When Vijendar was awarded his medal IOA President Suresh Kalmadi and Secretary General Randhir Singh were instead at the Bird’s Nest stadium.

Only the Indian boxing contingent and members of the Indian Boxing Federation were present at Vijender’s ceremony.

Vijender has been named the flag-bearer for india at the closing ceremony. The boxer lost 5-8 to Cuban Emilio Correa Bayeaux in a closely contested semi-final at the Workers Gymnasium. However, his bronze is the first-ever boxing medal for India.

Emilio, a two-time Pan-American Champion, was clearly the better boxer on view with his quick footwork and reach. To Vijender’s credit, he fought gallantly to carry the bout right into the fourth round, though the portents were clear that the Cuban had the edge by the end of the third round.

The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) on Saturday decided to reward  pugilist Vijender — with cash prizes totalling Rs 45 lakh.

Airlines SpiceJet also announced on Friday that Vijender can fly for life in their domestic flights in recognition of his historic feat of winning a bronze in Beijing Olympics.

Beijing: Wrestler Sushil Kumar gave India one more reason to won cheer when he won the bronze medal in the freestyle 66kg category at the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday. 

Sushil defeated Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakhstan 3-1 in the repechage match of the men’s freestyle wrestling 66kg to win India’s India’s first wrestling medal since the 1952 Helsinki Games. 

He is only the second Indian wrestler after Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav to win an Olympic medal. Jadhav had won a bronze medal in the 1952 Games. 

In the earlier rounds of repechage Sushil overcame the challenge of USA’s Doug Schwab and Belarrussian Albert Batyrov in the first two repechage rounds. 

Sushil had lost to Ukrainian Andriy Stadnik in his quarter-final bout.

All those who lose to the ultimate finalists take part in the repechage, which decides the two bronze medallists.Sushil later said that there was not much pressure on him. 

“Probably you may say that there was no expectation from the people back home and the media too. But me and my coach (Satpal) always knew I had a fair chance of winning a medal and I’m happy I could achieve that,” Sushil said at the China Agricultural University in Beijing. 

“While it is good not to have that burden of expectation on your shoulder, I think we can give even more provided we get better facilities. I want to dedicate this medal to my coach Satpal,” said the current world No. 7.As soon as the news of Sushil winning the bronze medal spread, rewards started pouring in for the wrestler. 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee congratulated Sushil on winning the bronze medal. 

The Haryana government announced a cash reward of Rs. 25 lakh while Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh.Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the wrestler has done the country proud by his stupendous feat. He also announced a cash reward of Rs. 25 lakh to woman shuttler Sania Nehwal who had reached the quarter-finals of the singles event in Beijing Olympics. 

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad announced Rs 55 lakh cash reward and also said that the wrestler will be promoted as Assistant Commercial Manager. Sushil was earlier Chief Ticket Inspector. 

Union Sports Ministry also announced a cash reward of Rs 20 lakh.Union Sports Minister MS Gill congratulated Sushil’s medal-winning effort.

“I congratulate Sushil on his great win. His medal will encourage all wrestlers in the country and we will give them full support,” Gill said. 

The gold medal was won by world champion Ramazan Sahin of Turkey while Stadnik had to be contend with the silver.

Sahin, who is also the European champion, won the bout 2-2, 2-1, 2-2.The other bronze went to Otar Tushishvili of Georgia, a semi-final loser to Sahin.This is also the first time since 1952 that India has two Olympic medals.Earlier, Abhinav Bindra won first-ever Olympics gold medal for the country in the 10meter air rifle event.

souce:IBN

The lanky Indian toiled hard against Carneros, his partner at the San Sebastian Club in Spain, but held his nerve to win the tactical battle 6-11, 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7 in 45 minutes.
With two opponents, well aware of each other’s strength and weaknesses, fighting it out, Sharath did not find going easy against Carneros, especially with the Indian spraying his forehands.

Almost invariably, Sharath would race to early lead but the nagging Spaniard always found a way to crawl into the match and make life difficult for the Indian.

After Carneros came from behind to win the first game, Sharath took 8-5 lead in the second but the Spaniard caught up with him at 10-10. Sharath finally wrapped up the game with two stinging forehands to draw parity and stay afloat.

Sharath pocketed the third game as well but Carneros was not ready to sit back and relax. Trailing 5-8, the Spaniard hit back and won six of the next seven points to level the score 2-2.

Sensing danger, Sharath raced to a 5-0 lead in the fifth game and though Carneros made desperate efforts to reduce the gap, he knocked one long and was then left cursing luck as Sharath’s return touched the net before dropping dead.

Sharath grew in confidence and looked more consistent and he sealed the sixth game with a fierce forehand that beat Carneros all ends up.

“This being my first match, there was some rustiness. Besides, you had two players who know each other inside out. It was more of a mind-game, for I knew what he was going to do and he knew what I was up to. So the trick was to out-think each other,” Sharath said after the victory.

