Sports Ministry announced that it will award Rs 50 lakh to shooter Abhinav Bindra during the Arjuna Awards ceremony on August 29.

Abhinav recently won the first-ever individual gold for India in the 10-metre air rifle event in Beijing Olympics.
 
In its statement, the Sports Ministry said that the ace shooter from Punjab will receive the award from President Pratibha Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The government had enhanced the prize money from Rs. 30 lakhs to 50 lakhs, for gold medallists in the Olympics this time.

Just over a month before the decisive World Group play-off match against Romania, Leander Paes has resigned as the captain of the Indian Davis Cup team on Tuesday.

The All-India Tennis Association (AITA) has named S.P. Misra for the World Group play-off in September against Romania. After losing the Olympics doubles tennis event in Beijing 35 year old Paes informed about his decision to AITA secretary general Anil Khanna.

It must be remembered here that players like Bhupathi and Amritraj had revolted against Paes before India’s previous Davis Cup tie against Japan in Delhi in April.

Leander Paes has decided not to play as a captain of the Indian team in the forthcoming Davis cup tournament. The tournament is scheduled in September. SP Misra is expected to act as a non-playing captain for the team. SP Misra has expressed happiness on his appointment. He termed it as an honor for him to lead the team of two great champion players and two highly talented youngsters. The first mach will be played against Romania. The team will include Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Somdev Dev Varman and Prakash Amritraj.

Manipur has still not given up its rage against the Chairman of Indian Olympic Association Chairman, Suresh Kalmadi and Director of SAI, R.K. Naidu and weightlifter Shailaja Pujari, for exempting Monika Devi form the Olympics. The protestors burnt tyres and effigies of the names mentioned above (not Monika), in the Imphal valley and surrounding places like Lilong in Thoubal district and thus marked a 24 hours bandh on Tuesday afternoon.

In the women’s singles table tennis competition on Monday, Neha Aggarwal’s Olympic challenge ended in the first round when she lost to Chinese-born Australian Jian Fang Lay.

After winning the first game, Neha lost next four games 12-10, 8-11, 11-13, 8-11, and 4-11 in 34 minutes.

Lay at the age of 35, almost twice as old as Neha, is amongst the Australia’s best.

She had moved to Australia in 1994 and had given up the sport, but was persuaded by her husband and she made a come back.

The 18-year-old Neha had chances to win, after winning the first game by 12-10; she was 6-6 in the second game before losing by 8-11.

Rafael Nadal has gained the Olympic medal at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre on Sunday. He defeated Fernando Gonzalez of Chile with 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-3 in a very interesting game. He has not only decorated his own career but also increased the prestige of his native land Spain by getting first gold in tennis for the country. He will be now counted in the top five players of the world.