A history-scripting Olympic gold medal in his pocket, star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's next target is breaching the 90m mark soon in the coming events.
In fact, Chopra, who clinched the country's maiden athletics medal to become only the second Indian to win an individual gold in the Olympics, went for it while trying for the Games record (90.57m) on Saturday (7) but could not accomplish it.
"Javelin throw is a very technical event and a lot depends on the day's form. Anything can happen. So, my next target is to breach the 90m (mark)," Chopra said after his historic feat.
"I was just focussing on Olympics this year. Now that I have won the gold, I will plan ahead for the upcoming competitions. After coming to India, I will again look for a foreign visa to take part in international events," he added.
After pulling out of the Gateshead Diamond League on July 13, Chopra had said that he could participate in the remaining legs of the elite one-day meeting series after the Olympics.
The Lausanne (August 26) and Paris (August 28) legs as well as the Zurich finals (September 9) will have men's javelin events.
'No pressure'
The 23-year-old son of a farmer from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana produced a second-round throw of 87.58m in the finals to end India's 100-year wait for a track and field medal in the Olympics.
The Olympics is the grandest stage for any athlete and can be intimidating but not for Chopra, who said he did not take any pressure and was going about his job just like he does at any other international event.
"There was no pressure and I was taking it (Olympics) just like any other event. It was like I have played against these athletes before and there's no reason to worry. I was able to focus on my performance. That has helped me win gold.
"Yes, I did think about India not winning a medal in athletics but once I get hold of my javelin, all these things do not come to my mind."
He was short on preparations in the run-up to the Olympics with just three international events under his belt, and only one of them featured a top class field.
But he said he was happy to have got the chance to compete.
"The most important thing was I got international competitions before Olympics. I was desperate for that. I requested Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS), Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Athletis Federation of India (AFI) to arrange some. They arranged, and because of that, I am here now.
"For all the facilities I have got, I want to thank SAI, AFI and TOPS."
Asked how he was able to come up with big throws in his first two attempts, he said, "If the first throw goes well, then it releases the pressure. That happened. The second throw was also very good
"I knew at the point of release both will go far. That must have put pressure on the other athletes."
Vetter factor
Talking about his friend and medal favourite Johannes Vetter of Germany, who was eliminated after the first three throws, Chopra said, "He was struggling, I don't know whether it was because of pressure or was it due to playing in too many events. He was not in his form."
The 28-year-old Vetter had come into the Olympics as the top contender for gold, having thrown 90m plus on seven occasions between April and June, but he was shockingly eliminated, placed ninth after the first three throws with a best effort of 82.52m.
Chopra and Vetter are friends off the field, having spent time together during a few top international competitions.
"I was feeling a little bad that he could not qualify in the final eight. He is such a good javelin thrower. However, I just focused on my performance."
Chopra refused to be drawn into Vetter's pre-Olympics comments that it would be tough for the Indian to beat him in the Games.
"I knew that (Vetter's comments). At the Olympics, records do not matter much. Nobody knows how the day will go. I did not respond as I respect him a lot. He is a good friend."
After his exit, the German, who had won gold and a bronze in 2017 and 2019 World Championships respectively, had said that he was happy to see Chopra winning the gold.
"He (Neeraj) is a really talented guy, always really friendly. I am happy for him," said Vetter, who has a personal best of 97.76m and has thrown the javelin past 90m mark on seven occasions between April and June.
Vetter and Chopra had travelled together for three hours from Helsinki when both competed in the Kuortane Games in Finland in June. Vetter had won the event while Chopra had finished third.
The duo had discussed their game and life beyond it.
In 2018, Vetter had predicted that Chopra would be one of the stars in the world arena and will throw 90m plus in near future.
Chopra also did not forget to mention the contribution of his childhood mentor Jaiveer Choudhary from a place near his native village in Haryana. Jaiveer had initiated him into javelin at Shivaji Stadium in Panipat.
"I started with Jaiveer. He supported me a lot when I knew nothing about javelin. He is coaching in the national camp now. He is very dedicated. Training with Jaiveer helped me improve my basics.
