Road To LA: Sindhu and Lakshya To Make A Comeback at Arctic Open
PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen will look forward to their competitive action on the main stage of the Arctic Open Super 500 in Finland, which begins on Tuesday, 8th October, 2024. It will be their first outing after a couple of woeful outings at the Paris Olympics 2024. The Indian duo will return after a two-month pause to regroup on the BWF World Tour. New Coaching Strategies for Sindhu Sindhu has revamped her coaching team – she has brought in Anup Sridhar as her interim coach and South Korean legend Lee Syun Il as a consultant. She needed this after her previous coach, Agus Dwi Santoso, left in the wake of her premature exit from Paris 2024. The sixth seeded Sindhu will start off against Canada’s Michelle Li and could face up-and-coming Japanese star Tomako Miyazaki in the next round. Lakshya Focusses On Fitness Lakshya Sen is using his off-time to work on his physiques. He was to take tests at Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Salzburg to understand where he is fitness-wise. Unseeded in this tournament, Lakshya Sen will meet Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke and would like a return encounter against seventh seed Chou Tien Chen, whom he won in the Olympics. Young Contingent And Absences The team is represented by the very much in-form Kidambi Srikanth, who will be competing in the qualification rounds after his injury comeback. The future of Indian singles looks bright with youngsters such as Malvika Bansod and Aakarshi Kashyap. India will be missing HS Prannoy from their men’s singles as he will be missing the event due to fitness issues and change of coach. Also missing is the reigning men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. What To Expect At The Arctic Open? The Arctic Open is definitely a less crowded field and PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen should have a great opportunity to get back on their feet. Both athletes will indeed be under the prism of the camera because they would try to navigate through the pressures of competition and recalibrate their ambitions for the rest of the season. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Steve Smith Keen On Representing Australia At LA 2028 Olympics
With the inclusion of cricket in the LA Olympics 2028, cricketers have been buzzing to be a part of the mega event. One of such cricketers is Australia’s Steve Smith. In a recent interaction with the media Smith revealed his intentions to feature in the Los Angeles Olympics which is to be held in 2028. Smith seems to be ready to prepare himself and walk in the Road To LA28 as he states to play the T20 format for a longer period of time. “I could still be playing T20 cricket in four years, so you never know. It’s a format I can see myself playing probably for a lot longer than some of the others, especially with the franchise stuff around the world. I’ve signed on here for three years so it’s only another year after that. It would be cool to be part of an Olympics,” Smith said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “I don’t have any plans. I’m just enjoying playing at the moment, I’m pretty relaxed and looking forward to this summer,” he added further. Steve Smith’s exclusion from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 came as a surprise to many, as Australia bowed out of the tournament in the Super 8 stage. Despite this setback, the Australian remains active in the Big Bash League, where he continues to represent the Sydney Sixers. Smith recently secured a three-year contract with the franchise, fueling his ambition to return to Australia’s T20I team ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles—a milestone event as cricket makes its Olympic debut. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Why Countries Vie for Summer Olympics: A Peep into the Motives Behind the Bid
With the road to LA28 being paved, cities around the world finalize their bids, which are driven by motives stretching beyond the sporting spectacle itself. The idea is that hosting the Olympics is an honor of great potential benefit associated with it, despite its being extremely expensive. Pride and National Image One major reason countries would want to host the Olympics is to develop national pride and enhance their image on the international platform. Take the instance of the Paris Olympics 2024, which emphasized the active culture and resilience amid political unrest France is facing. This was the opportunity to be part of French people under one same pride that united citizens during that moment, which echoes the bigger picture effect that hosting the Games adds to national morale. Similarly, past host cities, like Barcelona and Tokyo, used the Olympics to regain their position on the world stage and generate infrastructure that would endure for generations. Economic Development and Infrastructure The financial cost of hosting the Olympics can be crippling in the short term, as the costs almost always end up being far higher than the projected budgets. Still, the potential for long-term economic benefit is too high to ignore. New infrastructure, such as transportation systems and sports venues, can induce further development. For instance, it was Tokyo’s 1964 Games that paved the way for extensive improvements in transport infrastructure through the construction of the