Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha on Monday said that the Executive Board (EB) of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has agreed to include yoga in the Asian Games and the OCA General Assembly If approved, it will get a place in the games.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: IOA's members to get allowance of $300 per day, players to get $50

Usha proposed to include yoga in the Asian Games

PT Usha has written a letter to Randhir Singh, acting president of the Asian Olympic Council, on June 26, proposing to include yoga as a sport in the Asian Games. On Monday Usha confirmed that OCA acting president informed her about the EB's decision.

“I am delighted that the OCA Executive Board spontaneously agreed to India’s request to give yoga the recognition it deserves. The proposal shall now move through the Sports Committee to the General Assembly for confirmation,” PT Usha thanked Randhir Singh in an IOA release.

IOA is hopeful yoga will eventually become a medal sport.

An IOA source said that the first step has been taken towards including Yoga in the Asian Games as a medal sport. The final determination of whether yoga will be a medal sport or a demonstration sport will be made by the OCA General Assembly. Since yoga is widely practiced, the IOA is hopeful it will eventually become a medal sport.

“Whether it will be medal sport or demonstration sport, that will be decided by the OCA General Assembly. It’s the first step. But since Yoga is prevalent worldwide, the IOA is hoping for it to be a medal sport in due course of time,” the source said.

PT Usha indicated that it was a natural progression for the competitive sports community to adopt yoga, especially since it has gained global recognition. Yoga is an ancient Indian sport, which maintains physical and mental health.

Also Read: Mansukh Mandaviya in takes stock of India's preparation for Paris Olympics 2024 during a meeting with PT Usha

Yogasana Bharat has already received recognition from the Sports Ministry for the development of yogasana as a competitive sport in India. Additionally, Yogasana has been added as a competitive discipline in the Khelo India Youth Games and Khelo India University Games since 2020.

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat had to bow out of the Paris Olympics 2024 due to being overweight in the prescribed category. Vinesh plays in the 50 kg category. On Wednesday her weight was found to be more than 100 grams. After this, she was disqualified from Olympic women's wrestling.

Also Read: India At Paris Olympics 2024 Day 12 (7th August) LIVE Updates

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has confirmed Vinesh's disqualification. She will not be able to play the final of 50 kg category women's wrestling to be held on Wednesday night. She will not even get any medal in the Olympics. The most difficult thing is that the decision of disqualification cannot be appealed.

𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐎𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚💔🇮🇳

Vinesh Phogat disqualified from the Olympics final because she is overweight by 100 grams.#VineshPhogat #Paris2024 #Paris2024Olympic #Olympics #indiansports pic.twitter.com/UCnbbnFYbA

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) August 7, 2024

“It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50kg class,” the IOA said in a statement.  “Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning. No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests you respect Vinesh’s privacy. It would like to focus on the competitions on hand.”

First Indian female wrestler to reach the Olympic finals

Vinesh became the first Indian female wrestler to reach the finals in the Olympics by winning 3 matches on Tuesday. She defeated Cuban wrestler Yusneylys Guzmán in the semi-finals, Oksana Livach of Ukraine in the quarterfinals, and world champion Yui Susaki of Japan 3-2 in the pre-quarterfinals.

Lost the quarterfinals in Tokyo, out of Rio due to injury

This is Vinesh Phogat's third Olympics. She was out of the 2016 Rio Olympics due to injury. After this, she lost in the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics. Vinesh did not lose any of her matches in the Paris Olympics. After reaching the final on Tuesday, a medal was considered certain.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: Medal winners by dates

Vinesh was involved in the movement against then-WFI President

Vinesh is the same wrestler who had launched a movement against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh. Pictures of Vinesh being dragged on the streets of Delhi for protesting against the sexual exploitation of female wrestlers had also gone viral.

There was a lot of uproar regarding the Paris Olympic selection trials. Due to the selection of wrestler Antim Panghal, Vinesh had to leave her original weight category of 53 kg and reduce her weight to the 50 kg category.

Sports brand PUMA India on Thursday has inked its partnership with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as their Official Footwear Partner for the Indian contingent to the Paris Olympics 2024 and also launched a mega outdoor campaign to celebrate the champions of the game.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: Afghan sprinter Kimia Yousofi wants to win medal at her 3rd Olympics by staying in Australia

The brand will give podium over 100 Indian athletes

As footwear partner, the brand will give podium and travel footwear, trolleys, backpacks, slippers, yoga mats, headbands, wristbands, socks and towels over 100 Indian athletes to maximise their training and comfort during the Paris Olympics 2024.

To add, 45 out of the 100+ Indian athletes across sporting disciplines comprise the PUMA contingent at the Paris Olympics, making the largest squad representing a brand in the country this year.

'We will provide athletes with best in-class footwear'

Karthik Balagopalan, Managing Director of PUMA India, shared his perspective on this collaboration and campaign launch, stating, “PUMA is dedicated to empowering athletes to surpass their limits and achieve their full potential. Through our partnership with the Indian Olympic Association, we will provide athletes with best in-class footwear and sports accessories, aiming to support their pursuit of excellence at the Paris Olympics."

Additionally, we aim to bring to the fore and recognize the milestones achieved by athletes of our country through this campaign. I hope our efforts to celebrate our champions will not only inspire others to give their best but also encourage many young and aspiring athletes to take up Olympic sports in India,” Balagopalan added.

This strategic partnership with the IOA, the governing body of Olympics in India, not only affirms PUMA’s commitment to cultivating a vibrant sports culture but also serves as a catalyst for nurturing the growth, progress, and achievements of both current and upcoming generations of athletes in the country.

