Gagan creates history with fourth Commonwealth gold medal

ACE INDIAN shooter Gagan Narang scripted history by winning the fourth gold medal at the Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi on Saturday. He bagged the gold in the Singles 50 m Rifle 3 Positions (Men) event and took India's gold medals to 22. At the rate at which Narang has been performing in the Commonwealth, India can expect few more such medals in the coming days.

Meanwhile, shooters Harpreet Singh and Vijay Kumar too clinched gold medals in men's 25-metre centre fire pistol pairs event. The Commonwealth Games has brought to the fore some incredibly talented athletes and sports persons. In athletics, Harminder Singh secured a bronze medal in men's 20 km walk. Another feat was achieved by Kavita Raut on Friday when she created history by winning bronze medal in women's 10,000 metres.

Other possible events, where India can expect gold is in women's individual recurve event in which India will be represented by archers Dola Banerjee and Deepika Kumari. In the men's segment, Jayanta Talukdar and Rahul Banerjee may fetch another gold in men's recurve event.

In wrestling, all hopes are pinned upon Sushil Kumar in men's freestyle wrestling. Yogeshwar Dutt (60kg), Anuj Kumar (84kg) and Anil Kumar (55kg) are the others, who will represent India in different categories.

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Citizen Journalism: Democratising the media

THE WORLD Press Freedom Day will be celebrated all across the globe on May 3 and rich tributes will be paid to the journalists, who lost their lives in the line of fire or those suffering at the hands of the authorities for showing defiance.
This day reminds us of the fact that there are many places in the world, where journalists are being hounded for not toeing the official or unofficial line. While there has been a vast improvement in the conditions, in which journalists work, there are many more challenges yet to be overcome. In many countries, they still face censorship, arrests and even death in extreme cases.

However, more than the freedom of journalists, this May 3, brings another important issue to fore. And that is the freedom of the Media as a whole in wake of the failure of the traditional news industry as a business and a keeper of the national conscience.
As a consequence, a new from of journalism and media based on the concept of participatory journalism has evolved and is slowly broadening its horizons.
The advent of Internet and interactive web technologies has given rise to a new breed of citizen journalists, who are contributing and making news as the mainstream media.

These new media professionals, bloggers and photographers have charted territory, which is beyond editorial and corporate control. Many a times, serious news and articles published on Citizen Journalism websites and New Media have brought issues, which have been stomped over by the mainstream journalists.

In the wake of this development, it is important that this May 3, the contribution of the emerging concept of Citizen Journalism and New Media is also acknowledged and these brave guys are also given their due share under the sun.

Whether one is writing for a top news paper or writing his own blog or contributing on a citizen website should not make any difference, if some lies are exposed and truth is brought out.

It is also important that correct role of the media is clearly identified, who owns it and for whom it works. Is the media answerable to the stock holders, who are interested in the profits they line up at the end of the day or it has a larger role to play in the society.

The role of the new media and the alternative it gives to the common citizens is also to be analysed. Will Citizen Journalism replace mainstream media or will it work as an adjunct and coexist in the larger media framework is for posterity to decide.
But right now, Citizen Journalism is an evolving concept and the World media needs to nurture this concept and reinforce the idea on this World Press Freedom day.
The more people understand the process of journalism, the more they will realise the problems faced by a practitioner, thus bringing in more respect for the profession and the industry.

Sania Mirza to play for gold medal in Commonwealth Games 2010

INDIA SLIPPED to the third place on Day six in the Commonwealth Games 2010. The English team with 21 golds, 37 silvers and 20 bronze medals pushed India into the third place. India have also won 21 golds, but their silver and bronze counts are behind England. Indian Commonwealth contingent has won 16 silvers and 16 bronze medals so far.

Australians are far ahead from their nearest rival in medal tally. Till now Australia have won 102 medals including 48 golds, 27 silvers and 27 bronze medals.

Today, India won their 21th gold in Shooting event. Vijay Kumar and Harpreet Singh won 11th shooting gold medal in Men's 25m centre fire pistol Pairs event. Shooter Suma Shirur and Kavita Yadav also won a bronze medal for the country in Women's 10 m Air Rifle Pairs event.

Indian men's Table Tennis team clinched a bronze medal in Men's team event. Yesterday, Women's Table Tennis team won silver medal in team event. In the Athletics, Harminder Singh won bronze medal in Men's 20 kilometres walk event.
This evening women's Tennis single final will be played at RK Khanna Tennis Complex, India's top seeded player Sania Mirza will play against Australian opponent Anastasia Rodionova.

In Wrestling, India's Yogeshwar Dutt, Narsingh Pancham Yadav and Anil Mann will be fight for gold medal in the Freestyle 60-kg, Freestyle 74-kg and Freestyle 96-kg finals (Men's) respectively, whereas, Monika Devi and Srishti Singh will be competing in the 75 kg Women's category.

