athletes, which it brokered directly with them with the help of the IOC, was not disclosed. Curtin said the contracts are "identical, comparable deals", to the sponsorship agreements Visa has with more well-known athletes. The company can use the refugees in their marketing campaigns if the IOC approves it. The IOC could not be reached for comment on Visa's campaign. Chris Curtin, Visa's chief marketing innovation and brand officer, said sponsoring refugee athletes ties into the concept of acceptance that is one of the creative threads behind the company's Olympic campaign, and also an idea consumers associate with credit cards. Visa is working with 60 Olympians and Paralympians ahead of Rio, including US athletes Missy Franklin, beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings and Ashton Eaton, who won the gold medal in decathlon in London. Visa had previously announced a sponsorship deal with Yusra Mardini, an elite swimmer who left Syria last August. Mardini and her sister swam for more than three hours in the open sea to get to Greece after the small boat she was on started to capsize. She helped more than a dozen or so people on the boat survive the journey who could not swim. Mardini now trains in Germany. Visa posted a photo of Mardini on its Facebook page with the text 'Accept me because I've swum against the current to get where I belong'. (Reuters)

Visa to sponsor refugee athletes in Rio Olympics 2016

Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren`s report on his investigation into allegations that the Russian government manipulated doping test samples at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics to protect Russian competitors is due today. 
 
With Russia already banned from international athletics and some sports officials calling for a blanket ban on Russia from the Rio Olympics, if the allegations are confirmed, here are five key accusations levelled by former Russian anti-doping laboratory director Grigory Rodchenkov in a New York Times article in May:
<ul>
	<li>Dozens of Russian competitors at Sochi, including at least 15 medal winners, were part of a state-run doping program designed to ensure the host nation topped the medals table.</li>
	<li>Rodchenkov himself developed a three-steroid cocktail provided to Russian sportsmen and women as part of the program.</li>
	<li>Members of the Russian intelligence service helped Russian anti-doping personnel replace drug-tainted urine samples with clean samples to avoid detection, finding a way to access supposedly tamper-proof collection bottles.</li>
	<li>Rodchenkov said the Russian sports ministry actively guided the doping effort -- a claim Russian officials deny.</li>
	<li>After being identified in November as the key figure in the athletics doping scandal sparked by two whistle-blowers who spoke to German broadcaster ARD, Rodchenkov resigned and departed for Los Angeles, telling The New York Times he feared for his safety.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
In February, two former close anti-doping colleagues in Russia -- Nikita Kamayev and Vyacheslav Sinev, died.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

The accusations were levelled by former Russian anti-doping laboratory director Grigory Rodchenkov in a New York Times article in May

Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren`s report on his investigation into allegations that the Russian government manipulated doping test samples at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics to protect Russian competitors is due today. With Russia already banned from international athletics and some sports officials calling for a blanket ban on Russia from the Rio Olympics, if the allegations are confirmed, here are five key accusations levelled by former Russian anti-doping laboratory director Grigory Rodchenkov in a New York Times article in May: Dozens of Russian competitors at Sochi, including at least 15 medal winners, were part of a state-run doping program designed to ensure the host nation topped the medals table. Rodchenkov himself developed a three-steroid cocktail provided to Russian sportsmen and women as part of the program. Members of the Russian intelligence service helped Russian anti-doping personnel replace drug-tainted urine samples with clean samples to avoid detection, finding a way to access supposedly tamper-proof collection bottles. Rodchenkov said the Russian sports ministry actively guided the doping effort -- a claim Russian officials deny. After being identified in November as the key figure in the athletics doping scandal sparked by two whistle-blowers who spoke to German broadcaster ARD, Rodchenkov resigned and departed for Los Angeles, telling The New York Times he feared for his safety. In February, two former close anti-doping colleagues in Russia -- Nikita Kamayev and Vyacheslav Sinev, died. (AFP)

Five key doping allegations made against Russia

World number eight Tomas Berdych today pulled out of the Olympics due to concerns over the Zika virus, just a day after fellow top ten stars Milos Raonic and Simona Halep also withdrew over similar health concerns. 
 
&quot;I am very sorry to announce that I will not take part in this year&#39;s Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,&quot; Berdych, the 30-year-old Wimbledon semi-finalist, said on Twitter. 
 
&quot;It is because of the Zika virus spread in the country of the Olympics.&quot; 
 
&quot;As I have founded a family recently, to limit health risks towards my nearest is the utmost priority.&quot; 
 
Berdych, who married model Ester Satorova last year, had also pulled out of the Czech Republic&#39;s Davis Cup tie with France, in which the Czechs are trailing 2-1 after today&#39;s rubbers. 
 
Berdych follows a host of other tennis stars who are skipping Rio over the Zika scare. 
 
On Friday, Wimbledon runner-up and world number seven Raonic, as well as Romania`s world number five Simona Halep, the 2014 French Open runner-up, said they would not make the trip to Rio. 
 
Canadian star Raonic, who was defeated by Andy Murray in Sunday&#39;s Wimbledon final, said he had taken the decision &quot;with a heavy heart&quot;. 
 
John Isner of the United States, Austria&#39;s Dominic Thiem, Australian duo Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios as well as Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez have all opted, for various reasons, not to take part in the Olympics. 
 
Italy&#39;s former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone has turned down the opportunity while former world number ones Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka will also be missing. 
 
Sharapova is serving a doping suspension while Azarenka announced Friday that she is pregnant and won&#39;t compete again in 2016. 
Eccentric Latvian player Ernests Gulbis described the Rio event as &quot;tennis tourism&quot; as the Olympics do not offer either prize money or ranking points. 
 
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) moved today to reassure players and fans over the threat posed by Zika at the Olympics which start on August 5. 
 
&quot;While we understand and respect the concerns over the Zika virus, the IOC has assured us that all precautions will be taken to limit the risk to athletes, officials and fans,&quot; ITF president David Haggerty told AFP in a statement. 
 
&quot;We also accept the view of the World Health Organisation that there is no reason at this time to postpone or cancel the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.&quot; 
 
Fears over Zika have already seen the image of the golf event in Rio badly tarnished with the sport`s top four players -- Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson -- all choosing not to play. 
 
(AFP)

He pulled out a day after fellow top ten stars Milos Raonic and Simona Halep also withdrew over similar health concerns

World number eight Tomas Berdych today pulled out of the Olympics due to concerns over the Zika virus, just a day after fellow top ten stars Milos Raonic and Simona Halep also withdrew over similar health concerns. "I am very sorry to announce that I will not take part in this year's Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro," Berdych, the 30-year-old Wimbledon semi-finalist, said on Twitter. "It is because of the Zika virus spread in the country of the Olympics." "As I have founded a family recently, to limit health risks towards my nearest is the utmost priority." Berdych, who married model Ester Satorova last year, had also pulled out of the Czech Republic's Davis Cup tie with France, in which the Czechs are trailing 2-1 after today's rubbers. Berdych follows a host of other tennis stars who are skipping Rio over the Zika scare. On Friday, Wimbledon runner-up and world number seven Raonic, as well as Romania`s world number five Simona Halep, the 2014 French Open runner-up, said they would not make the trip to Rio. Canadian star Raonic, who was defeated by Andy Murray in Sunday's Wimbledon final, said he had taken the decision "with a heavy heart". John Isner of the United States, Austria's Dominic Thiem, Australian duo Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios as well as Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez have all opted, for various reasons, not to take part in the Olympics. Italy's former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone has turned down the opportunity while former world number ones Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka will also be missing. Sharapova is serving a doping suspension while Azarenka announced Friday that she is pregnant and won't compete again in 2016. Eccentric Latvian player Ernests Gulbis described the Rio event as "tennis tourism" as the Olympics do not offer either prize money or ranking points. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) moved today to reassure players and fans over the threat posed by Zika at the Olympics which start on August 5. "While we understand and respect the concerns over the Zika virus, the IOC has assured us that all precautions will be taken to limit the risk to athletes, officials and fans," ITF president David Haggerty told AFP in a statement. "We also accept the view of the World Health Organisation that there is no reason at this time to postpone or cancel the Rio 2016 Olympic Games." Fears over Zika have already seen the image of the golf event in Rio badly tarnished with the sport`s top four players -- Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson -- all choosing not to play. (AFP)

Tennis: Berdych pulls-out over Zika

Security at Rio&#39;s Olympic Village was handed a further blow on Wednesday when Danish athletes revealed they have had items stolen while organisers issued a public apology to competitors who have fallen victim to crime. 
 
Denmark&#39;s chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing. 
 
&quot;In connection with the many extra workers, cleaners and housekeepers who have been squeezed into the Olympic village because of our requirements and requests, we have been subjected to a series of thefts,&quot; he said, adding that he himself had his iPad stolen. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s everything from phones, iPads and clothes to something as trivial as bed sheets.&quot; 
 
Since July 18 the Danish delegation has lodged around 150 complaints over problems in its 36 apartments in the Olympic village. 
 
&quot;The buildings are simply not in order,&quot; Ulrik Wilbek, sports director of the Danish Handball Federation, told TV 2. 
 
The news follows the theft of a laptop and team shirts from the Australian delegation during a fire evacuation on Friday. 
 
Australia chef de mission Kitty Chiller said during the evacuation she had noticed three fire marshals apparently stealing the Australia team shirts. 
 
&quot;When I arrived, which was halfway through the evacuation, I saw three fire marshals -- I don&#39;t know who they were -- walking out with team shirts,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;I thought maybe they have helped evacuate people and we&#39;ve given them a shirt. It doesn&#39;t seem to be what happened. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t know how many team shirts were taken and, yes, that&#39;s concerning.&quot; 
 
After the fire, Chiller said Rio 2016 organizers had increased security throughout the Olympic village. 
 
Rio&#39;s crime rate has been one of the biggest concerns heading into the Olympics. 
 
China revealed on Friday members of its Olympic delegation had already fallen victim to theft. 
 
Mario Andrada, spokesman of Rio 2016, apologised to the tourists and athletes who have been victims. 
 
&quot;They are our guests in Brazil. We feel very sorry. I hope they understand that we are very sorry about this,&quot; he told China&#39;s Xinhua news agency. 
 
&quot;We will communicate with the security to make sure we find quickly an answer about why they were robbed, where they were robbed and by whom to see if something could be recovered.&quot; 
 
Rio Olympics overall security personnel is around 88,000 - the figure is more than double that used for the the London Olympics in 2012. 
 
&quot;Don&#39;t count money in the street. If you have a nice camera, put it into a bag and only use when you have to take pictures,&quot; advised Andrada. 
 
&quot;If you are alert, if you are looking around and paying attention, your chance of being a victim will be decreased. The bad guys usually look for people who are not paying attention.&quot; 
 
Chiller said the vast size of the Olympic Village, which houses thousands of athletes and support staff, theft was &quot;inevitable&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

Denmark's chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing

Security at Rio's Olympic Village was handed a further blow on Wednesday when Danish athletes revealed they have had items stolen while organisers issued a public apology to competitors who have fallen victim to crime. Denmark's chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing. "In connection with the many extra workers, cleaners and housekeepers who have been squeezed into the Olympic village because of our requirements and requests, we have been subjected to a series of thefts," he said, adding that he himself had his iPad stolen. "It's everything from phones, iPads and clothes to something as trivial as bed sheets." Since July 18 the Danish delegation has lodged around 150 complaints over problems in its 36 apartments in the Olympic village. "The buildings are simply not in order," Ulrik Wilbek, sports director of the Danish Handball Federation, told TV 2. The news follows the theft of a laptop and team shirts from the Australian delegation during a fire evacuation on Friday. Australia chef de mission Kitty Chiller said during the evacuation she had noticed three fire marshals apparently stealing the Australia team shirts. "When I arrived, which was halfway through the evacuation, I saw three fire marshals -- I don't know who they were -- walking out with team shirts," she said. "I thought maybe they have helped evacuate people and we've given them a shirt. It doesn't seem to be what happened. "We don't know how many team shirts were taken and, yes, that's concerning." After the fire, Chiller said Rio 2016 organizers had increased security throughout the Olympic village. Rio's crime rate has been one of the biggest concerns heading into the Olympics. China revealed on Friday members of its Olympic delegation had already fallen victim to theft. Mario Andrada, spokesman of Rio 2016, apologised to the tourists and athletes who have been victims. "They are our guests in Brazil. We feel very sorry. I hope they understand that we are very sorry about this," he told China's Xinhua news agency. "We will communicate with the security to make sure we find quickly an answer about why they were robbed, where they were robbed and by whom to see if something could be recovered." Rio Olympics overall security personnel is around 88,000 - the figure is more than double that used for the the London Olympics in 2012. "Don't count money in the street. If you have a nice camera, put it into a bag and only use when you have to take pictures," advised Andrada. "If you are alert, if you are looking around and paying attention, your chance of being a victim will be decreased. The bad guys usually look for people who are not paying attention." Chiller said the vast size of the Olympic Village, which houses thousands of athletes and support staff, theft was "inevitable". (AFP)

Olympics: Rio sorry as Village suffers new theft

On the eve of Rio 2016 opening ceremony today, the Sydney Opera House was lit up in Australia&#39;s Olympic colours of green and gold with the Olympic rings and national emblem covering the sails of the iconic building. 
 