Bullet Train. In contrast, costs can be heavy. Greece slipped into a financial crisis as it struggled to pay off billions of dollars in debts run up hosting the 2004 Olympics. Rio de Janeiro missed the 2016 financial targets for its Olympics. Tourism and Trade This can also help in improving tourism and trade. The 1992 Olympics in Barcelona gave the tourist profile a drastic makeover, turning the city into one of the top destinations in Europe. Similarly, the 2008 Olympics in China helped facilitate entry into the World Trade Organization, opening up new trade opportunities. These long-term gains thus show how hosts could cash in through their exposure to the world. The Road to LA28 With the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 in the future, it remains banked on the exploitation of existing infrastructure to avoid falling into the financial pitfalls of previous host cities. As LA keeps this balance between cost and opportunity, it can set a precedent for future hosts. As nations like India weigh their bids for 2036, they shall look at the successes and challenges of past hosts to help navigate the complex decision of whether to embrace this global event. Although the task of hosting the Summer Olympics is both extremely expensive and a logistical nightmare, potential returns in citizens’ pride and global image, together with long-term economic benefits, make the Olympic opportunity quite attractive to many countries around the world. As the Road to LA28 unfolds, future hosts will be watching closely to get a feel for what the ultimate return on their investment is. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
LA28: Los Angeles Is Preparing to Host LA28 with a Legacy of Community Impact and Gender Equality.
After the glittering, star-studded closing ceremony at Paris Olympics 2024, the Olympic flag was finally passed to Los Angeles, the host city of the 2028 Olympic Games. However, the impact of the LA28 Games is already being felt across the city, with Los Angeles continuing to reap the benefits accruable from its sporting legacy, dating back to the 1984 Olympics. A Legacy of Accessibility to Youth The 1984 Olympic Games impacted Los Angeles long before the event started. Out of the surplus accrued from the 1984 Games, a foundation—the LA84 Foundation—was established, which has become very influential in local youths’ participation in sports, with a special focus on young girls and women. Their programs have reached over 3 million young people from the year 1984 to the year 2017, with female participation gladly standing at 42 percent. More recently, the PlayLA program allowed youth of all abilities and backgrounds to engage in sport activities at an affordable cost. This initiative was funded by the IOC and the LA28 Organizing Committee and developed by the LA City Recreation and Parks Department. To date, since 2018, it has given over 500,000 young people an opportunity, thus setting the tone for the upcoming Games with resonance in inclusivity and accessibility. Progress in Gender Equality It was the Games that did many firsts in terms of women in sport. Front and center were the first-ever ladies competing in the Olympic women’s marathon, artistic swimming, and rhythmic gymnastics, as well as totally new disciplines for both men and women like 3000 and 400m hurdles, road cycling, and shooting. The representation would be a then-record high of 23% females, setting the stage for future equality in sports. Fast-forward to Paris 2024, where the IOC nailed an exact 50:50 split between male and female athletes, further sealing the gains that began several decades ago in Los Angeles. The dedication to this gender equality continues to inspire the upcoming LA28 Games—the promise of a stage where athletic excellence knows no gender. Preserving Venue Legacy What organizers are touting with LA28 is sustainability and “radical reuse.” That means no new permanent venues will be built in Los Angeles for the games. Actually, 21 out of the 26 existing venues used during the 1984 Games are still operating today. This means that sports, cultural, and leisure activities at these locations can still be used by athletes and citizens alike. One of the most iconic venues is the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which has an Olympic legacy second to none—hosting the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 1932 and 1984 Games, besides track and field events. The Coliseum will have once again been one of the primary venues for the LA28 Games, continuing to grow its legendary status as an Olympic landmark. Social, Economic and Environmental Legacies Though its legacy extends down the playing field, the path-breaking new financial model of the Los Angeles 1984 Games was set through corporate sponsorships, which future Games followed. These Games set in motion a youth movement to spread Olympic values, fostered neighborhood volunteer engagement, and initiated city-wide environmental projects. More than 20,000 trees and bushes were planted in Los Angeles under clean-up initiatives, showing that there is some concern for the environment through the Games. It is in the process of building on this rich heritage, making sure that when the 2028 Games come, the spirit of the Olympics leaves a mark that will be remembered here in Los Angeles City, just like it happened 40 years ago. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
