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2024 Paris Olympic Games preview, team news, tickets & prediction

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games is officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and it is scheduled to take place from 26 July to 11 August 2024 in 35 venues across France.

Jun 7, 2024, 8:47 AM8 min read

2024 Paris Olympic Games preview, team news, tickets & prediction

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are finally here and top athletes from all over the world will compete for a chance to take home gold and write their names into the history books.

This is officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and it is scheduled to take place from 26 July to 11 August 2024 in 35 venues across France, with Paris as the main host city and 16 other cities spread across Metropolitan France. Meanwhile, surfing events will be hosted by the South Pacific island of Tahiti.

The French capital won the hosting rights to the 2024 Games against Los Angeles after many other cities had dropped out of the bidding process. Hence, Paris 2024 will mark 100 years since Paris 1924 and it promises to be a special one. 

The 2024 Olympics action begins on Wednesday, July 24 with the first two events of the Games being men's soccer and rugby sevens that have to start earlier due to the schedule.

Typically, athletes march into a venue during the opening ceremony of the Olympics but for the first time, they will float down the Seine River on barges. The opening ceremony is scheduled to begin on 26 July 2024 at 7:30 PM local time with the boat parade taking up to 4 miles from Pont d'Austerlitz to Pont d'Iéna and featuring cultural presentations.

For the closing ceremony, there will be 13 gold medal events, including men's water polo, women's volleyball and the women's marathon final, before the Games are officially concluded at Stade de France on 11 August 2024.

Athletics is one of the most symbolic Olympic sports and it has been contested at every single episode of the Games. Being one of the oldest sports in the world with records documented from as far back as 776 BC, the sport is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the Olympic Games and it has undergone massive changes over the decades with the women's competition only featuring 17 events until 1992. 

Read Also: Paris Olympics 2024: Organisers plan to help athletes deal with mental pressure

Indeed, the incorporation of the 3000m steeplechase in 2008 saw female athletes begin to compete in the same number of events as their male counterparts. And now, the 2024 Games will be the first to feature an identical number of male and female athletes.

Today, athletics is composed of various running, jumping, throwing, walking, and combined events which makes it the single sport that involves the most participants at the Olympic Games, due to its many categories and disciplines.

Paris 2024 will also feature the debut of breakdancing as an Olympic event while skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing will remain having also debuted in 2020. Overall, the 2024 Summer Olympics programme will feature 329 events in 32 sports, including the four newly added sports. 

Host nation France will play their first game of the tournament against the United States in the men’s football event. France’s only Olympic football title was won on U.S. soil 40 years ago in Los Angeles 1984 and they will be desperate to do it again on home soil.

That is a realistic dream given that back-to-back reigning Olympic champions Brazil failed to qualify for these Games.

Event tickets

How To Purchase Tickets For The Paris 2024 Olympics? - sportzpoint.com

The 2024 Olympic Games will start two days before the opening ceremony on Wednesday, 24 July with the football matches. One must apply for Paris Olympics 2024 tickets on the official ticketing application to receive your tickets or put them back on sale.

The Paris 2024 Hospitality program also offers packages that include tickets for sporting events combined with exceptional services in the competition venues (boxes, lounges) or in the heart of the city (accommodation, transport options, gastronomy, tourist activities, etc.).

Most of the Olympic events will be held in the city of Paris and its metropolitan region, including the neighbouring cities of Saint-Denis, Le Bourget, Nanterre, Versailles, and Vaires-sur-Marne. Elsewhere, the handball tournaments will be held in Lille, the sailing games will be held in Marseille and the surfing events are expected to be held in the overseas territory of French Polynesia. 

Football will also be hosted in Lille, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes, Nice and Saint-Étienne. The opening match of that event between Argentina and Morocco kicks off at 3 PM UK time while the third match of the day is the most anticipated as France and the USA face off at Stade de Marseille.

To get your hands on Paris Olympics 2024 tickets early enough, we advise you to make your search on a ticket resale website.