"In athletics, you develop slowly. Javelin is a very technical sport. I rectified my faults over time. Then I trained under foreign coaches who further rectified my errors. My coaches have helped me a lot. All that support has brought me here."
New ‘We Like the Way You Move’ campaign launched by Sport England initiative This Girl Can.
Focus on improving representation of South Asian Muslim women in sport and physical activity.
Research highlights stark under-representation of women of colour in public sports imagery.
Campaign calls on providers to create inclusive, women-only and culturally sensitive spaces.
This Girl Can has unveiled a powerful new campaign spotlighting South Asian Muslim women in sport, aiming to redefine what being active looks like and tackle deep-rooted barriers. The We Like the Way You Move drive, launched by Sport England, uses strong visuals with community-driven storytelling to encourage participation and promote inclusivity. It comes alongside new data exposing how women of colour remain overlooked in public representations of physical activity.
This Girl Can calls out erasure of south Asian Muslim women from UK sport www.easterneye.biz
Why does the new This Girl Can campaign matter?
The We Like the Way You Move campaign seeks to correct years of invisibility for South Asian Muslim women in British sport and physical activity. While they make up 6.8% of the population, a study analysing over 4,000 publicly available images from gyms, parks, swimming pools and sports clubs found only 61 featured South Asian women.
Almost half of those rare images came from London facilities, with many other regions showing none at all. This lack of representation, campaign organisers say, contributes to feelings of exclusion and reinforces barriers to participation for women who already face cultural and logistical challenges.
What barriers do South Asian Muslim women face in sport?
Findings from Sport England reveal that cultural and structural obstacles discourage South Asian Muslim women from getting active. Forty-seven per cent of respondents said they would feel more comfortable attending women-only sessions, while 31% cited the need for greater flexibility around clothing and dress codes, and 25% called for staff who understand their specific needs.
These women also emphasised holistic health benefits, such as improved sleep, social connection and self-empowerment as major motivators. Campaign leads stress that inclusive, culturally sensitive environments are crucial to helping more women take their first steps towards sport and fitness.
Structural obstacles discourage South Asian Muslim women from getting active
Who is featured in the campaign?
Thirteen women from across England, street-cast for their authentic stories, appear in the We Like the Way You Move advert. Their activities show real life, from family bike rides and dancing in the kitchen to wheelchair rugby, pregnancy yoga, boxing and walking football.
Thirteen women from across England, street-cast for their authentic stories
One participant, Sara from Walsall, is a 32-year-old mother of three who wears a headscarf and is reclaiming movement for her mental health. “After struggling with my mental health, I realised I needed to look after myself as well as my family,” she said. “Movement has lifted me, whether that’s cycling with my kids or carving out time on my own, it boosts my energy and reminds me that health is wealth.”
Yashmin Harun, founder and chair of the Muslimah Sports Association, welcomed the campaign and highlighted the need for safe, supportive environments where Muslim women can be active without compromising their cultural or religious values.
Founder and chair of the Muslimah Sports Association Yashmin Harun
“South Asian Muslim women have long faced barriers to being active, from a lack of women-only spaces to limited flexibility with clothing,” she said. “When provided with the right environment, many women are motivated to overcome their barriers and get active. With This Girl Can’s campaign bringing to light what South Asian Muslim women need, it’s an exciting time to create spaces where we can move, belong, and thrive on our own terms.”
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Cricket fans with their bodies painted in the colours of the Indian and Pakistani national flags pose for photographs ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan, in Ahmedabad. (PTI Photo)
INDIA and Pakistan face off on Sunday (14) in their first T20 International in more than 15 months, a contest carrying both sporting and political weight.
India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has urged his players to put emotions aside after recent cross-border tensions, stressing that focus must remain on cricket.
“It’s a very sensitive issue and I’ve got no doubt the players share the compassion and feeling of the vast majority of the Indian public,” Ten Doeschate said. “But the team has to put those sentiments behind and focus on the 120 balls with bat and ball.”
