Hello and welcome to Sportz Point's LIVE Coverage of the Paris Olympics 2024. Today, we will bring you all the updates of Day 3 (29th July) of India at Paris Olympics 2024 as Ramita Jindal and Arjun Babuta will be in action in the 10m Air Rifle finals to bring home medals.

This is Abishek Goswami, and Koushik Biswas will join us later to give you all the updates on Day 3 from our web desk.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for all the Updates. You can join our Telegram Channel as well. 

Read Also: India at Paris Olympics 2024: Day 3 (29th July) Schedule

Hockey India have announced all the nominations for the 7th Hockey India Annual Awards 2024. The award ceremony will take place on 15th March in New Delhi with a record prize pool of approx INR 12 crores. 

Read Also | Yo-Yo Test: Hardik Singh’s Revelation Sparks Debate Between Fitness of Cricketers and Hockey Players

A total of 32 players have been nominated across eight categories for the award ceremony this year. Among all the awards, the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year will be under the spotlight which will honour the best male and female hockey players of India. 

During the ceremony, India’s Olympic bronze medal-winning team will be felicitated, along with the Men’s and Women’s teams that won the Asian Champions Trophy in 2024. The Junior Asia Cup-winning Men’s and Women’s teams will also be honoured during the award ceremony.

The award ceremony will also celebrate 50th anniversary of the Indian Men’s Hockey Team’s historic World Cup victory on the same date in 1975—their first and only title to date.

Read Also | The New Age Indian Hockey Stars: Who to Watch in 2025

The Nominees for the Hockey India Annual Awards 2024 are:

Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year 2024 

1. Bichu Devi Kharibam

 2. Krishan Bahadur Pathak

 3. PR Sreejesh

 4. Savita 

Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year 2023

1. Sanjay

2. Amit Rohidas

3. Harmanpreet Singh

4. Udita

 Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year 2024

1. Jarmanpreet Singh 

2. Hardik Singh

3. Nilakanta Sharma

 4. Sumit

Read Also | Amir Ali: A Journey From "tin briefcase" to Hockey Glory

 Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year 2024 

1. Lalremsiami

2. Abhishek

3. Sukhjeet Singh

4. Navneet Kaur

 Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21) 

1. Beauty Dungdung

2. Deepika

3. Vaishnavi Vithal Phalke

4. Sunelita Toppo

Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men – Under 21)

 1. Arshdeep Singh

 2. Amir Ali

 3. Shardanand Tiwari

 4. Araijeet Singh Hundal

Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year (Women)

1. Savita Punia

 2. Salima Tete

 3. Sangita Kumari

 4. Navneet Kaur

Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year (Men)

1. Abhishek

2. Hardik Singh

3. Harmanpreet Singh

 4. Sukhjeet Singh

Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, popularly known as 'Mondo' Duplantis, has broken the men's pole vaulting World Record for the 11th time, a record which he previously set himself.

The 25-year-old Swedish pole vaulter improved his own men's pole vault world record to 6.27m at the All Star Perche event in Clermont-Ferrand, France on February 28th, 2025.

MONDO DUPLANTIS BREAKS THE POLE VAULT WORLD RECORD AGAIN!

🐐6.27m clearance indoors🐐pic.twitter.com/iIx1UXhC3I

— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) February 28, 2025

This marks the 11th time Duplantis has broken the world record in his career, first achieving it in February 2020 with a height of 6.17m.

The two-time World Champion and Olympic winner secured his victory at the All Star Perche event with a height of 6.02m. Following that, Duplantis improved the clearance that he set in August 2024, by one centimeter.

"I just felt really good. What can I say, I came here to do it. I put everything in place to do it. The run-up worked really well. I just did it," Duplantis stated to the reporters after setting the world record.

However, in this article, Sportz Point will explore all the 11 times Mono Duplantis broke the World Record.

Mondo Duplantis: 11 times the pole vaulter broke the World Record

1. 2020 - 6.17m

Back in 2014, France's legendary pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie marked the world record with a clearance of 6.16m.