Team news

Led by Thierry Henry, the 1998 FIFA World Cup winner will be hoping to inspire the next generation of French football stars to a sensational victory on home soil.

Thierry Henry appointed France's new U23 manager and will be coaching Kylian Mbappé  at Paris 2024 Olympics - sportzpoint.com
Thierry Henry has been made the France U-23 coach and will be managing the team in the Paris Olympics.

Men's teams in this event are restricted to under-23 players but are allowed a maximum of three overage players, while there are no age restrictions on women's teams.

Hence, all eyes will be on France’s wildcard picks from a star-studded pool of players with national team stalwarts Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud all reported to be under consideration for an invitation. 

In basketball, Team USA is stacked with a winning mentality with a combined 11 Olympic appearances, 10 Olympic gold medals and three FIBA World Cup titles as well as 12 NBA All-Stars, four NBA MVPs and six NBA champions.

2024 Paris Olympic Games preview, team news, tickets & prediction - USA Basketball team - sportzpoint.com

The U.S. team is brimming with quality and they are backed to go all the way in Paris. LeBron James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with another 273 points scored at the Olympics, Kevin Durant is the USA’s all-time Olympic statistical leader in total points (435), scoring average (19.8 ppg), field goals (146), 3-point field goals (74) and free throws (69).

Durant can make history in Paris by becoming the first player to win four gold medals in men’s basketball.

Tokyo 2020 400m freestyle swimming champion, Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia, may not be fit to defend his title at Paris 2024. The 21-year-old was among the favourites to win the 400m gold medal while he was also a top contender in the 800m and 1500m events.

Read Also: Paris Olympics 2024: Indian athletes who qualified for the Paris 2024

In Artistic Gymnastics, the Americans have seven-time Olympic medallist, Simone Biles, who is the most decorated gymnast of all time with 37 world championships and Olympic medals. The 27-year-old looks as good as ever in the buildup to the Games and she will be joined by 2012 Olympic All-Around champion, Gabby Douglas, and Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Sunisa Lee to walk into Paris as teammates with a combined 13 Olympic medals.

Noah Lyles will be the star of the USA's track and field at the Paris Olympics - sportzpoint.com

Noah Lyles is the face of American track and field and has his eyes on all of the medals in Paris after becoming the first man since Usain Bolt to win gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the World Championships. The 26-year-old took bronze in the 200m in 2020 and could be on the verge of making history with four historic golds in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m relays. 

The Jamaican duo of Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce will be hoping to finish with medals as Fraser-Pryce looks to end her career on a high after announcing she’ll retire following the Paris Olympics. The 37-year-old is one of the greatest sprinters of all time having won more individual global sprint titles than any female sprinter in history. 

Faith Kipyegon’s chances of winning her third Olympic title are sky-high after breaking the 1500m, 5000m and mile world records in 2023. She had a remarkable campaign and was duly voted Athlete of the Year 2023 and she can complete a hat-trick of Olympic gold medals in Paris. 

Kipyegon would also have the best wishes of Kenya whose reputation has been tarnished by a series of doping scandals. Although 2020 Olympics silver medallist, Laura Muir, will also be angling for a podium finish.

World record-holder Joshua Cheptegei is the favourite for the 10,000m and 5000m races and his Ugandan teammate, Jacob Kiplimo, will not be far behind. 

In the marathon, two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge will be chasing personal history at the event and Benson Kipruto might even be Kenya’s best bet to win a gold medal followed by Sisay Lemma.

Prediction

The men’s 100m is certainly the most competitive of the athletics events with the Jamaicans and Americans set to go head to head for the gold but African athletes have also emerged as serious contenders with Ferdinand Omanyala in particular. 

This may prove to be one of the most thrilling events of the entire Games but triple World Champion Noah Lyles is certainly the man to beat. 

