Tokyo Olympics 2020 Live Updates: Women's Hockey -Netherlands completes 5-1 India rout

After 60 minutes of one-sided dominance, it's the Netherlands that has the last laugh, completing the 5-1rout of India, with Caia van Maasakker scoring the final goal for the Dutch.

We will come back stronger. 💪

On to the next, #IndianEves! 💙#NEDvIND #HaiTayyar #IndiaKaGame #TokyoTogether #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia #Tokyo2020 #Hockey pic.twitter.com/gysuz08nW5

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 24, 2021

By the end of the third quarter, it is a rout by the Netherlands, having plundered India 4-1. Is there any way back for India from here?

End of Q3: 🇳🇱 4:1 🇮🇳#NEDvIND #HaiTayyar #IndiaKaGame #TokyoTogether #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia #Tokyo2020

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 24, 2021

The Netherlands secures a penalty corner via video referral, as Margot Geffen successfully converts it in the 33rd minute (Q3).

No change in the scoreline at half-time, as India women and Netherlands women continue to battle it out.

An impressive start from the #IndianEves, as Rani's goal ensures they are level with the opponent at the break. #NEDvIND #HaiTayyar #IndiaKaGame #TokyoTogether #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/eqnL64SrnZ

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 24, 2021

India fell back within six minutes of the opening quarter, as Felice Albers converted a rebound off a penalty corner. However, Captain Rani drew level just four minutes later, as the score is locked at 1-1 at the end of the first quarter.

10' INDIA ARE BACK IN IT! 🤩

None other than Captain Rani rings in the equaliser for the #IndianEves as their continuous press finally pays off!

🇳🇱 1:1 🇮🇳#NEDvIND #HaiTayyar #IndiaKaGame #TokyoTogether #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia pic.twitter.com/aHIUT8cQX7

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 24, 2021

India's boxing stint in Tokyo Olympics started off on a poor note as Vikas Krishan suffered a 5-0 defeat within three rounds of his welterweight bout against Okazawa of Japan. While Krishan suffered a defeat in the opening round, the second round turned out to be brutal as he suffered a cut over his left eye, while the third round was an extremely  poor show from the former Commonwealth Games medalist.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Boxing federation of India (@bfi_official_)

Sutirtha sealed her place in Round 2 of the Women's singles Table Tennis competition. She was involved in an intense battle with Sweden's Linda Bergström and had to toil until the seventh set.

Team 1    2    3    4    5    6    7    T
India  5    11    11    9    11    11    11    4
Sweden   11    9    13    11    3    9    5    3 

In Table Tennis action, India's Sutirtha Mukherjee is involved in an intense battle against Sweden's Linda Bergström in Round 1 of Women's singles. So far, Sutirtha has maintained the lead in the opening six rounds, as she is involved in intense competition in the decider.

Team 1    2    3    4    5    6
Sweden 11    9    13    11    3    9
India 5    11    11    9    11    11

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu's first remarks after winning the silver medal at Olympic Games: I am very happy, was dreaming of this for the past five years.

Wishes have been pouring in for the weightlifter after his historic achievement. CLICK HERE TO READ

Manika Batra has won the first round match against Great Britain's Ho Tin-Tin has begun in Tokyo 2020 women's singles table tennis.

Manika sailed through the first two sets 11-7. 11-6.

Ho Tin-Tin put up a spirited fight in the last two sets. In the third set, Manika came from behind to win the set 12-10.

Manika won the last set 11-9.

Manika Batra has won the first game in her match against Great Britain's Ho Tin-Tin has begun in Tokyo 2020 women's singles table tennis.

Manika won the first two sets 11-7, 11-6.

Manika Batra has won the first game in her match against Great Britain's Ho Tin-Tin has begun in Tokyo 2020 women's singles table tennis.

Batra holds a 5-1 lead in the second game.
 

Disappointment for India once again in shooting event. 

Saurabh Chaudhary, who is considered a big medal hope for India, has missed out in the 10m air pistol men's final by staying at number 7.

With this sequence, Saurabh is now out of the medal race. The competition is still on.
 

PM Narendra Modi congratulated Mirabai Chanu after she won the silver medal in weightlifting.'

Could not have asked for a happier start to @Tokyo2020! India is elated by @mirabai_chanu’s stupendous performance. Congratulations to her for winning the Silver medal in weightlifting. Her success motivates every Indian. #Cheer4India #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/B6uJtDlaJo

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2021

In the first medal for India, Mirabai Chanu has bagged silver in the Women's 49kg weightlifting event here. She lifted a total of 202kg. The gold was claimed by China's ZH Hou, while Indonesia's WH Aisa claimed the bronze.

🥈 Mirabai Chanu appreciation post 🥈#Tokyo2020 | #UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/V7SlgQ20Xl

— #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) July 24, 2021

Silver Medal for for #TeamIndia Saikhom Mirabai Chanu Wins India's First Medal, Settles For Silver In #Weightlifting #Tokyo2020 #Olympics #MirabaiChanu pic.twitter.com/rh4iATzz6t

— Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) July 24, 2021

Falling short of words for this smile, happiness and pride! Congratulations @mirabai_chanu 🙌👏#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/ES30QRy2ii

— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) July 24, 2021

Meanwhile, in the men's doubles group stage clash, the pair of Satwik-Chirag overcame the challenge of Chinese Taipei's Lee Yang and Wang Chil-lin in the third set, thus winning it 21-16, 16-21 and 27-25.

In badminton men's singles, B Sai Praneeth lost his opening group stage game to Israel's Misha Zilberman in straight sets (21-17 and 21-15).

After an impressive performance in the opening set, the pair of Satwik-Chirag has lost the second game of the badminton doubles to the Chinese Taipei pair of LeeYang and Wan Chi-lin (16-21).

India's hopes of entering the semifinals of the first-ever mixed archery event have ended after Deepika Kumari and Pravin Jadhav failed to overcome a strong South Korean challenge.

The Indian team was defeated 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

Indian pair of Satwik Siraj and Chirag Shetty defeated Chinese Taipei pair in the first game of Group A match of Tokyo 2020 men's doubles badminton.

In the first game, the Indian pair won 21-16 against Chinese Taipei's Li Yang and Wang Chi-lin.

Sumit Nagal lost the second set tiebreaker to Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 7-6 in the first round of men's singles tennis.

In the first set, Sumit had won 6-4 in 42 minutes, but in the second set, Sumit had to face defeat after a 71-minute long struggle.

Istomin took a 1-0 lead in the third set as well.

Shooter Saurabh Chaudhary has qualified for the finals of the 10m Air Pistol event.

Saurabh Chaudhary completed his qualifying session scoring 586 points with 28 hits at the bull's eye.

Indian women's weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has made a great start in Group A of 49 kg weightlifting at Tokyo 2020.

Chanu is leading after the first round with a total weight of 194 kg. Chanu has lifted 84 kg in snatch and 110 kg in clean and jerk.

Saurabh Chaudhry now tops the qualification charts in the 10m Air Pistol event.

He has hit the bull's eye 25 times in the five rounds so far.

Sumit Nagal has taken a 4-1 lead in the second set of the first round of Tokyo 2020 men's singles tennis against Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan.

Sumit won the first set 6-4.
 

India's Saurabh Chaudhary continues to climb up the 10m air pistol men's qualification.

In the third series, Saurabh has made it 2nd with a score of 361. He is currently in the fourth series.

He has so far hit the maximum number of 18 bull's-eyes.

Abhishek Verma is at number 14 with a score of 230. His third series is going on right now.
 