Despite media reports over the past months of possible difficulties surrounding the games, many are confident the games will be a success. 
 
&quot;I think they&#39;ve got some great facilities and I know a lot of people are knocking all the problems they&#39;ve had but, you know what, on the day, I think they&#39;ll deliver,&quot; said John Beadle from London. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m really looking forward to the opening ceremony and all the different colours of the flags and the different uniforms, they look really cool,&quot; said school girl, Charlotte Mowler. 
 
&quot;I think Rio will pull it off and I&#39;m hoping all the best for all the teams and all the countries that are there and it&#39;s going to be a wonderful spectacle, and here down in Australia we&#39;re going to be watching TV and making sure we watch our home town Canada do the best they can,&quot; added Canadian tourist, John Vantol. 
 
The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London&#39;s outlay four years ago. 
 
(Reuters)

The Rio Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million were spent on the show, about half of what London spent 4 years ago

On the eve of Rio 2016 opening ceremony today, the Sydney Opera House was lit up in Australia's Olympic colours of green and gold with the Olympic rings and national emblem covering the sails of the iconic building. Despite media reports over the past months of possible difficulties surrounding the games, many are confident the games will be a success. "I think they've got some great facilities and I know a lot of people are knocking all the problems they've had but, you know what, on the day, I think they'll deliver," said John Beadle from London. "I'm really looking forward to the opening ceremony and all the different colours of the flags and the different uniforms, they look really cool," said school girl, Charlotte Mowler. "I think Rio will pull it off and I'm hoping all the best for all the teams and all the countries that are there and it's going to be a wonderful spectacle, and here down in Australia we're going to be watching TV and making sure we watch our home town Canada do the best they can," added Canadian tourist, John Vantol. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London's outlay four years ago. (Reuters)

Sydney Opera House lights up in green and gold

Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten entered intensive care after suffering three cracked vertebrae in a stomach-churning high-speed crash during the Olympic road race on Sunday. 
 
The 33-year-old was leading the race and was 10 kilometres from Olympic gold when she tumbled over her handlebars on a tricky descent, leaving her motionless in a heap on the side of the road.&nbsp;The Dutch Cycling Federation initially said she was conscious and had been taken to the&nbsp;hospital. 
 
&quot;Heavy concussion and three small fractures in her lumbar spine. She continues 24 hours in the intensive care,&quot; the federation later added on Twitter.&nbsp;But the federation added that she was &quot;conscious and speaking&quot;. 
 
TV images of the crash made for uncomfortable viewing as Van Vleuten was left sprawled on the side of the road when victory in the 137km race seemed within her grasp. 
 
Her Dutch teammate Anna van der Breggen won the race but then spoke of her shock at riding past her stricken teammate.&nbsp;&quot;It really shook me when I saw Annemiek crashed on the road,&quot; said the new champion.&nbsp;&quot;Annemiek was leading but I realised I was now first in the team. I was shocked.&quot; 
 
Sweden&#39;s Emma Johansson took second and also spoke of her concern for Van Vleuten.&nbsp;&quot;Annemiek&#39;s crash was horrendous. We just want to know she is OK,&quot; she said. 
 
Van Vleuten skidded on a sharp right-hand bend and flipped forward over her handlebars, plunging head-first into the road and kerb.&nbsp; 
 
The crash happened on the Vista Chinesa, the same descent where the leaders of the men&#39;s race wiped out on Saturday with Italy&#39;s Vincenzo Nibali suffering a broken collarbone and Colombia`s Sergio Henao breaking his pelvis.&nbsp;Australia&#39;s Richie Porte broke a shoulder blade on the same section of the course during the penultimate descent on Saturday. 
 
(AFP)

33-year-old Annemiek van Vleuten was leading the race when she tumbled over her handlebars on a tricky descent, cracking three vertebrae

Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten entered intensive care after suffering three cracked vertebrae in a stomach-churning high-speed crash during the Olympic road race on Sunday. The 33-year-old was leading the race and was 10 kilometres from Olympic gold when she tumbled over her handlebars on a tricky descent, leaving her motionless in a heap on the side of the road. The Dutch Cycling Federation initially said she was conscious and had been taken to the hospital. "Heavy concussion and three small fractures in her lumbar spine. She continues 24 hours in the intensive care," the federation later added on Twitter. But the federation added that she was "conscious and speaking". TV images of the crash made for uncomfortable viewing as Van Vleuten was left sprawled on the side of the road when victory in the 137km race seemed within her grasp. Her Dutch teammate Anna van der Breggen won the race but then spoke of her shock at riding past her stricken teammate. "It really shook me when I saw Annemiek crashed on the road," said the new champion. "Annemiek was leading but I realised I was now first in the team. I was shocked." Sweden's Emma Johansson took second and also spoke of her concern for Van Vleuten. "Annemiek's crash was horrendous. We just want to know she is OK," she said. Van Vleuten skidded on a sharp right-hand bend and flipped forward over her handlebars, plunging head-first into the road and kerb. The crash happened on the Vista Chinesa, the same descent where the leaders of the men's race wiped out on Saturday with Italy's Vincenzo Nibali suffering a broken collarbone and Colombia`s Sergio Henao breaking his pelvis. Australia's Richie Porte broke a shoulder blade on the same section of the course during the penultimate descent on Saturday. (AFP)

Rio Olympics: Dutch cyclist in intensive care after horrific crash

Brazilian police arrested a Moroccan Olympic boxer on Friday for allegedly sexually assaulting two female cleaners in the athletes&#39; village in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
Officers arrested Hassan Saada, 22, from Casablanca, on suspicion of committing the assault on Wednesday, said a police statement released hours ahead of the Games&#39; opening ceremony. 
 
&quot;According to investigations, on August 3 the athlete sexually assaulted two Brazilian room cleaners who were working in the athletes&#39; village,&quot; it said. 
 
Billions of people around the world are expected to watch on Friday evening as Rio hosts the formal opening of the Olympics, with several world leaders in attendance 
 
Police sources told the news site G1 that Saada was accused of calling the cleaners to his room on the pretext of asking them a question and then improperly touched them. The women managed to escape. The site said that two other athletes were allegedly in the room at the time but did not react to the assault. 
 
A court granted a police request for Saada to be held in preventive detention for two weeks pending an investigation, the statement said. 
 
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) lists Saada as a former Moroccan youth champion and &quot;newcomer to the international scene.&quot; He was to fight in the 81-kilogram (178-pound) or light-heavyweight category in the Rio Games. 
 
Saada had been scheduled to fight Mehmet Nadir Unal of Turkey on Saturday in his first bout of the Games, G1 reported. - Olympic scandals - News site Globo reported that the Rio 2016 organizing committee had promised to cooperate with the investigation. 
 
The AIBA said in a statement it &quot;has taken note of the serious allegations&quot; against Saada. 
 
&quot;We understand that the situation is being dealt with by the local Brazilian authorities and have complete confidence that they will handle the matter appropriately,&quot; it said. 
 
It was the latest in a series of scandals and dramas to hit the Games in the crime-plagued Brazilian city. 
 
On July 31, a private security guard at Rio&#39;s Olympic Park was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a female firefighter while she slept. 
 
About 85,000 police and soldiers, as well as thousands of private guards, have been deployed -- double the number used at the 2012 London Games. 
 
Brazil suffers high levels of violence against women. Statistics indicate that in 2014, a sexual assault took place on average every 11 minutes. 
 
In May, an alleged gang rape of an unconscious teenage girl shocked the country after it came to light in an online video posted by the suspects. 
 
The Games had already been hit by scandal, with dozens of Russian athletes being barred over allegations of state-run doping. 
 
The AIBA said Thursday that all 11 Russian boxers entered for the Rio Olympics had been cleared and should be allowed to compete. 
 
The AIBA drew wide criticism in world boxing circles this year for opening the Olympic competition to professional boxers for the first time. 
 
Professionals in many other sports -- like basketball, ice hockey and tennis -- were long ago allowed to compete in the Olympics. 
 
(AFP)

The boxer is accused of assaulting two female Brazilian cleaners in the athletes' village who managed to escape the room

Brazilian police arrested a Moroccan Olympic boxer on Friday for allegedly sexually assaulting two female cleaners in the athletes' village in Rio de Janeiro. Officers arrested Hassan Saada, 22, from Casablanca, on suspicion of committing the assault on Wednesday, said a police statement released hours ahead of the Games' opening ceremony. "According to investigations, on August 3 the athlete sexually assaulted two Brazilian room cleaners who were working in the athletes' village," it said. Billions of people around the world are expected to watch on Friday evening as Rio hosts the formal opening of the Olympics, with several world leaders in attendance Police sources told the news site G1 that Saada was accused of calling the cleaners to his room on the pretext of asking them a question and then improperly touched them. The women managed to escape. The site said that two other athletes were allegedly in the room at the time but did not react to the assault. A court granted a police request for Saada to be held in preventive detention for two weeks pending an investigation, the statement said. The International Boxing Association (AIBA) lists Saada as a former Moroccan youth champion and "newcomer to the international scene." He was to fight in the 81-kilogram (178-pound) or light-heavyweight category in the Rio Games. Saada had been scheduled to fight Mehmet Nadir Unal of Turkey on Saturday in his first bout of the Games, G1 reported. - Olympic scandals - News site Globo reported that the Rio 2016 organizing committee had promised to cooperate with the investigation. The AIBA said in a statement it "has taken note of the serious allegations" against Saada. "We understand that the situation is being dealt with by the local Brazilian authorities and have complete confidence that they will handle the matter appropriately," it said. It was the latest in a series of scandals and dramas to hit the Games in the crime-plagued Brazilian city. On July 31, a private security guard at Rio's Olympic Park was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a female firefighter while she slept. About 85,000 police and soldiers, as well as thousands of private guards, have been deployed -- double the number used at the 2012 London Games. Brazil suffers high levels of violence against women. Statistics indicate that in 2014, a sexual assault took place on average every 11 minutes. In May, an alleged gang rape of an unconscious teenage girl shocked the country after it came to light in an online video posted by the suspects. The Games had already been hit by scandal, with dozens of Russian athletes being barred over allegations of state-run doping. The AIBA said Thursday that all 11 Russian boxers entered for the Rio Olympics had been cleared and should be allowed to compete. The AIBA drew wide criticism in world boxing circles this year for opening the Olympic competition to professional boxers for the first time. Professionals in many other sports -- like basketball, ice hockey and tennis -- were long ago allowed to compete in the Olympics. (AFP)

Rio Olympics: Morocco boxer Saada arrested for suspected assault

Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal, one of the country&#39;s strongest medal hope, kicked off her campaign at the Rio Olympics on a winning note as she brushed aside Brazil&#39;s Lohaynny Vicente in straight games in the opening match of the women&#39;s singles event on Wednesday. 
 
Saina, the bronze medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, produced an imperious form throughout the match to register an emphatic 21-17, 21-17 win over her Brazilian compatriot in the one-sided contest that lasted for 39 minutes at Riocentro- Pavilion. 
 
