photogallery.malayalam.samayam.comInteresting photogallery from Malayalam Samayam en-us2015 Times Internet Limited.http://syndication.indiatimes.com/http://images.photogallery.indiatimes.com/photo.cms?msid=48053890http://photogallery.malayalam.samayam.comSun, 29 Jun 2025 23:27:26 +0530http://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/104317453.cmsAfter weeks of top-notch sporting action, the curtains came down with a grand Asian Games 2023 closing ceremony at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in China. India's hockey team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh was the nation's flag-bearer. The closing ceremony showcased the 45 flag-bearers flag-bearers waving their national colours in front of a packed stadium. The event featured a variety of performances, including traditional Chinese dance, music and acrobatics. In the end, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) acting chief Randhir Singh declared the Asian Games closed. One of the highlights was the handover of the Asian Games flag to the next host city. India created history with a record tally of 107 medals including 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze. The 20th Asian Games will be held in Japan in 2027.Tue, 10 Oct 2023 17:38:45 +0530http://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/104258822.cmsIndia signed off with a record 107 medals at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. This is the first time in the nation's history that such an achievement has been realised. The momentous feat was accomplished following the triumph of the Indian women's kabaddi team, who clinched the gold medal in the women's event. The Indian contingent participating in the 19th Asian Games achieved this remarkable success, amassing a total of 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze medals during the event. With this, India ended at the 4th spot in the medal tally, behind China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Here, we bring you the gold medal winners. Sun, 08 Oct 2023 14:56:56 +0530http://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/104132401.cmsIndia continues its golden glory at the ongoing 2023 Asian Games held in Hangzhou. Avinash Sable made history after he became the first Indian man to clinch a gold medal in the 3000m steeplechase event. The 29-year-old, who holds the national record, finished the race in a record time of 8 minutes and 19.50 seconds. He also rewrote the previous Asian Games record of 8 minutes and 22.79 seconds made by Iran's Hossein Keyhani in the 2018 Jakarta Games. The last time India tasted gold in this discipline was in the Asian Games 2010 when Sudha Singh emerged victorious in the women’s 3000m steeplechase event. Meanwhile, India occupies fourth spot in the medal standings with 13 gold, 24 silver and 25 bronze. Tue, 03 Oct 2023 16:43:33 +0530Reutershttp://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/104086902.cmsIndia beat arch-rivals Pakistan 2-1 in the final to win the gold medal at the Asian Games 2023 men's team squash event in Hangzhou. The veteran Saurav Ghosal and the young Abhay Singh were the stars of the show. In the final match, Mahesh Mangaonkar opened the proceedings for India but struggled against Nasir Iqbal. Saurav Ghosal then drew India level with a straight-set win in the second match. He trailed in the initial stages of his match but rallied back to beat Muhammad Asim Khan 3-0 (11-5, 11-1, 11-3) and kept India in the hunt. In the decider, Abhay Singh won the first game before losing the next two. He dug deep to beat Noor Zaman 3-2 (11-7, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10) to clinch the tie in India's favour. Singh saved two championship points in the deciding game to deny Pakistan. This was India's second-ever gold medal in squash at the Asian Games. The Indian squash players will next be in action in the singles and mixed doubles events which start on October 1, 2023. Sun, 01 Oct 2023 16:35:32 +0530Reutershttp://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/103908003.cmsThe Asian Games 2023 officially kick-started with an eye-catching opening ceremony at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium in the People’s Republic of China on September 23, 2023. Despite the ongoing diplomatic tensions arising from the denial of entry to three Indian athletes from Arunachal Pradesh, the starry night artfully combined elements of technology, China's rich cultural history and the essence of unity across the continent. India's contingent was led by flag-bearers Harmanpreet Singh and Lovlina Borgohain. Dressed in traditional Indian attire, the athletes brought their desi flavour to Hangzhou. According to reports, a total of 655 Indian athletes will be participating in 39 sports at the continental meet. Randhir Singh, the acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia, and Asian Games 2023 president Wang Hao addressed the crowd. In addition, multiple breathtaking performances graced the stage. Here, we bring you pictures from the spectacular opening ceremony. Sun, 24 Sep 2023 16:12:28 +0530APhttp://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/103182395.cmsOlympic champion Neeraj Chopra added yet another feather to his cap. He won India's first ever athletics World Championships gold and we cannot stay calm. He started off with a foul throw in the final in Budapest. However, it was his second throw that turned out to be the winning one as he managed to get the javelin to a distance of 88.17m. It helped him stay ahead of Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who also made history for his country by winning silver and Czech Republich's Jakub Vadlejch who clinched bronze. At 25, Chopra promises he is