The summer of games is not over.After what might be considered the first true post-Covid Olympics, the Paralympic Games are set to take place in Paris beginning Wednesday, running for 11 days through Sept. 8. Here’s what to keep an eye on during the opening ceremony, including the biggest American stars competing over the first few days of the Games.Many paralympic events are classified based on an athlete’s impairment such as T/S11 (athletes with extremely low visual acuity and/or no light perception ) and T/S37 (ambulant events for athletes with a movement disorder, including cerebral palsy). For a full list of…
Anderson Parker and Ben Weekes will represent Australia in the wheelchair tennis events at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. Paris, France, 27 August 2024 | Leigh Rogers The draws are set for the wheelchair tennis events at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. Anderson Parker, a 26-year-old from Sydney, will make his Paralympic Games debut against Argentina’s Ezequiel Casco in the men’s wheelchair singles competition. They have played once before, with world No.44 Casco scoring a three-set victory in May 2023. Ben Weekes is competing in a record sixth Paralympic Games, the most of any Australian tennis player in history.…
New Delhi: Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist in table tennis Bhavina Patel is determined to do one better against her Chinese opponents at Paris Paralympics starting on August 28, saying they are not invincible.The first Indian paddler to clinch a medal at Tokyo in Class 4 event, Bhavina said on departure for this year’s edition that she would look to defy Chinese domination in table tennis as they are “humans” too.Bhavina told PTI Videos on Sunday, ”Chinese players are humans and so are we. China does not matter to me, even during the Tokyo edition I had beaten a Chinese player…
North Korean table-tennis players Kim Kum-yong and Ri Jong-sik are under investigation for their behavior during the Paris Olympics, where their victory photos with athletes from South Korea have sparked controversy in their home country.According to reports from the Telegraph, Kim Kum-yong is facing scrutiny for smiling in a victory photo with South Korean athletes, who represent North Korea’s rival nation.Ri Jong-sik, Kim’s table-tennis partner, may also face disciplinary action for smiling alongside the gold medal winners from China and bronze medalists from South Korea after the podium ceremony.The images, which captured a rare moment of sportsmanship between athletes from…
The Alabis’ tale is particularly compelling because of the barriers they face in Nigeria.Both were affected by polio as children, which is why Christiana uses a wheelchair, while Kayode lost the use of his right leg and requires support to walk.”I was the only child with a disability in my community, which made life very difficult,” Christiana revealed.”My disability made it hard to make friends and I was very shy, rarely mingling with others.”Although Kayode had a similar experience, he did find support in his friends. “Some friends would take turns to carry me on their back,” he said.”It was…
India’s Archana Kamath, who represented India at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has decided to step away from the sport of table tennis to focus on her education. Archana has opted to pursue higher education abroad instead of continuing with her table tennis career. The 24-year-old Archana was part of the Indian women’s table tennis team that reached the quarter-finals at Paris 2024. It was the first time that the Indian team had managed to advance past the round of 16 stage at the Olympics. However, India’s campaign came to an end after suffering a 3-1 loss to Germany. Archana, ranked…
Nigerian women’s table tennis legend Olufunke Oshonaike is loving her nursing profession, which she also described as challenging, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The record seven-time Olympian shared her excitement and worries upon her arrival in Hamburg, Germany, from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where she narrowly missed out on a seat on the Athletes Commission of the International Olympics Committee. The Bariga, Lagos-born, decried the loss of patience but was consoled by the privilege of performing the funeral rites. ”Returning from the Paris Olympic Games has been incredibly stressful, and though I desperately needed some time to rest, I…
North Korean athletes who took ‘selfies’ with South Korean athletes at the Paris Olympics are reportedly undergoing ideological inspections in Pyongyang. It is also reported that a negative evaluation report has been submitted, indicating that they might face punishment.According to an August 21 report by Daily NK, citing a high-level source in Pyongyang, the North Korean Olympic Committee delegation and athletes who participated in the Olympics have been undergoing a comprehensive ideological review since their return on August 15.North Korean athletes who participate in international competitions typically undergo a three-stage ideological review process, which includes assessments by the Central…
A few days after her stunning show at the Paris Olympics, 24-year-old paddler Archana Kamath left her coach Anshul Garg numb when she told him that she no longer wanted to play table tennis professionally. She saw no future in it, and it didn’t make sense for her long-term future. She would rather go to the US to study. She was, however, open to having a frank discussion with him.Archana had a rocky road in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics as her place in the three-member team was questioned when she was chosen over Ayhika Mukherjee, who had beaten…
Bengaluru: Aakash KJ and Trupti Purohit were crowned champions in the men and women’s sections respectively at the state ranking table tennis tournament, conducted by Vijayanagara District TT Association in Hospet, on Sunday.In the men’s title contest, Aakash, who was down 1-2, staged a comeback to defeated Shreyal Telang 11-5, 6-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-4 .The women’s title-decider witnessed Trupti, who lost the first two games, make a splendid return to win the next four against Vedhalakshmi DK. She won 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 17-15, 11-9, 11-9 .Rohith Shankar scored a 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-4 over Sanjay Madhavan to…