The 26-year-old will play her next Group G match against Ukraine&#39;s&nbsp;Ulitina Maria. 
 
Earlier today, PV Sindhu, the other shuttler in fray, also made a great start to her badminton campaign by thrashing Hungary&#39;s Laura Sarosi 21-8, 21-9 in her opening round. 
 
Meanwhile, the Indian women&#39;s double pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had lost 15-21, 10-21 to top-ranked Japanese pair of Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsumoto in a match which lasted 36 minutes in their Group A opener. 
 
In the men&#39;s doubles competition, Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy also suffered a 18-21, 13-21 defeat at the hands of World Number 2 Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan in their first match. 
 
(ANI) 
&nbsp;

Saina produced an imperious form throughout the match to register an emphatic 21-17, 21-17 win over Brazil's Lohaynny Vicente

Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal, one of the country's strongest medal hope, kicked off her campaign at the Rio Olympics on a winning note as she brushed aside Brazil's Lohaynny Vicente in straight games in the opening match of the women's singles event on Wednesday. Saina, the bronze medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, produced an imperious form throughout the match to register an emphatic 21-17, 21-17 win over her Brazilian compatriot in the one-sided contest that lasted for 39 minutes at Riocentro- Pavilion. The 26-year-old will play her next Group G match against Ukraine's Ulitina Maria. Earlier today, PV Sindhu, the other shuttler in fray, also made a great start to her badminton campaign by thrashing Hungary's Laura Sarosi 21-8, 21-9 in her opening round. Meanwhile, the Indian women's double pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had lost 15-21, 10-21 to top-ranked Japanese pair of Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsumoto in a match which lasted 36 minutes in their Group A opener. In the men's doubles competition, Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy also suffered a 18-21, 13-21 defeat at the hands of World Number 2 Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan in their first match. (ANI)

Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal gets off to winning start in Rio Olympics

On debut day for Olympic boxing, fighters said they were happy to be competing at the first Games since 1980 without protective headgear, welcoming better peripheral vision even if it means more cuts and scrapes. 
 
After decades of debate, and some studies suggesting headgear did not make the sport safer, boxing governing body AIBA eliminated the equipment at events since 2013, including two world championships and one Commonwealth Games. 
 
With a global audience at the Olympics, boxers said they were especially pleased to go - even if no headgear means more scratches and, sometimes, cuts. 
 
&quot;You feel unimpeded,&quot; said Juan Nogueira, a Brazilian heavyweight from S?o Paulo, the biggest city of the host country, whose fans erupted in cheers as he defeated Australian Jason Eric Whateley on Saturday. 
 
&quot;He is a really good opponent, a technical fighter, and I was happy to be able to see more,&quot; he added, echoing comments by other fighters that headgear limits a boxer&#39;s ability to see to the side. 
 
The prospect of cuts, and consequent stopping of matches because of safety concerns about blood, continues to be a sore subject. At the Commonwealth Games in 2014, Australian Daniel Lewis complained that he lost a medal because he was deemed unfit to compete because of a cut. 
 
Still, on Saturday most boxers said they were willing to take the risk. 
 
&quot;Yeah, you can feel the sting a little more, but it&#39;s worth it,&quot; said Misael Uziel Rodriguez, a Mexican middleweight who squares off against Iraq&#39;s Abdulridha Waheed on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Boxing governing body AIBA removed headgears at events since 2013, including two world championships and one Commonwealth Games

On debut day for Olympic boxing, fighters said they were happy to be competing at the first Games since 1980 without protective headgear, welcoming better peripheral vision even if it means more cuts and scrapes. After decades of debate, and some studies suggesting headgear did not make the sport safer, boxing governing body AIBA eliminated the equipment at events since 2013, including two world championships and one Commonwealth Games. With a global audience at the Olympics, boxers said they were especially pleased to go - even if no headgear means more scratches and, sometimes, cuts. "You feel unimpeded," said Juan Nogueira, a Brazilian heavyweight from S?o Paulo, the biggest city of the host country, whose fans erupted in cheers as he defeated Australian Jason Eric Whateley on Saturday. "He is a really good opponent, a technical fighter, and I was happy to be able to see more," he added, echoing comments by other fighters that headgear limits a boxer's ability to see to the side. The prospect of cuts, and consequent stopping of matches because of safety concerns about blood, continues to be a sore subject. At the Commonwealth Games in 2014, Australian Daniel Lewis complained that he lost a medal because he was deemed unfit to compete because of a cut. Still, on Saturday most boxers said they were willing to take the risk. "Yeah, you can feel the sting a little more, but it's worth it," said Misael Uziel Rodriguez, a Mexican middleweight who squares off against Iraq's Abdulridha Waheed on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Boxers scuffed up but happy sans headgear at Rio

Professionals posted mixed results on Saturday, the first day that non-amateur boxers have been allowed to compete at the Olympics. 
 
Cameroon&#39;s Hassan N&#39;Dam N&#39;jikam, a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim middleweight champion who is now fighting as a light heavyweight, lost to Brazilian amateur Michel Borges in a unanimous decision that delighted a raucous home crowd. 
 
Tommasone makes history&nbsp; 
 
Earlier on Saturday, Italy&#39;s Carmine Tommasone made boxing history when he became the first fully professional fighter to compete, winning his opening bout against a Mexican amateur. 
 
The two professionals and a Thai fighter who has yet to make his Olympic debut are competing after AIBA, the sport&#39;s governing body, made a constitutional change in June that ended 112 years of amateur exclusivity at the Games. 
 
For 32-year-old N&#39;jikam, the change to Olympic rules meant a struggle to adapt. Compared with professional boxing, which can feature 10 rounds or more, Olympic bouts are compressed to only three. 
 
As a professional, &quot;I take time in the first round to know what he&#39;s going to do,&quot; he said, admitting that the cautious approach led to his losing crucial early momentum. 
 
Still, he does not regret competing. 
 
&quot;I am not happy but I (had) fun,&quot; he said. 
 
Tommasone, meanwhile, reveled in reaching the games and winning his first fight. 
 
&quot;The Olympics is the top dream of any athlete,&quot; he said, his face still red from a gritty bout in which he struggled to penetrate the guard of a taller opponent, Lindolfo Delgado. 
 
In another shift, this Olympics marks the first time since 1980 that fighters are competing without headgear. 
 
Enthusiastic fans cheer bouts&nbsp; 
 
The boxing began in mid-morning on the first full day of competition at the Games after a colourful opening ceremony at Rio&#39;s Maracana stadium the previous night. 
 
The 9000-seat boxing venue, during morning and afternoon fighting, began with few spectators, but was approaching a full house by the time light heavyweights entered the ring at the end of each session. 
 
Enthusiastic fans, especially yellow-clad Brazilians who made the arena shake as they stomped on metal stands, cheered the bouts featuring fighters from countries including Britain, Spain, China, Uzbekistan and Poland. 
 
The winners of the opening bouts will move forward into the round of 16. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Enthusiastic fans, especially yellow-clad Brazilians, made the arena shake as they stomped on metal stands

Professionals posted mixed results on Saturday, the first day that non-amateur boxers have been allowed to compete at the Olympics. Cameroon's Hassan N'Dam N'jikam, a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim middleweight champion who is now fighting as a light heavyweight, lost to Brazilian amateur Michel Borges in a unanimous decision that delighted a raucous home crowd. Tommasone makes history Earlier on Saturday, Italy's Carmine Tommasone made boxing history when he became the first fully professional fighter to compete, winning his opening bout against a Mexican amateur. The two professionals and a Thai fighter who has yet to make his Olympic debut are competing after AIBA, the sport's governing body, made a constitutional change in June that ended 112 years of amateur exclusivity at the Games. For 32-year-old N'jikam, the change to Olympic rules meant a struggle to adapt. Compared with professional boxing, which can feature 10 rounds or more, Olympic bouts are compressed to only three. As a professional, "I take time in the first round to know what he's going to do," he said, admitting that the cautious approach led to his losing crucial early momentum. Still, he does not regret competing. "I am not happy but I (had) fun," he said. Tommasone, meanwhile, reveled in reaching the games and winning his first fight. "The Olympics is the top dream of any athlete," he said, his face still red from a gritty bout in which he struggled to penetrate the guard of a taller opponent, Lindolfo Delgado. In another shift, this Olympics marks the first time since 1980 that fighters are competing without headgear. Enthusiastic fans cheer bouts The boxing began in mid-morning on the first full day of competition at the Games after a colourful opening ceremony at Rio's Maracana stadium the previous night. The 9000-seat boxing venue, during morning and afternoon fighting, began with few spectators, but was approaching a full house by the time light heavyweights entered the ring at the end of each session. Enthusiastic fans, especially yellow-clad Brazilians who made the arena shake as they stomped on metal stands, cheered the bouts featuring fighters from countries including Britain, Spain, China, Uzbekistan and Poland. The winners of the opening bouts will move forward into the round of 16. (Reuters)

Rio 2016 Olympic boxing: Pro-fighters win and lose bouts against amateurs

Brazilian riot police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse a small protest near the Maracana stadium that will host Friday&#39;s opening ceremony for the Olympic Games, television images showed.

The protest, which grouped a few hundred people, was against corruption and overspending on the Olympic Games, which are taking place during Brazil&#39;s worst economic downturn in decades. 
 
(Reuters)

The protest was against corruption and overspending on the Olympic Games which are taking place during Brazil's worst economic downturn

Brazilian riot police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse a small protest near the Maracana stadium that will host Friday's opening ceremony for the Olympic Games, television images showed. The protest, which grouped a few hundred people, was against corruption and overspending on the Olympic Games, which are taking place during Brazil's worst economic downturn in decades. (Reuters)

Brazil police use tear gas, stun grenades at Rio protest

Brazilian soccer legend&nbsp;Pele&nbsp;will not light the Olympic cauldron at Friday&#39;s opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympics due to poor health, a spokesman for the three-time World Cup winner said.

Pele, who in 1999 was elected by the International Olympic Committee as the Athlete of the Century and whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is considered by many as the greatest soccer player of all time.

Pele, 75, underwent hip surgery at the end of last year and his rehabilitation has been difficult.

Pepito Fornos, a&nbsp;Pele&nbsp;spokesman, confirmed&nbsp;that&nbsp;Pele&nbsp;would not light the cauldron, saying that &quot;the muscles in his leg that is being rehabilitated are not sufficiently strong enough&quot;.

&quot;He is walking with a cane. The problem is that if he sits in a chair you need a winch to get him out of it,&quot; Fornos said. &quot;His doctor thought it best that he continues physiotherapy, that he rests and we hope that he will be able to appear at the (Olympic) closing.&quot;

Pele&nbsp;said earlier this week that he had been asked to light the cauldron, but also said he needed to consult some commercial sponsors on whether he contractually would be able to do that.

Organisers have kept light-tipped about the details of the ceremony and had not confirmed whether&nbsp;Pele&nbsp;would take part, repeatedly refusing to comment on who might light the cauldron - the symbol of the Games that remains lit until the closing ceremony.

Despite being named Athlete of the Century,&nbsp;Pele&nbsp;never actually competed in an Olympics.

Pele&nbsp;has often joked that Brazil has never won an Olympic gold medal in soccer because he never played for the team. 
 
