Sports

Shooting World Championship: Elavenil Sets New Record and Secures Bronze, Marking India’s First Medal in Munich

Published

1 year ago

June 11, 2025

Elavenil Valarivan, a two-time Olympian and one of India’s premier women’s air rifle shooters, made an impressive mark at the Olympic Shooting range in Munich, earning a bronze medal on the first day of the ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) stage. Ela finished the 24-shot final in third place, scoring 232.1, trailing behind gold medalist Wang Zifei of China (252.7) and silver medalist Eunji Kwon of Korea (252.6).

Earlier in the day, she set a national qualification record, scoring 635.9, averaging nearly 10.6 points per shot over 60 shots.

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Wang, who achieved a hat-trick of World Cup victories this year, surpassed Valarivan with a qualifying score of 637.9, setting a new world and junior world record. This surpassed the previous record of 636.9 held by Germany’s Anna Janssen from the New Delhi World Cup Finals last year.

With both the reigning Olympic champion Ban Hyojin of Korea and World Champion Han Jiayu of China qualifying for the final, the competition was bound to be intense.

The first five shooters were separated by only 0.6 after the initial series, shrinking to just 0.1 between the top four after the second. When Norwegian shooter Jeanette Hegg Duestad was eliminated in fourth place after the 20th shot, Ela held the lead by 0.6 points.

Ela’s scores included steady shots above 10.1 until her 21st shot, which registered 9.8. This drop caused her to fall 0.2 points short of Kwon after 22 shots, despite her strong finish with a 10.6.

The only competitor without Olympic experience was Elif Altun from Turkiye, who was the first to exit after the 12th shot.

Ela’s detailed scores in the final were: 10.7, 10.4, 10.8, 10.3, 10.7; 10.4, 10.9, 10.8, 10.3, 10.5; 10.8; 10.6; 10.5; 10.1; 10.4; 10.1; 10.7; 10.8; 10.3; 10.7; 9.8; and 10.6.

Other Indian athletes competing today included:

Women’s 10m Air Rifle: Ananya Naidu – 632.4 (13th on debut); Arya Borse – 628.2 (50th).

Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions (Eliminations): Chain Singh – 591; Swapnil Kusale – 585; Kiran Ankush Jadhav – 580 (all three advanced to qualifications).

Top eight qualify after Qualification on Wednesday (Final on the same day):

Women’s 25m Pistol (Day 1 of Qualification – Precision stage): Esha Singh – 98, 99, 97 = 294 (4th); Manu Bhaker – 97, 98, 95 = 290 (12th); Simranpreet Kaur Brar – 95, 97, 96 = 288 (19th).

Top eight qualify after Day 2 Rapid-Fire stage on Wednesday (Final on the same day):

Men’s 10m Air Pistol: Nishant Rawat – 582 (fifth in Qualification relay 1); Aditya Malra – 578 (18th in qualification relay 1); Varun Tomar – Scheduled to shoot in Qualification relay 2.

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Entertainment

Cristiano Ronaldo Marries Longtime Partner Georgina Rodriguez

Published

4 days ago

August 14, 2026

Namma Kudla

Sports: Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has married his longtime partner, Georgina Rodriguez, in a private ceremony.

Ronaldo reportedly tied the knot with Georgina on Tuesday, August 11. The couple surprised fans by sharing an official wedding photo on social media.

The picture shows Ronaldo and Georgina holding hands while wearing their wedding rings. The couple appeared happy as they marked the special occasion.

The wedding took place in Cascais, a picturesque coastal town near Portugal’s capital, Lisbon. The ceremony was kept extremely private, with only their five children reportedly attending the occasion.

Ronaldo and Georgina first met in Madrid in 2016. They have been together for nearly a decade.

The couple has five children: Cristiano Jr., twins Eva and Mateo, Alana Martina, and Bella Esmeralda.

Ronaldo is one of the most decorated footballers in the world. He has scored a record 146 goals for Portugal in international football and has won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award five times.

He recently represented Portugal at the FIFA World Cup, making it the sixth World Cup of his career. At club level, Ronaldo currently plays for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.

He is expected to return to action when the new domestic season begins on Saturday.

Sports

India Wins Two Silver Medals at Commonwealth Games

Published

3 weeks ago

July 29, 2026

Namma Kudla

Sports:India added two more silver medals to its Commonwealth Games tally as Gulveer Singh and Harjinder Kaur delivered impressive performances.

Gulveer Singh created history by becoming the first Indian to win a medal in the men’s 10,000m event. He finished second with a time of 27:49.78, while Australia’s Kai Robinson won gold.

In weightlifting, Harjinder Kaur claimed the silver medal in the women’s 69kg category. The 29-year-old improved on her bronze medal from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and earned India’s seventh weightlifting medal at the Games.

Sports

India Opens Medal Account at Commonwealth Games as Jhandu Kumar Wins Bronze

Published

3 weeks ago

July 25, 2026

Namma Kudla

Glasgow: India opened its medal account at the Commonwealth Games after para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar won the bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight event on Friday.

The 28-year-old athlete, who is affected by polio, delivered a strong performance in the competition. Jhandu successfully lifted 181 kg in his first attempt.

He then lifted 190 kg in his second attempt. He attempted 196 kg in his final lift but was unable to complete it.

He finished with a total of 130.9 points to secure the bronze medal. Nigeria’s Idris Rilwan won the gold medal with 132.8 points.

Great Britain’s Matthew Harding claimed the silver medal with 131 points. Another Indian athlete, Sudhir, finished sixth with 114.1 points in the same event.

Earlier on the opening day of the Games, Indian para powerlifter Ashok Malik narrowly missed a medal after finishing fourth.

Jhandu Kumar’s bronze medal gave India its first medal of the Commonwealth Games.