The record nearly stood for six years, until the 20-year-old Mondo Duplantis broke the previous record with a 6.17m height at the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland.

This was the first time Duplantis broke the world record, previously breaking the 10-year age group record with a jump of 3.86m in 2010.

2. 2020 - 6.18m

Only a week after creating the World Record in Poland, Duplantis bettered his record with a 6.18m jump at the Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow, Scotland.

Duplantis stated the following after setting new record in Glasgow;

It’s the best little split second that could ever be,

Everything builds up to that one tiny little moment. That little free-fall is a magical moment.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Mondo Duplantis (@mondo_duplantis)

3. 2022 - 6.19m

Mondo Duplantis earned the crown as an Olympic Champion, following his maiden gold medal win in the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

However, the Swedish athlete surpassed his own record for the third time in 2022, after securing a 6.19m jump in the Belgrade Indoor Meeting, Serbia.

WR!!!! #6.19 #borntofly pic.twitter.com/UghhIVutxv

— Mondo Duplantis (@mondohoss600) March 7, 2022

4. 2022 - 6.20m

Breaking his own world record in a span of 15 days, Duplantis again stunned the world in 2022. 

Following his 6.19m jump in the Belgrade Indoor Meeting on 7 March 2022, Duplantis promised "something higher" in the upcoming world championship. 

He kept his word in the best possible way, securing a 6.20m jump at the world indoor championships on 21 March 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia. 

5. 2022 - 6.21m

Mondo Duplantis clinched his first-ever outdoor world title on 24 March 2022 at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA.

Duplantis, again improved his own record and set his third world record in 2022, soaring over 6.21m, and breaking the world record for the first time in the outdoors.

Along with this record, Duplantis also surpassed Sergey Bubka, one of the greatest pole vaulters of all-time, for career six metre-plus clearances. Bubka's 46-time record was overshadowed by Duplantis' 48 after this championship. 

6. 2023 - 6.22m 

On 25th February 2023, Mondo Duplantis broke his own record, clearing 6.21m to win the All Star Perche 2023 event in Clermont-Ferrand, France, where he again has broken the record in 2025.

Duplantis was congratulated by Renaud Lavillenie after the win, whose record he first broke back in 2020 and who is a co-founder of the All Star Perche event.

Mondo Duplantis ends his indoor season with brilliant last attempt at 6.22m WR in Clermont-Ferrand, France! https://t.co/1qVXmHuOhS , #mondoduplantis, #polevault, #swedishathletics, #europeanathletics, @mondohoss600, @PUMA, @euroathletics, #PUMA, #PUMArunning, pic.twitter.com/HVAJ9AmENX

— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) February 27, 2023

7. 2023 - 6.23m 

Duplantis broke the world record for the seventh time following his 6.23m clearance to win the 2023 Diamond League Final in Eugene on 17 September 2023.

🚨 WORLD RECORD🚨@mondohoss600 clears 6.23m at the first attempt to claim his 3rd successive #DiamondLeague title 🤯

Get that man a brewski! 🍺#DLFinal#EugeneDL 🇺🇸
📸 @GorczynskaMarta pic.twitter.com/aUjbuFPQjp

— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) September 17, 2023

8. 2024 - 6.24m (Xiamen, China)

Duplantis opened his 2024 season in style, soaring 6.24m to set the world record for outdoors at the Diamond League event in Xiamen, China.

The Swedish pole vaulter registered the highest clearance in history to add 1cm to the record he had set in Eugene, USA in 2023.

💬"It was my first time jumping here in China, and I was really just trying to enjoy the moment. It's people that I really want to show what I can do."
- Says #Duplantis after elevating his world pole vault record to a new high of 6.24m at Diamond League in Xiamen. #XiamenDL pic.twitter.com/Uqt8g3x8mb

— CGTN Sports Scene (@CGTNSportsScene) April 21, 2024

9. 2024 - 6.25m (Paris, France)

Duplantis retained his Olympic Gold medal title in the 2024 Paris Olympics, breaking his own record to register a 6.25m clearance. 