(Reuters)

Pele had undergone hip surgery at the end of last year. His rehabilitation has been difficult since then

Brazilian soccer legend Pele will not light the Olympic cauldron at Friday's opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympics due to poor health, a spokesman for the three-time World Cup winner said. Pele, who in 1999 was elected by the International Olympic Committee as the Athlete of the Century and whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is considered by many as the greatest soccer player of all time. Pele, 75, underwent hip surgery at the end of last year and his rehabilitation has been difficult. Pepito Fornos, a Pele spokesman, confirmed that Pele would not light the cauldron, saying that "the muscles in his leg that is being rehabilitated are not sufficiently strong enough". "He is walking with a cane. The problem is that if he sits in a chair you need a winch to get him out of it," Fornos said. "His doctor thought it best that he continues physiotherapy, that he rests and we hope that he will be able to appear at the (Olympic) closing." Pele said earlier this week that he had been asked to light the cauldron, but also said he needed to consult some commercial sponsors on whether he contractually would be able to do that. Organisers have kept light-tipped about the details of the ceremony and had not confirmed whether Pele would take part, repeatedly refusing to comment on who might light the cauldron - the symbol of the Games that remains lit until the closing ceremony. Despite being named Athlete of the Century, Pele never actually competed in an Olympics. Pele has often joked that Brazil has never won an Olympic gold medal in soccer because he never played for the team. (Reuters)

Soccer legend Pele will not light Olympic cauldron due to muscle pain

Rio Paralympics 2016, a major international multi-sporting event for people with disabilities, kicked off with a spectacular opening ceremony on September 7 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.&nbsp; 
 
The ceremony played true to its event&#39;s meaning as American Aaron &quot;Wheelz&quot; Fotheringham, a wheelchair athlete, jumped from a massive ramp from the Maracana stands and performed a back flip through a giant ring. Rio organisers said that over 1.5 million tickets were sold for the event.&nbsp; 
 
Here are the seven things that you need to know about the popular sporting event. 
 
What&#39;s in the name?&nbsp; 
 
The &#39;para&#39; in Paralympics is a Greek prefix meaning &#39;alongside&#39; or &#39;parallel to&#39;. Thus, the term Paralympics means &#39;parallel to Olympics&#39;. 
 
While most of you would be aware of the significance of the Olympics logo, the Paralympics logo is &nbsp;less familiar. The symbol consists of three agitos (red, blue and green) encircling a single point. These three colours were chosen because they are most widely represented in national flags across the world. 
 
World in a logo 
 
The new Paralympic Symbol (logo) was launched in 2003. It is a symbol in motion, with three Agitos (from the Latin meaning &#39;I move&#39;) encircling a centre point; emphasizing the role that the IPC has of bringing athletes from all corners of the world together and enabling them to compete. 
 
 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/2000px-ipc_logo_(2004).svg-20160907114638.png" />
<div class="media-description">
Logo of the Paralympic games
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The beginning&nbsp; 
 
The games began in 1948, but were called the Stoke Mandeville Games at that time. They became the Paralympics only in 1960 and were held in Rome. The first Winter Paralympics took place in 1967. 
 
World&#39;s second largest multi-sport event 
 
The Paralympics are the second largest multi-sport event in the world, second to the Olympics. 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/gettyimages-82773060%20(1)-20160908073805.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
&nbsp;
</div>
Exclusive Paralympics sports 
 
Goalball (for the blind and visually-impaired) and Boccia are two sports that are unique to the Paralympics. 
 
Participation 
 
Around 4,350 athletes from more than 160 countries will compete in 528 events in 22 different sports. The Paralympics ceremony will see a participation from around 500 professional staff and 2,000 volunteers. 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/gettyimages-1924534%20(1)-20160908073643.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Andrew Hodge waves after winning gold medal in the 100 m event during the 1992 Paralympics.
</div>
 
Key players from South Asia&nbsp; 
 
The key players from South Asia include Afghanistan&#39;s Mohammad Naiem Durani, India&#39;s Devendra Jhajaria and Amit Kumar Saroha, Nepal&#39;s Bikram Rana and Laxmi Kunwar, Sri Lanka&#39;s Anil Prasanna and Pakistan&#39;s Haider Ali. 
 
2016 Rio Paralympic Games are to be held from September 7 to September 18 at Rio&rsquo;s iconic Maracana Stadium. 
 
Contributions by Ashna Mishra 
 
(WION Edge)
<div class="media-description">
&nbsp;
</div>

The international multi-sporting event kicked off on Wednesday (September 7) with a spectacular opening ceremony

Rio Paralympics 2016, a major international multi-sporting event for people with disabilities, kicked off with a spectacular opening ceremony on September 7 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The ceremony played true to its event's meaning as American Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham, a wheelchair athlete, jumped from a massive ramp from the Maracana stands and performed a back flip through a giant ring. Rio organisers said that over 1.5 million tickets were sold for the event. Here are the seven things that you need to know about the popular sporting event. What's in the name? The 'para' in Paralympics is a Greek prefix meaning 'alongside' or 'parallel to'. Thus, the term Paralympics means 'parallel to Olympics'. While most of you would be aware of the significance of the Olympics logo, the Paralympics logo is less familiar. The symbol consists of three agitos (red, blue and green) encircling a single point. These three colours were chosen because they are most widely represented in national flags across the world. World in a logo The new Paralympic Symbol (logo) was launched in 2003. It is a symbol in motion, with three Agitos (from the Latin meaning 'I move') encircling a centre point; emphasizing the role that the IPC has of bringing athletes from all corners of the world together and enabling them to compete. Logo of the Paralympic games The beginning The games began in 1948, but were called the Stoke Mandeville Games at that time. They became the Paralympics only in 1960 and were held in Rome. The first Winter Paralympics took place in 1967. World's second largest multi-sport event The Paralympics are the second largest multi-sport event in the world, second to the Olympics. Exclusive Paralympics sports Goalball (for the blind and visually-impaired) and Boccia are two sports that are unique to the Paralympics. Participation Around 4,350 athletes from more than 160 countries will compete in 528 events in 22 different sports. The Paralympics ceremony will see a participation from around 500 professional staff and 2,000 volunteers. Andrew Hodge waves after winning gold medal in the 100 m event during the 1992 Paralympics. Key players from South Asia The key players from South Asia include Afghanistan's Mohammad Naiem Durani, India's Devendra Jhajaria and Amit Kumar Saroha, Nepal's Bikram Rana and Laxmi Kunwar, Sri Lanka's Anil Prasanna and Pakistan's Haider Ali. 2016 Rio Paralympic Games are to be held from September 7 to September 18 at Rio’s iconic Maracana Stadium. Contributions by Ashna Mishra (WION Edge)

Rio Paralympics 2016: Seven things you need to know

The first female gymnast to represent India in Rio Olympics 2016 brought pride to the nation.

A tribute to Indian gymnast 'Dipa Karmakar'

Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino resigned on Tuesday, deepening the chaos in the frustrated squad a month before the Olympics after its star striker Lionel Messi also quit.&nbsp;In a statement published by the Argentina Football Association (AFA), Martino said he and his coaching staff quit due to management disputes in the body and difficulties in getting the squad together in time for the Olympics. 
 
The blow came less than two weeks after Messi said he was quitting following defeat to Chile in the Copa America Centenario, sparking demonstrations by fans desperate for him to stay.&nbsp;The crisis in the national squad laid bare managerial squabbles in the AFA that are blamed for disrupting the organisation of Argentina&#39;s favourite sport. 
 
Martino&#39;s decision was &quot;due to the lack of clarity in the naming of new leaders for the association and the serious inconveniences in forming a squad to represent the country in the coming Olympic Games&quot;, the statement said. 
 
Argentine media said Martino was frustrated at clubs not releasing players for the national squad. Key players such as Paulo Dybala of Juventus and Mauro Icardi of Inter have not been released. 
 
Former Barcelona coach Martino, 53, took over the Argentina team in the wake of the 2014 World Cup, in which they were beaten 1-0 by Germany after extra time in the final.&nbsp;He guided Argentina to 29 wins, seven draws and three defeats.&nbsp;He led the team to the Copa America final last year and again last month in the centenary edition. They were beaten both times by Chile on penalties. 
 
The June 26 defeat this year was Argentina&#39;s third consecutive loss in a major international final. They have gone 23 years without a major title.&nbsp;&quot;Losing again is too great a pain,&quot; Martino said after that defeat. 
 
Martino comes from the same northern city as Messi, Rosario.&nbsp;As well as clubs in Spain, Ecuador and Chile, he played briefly for Argentina but was eclipsed by his contemporary Diego Maradona.&nbsp;He guided Paraguay as far as the quarter finals of the 2010 World Cup as its national coach. 
 
He returned as coach to his first club, Newell&#39;s Old Boys, and won the Argentine league with them in 2013 before a trophy-free season with Spanish giants Barcelona.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the AFA is in crisis and its management has been criticised by the likes of Messi and Maradona. 
 
Before leaving for the Copa in the United States, Martino said that the AFA owed him six months&#39; pay.&nbsp;Former AFA head Luis Segura quit last week amid a dispute over how the leagues should be organised.&nbsp;Major clubs want to break away and form a &quot;super-league&quot; to get bigger broadcasting revenues. 
 
The president of the Argentine Olympic committee, Gerardo Werthein, warned on the radio shortly before Tuesday&#39;s announcement that there was &quot;50 per cent chance&quot; Argentina would miss the Olympic football competition.&nbsp;The Olympics run from August 5 to 21 in Rio de Janeiro, following which the country will look to the World Cup in Russia in 2018. 
 
Argentina&#39;s great rival Brazil has also switched coaches just ahead of the Olympics.&nbsp;They sacked coach Dunga after their group-stage exit from the Copa America and replaced him with ex-Corinthians boss Tite. But Olympic coach Rogerio Micale will take them to the Games. 
 
(AFP)

Gerardo quit due to management issues in the Argentina Football Association and difficulties in getting a squad together for Rio 2016

Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino resigned on Tuesday, deepening the chaos in the frustrated squad a month before the Olympics after its star striker Lionel Messi also quit. In a statement published by the Argentina Football Association (AFA), Martino said he and his coaching staff quit due to management disputes in the body and difficulties in getting the squad together in time for the Olympics. The blow came less than two weeks after Messi said he was quitting following defeat to Chile in the Copa America Centenario, sparking demonstrations by fans desperate for him to stay. The crisis in the national squad laid bare managerial squabbles in the AFA that are blamed for disrupting the organisation of Argentina's favourite sport. Martino's decision was "due to the lack of clarity in the naming of new leaders for the association and the serious inconveniences in forming a squad to represent the country in the coming Olympic Games", the statement said. Argentine media said Martino was frustrated at clubs not releasing players for the national squad. Key players such as Paulo Dybala of Juventus and Mauro Icardi of Inter have not been released. Former Barcelona coach Martino, 53, took over the Argentina team in the wake of the 2014 World Cup, in which they were beaten 1-0 by Germany after extra time in the final. He guided Argentina to 29 wins, seven draws and three defeats. He led the team to the Copa America final last year and again last month in the centenary edition. They were beaten both times by Chile on penalties. The June 26 defeat this year was Argentina's third consecutive loss in a major international final. They have gone 23 years without a major title. "Losing again is too great a pain," Martino said after that defeat. Martino comes from the same northern city as Messi, Rosario. As well as clubs in Spain, Ecuador and Chile, he played briefly for Argentina but was eclipsed by his contemporary Diego Maradona. He guided Paraguay as far as the quarter finals of the 2010 World Cup as its national coach. He returned as coach to his first club, Newell's Old Boys, and won the Argentine league with them in 2013 before a trophy-free season with Spanish giants Barcelona. Meanwhile, the AFA is in crisis and its management has been criticised by the likes of Messi and Maradona. Before leaving for the Copa in the United States, Martino said that the AFA owed him six months' pay. Former AFA head Luis Segura quit last week amid a dispute over how the leagues should be organised. Major clubs want to break away and form a "super-league" to get bigger broadcasting revenues. The president of the Argentine Olympic committee, Gerardo Werthein, warned on the radio shortly before Tuesday's announcement that there was "50 per cent chance" Argentina would miss the Olympic football competition. The Olympics run from August 5 to 21 in Rio de Janeiro, following which the country will look to the World Cup in Russia in 2018. Argentina's great rival Brazil has also switched coaches just ahead of the Olympics. They sacked coach Dunga after their group-stage exit from the Copa America and replaced him with ex-Corinthians boss Tite. But Olympic coach Rogerio Micale will take them to the Games. (AFP)

Argentina coach Martino resigns over Olympic chaos

The International Olympic Committee eased a ban on Russian athletes competing in the Rio Games as the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Wednesday it was wrestling with a record number of appeals. 
 
The IOC sent out &quot;new guidance&quot; on how to implement sanctions ordered after an investigation found widespread state-backed Russian doping, according to the world sailing federation. 
 
