Dhiraj Bommadevara Secures India's First Paris 2024 Olympic Quota In Archery

by Manisha Das

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Indian archer Dhiraj Bommadevara earned the country's first Paris Olympics 2024 quota in the sport at the Asian Continental Qualifier Tournament 2023 being held in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bangkok, Nov 12: Indian archer Dhiraj Bommadevara earned the country's first Paris Olympics 2024 quota in the sport at the Asian Continental Qualifier Tournament 2023 being held in Bangkok, Thailand.

On Saturday, Dhiraj secured a quota in the men's recurve event and also won a silver medal.

He lost to Chinese Taipei's Lin Zih-Siang 5-6 in a shoot-off in the gold medal. An entry in the final was enough for Dhiraj to secure his Paris 2024 quota.

The National Olympic Committees (NOCs) take decisions regarding the participation of their athletes at the Olympics and select the delegation since they have the exclusive authority to representation of their countries at the sporting extravaganza.

In a qualifying round, Dhiraj topped the standings with 677 points, which was one more than compatriot Tarundeep Rai - to secure the top seeding.

Dhiraj received a first-round bye and secured wins over Turkmenistan's Ezizmuhammet Sahedov and Singapore's Li Yue Long 6-0 in the second and third rounds respectively and beat Iran's Sadegh Ashrafi Bavili in the quarterfinals by the same margin.

Another win over Iran's Mohammadhossein Golshani Asl took Dhiraj to finals, where Dhiraj lost. The finalists in men's and women's competitions at the event got Olympic quotas.

Olympian Tarundeep Rai lost against Zih-Siang, the eventual gold medallist in the men's recurve event, 6-0, falling two wins short of a quota. In the second round, Mohammadhossein Golshani Asl stopped Pravin Jadhav's challenge.

Three Indian competitors were in the women's event: Ankita Bhakat, Bhajan Kaur, and Tisha Punia.
After finishing second in qualification, Ankita Bhakat advanced to the quarterfinals but was defeated by Uzbekistan's Ziyodakhon Abdusattorova, who went on to win the silver medal and eliminate Tisha Punia in the third round.

Bhajan Kaur was given a bye in the first round but lost to Thailand's Sataporn Artsalee in the second round. (ANI)

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'BJP CM will take oath in Odisha on June 10', roars PM Modi at Berhampur rally

by Utkalika Mohanty

Berhampur, May 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a campaign trail to Odisha on Monday slammed the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) as well as the Congress party for looting the state, for seven decades after Independence and keeping the ‘resource-rich’ state poor.

Addressing a massive public gathering in the Berhampur constituency, PM Modi also urged the electorate to vote for the double-engine government in the state.

Doubling down his attack on the ruling Naveen Patnaik dispensation, PM Modi said: “Note it down, BJD government’s expiry date is June 4. Today is May 6, one month later on June 6, the BJP CM-designate will be decided and the oath-taking ceremony for BJP CM will be held in Bhubaneswar on June 10.”

He further said, “I have come here to give the invitation for the oath-taking ceremony of BJP government. BJD is in its twilight years and Congress is ruined in Odisha while BJP has emerged as the new sun of expectations and hope.”

PM Modi further stated that only a BJP CM with an understanding of Odia culture can solve the problems of residents speedily.

He further said that Odisha BJP has issued a visionary manifesto keeping in view the aspirations of Odisha, dreams of youths, capability of women and girls of Odisha.

“As you know BJP fulfils what it commits. After the formation of the government, we will start fulfilling promises with all our potential. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he told the gathering.

He said that the loot by Congress and BJD leaders is responsible for the poverty in Odisha, which is otherwise rich with natural resources.

PM Modi further said: “The remote-controlled government of Manmohan Singh gave Rs 1 lakh crore during their ten-year rule while our government has given Rs 3.5 lakh crore to Odisha. The BJD government has either not been implementing the developmental programs or hijacking them.

“Centre gave Rs 10,000 crore under Jal Jivan Mission but the BJD government couldn’t spend it properly. We supplied free rice to Odisha but the BJD government converted it into its own by putting their photos on those bags,” he pointed out.

Notably, Assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases from May 13 to June 1. The results for both Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha will be declared on June 4.

(IANS)

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ICAR-NRRI focuses on Intellectual Property Management

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

Cuttack, May 6: ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, organised a seminar on Intellectual Property Management on the NRRI campus here.

The seminar discussed intellectual property rights' crucial role in the agricultural sector.

Dr Nagesh Kumar Barik, Principal Scientist, ICAR-CIFA, Bhubaneswar, delivered a talk on this occasion. He shared valuable insights into intellectual property rights' significance in the agricultural sector. Through exploring the nuances of patenting innovations to understanding the intricacies of IP management strategies, participants had the opportunity to delve into critical aspects of safeguarding intellectual assets.

This platform offered a space for fruitful discussions and knowledge exchange, empowering attendees with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate the complexities of IP management effectively.

Dr AK Nayak, Director, ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack gave his presidential remarks.

At the outset, Dr GAK Kumar, Head, SSD and I/c Institute Technology Management Unit (ITMU) welcomed the Chairman, the guest speaker and other participants, and highlighted the program's objectives. The function ended with a vote of thanks offered by Shruti Snata Panda, Business Executive, ABI Centre.

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"14 years of planning, 18 years of passion": Bhansali on his OTT debut 'Heeramandi'

by Utkalika Mohanty

Mumbai, May 6: Ace filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has brought his lifelong dream to reality with the release of 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar,' marking his debut in the OTT world.

Bhansali, while reflecting on his journey, spoke about his childhood visit to a film studio, igniting his passion for storytelling.

"I wanted to make it 18 years ago. Then I thought there was another film to be made, then another film to be made. But this was always on my list of wanting to have to make it one day. After every film, Heeramandi would come out, and I would say once again, wait, it's too vast. It's too epic - too much of an epic to be made into two or two and a half hours. Then we thought we'd make it into two parts, he said.

"It's difficult to make a series, but we've made it, and I have enjoyed it. I'm glad and thankful to God that we made it. 14 years of planning, 18 years of living with it, and two years of designing, so it's a lot of work that has gone into it," he added.

Through the stories of courtesans and their patrons, the series delves deep into the cultural reality of Heeramandi.

It features Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman.