Tamannaah Bhatia’s anarkali, Namrata Shirodkar's jacket look, Manish Malhotra in black: Who wore what at Hyderabad event Updated on: Aug 30, 2026, 13:22:55 IST By Akanksha Agnihotri Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Tamannaah Bhatia, Manish Malhotra
North Korea's Defence Minister has been dismissed as part of a reshuffle of the country's military leadership, state media reported on Sunday (August 30, 2026). The "structural reorganization plans" were decided during a meeting on Saturday (August 29) led by Kim Jong Un
Woman shares reality of never-ending expenses after moving into a flat: ‘They just keep piling up’A woman shared how unexpected household expenses kept piling up after she moved into a rented flat. Published on: Aug 30, 2026, 12:46:57 IST By Mahipal Singh Chouhan Prefer HTon Google Share via
Tom Cruise, Abhishek Bachchan, Tara Sutaria, Tom Holland: 9 celebs who opened up about their learning disabilities Published on: Aug 30, 2026, 13:05:55 IST By Sanya Panwar Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Tom Cruise and Tara Sutaria, as well as celebs such as Tom Holland
‘I worked over the weekends’: Employee seeks advice after HR questions them for being 15 minutes lateAn employee has turned to Reddit for advice after being questioned by HR over 15-minute delays at work. Updated on: Aug 30, 2026, 13:29:43 IST By Vaishali Kapila Prefer HTon Google Share via
Even as AI firms expand model capabilities, frontier labs continue to navigate a legal reckoning sparked by the first wave of copyright lawsuits that threatened to derail the generative AI boom. The argument from artists has been that AI output that looks like a specific piece of art is because
On the morning of August 29, more than 5,000 people of Indian-origin trickled into New York’s Madison Square Garden to see one man take the stage: Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party
NEET PG exam rescheduled for nearly 300 candidates over power outage in JaipurThe NEET PG examination for all candidates allotted to the particular centre will now be conducted on September 5. Updated on: Aug 30, 2026, 14:06:58 IST ANI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link The NEET-PG examination
The beauty and benefit of comradeship in cut-throat athletics
The beauty and benefit of comradeship in cut-throat athletics
Even as cut-throat competition gives elite athletics meets an elevated status, tales of camaraderie pleasantly break the monotony by adding a human element to them.
Enduring visuals of Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi sharing the men’s high jump gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Belgian steeplechaser Tim Van de Velde sacrificing his own position to help Colombia’s Carlos San Martin finish the race at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, and Robson De Oliveira and Aaron Beggs carrying an exhausted Ajay Haridasse over the line at this year’s Boston Marathon evoked impromptu appreciation from spectators in recent times.
However, such instances are not restricted to international athletics alone. Top-level competitions in India have also seen fine examples of keen contests and close companionship. The recently held Federation meet at Birsa Munda Stadium, Morabadi, Ranchi, featured high-level performances as well as excellent displays of comradeship among athletes.
The close duel between female long jumpers Ancy Sojan and Shaili Singh, the intense rivalry between national record holder Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur in the men’s 100m, and the battle of one-upmanship between training partners and eventual joint national record holders Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar in the men’s pole vault do not necessarily mean they are bitter opponents off the field. Rather, they offer exceptional case studies of bonding between athletes.
For Ancy, who wholeheartedly cheered for her closest competitor Shaili in the background prior to the latter’s attempts, rivalry is not equivalent to enmity.
“I don’t consider my competitors as enemies. I just see them as friends. I always cheer for them. Because they are focused, they also try hard. So I wanted to motivate Shaili and help her do her best. That’s why I cheer for her. It is a good thing to cheer for your rivals,” says Ancy, who won the event.
Gurindervir is delighted that his mouthwatering showdowns on the track with Kujur, which are built on a strong foundation of brotherhood, bring eyeballs to athletics.
“I have been waiting for this for a long time. Our sport, sprinting, and athletics should get visibility. Every person enjoys watching a rivalry. When Animesh runs well, I feel that I have to run better. I have to do more hard training. When I run well, Animesh feels that he has to train even harder. We get motivation from each other,” says Gurindervir, who became the first Indian to go below 10.10 seconds when he won gold.
“We are good friends. We are room-mates. We are brothers. We are competitors. When we train, we are training partners. When we go out, we are friends.”
Champion who champions rivals: Ancy Sojan cheered for her closest competitor Shaili Singh in Ranchi. ‘I don’t consider my competitors as enemies,’ she says. ‘I wanted to motivate Shaili.’ | Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar
Gurindervir’s coach James Hillier feels such healthy competition — the national record changed hands twice in the semifinals before Gurindervir’s historic 10.09s run in the final — augurs well for sprinting in the country.
“It’s a great rivalry, and in a way it probably helped Gurindervir that Animesh broke the record [10.17] in the semifinals [clocking 10.15 within minutes of Gurindervir breaking Kujur’s previous record of 10.18]. It took a bit of the limelight off him and the pressure was sort of back on Animesh. It’s really bringing Indian sprinting down [in terms of time],” says Hillier.
Coming from the same stable, Madhya Pradesh Athletics Academy (MPAA), pole vaulters Meena and Kuldeep are brothers in arms. They train together under coach Ghanshyam Yadav, carry their poles and travel together while challenging each other to the best of their ability. Ultimately, the success one achieves makes the other happy, as they believe their teamwork will help them attain excellence. Coincidentally, the two were tied at 5.45m and shared the new national record at Ranchi.
“We will continue to fight with each other so that we can raise the level,” says Meena.
Kuldeep, who joined the MPAA a year ago, was welcomed by the already established Meena, as he saw that pushing the mark alone was a difficult task for him.
“We will do better in the future. It is a very technical sport. We are working on it. We are learning more and more with each passing day. If we learn and improve, it will be very good for both of us. We fight during our training. We fight during competitions. We support each other. We go ahead of each other. We are good friends. We should work to bring laurels for the country,” says Kuldeep.
While complementing each other, they have no hesitation in appreciating each other’s strengths.
“Dev’s technique is good. I think his competition mindset is good. I won’t say mine is bad either. I give him a good fight,” says Kuldeep.
“Kuldeep has a powerful body. I have got speed,” notes Meena.
Their coach Ghanshyam Yadav loves his two obedient trainees. “They are training together and competing with each other. Their communication with me is very good. If you say something to them, they will listen to you. They are training together and using the same pole,” says Yadav.
Acknowledging the media’s role in highlighting the plight of his wards while travelling with poles on a train in January and making their lives a little easier, Yadav dreams of guiding Meena and Kuldeep to greater glory and transforming pole vault into a well-known sport in India.
“We are trying to take the pole vault to a new height. Like Neeraj Chopra, who highlighted javelin by shining at the Olympics, we also want to take pole vault to that level,” says Yadav.
If the Federation meet was full of high-class performances and great camaraderie, it also had an aberration in the form of an undesirable feud between 40-year-old Olympian Sandeep Kumar and 18-year-old promising athlete Nitin Gupta in the men’s 10,000m racewalk.
After Gupta won the race comfortably, beating second-placed Sandeep, the two Army athletes, who train under different coaches, exchanged pleasantries and posed for photographs.
However, in a behind-the-scenes tussle for success, Sandeep filed a complaint against Gupta for receiving assistance from fellow competitors during the race. In the end, Gupta was disqualified for breaching World Athletics technical rules and Sandeep was crowned champion.
Brothers in arms: Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar believe their teamwork will propel them to pole vault excellence. They shared the new national record (5.45m ) in Ranchi. | Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar
While different coaches present at the venue had varied opinions about the episode, it exposed intra-departmental competitiveness which not only created an unfriendly environment but also ended up being a disheartening experience for an emerging talent.
Of course, one can draw parallels to such incidents of bitter rivalry in international athletics over the decades, including Sebastian Coe versus Steve Ovett at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and Mary Decker versus Zola Budd at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
No matter how much athletes push themselves to the limit and put their composure through stern tests, instances of companionship, a genuine emotion prevailing in humanity, will always outnumber examples of bitter competitiveness not only in track and field but also in sport at large.
