Gymnastics had always been on the margins of Indian sport and it was only Ashish Kumar's medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games that saw the sport being taken seriously. But within Indian Gymnastics it was all about the men and the female gymnasts were accorded step-motherly treatment. Dipa Karmakar harnessed that hurt and channeled it first to a Commonwealth Games medal in 2014 and then qualification for the Rio Olympics. Karmakar shocked the world by reaching the final of the Women's Vault and narrowly missed out on a medal. Karmakar looks back on her journey in this conversation with Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo and 2016 Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik

Wion Broadband Olympic Edition | The Small Wonder, Gymnast who stunned the world | Dipa Karmakar

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has been a well-known 'superstar' in the WWE universe, now his 18-year-old daughter Simone Johnson will be taking her dad's, grandfather and great grand father's legacy forward.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has been a well-known 'superstar' in the WWE universe, now his 18-year-old daughter Simone Johnson will be taking her dad's, grandfather and great grand father's legacy forward. According to the WWE network, Dwayne's daughter has begun training for becoming a WWE superstar at the WWE performance centre in Orlando, Florida. The announcement was made by the network on Monday. The teenager is set to enter the WWE ring soon and will be the fourth generation in the Johnson family to be a part of the wrestling. View this post on Instagram To the little girl who fell in love with wrestling & said “this will be my life one day”, this is for you. I’m humbled, grateful & ready to work. Let’s do this. @wwe @wwenxt A post shared by 𝖘𝖎𝖒𝖔𝖓𝖊 (@simonegjohnson) on Feb 10, 2020 at 10:41am PST × The Rock was quick to respond to the news, he shared a post on Instagram which read: "Dreams ain’t just for dreamers. Congrats to my #1 born, Simone Johnson on officially signing her wrestling contract with @wwe @wwenxt and on her way to becoming the first ever 4th generation WWE athlete. Carry our family name proudly, but your road will always be yours to create, earn & own. So proud. Live your dream. Let’s work." View this post on Instagram Dreams ain’t just for dreamers. Congrats to my #1 born, Simone Johnson on officially signing her wrestling contract with @wwe @wwenxt and on her way to becoming the first ever 4th generation WWE athlete. Carry our family name proudly, but your road will always be yours to create, earn & own. So proud. Live your dream. Let’s work. #humblehungry #hardestworkersintheroom #4thgeneration A post shared by therock (@therock) on Feb 10, 2020 at 10:11pm PST × Simone is Dwyane's daughter from his former wife Dany Garcia. Dany shared a video congratulating her daughter on joining the wrestling company. View this post on Instagram ‪It’s been the blessing of my life to watch you grow @simoneGJohnson & while the legacy of the family may be your platform, your future will be uniquely yours to earn. Congrats my love ❤️on living your dream & welcome to @WWENXT @wwe!! #4thGenerationSuperstar‬ A post shared by Dany Garcia (@danygarciaco) on Feb 10, 2020 at 10:12am PST × Dwayne Johnson was trained by Pat Patterson inside the squared circles. Dwayne went on to shine in the WWE universe, he was often referred to as "The People's Champ." Dwayne Johnson then shifted his focus to Hollywood. He first had a successful cameo in 'The Mummy Returns' (2001) and he played his first lead role in 'The Scorpion King' (2002). The Rock is now a Hollywood superstar and is the highest-paid celebrity in the world. Dwayne was the man to induct his late father Rocky Johnson and his great grandfather High Chief Peter Maivia into WWE's Hall of fame in 2008.

WWE: Simone, Dwyane Johnson's daughter set to carry on family legacy

The former WWF (now called WWE) tag team champion and WWF Hall of Famer, passed away at the age of 75. WWE took to Twitter after confirming this news.&nbsp;

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WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson has passed away. <a href="https://t.co/9uxrICJKxb">https://t.co/9uxrICJKxb</a>
— WWE (@WWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1217581883657195522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Johnson's career started way back in 1964 when he started contesting in the territorial wrestling matches held by National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). 
 
Johnson competed for the NWA world's heavyweight championship on multiple occasions. 
 
He held NWA television champions on two different occasions. 
 
The wrestler left a mark in WWF &nbsp;on November 15, 1983, when he and his tag team partner Tony Atlas defeated The Wild Samoans to win the WWF tag team championship. They became the first African-American tag team to hold this title.

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WWE looks back on the Hall of Fame career of the late, great Rocky Johnson. <a href="https://t.co/Gp9U2YG93c">https://t.co/Gp9U2YG93c</a>
— WWE (@WWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1217589802683465728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Johnson retired in the year 1991 but continued to work for wresting in the coming years. 
 
Dwayne 'The Rock'&nbsp;Johnson was born in 1972, he was trained by Pat Patterson inside the squared circles. 
 
Dwayne went on to shine in the WWE universe, he was often referred to as "The People's Champ." 
 
Dwayne Johnson then shifted his focus to Hollywood. He first had a successful cameo in &nbsp;'The Mummy Returns' (2001) and he played his first lead role in &nbsp;'The Scorpion King' (2002). 
 
The Rock is now a Hollywood superstar and is the highest-paid celebrity in the world. 
 
He was the man to induct his father Rocky Johnson into the Hall of fame in the year 2008. 
 
Many wrestling biggies&nbsp;took to Twitter to express their sadness to this news.

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I am so sorry to hear of the passing of the great Rocky Johnson. Always a gentleman, I always enjoyed talking with him. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the fans who loved him. A very sad day for wrestling.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIPRockyJohnson?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIPRockyJohnson</a> <a href="https://t.co/4agKbOzAry">pic.twitter.com/4agKbOzAry</a>
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&nbsp;

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The National Wrestling Alliance is saddened to hear of the passing of Rocky Johnson. 
 
His legacy stretches across every promotion. He was a champion everywhere he went including holding the NWA Georgia Championship. 
 
Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family. <a href="https://t.co/KTqHZns6Hb">pic.twitter.com/KTqHZns6Hb</a>
— NWA (@nwa) <a href="https://twitter.com/nwa/status/1217585196675018752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The former WWF (now called WWE) tag team champion and WWF Hall of Famer, passed away at the age of 75. WWE took to Twitter after confirming this news. WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson has passed away.

The former WWF (now called WWE) tag team champion and WWF Hall of Famer, passed away at the age of 75. WWE took to Twitter after confirming this news. WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson has passed away. https://t.co/9uxrICJKxb — WWE (@WWE) January 15, 2020 × Johnson's career started way back in 1964 when he started contesting in the territorial wrestling matches held by National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Johnson competed for the NWA world's heavyweight championship on multiple occasions. He held NWA television champions on two different occasions. The wrestler left a mark in WWF on November 15, 1983, when he and his tag team partner Tony Atlas defeated The Wild Samoans to win the WWF tag team championship. They became the first African-American tag team to hold this title. WWE looks back on the Hall of Fame career of the late, great Rocky Johnson. https://t.co/Gp9U2YG93c — WWE (@WWE) January 15, 2020 × Johnson retired in the year 1991 but continued to work for wresting in the coming years. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was born in 1972, he was trained by Pat Patterson inside the squared circles. Dwayne went on to shine in the WWE universe, he was often referred to as "The People's Champ." Dwayne Johnson then shifted his focus to Hollywood. He first had a successful cameo in 'The Mummy Returns' (2001) and he played his first lead role in 'The Scorpion King' (2002). The Rock is now a Hollywood superstar and is the highest-paid celebrity in the world. He was the man to induct his father Rocky Johnson into the Hall of fame in the year 2008. Many wrestling biggies took to Twitter to express their sadness to this news. I am so sorry to hear of the passing of the great Rocky Johnson. Always a gentleman, I always enjoyed talking with him. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the fans who loved him. A very sad day for wrestling.#RIPRockyJohnson pic.twitter.com/4agKbOzAry — Mick Foley (@RealMickFoley) January 15, 2020 × The National Wrestling Alliance is saddened to hear of the passing of Rocky Johnson. His legacy stretches across every promotion. He was a champion everywhere he went including holding the NWA Georgia Championship. Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family. pic.twitter.com/KTqHZns6Hb — NWA (@nwa) January 15, 2020 ×

Dwayne Johnson's father, WWE champion, Rocky passes away at 75

&nbsp;Competing at the Olympic Games is the dream of most athletes but&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;wrestler&nbsp;Ritu&nbsp;Phogat&nbsp;has always wanted to script a different destiny.

Phogat&nbsp;won gold at the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship but switched to the combat sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) in February, much to the disappointment of India's wrestling federation who saw her as a strong medal contender in the 48kg category at Tokyo 2020.

Phogat, who will make her&nbsp;MMA&nbsp;debut against South Korea's Kim Nam-hee at One Championship's Age of Dragons event in Beijing on Saturday, says she never gave much thought to qualifying for the Olympics.

"It never crossed my mind," she told Reuters by telephone from Singapore where she trains. "I always wanted to do something different. Script my own journey on the international stage.

"I want to win a&nbsp;World&nbsp;Championship belt for India. I want to be the first in mixed martial arts to win that for my country."

The 25-year-old is from one of India's most famous wrestling families.

She started in the sport aged eight, under the tutelage of her&nbsp;wrestler&nbsp;father Mahavir Singh and followed in the footsteps of her elder sisters Babita and Geeta, who have both won Commonwealth Games gold.

Their cousin, Vinesh, is one of India's top medal hopes for Tokyo.

The&nbsp;Phogat&nbsp;sisters achieved cult status in 2016 when the film 'Dangal', which is based on the family's story, became the highest-grossing&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;movie ever made.

Before they were famous, however, growing up in their village in Haryana was tough.

"We struggled to fit into society,"&nbsp;Ritu&nbsp;Phogat&nbsp;said. "Our family was surrounded by naysayers in those early days, but we had each other for support. Together we found a way to block out all the outside noise."

The sisters are very close – Babita and Geeta sprung to&nbsp;Ritu's defence when her decision to quit wrestling drew criticism on social media earlier this year.

MMA&nbsp;is the third-most popular sport in the&nbsp;world, behind soccer and basketball, according to Nielsen. India alone accounted for nearly 100 million viewers last year, Rajesh Kaul, the head of Sony Pictures Networks India's sports business, told the Hindu newspaper March.