The Asia Cup group-stage clash is being played under a new sports policy that allows India to face Pakistan in multinational events but not in bilateral series.
The two sides last met in June 2024. India, the reigning T20 world champions, have won 18 of their 21 matches since then and crushed hosts UAE in their opening fixture. Pakistan, under new captain Salman Ali Agha, began their campaign with a convincing win over Oman after a recent tri-series triumph in Sharjah. India began their campaign with a nine-wicket win against the UAE, bowling them out for 57 in 13.1 overs before chasing the target in just 27 balls last Thursday (11).
Suryakumar Yadav (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images) Getty Images
With both teams likely to progress to the Super Four stage – and possibly meet again in the final on September 28– Sunday’s game is seen as the first of several high-intensity encounters.
India start as favourites, but Pakistan’s fresh line-up without Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan has shown promise under coach Mike Hesson.
Five match-ups to watch
Shubman Gill vs Shaheen Shah Afridi Gill, India’s vice-captain, faces Afridi for the first time in a T20 International. Afridi’s early movement remains a threat, but Gill’s strong record against left-arm seamers could make this a fascinating battle.
Jasprit Bumrah vs Saim Ayub Ayub’s fearless hitting, including his trademark ‘No Look Six’, will be tested against Bumrah’s pace and movement. How the young batter responds could shape Pakistan’s innings.
Kuldeep Yadav vs Fakhar Zaman The duel between India’s left-arm wrist-spinner and Pakistan’s aggressive opener may determine momentum. Fakhar has faced few bowlers of Kuldeep’s type in his career, making this contest especially intriguing.
Salman Ali Agha (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Abhishek Sharma vs Abrar Ahmed India’s in-form southpaw has dominated leg-spinners in recent years, scoring at a strike rate near 300. Pakistan will need to use Abrar carefully if Abhishek settles in beyond the Powerplay.
Hasan Nawaz vs Varun Chakravarthy Nawaz, Pakistan’s rising star, has a reputation for fast scoring but struggles against wrist spin. Chakravarthy’s deceptive variations may prove difficult to read.
For both sides, the game goes beyond cricket. As Doeschate said, “India do start as favourites tomorrow, but in games like this, anything can happen.”
(Agencies)
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India began their campaign with a nine-wicket win against the UAE, bowling them out for 57 in 13.1 overs before chasing the target in just 27 balls on Thursday. (Photo: Getty Images)
AN INDIA-PAKISTAN cricket match always draws attention, and emotions are set to run high when the two teams meet on Sunday in the Asia Cup. The contest comes months after the neighbours engaged in a four-day military conflict in May.
Bilateral cricket ties between the two countries have been suspended for years, and the arch-rivals now face each other only in multi-nation tournaments. The upcoming Group A fixture will be their first meeting since the May clashes, which nearly escalated into a full-scale war.
Political relations have worsened since then, with some former Indian cricketers calling on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to boycott the match. The boycott call has been set aside, and both teams have said they will not ease up on aggression when they meet.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan counterpart Salman Agha have made clear they want their teams to play hard. India, the current 20-overs world champions, are also looking to defend their Asia Cup title.
"Once the BCCI said they are aligned with the government, we are here to play," India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on Friday. "Once we are here to play, I think players are focused on playing cricket. I personally don't think they have anything in mind apart from playing cricket and that's what we focus on."
Pakistan coach Mike Hesson also stressed focus, though he acknowledged the intensity of the occasion.
"Being part of a highly-charged event is going to be exciting," Hesson said this week.
"From my perspective ... it is about keeping everybody focused on the job at hand. That will be no different.
"We know India are obviously hugely confident and rightfully so. But we are very much focused on improving as a team day-by-day and not getting ahead of ourselves."
India look the strongest side in the eight-team event, bolstered by the return of pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah and batter Shubman Gill. They began their campaign with a nine-wicket win against the United Arab Emirates, bowling them out for 57 in 13.1 overs before chasing the target in just 27 balls on Thursday.
