Author: News Desk

Sao Paulo, Sep 17 (IANS) At least 14 people were killed when a small plane crashed in Barcelos, an inland city of Amazonas state in northern Brazil, local authorities have said.”They were all tourists who were going on a fishing trip,” Amazonas governor Wilson Lima told a press conference on Saturday, adding that initial information showed all the tourists were Brazilian, Xinhua news agency reported.It was reported that the pilot had trouble finding the runway for landing in Barcelos, a sport fishing destination.The Manaus Aerotaxi airline, owner of the crashed Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante, a Brazilian twin-turboprop light transport aircraft,…

The worst medal haul came in 1990 in Beijing when India bagged just 23 medals, including a single gold — that too in kabaddi. From there on, things developed in such a way that in the 2010 edition of the continental extravaganza, India bagged 65 medals in Guangzhou, which is their second-best performance in the Asian Games so far.Now with just a few days to go for the 19th edition of the Asian Games, India is gearing up for the Hangzhou 2022 Games, hoping to continue their recent surge in sports, continuing with the momentum that has been built since…

The nation, which has witnessed a remarkable surge in badminton prowess on the global stage in recent times, eagerly awaits the impeccable performances of its skilled shuttlers.In recent years, Indian badminton has seen an extraordinary surge, driven by the exceptional skills and dedication of its players. However, the coveted gold medal has remained elusive in the sport at the Asian Games, despite India’s overall impressive tally of 155 gold medals in the event’s 72-year history.The nation eagerly awaits the day when its badminton stars will clinch that elusive yellow metal, marking a historic triumph and further cementing India’s prowess in…

But what if that prize in cricket fetches a team either gold, silver or bronze medal, place in the podium, chance to sing the national anthem aloud and register yourself in history books?It sounds as a very tantalising prospect, for sure. From September 19 to October 8, India’s men’s and women’s cricket teams will have a captivating prospect of adding an Asian Games medal to its list of laurels, when the T20 matches, granted an international status, will be played at the Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field in Hangzhou, China.Both men’s and women’s teams will be entering the…

But will he actually participate in Hangzhou? That is a million-dollar question, and the answer to this will be out only after the competition begins.Besieged by injuries this season, Chopra made history by winning the gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, last month.Speaking to the media a few days after that triumph, Chopra confirmed that he plans to participate in the Diamond League Final and the Asian Games.But he also said that his priority this season is to remain healthy and fit. For that, he will not hesitate to pull out of any event — especially with…

It will be the first time that India will be participating in a cricket event in the Asian Games after missing the last two occasions — 2010 and 2014. IANS takes a look at three rising Indian players from both men’s and women’s teams one should watch out for in the competition:Yashasvi JaiswalThe impressive left-handed opener can turn out to be the team’s trump card in their quest of winning the gold at the Asian Games. A stunning domestic season and IPL 2023 saw him make his Test and T20I debuts on the tour of the West Indies. His Test…

Usually held in the middle of two Olympic Games, the Asian Games field hockey competition not only bestows upon the winner supremacy in the continent, but also the added advantage of early qualification for the Olympics, thus the chance of planning and preparing for the mega event.The gold medal winners in the women’s and men’s hockey competitions at the 19th Asian Games set to open at Hangzhou, China, on September 23 will seal their berths to next year’s Paris Olympic Games, joining hosts France, Australia and the Netherlands as the fourth among the 12 teams that will make up the…

It’s the same as boxing, which too has garnered 57 medals, including nine gold, for India in the continental extravaganza. However, India’s profile in shooting has risen in the last couple of decades with success in a variety of disciplines of pistol, air rifle and shotgun, unlike the initial success in trap by Karni Singh and Randhir Singh in the 70s.Randhir Singh was the first Indian shooter to win Asian Games gold and the legacy was continued by the likes of Jaspal Rana, Gagan Narang, Samresh Jung, Vijay Kumar, Soma Dutta, Anjali Bhagat and Rahi Sarnobat.A young crop of shooters…

The boxing events at the Asian Games are scheduled to start on September 24.For the record, India have won 57 medals in boxing at the Asian Games so far, making it the fourth most triumphant sport for India at the event. At Jakarta in 2018, Indian pugilists bagged three medals.In this year’s edition, the boxers will also have the opportunity to bag quotas for the 2024 Paris Olympics.While the entire Indian squad looks competitive, Nishant Dev, Nikhat Zareen and Deepak Bhoria are favourites to bag gold.Nikhat ZareenShe is undoubtedly India’s best boxer at the moment. The Hyderabad-based southpaw stormed into…

This should undoubtedly result in a remarkable medal tally.IANS takes a look at some of the medal contenders in the upcoming sporting extravaganza.Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting)Despite being a former world weightlifting champion, Commonwealth Games winner and Olympic silver medallist, Mirabai Chanu will be making her Asian Games debut at Hangzhou.After missing the last edition due to injury, Chanu will be chasing history at the Asian Games. She even skipped the World Championships to remain fit for her maiden Asian Games appearance.R. Praggnanandhaa (Chess)As chess makes its comeback to the Asian Games after a hiatus of 13 years, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is seen…