Phogat, who discovered&nbsp;MMA&nbsp;on YouTube at the age of 18, said her decision to sign for the Asian promotion One Championship in February was a "no-brainer".

"I see this sport growing by leaps and bounds in India," she said. "My debut will be shown live on TV and I hope it inspires the next generation ... Our country is changing. Young girls now have a platform for take up any sport."

Phogat&nbsp;has trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and muay Thai ahead of her&nbsp;MMA&nbsp;bow but she remains a&nbsp;wrestler&nbsp;at heart.

"My natural style makes it much easier to control all the takedowns ... I hope I can use that to my advantage," she said.

Competing at the Olympic Games is the dream of most athletes but Indian wrestler Ritu Phogat has always wanted to script a different destiny. Phogat won gold at the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship but switched to the combat sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) in February, much to the disappointment of India's wrestling federation who saw her as a strong medal contender in the 48kg category at Tokyo 2020.

Competing at the Olympic Games is the dream of most athletes but Indian wrestler Ritu Phogat has always wanted to script a different destiny. Phogat won gold at the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship but switched to the combat sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) in February, much to the disappointment of India's wrestling federation who saw her as a strong medal contender in the 48kg category at Tokyo 2020. Phogat, who will make her MMA debut against South Korea's Kim Nam-hee at One Championship's Age of Dragons event in Beijing on Saturday, says she never gave much thought to qualifying for the Olympics. "It never crossed my mind," she told Reuters by telephone from Singapore where she trains. "I always wanted to do something different. Script my own journey on the international stage. "I want to win a World Championship belt for India. I want to be the first in mixed martial arts to win that for my country." The 25-year-old is from one of India's most famous wrestling families. She started in the sport aged eight, under the tutelage of her wrestler father Mahavir Singh and followed in the footsteps of her elder sisters Babita and Geeta, who have both won Commonwealth Games gold. Their cousin, Vinesh, is one of India's top medal hopes for Tokyo. The Phogat sisters achieved cult status in 2016 when the film 'Dangal', which is based on the family's story, became the highest-grossing Indian movie ever made. Before they were famous, however, growing up in their village in Haryana was tough. "We struggled to fit into society," Ritu Phogat said. "Our family was surrounded by naysayers in those early days, but we had each other for support. Together we found a way to block out all the outside noise." The sisters are very close – Babita and Geeta sprung to Ritu's defence when her decision to quit wrestling drew criticism on social media earlier this year. MMA is the third-most popular sport in the world, behind soccer and basketball, according to Nielsen. India alone accounted for nearly 100 million viewers last year, Rajesh Kaul, the head of Sony Pictures Networks India's sports business, told the Hindu newspaper March. Phogat, who discovered MMA on YouTube at the age of 18, said her decision to sign for the Asian promotion One Championship in February was a "no-brainer". "I see this sport growing by leaps and bounds in India," she said. "My debut will be shown live on TV and I hope it inspires the next generation ... Our country is changing. Young girls now have a platform for take up any sport." Phogat has trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and muay Thai ahead of her MMA bow but she remains a wrestler at heart. "My natural style makes it much easier to control all the takedowns ... I hope I can use that to my advantage," she said.

Wrestler Ritu Phogat ready for tilt at MMA world title

Wrestler Rahul Aware on Sunday won the bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championships.&nbsp;

He defeated USA's Tyler Lee Graff 11-4 in the 61-kg weight category to win the medal.

However, this was not an Olympic category and as a result, the wrestler has not qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.&nbsp;

"A stunning performance by #RahulAware beating Tyler Graff 11-4 to win the men's 61 kg bronze at World #Wrestling C'ships. With 5 medals (1 silver &amp; 4 bronze), this is India's best showing ever at C`ships. Congrats to winners &amp; best wishes for coming Oly. quota events," SAI Media tweeted.

On Sunday, Deepak Punia pulled out of the finals of the tournament due to an injury and had to settle with a bronze medal in the competition.India finished the tournament with four bronze medals and one silver medal.

Commonwealth Games gold medalist Aware had defeated Rassul Kaliyev in the World Wrestling Championships to reach semi-finals on Saturday.

Rahul defeated the former Asian Champion 10-7.

On Friday, 22-year-old debutant Ravi Kumar won a bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championships.Kumar had defeated Reza Atrinagharchi of Iran 6-3 to clinch the medal in the 57 kg weight category.

Bajrang Punia also won a bronze medal on Friday in the championship, defeating Tulga Tumur Ochir of Mongolia 8-7 in the 65 kg weight category.

Punia had secured a spot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Thursday after an impressive 8-1 win over North Korea`s Jong Son in the tournament.

On Wednesday, Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the Olympics and she would be competing in the 53 kg category.

She had bagged gold medals in the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games.In the 2018 Asian Games, she had clinched a gold medal in the 50 kg category.

Wrestler Rahul Aware on Sunday won the bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championships. He defeated USA's Tyler Lee Graff 11-4 in the 61-kg weight category to win the medal.

Wrestler Rahul Aware on Sunday won the bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championships. He defeated USA's Tyler Lee Graff 11-4 in the 61-kg weight category to win the medal. However, this was not an Olympic category and as a result, the wrestler has not qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. "A stunning performance by #RahulAware beating Tyler Graff 11-4 to win the men's 61 kg bronze at World #Wrestling C'ships. With 5 medals (1 silver & 4 bronze), this is India's best showing ever at C`ships. Congrats to winners & best wishes for coming Oly. quota events," SAI Media tweeted. On Sunday, Deepak Punia pulled out of the finals of the tournament due to an injury and had to settle with a bronze medal in the competition.India finished the tournament with four bronze medals and one silver medal. Commonwealth Games gold medalist Aware had defeated Rassul Kaliyev in the World Wrestling Championships to reach semi-finals on Saturday. Rahul defeated the former Asian Champion 10-7. On Friday, 22-year-old debutant Ravi Kumar won a bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championships.Kumar had defeated Reza Atrinagharchi of Iran 6-3 to clinch the medal in the 57 kg weight category. Bajrang Punia also won a bronze medal on Friday in the championship, defeating Tulga Tumur Ochir of Mongolia 8-7 in the 65 kg weight category. Punia had secured a spot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Thursday after an impressive 8-1 win over North Korea`s Jong Son in the tournament. On Wednesday, Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the Olympics and she would be competing in the 53 kg category. She had bagged gold medals in the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games.In the 2018 Asian Games, she had clinched a gold medal in the 50 kg category.

World Wrestling Championships: Rahul Aware wins bronze

Indian wrestler Deepak Punia has withdrawn from the final of the World Wrestling Championships with an ankle injury.

"I am a bit disappointed that I can't fight for gold but I am happy with my overall performance here. I will work hard and the aim is to win a medal in the Olympics," Deepak said on Sunday.

Deepak was scheduled to face Iran's Hassan Yazdani in the finals in the 86-Kg category. Now, he has to settle with a silver medal.

The pugilist on Saturday reached the finals of the World Wrestling Championships after defeating Swiss grappler Stefan Reichmuth by 8-2.

Earlier, Deepak secured an Olympic berth after he entered the semi-finals of the tournament. He had defeated Colombia's Carlos Izquierdo 7-6 to enter the semi-finals.

India now has four Olympic quotas from the championships including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Ravi Kumar.

Indian wrestler Deepak Punia has withdrawn from the final of the World Wrestling Championships with an ankle injury. "I am a bit disappointed that I can't fight for gold but I am happy with my overall performance here.

Indian wrestler Deepak Punia has withdrawn from the final of the World Wrestling Championships with an ankle injury. "I am a bit disappointed that I can't fight for gold but I am happy with my overall performance here. I will work hard and the aim is to win a medal in the Olympics," Deepak said on Sunday. Deepak was scheduled to face Iran's Hassan Yazdani in the finals in the 86-Kg category. Now, he has to settle with a silver medal. The pugilist on Saturday reached the finals of the World Wrestling Championships after defeating Swiss grappler Stefan Reichmuth by 8-2. Earlier, Deepak secured an Olympic berth after he entered the semi-finals of the tournament. He had defeated Colombia's Carlos Izquierdo 7-6 to enter the semi-finals. India now has four Olympic quotas from the championships including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Ravi Kumar.

Deepak Punia withdraws from World Wrestling Championships final, settles for silver

Indian wrestler Deepak Punia reached the final of the World Wrestling Championship after defeating Swiss grappler Stefan Reichmuth by 8-2 in the 86 kg weight category here on Saturday.

"#DeepakPunia breaks into the Finals! On his debut World Championship, wrestler Deepak storms into Finals of the 86kg Freestyle event at #WrestleNursultan defeating Swiss grappler Stefan Reichmuth by 8-2. #AllTheBest @FederationWrest #WeAreTeamIndia," Team India tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Punia secured an Olympic berth after he entered the semi-finals of the tournament. He had defeated Colombia`s Carlos Izquierdo 7-6 to enter the semi-finals.

India now has four Olympic quotas from the championship.&nbsp;

Indian wrestler Deepak Punia reached the final of the World Wrestling Championship after defeating Swiss grappler Stefan Reichmuth by 8-2 in the 86 kg weight category here on Saturday.

Indian wrestler Deepak Punia reached the final of the World Wrestling Championship after defeating Swiss grappler Stefan Reichmuth by 8-2 in the 86 kg weight category here on Saturday. "#DeepakPunia breaks into the Finals! On his debut World Championship, wrestler Deepak storms into Finals of the 86kg Freestyle event at #WrestleNursultan defeating Swiss grappler Stefan Reichmuth by 8-2. #AllTheBest @FederationWrest #WeAreTeamIndia," Team India tweeted. Earlier in the day, Punia secured an Olympic berth after he entered the semi-finals of the tournament. He had defeated Colombia`s Carlos Izquierdo 7-6 to enter the semi-finals. India now has four Olympic quotas from the championship.

Deepak Punia advances to World Wrestling Championships final

Bajrang Punia on Friday bagged the bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championships.

Punia defeated Mongolia's Tulga Tumur Ochir 8-7 to clinch the medal in the 65 kg weight category.

The wrestler was trailing 2-6 in the match, but he was able to come back from behind to register a win in the match.

"Bajrang wins bronze! Our #TOPSAthlete wrestler @BajrangPunia wins the bronze medal in the men's 65 kg following an 8-7 win over Tulga Tumur Ochir after trailing 2-6. This is his 3rd world C'ship medal. He had already clinched an #OlympicQuota. @RijijuOffice," SAI Media tweeted.