Also Read: AFI signs multi-year agreement with 'Puma'

Official kit sponsor of Athletics Federation of India

PUMA is already the official kit sponsor of Athletics Federation of India. Apart from that, it has established associations with various sports teams, including renowned global and Indian football clubs such as Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Mumbai City FC, and Bengaluru FC, alongside IPL teams such as Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals. Additionally, the brand proudly showcases a roster of distinguished brand ambassadors including cricket icon Virat Kohli, sprinting champion Usain Bolt, football star Neymar Jr, boxing champion Mary Kom and cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur and Mohammed Shami.

The Executive Council of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has announced that the players participating in the Paris Olympics 2024 will get an allowance of $50 per day and the sports administrators accompanying them will get $300.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: Indian men's and women's archery teams secure Olympic quotas

The English newspaper The Tribune reports that according to the budget estimate for the Paris Olympics 2024, 12 Executive Council members will be sent to the French capital for five days per day. They will get $300, which is a little more than Rs 25,000.

Executive members were paid $150 in Tokyo Games

Interestingly, executive members at the Tokyo Olympics were paid $150. In contrast, Indian athletes will continue to receive the same allowances ($50) as the Tokyo Games.

The new dearness allowance rules were approved during the Executive Council meeting held on December 26, just days after PT Usha took charge as the new IOA president. As the President of the National Olympic Committee, Usha will be hosted by the International Olympic Committee in Paris.

Also Read: Mansukh Mandaviya in takes stock of India's preparation for Paris Olympics 2024 during a meeting with PT Usha

Executive Council members will also be paid $1000 per day for five days, which is a little less than Rs 90,000. The only relief in the budget is that the IOA will give Rs 2 lakh to each athlete and 2 lakh to the coaches and support staff. They will also give a participation allowance of Rs 1 lakh. IOA will not have to bear the entire burden as most of the expenses incurred on the athletes and support staff will be borne by the Sports Ministry.

Also Read: Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar qualify for Paris Olympics 2024 via Road to Paris world rankings

150 players will represent India in Paris

The Paris Olympics 2024 is going to start from 26th July. In which about 150 players from India are going to participate. This time India is expected to win more than 20 medals. If India is successful in doing this then it will be a big success for it. Indian players are working very hard this time due to which it is expected that India is going to give its best performance in the Olympics this time.

Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist boxer Lovlina Borgohain won a silver medal in the women's 75kg category at the Czech Grand Prix 2024 in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic.

In the round-robin tournament, Lovlina Borgohain won against Chantelle Reid of England but lost to Cindy Ngamba and Li Qian. Borgohain lost her final match against the reigning Asian Games champion late on Saturday night by a margin of 2-3.

Also Read: Amit Panghal earns India's fifth Paris Olympics 2024 quota in Boxing

Qian is a two-time Olympic medalist and has three World Championship medals, including one gold to her name.

Four boxers were included in the women's 75 kg category in this tournament organized under the aegis of World Boxing. Borgohain, Refugee Boxing Team's Cindy Ngamba, Li Qian, and England's Chantelle Reid - and it is being held in a round-robin format.

Borgohain managed only one win in the tournament

Lovlina Borgohain managed only one win in the tournament, losing two of her three matches. This boxer from Assam had won her first match against England's Chantelle Reid by a split decision in a tough match, but later she had to face defeat from Cindy Ngamba and Li Qian. 

Lovlina gunning for her second Olympic medal

The 26-year-old boxer, who is the only Indian to participate in the tournament, is gunning for her second Olympic medal as she is one of the six Indian boxers to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Also Read: Nishant Dev achieves Paris Olympic quota, becomes the first male boxer to do so

Indian boxing team for Paris Games

The Indian boxing team for Paris 2024 is a mix of experienced Olympians and rising stars. In the women's category, Borgohain is joined by two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (50 kg), Preeti Pawar (54 kg), and Jasmine Lamboria (57 kg). The men's team includes Amit Panghal (51 kg), and Nishant Dev (71 kg).

Ahead of the much-awaited Paris Olympics 2024, newly appointed Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday held a review meeting on India's preparations for the Olympic in New Delhi. 

Also Read: Rohan Bopanna qualifies for Paris Olympics 2024

This was the first time that the Sports Minister met Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha. Apart from Mansukh Mandaviya and PT Usha, Sports Secretary Sujata Chaturvedi, SAI Director General Sandip Pradhan and Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse were also present in this meeting. IOA President PT Usha shared his experiences after talking to Mansukh Mandaviya. 

"I today visited the IOA officials for the first time where they briefed me about India's preparation for Paris Olympics. The government is committed to extend all possible support," Mandaviya said in a brief address to the media.

Along with the Sports Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya will also hold the post of Union Labor and Employment Minister. Mandaviya replaces Anurag Thakur, who held the post of Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports during PM Modi's second term.

Mandaviya took oath as Union Minister during the oath-taking ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday.

'Already 97 athletes have qualified'

"The Sports Minister today visited our IOA along with the Minister of State for Sports and I am so happy that they wanted to know about IOA and about the Paris preparation. We have done everything good this time and I have briefed him everything. We will be in contact every week and I hope that this good for our Olympic athletes," PT Usha said.

"We have done everything for sports persons. Our first preference were the athletes, whatever the players want we have done this time. So we are expecting more medals this than Tokyo. I don't want to put any number and give tension to the players."

"Already 97 athletes have qualified, and we are expecting around 115 to 120 athletes to represent India in Paris Olympics," Usha added.

Also Read: NRAI announces 15-member Indian rifle and pistol shooting squad for Paris Olympics 2024

In the recently held Lok Sabha elections, Mandaviya had contested from Porbandar in Gujarat. He won by a margin of 3,83,360 votes. Mandaviya defeated Lalit Vasoya of the Indian National Congress. 

The Paris Olympics 2024 will begin on July 26 and run through August 11.