Saurabh is currently at number 6 and Abhishek is on 27th

India's Saurabh Chaudhary has moved up to 6th position in the third series with a total score of 251 after finishing the first series in the Tokyo 2020 10m Air Pistol Men's Shooting qualifying.

On the other hand, Abhishek Verma has scored fewer shots, but with a score of 132, he has maintained the 27th position.
 

Meanwhile, Sumit Nagal has won his first set against Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin in the men' singles event.

He won the set 6-4.

At one point both the players were tied 4-4, but the Indian hopeful won the set after winning two games in a row.

India's Saurabh Chaudhary has fallen behind after making four consecutive bulls-eye starts.

Saurabh is at number 13 in the first series with a score of 77, while another Indian Abhishek Verma is at number 29 with a score of 56.

Shooter Saurabh Chaudhary starts off strongly in the 10m air pistol event.

He is currently topping the qualification charts in the event

The competition in the 10m Air Pistol Men's event of Tokyo 2020 will begin at 9.30 am at the Asaka Shooting Range.

Saurabh Chaudhary and Abhishek Verma, who are considered to be strong medal hopes for India, will be seen in action in this match.

India's Achanta Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra lost the table tennis mixed doubles match against Chinese Taipei's Lin Yun Jew and Cheng I Ching at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gym.

The Indin duo lost the match in straight sets 11-8, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4

In Heat-2 of Rowing's Lightweight Men's Doubles Sculls event, Indian team of Arvind Singh & Arjun Lal finish in 5th position out of 6 teams & move into repechage round

The pair, who clocked 6:40.33, still have a chance to stay in the bronze medal race by entering the repechage.

#TokyoOlympics #Rowing

Indian team of Arvind Singh & Arjun Lal finish in 5th position out of 6 teams & move into repechage round

Lightweight Mend Doubles Sculls

Pic Credit @IndiaRowing pic.twitter.com/7tMKCPHKs5

— IndiaAtTokyo (@Cheers4india) July 24, 2021

India's mixed table tennis team of Achanta Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra has lost the first two sets against Chinese Taipei's Lin Yun Jew and Cheng I Ching at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gym

The Indin duo lost the first set 11-8 and then the second set 11-6.

India will have to overcome the Korean challenge if it has to enter the semis at the first-ever mixed team archery event at the Olympics.

Remember, the Koreans were on fire yesterday during the individual ranking rounds, having topped the charts in both men and women's categories.

In the women's judo 48kg category, India's L Sushila Devi had crashed out of the elimination round of 32 after losing to Eva Csronovsky of Hungary in a 2.40-minute clash.

India has won its first Pool A match against New Zealand 3-2.

The last quarter saw New Zealand piling on pressure upon the Indian defence.

However, the player of the match would certainly be Sreejesh who dogged defence of the goalline frustrated New Zealand.

WHAT A START! 🥳

The #MenInBlue go past the New Zealand barrier to register their first win of #Tokyo2020. 🇮🇳#NZLvIND #HaiTayyar #IndiaKaGame #TokyoTogether #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites pic.twitter.com/j8mWIMOpCN

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 24, 2021

Coming up: Indian mixed table tennis team's first match will start at 8.30 pm. The round of 16 matches of the mixed table tennis event are currently underway.

India's Achanta Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra will face Chinese Taipei's Lin Yun Jew and Cheng I Ching at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gym at 8.30 am IST.

New Zealand fails to capitalise its eighth penalty corner.

Sreejesh with two brilliant saves in the dying moments of the game.

China's Yang Qian, who won the first medal of Tokyo 2020, won the gold medal in the final of the 10m women's air rifle with a new Olympic record of 251.8.

The silver medal in this event was won by ROC's Anastasia Galashina with a score of 251.1, while Switzerland's Nina Christen won the bronze with a score of 230.6.

We have the first Olympic champion of #Tokyo2020!

China's Yang Qian takes gold 🥇 with a new Olympic Record of 251.8 points.#Shooting @ISSF_Shooting pic.twitter.com/t0UVwUfXRP

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 24, 2021

New Zealand have brought the goal deficit down to one, with Stephen Jenness managing to get a shot through Sreejesh in the 43rd minute of the match. 

Score is 3-2 at the end of the third quarter.

Crucial last quarter coming up

Yet another penalty corner conversion by India.

Drag flick by Harmanpreet finds the back of the goal.

India lead 3-1 in this Pool A encounter

Meanwhile, Shushila Devi is about to start her campaign in Tokyo 2020. The Indian judoka will try her hand at Elimination Round-32 in the 48kg category today. She will start her campaign against Hungary's Eva Csernoviczki.

India converts its second penalty corner of the match into a goal.

Harmanpreet Singh smashes the ball into the goal.

Score 2-1  at the end of the second quarter.

What a day Sreejesh is having! He has stood like a wall, blocking shot after shot. 

🇳🇿 PC won
🇳🇿 PC retaken
🇳🇿 PC awarded again
🇳🇿 PC given for the fourth time
🇮🇳 Saved

🇳🇿 1:1 🇮🇳#NZLvIND #HaiTayyar #IndiaKaGame #TokyoTogether #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 24, 2021

India converts a penalty. Rupinder Pal Singh scores in the 10th minute. 

Score is level 1-1

The match between India and New Zealand in men's hockey has started. 

India came close to scoring early with a penalty corner chance. The pair of Mandeep Singh and Neelkanth scored the first penalty corner chance of Tokyo 2020. But Rupinder missed the goal by just a few inches.

But it was New Zealand who scored first with their penalty corner through Kane Russell off a penalty corner in the 6th minute.

Meanwhile, India's hopes for a women's 10m air rifle event medal are over.

India's Elavenil Valarivan scored 104.3, 104.0, 106.0, 104.2, 103.5, 104.5 respectively after six series. Her overall score was 626.5. She finished 16th and could not qualify for the final.

At the same time, Apurvi Chandela was only able to score 104.5, 102.5, 104.9, 104.2, 102.2, 103.6. She was ranked 36th with an overall score of 621.9. 

The top eight shooters have qualified for the finals.
 

Starting their campaign in Tokyo 2020, the Indian men's hockey team will take on New Zealand today.

This match of Pool-A will start at 6.30 am Indian time.

The #MenInBlue will kick off their #Tokyo2020 campaign with these 1️⃣1️⃣ warriors taking to the field.

Are you ready?#NZLvIND #HaiTayyar #IndiaKaGame #TokyoTogether #Cheer4India #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia #Hockey pic.twitter.com/b8EFjCKoTQ

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 24, 2021

India's Deepika Kumari and Pravin Jadhav beat Chinese Taipei's Chih-Chun Tang and Chia-En Lin to reach the quarterfinal in the archery mixed team event.

The Chinese Taipei team won the first set 36-35.

Indian archers drew the second set 38-38 and then took the third set 40-35

Deepika and Pravin then took down the fourth and fifth sets.
 

In archery, India's mixed team are currently competing in the elimination 1/8 round against the team of Chinese Taipei. From India, Deepika Kumari and Pravin Jadhav are aiming for the bull's eye. 

In the qualification round, an athlete has to shoot 60 shots in 75 minutes. The maximum score per shot is 10.9.

The top eight athletes then qualify for the final round where it begins with two series of five shots in 250 seconds.

This is followed by 14 single shots, each to be taken within 50 seconds.

After this, after the 12th shot, the bottom two shooters are ejected. After this, at the end of every two shots, athletes are ousted from the competition.

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is among the medal contenders for India in Tokyo 2020. She is the only competitor to represent the country in weightlifting in Tokyo. She will stake claim for a medal in the women's 49 kg weight category.