The 25-year-old had secured a spot for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Thursday after an impressive 8-1 win over North Korea's Jong Son in the tournament.

On Wednesday, Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the upcoming global games.

Phogat had booked her place in the 53kg category. She had bagged back-to-back gold medals in the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games.

In the 2018 Asian Games, she had clinched a gold medal in the 50kg category.

Bajrang Punia on Friday bagged the bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championships. Punia defeated Mongolia's Tulga Tumur Ochir 8-7 to clinch the medal in the 65 kg weight category.

Bajrang Punia on Friday bagged the bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championships. Punia defeated Mongolia's Tulga Tumur Ochir 8-7 to clinch the medal in the 65 kg weight category. The wrestler was trailing 2-6 in the match, but he was able to come back from behind to register a win in the match. "Bajrang wins bronze! Our #TOPSAthlete wrestler @BajrangPunia wins the bronze medal in the men's 65 kg following an 8-7 win over Tulga Tumur Ochir after trailing 2-6. This is his 3rd world C'ship medal. He had already clinched an #OlympicQuota. @RijijuOffice," SAI Media tweeted. The 25-year-old had secured a spot for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Thursday after an impressive 8-1 win over North Korea's Jong Son in the tournament. On Wednesday, Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the upcoming global games. Phogat had booked her place in the 53kg category. She had bagged back-to-back gold medals in the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. In the 2018 Asian Games, she had clinched a gold medal in the 50kg category.

Bajrang Punia bags bronze medal in World Wrestling Championships

World number one Bajrang Punia has become the first Indian to win gold at the Ali Aliev wrestling tournament after defeating Viktor Rassadin of Russia in the 65 kg freestyle in Kapiisk.

Bajrang, who won the Asian Championships in China last week, came through stiff resistance from a host of local favourites over two days to prove his credentials as the world`s best wrestler in his category.

With the win on Thursday, the Indian has cemented his place on the top in the world rankings and is currently the highest ranked freestyle Asian wrestler in the world.

"I think the fact that I am competing in three different continents in three weeks is itself an incredible feat and I am thankful for all the support I have received through this period. I did have the belief that I could do well in these competitions and am pleased with my performances so far," Bajrang said.

"I am now looking forward to participating at Madison Square Garden and will continue to do my best to live up to the nation`s expectations in the tournaments to come," he said.

Bajrang, who is part of the JSW Sports Excellence Program, will now get on the road once again as he heads to New York for the Beat The Streets 'Grapple At the Garden'&nbsp;on May 6 at the historic Madison Square Garden arena.

The Indian wrestler will take on former cadet world champion and two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

World number one Bajrang Punia has become the first Indian to win gold at the Ali Aliev wrestling tournament after defeating Viktor Rassadin of Russia in the 65 kg freestyle in Kapiisk.

World number one Bajrang Punia has become the first Indian to win gold at the Ali Aliev wrestling tournament after defeating Viktor Rassadin of Russia in the 65 kg freestyle in Kapiisk. Bajrang, who won the Asian Championships in China last week, came through stiff resistance from a host of local favourites over two days to prove his credentials as the world`s best wrestler in his category. With the win on Thursday, the Indian has cemented his place on the top in the world rankings and is currently the highest ranked freestyle Asian wrestler in the world. "I think the fact that I am competing in three different continents in three weeks is itself an incredible feat and I am thankful for all the support I have received through this period. I did have the belief that I could do well in these competitions and am pleased with my performances so far," Bajrang said. "I am now looking forward to participating at Madison Square Garden and will continue to do my best to live up to the nation`s expectations in the tournaments to come," he said. Bajrang, who is part of the JSW Sports Excellence Program, will now get on the road once again as he heads to New York for the Beat The Streets 'Grapple At the Garden' on May 6 at the historic Madison Square Garden arena. The Indian wrestler will take on former cadet world champion and two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis.

Bajrang Punia bags gold at Ali Aliev wrestling tournament

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has recommended wrestlers <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=vinesh+phogat">Vinesh Phogat</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=bajrang+punia">Bajrang Punia</a> for India's the highest sporting honour, Rajeev Khel Ratna Award.&nbsp;

Bajrang and Vinesh's names were sent by WFI owing to their remarkable performances in the last couple of years.&nbsp;

"They (Bajrang and Vinesh) have been recommended for Khel Ratna by the WFI after both of them submitted their applications," a WFI official confirmed.&nbsp;

Besides, WFI has also recommended Rahul Aware, Harpreet Singh, Divya Kakran and Pooja Dhanda for Arjuna award.&nbsp;

India's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports gives the Arjuna Awards to recognize outstanding achievement in sports.&nbsp;

WFI also recommended Virender Kumar, Sujeet Maan, Narendra Kumar &amp; Vikram Kumar for Dronacharya award, which is a sports coaching honour, given for the outstanding coaches in sports and games.&nbsp;

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Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) recommends Rahul Aware, Harpreet Singh, Divya Kakran and Pooja Dhanda for Arjuna award; Recommends, Virender Kumar, Sujeet Maan, Narendra Kumar &amp; Vikram Kumar for Dronacharya award. <a href="https://t.co/Z8M9Qn1ZJZ">https://t.co/Z8M9Qn1ZJZ</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1122758372254801920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Punia has eight gold medals from his previous nine international tournaments including last year's Commonwealth and Asian Games.&nbsp;

Asian champion Bajrang Punia is to become the first Indian wrestler to fight at New York's iconic Madison Square Garden.&nbsp;

Punia, who won the 65kg men's freestyle gold at the recent Asian championships, will be among top wrestlers selected by the American governing body for the May 6 tournament.&nbsp;

The 25-year-old will take on two-time US national champion Yianni Diakomahlis in the "Grapple at the Garden" Beat the Streets event which since 2010 has become a major showcase for international wrestling.&nbsp;

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has recommended wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia for India's the highest sporting honour, Rajeev Khel Ratna Award.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has recommended wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia for India's the highest sporting honour, Rajeev Khel Ratna Award. Bajrang and Vinesh's names were sent by WFI owing to their remarkable performances in the last couple of years. "They (Bajrang and Vinesh) have been recommended for Khel Ratna by the WFI after both of them submitted their applications," a WFI official confirmed. Besides, WFI has also recommended Rahul Aware, Harpreet Singh, Divya Kakran and Pooja Dhanda for Arjuna award. India's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports gives the Arjuna Awards to recognize outstanding achievement in sports. WFI also recommended Virender Kumar, Sujeet Maan, Narendra Kumar & Vikram Kumar for Dronacharya award, which is a sports coaching honour, given for the outstanding coaches in sports and games. Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) recommends Rahul Aware, Harpreet Singh, Divya Kakran and Pooja Dhanda for Arjuna award; Recommends, Virender Kumar, Sujeet Maan, Narendra Kumar & Vikram Kumar for Dronacharya award. https://t.co/Z8M9Qn1ZJZ — ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019 × Punia has eight gold medals from his previous nine international tournaments including last year's Commonwealth and Asian Games. Asian champion Bajrang Punia is to become the first Indian wrestler to fight at New York's iconic Madison Square Garden. Punia, who won the 65kg men's freestyle gold at the recent Asian championships, will be among top wrestlers selected by the American governing body for the May 6 tournament. The 25-year-old will take on two-time US national champion Yianni Diakomahlis in the "Grapple at the Garden" Beat the Streets event which since 2010 has become a major showcase for international wrestling.

Wrestling Federation of India recommends Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat for Rajeev Khel Ratna Award

Pooja Dhanda became only the fourth Indian woman grappler to win a medal at the World Championship, grabbing a bronze with a stunning 10-7 win over the 2017 European champion Grace Jacob Bullen.

One of the two wrestlers in a medal contention, the 24-year-old Pooja executed a four-point throw in each of the two periods in the 57kg contest to deliver the best performance of her career.&nbsp;

It is India's second medal at the ongoing championship after Bajrang Punia's silver medal performance in the men's freestyle 65kg category.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It is second big medal for Pooja this season, having won a silver the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.&nbsp;

Only Alka Tomar (2006), Geeta (2012) and Babita Phogat (2012) have won bronze medals for India at the Worlds before Pooja's memorable medal victory.&nbsp;

She opened up a 4-1 lead with a throw, which she found on counter-attack. She consolidated it with a roll and took a 6-1 lead after the end of first period.&nbsp;

After conceding a point for a step out, Pooja Stunned the Norwegian with another four-point throw, to zoom to a 10-2 lead.&nbsp;

Grace reduced the gap with a takedown and a couple of push outs to put pressure on the Indian, who was cautioned twice. She somehow managed to avoid a third caution, holding off to lead.&nbsp;

She had earlier erased a three-point deficit to win her repechage round 8-3 against Alyona Kolesnik from Azerbaijan.&nbsp;

Before Pooja's bout Ritu Phogat lost her bronze medal bouts and none of the four Greco Roman grapplers could win even a single match.&nbsp;

Ritu had a chance to emulate her elders sister -- Geeta and Babita -- to win a Worlds medal but she lost the 50kg bronze play-off 5-10 to Ukraine's Oksana Livach.&nbsp;

Coming from behind, she had beaten Romania's Emilia Alina Vuc in the repechage but the Ukrainian proved too strong for her.&nbsp;

Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik yet again failed to reach the medal round at a big-ticket event, losing the repechage round 2-3 to Hungary's Marianna Sastin. Sakshi had a 2-1 lead but failed to defend it for last seven seconds, playing too defensive.&nbsp;

The Greco Roman competition began today but none of the four wrestlers could win a match.&nbsp;

Vijay (55kg), Gaurav Shar,a (63kg), Kuldeep Malik (72kg) and Harpreet Singh (82kg) all crashed out after losing their Qualification rounds.&nbsp;

Pooja Dhanda became only the fourth Indian woman grappler to win a medal at the World Championship, grabbing a bronze with a stunning 10-7 win over the 2017 European champion Grace Jacob Bullen.