Sailing&#39;s world body said it had cancelled a ban against Russian 470 class contender Pavel Sozykin because of the new instructions. 
 
The IOC had initially said any athlete &quot;implicated&quot; in the state-run doping revealed by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren should be excluded from the Games. 
 
But a new statement sent to the 28 summer Olympics federations on Monday &quot;indicated that an athlete should not be considered as &#39;implicated&#39; if the McLaren list does not refer to a prohibited substance which would have given rise to an anti-doping rules violation,&quot; the sailing federation said. 
 
Sozykin, like many Russian athletes facing bans, was named in connection with the manipulation of samples so positive results could be covered up. 
 
World sailing said it had reinstated Sozykin because the substance he was accused of taking would not have resulted in a ban. 
 
But dozens of would-be Olympians from Russia remained in limbo as CAS sorted through their appeals. 
 
CAS said at least 11 of the 18 appeals launched at a special tribunal in Rio since July 26 involved Russian athletes banned after they were implicated in the McLaren probe. 
 
CAS said in a statement that the tribunal in Rio had set &quot;a new record of cases for one edition of the Olympic Games&quot; before the Rio event starts on Friday. 
 
At the 2012 London Olympics, CAS had 11 cases in all to handle. 
 
CAS on Wednesday rejected a challenge by the Russian weightlifting federation against its suspension by the international weightlifting federation after the McLaren report. 
 
That meant eight Russian lifters were banned from Rio. 
 
An appeal by 17 Russian rowers was also been rejected. 
 
&#39;Something needs to change&#39; 
 
Nine other Russian procedures involved four Russian swimmers, four weightlifters who made individual appeals, three cyclists, three rowers, a wrestler and a canoeist. 
 
An IOC spokesman said that a panel that will confirm the Russian team was still &quot;very close&quot; to finishing the final number. 
 
According to an AFP count, at least 119 athletes from the 387 entered by the Russian Olympic Committee have now been excluded by federations. 
 
The scale of the scandal has rocked the Olympic movement but Olympic great Michael Phelps said that at heart it was nothing new. 
 
&quot;I think I can honestly say, in my career, I don&#39;t know if I&#39;ve ever competed in a clean sport,&quot; said the 18-time Olympic gold medallist as he headed into his fifth Olympics. &quot;It&#39;s upsetting.&quot; 
 
&quot;It&#39;s something that needs to change about all sport, not just swimming,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ve had this problem for how many Olympics now -- it seems almost every time there&#39;s something that comes up. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s sad. It&#39;s really sad that we can&#39;t control it. That somebody who is in charge cannot control this.&quot; 
 
Phelps&#39;s longtime coach Bob Bowman, head coach of the US men&#39;s swimming team in Rio, said the governing bodies of sports had &quot;dropped the ball&quot;. 
 
&quot;The system is broken, and it has to be fixed,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP)

The IOC has reportedly sent out 'new guidance' on how to implement sanctions against Russian sportspersons

The International Olympic Committee eased a ban on Russian athletes competing in the Rio Games as the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Wednesday it was wrestling with a record number of appeals. The IOC sent out "new guidance" on how to implement sanctions ordered after an investigation found widespread state-backed Russian doping, according to the world sailing federation. Sailing's world body said it had cancelled a ban against Russian 470 class contender Pavel Sozykin because of the new instructions. The IOC had initially said any athlete "implicated" in the state-run doping revealed by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren should be excluded from the Games. But a new statement sent to the 28 summer Olympics federations on Monday "indicated that an athlete should not be considered as 'implicated' if the McLaren list does not refer to a prohibited substance which would have given rise to an anti-doping rules violation," the sailing federation said. Sozykin, like many Russian athletes facing bans, was named in connection with the manipulation of samples so positive results could be covered up. World sailing said it had reinstated Sozykin because the substance he was accused of taking would not have resulted in a ban. But dozens of would-be Olympians from Russia remained in limbo as CAS sorted through their appeals. CAS said at least 11 of the 18 appeals launched at a special tribunal in Rio since July 26 involved Russian athletes banned after they were implicated in the McLaren probe. CAS said in a statement that the tribunal in Rio had set "a new record of cases for one edition of the Olympic Games" before the Rio event starts on Friday. At the 2012 London Olympics, CAS had 11 cases in all to handle. CAS on Wednesday rejected a challenge by the Russian weightlifting federation against its suspension by the international weightlifting federation after the McLaren report. That meant eight Russian lifters were banned from Rio. An appeal by 17 Russian rowers was also been rejected. 'Something needs to change' Nine other Russian procedures involved four Russian swimmers, four weightlifters who made individual appeals, three cyclists, three rowers, a wrestler and a canoeist. An IOC spokesman said that a panel that will confirm the Russian team was still "very close" to finishing the final number. According to an AFP count, at least 119 athletes from the 387 entered by the Russian Olympic Committee have now been excluded by federations. The scale of the scandal has rocked the Olympic movement but Olympic great Michael Phelps said that at heart it was nothing new. "I think I can honestly say, in my career, I don't know if I've ever competed in a clean sport," said the 18-time Olympic gold medallist as he headed into his fifth Olympics. "It's upsetting." "It's something that needs to change about all sport, not just swimming," he said. "We've had this problem for how many Olympics now -- it seems almost every time there's something that comes up. "It's sad. It's really sad that we can't control it. That somebody who is in charge cannot control this." Phelps's longtime coach Bob Bowman, head coach of the US men's swimming team in Rio, said the governing bodies of sports had "dropped the ball". "The system is broken, and it has to be fixed," he said. (AFP)

IOC eases ban on Russian athletes as CAS wrestles with record number of appeals

The Australian Olympic Committee has demanded Rio 2016 organisers enforce a strict ban on smoking in the athletes&#39; village after saying a fire in the basement of their building was probably caused by a cigarette tossed into rubbish. 
 
Delegation head Kitty Chiller said it was also &quot;completely unacceptable&quot; that a previously tested fire alarm system had been switched off at the time without the Australians being informed. 
 
The incident, which filled the stairwells with smoke on Friday evening, came after the Australians and several other teams had complained about unfinished and dirty rooms before moving in. 
 
&quot;The fire did seem to be accidental, probably a cigarette thrown into rubbish in the building,&quot; Chiller told a news conference on Saturday. 
 
&quot;We have asked Rio 2016 to enforce a very strict non-smoking policy. Every athletes&#39; village in the Olympic Games should be non-smoking, so we&rsquo;ve asked for that to be enforced, because at the moment it&#39;s not.&quot; 
 
A spokesman for the local organisers confirmed that a discarded cigarette butt was suspected. 
 
Firemen were stationed on every floor, with security guards in the basement, as a precaution after the scare but Chiller said such measures would not continue.&nbsp;Chiller said she had spoken to several other national committees warning them to check basements for refuse, and the matter would be raised at a meeting of team chiefs today. 
 
She said organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had been &quot;extremely responsive&quot; and had promised a full report by Saturday evening. 
 
An investigation on Friday night had already established that the fire alarm system was turned off for several hours pending work on the next door building occupied by Germany and Belgium. 
 
&quot;We&rsquo;ve now absolutely insisted that that fire alarm system is never deactivated again,&quot; said Chiller. 
 
The Australians had complained last weekend about exposed wiring and blocked toilets, saying accommodation in the village was &quot;not safe or ready&quot; for the Games, which open on August 5. 
 
Organisers then deployed a task force of 600 workers to tackle repairs.&nbsp;Friday&#39;s scare saw some 100 athletes and officials evacuated under an emergency response plan, but some still managed to sleep through it. 
 
Shooter Warren Potent, a 2008 bronze medallist in the 50m rifle prone category, confessed he was one of them and made light of the situation.&nbsp;&quot;They had the protocol in place but that doesn&rsquo;t actually work when I&rsquo;m asleep and the phone&rsquo;s on silent,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;At least now I can say I&rsquo;ve survived a burning building.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Smoke detectors were turned off, and Rio organisers confirmed that the fire was likely started by a discarded cigarette butt

The Australian Olympic Committee has demanded Rio 2016 organisers enforce a strict ban on smoking in the athletes' village after saying a fire in the basement of their building was probably caused by a cigarette tossed into rubbish. Delegation head Kitty Chiller said it was also "completely unacceptable" that a previously tested fire alarm system had been switched off at the time without the Australians being informed. The incident, which filled the stairwells with smoke on Friday evening, came after the Australians and several other teams had complained about unfinished and dirty rooms before moving in. "The fire did seem to be accidental, probably a cigarette thrown into rubbish in the building," Chiller told a news conference on Saturday. "We have asked Rio 2016 to enforce a very strict non-smoking policy. Every athletes' village in the Olympic Games should be non-smoking, so we’ve asked for that to be enforced, because at the moment it's not." A spokesman for the local organisers confirmed that a discarded cigarette butt was suspected. Firemen were stationed on every floor, with security guards in the basement, as a precaution after the scare but Chiller said such measures would not continue. Chiller said she had spoken to several other national committees warning them to check basements for refuse, and the matter would be raised at a meeting of team chiefs today. She said organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had been "extremely responsive" and had promised a full report by Saturday evening. An investigation on Friday night had already established that the fire alarm system was turned off for several hours pending work on the next door building occupied by Germany and Belgium. "We’ve now absolutely insisted that that fire alarm system is never deactivated again," said Chiller. The Australians had complained last weekend about exposed wiring and blocked toilets, saying accommodation in the village was "not safe or ready" for the Games, which open on August 5. Organisers then deployed a task force of 600 workers to tackle repairs. Friday's scare saw some 100 athletes and officials evacuated under an emergency response plan, but some still managed to sleep through it. Shooter Warren Potent, a 2008 bronze medallist in the 50m rifle prone category, confessed he was one of them and made light of the situation. "They had the protocol in place but that doesn’t actually work when I’m asleep and the phone’s on silent," he told reporters. "At least now I can say I’ve survived a burning building." (Reuters)

Olympics: Australia demands smoking ban be enforced after athletes village fire

&nbsp;Americans Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful doubles team in men&#39;s tennis history, have pulled out of the defence of their title at the Rio Games saying their family&#39;s health is their top priority. 
 
&quot;After countless hours of deliberation Mike and I have decided to forego the Rio Olympics,&quot; the pair wrote on their Facebook page on Saturday.&nbsp;&quot;Though we&#39;d love to compete again, as husbands and fathers, our family&#39;s health is now our top priority.&quot; 
 
Many athletes have withdrawn from the Olympics over concerns about the mosquito-borne Zika virus linked to birth defects in newborn babies and possible neurological problems in adults. 
 
The Bryan brothers are both married and Bob has three children. The pair won Olympic gold at the London 2012 Games and own 112 titles together, including 16 grand slams. 
 
&quot;Representing Team USA is one of our proudest tennis moments to date, and winning Gold in 2012 will always remain the pinnacle of our career,&quot; the brothers added.&nbsp;&quot;The Olympics means so much to us for so many reasons and the memories we have wearing the Stars and Stripes will burn brightly forever.&nbsp;Thank you to the USTA (United States Tennis Association) for the nomination and to our fans for their unwavering support.&quot; 
 
Amiable off court, a well-oiled machine on it, the Bryans have carried men&#39;s doubles for more than a decade. 
 
Ten times they have ended a year as top dogs and have held the number one ranking together for close to 450 weeks in total. 
 
They were looking forward to representing their country at a fourth Olympics, having also won bronze in Beijing in 2008, and had planned to play with gold-painted rackets. 
 
Bob described their London triumph as the pair&#39;s &quot;greatest moment&quot;, while Mike said missing out in Athens on their Olympic debut in 2004, when they were expected to medal, was a low. 
 
In an interview with Reuters at this year&#39;s Wimbledon championships Bob also stressed the importance of the Games. 
 