Adam Peaty will fancy his chances at a medal in the 100m breaststroke in swimming. The Team GB man won a bronze medal at the World Championships and he will be targeting a place alongside Michael Phelps as the only man to win one race at three consecutive Games successfully.

One diver to keep an eye on is China’s three-time Olympic champion, Cao Yuan, who will be in search of a fourth consecutive gold medal. Alexis Jandard will naturally attract a massive cheer in front of his home fans and the 2023 World Championship bronze medallist is a contender as well.

Overall, the USA, Great Britain and China are expected to lead the medals table at the end of the games. 

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Every Neeraj Chopra records you should know

Wherever Neeraj Chopra goes, he does not return empty-handed. So, it's time we take a look at every Neeraj Chopra records that he has made in his tremendous career so far.

May 18, 2025, 10:23 AM5 min read

Every Neeraj Chopra records you should know

Wherever Neeraj Chopra goes, he does not return empty-handed. This series started in 2016 when this rising star made a record for the first time at the Under-20 World Athletics Championships. From that day itself, we got a glimpse of the future to come, in which many records were to be made and broken one after the other.

On Friday night of 16 May, Neeraj maintained the same trend in Doha Diamond League 2025 and got his name registered in history, becoming the first Indian to breach the 90m mark in the sport. So, it's time we take a look at every Neeraj Chopra records that he has made in his tremendous career so far.

Also Read: Neeraj Chopra’s best throws: Here are all the top throws by javelin ace Neeraj Chopra

Every Neeraj Chopra records you should know

Every Neeraj Chopra records you should know

  • First Indian to breach the 90m mark: Neeraj Chopra’s best throw is 90.23m, achieved at the Doha Diamond League on May 16, 2025. The mark stands as the men’s national record in India and Neeraj Chopra’s personal best. It was the first time an Indian had breached the 90m-mark in the javelin.
  • First Indian to win Olympic medal in athletics: At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Neeraj Chopra produced a historic performance in the men's javelin throw event. Neeraj won the gold medal in the final with a throw of 87.58m, giving India its first Olympic medal in athletics. With this win, Neeraj Chopra also became the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in a track and field event at the Olympics.
  • First Indian to win silver at World Athletics Championships: Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won a historic silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon. He recorded a throw of 88.13m in his fourth attempt to claim the second spot. Chopra thus is the first Indian to win a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships and only the second medallist from the country after Anju Bobby George in 2003.
  • First Indian track and field athlete to win world championship: Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. With this win, the then 18-year-old Neeraj became the first Indian track and field athlete to become a world champion in any event and any age level.
  • First Indian World Record holder in track & field: Neeraj Chopra Threw 86.48m at the junior championships in Poland to win the title. With this, he set the new under-20 world record, beating the 84.69m mark established by the previous holder, Latvia's Zigismunds Sirmais. Neeraj’s 86.48m attempt at Bydgoszcz still stands as both the U20 world record as well as the U20 Asian record in the javelin throw.
  • Indian national javelin throw record holder: Neeraj Chopra’s best attempt to date came at the Stockholm Diamond League 2022 in Sweden on June 30, 2022, where he managed his personal best of 89.94m to establish the new national record.
  • First Indian to win javelin throw gold at Asian Games: Neeraj Chopra is the first Indian javelin thrower to win a gold medal at the Asian Games. Before him, Gurtej Singh was the only men’s javelin thrower from the country to win a medal – bronze at the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games. Neeraj threw  88.06m to claim the 2018 Asian Games title.
  • First Indian to win a Diamond League meet: Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a Diamond League meet after he topped the field in Lausanne in 2022. With a depleted field that had world champion Anderson Peters missing, the Indian comfortably led the charts with an 89.08m throw, in his first attempt. 
  • First Indian to become Diamond League champion: Neeraj Chopra is the first Indian athlete in history to clinch the Diamond League trophy, by winning the Zurich Diamond League 2022 Final. The Indian ace recorded a best throw of 88.44m to beat Tokyo 2020 silver medallist and 2016 champion Jakub Vadlejch to the title.
  • First Indian to become world champion: Neeraj Chopra became India's first world champion after he clinched the gold medal in the men's javelin throw final at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest with an effort of 88.17m. It was Neeraj Chopra's second straight medal at the world championships after his silver at Oregon 2022.