Pooja Dhanda became only the fourth Indian woman grappler to win a medal at the World Championship, grabbing a bronze with a stunning 10-7 win over the 2017 European champion Grace Jacob Bullen. One of the two wrestlers in a medal contention, the 24-year-old Pooja executed a four-point throw in each of the two periods in the 57kg contest to deliver the best performance of her career. It is India's second medal at the ongoing championship after Bajrang Punia's silver medal performance in the men's freestyle 65kg category. It is second big medal for Pooja this season, having won a silver the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. Only Alka Tomar (2006), Geeta (2012) and Babita Phogat (2012) have won bronze medals for India at the Worlds before Pooja's memorable medal victory. She opened up a 4-1 lead with a throw, which she found on counter-attack. She consolidated it with a roll and took a 6-1 lead after the end of first period. After conceding a point for a step out, Pooja Stunned the Norwegian with another four-point throw, to zoom to a 10-2 lead. Grace reduced the gap with a takedown and a couple of push outs to put pressure on the Indian, who was cautioned twice. She somehow managed to avoid a third caution, holding off to lead. She had earlier erased a three-point deficit to win her repechage round 8-3 against Alyona Kolesnik from Azerbaijan. Before Pooja's bout Ritu Phogat lost her bronze medal bouts and none of the four Greco Roman grapplers could win even a single match. Ritu had a chance to emulate her elders sister -- Geeta and Babita -- to win a Worlds medal but she lost the 50kg bronze play-off 5-10 to Ukraine's Oksana Livach. Coming from behind, she had beaten Romania's Emilia Alina Vuc in the repechage but the Ukrainian proved too strong for her. Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik yet again failed to reach the medal round at a big-ticket event, losing the repechage round 2-3 to Hungary's Marianna Sastin. Sakshi had a 2-1 lead but failed to defend it for last seven seconds, playing too defensive. The Greco Roman competition began today but none of the four wrestlers could win a match. Vijay (55kg), Gaurav Shar,a (63kg), Kuldeep Malik (72kg) and Harpreet Singh (82kg) all crashed out after losing their Qualification rounds.

Pooja Dhanda lights up day for India at Worlds with bronze medal

Indian wrestler Sumit Malik won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 125 kg category as his opponent, Sinivie Boltic of Nigeria was ruled out of the final due to an injury at the 21st Commonwealth Games on Saturday.

Among others, Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik went down to Aminat Adeniyi of Nigeria 3-6 in a nervous bout to end her golden dreams. She will try for bronze now also Vinesh Phogat defeated Rupinder Kaur of Australia in the 50kg freestyle to enter final.

Somveer defeated Australia's Jayden Lawrence 7-0 for a victory by fall in the 86kg freestyle to set up a clash for the bronze medal.

India so far India has claimed total 59 medal, 25 gold medals, 16 silver and 18 bronze medals.

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Wrestling wins the nation another Gold ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SumitMalik?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SumitMalik</a> claimed Gold in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CG2018Wrestling?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CG2018Wrestling</a> Men's Freestyle 125 kg bout against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SinivieBoltic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SinivieBoltic</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamNigeria?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamNigeria</a>! Sumit earlier bt <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TayabRaza?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TayabRaza</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamPakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamPakistan</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KoreyJarvis?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KoreyJarvis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamCanada?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamCanada</a> on his way to the Finals!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Congratulations?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Congratulations</a> Sumit!! <a href="https://t.co/KZJpSfXZuI">pic.twitter.com/KZJpSfXZuI</a>
— IOA - Team India (@ioaindia) <a href="https://twitter.com/ioaindia/status/985068520919764992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On his way to the final bout, he defeated Pakistan's Tayab Raza 10-4. Also, he made an incredible comeback to win this bout against Korey Jarvis of Canada.

Initially, he was lagging 0-2 behind but then he came from behind to draw 3-3 with Jarvis and in the end, he flipped Jarvis to win 6-4 in the end.

<img alt="PTI4_14_2018_000082B.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/sports/PTI4_14_2018_000082B.jpg" width="770" />

Indian wrestler Sumit Malik won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 125 kg category

Indian wrestler Sumit Malik won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 125 kg category as his opponent, Sinivie Boltic of Nigeria was ruled out of the final due to an injury at the 21st Commonwealth Games on Saturday. Among others, Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik went down to Aminat Adeniyi of Nigeria 3-6 in a nervous bout to end her golden dreams. She will try for bronze now also Vinesh Phogat defeated Rupinder Kaur of Australia in the 50kg freestyle to enter final. Somveer defeated Australia's Jayden Lawrence 7-0 for a victory by fall in the 86kg freestyle to set up a clash for the bronze medal. India so far India has claimed total 59 medal, 25 gold medals, 16 silver and 18 bronze medals. Wrestling wins the nation another Gold ?#SumitMalik claimed Gold in #CG2018Wrestling Men's Freestyle 125 kg bout against #SinivieBoltic of #TeamNigeria! Sumit earlier bt #TayabRaza of #TeamPakistan & #KoreyJarvis #TeamCanada on his way to the Finals!#Congratulations Sumit!! pic.twitter.com/KZJpSfXZuI — IOA - Team India (@ioaindia) April 14, 2018 × On his way to the final bout, he defeated Pakistan's Tayab Raza 10-4. Also, he made an incredible comeback to win this bout against Korey Jarvis of Canada. Initially, he was lagging 0-2 behind but then he came from behind to draw 3-3 with Jarvis and in the end, he flipped Jarvis to win 6-4 in the end.

CWG 2018: Wrestler Sumit Malik wins gold in 125kg category

Wrestler Babita Phogat settled for a silver medal at the 21st Commonwealth Games as she lost in the finals by Canada's Diana Weicker on Thursday.

Babita had clinched a gold medal in at Glasgow in 2010 but failed to replicate the same as Diana Weicker defeated her 2-5 in the 53 kg category.

She opened India's account in the wrestling competition.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CommonwealthGames2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CommonwealthGames2018</a>: Wrestler Babita Kumari settles for silver in women's freestyle 53 kg category. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GC2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GC2018</a> (File Pic) <a href="https://t.co/dB9JaANw7U">pic.twitter.com/dB9JaANw7U</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/984329650066378753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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So far India has earned twelve gold medals, six silver and eight bronze medals.

Wrestler Babita Phogat settled for a silver medal at the 21st Commonwealth Games as she lost in the finals by Canada's Diana Weicker

Wrestler Babita Phogat settled for a silver medal at the 21st Commonwealth Games as she lost in the finals by Canada's Diana Weicker on Thursday. Babita had clinched a gold medal in at Glasgow in 2010 but failed to replicate the same as Diana Weicker defeated her 2-5 in the 53 kg category. She opened India's account in the wrestling competition. #CommonwealthGames2018: Wrestler Babita Kumari settles for silver in women's freestyle 53 kg category. #GC2018 (File Pic) pic.twitter.com/dB9JaANw7U — ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2018 × So far India has earned twelve gold medals, six silver and eight bronze medals.

Commonwealth Games: Wrestler Babita Phogat settles for silver in 53 kg category

Enzo Amore has &quot;unequivocally denied&quot; the rape allegations placed against him. 
 
The 31-year-old professional wrestler - whose real name is Eric Arndt - was accused earlier this week of having sexually abused a woman by the name of Philomena Sheahan in October last year, and after the allegations saw him dropped by WWE, he has now released a statement denying the claims made against him. 
 
The statement, which was released by his attorney to TMZ.com, reads: &quot;Over the last two days, Philomena Sheahan has made multiple public accusations against Eric Arndt (also known as Enzo Amore with the WWE), including allegations of sexual misconduct concerning an October 2017 incident in Phoenix. 
 
&quot;Mr Arndt fully and unequivocally denies those accusations. 
 
&quot;He is cooperating with the authorities in this matter and looks forward to having it resolved in a timely manner. Neither Mr Arndt nor his counsel will be making any further public comments on this matter.&quot; 
 
Earlier this week, Philomena took to Twitter to allege that Enzo had raped whilst two of his friends let the crime happen on October 19. 
 
She wrote on Twitter: &quot;OKAY..it&#39;s been long enough &amp; I have been so so scared to share this. I was raped in mid-October by the WWE Enzo Amore (also known as Eric Arden) &amp; Tyler Grosso &amp; TOOPOOR let it happen as accomplices. I was in a mental hospital for 45 days after it. They ARE NOT good people. (sic)&quot; 
 
Philomena also shared screenshots of messages she sent to another Twitter user, in which she claimed the trio, including Enzo, got her &quot;f***ed up&quot; on a cocktail of drugs before assaulting her. 
 
At the time of the woman&#39;s allegations, WWE claimed they were suspending the wrestler indefinitely, with a statement which read: &quot;WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving sexual harassment or sexual assault. Until this matter is resolved, Eric Arndt has been suspended.&quot; 
 
However, on Tuesday (23.01.18), the wrestling company revealed they had sacked the star. 
 
They said in a short statement: &quot;WWE has come to terms with the release of Eric Arndt (Enzo Amore).&quot; 
 
Phoenix Police Department is currently investigating the alleged crime, which was reported by Philomena on October 23.

Credit: BANG Showbiz

He was accused earlier this week of sexually abusing a woman because of which the wrestler was sacked from WWE

Enzo Amore has "unequivocally denied" the rape allegations placed against him. The 31-year-old professional wrestler - whose real name is Eric Arndt - was accused earlier this week of having sexually abused a woman by the name of Philomena Sheahan in October last year, and after the allegations saw him dropped by WWE, he has now released a statement denying the claims made against him. The statement, which was released by his attorney to TMZ.com, reads: "Over the last two days, Philomena Sheahan has made multiple public accusations against Eric Arndt (also known as Enzo Amore with the WWE), including allegations of sexual misconduct concerning an October 2017 incident in Phoenix. "Mr Arndt fully and unequivocally denies those accusations. "He is cooperating with the authorities in this matter and looks forward to having it resolved in a timely manner. Neither Mr Arndt nor his counsel will be making any further public comments on this matter." Earlier this week, Philomena took to Twitter to allege that Enzo had raped whilst two of his friends let the crime happen on October 19. She wrote on Twitter: "OKAY..it's been long enough & I have been so so scared to share this. I was raped in mid-October by the WWE Enzo Amore (also known as Eric Arden) & Tyler Grosso & TOOPOOR let it happen as accomplices. I was in a mental hospital for 45 days after it. They ARE NOT good people. (sic)" Philomena also shared screenshots of messages she sent to another Twitter user, in which she claimed the trio, including Enzo, got her "f***ed up" on a cocktail of drugs before assaulting her. At the time of the woman's allegations, WWE claimed they were suspending the wrestler indefinitely, with a statement which read: "WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving sexual harassment or sexual assault. Until this matter is resolved, Eric Arndt has been suspended." However, on Tuesday (23.01.18), the wrestling company revealed they had sacked the star. They said in a short statement: "WWE has come to terms with the release of Eric Arndt (Enzo Amore)." Phoenix Police Department is currently investigating the alleged crime, which was reported by Philomena on October 23. Credit: BANG Showbiz

Enzo Amore denies rape allegations

The ongoing three-day-long Global Entrepreneurship Summit is not the only place where the spirit of women empowerment soars high.