The 25-year-old became the first athlete to retain the pole vault title, since American pole vaulter Bob Richards achieved the remarkable feat in 1952 and 1956.

Mondo Duplantis is out of this world! ✈️🌍

Listen to the roar inside the Stade de France as he set a new world record of 6.25m. 🔥#Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/0bxzWecxi4

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 15, 2024

10. 2024 - 6.26m (Silesia, Poland)

For the second time in his career, Mondo Duplantis shattered the world record three times in a calendar year in 2024.

Following the record he set at the Paris Olympics 2024, Duplantis bettered it by 1cm to soar over 6.26m at the Silesia Diamond League in Poland on 25 August 2024.

He also broke his world record for the third time in the outdoor season and for the tenth time in his career.

11. 2025 - 6.27m (Clermont-Ferrand, France)

As the latest world record, Mondo Duplantis has broken the world record for a record 11th time in his career, to set a new high of 6.27m on 28 February 2025 at the All-Star Perche Event in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Here is the moment Mondo Duplantis broke the World Record in the Pole Vault with 6.27m in France!!🤯🤯

11 World Records so far in his career!! A LEGEND.pic.twitter.com/WCXfr1qe6I

— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) February 28, 2025

The Ultimate Table Tennis 2025 season is set to take place from May 29 to June 15 at EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, the organisers announced on Friday.

This will be the sixth season of India's premier table tennis league, featuring eight teams with top Indian and international table tennis stars. The defending champions, Goa Challengers, will aim for a third consecutive title.

The tournament which started in 2017, has seen Indian Table Tennis stars like Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Manav Thakkar and Sutirtha Mukherjee, alongside international stars like Olympic silver medallist Petrissa Solja AND Tiago Apolónia

8 teams will be divided into two groups and every team will have six players in their squad. Each tie will have five matches. Last season. Goa Challengers defended their title against Dabang Delhi TTC in Chennai. 

Read Also | Manika Batra creates history- First Indian to reach the WTT quarterfinals

Ultimate Table Tennis 2025 Schedule & Venue

• Tournament Dates: May 29 – June 15, 2025
• Venue: EKA Arena, Ahmedabad
• Final Match: June 15, 2025

UTT 2025 Format & Rules

• Teams: 8
• Players per Team: 6 (including 2 international stars)
• Groups: 2 groups of 4 teams each
• League Stage: 5 ties per team
  • 3 matches within the group
  • 2 matches against randomly selected teams from the other group
• Knockouts: Top 4 teams advance to semi-finals
• Final: June 15, 2025

Each tie consists of five matches:

• 2 Men’s Singles Matches
• 2 Women’s Singles Matches
• 1 Mixed Doubles Match

Teams in UTT 2025

Streaming Details

The streaming details of the UTT 2025 have not been announced yet. 

Artificial Intelligence has been improving the sports we watch and analyze for nearly the past 20 years, but the latest generation of ultra-modern AI tools is revolutionizing every aspect of sports, from improving player and team performances to ensuring safety along with fan engagement and the experiences.

AI can process and store large amounts of data, which allows us to gain insights that we couldn't see before. This capability is at the center of the revolution. For the players, this brings improved strategies, varied training methods, and a significantly lower risk of injury.

The fans enjoy a whole new level of engagement in the game, thanks to Al-powered platforms providing content tailored to them, such as virtual reality experiences and more.

The massive impact of AI in the Sports Industry

Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the Sports Industry rapidly by offering solutions to common problems such as individual performance, tactical requirements, injuries and recoveries, variations in training, etc.

The capacity of AI and GenAI tools to analyze complex data and provide instant insights is ushering in a new era of athletic performance and fan engagement as well.

From predictive analytics that improve player safety and performance to AI-powered viewing experiences for fans, the influence of artificial intelligence is setting the bar higher across the industry.

1. Player and team performance

GenAI can analyze team and player behavior to reach conclusions that would contribute to improved training and coaching. For example, they can monitor and analyze the movements of players with computer vision.

