Katie Ledecky, the Olympic swimming champion, recently made a visit to her former school, Stone Bridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland. During her visit, she interacted with students and answered their questions, including one from second grader Anna Reilly. Ledecky's visit provided an exciting opportunity for the children to meet and learn from the champion athlete.
In a strategic move to target Indian viewership, the 2028 LA Olympics is considering moving the cricket event to New York, which is closer to the Indian time zone compared to Los Angeles. This plan was announced by Casey Wasserman, chairman of the 2028 LA Games organizing committee, who emphasized the importance of catering to South Asian audiences for better broadcast deals. Talks are in place to host the matches at the Marine Park in Brooklyn, and the move could also alleviate concerns around the total number of athletes and support staff at the Games.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has officially submitted a 'Letter of Intent' to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, putting them in the race alongside over ten other competing countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and Indonesia. With advanced sports facilities and recent experience in hosting major international events, these countries pose a strong challenge to India's bid. IOC President Thomas Bach notes that India has now moved from the 'Informal Dialogue' to the 'Continuous Dialogue' stage of the host selection process, where a feasibility study will be conducted to evaluate India's preparations and potential for hosting the Games.
India has taken a major step towards its goal of becoming a premier sports hub as the Indian Olympic Association has sent a Letter of Intent to the International Olympic Committee expressing its interest to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This move has been welcomed and seen as a significant step towards PM Modi's vision of placing India at the forefront of the global sports scene. The potential benefits of hosting the Games in India, such as economic growth, social progress and youth empowerment, cannot be understated and this opportunity could truly be monumental for the country.
Amidst the highly competitive and intense atmosphere of the Olympic Games, a crucial mistake by head coach Cecile Landi resulted in gymnast Jordan Chiles losing her chance at a medal. With seconds to spare in the final moments of the competition, Landi missed the submission deadline for an inquiry, leading to a score change that ultimately cost the team a bronze medal. As the gymnastics community grapples with the aftermath of this incident, it serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges and pressure faced by elite athletes in their pursuit for Olympic glory.
In her new book 'Witness', Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik reveals that Babita Phogat's true intention in the protest against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was to replace him and become the head of the wrestling body. Sakshi also claims that Babita, a BJP politician now, was selfish and had greed driven motives despite portraying herself as a supporter of the protest. The accusation adds a new twist to the ongoing sexual harassment case against Singh, where the three prominent faces of the protest - Sakshi, Babita, and Vinesh Phogat - were initially united. However, greed started to creep into their minds, leading to a rift and ultimately affecting their performance at the 2023 Asian Games trials.
Newly appointed U.S. men's national soccer team coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed his desire for his team to achieve the same level of success as the American women's team during his introductory news conference. Despite the men's team having not reached the World Cup quarterfinals since 2002, Pochettino believes they can win the tournament and is inspired by the women's four World Cup wins and five Olympic gold medals. Pochettino, who is the first foreign-born coach for the U.S. men's team since Jurgen Klinsmann, is determined to bring a new era of success for the team with the guidance of another successful coach, Emma Hayes.
As the Paris 2024 Olympics continues, America's Simone Biles secured her third gold medal of the Games with an impressive vault performance. In the women's vault final, Biles showed her dominance yet again, as Great Britain's Max Whitlock secured a spot in the pommel horse final. Only available for viewing to UK users, check out highlights of Biles' gold-winning routine and catch up on her thoughts on the competition thus far.
The highly anticipated Hockey FIH Pro League is back for its sixth season, promising more thrilling matches and changes to the format. After an exciting Paris Olympics 2024 hockey tournament, the winners of both the men's and women's divisions will earn direct qualification for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup. In addition, all participating teams will host matches in their home countries, bringing fans closer to the action. A new scheduling system will also make it easier for fans to follow the league, with matches split between December/February and June. With the inclusion of new teams like Spain and Ireland for the women's and men's divisions respectively, the upcoming season is shaping up to be the best one yet.
Yogeshwar Dutt expresses his disappointment over Vinesh Phogat's joining of Indian National Congress ahead of elections in Haryana, stating that she should have apologized to the entire country for her disqualification in the Paris Olympic Games 2024. Dutt also criticized her for creating a negative atmosphere in the country during the protests last year, and for blaming false conspiracy theories, including involving the Indian Prime Minister. He believes that instead of apologizing, Phogat's actions have only damaged India's image internationally.