There were many things that happened for the very first time at the spectacular event that is to conclude later in the day today.

Ivanka Trump, adviser to the President of the United States noted the presence of staggering 1500 women delegates at GES 2017.&nbsp;

But, as mentioned above, GES 2017 is not the only place strumming chords of women empowerment. The holy city of Varanasi recently saw a historic feat where women participated in the annual wrestling competition for the very first time.&nbsp;

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For the first time in Varanasi, women participated in the annual wrestling competition, held on Assi Ghat. Sankat Mochan Foundation, which organizes the wrestling competition every year included a women category this time <a href="https://t.co/yhSu3OOf9k">pic.twitter.com/yhSu3OOf9k</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/936060425392742401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The event took place at Assi Ghat, Varanasi and was organised by the Sankat Mochan Foundation. The wrestling event is organised every year by the foundation and this time around the organisers decided to introduce a category for women.&nbsp;

The event took place at Assi Ghat, Varanasi and was organised by the Sankat Mochan Foundation.

The ongoing three-day-long Global Entrepreneurship Summit is not the only place where the spirit of women empowerment soars high. There were many things that happened for the very first time at the spectacular event that is to conclude later in the day today. Ivanka Trump, adviser to the President of the United States noted the presence of staggering 1500 women delegates at GES 2017. But, as mentioned above, GES 2017 is not the only place strumming chords of women empowerment. The holy city of Varanasi recently saw a historic feat where women participated in the annual wrestling competition for the very first time. For the first time in Varanasi, women participated in the annual wrestling competition, held on Assi Ghat. Sankat Mochan Foundation, which organizes the wrestling competition every year included a women category this time pic.twitter.com/yhSu3OOf9k — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 30, 2017 × The event took place at Assi Ghat, Varanasi and was organised by the Sankat Mochan Foundation. The wrestling event is organised every year by the foundation and this time around the organisers decided to introduce a category for women.

At annual Varanasi wrestling competition, women participate for first time

Female wrestler Ritu Phogat bagged the silver medal in U-23 Senior World Wrestling Championship being held at Poland.

Phogat defeated Bulgarian Wrestler Selishka by 4-2 points in the quarterfinal and defeated Chinese Wrestler Jiang Zhu by 4-3 points in the semifinal.

In Gold Medal bout, Ritu Phogat, unfortunately, lost the bout from Turkish Wrestler Demirhan by 4-4 points.

Ritu had recently won the National championship in Indore.

In May, Phogat won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships.&nbsp;

In May, Phogat won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships.

Female wrestler Ritu Phogat bagged the silver medal in U-23 Senior World Wrestling Championship being held at Poland. Phogat defeated Bulgarian Wrestler Selishka by 4-2 points in the quarterfinal and defeated Chinese Wrestler Jiang Zhu by 4-3 points in the semifinal. In Gold Medal bout, Ritu Phogat, unfortunately, lost the bout from Turkish Wrestler Demirhan by 4-4 points. Ritu had recently won the National championship in Indore. In May, Phogat won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships.

Ritu Phogat bags silver at U-23 Senior World Wrestling Championship

While handing down a four-year ban on Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has ruled that the wrestler failed to produce any &quot;real evidence&quot; regarding the sabotage theory he had advanced and the balance of probabilities&quot; was that he orally took the banned substance intentionally in tablet form on more than one occasion. 
 
In its full award, the ad hoc panel of the CAS relied on expert evidence that Narsingh&#39;s dope offence was not due to one-time ingestion of the prohibited substance and its concentration in the first test result (of June 25) was so high that it had to come from an oral ingestion of one or two tablets of methandienone, rather than from a drink where the powder had been mixed with water. 
 
The expert opinion was given by Professor Christiane Ayotte from Canada who was presented by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). 
 
Professor Ayotte is a member of International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Doping Commission since 1995 and was elected representative of the Heads of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Accredited Laboratories in 1995-1996. She is currently the director of the WADA-accredited laboratory in Montreal. 
 
Narsingh&#39;s urine sample taken out-of competition on June 25 was found to contain metabolites of methandienone and long term metabolite of methandienone. Another sample taken out-of-competition on July 5 was also found to contain long-term metabolites of methandienone. 
 
&quot;...All in all found the sabotage (s) theory possible, but not probable and certainly not grounded in any real evidence. The panel therefore determined that the athlete had failed to satisfy his burden of proof and the panel was satisfied that the most likely explanation was that the athlete simply and intentionally ingested the prohibited substance in tablet form on more than one occasion,&quot; the CAS panel said. 
 
The CAS had handed Narsingh a four-year ban in its &#39;operative award&#39; on August 18 barely hours before his 74kg freestyle opening bout was scheduled. 
 
&quot;The panel had to weigh circumstantial evidence of the athlete against scientific evidence of WADA to determine whether it was satisfied with the athlete&#39;s position that he did not take the prohibited substance intentionally. The panel is conscious that expert evidence offered by Professor Ayotte may be susceptible to qualification by other expert (s). However, the panel has no reason to question the scientific data and/or her expert testimony,&quot; the full award said. 
 
Narsingh had submitted that the doping offence was due to sabotage carried out by Jithesh (a junior wrestler and a member of Sushil Kumar&#39;s entourage) by mixing his energy drinks with prohibited substance on either June 23 or 24. 
 
The panel also noted that the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) had heard three persons -- Paswan, Rahul Kumar and Pankaj Kumar, who had confirmed that they had seen Jithesh trying to contaminate Narsingh&#39;s food earlier on June 5 by pouring some powder into the curry.&nbsp; 
 
Narsingh also cited some earlier decisions of the CAS which had considered circumstantial evidence but the ad hoc panel of the top sports tribunal went with the expert evidence. 
 
The panel said that &quot;the reading of the long-term metabolite in his second test (July 5) was consistent with the second ingestion towards the end of June 2016.&quot; 
 
It also ruled that the room-mate&#39;s (Sandeep Yadav) ingestion was not at the same time. 
 
&quot;He (Sandeep) had the parent compound of methandienone in his test results, so he must have taken the substance after the athlete (Narsingh), as opposed to both having their drinks spike at the same training session,&quot; the panel said. 
 
Vidhuspat Singhania, the counsel for Narsingh, who appeared before the panel via video conference, had also argued that the drinks might have been spiked twice. But the panel did not consider this argument. 
 
Regarding the criminal case filed against Jithesh at a Sonepat police station, the WADA said that if any decision was rendered at a later stage by a criminal court in India which confirmed the alleged sabotage, then any award made by this panel could be reviewed by the Supreme Court in Switzerland where the CAS is based. 
 
The NADA was also one of the respondents in the case and it objected to the jurisdiction of the CAS on the ground that it had 21 days to appeal against the ADDP decision and so should be allowed to do this before WADA could appeal. The NADA also argued that the case was not in connection with the Olympic Games. 
 
The ad hoc panel of the CAS rejected NADA&#39;s objection and went ahead in deciding the case on merits. 
 
WADA&#39;s expert Ayotte argued that there was at least 12 to 20 hours difference between the ingestion of the prohibited substance by the athlete and by his room-mate Sandeep. She said that the ingestion was from a therapeutic dose, rather than from a suspension in water. 
 
&quot;The long-term metabolite reading in the athlete&#39;s first sample was 4ng/ml, yet 10 days later the long-term metabolite reading in the second sample was 20ng/ml. While the reading can increase, it would only do so in the first 2 or 3 days after ingestion. As there was no trace of the parent compound in the first reading, the likely ingestion was a few days before 25 June 2016. The conclusion is that the long-term metabolite in the second Test (July 5) was from a different (second) ingestion of the prohibited substance,&quot; said Ayotte, a leading independent scientist on anti-doping research. 
 
WADA argued that Narsingh has failed that his doping offence was not intentional. 
 
&quot;He cannot establish the source of the prohibited substance. He has merely claimed that his drink must have been spiked during a training session on 23 or 24 June 2016. There is no evidence relating to this, only evidence that his food was allegedly tampered with some 20 days before,&quot; the WADA said. 
 
&quot;Further, according to the expert evidence of Dr Christiane Ayotte, methandienone would not completely dissolve in a drink even if it had been ground down, so the athlete (Narsingh) would have seen traces in the drink; the concentrations of methandienone were not consistent with a few micrograms having been ingested as a dispersed powder in a drink taken even the day before, and by the time the second sample of 5 July 2016 was taken, the concentration of the long-term metabolite was too high to be consistent with a one-time ingestion,&quot; it said.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

The tribunal found the sabotage theory possible but not probable due to lack of real evidence provided by the Indian wrestler