Also Read: India at Olympics: India's Olympic medal tally by every edition

Neeraj Chopra Records: Best throws at major competitions

Event Edition Distance Result
Diamond League
Doha 2025 90.23m Second place
Olympic Games Paris 2024 89.45m Silver medal
Asian Games Hangzhou 2023 88.88m Gold medal
Diamond League Stockholm 2022 89.94m Second place
Commonwealth Games Gold Coast 2018 86.47m Gold medal
World Championships Oregon 2022 88.39m Second place - Q
Asian Championships Bhubaneshwar 2017 85.23m Gold medal
World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz 2016 86.48m Gold medal
Asian Junior Championships Ho Chi-Minh 2016 77.60m Silver medal
South Asian Games Guwahati 2016 82.23m Gold medal
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Neeraj Chopra’s best throws: Here are all the top throws by javelin ace Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra’s best throw is 90.23m, achieved at the Doha Diamond League on May 16, 2025. The mark stands as the men’s national record in India and Neeraj Chopra’s personal best.

May 17, 2025, 10:11 AM4 min read

Neeraj Chopra’s best throws: Here are all the top throws by javelin ace Neeraj Chopra

Indian javelin ace Neeraj Chopra bettered his throw of 89.94m with a season-best throw of 90.23m at the at the Doha Diamond League 2025. After this, he became the first Indian to breach the 90m mark in the sport.

Read Also: Every Neeraj Chopra Records You Should Know 

Despite the historic achievement, Chopra missed out on the top podium spot at the Doha Diamond League, where Germany’s Julian Weber stole the show with a massive throw. Chopra’s previous best was 89.94m, set on June 30, 2022, at the Stockholm Diamond League — a mark that stood as both his personal best and the men’s national record.

Neeraj achieved his target

  • Neeraj Chopra’s best throw is 90.23m, achieved at the Doha Diamond League on May 16, 2025. The mark stands as the men’s national record in India and Neeraj Chopra’s personal best.
  • The second-best throw of Neeraj Chopra's career is 89.94m. Neeraj had thrown this throw in the Stockholm Diamond League on 30 June 2022. This throw is a national record and one of Neeraj Chopra's best throws.
  • Neeraj Chopra's third-best throw of 89.49m came at the Lausanne Diamond League 2024This is Chopra's best throw ever at a global championship and his third-best overall.
  • Neeraj Chopra's fourth-best throw in javelin throw came at Paris Olympics 2024 where he bagged the silver medal with an 89.45m throw. 
  • His fifth best throw came in Paavo Nurmi Games in 2022 where he went close to that 90m mark once again.
  • In the Lausanne Diamond League 2022, held in the month of August, Neeraj Chopra had thrown the sixth-best throw of his career. Neeraj had thrown the javelin 89.08 meters.
  • Neeraj's seventh-best throw came in the Asian Games 2023 held in Hangzhou. In this round, Neeraj had achieved a distance of 88.88m.
  • Neeraj Chopra's eighth-best throw came in the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest. In this competition which was held on August 25, 2023, Neeraj showed excellent performance and achieved a distance of 88.77m.

