National Sports Day special: Where India stands in the world of sports

Athletics

The Good

Indian athletes register strong performance at the 20th Asian Athletics Championships. India finished 6th overall in the medal tally with 2 gold, 5 silver and 10 bronze medals.

The amazing story of Anjana Thamke, a Nasik-based girl who won the gold medal in girl’s 800 metres at the Asian Youth Games.

Photo courtesy Anglian Medal Hunt

Padma Shri awardee Devendra Jhajharia won the gold medal in F42 Men’s Javelin throw event at the IPC (International Paralympic Commitee) World Championships. Jhajharia, who won the gold in the Athens Paralympics in 2004, is a one-armed javelin thrower from Rajasthan.

The Bad

The ongoing ban on the Indian Olympics Association or IOA (the national Olympic committee), invoked in the first place due to a tainted official (Lalit Bhanot) being made eligible for the post of secretary-general, resulted in no funding from the International Olympic Committee IOC to the IOA and Indian athletes being banned from competing at the Olympics under the country’s flag.

Recently, the IOC drove home its point in the form of a letter to the IOA, where it clearly states that no official who has been convicted by the courts of the nation can be allowed to be eligible for election for the country’s Olympic association post. Only when fresh elections are held will the ban on the IOA and its athletes be lifted.

18 Indian athletes were sent home from the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, China after being found overage. Amidst the blame-game and the mud-slinging, it was the athletes who suffered the most.

Ranking

Vikas Gowda

Men’s Overall Ranking: 228, Men’s Discus Throw: 7