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India wins 3 golds on Day 5, Somdev and Sania in singles finals

INDIAN ACE shooter Gagan Narang won his third gold medal in the Commonwealth Games 2010 at Dr. Karni Singh Shooting range on Friday. Gagan Narang with Imran Hasan Khan won his third gold and this was the 16th gold overall for the Indian contingent in the Commonwealth Games.
Earlier, Gagan Narang with Abhinav Bindra had won gold medals in men's 10m air rifle pair event and in the 10 m Air Rifle Men Singles events. Indian shooters have now won nine golds, six silvers and a bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games 2010. Total of 32 golds are at stake in the Shooting event, which will continue till October 13.
Today, one more shooter Vijay Kumar won a gold in the men's singles of 25m rapid fire pistol event.
The first gold medal for India today was won by archers Deepika Kumari, Dola Banerjee and Bombayala Devi Laishram in Women's Recurve team event.
In Tennis, country's top seeded tennis players Somdev Devvarman and Sania Mirza secured their berth in the men's and women's singles final. Somdev Devvarman won against Matt Ebden of Australia 6-3, 6-1, whereas, Sania Mirza defeated her Australian opponent Olivia Rogowska by 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinal.
Indian Wrestler Babita Kumari stormed to the finals of the women's 51 KG freestyle wrestling event and ensured another medal for India. Yesterday, another wrestler Geeta had won the gold medal in the Women's freestyle 55 kg event.

Full Medals Tally On >> Commonwealth Games 2010 Medal Tally

India retains second spot in Commonwealth Games 2010 medal tally

AFTER A glittering opening ceremony which marked the opening of Commonwealth Games 2010, now the sports fever has caught on the athletes, officials and millions of spectators from across the Commonwealth nations. During the last four days, many records have been broken and many new records have been set up during the Commonwealth Games.

Australia, the topper of 2006 Commonwealth Games is again on the top with a big margin as it has won 32 golds, 19 silver and 18 bronze medals so far. Their swimmers have won 31 medals including 11 golds, 11 silver and nine bronze medals. In the cycling competition at the 2010 Commonwealth Games,  Australian cyclist have won ten gold medals so far. Australian Gymnasts have bagged seven golds in this event.

Indian athletes have won 15 golds, 11 silver and nine bronze medals in shooting, wrestling and weightlifting events in the Commonwealth Games 2010. In the shooting event, Indian shooters performed exceptionally well and so far they have won 13 medals include seven golds and five silver medals. In the Wrestling event they won five golds, two silvers and three bronze medals whereas, in the Weightlifting competition, Indian weightlifters have won seven medals including two golds, two silver and three bronze medals.

The English team has won 12 gold, 23 silver and 12 bronze medal. In Aquatics, they have won total of 18 medals include four golds, eight silver and six bronze medals. There gymnasts also clinched eight medals include two golds and six silver medals.

During the 13 days long event, a total of 272 golds medalist will come to the podium. Today on the fifth day of the Commonwealth Games fate of total 43 gold medals will be decided in Shooting, Athletics, Weightlifting, Wrestling and Gymnastics events.

Full Medals Tally On >> Commonwealth Games 2010 Medal Tally

Indian shooters strike gold, archers win bronze

THE INDIAN women's archery team scripted history when they won an unexpected bronze medal in the women's compound team event in New Delhi on Thursday. The team which comprised of Gagandeep Kaur, Jhano Hansdah and Bheigyabati Chanu defeated Malaysia by 223-219 at Yamuna Sports Complex. On the victory, an elated Gagandeep said that it's the first medal for India in Games archery. I am excited to be part of this. We tried our best in the semi-finals but it did not happen.

India was defeated by Canada in the semi-finals by a seven point difference with a score of 224-217. England bagged the gold medal.

In tennis, India's top seed, Somdev Devvarman advanced to the semi-finals in the men's singles tennis event at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday.

Meanwhile, at the Karni Singh Shooting range, Indian shooters Vijay Kumar and Gurpreet Singh struck gold in the Pairs 25 metres Rapid Fire pistol event. With this the duo also scripted a new Games record with a final total of 1162. Both of them shot 293 each in the second stage.

Hafiz Adzha and Hasli Izwan of Malaysia took silver in the Pairs event. Their total score was 1144 and Australia ended up winning bronze with a score of 1125.

This is the sixth gold medal for India in the shooting event and the total number of golds won by India so far is 12. However, India's favourite Tejaswini Sawant's incapability of making it through the finals in the womens 50 metres Rifle-3 Positions was a more disappointing one.

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India breathes easy as Commonwealth Games unfold splendidly

THE COMMONWEALTH Games 2010, began on a splendid note with the successful ‘opening ceremony’ putting to rest all fears of India putting up an embarrassing show in front of the rest of the world. No doubt everyone from an average Indian to Suresh Kalmadi had the pre-event jitters but they vanished into thin air by the end of the opening ceremony. Many who had given up the hope of the success of CWG are now pleasantly surprised.

Even days before the ‘opening ceremony’, the not so encouraging stories about the Games were trickling in and reinforcing the fears of the Games going awry. However, the post ‘opening ceremony’ mood was positive, proud and happy. The web was inundated with expressions of love and pride for the country.
The ceremony was no less than a festival. Certain moments like the entry of the Indian team into the stadium receiving a standing ovation, performance by artists presenting the six folk dances of India and the ‘Journey of India’ put together by the Indian Railways really struck a chord with the masses.

Though I couldn’t catch the ‘opening ceremony’ in the stadium, but while I was watching the frenzy unfold on the television set, a message I had received a few days back on my cell phone came to my mind. The message was about the conversation between a foreign tourist who had returned from a trip to India and his friend. The friend asks his India returned friend, “How is India and the Indians?” The India returned friend replies, “India is beautiful but I didn’t meet any Indian there. All the individuals I met were either Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati or something similar.”

When I first read this message, unfortunately I was in partial agreement but the ‘opening ceremony’ left a proud smile on my lips and made me realise that the message was anything but credible.

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