In this way, they can assess whether an athlete is moving wrongly or could be injured. Machine learning algorithms can watch game videos to identify patterns of the opposing team. Sports coaches can be made to develop wiser game plans and strategies by artificial intelligence.

Some techniques, including motion tracking and motion analysis, can capture changes in the posture, movement, or technique of a player that indicte fatigue or poor motor control.

According to a study by Grand View Research, the sports analytics market size was valued at $1.9 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $5.2 billion by 2028, showcasing the rapid growth and demand for advanced analytics tools in sports.

The following two tools are widely applicable to player and team analysis:

• SportVU: This system tracks detailed player and ball motion in a game with computer vision and machine learning. It can analyze shot mechanics, accelerations and decelerations, speed, and distance.
• KINEXON: This system tracks positional and motion data in real-time by equipping players with sensors.

2. Injury Prediction and Prevention

Injuries occur regularly in professional sports. Identifying and preventing injuries before they even occur is likely one of the most thrilling applications of AI.

Teams can utilize AI algorithms to monitor an individual's motion as they move their joints and strain their muscles. It can search for patterns or instabilities that signify an injury before the symptoms themselves appear.

AI can recognize a slight deviation in the amount of strain a soccer player puts on their knee joint and warn the coaches or medical staff. Way before the injury became acute enough to cause the player to miss games, the team could either give them rest or do exercises to help them recover.

A report by MarketsandMarkets estimates that the global sports medicine market, which incorporates AI-driven health monitoring solutions, is projected to reach $9.3 billion by 2026, underlining the significant role of AI in athlete well-being.

The following two tools could be used in the AI-powered prediction and prevention of injuries:

• Sparta Science: It uses computer vision and motion sensing in analyzing movement patterns of an athlete. Based on motion data, biomechanical deficiencies, and especially risks of increased injury, machine learning models are able to identify those. 
• Zone 7: It measures injury risk using factors such as workload, degree of fatigue, and others through artificial intelligence and research in sports science. Their methods take age, position, body composition, and medical history into account. 

3. Training Through AI-Powered Analytics and Wearables

Smartwatches and fitness trackers are examples of wearable technology that have become essential for tracking many of the parameters mentioned earlier.

Wearable GPS devices that can track athletes' speed and location, overall distance traveled, and movement patterns are available to provide relevant information.

Wearable heart rate monitors use optical sensors to measure blood flow in real-time, tracking the heart rate. This is an important aspect of monitoring heart health, fitness levels, and recovery. It also helps in tracking blood oxygen levels, which is another important component of modern-day fitness trackers. They use optical sensors to track the oxygen saturation level of blood.

Since the 2010s, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), such as GPS tracking vests, have been commonly used in professional sports. Such vests are offered with discrete and effective GPS tracking and sensors located on the back and shoulders; they are typically worn as tank tops.

In football and rugby, the vest is mainly utilized to track the location and movement of a player and, thereby, report strengths and weaknesses.

4. Sports Commentary and Reporting

Sports commentary and reporting can automatically be generated from match events and live data by employing natural language processing (NLP) methods like GPT-3. Artificially intelligent commentary not only comments on a strategy but also summarizes the critical events of match play. 

Similarly, GenAI can create such highlights, summaries, and post-match data reportage for viewing audiences as well.

NLP methods can make the commentary more dramatic and interesting by taking into account the game statistics and situations in real-time data. With the use of generated personalities and tones, it is possible to accommodate various fan interests in the coverage.

Automated GenAI reporting enhances sports coverage and commentary without losing interesting and captivating stories.

5. Sports Officiating

The use of AI in sports officiating is not without controversy, including traditional backlash and concerns regarding technology's influence on the game. Yet, the improvements it introduces, such as real-time analysis and decision support, are dramatically enhancing the accuracy and fairness of officiating.

Its capabilities to review plays from multiple angles and analyze them in seconds are proving invaluable in high-level games where every call matters.

Despite initial doubts, the use of AI in officiating is increasingly being accepted, with many seeing its potential to eliminate human error and ensure a level playing field.