Watch @mirabai_chanu as she takes on her competitors to earn a podium finish at #Tokyo2020 on 24th July 2021 live on @ddsportschannel. She has worked hard to for her dream, let's support her with #Cheer4India pic.twitter.com/MO80N24JSi

— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) July 23, 2021

Later today, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Indian boxer Vikas Krishan Yadav will be seen in action in round-32 of men's 69kg weight category.

Yadav has also won medals in the World Championships but so far he has not been able to achieve success in the Olympics. Vikas came very close to winning a medal in Rio 2016 but his quarter-final loss had dented his medal hopes.

W 10m Air Rifle at Tokyo2020 Qualification:
First Series:

Elavenil Valarivan: 104.3 (10.7, 10.3, 10.7, 10.2, 10.6, 10.2, 10.7, 10.4, 10.2, 10.3)

Apurvi Chandela: 104.5 (10.5, 10.9, 10.5, 10.0, 10.6, 10.1, 10.8, 10.0, 10.6, 10.5) 

It's a massive opening day for Indian athletes at the Olympics. Indian athletes will be seen in action in categories ranging from weight lifting to hockey, badminton to boxing.

Starting off proceedings this morning are Elavenil Valarivan and Apurvi Chandela who are competing in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Qualification round.
 

Hope lights our way 🔥

Having been carefully kept alight since March 2020, the Olympic Flame has arrived to its final stage. #StrongerTogether #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/xXfQgmymHt

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

🎾@naomiosaka is your final Olympic flame torchbearer and has lit the #Olympics cauldron 🔥#Tokyo2020 | #OpeningCeremony | #UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/PQLe8FmX2v

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 23, 2021

The Olympic Cauldron has been lit! 🔥@naomiosaka does the honours as the curtain rises on #Tokyo2020. #OpeningCeremony | #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/6bYlwnMDfh

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

It's on! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3cgHVvpyZy

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

Let the Olympic Games begin! 🎆

An incredible firework display fills the sky to mark the beginning of #Tokyo2020. #OpeningCeremony #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/RqZGMKeNdE

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen clapping as the Indian contingent marched into the National Stadium in Tokyo during the Olympics opening ceremony.

In a Twitter message, PM said, "Come, let us all Cheer4India. Caught a few glimpses of the Tokyo 2020 Opening ceremony. Wishing our dynamic contingent the very best."

Following the athletes' parade, a video package is played again, as it is then followed by the oath-taking ceremony in three different languages.

USA, France and Japan are the final three teams to enter, as the athletes' parade comes to an end.

This should bring back memories! ❤️

Brazil, host nation of #Rio2016, make their entrance at #Tokyo2020. 🇧🇷@timebrasil | #StrongerTogether | #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/0UESqDdKhd

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

Just... WOW! #TUV#OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/poYrCVfR4p

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

#TeamIndia for you the #HindustaniWay#WeAreTeamIndia🇮🇳 #Cheer4India pic.twitter.com/YcFIDTv6UH

— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) July 23, 2021

𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑰𝑨𝑨𝑨 𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑰𝑨! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/FscLKoTvid

— #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) July 23, 2021

Meanwhile, here's how sports minister Anurag Thakur and Prime Minister cheered the Indian contingent:

#TEAMINDIA #Tokyo2020

130 crore Indians cheering for the Indian Olympics Contingent !

| @WeAreTeamIndia | pic.twitter.com/HEddr0YKWW

— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) July 23, 2021

Come, let us all #Cheer4India!

Caught a few glimpses of the @Tokyo2020 Opening Ceremony.

Wishing our dynamic contingent the very best. #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/iYqrrhTgk0

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 23, 2021

Namibia, Norway, Bahrain, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Barbados, Palestine, Laos, Bangladesh and more keep coming in as we nar the end.

Hosts of the most recent Olympic Games #PyeongChang2018, Republic of Korea has arrived! #KOR#StrongerTogether #OpeningCeremony @Korea_Olympic pic.twitter.com/u36A84GbBg

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

Welcome to #Tokyo2020, People's Republic of China 🇨🇳

In just over six months' time, the world will come together again for the @Beijing2022 Winter Olympic Games!#OpeningCeremony | #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/VDqHsUHDz9

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

He's here! 👀 Pita Taufatofua#Tokyo2020 | #UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether | #Olympics pic.twitter.com/cxnjBs71EJ

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 23, 2021

More like Denmark, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Tonga, Nigeria, Niger, New Zealand and many more are moving in, as we are more than halfway through.

🍁🤝🇯🇵

Greetings, @TeamCanada!#OpeningCeremony | #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/M3VhR2RMDv

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

Now, it's time for Jamaica, Georgia, Syria, Singapore, Zimbabwe, Switzerland, Sweden, Sudan, Spain, Suriname, Sri Lanka, Slovakia, Slovenia and many more, who keep moving in, along with Senegal, Serbia and others.

Now that's what we call entering in style. Welcome Kenya! #KEN#StrongerTogether #OpeningCeremony @OlympicsKe pic.twitter.com/BDqudmDJip

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

Cuba, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Zambia, San Marino, Russia - All keep coming in with medium to massive contingetns,

More and more keep coming in as we approach the half-way mark. The most incerdible part of the Olympics is that we get to see some of the nation we barely know about, line Cape Varde, Guneia-Bissau and many more. Cyprus, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Grenada, US Virgin Islands and a lot more continue their march on.

🇬🇧👋 @TeamGB have arrived at #Tokyo2020!

Olympic champions Hannah Mills and Mohamed Sbihi carry the flag.#OpeningCeremony #StrongerTogether #GBR @hannahmills1988 | @moesbihi pic.twitter.com/S59RAUuR0P

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

And, it keeps continuing. With Austria, Australia and some African nations, Oman and Netherlands move in as well. Ghana too marches in along with some Caribbean nations.

Yeah nah, coupla' athletes in here ay 😏

See ya in 2032 😉#Tokyo2020 | #UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether | #Olympics | @AUSOlympicTeam pic.twitter.com/dFekXmHSWt

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 23, 2021

The contingents starting with U comes in, with Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Uruguay marching in,

The parade continues, with Antigua, Israel, Italy, Iraq, Iran and finally India. Mary Kom and Manpreet Singh carry the flag, while sports minister Anurag Thakur looks on and cheers the contingent.

Here they are 💪#TeamIndia at the #OpeningCeremony of #Tokyo2020 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/8K49eWliqF

— Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) July 23, 2021

Welcome to the #OpeningCeremony @ItaliaTeam_it!

Jessica Rossi and @eliaviviani are carrying the flag for the 2026 Winter Olympics hosts. #ITA #StrongerTogether #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/lkjDdBsqhW

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

Enter... Israel! Hanna Minenko and Yakov Toumarkin carry the flag of Israel. #ISR#StrongerTogether | #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/z7lK6LiR1w

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

Now, we have the United Arab Emirates, along with Algeria, followed by Argentina, Albania, Armenia and Angola, as the march continues.

Hola, Argentina! 👋 #ARG#OpeningCeremony | @PrensaCOA pic.twitter.com/TtVZClc56B

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

Those Angola uniforms. 😍 #ANG#OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/OVGeaS3BkM

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2021

The marching ceremony involving the athletes have begun. Greece starts off as a customary, for having held the first-ever Olympic Games, followed by the refugee team. We also have Ireland, Azerbeijan and Afghanistan follow-up.

It is time for the #Tokyo2020 Parade of Athletes 👋

As is custom, Greece🇬🇷 are the first nation to enter the Olympic Stadium at the #OpeningCeremony #UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether | #Olympics pic.twitter.com/U09CCsCwtY

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 23, 2021

The Refugee Olympic Team enter the #Tokyo2020 #OpeningCeremony

For the second time in history, the #Olympics will welcome the @RefugeesOlympic Team #UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether | #Olympics pic.twitter.com/UHcKU59NiU

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 23, 2021

Moving now, a few performers act as a carpenter, building a monument, while a few also dance alongside, besides having fun and playing a quick game, representing some of the Japanese culture.