As the 2026 calendar gears up for more intensity, with events such as the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games promising top-class action, one can only hope to see an atmosphere of fellowship in a world divided by conflicts.
Published - June 13, 2026 03:43 am IST
Weekend Sport
Source: TheHindu
Related Posts: How can an allergic reaction in the throat feel like a throat infection AI Valuations Hit Elevated Levels IMF's Georgieva flags inflation risks if oil prices stay elevated amid Middle East conflict A Kashmiri Classic That's Surprisingly Easy With Elevated Taste Even Kejriwal’s Cut-Out Fell Sick Is UBS planning to cut even more jobs Woman gives 5 reasons she’ll never return to a corporate job even with 2x salary Mini Mathur slams Kirti Kulhari over her ‘ ₹10K for 2-hour work’ maid remark Woke up with a sore throat
A fever during the monsoon can be easy to brush off. But with mosquito-borne infections still circulating, when is it safer to stop waiting and get tested? Gujarat has reported a significant decline in mosquito-borne diseases this year, with malaria cases falling 45%, dengue by 39
1 days ago
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accepted Minister B Nagendra's resignation. This resignation followed allegations in an Rs 89 crore corporation scam. Nagendra stated he resigned voluntarily to protect the party and government. The opposition BJP-JD(S) had intensified criticism and protests
1 days ago
In latest show of ‘car diplomacy’, PM Modi seen sharing a ride with Uzbekistan PresidentPM Modi and President Mirziyoyev were seen traveling together by car from the airport to the presidential palace, where they then held a dinner meeting. Updated on: Aug 30, 2026
1 days ago
Addressing concerns about compressed biogas (CBG) becoming increasingly expensive with the revised offtake price, the Union Petroleum Ministry assured the pricing cushioned with government-funded support and stacking with a substantially wider gas pool would avert any material price impact
1 days ago
JU political graffiti whitewashed after CM Adhikari’s remarks on campus politicsCPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, a former Kolkata mayor, criticised the move saying campuses encourage free thinking Published on: Aug 30, 2026, 14:01:11 IST By HT Correspondent
1 days ago
Manoj Jarange Patil began his hunger strike seeking OBC caste certificates for Marathas. He demands the disbanding of the Caste Verification Committee and threatens to protest in Mumbai. Jarange Patil wants Marathas to receive Kunbi caste certificates based on historical records
1 days ago
Bank Holiday Next Week: While digital banking services such as internet banking, mobile banking, UPI and ATM services will continue to remain available, physical bank branches of SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and other lenders will remain closed on the applicable dates and in the applicable cities
1 days ago
Delhi man kills schizophrenic son, lured him to shipping container on pretext of doctor visitPolice said the accused first smashed the victim’s head with a stone and then strangled him. Updated on: Aug 30, 2026, 06:43:07 IST By Karn Pratap Singh Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link A
1 days ago
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday demanded the registration of a first information report against those who carried out a “purification” ritual at a ground in Uttarakhand, where Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had held a rally earlier this month
1 days ago
HDFC Bank CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan not seeking reappointment, to retire in October: ReportThe bank's board will fast-track the selection and appointment of Jagdishan's successor as MD and CEO, and complete the process “well within time”. Updated on: Aug 29, 2026
1 days ago
‘Good work is appreciated with more work’: Man warns employees about workplace ‘trap’A man warned that being too efficient at work could become a trap and urged employees to set clear boundaries. Published on: Aug 30, 2026, 06:36:52 IST By Mahipal Singh Chouhan Prefer HTon Google Share via
1 days ago
MicahJo Barnett parents: Who are Michelle Barnett and Felix Lora? Inside William Jewell RB's family after tragic deathWilliam Jewell College running back MicahJo Barnett died after suffering a medical emergency during the Cardinals’ season opener against Fort Lewis. Updated on: Aug 30, 2026
1 days ago
Filip Hrgovic ripped up the script and shattered Moses Itauma's world-title dream as the Briton appeared to punch himself out in an extraordinary heavyweight contest in London. Itauma, 21, controlled most of the fight and scored a second-round knockdown but faded as his relentless output caught up