Pakistan started with a win against Oman but their batting has been inconsistent. They are without former captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan but recently won a T20 tri-series in the UAE that also featured Afghanistan.
"We have been playing good cricket in the last two-three months and we just have to play good cricket," Pakistan captain Salman said on Friday. "If we can execute our plans for a long enough period, we are good enough to beat any team."
(With inputs from agencies)
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Bangladesh lost two early wickets in their chase, but Litton built a 95-run stand with Towhid Hridoy, who remained unbeaten on 35, to take the team to 144-3 in 17.4 overs. (Photo: c
CAPTAIN Litton Das scored 59 to guide Bangladesh to a seven-wicket win over Hong Kong in their opening Asia Cup match on Thursday.
Invited to bat first in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong made 143-7 with Nizakat Khan top-scoring on 42.
Bangladesh lost two early wickets in their chase, but Litton built a 95-run stand with Towhid Hridoy, who remained unbeaten on 35, to take the team to 144-3 in 17.4 overs. Litton reached his half-century in 33 balls before being dismissed by medium-pacer Ateeq Iqbal. Towhid then hit the winning run.
"Very important to win the first game," said Litton, who was named player of the match. "Last couple of series, we have played good cricket. But in Asia Cup, little bit of pressure comes automatically."
This was Bangladesh’s first T20 win over Hong Kong, who had beaten them in their only previous meeting in 2014.
Hong Kong suffered their second loss in Group B, which also features Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan beat Hong Kong by 94 runs in the tournament opener.
In their innings, Hong Kong lost two quick wickets before Nizakat added 41 with Zeeshan Ali, who made 30. He then put on 46 with captain Yasim Murtaza, who scored 28 off 19 balls. Murtaza was run out and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain struck twice in the next over, including Nizakat’s wicket.
"I am happy with the way our batters scored," said Murtaza. "But I will be happier if we got 160-170 plus -- that would be a different total."
Tanzim Hasan Sakib impressed with 2-21 in four overs, while Taskin Ahmed and Rishad also claimed two wickets each.
Bangladesh slipped to 47-2 in reply but Litton and Towhid steadied the chase.
Pakistan face Oman on Friday in Dubai. The Asia Cup is also a build-up to the T20 World Cup scheduled in India and Sri Lanka in February-March.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Kuldeep picked three wickets in one over with his left-arm wrist spin as India bowled out UAE for 57 in 13.1 overs after choosing to field.
KULDEEP YADAV took 4-7 as India began their Asia Cup campaign with a nine-wicket win over hosts United Arab Emirates in Dubai on Wednesday.
Kuldeep picked three wickets in one over with his left-arm wrist spin as India bowled out UAE for 57 in 13.1 overs after choosing to field.
India chased down the target in 4.3 overs. Left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma hit 30 off 16 balls, while vice-captain Shubman Gill remained unbeaten on 20.
The bowlers set up the win for India, with medium-pacer Shivam Dube taking three wickets before Kuldeep finished the innings.
"Clinical performance from the boys," captain Suryakumar Yadav said. "Wanted good energy and attitude in the field and that carried over into the batting."
UAE opener Alishan Sharafu scored 22 off 17 balls before falling to Jasprit Bumrah. Captain Muhammad Waseem made 19 and was the only other batter to reach double figures.
Kuldeep dismissed Waseem in his second over, claiming three wickets in total in that spell. He was named player of the match and said it was the "perfect" return in his first T20 outing for India since the World Cup win in Barbados last year.
Chasing 58, world number one T20 batter Sharma attacked spinner Haider Ali for a six and a four, hitting two more sixes before being dismissed by Junaid Siddique. Gill completed the win with a boundary, while Suryakumar remained unbeaten on seven.
"We can say that they (India) are a brilliant team and are bowling really well," Waseem said. "They executed their plan for every batter. That is why they are the number one team. As a team, we have to come back stronger and we have to learn from these mistakes."
India, who won the last Asia Cup in the 50-over format in 2023, will next play Pakistan on Sunday.