Amidst all the dance and performance, the carpernters have been successfulin building the five Olympic rings, as the performers pose to display solidarity again,while the fireworks light up the venue again. It is followed by another video package.

The variety and beauty of the costumes worn at the #Tokyo2020 #OpeningCeremony is indescribable.

Help us finish this sentence: These costumes are... #StrongerTogether | #UnitedByEmotion

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 23, 2021

WOW! 🤩 #Tokyo2020 #OpeningCeremony#UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether | #Olympics pic.twitter.com/C64sPvSC2a

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 23, 2021

The legacy of Tokyo 1964 lives on at #Tokyo2020

These Olympic Rings were crafted with wood grown from trees that were planted by athletes 5⃣7⃣ years ago when the #Olympics first came to Tokyo🌳#StrongerTogether | #OpeningCeremony #UnitedByEmotion pic.twitter.com/Z1n0HCNK5h

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 23, 2021

The host nation, Japan, raises its national flag,while a performer sings the national anthem before the flag is hoisted up high. Also, a specialmoment is being dedicated to the ones who have lost their lives due to the previaling pandemic.

The Japanese flag🇯🇵 has entered the Olympic stadium 🏟️ at the #Tokyo2020 #OpeningCeremony#UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether | #Olympics pic.twitter.com/WjcL2zeX8U

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 23, 2021

The fireworks light up Tne National Stadium in Tokyo, as the opening ceremony is underway. We have a video package being played by the Olympic channel,as some atrhletes are seen performing in the form of physical warm-up, which is a part of the ceremony, while the light work is mismerising.

The #OpeningCeremony for the #Olympics #Tokyo2020 has officially begun 🎆#UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/N1jXG8SDFM

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 23, 2021

🎆 #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/eqePwS7vYp

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 23, 2021

In order to prove the solidarity, performers use string to display connectivity amidst the tough pandemic.

We're all connected 🤝#Tokyo2020 | #Olympics | #UnitedByEmotioin | #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/i8qOrn7oUK

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 23, 2021

The identity of the Olympics cauldron lighter is kept under wraps until the Opening Ceremony. We will have to wait for some more time to find out who gets the honour at the Tokyo Olympics.

Meanwhile, here's retracing the story of the Olympic torch relay.

Manpreet Singh and MC Mary Kom are ready to lead the Indian contingent.

Manpreet Singh and MC Mary Kom are ready to lead the Indian contingent. 💙

India #HaiTayyar! 🇮🇳#IndiaKaGame #Tokyo2020 #TeamIndia #TokyoOlympics #StrongerTogether #Cheer4India #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia #Hockey @manpreetpawar07 pic.twitter.com/ILxfPCYQ4L

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 23, 2021

The Olympic torch relay has concluded with a ceremony at the Citizen's Plaza of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in Shinjuku City, Tokyo. 

The relay ended with the last torchbearer Nakamura Kankuro VI, a Kabuki actor, placing the Olympic Flame on a special celebration cauldron.

The ceremony was attended by Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko and Shinjuku-ku Mayor Yoshizumi Kenichi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his best wishes to his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga for Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Wishing PM @sugawitter and 🇯🇵 the very best for #Tokyo2020 @Olympics and @Paralympics. We look forward to a season of incredible performances by the world's best sportspersons! @Tokyo2020

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 23, 2021

The global sporting extravaganza, the Tokyo Olympics 2020, is officially underway from Friday. The Games is being held despite concerns surrounding the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, COVID cases have already emerged in connection to the Games. On Friday, 19 new cases were reported by the organisers, with the total cases going past 100.

According to a PTI report, the Czech Republic team is the worst affected side, with four athletes being involved, while overall, it has six cases. Road cyclist Michal Schlegel is the latest to be infected from the contingent. The total cases toll stands at 106 until Friday night, while 11 of them happen to be athletes.

Read more....

President Ram Nath Kovind has wished the Indian athletes in Tokyo for Olympics 2020.

An entire nation’s hopes and prayers are with the Indian contingent at the #TokyoOlympics. I convey best wishes to you all on behalf of all Indians. I am confident that you all will excel, win laurels and make our country proud. #Cheer4India

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 23, 2021

Here's the draw for the first round of the men's individual recurve archery event, to be held from July 27 to 29.

Pravin Jadhav vs Galsan Bazarzhapov (ROC)
Atanu Das vs Deng Yu-Cheng (TPE)
Tarundeep Rai vs Oleksii Hunbin (UKR) 

Men's Archery: Individual Ranking Round

Indian archers: 
Atanu Das - 653/720 (35th)
Pravin Jadhav - 656/720 (31st)
Tarundeep Rai - 652/720 (37th)

It was a day dominated by the Koreans at the archery range.

Men's Archery: Individual Ranking Round

1) Kim Je Deo (Korea) - 688/720
2) Ellison Brady (USA) - 682/720
3) Oh Jinhyek (Korea) - 681/720
4) Kim Woojin (Korea) - 680/720

The archery event was underway from Friday. Deepika Kumar took part in the Women's Individual Ranking Round.

She could score 663 points, as her performance varied between excellent to average. While she started at number eight, she fell to 14th at a point. However, she recovered sufficiently to finish fourth in the opening half.

While she slipped again in the following round, she recovered again to rise to sixth after ten rounds. Nevertheless, the penultimate round saw her performance tumble, as she slipped to seventh with 609 points, while in the final round, she fell to ninth with 663. She would now take on Bhutan's Karma in the Round of 32.

Read more....

Archery Men's Individual Ranking Round Set 11:

Atanu: 52 (Total 600, Rank 31st)
Tarundeep: 55 (Total 597, Rank 38th)
Pravin: 53 (Total 602, Rank 28th)
 

Archery Men's Individual Ranking Round Set 10:

Atanu: 56 (Total 548, Rank 28th)
Tarundeep: 54 (Total 542, Rank 38th)
Pravin: 56 (Total 549, Rank 26th)

Archery Men's Individual Ranking Round Set 8:

Atanu: 56 (Total 440, Rank 26th)
Tarundeep: 55 (Total 432, Rank 41st)
Pravin: 54 (Total 438, Rank 30th)

The Tokyo Olympics is underway from Friday, as the Indians would eye medals, especially the gold. Experts have rated this Indian side as its best ever, as there is a high chance that the contingent would enter the double figures in terms of medals tally for the first time.

Meanwhile, the medalists are usually awarded a cash prize by the Indian government. On the same note, the Indian Olympic Association has announced that a reward of ₹75 lakh would be given to the gold medalists and the National Sports Federations.

In the meantime, the Indian contingent's advisory group has urged the IOA to hand every Indian athlete $50 per day as its daily allowance during their stay in Tokyo. Also, the state associations under IOA would receive ₹15 lakh as a part of infrastructure development.

Read more....

Archery Men's Individual Ranking Round Set 6:

Atanu: 54 (Total 329, Rank 31st)
Tarundeep: 52 (Total 323, Rank 45th)
Pravin: 54 (Total 329, Rank 30th)

Archery Men's Individual Ranking Round Set 4:

Atanu: 52 (Total 220, Rank 29th)
Tarundeep: 53 (Total 214, Rank 48)
Pravin: 56 (Total 219, Rank 30)
 

Archery Men's Individual Ranking Round Set 3:

Atanu: 56 (Total 168, Rank 11th)
Tarundeep: 52 (Total 161, Rank 45)
Pravin: 54 (Total 163, Rank 35)

All three Indian archers have slipped down the positions 

Archery Men's Individual Ranking Round Set 2:

Atanu: 54 (Total 112, Rank 14th)
Tarundeep: 54 (Total 109, Rank 34)
Pravin: 55 (Total 109, Rank 38)

Tennis would also be a part of the Tokyo Olympics 2020, with some top stars set to grace the stage with their presence. In the same light, reigning world number one and modern-day great, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, too, would be taking part in the global event.