“Every time I took a lead, he would catch up with me and it was getting very nagging. I also had trouble while standing back, as I could not gauge the ball and had most of the time dipping it just in front. That’s why I could not put top spin and was lobbing it, which made it easy for him,” he explained.
Should he get past Chen, then he will meet world No 1 Hao Wang of China.

About his next match, Sharath reckons it would not be easy against Weixing but said he has nothing to lose.

“I lost to him 4-3 in the Austrian Open but that was a really close match. And I’m talking about a match that took place two years back. Things have changed a lot since then and I’ll put my best foot forward tomorrow,” he said.

With Akhil Kumar on the threshold of making history at the Beijing Olympics, his parents, and relatives have been praying hard for his success in Monday’s quarterfinal bout, which would ensure India its first ever boxing medal at the quadrennial spectacle.

Akhil’s parents Shiv Bhagwan and Shyama Devi have decided to keep ‘maun vrat’ (not to speak) till the bout of their son in Beijing in evening is over, even as chanting of Vedic mantras at their house near New Bus Stand here is on.With Akhil Kumar on the threshold of making history at the Beijing Olympics, his parents, and relatives have been praying hard for his success in Monday’s quarterfinal bout, which would ensure India its first ever boxing medal at the quadrennial spectacle.

Akhil’s parents Shiv Bhagwan and Shyama Devi have decided to keep ‘maun vrat’ (not to speak) till the bout of their son in Beijing in evening is over, even as chanting of Vedic mantras at their house near New Bus Stand here is on.

“Akhil’s elder brother, Shailender, who lives in Gurgaon and his two sisters Sushma and Pushpa who are settled in UP have also been praying for his success at the Beijing Olympics,” the boxer’s close friend and boxer himself, Subodh, told PTI.

He said Akhil’s friend Dilbag had started a 400 km march on foot from his Gurgaon residence to a shrine at Shalsar in Rajasthan’s Churu district so that he wins a Olympic medal.

Akhil’s maternal uncle, who lives in Kanpur, offered prayers on the bank of holy Ganga river in the morning.

Akhil’s father Shiv Bhagwan, who lives in jail quarters here as he is employed in Rohtak jail, is both nervous and excited at the same time, Subodh said.

“Apart from relatives, everybody in his friend circle has been praying,” Subodh, who knows the Haryana boxer closely for the last 10 years, said.

After beating a world champion in his previous round, Akhil will be facing a relatively unheralded Veaceslav Gojan of Moldova.

“Akhil’s elder brother, Shailender, who lives in Gurgaon and his two sisters Sushma and Pushpa who are settled in UP have also been praying for his success at the Beijing Olympics,” the boxer’s close friend and boxer himself, Subodh, told PTI.

He said Akhil’s friend Dilbag had started a 400 km march on foot from his Gurgaon residence to a shrine at Shalsar in Rajasthan’s Churu district so that he wins a Olympic medal.

Akhil’s maternal uncle, who lives in Kanpur, offered prayers on the bank of holy Ganga river in the morning.

Akhil’s father Shiv Bhagwan, who lives in jail quarters here as he is employed in Rohtak jail, is both nervous and excited at the same time, Subodh said.

“Apart from relatives, everybody in his friend circle has been praying,” Subodh, who knows the Haryana boxer closely for the last 10 years, said.

After beating a world champion in his previous round, Akhil will be facing a relatively unheralded Veaceslav Gojan of Moldova.

source:NDTV

In reports we have in Times of India on 17th August , It is mentioned that Our respected Sports minister Gill insisted Olympic Gold Medalist Abhinav Bindra to visit only soniya Gandhi and not Opposition Leader Mr Advani.Here we should also note that Mr Advani is the leader of Opposition and Mrs Soniya Gandhi is no where in Government theoratically.

At the moment like this,when Idia have the first individual Gold medal,playing a politics, insisting a player to not to visit Mr Advani is very shamefull. There is no role of Mr Gill or Mrs Soniya Gandhi in the Succes of Mr Abhinav Bindra.Here we should also notice that Mr Advani is teh Leader Of the Opposition ,”Prati Paksh” in Vajpeyji’s term, while Mrs Soniya Gandhi theoratically no where in the government. And Its not the protocol to visit 10,Jan Path. But our sports minister insisted Mr Bindra not to visit Mr Advani and instead of him Visit Soniya Gandhi.Its very much clear that Mr Gill is busy in prooving him self a Loyal Nehuru Gandhi Parivar Well wisher.

Its Mr Abhinav Bindra’s common sense that he visited Mr Advani though Mr Gill insisted him not to Visit.
For those who are not aware of Mr Gill,I would Like to Remind you thatt Mr Gill was a Chief Election Commisionr of India.And I think he had provided enough proofs to prove is loyalty to the Nehru Gandhi Parivar when he was an Election Commissionar.

It is shocking to note this report ,when the present sports minister was the former chief election commissioner,who is supposed to be impartial,had gone to this extend.What all he has done as CEC,how much he might have been biased.Can a person become so much submissive,forgetting about his status.

It seems that he is in Competition with Mr Shivraj Patil to praise the Nehru Gandhi Family.