Also Read: India at Olympics: India's Olympic medal tally by every edition

Neeraj Chopra’s best throws | Full list to date

Rank Throw Competition Date
1 90.23m Doha Diamond League 2025 May 16, 2025
2 89.94m Stockholm Diamond League 2022 June 30, 2022
3 89.49m Lausanne Diamond League 2024 August 22, 2024
4 89.45m Paris 2024 Olympics - F August 8, 2024
5 89.34m Paris 2024 Olympics - Q August 6, 2024
6 89.30m Paavo Nurmi Games 2022 (Turku) June 14, 2022
7 89.08m Lausanne Diamond League 2022 August 26, 2022
8 88.88m Asian Games 2023 (Hangzhou) October 4, 2023
9 88.77m World Athletics Championships 2023 (Budapest) - Q August 25, 2023
10 88.67m Doha Diamond League 2023 May 5, 2023
11 88.44m Zurich Diamond League Final 2022 September 8, 2022
11 88.44m Doha Diamond League 2025 May 16, 2025
13 88.39m World Athletics Championships 2022 (Oregon) - Q July 21, 2022
14 88.36m Doha Diamond League 2024 May 10, 2024
15 88.20m Doha Diamond League 2025 May 16, 2025
16 88.17m World Athletics Championships 2023 (Budapest) - F August 27, 2023
17 88.13m World Athletics Championships 2022 (Oregon) - F July 23, 2022
18 88.07m Indian Grand Prix 3 2021 (Patiala) March 5, 2021
19 88.06m Asian Games 2018 (Jakarta) August 27, 2018
20 88.00m Zurich Diamond League Final 2022 September 8, 2022
21 87.86m Brussels Diamond League Final 2024 September 14, 2024
22 87.86m ACNW League Meeting 1 2020 (Potchefstroom) January 28, 2020
23 87.80m Federation Cup 2021 (Patiala) March 17, 2021
24 87.73m World Athletics Championships 2023 (Budapest) - F August 27, 2023
25 87.66m Lausanne Diamond League 2023 June 30, 2023
26 87.58m Tokyo 2020 Olympics - F August 7, 2021
27 87.46m Stockholm Diamond League 2022 June 30, 2022
28 87.43m Doha Diamond League 2018 May 4, 2018
29 87.03m Tokyo 2020 Olympics - F August 7, 2021
30 87.00m Zurich Diamond League Final 2022 September 8, 2022
31 86.92m Paavo Nurmi Games 2022 (Turku) June 14, 2022
32 86.84m Stockholm Diamond League 2022 June 30, 2022
33 86.82m Brussels Diamond League Final 2024 September 14, 2024
34 86.79m Kuortane Games 2021 June 26, 2021
35 86.69m Kuortane Games 2022 June 18, 2022
36 86.67m Stockholm Diamond League 2022 June 30, 2022
37 86.65m Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Q August 4, 2021
38 86.52m Doha Diamond League 2023 May 5, 2023
39 86.48m World U20 Championships 2016 (Bydgoszcz) July 23, 2016
40 86.47m Commonwealth Games 2018 (Gold Coast) April 14, 2018

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"Looking at the Olympics performance, its unfortunate that we didn’t win a medal": Mary Kom hints to make a comeback in Pro-Boxing

Notably, so far only three Indian boxers have won medals in the Olympics – Vijender Singh (bronze in Beijing 2008), Mary Kom (bronze in London 2012) and Lovlina Borgohain (bronze in Tokyo 2020).

Sep 30, 2024, 12:30 PM2 min read

"Looking at the Olympics performance, its unfortunate that we didn’t win a medal": Mary Kom hints to make a comeback in Pro-Boxing

Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom expressed disappointment over the poor performance of Indian boxers in the Paris Olympics 2024. She said that being a medal winner, it is natural that she feels bad.

Also Read: Cricket versus "Sports": A friend or a foe?

India had sent a team of six boxers to the Paris 2024, which included two men and four women. It also included Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain and world champion Nikhat Zareen.

Mary Kom expressed her desire to re-enter professional boxing

Mary Kom expressed her desire to re-enter professional boxing, stating, "I am planning to make a comeback.I will try to make a comeback in pro-boxing." In the same event, she shared her happiness in participating in sports-promoting events but remained concerned about India's performance at the Olympics. 

