China stamped their authority in the 100m event wining a grand double in both the men’s and women’s category but there was plenty to cheer for India on Day Two of the 20th Asian Athletics Championships as the hosts finished with a gold, silver and bronze at the Balewadi Sports Complex here on Thursday.

The opening day of the 20th Asian Athletics Championships at the Balewadi Sports Complex here brought mixed results for the hosts, who had to be content with two bronze medals. Out of the five events they competed in, India secured two third-place finishes courtesy Om Prakash (shotput) and Mayookha Johny (long jump).

India’s sporting tradition might run deep but sustaining a legacy and emulating feats of yore have never been a strong point. As hosts of the 20th Asian Athletics Championship that begins at the sprawling Balewadi Sports Complex here from Wednesday, India have a wonderful opportunity to brush aside their fading image as an athletic power centre in Asia in the five-day event that will include 42 events.

It was at the turn of the millennium when Suresh Kalmadi ousted incumbent Bob Hassan of Indonesia with a 19-15 margin at his home turf in Jakarta to be chosen the fifth president of the Asian Athletics Association.

The Indian boxing squad are high on confidence ahead of the Asian Championships that gets under way in Amman, Jordan, from June 30, but the tricky scoring pattern is keeping the team management “anxious”.

India’s boxers put up a dominant show on the twin tours of Russia and Cyprus proving that they are up for a challenge at the upcoming Asian and World Championships later this year.

When five domestic Indian players were banned for different time frames on the charges of corruption in June last year, the BCCI had hoped that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to other crick

Indian boxing is set to undergo a radical change with the upcoming twin tour of Russia and Cyprus. For the first time in two decades, the boxers will spar without the protective headgear and under a new scoring pattern. With the Asian Championships and the all-important World Championships scheduled later this year, the two tours will give an indication about the mental and technical adjustments made by the boxers.

A sense of déja vu is sure to grip Mumbai Indians when they face Pune Warriors India at the latter’s home ground at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium here on Saturday.

Pune Warriors India continued their insipid run in IPL-6, succumbing to their 11th defeat in 13 matches.