&quot;We know Rio will be our last Olympics, I can safely say that. It&#39;s been a huge priority. When we sat down to plan the year in December we said peaking for Rio was the goal. Winning in Rio would mean everything,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)

Tennis stars are the latest to withdraw from Olympics over fear of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, linked to birth defects in newborn babies

Americans Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful doubles team in men's tennis history, have pulled out of the defence of their title at the Rio Games saying their family's health is their top priority. "After countless hours of deliberation Mike and I have decided to forego the Rio Olympics," the pair wrote on their Facebook page on Saturday. "Though we'd love to compete again, as husbands and fathers, our family's health is now our top priority." Many athletes have withdrawn from the Olympics over concerns about the mosquito-borne Zika virus linked to birth defects in newborn babies and possible neurological problems in adults. The Bryan brothers are both married and Bob has three children. The pair won Olympic gold at the London 2012 Games and own 112 titles together, including 16 grand slams. "Representing Team USA is one of our proudest tennis moments to date, and winning Gold in 2012 will always remain the pinnacle of our career," the brothers added. "The Olympics means so much to us for so many reasons and the memories we have wearing the Stars and Stripes will burn brightly forever. Thank you to the USTA (United States Tennis Association) for the nomination and to our fans for their unwavering support." Amiable off court, a well-oiled machine on it, the Bryans have carried men's doubles for more than a decade. Ten times they have ended a year as top dogs and have held the number one ranking together for close to 450 weeks in total. They were looking forward to representing their country at a fourth Olympics, having also won bronze in Beijing in 2008, and had planned to play with gold-painted rackets. Bob described their London triumph as the pair's "greatest moment", while Mike said missing out in Athens on their Olympic debut in 2004, when they were expected to medal, was a low. In an interview with Reuters at this year's Wimbledon championships Bob also stressed the importance of the Games. "We know Rio will be our last Olympics, I can safely say that. It's been a huge priority. When we sat down to plan the year in December we said peaking for Rio was the goal. Winning in Rio would mean everything," he said. (Reuters)

Bryan brothers pull out of Rio Games, citing health concerns

Embattled wrestler Narsingh Yadav&#39;s hopes of representing India at the 74kg event in next months Rio Olympics received a major jolt after failing his second dope test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on July 5. 
 
On Monday, the 26-year-old grappler, who bagged the quota with a bronze medal finish in last years World Championships, tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid on both his A and B samples. 
 
Earlier in the day, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh confirmed that they had named Praveen Rana as a replacement for Narsingh. 
 
However, India&#39;s sports minister Vijay Goel said that as per rules, no player in the Olympics squad can be substituted if he or she has been suspended for failing dope test. 
 
Meanwhile, Narsingh has cried conspiracy, claiming that his food had been spiked. Echoing similar views, the WFI chief had also backed Narsingh&#39;s claims of a conspiracy, after his sparring partner and roommate Sandeep&nbsp;Tulsi also tested positive for drugs. 
 
Narsingh was selected for the Rio Olympics in controversial circumstances as two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar had demanded for trials to determine who should go to the games. 
 
However, Narsingh was favoured for the same after fighting a lengthy legal battle with Sushil. He will appear before a NADA panel on Wednesday in New Delhi for the final hearing. 
 
(ANI) 
 
&nbsp;

Wrestling Federation of India's president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh confirmed that they had named Praveen Rana as Yadav's replacement

Embattled wrestler Narsingh Yadav's hopes of representing India at the 74kg event in next months Rio Olympics received a major jolt after failing his second dope test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on July 5. On Monday, the 26-year-old grappler, who bagged the quota with a bronze medal finish in last years World Championships, tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid on both his A and B samples. Earlier in the day, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh confirmed that they had named Praveen Rana as a replacement for Narsingh. However, India's sports minister Vijay Goel said that as per rules, no player in the Olympics squad can be substituted if he or she has been suspended for failing dope test. Meanwhile, Narsingh has cried conspiracy, claiming that his food had been spiked. Echoing similar views, the WFI chief had also backed Narsingh's claims of a conspiracy, after his sparring partner and roommate Sandeep Tulsi also tested positive for drugs. Narsingh was selected for the Rio Olympics in controversial circumstances as two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar had demanded for trials to determine who should go to the games. However, Narsingh was favoured for the same after fighting a lengthy legal battle with Sushil. He will appear before a NADA panel on Wednesday in New Delhi for the final hearing. (ANI)

Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav fails second dope test

After reports of Narsingh Yadav failing doping test surfaced on Sunday, his roommate Sandeep Yadav, in a latest development, has also been reported to have failed the test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). 
 
The two wrestlers are roommates at the Sports Authority of India, Sonepat, according to zeenews.com. Narsingh, who tested positive for a banned steroid in the &#39;B&#39; sample, appeared in front of the NADA disciplinary panel on Saturday. Both of them tested positive in methandienone, an anabolic steroid, the tests of which were conducted on June 25.
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I am doing so well, why would I even take banned steroids? : Narsingh Yadav
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/757489324447371264">July 25, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
 
While Narsingh had won a long legal battle against Sushil Kumar to be a part of Rio 2016 squad, Sandeep was not selected in the Indian contingent. Narsingh&#39;s Rio dreams, however, look over as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have reportedly withheld his accreditation card. 
&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I should be sent to Rio Olympics and hope this will be sorted out soon. I have written to federation,want justice: Narsingh Yadav
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/757490070966378496">July 25, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
 
 
 
The WFI team has postponed their preparatory camp trip to Georgia, which was supposed to leave on Monday. If found guilty, Narsingh&#39;s absence at Rio will be a huge blow to India as the final date to send the list of athletes participating in Olympics was July 18, leaving no chance for a replacement in the 74 kilogram category. 
 
(DNA)

Sandeep can't make it to Rio anyway, but his roommate Narsingh's Olympics hopes appear to be over

After reports of Narsingh Yadav failing doping test surfaced on Sunday, his roommate Sandeep Yadav, in a latest development, has also been reported to have failed the test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). The two wrestlers are roommates at the Sports Authority of India, Sonepat, according to zeenews.com. Narsingh, who tested positive for a banned steroid in the 'B' sample, appeared in front of the NADA disciplinary panel on Saturday. Both of them tested positive in methandienone, an anabolic steroid, the tests of which were conducted on June 25. I am doing so well, why would I even take banned steroids? : Narsingh Yadav — ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2016 While Narsingh had won a long legal battle against Sushil Kumar to be a part of Rio 2016 squad, Sandeep was not selected in the Indian contingent. Narsingh's Rio dreams, however, look over as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have reportedly withheld his accreditation card. I should be sent to Rio Olympics and hope this will be sorted out soon. I have written to federation,want justice: Narsingh Yadav — ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2016 The WFI team has postponed their preparatory camp trip to Georgia, which was supposed to leave on Monday. If found guilty, Narsingh's absence at Rio will be a huge blow to India as the final date to send the list of athletes participating in Olympics was July 18, leaving no chance for a replacement in the 74 kilogram category. (DNA)

Wrestlers Narsingh and Sandeep Yadav both fail Olympic doping test

The International Olympic Committee reported 45 new doping failures today from the 2008 Games in Beijing and London 2012, bringing the total number of positive drug test to 98 since a retesting programme was launched. The IOC, facing one of its worst-ever doping crises that could see sporting powerhouse Russia banned from the Rio Games, has reanalysed more than 1,200 samples, with the emphasis on medal winners. 
 
Reporting results from its second wave of retests, the IOC said there were 30 &quot;Provisional Adverse Analytical Findings&quot; from competitors in Beijing 2008 and 15 &quot;Adverse Analytical Findings&quot; among London 2012 Olympians. Within the Beijing group, 23 were medallists, the IOC said. The 30 positive results came from eight countries and four sports. 
 
The second wave of retests from London included 138 samples. The 15 positive tests were from nine countries and two sports. The IOC said it was not able to identify the athletes concerned, citing legal reasons. &quot;The new reanalysis once again shows the commitment of the IOC in the fight against doping,&quot; Olympics president Thomas Bach said in a statement. 
 
The IOC has said the retesting programme followed &quot;intelligence-gathering&quot; that began last year. The new results may pile more pressure on the IOC as it faces making the unprecedented move of banning an entire country from a Games over doping. 
 
Two reports from the World Anti Doping Agency have detailed rampant, state-run drug cheating by Russia, affecting 30 sports. Russia&#39;s track and field team has already been banned from Rio by governing body IAAF.&nbsp; 
 
A dozen global anti-doping agencies and several national Olympic committees have urged the IOC to take exemplary action and rule all Russian competitors ineligible for the Rio Games, which start in two weeks. The IOC said a decision could be made on Sunday. 
 
(AFP)

These results may pile pressure on the IOC to make the unprecedented move of banning an entire country from the 2016 Games for doping

The International Olympic Committee reported 45 new doping failures today from the 2008 Games in Beijing and London 2012, bringing the total number of positive drug test to 98 since a retesting programme was launched. The IOC, facing one of its worst-ever doping crises that could see sporting powerhouse Russia banned from the Rio Games, has reanalysed more than 1,200 samples, with the emphasis on medal winners. Reporting results from its second wave of retests, the IOC said there were 30 "Provisional Adverse Analytical Findings" from competitors in Beijing 2008 and 15 "Adverse Analytical Findings" among London 2012 Olympians. Within the Beijing group, 23 were medallists, the IOC said. The 30 positive results came from eight countries and four sports. The second wave of retests from London included 138 samples. The 15 positive tests were from nine countries and two sports. The IOC said it was not able to identify the athletes concerned, citing legal reasons. "The new reanalysis once again shows the commitment of the IOC in the fight against doping," Olympics president Thomas Bach said in a statement. The IOC has said the retesting programme followed "intelligence-gathering" that began last year. The new results may pile more pressure on the IOC as it faces making the unprecedented move of banning an entire country from a Games over doping. Two reports from the World Anti Doping Agency have detailed rampant, state-run drug cheating by Russia, affecting 30 sports. Russia's track and field team has already been banned from Rio by governing body IAAF. A dozen global anti-doping agencies and several national Olympic committees have urged the IOC to take exemplary action and rule all Russian competitors ineligible for the Rio Games, which start in two weeks. The IOC said a decision could be made on Sunday. (AFP)

IOC finds 45 new doping failures from Beijing, London Games

Brazil&nbsp;arrested 10&nbsp;suspected of belonging to a poorly-organised group supporting Islamic State (IS) on Thursday and for plotting terrorist acts during the next month&#39;s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The group, described as &quot;absolutely amateur&quot; by justice minister Alexandre Moraes, were all Brazilian citizens and in contact via messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram. They did not know each other personally, the minister said.

The arrests came a week after a truck massacre in Nice, France, and amid growing fears of a possible attack when the Olympics starts on August 5. Some 500,000 visitors are expected to travel to&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;for the Games, many of them from the United States.

Although&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;has no history of conflict with known militant groups, Moraes said the Games had made the Latin American country a more likely target, particularly because of participation by countries fighting IS.

&quot;Today was the first operation against a supposed terrorist cell in&nbsp;Brazil,&quot; he told a news conference. &quot;Brazil&nbsp;was not part of the coalition against IS but, because of the upcoming Olympics and because it will receive many foreigners,&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;has become a target.&quot;

Moraes said the individuals detained on Thursday were being monitored because they had accessed websites linked to IS, but the group had &quot;no preparation at all&quot; and was a &quot;disorganised cell&quot;. He said that authorities intervened when the group started planning actions including martial-arts training and the purchase of firearms.

While the group did not have direct contact with IS, some members had made &quot;pro forma&quot; declarations of allegiance to the militant Islamist group via social media, the minister said.

A presidential aide said on Thursday that&nbsp;Brazilian police and intelligence services had cooperated with French, German, British, Israeli and US&nbsp;intelligence agencies in the arrests.

Brazil&#39;s federal police are monitoring around 100 people for possible links to terrorist groups, mostly in the lawless tri-border region with Paraguay and Argentina, said the aide, requesting anonymity.

&quot;Brazil&nbsp;was really being preemptive in this case,&quot; said Scott Stewart, vice president of tactical analysis at Stratfor, a global intelligence and advisory firm. &quot;There are some tactical benefits to arrests like this...You could disrupt anything in the works and it may also give other people pause.&quot;

Operation Hashtag

Brazil&nbsp;plans to deploy about 85,000 soldiers, police and other security personnel during the Rio Games, more than twice as many in place for the London Olympics in 2012.