just getting started. He has managed to be in the top 3 at any major event he has been to. An Olympic champion, World champion, Commonwealth Games champion, Asian Games champion, Diamond League trophy winner and more, Chopra is truly the centre of everyone's attention. The gold in Budapest was his second World's medal, after a silver last year. Tue, 29 Aug 2023 20:44:40 +0530AFPhttp://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/103104961.cmsThe Indian men's 4x400m relay team set a new Asian record and progressed to the final at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. The Indian team of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi and Rajesh Ramesh clocked 2.59.05s to finish behind the USA in a nine-team heat 1. It was the first three finishers from each of the two heats and two other teams with the fastest times made it to the final. The Indian quartet's time broke the Asian record of 2:59.51, set by Japan at the World Championships in Oregon last year. It also shattered the national record of 3:00.25, set by Arokia Rajiv, Muhammed Anas, Amoj Jacob and Noah Nirmal Tom at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. At the ongoing tournament, India's timing was the second-best overall across the two heats and the team will now compete against the USA, Great Britain, Bostwana, Jamaica, France, Italy and the Netherlands in the final.Sun, 27 Aug 2023 16:09:48 +0530AFPhttp://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/103102743.cmsR Praggnanandhaa has emerged as a powerhouse on the chessboard, leaving an indelible mark on the global chess scene. Hailing from Chennai, the 18-year-old's participation at the Chess World Cup kept everyone glued to the screens. Even though he could not win the World Cup final against Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, Praggnanandhaa successfully created waves on the internet. The chess player's journey in the tournament has been nothing short of exceptional. Nicknamed Praggu, he defeated the world's second and third-ranked players to make it to the World Cup final, a remarkable feat in itself as no other Indian has competed in the finals since chess legend Vishwanathan Anand won the title back in 2002. He also became the world's youngest player to play in the finals and the third-youngest to qualify for the Candidates Tournament. Praggnanandhaa's meteoric rise to the top is an inspiration to many. Sun, 27 Aug 2023 13:48:21 +0530AFPhttp://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/102980089.cmsFaith Kipyegon clinched gold in the 1,5000m for the third year in a row at the ongoing World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. The Kenyan dominated the event final leading the track race from start to finish as she comfortably retained her world title. Kipyegon, the world record holder in 1,500m, 5,000m and One Mile, went for victory after previous wins in 2017 London and 2022 Oregon, in three minutes and 54.87 seconds at a packed National Athletics Centre. Meanwhile, Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji took home silver and Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan won bronze. Wed, 23 Aug 2023 15:02:45 +0530APhttp://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/102446973.cmsSeven-time Olympic medallist Simone Biles is set to make her elite gymnastics return at the 2023 US Classic in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. All eyes will be on the American gymnast who has not competed since winning team silver and an individual bronze on beam at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She withdrew from a majority of her event finals at the competition while dealing with a bout of the 'twisties,' the dangerous phenomenon where gymnasts are separated from their sense of spatial awareness. Now, a comeback to the mat following a two-year hiatus is exciting for fans. The 26-year-old was spotted demonstrating her routines on all four apparatus during her podium training, gearing up for the upcoming competition. Meanwhile, Biles married Jonathan Owens on April 22, 2023, at a courthouse in Houston, Texas. Sat, 05 Aug 2023 13:59:54 +0530Reutershttp://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/102175734.cmsMollie O'Callaghan achieved a remarkable feat by setting a new world record in the women's 200m freestyle event. The Australian claimed the 200 metres freestyle title in a time of 1min 52.85sec at the World Aquatics Championships held in Japan. The 19-year-old broke the mark of 1:52.98 set by the Italian Federica Pellegrini at the 2009 World Championships in Rome and was 0.16 sec ahead of fellow Australian, Ariarne Titmus, in an extraordinary final. Meanwhile, Canada's Summer McIntosh was 0.80 sec behind to take home the bronze medal. Throughout the race, Titmus had taken the lead and held it for most of the event. However, O'Callaghan displayed an incredible performance, gradually catching up to Titmus during the final stretch and ultimately touching the wall first, securing the world record. Thu, 27 Jul 2023 18:08:09 +0530APhttp://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/100645235.cmsIndia's top wrestlers including Sangeeta Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Satyawart Kadian are braving rain and canings by police as they continue their protest in Delhi demanding legal action against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh. The wrestlers have been demanding his arrest on allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation. The wrestlers also gathered at Haridwar to immerse their medals, including the ones won in the Olympics in river Ganga and stated to go on an indefinite hunger strike at India Gate in New Delhi as a mark of protest against Singh. However, farmer