The task to win a singles gold, something that is missing from the Serbian's cabinet, would be monumental. He is set to compete with top stars like Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas and Russia's Danil Medvedev.

However, amidst all of it, the 'greatest tennis player' debate continues to rage, as Nole has won a record 20 Grand Slam and is currently tied with Switzerland's Roger Federer and Spain's Rafael Nadal. While the Serbian is on the cusp of registering a Golden Slam, he is wary but not concerned by the foresaid debate.

He told reporters on Thursday that he doesn't wants to be a part of the debate right now, as his focus in on the event and his opening game. While he is well aware that history is on the line, he would discuss about it post the tournament, provided everything falls in place for him.

Read more....

Archers Atanu Das, Pravin Jadhav and Tarundeep Rai will shortly be seen in action in the men's individual ranking round.

Earlier, Deepika Kumari finished 9th out of 64 in the women's archery ranking round.

Friday is here; the Olympics is here. The traditional opening ceremony would be held at The New National Stadium in Tokyo on Friday. However, owing to the COVID restrictions in the country, it would be held behind closed doors.

Notwithstanding, there would still be some non-participating persons in attendance during the ceremony, including officials, special guests of honour and reporters. According to a Xinhua report, around 950 people would be in attendance for the ceremony.

Read more....

Deepika Kumari will face Bhutan's Karma in the Round of 32 Elimination contest. Here's how she performed at rankings round

Three athletes are among the 19 who have been tested positive in the Tokyo Olympics on Friday.

With this the total number of confirmed cases at the Tokyo Olympics since July 1 has touched 106.

Over half of those who have tested positive are Games contractors.

The Koreans were on fire in the archery rankings round. An San broke the Olympic record with a tally of 680 points beating the record (673 points) set in Atlanta 1996 by Ukrainian Herasymenko Lina.

The top three finishers from the rankings round were from South Korea.

Meanwhile, Deepika Kumari will face off against Bhutan's Karma in the next round.

Deepika Kumari has finished in the 9th position in the archery rankings round. 

She scored a total of 663 points.

Deepika Kumari slips to 7th position in the fifth and penultimate leg of the 2nd half of the archery rankings round. 

She landing five of her arrows on 9 and the last arrow on an 8.

Deepika Kumari hits the bulls-eye twice in the fourth leg of the 2nd half of the archery rankings round. 

She followed it up by landing two of her arrows on 10 and two more on 9. 

She is now at the 6th spot.

Deepika Kumari started off strongly in the third leg of the 2nd half of the archery rankings round, but once again her last arrow was slightly off target.

She hit the bulls-eye twice, followed by landing two of her arrows on 10 and one on 9. But the last arrow landed at 7.

Deepika Kumari slips to 8th in rankings round after landing her last arrow of the 2nd leg at 7. 

Her tally as of now stands at 442. 

Trying to wrap your heads around the scoring system? Here's a quick guide
 
All 64 men and 64 women shoot 72 arrows and are then ranked from first to 64th based on their total scores. 

They then compete in pairs based on their rankings, with the first-ranked archer facing off against the 64th-ranked archer and the second-ranked against the 63rd-ranked, and so on.

These individual elimination matches see the loser exit the competition and the winner advances to the next phase, until two athletes remain to contest the gold-medal match. The two semi-final losers compete for bronze.

Individual matches are decided using a set system. Each set consists of three arrows. The athlete with the highest score in the set -- the total of their three arrows -- receives two set points. If the athletes are tied, each receives one set point. The first athlete to six set points wins the match.

Info Courtesy: Olympics

Deepika Kumari maintains the momentum in the first leg of the second half. 

She scores 55 points after the archer scores one X, one arrow on 10 and a niner thrice. Her last arrow lands at 8.

Here is Deepika Kumari's points sheet after the first half of the women's individual archery ranking round
 

What a stunning comeback from World Number 1 Deepika Kumari!

After slipping down to 14th position, she is now ranked fourth with 334 points at the end of the first half of the women's archery competition.

The archer scores one X and then lands at the 10s twice and a niner thrice in the sixth end of the first half.

Deepika recovers! She is now ranked 10th. 

The archer scores one X and then lands at the 10s thrice and ends with a niner in the fifth end of the first half 

At the Yumenoshima Ranking Field, Deepika has slipped to 14th after having fired in 24 of her 72 arrows.

World record holder Kang Chae Young from Korea is the favourite to win gold at her first Olympic Games.

India's campaign at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is underway with competitions. Indian archers comprising Deepika Kumari, Atanu Das, Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav will be seen in action on the inaugural day. The opening ceremony is also scheduled for the day and will begin at 4:30 PM IST.

The women's individual archery competition is underway. World No 1 Deepika has been assigned Target 47A.  

Indian members taking part in Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony:
Athletes: Sutirtha Mukherjee (Table Tennis), Manika Batra (TT), G Sathiyan (TT), Sharat Kamal (TT), KC Ganapathi (Sailing), Varun Ashok (Sailing), Vishnu Saravanan (Sailing), Nethra Kumanan (Sailing), Bhavani Devi (Fencing), Pranati Nayak (Gymnastics), Sajan Prakash (Swimming), Simranjit Kaur (Boxing), Lovlina B (Boxing), Pooja Rani (Boxing), Amit (Boxing), Manish Kaushik (Boxing), Ashish Kumar (Boxing), Satish Kumar (Boxing), Mary Kom (Boxing - Flag Bearer) and Manpreet Singh (Hockey - Flag Bearer).
Officials: Shri Birender Prasad Baishya (Chef de Mission), Dr Prem Verma (Deputy Chef de Mission), Dr Arun Basil Mathew (Team Doctor), Shri MP Singh (Table Tennis, Manager/Team Leader), Shri Muhammad Ali Qamar (Boxing, Coach) and Shri Lakhan Sharma (Coach, Gymnastics).

Read more....

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics is already here, as the action starts from Friday. Meanwhile, the Indian shooting contingent is strong, and there are some top medal-winning prospects in the team.

One of the top prospects happens to be pistol shooter Manu Bhaker. While she would be making her Olympics debut this term, she is a favourite to win at least a medal.

Ahead of the same, Manu's coach Ronak Pandit has formulated a plan for her. Under him, she has risen to the top ranks in world shooting, winning more golds than any other competitive medal.

Pandit told PTI that they have trained for around three months. Meanwhile, Manu is a level-headed talent and performs under pressure. She happens to be relaxed and calm, composed and focused ahead of the Games.

Read more....

While India has a star-studded side, it has lacked penetrative skills for the past few years. However, team strike Mandeep Singh has expressed confidence in the side's abilities to breach the rival defences in the global spectacle.

"I don't think there's any added pressure on me because I have good support from the rest of the players. We have good on-field communication, and on a good day, we can breach the toughest defence," he told PTI.

Mandeep is one of the most experienced and senior pros on the side, having played over 150 matches. However, he would be making his Olympic debut this term at the age of 26.

