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Neeraj Chopra’s heartwarming gesture wins hearts, refuses to give autograph on Indian flag

Neeraj became the first Indian to win gold at the World Athletics Championships, and he won hearts with numerous gestures both during and after the competition.

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Neeraj Chopra

In every aspect, Neeraj Chopra is an idol, an ambassador, and a role model. His achievements with the javelin are more than enough to place him among India’s all-time greatest athletes, and it is how he behaves off the pitch that elevates him to a level that only a select few can hope to, much alone attain.

With an 88.17m throw in the men’s javelin final in Budapest, Hungary, Neeraj became the first Indian to win gold at the World Athletics Championships, and he won hearts with numerous gestures both during and after the competition.

The other two Indians competing in the men’s javelin final, DP Manu and Kishore Jena, were also congratulated by Neeraj for their accomplishments. In the post-event celebration, Neeraj invited Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who had won the silver medal, to join him and Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, who had won the bronze. Although Neeraj urged him to participate in the celebration even without a Pakistan flag, Nadeem had been looking for one.

Neeraj continued acting like a statesman after that. At the age of 25, the Olympic champion, who has already triumphed in every international and continental javelin throw competition, reserved his best performance for last. A source who was in Budapest claimed that a Hungarian woman asked for Neeraj’s autograph. The world champion, who is also one of just two Indians to finish on the podium at the worlds and the only one with two medals, including gold, happily agreed, but Neeraj gently refused when he learned that she wanted his signature on the Indian national flag.

He said in Hindi, waha nahi kar sakta, which translates as, can’t sign there. However, Neeraj wasn’t the one to let a fan down. Instead, he gave his autograph on her sleeves.

Notably, the Flag Code of India 2002 forbids the use of any type of inscription on the Indian national flag.

Chopra this gesture has receivedNeeraj Chopra’s heartwarming gesture wins hearts, refuses to give autograph on Indian flag praised from several social media users for refusing to sign the flag.

Taking to social media a user wrote, respect for him, a fantastic athlete and a trustworthy, patriotic person. a wonderful example for all Indians!

Another wrote, the heart and arm of a golden man. Others also praised him.

Meanwhile, Neeraj has confirmed his quota for the Paris Olympics the following year.

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Rafael Nadal announces retirement from tennis

“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life everything has a beginning and an end,” Nadal said in the video in Spanish.

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Rafael Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion and widely regarded as one of the most exceptional players in the history of tennis, has announced his retirement from professional tennis.

Nadal’s forthcoming participation in the Davis Cup final 8 for Spain in November will mark his final appearance as a professional tennis player. His illustrious career includes 22 Grand Slam titles, with an unprecedented 14 victories at the French Open, solidifying his status as one of the most accomplished sportspersons of all time.

The champion, in an emotional video posted on X on Thursday, said, “I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially.”   

“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life everything has a beginning and an end,” Nadal said in the video in Spanish.

The 38-year-old mentioned that he has been dealing with numerous injuries over the past few years, leading to significant time away from the sport. This year, the left-handed player has only participated in seven tournaments, experiencing an early exit in the first round of the French Open – an event he has historically won 14 times.

His most recent performance was at the Paris Olympics, where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic in straight sets during the second round.

Nadal boasts an impressive total of 92 ATP singles titles, which includes 36 Masters titles and an Olympic gold medal. Notably, he is one of three men in tennis history to achieve the Career Golden Slam in singles. The announcement of his retirement came through an emotional video shared on social media.

In the lead-up to his retirement, Nadal withdrew from the 2024 Laver Cup, which was intended to be his final professional event on the court. Following the Paris 2024 Olympics, Nadal confirmed that the Laver Cup would be his next appearance for the year. This would have marked his fourth participation in the Laver Cup, after competing in Prague in 2017, Geneva in 2019, and partnering with long-time rival Roger Federer in doubles for the latter’s final match at The O2 in London in 2022.

The 22-time Grand Slam Champion had previously hinted that 2024 might be his last year on the tour. With a season match record of 12-7, his latest competitive outing was at the Paris Olympics, where he was eliminated in the second round by Novak Djokovic.

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Vinesh Phogat returns to India after Paris Olympics heartbreak, says fight not over yet

The Indian wrestler was disqualified from the 50kg final in the Paris Olympics due to exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams.

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Wrestler Vinesh Phogat who arrived in the national capital to a rousing reception at the Delhi Airport on Saturday thanked the people of the country for their support during Paris Olympics and said the fight is not over yet.

She was received by her fellow athletes Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik as well as Congress leader Deepender Hooda, and Panchayat leaders. The Indian wrestler was disqualified from the 50kg final in the Paris Olympics due to exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams.

During the roadshow after her arrival, the 29-year-old said she was grateful for the love and respect that she received from her country.

Addressing a gathering, Phogat said: “Although they didn’t give me the Gold medal, people here have given me that. The love and the respect that I have received is more than 1,000 Gold medals.”

The fellow wrestler Punia said that the love and respect she has received now is more than what she could’ve received after winning a Gold medal. He thanked the people of the entire nation for their support.

Premlata, mother of wrestler Vinesh Phogat said that everyone from her village and nearby areas have come here to welcome her. “We will felicitate her. She is a champion for me. The country has given her more honour than a gold medal”, she said.

Sharing pictures with the fighter on X, the Congress MP Hooda said: “Today, our sister Vinesh Phogat, the daughter of the country, who returned home like a brave warrior, was given a rousing welcome at the Delhi airport. In our eyes, you have been a winner in the past and will remain so in the future too. Your courage, struggle, and determination have not only won the hearts of crores of countrymen but you are an inspiration to crores of youth of the country.”

The Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also took to X and wrote in Hindi, “Everything is stacked ahead of it, this girl is a lion; Welcome Home Phogat.”

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CAS verdict on Vinesh Phogat: CAS says verdict before August 11, the day the Olympics ends

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The Court of Arbitration For Sport (CAS) accepted Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s plea for a joint silver medal in the women’s 50kg wrestling at the Paris Olympics.

Hearing on her appeal started around 9:30 am Paris time, or 1 pm IST on August 9, though an interim verdict was expected, the CAS put out a statement that the order will come before the Olympics end on August 11.

The development has come as a big shot in the arm for both Vinesh Phogat and the Indian Olympic Association. The CAS, in its prima facie views on Thursday, found merit in Vinesh’s plea for a joint silver medal after she was disqualified from the final for being 100 grams overweight.

Vinesh was disqualified just hours before her gold-medal bout against Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the USA. Although she had guaranteed at least a silver medal by making it to the final, she lost the podium finish following a failed weigh-in. Attempts to shed some kg came to naught as she was disqualified anyway. The ruling of the United World Wrestling – that a wrestler must be within the weight category on each day of competition – saw Vinesh lose the chance at winning a medal.

Though Vinesh’s opponent in the semi-finals, Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, made it to the final, the script ended there as she was beaten by America’s Sarah Ann Hildebrandt who became the fourth woman from her country to win a gold medal in wrestling.

Following her disqualification, Vinesh and the IOA filed two appeals with CAS. While the first one seeking permission for Vinesh to participate in the final was dismissed, the second appeal seeking a joint silver medal was allowed. Vinesh had won her first three bouts on August 6 but could not make her weight for the second-day weigh-in, which resulted in the disqualification.

The IOA has engaged Senior Advocate Harish Salve to argue its case before the CAS on behalf of Vinesh. The IOA argued that the 100 grams excess weight was insignificant and due to various factors such as bloating or recovery after intense competition and not for any gain.

This comes at a time when Vinesh has just declared her retirement from wrestling.

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