'We will assess what needs to be done'

Mary Kom told IANS during the Army Sports Conclave, "Looking at the Olympics performance, its unfortunate that we didn’t win a medal in the 2024 Olympics. We will assess what needs to be done moving forward and what shouldn’t be done,"

India's boxing campaign was disappointing 

Lovlina (women's 75kg) missed out on a historic second medal at the Paris Olympics and lost to China's Li Qian in the quarterfinals. At the same time, in the men's 71 kg category, Nishant Dev had reached the quarter-finals, but he had to face defeat from Marco Verde of Mexico.

Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (women's 50kg), Commonwealth Games champion Amit Panghal (men's 51kg) and Preeti Pawar (women's 54kg) lost in the round of 16 in their respective categories. Jasmine Lamboria (women's 57 kg) was eliminated in the round of 32. Overall, India's Paris Olympics boxing campaign was disappointing.

Also Read: Neeraj Chopra’s best throws: Here are all the top throws by javelin ace Neeraj Chopra

"As a world champion and medallist myself, its natural to feel disappointed. We'll focus on more practice and hard work for the upcoming tournaments," Mary Kom added.

Only three boxers achieved olympic medal

Notably, so far only three Indian boxers have won medals in the Olympics – Vijender Singh (bronze in Beijing 2008), Mary Kom (bronze in London 2012) and Lovlina Borgohain (bronze in Tokyo 2020).

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Cricket versus "Sports": A friend or a foe?

The "cricket versus sport" is an age-old fight between fans and athletes from different disciplines. But, does the sport cricket deserve all the hate?

Sep 25, 2024, 10:52 AM8 min read

Cricket versus "Sports": A friend or a foe?

A lot of instances have seen cricket being differentiated from other sports. Especially, in South Asian countries, where cricket rules a fraternity, "sports" look doomed. An established "Cricket versus Sports" league is not a 2-month long tournament. It's an age-long duel with apparent results. But, is cricket guilty?

If we look back, Cricket was not as big as it is now. Restricted within the allies of a colonized country, cricket was just a time pass. 36 years to Independence, but a famous singer (Lata Mangeshkar) had to arrange a charity musical show to gather prize money for the 1983 World Cup Winners.

1983 World Cup- sportzpoint.com
The image of Kapil lifting the World Cup trophy from the iconic Lord's balcony. Photo Collcted.

India gained some confidence since then. the biggest boost came after the win in the inaugurating T20 World Cup Win. 2007, 24the September, exactly 20 years back, the seed of the cash-rich league got sown. 

Indian Premier League, started in 2008, is the biggest source of money earning for BCCI. Keeping aside BCCI, the neighbouring cricketing nations have their cricket board more powerful than the other boards. But is this a fault of Cricket?

"Athletes" ignites the fire of "Cricket versus Sport" League

India won its second T20I World Cup after ending its 11 years of drought. The fans who were frustrated for a decade finally got one thing to celebrate. The Marine Drive got flooded with people. The Wankahde Stadium showed all its suppresed love to the team.

World Cup celebration- sportzpoint.com
The Indian team received a grand welcome at the  Mumbai's Marine Drive that was followed by a felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium. AP

Felicitations came from their respective state governments. BCCI provided a huge lump of prize money to the players and the support staff.

But this has triggered athletes from different sports. Names like Chirag Shetty and Saina Nehwal came into the limelight criticizing the sport. When Shetty wanted equal recognition for India's win in the last Uber Cup, Saina went a step ahead. Her view was simple- people wouldn't even hate cricket even if she did so. But, why would someone hate cricket?

This is not a once or twice-told story. This widespread competition with cricket is not new. But is cricket a foe to other sports? Here are a few stories of "influence" and "idolization" in the recent past, not only from India but from neighbors too.

Sri Lanka Cricket funded CWG participating athletes.