The Indian badminton stars, too, have begun their training in Tokyo ahead of the Olympics. On Thursday, among the male players, B. Sai Praneeth and the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty got their training session underway. Watch them train here:

"

Having already won three Grand Slams this year, Serbia's Novak Djokovic would be eyeing the gold in a bid for the Golden Slam, provided he wins the upcoming US Open as well. If he does so, he will become the first male player in tennis history to do a Calendar Golden Slam, with the other being Germany's Steffi Graff.

Meanwhile, as he landed in Tokyo on Wednesday, he shared a picture of him on social media, captioned, "Honored to play for my people and my country at the @olympics! 🙏🏼🙌🏼 Wheels up, see you in Tokyo ✈️🇯🇵🇷🇸 @oksrbije #Tokyo2020 #TeamSerbia #Idemooo".

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Novak Djokovic (@djokernole)

As he was the centre of attention following his arrival, Indian badminton star B Sai Praneeth caught up with him and clicked a selfie. It was captioned, "Pic of the day @DjokerNole".

Pic of the day 😍✌️@DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/Lw5YOZxLez

— Sai Praneeth (@saiprneeth92) July 21, 2021

Pranati Nayak is one of the top prospects for India in gymnastics during the Tokyo Olympics. While it would be her maiden Olympic appearance, she has been on the rise for the past few years and has qualified based on her performances since last year and continental quota.

Meanwhile, she has begun her podium training for the Games alongside her foreign coach. She would be the sole Indian competitor in artistic gymnastics during the competition.

The opening ceremony would see athletes from various nations taking part, marching down the track wearing their national colours, and the same would be the case for the Indian athletes. While 126 Indian athletes are scheduled to compete, not everyone is expected to be a part of the ceremony, owing to tiredness, keeping in mind their competitions the following day.

Only 28 Indians have so far been confirmed for the same, while flag bearers MC Mary Kom and Manpreet Singh are expected to be a part of it. Here are the confirmed participants from the verticles: Hockey - 1, Boxing - 8, Table Tennis - 4, Rowing - 2, Gymnastics - 1, Swimming - 1, Sailing - 4, Fencing - 1 and Officials - 6.

Read more....

The withdrawals from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics continued with a couple of more athletes. Amber Hill, a British skeet shooter, had tested positive in the United Kingdom ahead of her Tokyo departure.

“There are no words to describe how I’m feeling right now. After five years of training and preparation, I’m absolutely devastated to say that last night I received a positive Covid-19 test, meaning I’ve had to withdraw from Team GB’s shooting team. I will be back from this, but right now, I need some time to reflect and take in what has happened,” she said in a statement.

Also, Pavel Sirucek, a Czech Republic Table Tennis player, has become the first in the sport to withdraw for the same reason. The news was broken during the draws for the competition.

“Today, we were informed that Pavel Sirucek has tested positive for COVID-19 and is placed in isolation. Pavel will be marked as Did Not Start in the table tennis competition, in accordance with the Tokyo 2020 Sport-Specific Regulations. We wish him a speedy recovery,” a statement from International Table Tennis Federation read.

Meanwhile, the Indian boxers have begun their training session from Wednesday. However, they are currently training at the Olympic Village as the boxing venue happens to be far out, while they don't want to risk exposing themselves to the coronavirus.

The boxing venue is situated at Sumida ward's Ryogoku Kokugikan arena. It is located in Tokyo Bay, which is about 20 km from the Village.

"We have decided to train at the Village only. We went to the designated Games venue on Monday, and it is very far. Not just us, several other teams also felt the same, and all of us have been training at the Games Village," a source quoted PTI.

"It is scorching, so the exertion of travelling that far just for training didn't seem worth it. Also, the COVID fear is there. The training facilities at the Village are good; there is no issue," it added.

As for India's wrestling contingent, Vinesh Phogat would be one of the top medal prospects in Tokyo. The four-time gold medalist would be hoping to win her maiden Olympic gold.

Meanwhile, her head coach Woller Akos has asserted that she would be moving into the Games with a clear head, while there are hardly any flaws in her skills. While she is the top seed at the event, her undefeated streak this year makes her a top medal favourite.

"Her head is clear. She has got better on leg attacks and counterattacks and has a clear head. The strategies devised outside the mat are now executed on the mat because of a clear head. There were times when she could not do it, but it's much better," Akos told PTI.

"All of her opponents are different. Some are good technically, and some are better physically. Different tactics are required. Against some rivals, you need arm work, and somewhere, you need underhook, headlocks. On some opponents, you need to be working from a distance. And, she has got better on all this," he added.

Ss far as Indian badminton is concerned, ace shuttler PV Sindhi happens to be the greatest player among the current players. The reigning world champion would be aiming for her best Olympic performance to date, as she eyes her second medal at the event, having won a silver in Rio 2016.

While Sindhu is sure to win a medal this term, winning just a medal would be an understatement for the seventh-ranked singles player in the circuit. On the same note, renowned badminton coach Pullela Gopichand feels that she is not just a favourite for any medal but also the gold.

"In badminton, we have chances, definitely to better what we did in Rio and London. So, I am hoping that Sindhu can pull off; she is going to be one of the favourites in the Olympics with the venue as well," he told PTI.

Besides, he also backed three more athletes for medal-winning performances. "And, also Chirag and Satwik, although, have a tough draw, but I do see them as potential hopefuls for a medal. For Sai Praneeth, it is going to be tough. But, he has done well at the World Championships, and I hope he can repeat that performance," he added.

Read more....

Indian men's hockey head coach Graham Reid is determined to bring the old aura and glory back. He has backed the team's mental resilience for a medal-winning performance during the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

"I think it's probably one of the most important things right now. We had a pretty tough 16 months. No one has been spared from quarantine. It's unprecedented, but I am pleased with how this group has handled things in the last 15-16 months. I always tell them that don't underestimate the power of the things we went through together, and this will hold us in good stead for what's ahead," he told PTI.

"...if you prepare well for an exam, then you are much more confident when you go into the exam. They had those experiences so that they can draw parallels from them. It's about understanding that you need to draw on those experiences when the chips are down when they are in the battle. I can do this because I have done it before," he added.

Read more....

Around 5,000 urine samples will be collected during the Tokyo Olympics to undergo dope tests by the International Test Agency. The ITA has also asserted the Olympics that it has introduced the most comprehensive pre-Games anti-dope programme.

"Following the postponement of the Games, the ITA Pre-Games Expert Group re-calibrated its efforts in 2020 and reviewed all 33 participating sports and their athletes likely to compete in the Games. In December 2020, more than six months before the Games, the group issued over 25,000 testing recommendations - making this the most extensive pre-Games anti-doping programme ever implemented for an edition of the Olympic Games," a statement from Olympics read.

"With the COVID-19 countermeasures in place, the ITA is ready to adapt out-of-competition testing during Games time to the fact that the athletes' stay in the Olympic Village and in Japan will be shortened. The ITA is preparing to conduct an increased number of out-of-competition tests spread out beyond the Village, and alternatively, some tests will be conducted in the athletes' home countries before they leave for the Games," it concluded.

In the meantime, 15 leaders from across the globe are expected to attend the ceremony on Friday. Reports suggest that the in-person attendance during the ceremony is likely to be below 1,000.

"The decision to limit the number of attendees during the opening ceremony at the National Stadium here was taken in view of the organisers' efforts to control the raging COVID-19 pandemic," Katsunobu Kato (Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary) told Kyodo News. While around 70 cabinet-level officials would be visiting Japan, the number of VIPs attending the ceremony is still doubtful, he added.

Among the confirmed world leaders are Emmanuel Macron (France President), Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene (Mongolia Prime Minister) and Jill Biden (USA First Lady). The Games would be held behind closed doors, as the Japanese government has imposed a 'state of emergency' to curb the spread of the virus during the Games.