While handing down a four-year ban on Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has ruled that the wrestler failed to produce any "real evidence" regarding the sabotage theory he had advanced and the balance of probabilities" was that he orally took the banned substance intentionally in tablet form on more than one occasion. In its full award, the ad hoc panel of the CAS relied on expert evidence that Narsingh's dope offence was not due to one-time ingestion of the prohibited substance and its concentration in the first test result (of June 25) was so high that it had to come from an oral ingestion of one or two tablets of methandienone, rather than from a drink where the powder had been mixed with water. The expert opinion was given by Professor Christiane Ayotte from Canada who was presented by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Professor Ayotte is a member of International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Doping Commission since 1995 and was elected representative of the Heads of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Accredited Laboratories in 1995-1996. She is currently the director of the WADA-accredited laboratory in Montreal. Narsingh's urine sample taken out-of competition on June 25 was found to contain metabolites of methandienone and long term metabolite of methandienone. Another sample taken out-of-competition on July 5 was also found to contain long-term metabolites of methandienone. "...All in all found the sabotage (s) theory possible, but not probable and certainly not grounded in any real evidence. The panel therefore determined that the athlete had failed to satisfy his burden of proof and the panel was satisfied that the most likely explanation was that the athlete simply and intentionally ingested the prohibited substance in tablet form on more than one occasion," the CAS panel said. The CAS had handed Narsingh a four-year ban in its 'operative award' on August 18 barely hours before his 74kg freestyle opening bout was scheduled. "The panel had to weigh circumstantial evidence of the athlete against scientific evidence of WADA to determine whether it was satisfied with the athlete's position that he did not take the prohibited substance intentionally. The panel is conscious that expert evidence offered by Professor Ayotte may be susceptible to qualification by other expert (s). However, the panel has no reason to question the scientific data and/or her expert testimony," the full award said. Narsingh had submitted that the doping offence was due to sabotage carried out by Jithesh (a junior wrestler and a member of Sushil Kumar's entourage) by mixing his energy drinks with prohibited substance on either June 23 or 24. The panel also noted that the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) had heard three persons -- Paswan, Rahul Kumar and Pankaj Kumar, who had confirmed that they had seen Jithesh trying to contaminate Narsingh's food earlier on June 5 by pouring some powder into the curry. Narsingh also cited some earlier decisions of the CAS which had considered circumstantial evidence but the ad hoc panel of the top sports tribunal went with the expert evidence. The panel said that "the reading of the long-term metabolite in his second test (July 5) was consistent with the second ingestion towards the end of June 2016." It also ruled that the room-mate's (Sandeep Yadav) ingestion was not at the same time. "He (Sandeep) had the parent compound of methandienone in his test results, so he must have taken the substance after the athlete (Narsingh), as opposed to both having their drinks spike at the same training session," the panel said. Vidhuspat Singhania, the counsel for Narsingh, who appeared before the panel via video conference, had also argued that the drinks might have been spiked twice. But the panel did not consider this argument. Regarding the criminal case filed against Jithesh at a Sonepat police station, the WADA said that if any decision was rendered at a later stage by a criminal court in India which confirmed the alleged sabotage, then any award made by this panel could be reviewed by the Supreme Court in Switzerland where the CAS is based. The NADA was also one of the respondents in the case and it objected to the jurisdiction of the CAS on the ground that it had 21 days to appeal against the ADDP decision and so should be allowed to do this before WADA could appeal. The NADA also argued that the case was not in connection with the Olympic Games. The ad hoc panel of the CAS rejected NADA's objection and went ahead in deciding the case on merits. WADA's expert Ayotte argued that there was at least 12 to 20 hours difference between the ingestion of the prohibited substance by the athlete and by his room-mate Sandeep. She said that the ingestion was from a therapeutic dose, rather than from a suspension in water. "The long-term metabolite reading in the athlete's first sample was 4ng/ml, yet 10 days later the long-term metabolite reading in the second sample was 20ng/ml. While the reading can increase, it would only do so in the first 2 or 3 days after ingestion. As there was no trace of the parent compound in the first reading, the likely ingestion was a few days before 25 June 2016. The conclusion is that the long-term metabolite in the second Test (July 5) was from a different (second) ingestion of the prohibited substance," said Ayotte, a leading independent scientist on anti-doping research. WADA argued that Narsingh has failed that his doping offence was not intentional. "He cannot establish the source of the prohibited substance. He has merely claimed that his drink must have been spiked during a training session on 23 or 24 June 2016. There is no evidence relating to this, only evidence that his food was allegedly tampered with some 20 days before," the WADA said. "Further, according to the expert evidence of Dr Christiane Ayotte, methandienone would not completely dissolve in a drink even if it had been ground down, so the athlete (Narsingh) would have seen traces in the drink; the concentrations of methandienone were not consistent with a few micrograms having been ingested as a dispersed powder in a drink taken even the day before, and by the time the second sample of 5 July 2016 was taken, the concentration of the long-term metabolite was too high to be consistent with a one-time ingestion," it said. (PTI)

Narsingh Yadav intentionally ingested prohibited substance: CAS

Providing a major relief to Narsingh Yadav, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) on Thursday gave a clean chit to the grappler to participate in the 74kg men&#39;s freestyle category at the ongoing Rio Olympics. 
 
On Tuesday, Narsingh&#39;s Rio campaign hit another roadblock when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) decided to appeal the CAS against the clean chit given to him by the National Anti-doping Agency (NADA) in New Delhi connection with doping charge.&quot;Narsingh Yadav has been cleared by the CAS,&quot; confirmed lawyer Vidushpat Singhania. 
 
The decision means Narsingh will now kick start his Rio campaign on Friday when he takes on France&#39;s Zelimkhan Khadjiev in the qualification round. Earlier, NADA had paved the way for Narsingh to compete in the prestigious quadrennial event after its disciplinary panel exonerated the 26-year-old grappler from the charges of violating anti-doping rules saying he was a victim of sabotage perpetrated by a competitor. 
 
Narsingh, who bagged the quota with a bronze medal finish in last year&#39;s World Championships, tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid on both his A and B samples. He was kept under provisionally suspension until the NADA&#39;s verdict.Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had earlier expressed his confidence that the embattled wrestler would be cleared by the CAS in his doping case. 
 
&quot;WADA has appealed in the CAS. We have presented our case to WADA. They have set a hearing for August 18. Our lawyer will not be able to reach here by that time and, therefore, he will mark his presence either through telephone or video conference. I am totally confident that Narsingh will clear this hurdle as well. Our case is not at all weak,&quot; Brij Bhushan had then said. 
 
Interestingly, Narsingh was also 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. In the end, Narsingh was favoured for the same after fighting a lengthy legal battle with Sushil. 
 
(ANI)

Narsingh will now kick start his Rio campaign on Friday when he takes on France's Zelimkhan Khadjiev in the qualification round

Providing a major relief to Narsingh Yadav, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) on Thursday gave a clean chit to the grappler to participate in the 74kg men's freestyle category at the ongoing Rio Olympics. On Tuesday, Narsingh's Rio campaign hit another roadblock when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) decided to appeal the CAS against the clean chit given to him by the National Anti-doping Agency (NADA) in New Delhi connection with doping charge."Narsingh Yadav has been cleared by the CAS," confirmed lawyer Vidushpat Singhania. The decision means Narsingh will now kick start his Rio campaign on Friday when he takes on France's Zelimkhan Khadjiev in the qualification round. Earlier, NADA had paved the way for Narsingh to compete in the prestigious quadrennial event after its disciplinary panel exonerated the 26-year-old grappler from the charges of violating anti-doping rules saying he was a victim of sabotage perpetrated by a competitor. Narsingh, who bagged the quota with a bronze medal finish in last year's World Championships, tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid on both his A and B samples. He was kept under provisionally suspension until the NADA's verdict.Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had earlier expressed his confidence that the embattled wrestler would be cleared by the CAS in his doping case. "WADA has appealed in the CAS. We have presented our case to WADA. They have set a hearing for August 18. Our lawyer will not be able to reach here by that time and, therefore, he will mark his presence either through telephone or video conference. I am totally confident that Narsingh will clear this hurdle as well. Our case is not at all weak," Brij Bhushan had then said. Interestingly, Narsingh was also 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. In the end, Narsingh was favoured for the same after fighting a lengthy legal battle with Sushil. (ANI)

Rio Olympics 2016: Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav cleared after dope controversy

Narsingh Yadav&#39;s Olympic dream seems to have come to an end with the Court for Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upholding the World Anti Doping Agency&#39;s (WADA) appeal against the clean chit given to him in a doping violation case. 
 
The ad hoc division of the CAS, which met here on Thursday to hear the WADA&#39;s appeal against the clearance to Narsingh by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) also slapped a four-year ban on the Mumbai wrestler. 
 
&quot;WADA filed an urgent application before the CAS ad hoc Division to challenge the decision of NADA India to exonerate Narsingh Yadav following two positive anti-doping tests with methandienone on June 25 and July 5. The athlete asserted that he was the victim of sabotage (food/drink tampering) by another person. WADA requested that a four-year period of ineligibility be imposed on the athlete,&quot; the CAS said in a statement. 
 
&quot;The CAS panel did not accept the argument of the athlete that he was the victim of sabotage and noted that there was no evidence that he bore no fault, nor that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional. Therefore the standard four-year period of ineligibility was imposed by the panel,&quot; the statement added. 
 
(IANS)

The CAS panel did not accept the argument of the athlete that he was a victim of sabotage

Narsingh Yadav's Olympic dream seems to have come to an end with the Court for Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upholding the World Anti Doping Agency's (WADA) appeal against the clean chit given to him in a doping violation case. The ad hoc division of the CAS, which met here on Thursday to hear the WADA's appeal against the clearance to Narsingh by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) also slapped a four-year ban on the Mumbai wrestler. "WADA filed an urgent application before the CAS ad hoc Division to challenge the decision of NADA India to exonerate Narsingh Yadav following two positive anti-doping tests with methandienone on June 25 and July 5. The athlete asserted that he was the victim of sabotage (food/drink tampering) by another person. WADA requested that a four-year period of ineligibility be imposed on the athlete," the CAS said in a statement. "The CAS panel did not accept the argument of the athlete that he was the victim of sabotage and noted that there was no evidence that he bore no fault, nor that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional. Therefore the standard four-year period of ineligibility was imposed by the panel," the statement added. (IANS)

Rio Olympics 2016: CAS slaps four-year ban on Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav

Rohtak district today erupted in joy and celebrations after local girl Sakshi Malik made India&#39;s northern Haryana state and the country proud by winning a Bronze medal in wrestling at the Rio Olympics. 
 
People from all walks of life including ministers, politicians, Sports Authority of India officials made a beeline to Sakshi&#39;s house at Mokhra village in Rohtak district to congratulate the family for clinching a medal in the 58 kg category in the Olympics. 
 
&quot;I have been receiving so many calls on my mobile phones for congratulatory messages ever since my daughter won the medal at Rio Olympic games,&quot; said Sudesh Malik, mother of Sakshi as the family was busy in distributing sweets to everyone who came to congratulate the wrestler&#39;s family. 
 
Sudesh, who has not slept for more than 20 hours till today morning, along with her husband and other family members were glued to the television to watch Sakshi&#39;s bout and they all erupted in joy when she won the match. 
 