It will also operate a joint security centre where representatives from more than 100 countries are expected to help share intelligence and monitor the event.

Local media raised concern that the arrests might affect ticket sales for the Games, with the release of 100,000 tickets on Thursday aimed at improving attendance.

The local Olympic organising committee, Rio 2016, referred requests for comment to the federal government.

Moraes said there was no evidence that the group had acquired weapons though one member had contacted a clandestine weapons site in neighbouring Paraguay that sells AK-47 assault rifles.

&quot;Those involved participated in an online group denominated &#39;the defenders of Sharia&#39; and were planning to acquire weapons to commit crimes in&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;and even overseas,&quot; Moraes said.

Two will be brought in for questioning, including the head of a local NGO, in addition to the 10 arrested across as many states, Moraes added.

Federal judge Marcos Josegrei da Silva, who approved the arrests from the southern city of Curitiba, said police had 30 days to analyse evidence. He emphasized that no-one had been charged in the operation, codenamed Hashtag.

&quot;These are internet affirmations on social networks,&quot; Josegrei told a news conference. &quot;Not everything a person conceives of in the virtual world is carried out in the real world.&quot;

Interim president Michel Temer called an emergency cabinet meeting following the arrests, the first under&nbsp;Brazil&#39;s tough new anti-terrorism law approved this year.

Brazilian and US&nbsp;officials have raised concern over the disappearance of former Guantanamo Bay detainee Jihad Diyab, after he had resettled in neighbouring Uruguay, saying he could now be in&nbsp;Brazil.

Last week,&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;deported a French-Algerian nuclear physicist convicted by a Paris court in 2012 for his involvement in helping to plot an attack in France in 2009 with an al Qaeda militant in Algeria.

Brazil&#39;s intelligence agency said on Tuesday it was investigating all threats to the Rio Olympics, after a previously unknown&nbsp;Brazilian Islamist group calling itself &quot;Ansar al-Khilafah&nbsp;Brazil&quot; pledged allegiance to IS. It was unclear whether those detained on Thursday have any relation with that group.

On Wednesday, SITE Intelligence Group, a US&nbsp;company that monitors the internet, said alleged Islamist militants were giving advice for lone actors to carry out attacks during the Games, including the use of toy drones. The messages are being sent via the mobile messaging system Telegram, SITE said.

Stratfor&#39;s Stewart said that, with no ability to project terrorist operatives into&nbsp;Brazil, IS could only seek to encourage grassroots groups.&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;has one of the world&#39;s largest Arab diasporas, mostly Christians of Syrian and Lebanese origins.

After last week&#39;s attack in Nice, France,&nbsp;Brazilian authorities said they would step up security measures for the Games by adding further roadblocks and cordons and frisking more visitors in Rio de Janeiro.&nbsp;Brazilian police have travelled to Nice to study the attacks there, officials said. 
 
(Reuters)

The Games and the influx of foreigners making Brazil a target for terror groups, justice minister said

Brazil arrested 10 suspected of belonging to a poorly-organised group supporting Islamic State (IS) on Thursday and for plotting terrorist acts during the next month's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The group, described as "absolutely amateur" by justice minister Alexandre Moraes, were all Brazilian citizens and in contact via messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram. They did not know each other personally, the minister said. The arrests came a week after a truck massacre in Nice, France, and amid growing fears of a possible attack when the Olympics starts on August 5. Some 500,000 visitors are expected to travel to Brazil for the Games, many of them from the United States. Although Brazil has no history of conflict with known militant groups, Moraes said the Games had made the Latin American country a more likely target, particularly because of participation by countries fighting IS. "Today was the first operation against a supposed terrorist cell in Brazil," he told a news conference. "Brazil was not part of the coalition against IS but, because of the upcoming Olympics and because it will receive many foreigners, Brazil has become a target." Moraes said the individuals detained on Thursday were being monitored because they had accessed websites linked to IS, but the group had "no preparation at all" and was a "disorganised cell". He said that authorities intervened when the group started planning actions including martial-arts training and the purchase of firearms. While the group did not have direct contact with IS, some members had made "pro forma" declarations of allegiance to the militant Islamist group via social media, the minister said. A presidential aide said on Thursday that Brazilian police and intelligence services had cooperated with French, German, British, Israeli and US intelligence agencies in the arrests. Brazil's federal police are monitoring around 100 people for possible links to terrorist groups, mostly in the lawless tri-border region with Paraguay and Argentina, said the aide, requesting anonymity. "Brazil was really being preemptive in this case," said Scott Stewart, vice president of tactical analysis at Stratfor, a global intelligence and advisory firm. "There are some tactical benefits to arrests like this...You could disrupt anything in the works and it may also give other people pause." Operation Hashtag Brazil plans to deploy about 85,000 soldiers, police and other security personnel during the Rio Games, more than twice as many in place for the London Olympics in 2012. It will also operate a joint security centre where representatives from more than 100 countries are expected to help share intelligence and monitor the event. Local media raised concern that the arrests might affect ticket sales for the Games, with the release of 100,000 tickets on Thursday aimed at improving attendance. The local Olympic organising committee, Rio 2016, referred requests for comment to the federal government. Moraes said there was no evidence that the group had acquired weapons though one member had contacted a clandestine weapons site in neighbouring Paraguay that sells AK-47 assault rifles. "Those involved participated in an online group denominated 'the defenders of Sharia' and were planning to acquire weapons to commit crimes in Brazil and even overseas," Moraes said. Two will be brought in for questioning, including the head of a local NGO, in addition to the 10 arrested across as many states, Moraes added. Federal judge Marcos Josegrei da Silva, who approved the arrests from the southern city of Curitiba, said police had 30 days to analyse evidence. He emphasized that no-one had been charged in the operation, codenamed Hashtag. "These are internet affirmations on social networks," Josegrei told a news conference. "Not everything a person conceives of in the virtual world is carried out in the real world." Interim president Michel Temer called an emergency cabinet meeting following the arrests, the first under Brazil's tough new anti-terrorism law approved this year. Brazilian and US officials have raised concern over the disappearance of former Guantanamo Bay detainee Jihad Diyab, after he had resettled in neighbouring Uruguay, saying he could now be in Brazil. Last week, Brazil deported a French-Algerian nuclear physicist convicted by a Paris court in 2012 for his involvement in helping to plot an attack in France in 2009 with an al Qaeda militant in Algeria. Brazil's intelligence agency said on Tuesday it was investigating all threats to the Rio Olympics, after a previously unknown Brazilian Islamist group calling itself "Ansar al-Khilafah Brazil" pledged allegiance to IS. It was unclear whether those detained on Thursday have any relation with that group. On Wednesday, SITE Intelligence Group, a US company that monitors the internet, said alleged Islamist militants were giving advice for lone actors to carry out attacks during the Games, including the use of toy drones. The messages are being sent via the mobile messaging system Telegram, SITE said. Stratfor's Stewart said that, with no ability to project terrorist operatives into Brazil, IS could only seek to encourage grassroots groups. Brazil has one of the world's largest Arab diasporas, mostly Christians of Syrian and Lebanese origins. After last week's attack in Nice, France, Brazilian authorities said they would step up security measures for the Games by adding further roadblocks and cordons and frisking more visitors in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian police have travelled to Nice to study the attacks there, officials said. (Reuters)

Brazil arrests 10 for plotting terror acts during Olympics

Australian top seed Samantha Stosur, defending Washington Open champion Sloane Stephens and German teen star Alexander Zverev are setting aside Zika virus fears to compete at the Rio Olympics. 
 
But Sam Querrey, who upset world number one Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, isn&#39;t going to Brazil because it just isn&#39;t that big a deal to him. 
 
Differing views over the mosquito-carried Zika virus and the rash of recent tennis withdrawals from Rio came out Monday on day one of the ATP and WTA event, the first hardcourt stop on the path to the US Open. 
 
&quot;It`s not something you want to take lightly,&quot; Stosur said after beating Russian qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3, 6-0. 
 
&quot;Other people say there are going to be far worse things going on than Zika. It`s about being smart, following all the guidelines. I`ve had all the vaccinations. It certainly has entered my mind this time around.&quot; 
 
Several top NBA players, more than 20 men&#39;s golfers and several top tennis players have withdrawn from Rio, many but not all citing the potential for contracting Zika, which causes severe illness and has been linked to birth defects. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m kind of scared but I`m not having any kids any time soon so I should be OK,&quot; said Stephens, a 23-year-old American set to make her Olympic debut. 
 
&quot;Some people are way more sensitive and some people aren`t. It just depends on the person.&quot; 
 
Canada&#39;s seventh-ranked Milos Raonic, who lost the Wimbledon men&#39;s final to Britain&#39;s Andy Murray earlier in July, eighth-ranked Czech Tomas Berdych and Austria&#39;s ninth-rated Dominic Thiem all said no to Rio. 
 
So did 16th-ranked John Isner, the Washington men&#39;s top seed, and Querrey, who doesn&#39;t see tennis or golf as true Olympic sports. 
 
&quot;For tennis and golf, the Olympics isn&#39;t a top priority,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We have four other Grand Slams. Those are the main focus. 
 
&quot;Some sports in the Olympics, (tennis) and golf, I feel like maybe shouldn`t be in there. It just wasn&#39;t a priority of mine at all.&quot; 
 
That&#39;s a stark contrast to 19-year-old Zverev, who at 27th in the world has become the youngest man to crack the top 30 since Djokovic in 2006. 
 
And Zverev has even suffered severe illness after a bug bite. 
 
&quot;I was at the US Open and something bit me,&quot; Zverev said. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m going to be very careful because of that. I only won one match the rest of the year. My leg got a lot swollen. I was really sick with fever, lost a lot of weight, couldn`t eat. 
 
&quot;You think about it, that&#39;s quite a serious thing. You don&#39;t want to get something but the Olympics is a very big event. 
 
&quot;I`m a little bit worried about the Zika virus. A lot of people have pulled out. But it&#39;s going to be a lot of fun.&quot; 
 
Isner has a first-round bye and a round-two date with Australian qualifier James Duckworth, who ousted American Tim Smyczek 7-5, 6-1. 
 
Aussie John Millman, Rio bound as well after Olympic pullouts by Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic, advanced to a second-round match with Cypriot Marcus Bagjdatis by downing American Denis Kudla 7-5, 6-0. 
 
(AFP)

Alexander Zverev as become the youngest man to crack the top 30 since Djokovic in 2006

Australian top seed Samantha Stosur, defending Washington Open champion Sloane Stephens and German teen star Alexander Zverev are setting aside Zika virus fears to compete at the Rio Olympics. But Sam Querrey, who upset world number one Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, isn't going to Brazil because it just isn't that big a deal to him. Differing views over the mosquito-carried Zika virus and the rash of recent tennis withdrawals from Rio came out Monday on day one of the ATP and WTA event, the first hardcourt stop on the path to the US Open. "It`s not something you want to take lightly," Stosur said after beating Russian qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3, 6-0. "Other people say there are going to be far worse things going on than Zika. It`s about being smart, following all the guidelines. I`ve had all the vaccinations. It certainly has entered my mind this time around." Several top NBA players, more than 20 men's golfers and several top tennis players have withdrawn from Rio, many but not all citing the potential for contracting Zika, which causes severe illness and has been linked to birth defects. "I'm kind of scared but I`m not having any kids any time soon so I should be OK," said Stephens, a 23-year-old American set to make her Olympic debut. "Some people are way more sensitive and some people aren`t. It just depends on the person." Canada's seventh-ranked Milos Raonic, who lost the Wimbledon men's final to Britain's Andy Murray earlier in July, eighth-ranked Czech Tomas Berdych and Austria's ninth-rated Dominic Thiem all said no to Rio. So did 16th-ranked John Isner, the Washington men's top seed, and Querrey, who doesn't see tennis or golf as true Olympic sports. "For tennis and golf, the Olympics isn't a top priority," he said. "We have four other Grand Slams. Those are the main focus. "Some sports in the Olympics, (tennis) and golf, I feel like maybe shouldn`t be in there. It just wasn't a priority of mine at all." That's a stark contrast to 19-year-old Zverev, who at 27th in the world has become the youngest man to crack the top 30 since Djokovic in 2006. And Zverev has even suffered severe illness after a bug bite. "I was at the US Open and something bit me," Zverev said. "I'm going to be very careful because of that. I only won one match the rest of the year. My leg got a lot swollen. I was really sick with fever, lost a lot of weight, couldn`t eat. "You think about it, that's quite a serious thing. You don't want to get something but the Olympics is a very big event. "I`m a little bit worried about the Zika virus. A lot of people have pulled out. But it's going to be a lot of fun." Isner has a first-round bye and a round-two date with Australian qualifier James Duckworth, who ousted American Tim Smyczek 7-5, 6-1. Aussie John Millman, Rio bound as well after Olympic pullouts by Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic, advanced to a second-round match with Cypriot Marcus Bagjdatis by downing American Denis Kudla 7-5, 6-0. (AFP)

No Zika bite fright for Rio-bound Stosur, Zverev

The report to be released Monday into allegations of widespread state-sponsored doping in Russia has already sparked rumblings it could trigger the &quot;nuclear option&quot; of a full ban of Russia from the Rio Olympics. 
 