With just a couple of days to go before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gets underway, the world would be watching the grand opening ceremony, set to take place on Friday. However, since the event is being held amidst the tough times surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony would have some limitations.

According to India's chef-de-mission Prem Kumar Verma, only six Indian officials would be allowed during the ceremony. Furthermore, the athletes who would be competing the next day would be barred from participating in the ceremony to avoid tiredness, reports PTI.

As for the following day, the Indians would be involved in shooting, boxing, archery and hockey. However, Verma asserted that the athletes currently in quarantine would not be allowed to take part in the ceremony. 127 Indian athletes are scheduled to take part during the Games, set to run until August 8.

Read more....

In what comes as a heartbreak for a couple of players taking part in the Tokyo Olympics, they have been ousted from the Games after testing positive for COVID-19. Fernanda Aguirre, a Taekwondo player from Chile, and Candy Jacobs, a skateboarder from the Netherlands, are the ones to have suffered the harrowing fate.

"Fernanda Aguirre has tested positive for Covid-19 in the tests carried out on her arrival in Japan. The athlete is asymptomatic and in good health, but unfortunately, she will not be able to compete in this event because the Japanese health authorities impose a quarantine of at least ten days," said the Chilean team in a statement.

Meanwhile, Candy posted a message on Instagram that read, "I am heartbroken. Unfortunately, I tested positive for COVID-19 this morning, which means my Olympic journey ends here...have done everything in my power to prevent this scenario and took all the precautions."

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Candy Jacobs (@candy_jacobs)

Meanwhile, the swimmer have begun their practice and training sessions in Tokyo ahead of the Games.

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Former Indian Master Blaster spoke to the Indian athletics team on Tuesday, taking part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In a virtual send-off interaction organised by the Athletics Federation of India, he urged the athletes not to succumb to the pressure and instead enjoy it.

"Expectation of people has grown because of your improved performance. That is a good thing. I had always enjoyed pressure or expectation from people. You have to change it to positive energy," he said.

"A lot of people say there is win or loss in sport but my message is that the loss should be for your opponent and the win for you. You should go for the medal. Don't stop chasing your dream and the dream should be the medal around your neck, National Anthem playing and the tri-colour flying high," he added.

As for athletics, the Indians possess 26 athletes. While the athletics are set to run between July 30 to August 8, the contingent leaves on July 23, as javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra would be the top medal prospect.

Indian equestrian Fouaad Mirza has changed his horse ahead of the Tokyo Games 2020. He would be going forward with Seigneur Medicott instead of his previously selected Dajara 4.

"Seigneur Medicott, lovingly known as 'Micky', helped Mirza win the two silvers at the Asian Games and they both share a strong emotional connect with each other. At first, Fouaad picked Dajara 4 for the Olympics but in the last few gruelling weeks of competing and practise, Mirza felt that Dajara 4 had undergone a lot of pressure. This prompted the change in the final entry with Seigneur Medicott for the Tokyo Olympics as the horse was moving better," a release from Mirza's Embassy Group read.

Medicott has cleared its quarantine in Aachen (Germany) and is en route to Tokyo. It would have the company of Johanna Pohonen (Groom), Dr Grigorios Maleas (Veterinarian) and Veronica Sinz (Physiotherapist), while the equestrian event starts from July 29.

The Indian shooters are finding it hard to train in the extreme heat in Tokyo. On Tuesday, the marksmen and markswomen struggled in the same at the Asaka Shooting Range.

"There is an issue with the rifle shooters as they shoot wearing the jackets. We are sure that the air conditioners in the final hall are fine. Do we have the air conditioners when the qualifications for 50m and 25m events are held? So, you can understand. The only thing is that the training is being held at a convertible range which is being used for practice sessions of 50m, 25, and 10m events," an official from the National Rifle Association of India told PTI.

The venue would play host to the 50m, 25m and 10m rifle shooting. With India set to have 15 shooters, the 1964 Olympics venue would witness the same between July 24 to August 2. The NRAI had earlier tweeted a few pictures of the practice sessions.

The guns have fallen silent for now. Not for long #tokyo2020 #shooting #indianshootingteam #olympics pic.twitter.com/A1O325fKyH

— NRAI (@OfficialNRAI) July 18, 2021

Indian shooters at the Asaka shooting venues. @WeAreTeamIndia @OfficialNRAI #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/PukeYKNhjH

— Abhijit Deshmukh (@iabhijitdesh) July 19, 2021

The #guns they are a blazing again. #indianshootingteam practising at the 50M range @Tokyo2020 #Cheer4India #shooting #tokyoolympics #tokyo2020 #olympics pic.twitter.com/M1PPGRYj8n

— NRAI (@OfficialNRAI) July 19, 2021

India’s pistol exponent @realmanubhaker getting a first feel of the #asakashootingrange in #tokyo @Tokyo2020 @WeAreTeamIndia @ISSF_Shooting #indianshootingteam #shooting #tokyo2020olympics pic.twitter.com/YB7ZWjqrcy

— NRAI (@OfficialNRAI) July 19, 2021

Good morning. Practice makes perfect! #indianshootingteam #tokyo2020 #olympics #tokyoolympics #shooting @WeAreTeamIndia @ISSF_Shooting @Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/ClIy1vOOiW

— NRAI (@OfficialNRAI) July 20, 2021

The Olympic Games is one of the global sporting spectacles that brings the world together. Until now, the primary motto of the Games consisted of three elements: Faster, higher and stronger.

However, starting the Tokyo Olympics, the International Olympic Committee has added a fourth motto in the form of 'together'. IOC President Thomas Bach pitched the proposal for the same in April.

"I made this proposal to express this need of solidarity to become faster, to be able to aim higher, to become stronger, for this we need to be together, it means we need solidarity," he had said back in March. The Latin version of the same reads: 'Citius, Altius, Fortius - Communis'.

We move forward when we move together.

Introducing the new Olympic motto: Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together. #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/r87Ce99S4k

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 20, 2021

Former Indian Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar would also do some pep talk. He would be interacting with the Indian athletics team on Tuesday to take part in the Tokyo Olympics.

"The great @sachin_rt will be speaking to our #Tokyo2020 bound #IndianAthletics team tomorrow at 4:15 pm (IST). JOIN US on our FB page for Live streaming of the Virtual Send-Off Ceremony & send your wishes to TeamIndia #Athletics," said the Athletics Federation of India in a tweet.

Let’s get together @ 4:15pm today to virtually wish & send off the Indian Athletes to @Tokyo2020. @sachin_rt will be the ChiefGuest
LIVE on AFI FB Page https://t.co/M6rXlmlrGK… @afiindia @AgeasFederal @Media_SAI @AgeasFederal @Tokyo2020hi @NBCOlympics #Olympics2021 #nebsports pic.twitter.com/z0ti0cCj8s

— NEB Sports Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (@NEBSportsEPL) July 20, 2021

The Indian boxing contingent comprising Mary Kom and Pooja Rani began their training and preparations for the Games from Tuesday. The photos of the same were shared by the Boxing Federation of India, captioned, "Training in Tokyo. Here are some glimpses as our Baazigars sweat it out at Olympic village ahead of the @Tokyo2020."

𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐊𝐘𝐎 😍

Here are some glimpses as our Baazigars sweat it out at Olympic village ahead of the @Tokyo2020 🥊

Can't wait to see them in action 🔥#RingKeBaazigar#boxing#Tokyo2020#Cheer4India pic.twitter.com/jZizeEdTI7

— Boxing Federation (@BFI_official) July 19, 2021

Besides, Equestrian Fouaad Mirza also began his training sessions. Also, a couple of badminton players PV Sindhu and B Sai Praneeth, started to run on the court under the supervision of coach Park Tae Sang.