leader Naresh Tikait immediately reached Haridwar and took the medals back from the athletes, seeking five-day time from them. Earlier, the wrestlers were detained by Delhi Police while attempting to march to the new Parliament building where they planned to stage a demonstration. Amid the ongoing protest, the United World Wrestling (UWW) has issued a statement condemning the detention of wrestlers, "UWW firmly condemns the treatment and detention of the wrestlers. It expresses its disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations so far. UWW urges the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations. UWW will request further information about the next elective general assembly from the 10A and the Ad-hoc Committee of the WFI. The 45-day deadline that was initially set to hold this elective assembly shall be respected. Failing to do so may lead UWW to suspend the federation, thereby forcing the athletes to compete under a neutral flag. It is reminded that UWW already took a measure in this situation by reallocating the Asian Championship planned in New Delhi earlier this year." It added, "As it has already done since the beginning of this situation, UWW will hold a meeting with the wrestlers to inquire about their condition and safety and reconfirm our support for a fair and just resolution of their concerns." Wed, 31 May 2023 14:06:28 +0530AFPhttp://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/99778715.cmsSeven-time Olympic medallist Simone Biles exchanged their wedding vows with National Football League (NFL) player Jonathan Owens. However, it is significant to note that the stunning intimate ceremony was just round one. "We will be having a wedding in a couple of weeks. We had to get married ‘legally’ here in the US—since our wedding will be a destination wedding," the gymnast told her fans during a post-wedding Q+A. The 26-year-old posted adorable pictures from their dreamy courthouse wedding. The snaps showed the happy newlyweds, much in love, celebrating their nuptial. "I do �� officially owens," Biles wrote in the caption. For the special day, the Olympic gymnast wore a chic four-tiered wedding gown that featured a plunging halter neckline and an open back with crossing straps that tie the waist. She paired the outfit with strappy open-toed heels while carrying a beautiful white bouquet. She wore her hair up in a curled ponytail and kept her wedding makeup simple yet elegant. On the other hand, the groom was seen in a tan suit with a white button-up shirt and white loafers. The NFL player also took to social media to share pictures from their wedding and wrote in the caption, "My person, forever ❤️�� #TheOwens #itsofficial." The couple started dating in early 2020 and made their relationship official that same year. After two years of dating, Jonathan popped the question in 2022 with an oval-shaped diamond ring. Congratulations to the happy couple. Wed, 26 Apr 2023 11:28:25 +0530http://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/97119443.cmsIndia's top wrestlers, including World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, Sangeeta Phogat, Sonam Malik and Anshu Malik staged a protest at Jantar Mantar against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. In a startling revelation, a teary-eyed Vinesh Phogat alleged that the WFI President and BJP MP has been sexually exploiting women wrestlers for many years and sought the intervention of the Prime Minister and Home Minister for his removal. She reportedly added, "Some of the coaches appointed at national camps have been sexually harassing women Wrestlers for years. The WFI president is also involved in sexual harassment. Many young women wrestlers have complained and cried about being sexually harassed at national camps." The Haryana wrestler clarified that she herself has not faced such exploitation but claimed that she received death threats at the behest of the WFI President from officials close to him as she dared to draw PM Narendra Modi's attention to several issues plaguing Indian wrestling when she met him after the Tokyo Games. Meanwhile, Bajrang Punia said the federation is being run in an arbitrary manner and they will not compete in any international championships unless the WFI President is removed. Sakshi Malik, Sarita Mor, Satyawart Malik, Jitender Kinha and Sumit Malik were among the 30 wrestlers who joined the protest at Jantar Mantar. Thu, 19 Jan 2023 11:24:22 +0530http://photogallery.indiatimes.com/articleshow/96106137.cmsAs December opens, Simone Biles and her fiancé, Jonathan Owens spread holiday cheer by sharing their Christmas portraits on social media. The couple looked so much in love in the pictures with Christmas trees in the wintery background. While the gymnast wowed in an all-red look in a satin mini dress and a matching cowgirl hat, Owens opted for white pants and a striped white and grey shirt. "Happy Holidays," Biles captioned the post, which featured a shot of her beau planting a kiss on her cheek as he lifts her. The next picture showed Biles embracing Owens as he wraps his arms around her. The post instantly became a hit on the internet with fans flooding the comment section with holiday cheer. The seven-time Olympic medallist has been on an indefinite break from elite gymnastics following her withdrawal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to mental health reasons. But she is focusing on her personal life. She got engaged to the love of her life back in February, with Owens getting down on one knee for the perfect surprise. An official wedding date has not yet been revealed, but Biles and Owens will reportedly exchange vows, sometime in 2023. (All photos: Simone Biles/ Jonathan Owens/ Instagram) Fri, 09 Dec 2022 13:32:26 +0530