Bolt targets 3rd Oly triple gold
Zurich: Usain Bolt says he can achieve greatness with a third Olympic triple gold medal haul at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. Bolt, speaking ahead of the Weltklasse Diamond league meeting, says that “to actually go to Rio and win again would be a feat in itself.” The Jamaican will run in the 100 meters on Thursday after a world championship sweep in 100, 200 and 4x100 relay in Moscow. He completed the same triple at the past two Olympics and is focused on repeating in Rio. Bolt says “the key thing is just to go to defend my titles. It would be the first time anybody has ever won three times in a row.” Bolt spoke at FIFA headquarters after meeting with Sepp Blatter.
Will win gold in 2016 Oly: Kom
Bhopal: Olympic bronze medal winner in boxing, M C Mary Kom has expressed confidence that she would win a gold medal in the next Olympics in Rio and said she will start regular training after six months. “I am confident that I will clinch a gold medal in the 2016 Olympics,” the boxer said.
‘Focussed on AG, CWG & WC’ships’
New Delhi: Instead of hitting out at the ones calling for his head, NRAI president Raninder Singh today preferred to answer his critics by highlighting, among others, the achievements of its shooters at world stage and said it was solely focussed on next year’s CWG and Asian Games. last Sunday, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was barred from attending the General Body Meeting of the suspended Indian Olympic Association (IOA) due to a pending court case against the shooting body. An unperturbed Raninder, though, said the federation has other important work to tend with major sporting events lined up next year. “There are three major tournaments next year -- the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. Besides, the quota places for (2016 Rio) Olympics will open up and 34 of them will be up for grabs in the World Championships in Granada. So, we don’t have the time to think about all this rubbish,” Raninder said.
Rs2 lakh to Makhan Singh’s widow
New Delhi: Sports Minister Jitendra Singh has handed over a cheque of Rs two lakh from National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons to Sulinder Kaur, widow of Makhan Singh, gold medallist in 4x400 metres relay in 1962 Asian Games. The Minister has approved the ex-gratia lump-sum assistance to Kaur after coming to know that the family of Makhan Singh was living in indigent circumstances. While handing over the cheque at his office yesterday, the minister said sportspersons like Makhan Singh are national heroes and it shall remain his personal endeavour and that of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to do everything “within our power to support our heroes from yesteryears”. The Sports Ministry had earlier given financial assistance of Rs three lakh in August 2009 to Kaur. After sanctioning assistance of Rs two lakh now, the ministry has given a total financial assistance of Rs five lakh to the family of Makhan Singh.
Sports Minister writes to IOC
New Delhi: Miffed at the IOA’s decision to dilute the contentious chargesheet clause, Sports Minister Jitendra Singh has shot off a letter to International Olympic Committee President asking the world body to stick to its earlier stand of barring corruption-tainted persons from contesting elections. “I am disappointed with the outcome of IOA meeting which adopted resolution that allows tainted officials to contest elections. I think this kind of restriction can be misused and totally misplaced. I think it falls short of what IOC has proposed to IOA,” Jitendra wrote in the letter to IOC President Jacques Rogge. “Government of India supports the original line adopted by IOC that tainted officials not be permitted to contest elections,” he said. “We can’t let the athletes suffer. Athletes should not suffer because of sinful administrators,” he added.
‘Reforms won’t stop after vote’
Paris: The sweeping reforms that have transformed wrestling in the past six months will not stop even if the sport regains its place at the 2020 Olympics, federation president Nenad lalovic said. The 55-year-old Serbian - whose son was an international-level wrestler - has led the reforms in the sport since it was surprisingly dropped from the programme for the 2020 Summer Olympics after a vote by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Executive Board in February. However, thanks to the tireless efforts by lalovic - who was elected president after his predecessor was forced to resign following the fallout from the vote - and his team they are considered favourites to see off squash and a joint softball/baseball bid to be restored to the 2020 sports roster when IOC members vote in Buenos Aires on September 8.