Paddlers Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, too, began training sessions as they battled each other in a game. As for archery, Atanu Das, Tarundeep Rai, Praveen Jadhav and Deepika Kumari were training on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Games-related infection toll has risen to 67, including another overseas athlete. According to Kyodo News, eight new cases have emerged at the Games.

While a couple of South African footballers had tested positive a couple of days back, two Mexican baseball players too tested positive before departure. Prior to that, an American female gymnast too tested positive during her training session in Inzai.

On Monday, Czech Republic beach volleyball player Ondrej Perusic tested positive. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Great Britain contingent's eight members were put in isolation after coming in contact with a positive flier, reports Sky News.

With less than a week to go before the Tokyo Olympic 2020 gets underway, the participating athletes have settled in the Olympic Village that would be their residence for the next three weeks. The Village bolsters all the facilities and modern-day amenities, besides having all the health safety and security measures in place.

However, citing the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, there is a concern on how safe the Village is, considering that some COVID positive cases have emerged from the Village. Speaking on the same, the health advisor of the International Olympic Committee, Brian McCloskey, Brian McCloskey has reassured that despite the cases arising, the Village continues to be the safest place for the athletes during the Games.

The safety concerns arose after a couple of South African footballers tested positive inside the Village. While they have been transferred to a separate facility, close contacts have been placed in individual rooms to limit the physical interactions between the two. Furthermore, he also asserted that the close contacts would be tested six hours before participating in the competition.

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As the Tokyo Olympic Games kick starts in just three days, the entire world gets ready to be gripped in the Olympic fever. Consequently, the iconic Howrah Bridge of Kolkata, West Bengal, was lit up in the Olympic colours on Monday evening.

In a video shared by Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, the entire bridge was lit up in five different colours, representing the Olympic ring. "Today Howrah Bridge or Rabindra Setu dazzles in colours representing the confluence of the world's greatest athletes from the five continents at the Tokyo Olympic Games. The five interlaced rings -- blue, yellow, black, green and red -- are the Olympic symbol, which epitomises the union of the five continents..." the tweet from the port read.

झंडा ऊंचा रहे हमारा🇮🇳

Celebrating the Sporting spirit at the greatest sporting arena,

Take a glimpse of the dazzling and radiant Howrah Bridge immersed in the colours of #Olympics

Mopsw wishes the Indian Contingent a grand success at #TokyoOlympics

Let's #Cheer4India🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/Djp8uYvSuF

— Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (@shipmin_india) July 17, 2021

"Celebrating the sporting spirit at the greatest sporting arena, Take a glimpse of the dazzling and radiant Howrah Bridge immersed in the colours of #Olympics wishes the Indian Contingent a grand success at #TokyoOlympics," it wrote in another tweet, as the pictures of the same were shared as well.

Iconic Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu) illuminated for #Tokyo2020 #Cheer4India #TokyoOlympics2020
@SMPort_Kolkata @YASMinistry @Media_SAI @MIB_India @PIB_India @DDBanglaNews @airnews_kolkata pic.twitter.com/KUOvfzTBUt

— PIB in West Bengal (@PIBKolkata) July 19, 2021

Deepika Kumari is a star Indian archer who has handed the nation glory in numerous archer competitions and is a four-time gold medalist. While she would be competing in her third-ever Olympic Games, she is yet to win a medal in the event, having been ousted in the early stages of the previous two editions in London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Meanwhile, for the same, she has been motivating herself so that she can prove herself. "So, it's crucial for me, my entire archery team and my country. It's imperative because Indian archery does not have an Olympic medal, so I want to win," she told PTI.

She also reckoned that she was not aware that she was ranked number one in London. She recalled that she lagged behind in the previous two editions while working on her confidence by improving her performance. "A lot has changed since then... I've worked hard mentally, giving me many positive results," she concluded.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics kick starts this Friday. Ahead of the same, the Indians have already stepped foot in the Japanese capital and have entered the Olympic Village that would be their home for the next three weeks.

Meanwhile, the Indians have come up with initial reactions to the Village and the arrangements that have been made. Most reviews so far have been mixed, as there is a scope of improvement from the organisers, reports PTI.

As for the reactions and improvements needed:

• One hundred plus electric kettles are needed for athletes' daily needs, while a request for the same has been submitted to the Indian Embassy.
• Rooms are being cleaned every three days to minimise contact with the athletes.
• Food options are aplenty, including Indian foods. However, some feel that the Indian food could be prepared a little better.
• Most of the Indians have been handed the daily testing kits and can hand over the swab samples to the IOA officials before preparing to leave for training.

"It has been smooth for us, and no complaints at all. I had daal and parotta yesterday, and it was fine," said Indian paddler G Sathiyan on the Indian food and the arrangements.

Swimmers Srihari Nataraj, Maana Patel were spotted at the Olympics swimming arena.

Both the Indian swimmers will be seen in action in the 100m backstroke event.

Srihari qualified for the Olympics by breaching the 'A' qualification mark for the first time ever. Maana reached Tokyo after earning a Universality quota berth.

India also has a third swimmer in competition. Sajan Prakash is the first-ever Indian swimmer to achieve Olympic A qualification time in men's 200m butterfly.

Kerala Govt says they will file their detailed response on the issue. SC asks Kerala to respond today itself.

Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina have taken off for Tokyo Olympics 2020. The duo boarded the flight from Hyderabad Airport.

Sania, who will be competing in her fourth Games, and debutant Ankita Raina will be the only participants in the women's doubles event at the Tokyo Games.

Sania used her protected rank of nine to enter with Ankita. All top-10 players get direct entry and have the privilege to choose a partner of their choice, who is ranked inside the top-300.

American tennis star Coco Gauff has tested positive for the Coronavirus, forcing her to pull out of the Tokyo Olympic Games. 

"I am so disappointed to share the news that I have tested positive for COVID and won't be able to play in the Olympic Games in Tokyo,'' Gauff tweeted on Sunday. 

"It has always been a dream of mine to represent the USA at the Olympics, and I hope there will be many more chances for me to make this come true in the future," she added.

Watch this duel between Table Tennis stars Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Sharath Kamal. 

Indian shuttlers are pulling out no stops to be game ready when the Olympics Badminton event starting off on July 24.

World champion PV Sindhu will open her Tokyo Olympics campaign on July 25 against Polikarpova Ksenia of Israel. Sindhu has been clubbed in Group J, which also includes Hong Kong's Cheung Ngan Yi.

B Sai Praneeth will face Misha Zilberman of Israel on July 24 in his opening Group D match in men's singles.

On the same day, doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Ranki Reddy and Chirag Shetty will take on Chinese Taipei duo of Lee Yang and Wng Chi-Lin in their opening men's doubles Group A match.

Golfer Anirban Lahiri, the only Indian with playing rights on the PGA Tour in the US, is headed for the Tokyo Olympics. 

It’s been a challenging year and I’m really thankful to my team to get me back up on my feet and fighting for what I love to do. Thank you @BarbasolChamp for a wonderful week. #TokyoOlympics here I come #JaiHind 🇮🇳#curry power is back!!

— Anirban Lahiri (@anirbangolf) July 18, 2021

Lahiri would be joined by Udayan Mane in the Indian men's golf team in Tokyo. Aditi Ashok, who also hails from Bengaluru like Lahiri, is the lone representative in women's golf.

The Kasumigaseki Country Club will host the men's event from July 28-31 while the four-day women's competition starts August 3.

Indian archery mixed team of Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari practice at Tokyo.

Watch Indian sailing athlete Vishnu Sarvanan in action.

(Image) Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav during practice session