1 days ago
Pharma industry stares down biggest patent cliff in decadesMore than $500 billion in projected annual drug sales face patent expirations in the coming years. Published on: Aug 29, 2026, 20:31:02 IST WSJ Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link More than $500 billion in projected annual drug sales
1 days ago
Manchester City have opened talks with Liverpool about signing attacker Cody Gakpo. The Netherlands forward's future is set to become one of the key storylines heading into the final three days of the transfer window. The 27-year-old has attracted concrete interest from City and Tottenham Hotspur
1 days ago
China censors Tibet flood reports, viral video pulled down, foreign media restrictedReports from official Chinese outlets reportedly focused on rescue operations, with limited information about the scale of the damage caused by the floods. Updated on: Aug 30, 2026
1 days ago
![New Delhi, [India] August 29 (ANI): The UAE's Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has granted Starlink Satellite](http://newsorbit360.com/files/news/en/imgs/uae-regulator-grants-starlink-10-year-licence-to-provide-satellite-int.jpg?height=520)
New Delhi, [India] August 29 (ANI): The UAE's Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has granted Starlink Satellite Communications LLC a 10-year General Space Services Licence to establish, operate and manage a public satellite communications network and provide
1 days ago
The Early Spring review: Jing Boran and Sun Qian turn a risky and complicated office romance into addictive televisionThe Early Spring review: This C-drama aired on August 26 and within ten episodes, it has taken the internet by storm with its mature workplace storytelling. Updated on: Aug 30
1 days ago
Subhash Ghai recalls ‘hatha paai’ with Salman Khan before Yuvvraaj, says he abused him: ‘Salim Khan said apologise’Before working on Yuvvraaj, Salman Khan and Subhash Ghai had a confrontation that escalated to a physical altercation, prompting Salim Khan to mediate. Updated on: Aug 30
1 days ago
Just Like That: 50 years on, why Mukesh’s voice still still resonates todayFifty years after his death, legendary singer Mukesh’s soulful voice, timeless songs and emotional depth continue to resonate with generations of listeners. Published on: Aug 30, 2026
1 days ago
The Delhi-NCR CNG price rises by Rs 3.89 per kg from August 29. Check new CNG rates in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Gurugram. CNG prices in Delhi-NCR have increased by Rs 3.89 per kg from 6 am on Saturday, August 29, putting higher fuel costs on car owners and commercial drivers
1 days ago
Woman opens up about the ‘6 to 10 shift’ after office hours: ‘When will I take out time for myself?’A woman shared how responsibilities after work had left her with little time to focus on her own growth. Published on: Aug 30, 2026, 07:21:41 IST By Mahipal Singh Chouhan Prefer HTon Google
1 days ago
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday asked newspaper Anandabazar Patrika to apologise for using the phrase “saffron hooliganism” in its headline to describe the August 20 clash between student groups at Jadavpur University. “I will ask a news outlet in West Bengal to do
1 days ago
Across the globe in Australia, a toddler with speech delays delighted her family with her first word - "orange" - after she and her twin sister received a free book in the post about colours. It came from Imagination Library, the literacy programme begun by late global superstar Dolly Parton
1 days ago
The US government plans a 35% passive stake in Alejandro Betancourt's energy company. It also seeks preferential rights to purchase 20% of production at cost. This investment is structured through penny warrants for equity without significant capital outlay
1 days ago
Former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has appealed to BJP MPs from the state. He urged them to demand the reversal of the recently passed mining bill. Patnaik stated the legislation would cause significant financial losses for Odisha. He also mentioned the bill takes away control over the state's mineral
1 days ago
Here is important news for State Bank of India (SBI) account holders. If you have an account with the State Bank, you should be aware of this update, as it will impact your finances starting October 1st. SBI has made significant changes to its transaction charge policies—specifically regarding
1 days ago
![New Delhi [India], August 20 (ANI): India's key strength in artificial intelligence lies in the applications layer, while the country is simultaneously](http://newsorbit360.com/files/news/en/imgs/indias-ai-strength-lies-in-applications.jpg?width=120&height=70)