As the technology improves and its uses extend, its role in assisting fair play and accuracy in sports is poised to increase, ushering in a new era in the use of technology and sportsmanship.

6. Player Scouting

Team owners are using artificial intelligence to review the performance of the players. To determine the most skilled people to invest in, they use data analysis using artificial intelligence. It takes millions of dollars to find talent in the sports world.

So, team owners would like to ensure that scouting one player is the best decision. Artificial intelligence is used widely in scouting players for any sport, be it cricket, football, or basketball.

AI-powered Change in Fan Engagement and Experiences

1. Personalized Fan Engagement

To provide customised fan experiences, GenAI algorithms can model the preferences and behaviours of audiences. Sports teams and broadcasters can use these insights to optimize engagement across media channels.

For example, social media platforms can deliver tailored video highlights, personalized promotions, and AI-recommended content to resonate with each fan.

The NBA revealed 'NB-AI', allowing fans to activate "movie mode" and watch live games animated like popular films, such as Spider-Man

pic.twitter.com/zb2IYT2YBX

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) February 16, 2024

Based on their past interactions and activities, the Generative AI identifies what content types, sports stats, and topics each fan finds most appealing. It creates and sends personalized content for each person. This level of customization, enabled by GenAI in sports, helps sports organizations connect more deeply with their audiences.

2. Viewing Experiences

GenAI can process live video to generate augmented reality (AR) overlays and graphics that enhance broadcasts or live streams.

For example, shot trajectories, real-time player stats, and situational analysis can be visualized and overlaid onto the gameplay footage. For virtual reality (VR), GenAI can create real-world simulated environments for an immersive in-game perspective.

The key innovation is using Generative AI to dynamically generate and adapt AR/VR overlays and environments on the fly, customized to each moment. As the narrative and action of the game shift, the GenAI-powered augmented experiences shift with them, elevating viewing to multidimensional engagement. 

A survey conducted by PwC found that 65% of sports fans are interested in using AR or virtual reality (VR) devices to watch sports, indicating a growing appetite for immersive experiences enabled by AI-driven technologies.

Conclusion

AI collaboration with sports is making the place safer as well as fairer. Predictive modeling and algorithms in AI are becoming a must for injury prevention. AI guarantees that more accuracy and fairness can be introduced in the outcome of a game by enhancing officiating. Both the aspects of performance and integrity are vital components in ensuring the prosperity and popularity of sports continue.

The impact of AI reaches sports journalism, advertising, and the creation of next-gen sports equipment, beyond the field or court. These innovations create new revenue streams and provide more exciting ways for fans to engage with their beloved sports and teams.

In this sense, artificial intelligence in the sports field could be said to be, by itself, a change not only for the athletes or for the coaches but for the sports system in general. With AI, the sports of the future could easily be foreseen because technology would harmoniously mix with manly athleticism at its highest levels.

India's badminton pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Setty lost to South Korea's Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho 10-21, 15-21 in the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open Badminton Tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

Also Read: Indian Badminton players struggle with the slow court: Here is why

The Indian duo of Satwik and Chirag were the only seeded pair in the Malaysia Open tournament and with this defeat, India's challenge ended in the tournament.

Trailing 6-11 in opening game

Last time's runners-up started slowly, trailing 6-11 in the opening game. The Koreans capitalised on their strong start to win the first game 21-10 in just 19 minutes.

The seventh-seeded Indian duo recovered in the second game, leading 11-8 at the halfway point. However, the advantage was short-lived as it eventually lost 15-21.

The pair will next compete in the Yonex Sunrise India Open, starting January 14, where the two will face Malaysia’s Wei Chong Man and Kai Wun Tee in the Round of 32.s

First Super 1000 event of the year 

In the quarterfinals, SatChi battled for 49 minutes to secure a 26-24, 21-15 win over the Malaysian duo of Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo. The semifinal run this week is one step short of their performance in Malaysia last year, where they had reached the final.

This was the first Super 1000 event of the year and unsurprisingly, Satwik and Chirag were the last Indians standing. Attention now shifts to the India Open Super 750 that starts on Tuesday.