Category: RECORDS, COMMONWEALTH Nations

** Avani Lekhara says feeling on top of the world; coach Shekhar says more medals to come

Indian para shooter Avani Lekhara, who won the 10m Air Rifle – SH1 gold for the country at the Tokyo Paralympic Games on Monday, said that she was feeling “on top of the world” and would be aiming for more glory here as well as in the future.

The 19-year-old Avani became the first Indian woman to win gold in the Paralympic Games when she shot a world record score of 249.6 in the finals on Monday. This is also India’s first gold medal in shooting in the Paralympic Games.

** Junior World Championships: Indian grapplers return with a rich haul of medals

Indian girls won five medals including three silver medals.

In the 61kg category, Ravinder was the lone Indian to make it to the final only to lose Iranian rival Rahman Amouzadkhalili 9-3. Ravinder beat Levik Mikayelyan of Armenia 12-2 in the semifinals.

Yash (74kg), Gourav Baliyan (79kg), Pruthviraj Patil (92kg), Deepak (97kg), Anirudh (125kg) utilized the full use of the repechage round and went on to win bronze medals.

** India builds highest motorable road of the world in eastern Ladakh

BRO constructed a 52-km long black-topped road through Umlingla Pass, bettering the previous record of a road in Bolivia connecting to its volcano Uturuncu at 18,953 ft

** Hockey: India clinch Olympic bronze medal, edge past Germany in thrilling encounter

Simranjeet Singh scored a brace, while Hardik Singh, Harmanpreet Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh were the other goal getters for the Men in Blue

** Tokyo Olympics: Assam celebrates Lovlina’s bronze

“There is nothing to feel disappointed about. We are very happy and satisfied with her achievement even if it is a bronze. We all wanted her to qualify and then wanted her to win a medal. After she achieved both, we wanted her to win the gold, which she too wanted badly. It was our collective dream. We need to celebrate her journey. And hope she does the golden turn in Paris 2024,” said Devojit Phukan, a family friend of the Borgohains who, many say, shared Lovlina’s inspiring story with the world —14 articles on Facebook — before her Olympic debut.

He is also the man who broke the news of Lovlina’s defeat to her parents like the earlier two bouts she had won because her parents do not watch her matches.

** From Sonipat to Tokyo, wrestler Ravi Dahiya’s road to the Olympics final

Wrestler Ravi Dahiya was down and out. His opponent in the semifinal of the men’s 57kg category, Kazakhstan’s Nurislam Sanayev, had just taken a 9-2 lead.

With a minute and 30 seconds left on the clock, it was a do-or-die situation for the youngster. Dahiya inflicted a double-leg attack on Sanayev, locked his arm and leg and rolled him to put his shoulders down to the mat, thereby moving from 7-9 to winning by forcing the fall, thus completing a remarkable comeback.

** Independence Day Special: 5 memorials for Indian soldiers around the world

Not many of us know this, but there are numerous war memorials around the world dedicated to Indian soldiers who lost their lives in battle—even before India won Independence in 1947.

These war memorials are scattered across the globe, from Europe to Africa and even across the northern regions of Canada.