Palitha Bandara recorded a distance of 44.20 meters and won the silver medal for Sri Lanka. Photo collected- sportzpoint.com
Palitha Bandara recorded a distance of 44.20 meters and won the silver medal for Sri Lanka. Photo collected

The pre-2022 Commonwealth Games has seen an economic crisis in Sri Lanka. Not just economic, but the life on the island was distressed. The then Prime Minister Rajadhakshya fled from the country. Sri Lanka since its independence faced their record crisis.

The country fell short of food and fuel. The pandemic had already hit the Sports authorities. The crisis increased the hardships. They ran out of money. The situation was so pathetic that the boards couldn't manage transport to send the accessories to the athletes

At a point, the country thought of withdrawing its name from the Birmingham CWG. But at that very moment, Sri Lanka Cricket stepped in.

The board contributed 22 million Sri Lankan Rupees to the athletes participating. They hosted Australia and gathered the amount, despite the fears of the crowd ruining it.

Cricket Sri Lanka tried to cover all the funds. However, the athletes still had limited athleisure. CWG authorities too came in help for the athletes. Sri Lanka finished the CWG Campaign with four medals (one silver and three bronze).

Pakistan Cricket Board- the unsung sponsor for Arshad Nadeem

Arshad nadeem
Arshad Nadeem Won the gold medal for Pakistan, at Paris Olympics. Photo coutesy: Olympics

The Paris Olympics Gold medallist Arshad Nadeem was initially an age-group cricket player, His focus later shifted to javelin through which Pakistan got its first medal after 1992.

Arshad Nadeem registered a monstrous throw of 92.97 metres sealing the gold for his country. Earlier he won the silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Budapest, with a throw of 87.82 meters. He gave Pakistan’s first-ever medal at the World Athletics Championships.

But what did Pakistan give him? ignorance! The Commonwealth champion earlier expressed that he has been using a javelin for the last 8 years. His bosom friend and admirer Neeraj Chopra from India tweeted, urging the Pakistan Government to buy Nadeem news javelins.

Nadeem hails from Punjab's Miyan Channu village. Struggling themselves, the villagers funded him for his Olympic campaign. Added, that it was the Pakistan Cricket Bard who sponsored him.

PCB also financed Nadeem and his coach Salman Fayyaz Butt's air tickets.

Read also: A Bronze costs just USD 100: Trembling Future of Pakistan Hockey Team

BCCI's baby steps for Olympians

Earlier BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced financial aid for the Olympians.BCCI granted Rs. 8.5 Crores (approximately $1.03 million) to the Indian Olympic Association for their Olympics campaign.

Recently a new NCA (National Cricket Academy) is near completion. The old existing facilities at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in the city center will be upgraded to a multi-sport training facility.

Apart from the cricketers, it will open doors for the Olympians too. NCA will have new facilities that will let them train there.

The new facilities will have World-Class Playing Grounds will have:

  • 45 Practice Pitches: A variety of pitches to cater to different training needs.
  • Indoor Cricket Facilities: For year-round practice and skill development.
  • Olympic-Sized Swimming Pool: To aid in recovery and cross-training for athletes.
  • State-of-the-Art Training and Recovery Facilities: Equipped with the latest sports science technology to help athletes maintain peak physical condition and recover efficiently from injuries.

Cricketer- "athlete" collaboration

When one section came forward criticizing the fame, the other one took it handy to make their own.

Mahi's influence

Speaking about Swapnil Kusale, he himself mentioned that he doesn't follow any other sport apart from shooting. But he follows Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Kusale, who is an Indian Railways employee is a ticket checker like Dhoni. It took him 12 years to feature in the Olympics. And take India's first ever 10m Rifle position 3 medal. The Asian Games Champion accepted that MS's calm personality helps him to stay calm in chaos.

The Kohli aggression

One of the biggest heartbreak for any badminton fan was Lakshya Sen's exit from the Olympics without a medal. The Chinese Lee Zii Jia shattered Sen's bronze medal dream. 

But Sen's popularity is still unmatched in the sports arena. Even though he is "big," he still wants to "be the Virat Kohli of Indian badminton in coming years." In "The Ranveer Show" podcast he expressed his admiration for Kohli.