All the family members could be seen hugging each other over the historic feat achieved by Sakshi. 
 
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar called up Sakshi&#39;s father Sukhbir Malik to congratulate the family for their daughter&#39;s historic feat. 
 
Haryana state minister Manish Grover personally visited Sakshi&#39;s house and presented a &#39;Gada&#39; and sweet box to the family. 
 
A large number of media people flocked to the wrestler&#39;s house to interview the family as the 23-year-old Rohtak girl scripted history by winning a Bronze medal - the first by an Indian woman wrestler. 
 
The news of the Rohtak girl&#39;s medal winning feat will put the district on the world map even as few months back, Rohtak had remained the epicenter of violent Jat agitation. 
 
Several leaders including Haryana governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, sports minister Anil Vij, finance minister Captain Abhimanyu, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda congratulated Sakshi for her historic feat. 
 
In his message, the Governor said that the whole country was proud of Sakshi for this achievement. &quot;On this auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan, Sakshi has brought laurels to the country by bagging bronze in the 58-kg category of Women&#39;s Freestyle Wrestling,&quot; he said. 
 
Khattar said, &quot;Sakshi Malik has done Haryana and the country proud by opening India&#39;s account in the medals tally in the Olympics at Rio in Brazil. I congratulate her and members of her family on her achievement. The way she came from behind to win Bronze at Rio shows her class, grit and determination.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Sports minister Anil Vij, who is leading a delegation at Rio Olympic Games, said international wrestler Sakshi has made the state and country proud by winning the country its first medal at Rio. 
 
Vij also extended good wishes to Sakshi and her family members on behalf of the people of the state and country. 
 
Vij in a release said that the state government would honour Sakshi with cash award of Rupees 2.5 crore as per its sports policy. He hoped that the other sportspersons of the state would also prove their mettle in coming events by winning medals. 
 
Before this historical event, Vij also met all athletes from the state and encouraged them to bring laurels to the state and the country by delivering sterling performances in their respective games. 
 
As a result of this, Haryana has bagged the first medal for the country in the Olympics, the release said. 
 
Former Haryana chief minister Hooda, who is also from Rohtak in his tweet said, &quot;Congrats Sakshi on winning our 1st medal in #Rio2016. Proud of u &amp; everyone who fought hard even if they cudn&#39;t win.&quot; 
 
Finance minister Captain Abhimanyu also tweeted, &quot;Many congratulations. #SakshiMalik.&quot; 
 
(PTI)

Everybody has been making a beeline for her home in Mokhra village. Even the chief minister called to congratulate the family

Rohtak district today erupted in joy and celebrations after local girl Sakshi Malik made India's northern Haryana state and the country proud by winning a Bronze medal in wrestling at the Rio Olympics. People from all walks of life including ministers, politicians, Sports Authority of India officials made a beeline to Sakshi's house at Mokhra village in Rohtak district to congratulate the family for clinching a medal in the 58 kg category in the Olympics. "I have been receiving so many calls on my mobile phones for congratulatory messages ever since my daughter won the medal at Rio Olympic games," said Sudesh Malik, mother of Sakshi as the family was busy in distributing sweets to everyone who came to congratulate the wrestler's family. Sudesh, who has not slept for more than 20 hours till today morning, along with her husband and other family members were glued to the television to watch Sakshi's bout and they all erupted in joy when she won the match. All the family members could be seen hugging each other over the historic feat achieved by Sakshi. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar called up Sakshi's father Sukhbir Malik to congratulate the family for their daughter's historic feat. Haryana state minister Manish Grover personally visited Sakshi's house and presented a 'Gada' and sweet box to the family. A large number of media people flocked to the wrestler's house to interview the family as the 23-year-old Rohtak girl scripted history by winning a Bronze medal - the first by an Indian woman wrestler. The news of the Rohtak girl's medal winning feat will put the district on the world map even as few months back, Rohtak had remained the epicenter of violent Jat agitation. Several leaders including Haryana governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, sports minister Anil Vij, finance minister Captain Abhimanyu, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda congratulated Sakshi for her historic feat. In his message, the Governor said that the whole country was proud of Sakshi for this achievement. "On this auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan, Sakshi has brought laurels to the country by bagging bronze in the 58-kg category of Women's Freestyle Wrestling," he said. Khattar said, "Sakshi Malik has done Haryana and the country proud by opening India's account in the medals tally in the Olympics at Rio in Brazil. I congratulate her and members of her family on her achievement. The way she came from behind to win Bronze at Rio shows her class, grit and determination." Sports minister Anil Vij, who is leading a delegation at Rio Olympic Games, said international wrestler Sakshi has made the state and country proud by winning the country its first medal at Rio. Vij also extended good wishes to Sakshi and her family members on behalf of the people of the state and country. Vij in a release said that the state government would honour Sakshi with cash award of Rupees 2.5 crore as per its sports policy. He hoped that the other sportspersons of the state would also prove their mettle in coming events by winning medals. Before this historical event, Vij also met all athletes from the state and encouraged them to bring laurels to the state and the country by delivering sterling performances in their respective games. As a result of this, Haryana has bagged the first medal for the country in the Olympics, the release said. Former Haryana chief minister Hooda, who is also from Rohtak in his tweet said, "Congrats Sakshi on winning our 1st medal in #Rio2016. Proud of u & everyone who fought hard even if they cudn't win." Finance minister Captain Abhimanyu also tweeted, "Many congratulations. #SakshiMalik." (PTI)

Back in India, Sakshi's home state erupts in joy

India has finally managed to open their medal account in the ongoing Rio Olympics as wrestler Sakshi Malik clinched a bronze in the women&#39;s freestyle 58 kg event after defeating Asian number 1 Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyztan 8-5 here today. 
 
Although the 23-year-old was trailing 0-5 against her Kyrgyzstani opponent after the first period, she bounced back in style to hand India its fourth bronze medal in wrestling in the Olympic history. 
 
Prior to this, Malik won her repechage round 2 bout by beating Mongolia&#39;s Purevdorj Orkhon 12-3 to advance to the bronze-medal match.&nbsp; 
 
Malik had earlier suffered a major setback as she went down 2-9 against Russia&#39;s Valeriia Koblova in the quarter-finals of the event. She, however, had brought herself back into the medal contention after her Russian opponent made it to the finals of the freestyle 58 kg event. 
 
With the win, Malik has now become only the fourth Indian woman athlete to win an Olympic medal after Karnam Malleshwari, Mary Kom and Saina Nehwal. She has also become the fourth Indian wrestler to win a medal in Olympics after Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav,two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt. 
 
Indian Prime Minister congratulated the freestyle wrestler, hailing from the northern Haryana, on the microblogging site Twitter.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Sakshi Malik creates history! Congratulations to her for the Bronze. The entire nation is rejoicing. On this very auspicious day of Raksha Bandhan (a Hindu festival celebrated by siblings in India) , Sakshi Malik, a daughter of India, wins a Bronze &amp; makes all of us very proud,&quot; he tweeted.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Hearty Congratulations to #SakshiMalik for winning a medal in women&#39;s wrestling in #Rio2016 and doing India proud,&quot; Indian President Pranab Mukherjee also said in his official Twitter handle. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

Malik is only the fourth Indian woman athlete to win an Olympic medal

India has finally managed to open their medal account in the ongoing Rio Olympics as wrestler Sakshi Malik clinched a bronze in the women's freestyle 58 kg event after defeating Asian number 1 Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyztan 8-5 here today. Although the 23-year-old was trailing 0-5 against her Kyrgyzstani opponent after the first period, she bounced back in style to hand India its fourth bronze medal in wrestling in the Olympic history. Prior to this, Malik won her repechage round 2 bout by beating Mongolia's Purevdorj Orkhon 12-3 to advance to the bronze-medal match. Malik had earlier suffered a major setback as she went down 2-9 against Russia's Valeriia Koblova in the quarter-finals of the event. She, however, had brought herself back into the medal contention after her Russian opponent made it to the finals of the freestyle 58 kg event. With the win, Malik has now become only the fourth Indian woman athlete to win an Olympic medal after Karnam Malleshwari, Mary Kom and Saina Nehwal. She has also become the fourth Indian wrestler to win a medal in Olympics after Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav,two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt. Indian Prime Minister congratulated the freestyle wrestler, hailing from the northern Haryana, on the microblogging site Twitter. "Sakshi Malik creates history! Congratulations to her for the Bronze. The entire nation is rejoicing. On this very auspicious day of Raksha Bandhan (a Hindu festival celebrated by siblings in India) , Sakshi Malik, a daughter of India, wins a Bronze & makes all of us very proud," he tweeted. "Hearty Congratulations to #SakshiMalik for winning a medal in women's wrestling in #Rio2016 and doing India proud," Indian President Pranab Mukherjee also said in his official Twitter handle. (ANI)

Rio Olympics 2016: Wrestler Sakshi Malik wins bronze, gives India its first medal

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

Men in Germany and Austria, wrestle it out with fingers.

Finger Wrestling: A tradition to sport

Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav&#39;s allegations of &#39;sabotage&#39; after failing a dope test gained grounds but his Olympic hopes receded further with the country protectively naming a replacement for him at next month&#39;s Rio Games. 
 
The United Wrestling Federation (UWF) has confirmed in a statement that Parveen Rana will compete in men&#39;s 74kg freestyle at Rio, replacing Yadav whose samples from an out-of-competition test returned positive for a banned steroid. Yadav has lodged a police complaint against a junior wrestler accusing him of contaminating his food at the Sports Authority of India training centre in Sonepat. 
 
&quot;We at the federation also believe that he has been a victim of conspiracy and the person behind it has also been identified,&quot; Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) assistant secretary Vinod Tomar told Reuters. 
 
&quot;The UWF gave us time until July 25 to announce a replacement or vacate the qualification spot.&nbsp;So the immediate task was to protect the spot. If we did not name a replacement, even Narsingh, provided he gets a clean chit, won&#39;t be able to compete at Rio. At least, we are now sure of sending someone in the event.&quot; 
 
Yadav secured India a berth at the Games by winning a bronze medal at last year&#39;s world championships in Las Vegas.&nbsp;The 26-year-old, however, had his Olympic berth in jeopardy when Sushil Kumar, who won bronze in the 66kg category in Beijing in 2008 and silver in London, moved up a weight and sought a court order for a bout between the pair to determine who should go to Rio. 
 
