Author: S Kannan

SKannan in Chateauroux Manu Bhaker’s dream week in Chateauroux continued as she qualified for the final of the women’s 25m pistol event at the Paris Olympics on Friday. Having won two bronze medals already at these Summer Games, Manu showcased her skills, strength and inner calm as she scored 590 across the two phases – precision and rapid – to enter the final. The 22-year-old from Jhajjar, Haryana, has not even celebrated her feats yet. To keep training, to keep being motivated by coach Jaspal Rana, Manu has already touched Himalayan heights. For one athlete to peak again and again…

S.Kannan in Chatoreaux Raja Randhir Singh, acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia, has showered lavish praise on the performance of the Indian shooters who have won laurels at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Himself a trap shooter of repute, Randhir Singh said “this is a fantastic run from Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh and Swapnil Kushale.” Randhir has been camping in Paris but does come to the shooting arena as well and is tracking every bit of action. “Shooting is my sport buddy, how do you forget all my six decades of trap shooting for India. I must say what…

S.Kannan in Chatoreuax Deepali Deshpande is an established rifle coach who prefers to stay away from the limelight. Having spent nearly 40 years in Indian shooting, combined, as a markswoman herself, and, now, as a coach for over two decades. She was all smiles on August 1. One trainee who had worshipped her as his “second mother” for over 13 years now, shed tears after he won a bronze medal in the 3-position rifle shooting event at the Paris Olympics. Yes, Swapnil Kusale from Pune, who first had to get a rifle after his father had to borrow money, spoke…

SKannan in Chateauroux Swapnil Kusale soaked up the big-stage pressure like a sponge as he came out blazing in the men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions to win a historic bronze medal for India at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. For the second day in a row, the young man from Pune ensured his heart rate was in the normal range as he entered the final hall with measured steps. He was wearing the heavy jacket, but his facial contours conveyed an inner calm. “I felt a lot of pressure but am glad to win a medal for my country,”…

People often talk of Super Moms in sports. They are the ones who play sport and later bear children and return to the field of play. But if you talk of Super Moms as in the first to groom a child and bring them up, there are many who have worked so hard. When Sania Mirza was an emerging player, her mother Nasima Mirza had a big role to play, in scheduling practice sessions, providing food and arranging transport. Not one session could be missed. That is the care a mother provides. Back to the most talked-about Indian athlete from…

Simone Biles had a worrying left calf muscle niggle over the last few days. But on Tuesday night, at the Bercy Arena in Paris, the iconic gymnast had the audience watch with jaws gaping as she was in show-stopping mode. Guiding the USA to the women’s team gold in the Paris 2024 Olympics was defining indeed. One more medal for Biles, her eighth in the Summer Olympics, including five golds, has already set social media on fire. There is a new phrase coined for her, not GOAT (Greatest of All Time) but GOATEST. From the time Biles scorched the US…

SKannan in Paris Swapnil Kusale showed fluent form to make it to the 50m Rifle 3 positions final at the Paris Olympics. On Wednesday, the Maharashtra shooter, who has honed his skills under coach Deepali Deshpande, shot 590 out of 600 with 38 of his shots hitting the inner ring. This is indeed a very technical event and from India, the hype was more on Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar. However, if one had followed the results of Kusale during the trials and build-up for Paris, he had preferred to stay away from the limelight. But on Wednesday,he became the first…

S.Kannan in Paris It was a breeze for PV Sindhu as she cruised into the round of 16 of the women’s badminton singles at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, crushing Estonia’s Kristin Kuuba 21-5, 21-10. The air conditioning inside the arena was not cool enough, as Sindhu turned on the heat with smart smashes, retrievals, and shots aimed at her opponent’s body. For those who have seen Sindhu in three different editions of the Olympics – Rio, Tokyo and now Paris – her current avatar looks fitter and stronger. Sindhu has dealt with one issue all along in her career,…

S.Kannan in Paris Basking in the glory of two medals at a single Olympics, Manu Bhaker has no time to celebrate. On August 2, she will launch an assault on the 25-metre sports pistol event, during the qualification round, at the Paris Olympics. How times change. Before the four Olympic trials were held in New Delhi and Bhopal, Manu was nowhere in the reckoning in air pistol. That she blazed the trials and now has two medals from it is glorious history. The big deal, can she attempt a hat-trick and seal a medal in sports pistol. The answer is…

SKannan in Paris Harmanpreet Singh is the star of Indian hockey. If this needed further affirmation, the energetic Indian pumped in two goals against Ireland in a Pool B match at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium on Tuesday. Anything to do with the men’s hockey team and the Olympics is always about pulses racing, excitement and nail-biting moments. Memories from Monday’s match were still fresh, as India had drawn 1-1 with Argentina. Over the last fourdecades, the South American side has troubled India, after all. That had to be forgotten, as taking on Ireland needed fresh energy. For carping critics, a 2-0…