The other name that comes in the list is Nitesh Kumar. The Olympic Champion in the Men's Singles SL3 category is a Kohli fan. His winning celebration had some glimpses of Kohli's aggression.

But Nitesh's love for Kohli is not limited to celebrations. After succumbing to a deadly injury in Vizag, he started upgrading his badminton skills. Not only that, he delved himself into fitness, inspired by the 2013 version of Kohli.

The Wall looks upon The Wall

PR Sreejesh- sportzpoint.com
P.R Sreejesh celebrated in his unique style after winning the bronze medal at paris. (Reuters Photo)

Soon after retirement, Indian Men's Hockey team goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh was assigned to train the junior hockey team. The two-time Olympic Bronze medallist was delighted to get this role. he not only talked about the future prospects but did mentioned about Rahul Dravid.

"The Wall" of Indian Hockey looked upon "The Wall" of Indian Cricket when it came to coaching. The way Dravid devoted himself to training the cricketing juniors, Seejesh is looking forward to doing the same for his sports.

Read also: Hockey India decides to retire jersey No. 16 in honor of goalkeeper PR Sreejesh

Cricket is another sport

The 2028 Olympics will feature Cricket after 128 years. The brand value of Virat Kohli played a pivotal role in the addition of cricket. But as Sunil Chhetri, the Indian former captain of Indian Football once said, Cricket excelling is great for that country. Then, how does that justify other sports not getting the "love" cricket gets?

How does that justify Chirag Shetty repeatedly slipping down on the court, in the Olympics quarterfinal, having his partner Sattwikraj Rankireddy as the lone warrior? 

How does that justify the associations not getting enough funds and definitely investing to find talent?

How does that justify archers failing to read the wind in bigger stages?

It's an open-ended question. Is it cricket the enemy, or the system? Is cricket actually an enemy or a friend in need?

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China Open 2024: Malvika Bansod enters Super 1000 quarterfinals for the first time by defeating top seed Kirsty Gilmour

The 23-year-old badminton player achieved this victory a day after defeating the Paris Olympics 2024 bronze medalist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia. However, Malvika Bansod is the only Indian shuttler left in the competition.

Sep 19, 2024, 10:17 AM2 min read

China Open 2024: Malvika Bansod enters Super 1000 quarterfinals for the first time by defeating top seed Kirsty Gilmour

Indian badminton player Malvika Bansod continued her brilliant form and entered the Super 1000 quarter-finals for the first time by winning a tough match against her higher ranked opponent Kirsty Gilmour at the China Open 2024 in Changzhou on Thursday.

Also Read: India at Paralympics: Medals by every edition

Malvika Bansod, BWF ranking 43rd, toiled hard for one hour and five minutes before defeating two-time Commonwealth Games medalist and world number 25 Gilmour of Scotland 21-17 19-21 21-16 in the women's singles round-of-16 match.

Earlier defeated Paris Olympics bronze medalist

The 23-year-old player achieved this victory a day after defeating the Paris Olympics 2024 bronze medalist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia. 

However, Malvika Bansod, the only Indian shuttler left in the competition, faces a tough challenge as she will face fourth seed and two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the last eight stage.

Although the Japanese shuttler has won both the matches against Malvika, the Indian shuttler came close to defeating  Yamaguchi and she is hopeful that she will be able to register victory this time.

Malvika's sensational performance in pre-quarterfinals

In the opening game against Gilmour, Malvika was down 11-5 at the break. The Indian shuttler brought down the deficit to two points at 16-14 and then won seven of the next eight points to go one game up in the contest. Gilmour, drew on her experience to mount a comeback and close a tight second game.

Malvika surged to an eight-point lead at 10-2 in the decider. She later extended her advantage to 20-11. Gilmour fought back with five consecutive points to make it 20-16 but the late fightback proved too little for Malvika, who comfortably sealed her spot in the quarter-finals.

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