With the August 5 start of the Summer Games less than three weeks away, anticipation of the report by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren has the Olympic world on edge. 
 
Some world sports leaders decried what they saw as a pre-emptive strike from others pushing for a Russian ban before the findings were revealed in a press conference scheduled for 9:00 am (1300 GMT) in Toronto. 
 
McLaren was tasked by the World Anti-Doping Agency with investigating wide-ranging allegations made by former Russian anti-doping laboratory director Grigory Rodchenkov in a May article in The New York Times. 
 
Rodchenkov, now living in the United States, claimed that even Russian secret services took part in an operation to manipulate Russian doping test samples at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. 
 
Mclaren said in June that the early results of his work had found &quot;credible and verifiable&quot; evidence to back the allegations. 
 
&quot;Kicking the Russia team out of the Rio Games would be the nuclear option,&quot; former WADA president Dick Pound told the Sunday Times in June. &quot;But it`s not impossible.&quot; 
 
Russia is already barred from international athletics by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). 
 
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) could rule as early as Tuesday on an appeal by 68 Russian athletes who say they should be allowed to compete in Rio. European Olympic Committees (EOC) president Pat Hickey reacted angrily at the weekend to an e-mail seeking support for a blanket ban on Russia before McLaren&#39;s report was issued. 
 
&quot;Such interference and calls ahead of the McLaren Report publication are totally against internationally recognised fair legal process and may have completely undermined the integrity and therefore the credibility of this important report,&quot; Hickey said. 
 
He said that Beckie Scott, the Canadian chairman of the WADA athletes commission and an International Olympic Committee member, had sent out an email appeal to back a letter from the US and Canadian anti-doping agencies to IOC president Thomas Bach about a ban of the Russia delegation. 
 
Hickey wasn&#39;t the only one complaining, with executives of the Croatian and Greek national Olympic committees also decrying what they perceived as a rush to judgment. 
 
World swimming&#39;s governing body FINA expressed concern &quot;that there has been a drive behind the scenes, led by the WADA Athletes Commission Chair, to get a global coalition of support from selected organisations in the Olympic Movement to support the call for the total ban on Russia. 
 
&quot;Rodchenkov&#39;s accusations are certainly startling enough. He claimed Russia&#39;s sports ministry was actively involved in doping -- a claim that Russian officials have denied. 
 
An intricate doping program in the buildup to the Sochi Games &quot;was working like a Swiss watch,&quot; he said, adding that at least 15 Russian medalists were its beneficiaries. 
 
He described a clandestine scene in the lab handling testing for Sochi, in which security agents helped switch urine samples in supposedly tamper-proof bottles -- the athletes using text messaging to help thwart the system designed to keep lab workers blind to the identities of sample providers. 
 
The IOC, Canadian anti-doping chief Paul Melia said in a blog, &quot;will have no choice&quot; but to ban all Russian competitors from Rio if the McLaren report confirms Rodchenkov`s allegations.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The outcome is a possibility should a report confirm doping allegations made by the former chief of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory

The report to be released Monday into allegations of widespread state-sponsored doping in Russia has already sparked rumblings it could trigger the "nuclear option" of a full ban of Russia from the Rio Olympics. With the August 5 start of the Summer Games less than three weeks away, anticipation of the report by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren has the Olympic world on edge. Some world sports leaders decried what they saw as a pre-emptive strike from others pushing for a Russian ban before the findings were revealed in a press conference scheduled for 9:00 am (1300 GMT) in Toronto. McLaren was tasked by the World Anti-Doping Agency with investigating wide-ranging allegations made by former Russian anti-doping laboratory director Grigory Rodchenkov in a May article in The New York Times. Rodchenkov, now living in the United States, claimed that even Russian secret services took part in an operation to manipulate Russian doping test samples at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Mclaren said in June that the early results of his work had found "credible and verifiable" evidence to back the allegations. "Kicking the Russia team out of the Rio Games would be the nuclear option," former WADA president Dick Pound told the Sunday Times in June. "But it`s not impossible." Russia is already barred from international athletics by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) could rule as early as Tuesday on an appeal by 68 Russian athletes who say they should be allowed to compete in Rio. European Olympic Committees (EOC) president Pat Hickey reacted angrily at the weekend to an e-mail seeking support for a blanket ban on Russia before McLaren's report was issued. "Such interference and calls ahead of the McLaren Report publication are totally against internationally recognised fair legal process and may have completely undermined the integrity and therefore the credibility of this important report," Hickey said. He said that Beckie Scott, the Canadian chairman of the WADA athletes commission and an International Olympic Committee member, had sent out an email appeal to back a letter from the US and Canadian anti-doping agencies to IOC president Thomas Bach about a ban of the Russia delegation. Hickey wasn't the only one complaining, with executives of the Croatian and Greek national Olympic committees also decrying what they perceived as a rush to judgment. World swimming's governing body FINA expressed concern "that there has been a drive behind the scenes, led by the WADA Athletes Commission Chair, to get a global coalition of support from selected organisations in the Olympic Movement to support the call for the total ban on Russia. "Rodchenkov's accusations are certainly startling enough. He claimed Russia's sports ministry was actively involved in doping -- a claim that Russian officials have denied. An intricate doping program in the buildup to the Sochi Games "was working like a Swiss watch," he said, adding that at least 15 Russian medalists were its beneficiaries. He described a clandestine scene in the lab handling testing for Sochi, in which security agents helped switch urine samples in supposedly tamper-proof bottles -- the athletes using text messaging to help thwart the system designed to keep lab workers blind to the identities of sample providers. The IOC, Canadian anti-doping chief Paul Melia said in a blog, "will have no choice" but to ban all Russian competitors from Rio if the McLaren report confirms Rodchenkov`s allegations." (AFP)

Russia may not be allowed to send any sportsperson -- no gymnast, no pole vaulter, no ice hockey player -- to the Rio Olympics

Australian&nbsp;wrestler&nbsp;Vinod Kumar failed a doping test during an Olympic qualification event in Algeria in April and is set to be dropped from the team for the Rio Games.

The&nbsp;Australian&nbsp;Olympic Committee (AOC) said in a statement on Friday both Kumar&#39;s &#39;A&#39; and &#39;B&#39; samples tested positive for an unspecified banned substance following the African/Oceania qualifier in Algiers.

&quot;The&nbsp;Australian&nbsp;Olympic Committee has asked Wrestling Australia to withdraw the nomination of athlete Vinod Kumar for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games following an anti-doping violation,&quot; the AOC said.

&quot;The international federation, United World Wrestling, has advised they will reallocate his position in the 66kg division to the next best ranked NOC.&quot;

The 31-year-old, who was born in India but emigrated to Australia in 2010 and first competed for his adopted country in March, has been suspended for four years but has 30 days in which to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

He was one of two Greco-Roman&nbsp;wrestlers from Australia to have qualified for the Rio Games. Two other&nbsp;Australian&nbsp;freestyle&nbsp;wrestlers have also qualified. 
 
(Reuters)

The 31-year-old wrestler, who was born in India but emigrated to Australia in 2010, tested positive for an unspecified banned substance

Australian wrestler Vinod Kumar failed a doping test during an Olympic qualification event in Algeria in April and is set to be dropped from the team for the Rio Games. The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) said in a statement on Friday both Kumar's 'A' and 'B' samples tested positive for an unspecified banned substance following the African/Oceania qualifier in Algiers. "The Australian Olympic Committee has asked Wrestling Australia to withdraw the nomination of athlete Vinod Kumar for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games following an anti-doping violation," the AOC said. "The international federation, United World Wrestling, has advised they will reallocate his position in the 66kg division to the next best ranked NOC." The 31-year-old, who was born in India but emigrated to Australia in 2010 and first competed for his adopted country in March, has been suspended for four years but has 30 days in which to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He was one of two Greco-Roman wrestlers from Australia to have qualified for the Rio Games. Two other Australian freestyle wrestlers have also qualified. (Reuters)

Australia's Vinod Kumar set to miss Rio after failing dope test

Brazilian customs workers will start an indefinite strike on Thursday over wage increases, their union said today, just three weeks ahead of the Olympics when thousands of tourists are expected to flock the South American country.

The Sindifisco union of federal tax auditors, who are in charge of customs and other tax monitoring duties, voted on Friday for the strike to pressure the government to honour its promise to raise their wages by 5.5 per cent starting in August, union President Claudio Damasceno said in an interview.

A crippling political and economic crisis as well as the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus have raised questions about Brazil&#39;s ability to successfully host the world&#39;s biggest sporting event for the first time ever in South America.

Local authorities expect more than 500,000 foreign tourists to land in the coastal city of Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics, which start on August&nbsp;5.

&quot;If the strike continues by then it will certainly disrupt the Olympics,&quot; said Damasceno, whose union represents 10,400 tax auditors across the country. &quot;We know this is an important international event and hope that the government can resolve this issue before it starts.&quot;

Tax auditors plan to down tools every Tuesday and Thursday until the government issues a decree to raise their wages, Damasceno said.

The planning ministry said in a statement that it was reviewing wage agreements inked by suspended President Dilma Rousseff earlier this month.

Rousseff has been suspended while she faces an impeachment trial for allegedly breaking fiscal rules. She has been replaced by her vice president, Michel Temer.

The strike would cost the cash-strapped government about 1.5 billion Reais ($455 million) in tax revenue every month, Damasceno estimated. 
 
(Reuters)

A union of federal tax auditors aims to pressure the government to honour its promise to raise wages by 5.5% starting in August

Brazilian customs workers will start an indefinite strike on Thursday over wage increases, their union said today, just three weeks ahead of the Olympics when thousands of tourists are expected to flock the South American country. The Sindifisco union of federal tax auditors, who are in charge of customs and other tax monitoring duties, voted on Friday for the strike to pressure the government to honour its promise to raise their wages by 5.5 per cent starting in August, union President Claudio Damasceno said in an interview. A crippling political and economic crisis as well as the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus have raised questions about Brazil's ability to successfully host the world's biggest sporting event for the first time ever in South America. Local authorities expect more than 500,000 foreign tourists to land in the coastal city of Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics, which start on August 5. "If the strike continues by then it will certainly disrupt the Olympics," said Damasceno, whose union represents 10,400 tax auditors across the country. "We know this is an important international event and hope that the government can resolve this issue before it starts." Tax auditors plan to down tools every Tuesday and Thursday until the government issues a decree to raise their wages, Damasceno said. The planning ministry said in a statement that it was reviewing wage agreements inked by suspended President Dilma Rousseff earlier this month. Rousseff has been suspended while she faces an impeachment trial for allegedly breaking fiscal rules. She has been replaced by her vice president, Michel Temer. The strike would cost the cash-strapped government about 1.5 billion Reais ($455 million) in tax revenue every month, Damasceno estimated. (Reuters)

Brazil customs' workers to strike ahead of Olympics

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