Last month, the Delhi High Court ruled against Kumar, the only Indian athlete to win two individual Olympic medals, clearing the way for Yadav to compete in Rio. Yadav was provided police security, a rare measure for an Indian athlete, at the Sonepat training centre due to possible threats to his life. 
 
Asked if it meant end of Yadav&#39;s dreams to compete at Rio, Tomar said, &quot;If he manages to get a clean chit from NADA, we&#39;d approach the governing body to allow him to compete there.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Narsingh Yadav's samples from an out-of-competition test returned positive for a banned steroid

Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav's allegations of 'sabotage' after failing a dope test gained grounds but his Olympic hopes receded further with the country protectively naming a replacement for him at next month's Rio Games. The United Wrestling Federation (UWF) has confirmed in a statement that Parveen Rana will compete in men's 74kg freestyle at Rio, replacing Yadav whose samples from an out-of-competition test returned positive for a banned steroid. Yadav has lodged a police complaint against a junior wrestler accusing him of contaminating his food at the Sports Authority of India training centre in Sonepat. "We at the federation also believe that he has been a victim of conspiracy and the person behind it has also been identified," Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) assistant secretary Vinod Tomar told Reuters. "The UWF gave us time until July 25 to announce a replacement or vacate the qualification spot. So the immediate task was to protect the spot. If we did not name a replacement, even Narsingh, provided he gets a clean chit, won't be able to compete at Rio. At least, we are now sure of sending someone in the event." Yadav secured India a berth at the Games by winning a bronze medal at last year's world championships in Las Vegas. The 26-year-old, however, had his Olympic berth in jeopardy when Sushil Kumar, who won bronze in the 66kg category in Beijing in 2008 and silver in London, moved up a weight and sought a court order for a bout between the pair to determine who should go to Rio. Last month, the Delhi High Court ruled against Kumar, the only Indian athlete to win two individual Olympic medals, clearing the way for Yadav to compete in Rio. Yadav was provided police security, a rare measure for an Indian athlete, at the Sonepat training centre due to possible threats to his life. Asked if it meant end of Yadav's dreams to compete at Rio, Tomar said, "If he manages to get a clean chit from NADA, we'd approach the governing body to allow him to compete there." (Reuters)

India names Parveen Rana as Rio replacement for wrestler Narsingh Yadav

The path to the Olympics is paved with potholes for many athletes but few can claim to have overcome hardship like &nbsp;Indian-origin wrestler Vinod Kumar, who was thrown off a speeding train by a rival&#39;s family in India before landing on his feet in Australia. 
 
Melbourne-based Kumar will compete for his adopted country in the 66 kg-class of Greco-Roman wrestling at the Rio de Janeiro Games, six years after landing Down Under, a colloquialism for Australia, with a suitcase in hand and a head full of troubled childhood memories. 
 
Winning the Olympic ticket was karma, according to Kumar, and a reward for forgiving the people who all but killed him when he was a teenager competing on India&#39;s wrestling circuit. 
 
&quot;Wrestling is big in India,&quot; the 31-year-old Kumar told Reuters in an interview at his Melbourne home. &quot;Fathers all want their sons to win... I forgave them because I believe in karma and I believe in God.&quot; 
 
Born in a small village near the Indian capital &nbsp;of New Delhi and raised in a family of wrestlers, Kumar competed at junior national tournaments across the country from a young age. 
 
In 2001, he boarded a long-haul train to an event in southern India with other young wrestlers but never arrived. 
 
BROKEN BONES 
 
As the train coursed through coastal forests in southern Indian state of &nbsp;Karnataka, Kumar was handed a spiked soft-drink and immediately felt dizzy after taking a mouthful. 
 
He went groggily to the carriage&#39;s doorway to get some air and two men, one the father of a rival wrestler, hurled him from the train before it sped into a tunnel. 
 
Bones were broken in his arms and legs as his body careened off the tracks to settle by a body of water. 
 
&quot;The train was going very fast. Maybe 100-130 kilometres (per hour/ 81 mph),&quot; the shaven-headed wrestler said in halting English. 
 
&quot;My clothes were all torn, like I was just wearing my underwear.&quot; 
 
Fifteen years later, Kumar lifts up his shirt and trouser leg to show deep scars along his chest and knee but can now chuckle about the absurdity of what happened. 
 
He was conscious and in searing pain, unable to move as mosquitoes bit him and flies buzzed around his wounds. 
 
Kumar believes he would have died if he had not been discovered by rail workers in the morning, putting him on another train bound for a hospital that could treat him. 
 
&quot;No one knew where I was for 15 days, everybody thought I was dead,&quot; he laughed. 
 
When he returned to his family, police arrested five of the men who were on the carriage. 
 
DIRT WRESTLER 
 
His family took legal action as Kumar lay bed-ridden for a year. One of his brothers refused a compensation payment from the rival wrestler&#39;s father. 
 
Kumar eventually returned to competition and although he appeared in court &quot;two or three times&quot;, the case dragged on for years and he told his family to drop the lawsuit. 
 
His forgiveness was not shared by his family, however, and caused a rift so deep that Kumar left home for good. 
 
He then spent years roaming the country, competing for cash prizes in towns and villages in conventional freestyle events and in &#39;pehlwani&#39;, India&#39;s traditional dirt wrestling. 
 
Australia promised a fresh start but it has been tough since landing in 2010 with little English and no skills. 
 
With no professional wrestling to speak of in Australia, Kumar has worked as a courier and a bouncer at nightclubs to earn money and says he owes friends up to $10,800. 
 
Both &nbsp;parents have died since he left India, his mother of a heart attack only two weeks before his interview with Reuters. 
 
&quot;Sometimes I&#39;m feeling very upset, thinking I am here and I have no money, nothing here,&quot; said Kumar, sitting on his bed with a clutch of medals hanging by the wall. 
 
&quot;I feel it&#39;s too hard here and I want to quit... Then I go to the club (to train) and have a better feeling.&quot; 
 
After earning his ticket to Rio in April at a qualifying tournament in Algeria, Kumar feels the grind has been worth it. 
 
Melbourne&#39;s prominent Indian community have rallied to his cause and he will head to Brazil hoping to become Australia&#39;s first wrestling medallist in more than 60 years. 
 
He said the rival wrestler&#39;s father who threw him from the train is dead and that the man&#39;s wife had hanged herself. Their son has not succeeded in wrestling. 
 
&quot;Now he&#39;s nothing and I&#39;m an Olympian,&quot; Kumar said. &quot;This is karma.&quot; 
 
&nbsp;

Vinod Kumar has endured broken bones, legal battles against his attackers and loss of family to finally achieve his dream of wrestling in the Olympics

The path to the Olympics is paved with potholes for many athletes but few can claim to have overcome hardship like Indian-origin wrestler Vinod Kumar, who was thrown off a speeding train by a rival's family in India before landing on his feet in Australia. Melbourne-based Kumar will compete for his adopted country in the 66 kg-class of Greco-Roman wrestling at the Rio de Janeiro Games, six years after landing Down Under, a colloquialism for Australia, with a suitcase in hand and a head full of troubled childhood memories. Winning the Olympic ticket was karma, according to Kumar, and a reward for forgiving the people who all but killed him when he was a teenager competing on India's wrestling circuit. "Wrestling is big in India," the 31-year-old Kumar told Reuters in an interview at his Melbourne home. "Fathers all want their sons to win... I forgave them because I believe in karma and I believe in God." Born in a small village near the Indian capital of New Delhi and raised in a family of wrestlers, Kumar competed at junior national tournaments across the country from a young age. In 2001, he boarded a long-haul train to an event in southern India with other young wrestlers but never arrived. BROKEN BONES As the train coursed through coastal forests in southern Indian state of Karnataka, Kumar was handed a spiked soft-drink and immediately felt dizzy after taking a mouthful. He went groggily to the carriage's doorway to get some air and two men, one the father of a rival wrestler, hurled him from the train before it sped into a tunnel. Bones were broken in his arms and legs as his body careened off the tracks to settle by a body of water. "The train was going very fast. Maybe 100-130 kilometres (per hour/ 81 mph)," the shaven-headed wrestler said in halting English. "My clothes were all torn, like I was just wearing my underwear." Fifteen years later, Kumar lifts up his shirt and trouser leg to show deep scars along his chest and knee but can now chuckle about the absurdity of what happened. He was conscious and in searing pain, unable to move as mosquitoes bit him and flies buzzed around his wounds. Kumar believes he would have died if he had not been discovered by rail workers in the morning, putting him on another train bound for a hospital that could treat him. "No one knew where I was for 15 days, everybody thought I was dead," he laughed. When he returned to his family, police arrested five of the men who were on the carriage. DIRT WRESTLER His family took legal action as Kumar lay bed-ridden for a year. One of his brothers refused a compensation payment from the rival wrestler's father. Kumar eventually returned to competition and although he appeared in court "two or three times", the case dragged on for years and he told his family to drop the lawsuit. His forgiveness was not shared by his family, however, and caused a rift so deep that Kumar left home for good. He then spent years roaming the country, competing for cash prizes in towns and villages in conventional freestyle events and in 'pehlwani', India's traditional dirt wrestling. Australia promised a fresh start but it has been tough since landing in 2010 with little English and no skills. With no professional wrestling to speak of in Australia, Kumar has worked as a courier and a bouncer at nightclubs to earn money and says he owes friends up to $10,800. Both parents have died since he left India, his mother of a heart attack only two weeks before his interview with Reuters. "Sometimes I'm feeling very upset, thinking I am here and I have no money, nothing here," said Kumar, sitting on his bed with a clutch of medals hanging by the wall. "I feel it's too hard here and I want to quit... Then I go to the club (to train) and have a better feeling." After earning his ticket to Rio in April at a qualifying tournament in Algeria, Kumar feels the grind has been worth it. Melbourne's prominent Indian community have rallied to his cause and he will head to Brazil hoping to become Australia's first wrestling medallist in more than 60 years. He said the rival wrestler's father who threw him from the train is dead and that the man's wife had hanged herself. Their son has not succeeded in wrestling. "Now he's nothing and I'm an Olympian," Kumar said. "This is karma."

Thrown out of a moving train, Indian-origin Australian wrestler gets back on track for Olympics

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