Let's take a look at the major events to watch in April in the World Sports Calendar
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With under four months left, Indian sportspersons are intensively preparing for the prestigious Paris Olympics 2024. March marked a successful period for India, with additional athletes securing spots in the Summer Games following stellar performances by both male and female table tennis teams at the ITTF World Team Championships Finals in 2024. The upcoming month of April is set to hold critical Olympic qualifying events.
These events will offer Indian competitors the chance to claim more Olympic slots for Paris 2024. As March concludes, India reflects on a solid beginning to the sports year, setting the stage for the momentum to be maintained into April. This month is packed with action, as Indian athletes engage in the early season contests of weightlifting and swimming. Here’s a quick overview of key events on the Indian sports schedule for April.
India’s archery team is set to showcase their skills at the World Cup Stage I taking place in Shanghai, China from April 23 to 28, 2024. They conducted national trials to choose a 16-member team, split between recurve and compound bow categories. The eight recurve archers, including former world champion Deepika Kumari, Paris Olympics hopeful Dhiraj Bommadevara.
Moreover, past Olympians Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav, are also in contention for the Paris 2024 Olympics team. On the compound side, which isn’t part of the Olympics, shooters like Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Abhishek Verma, and Aditi Gopichand Swami are expected to lead India’s challenge in Shanghai.
The Wanda Diamond League track and field series kicks off in April, with two out of its 15 events happening in China – first in Xiamen on April 20 and then in Shanghai on April 28, 2024. Top athletes from around the world, including Olympic stars and international medal winners, are looking forward to starting their outdoor seasons at these competitions.
These events are crucial as they offer points for athletes trying to make it to the Diamond League finals, scheduled for September 13-14 in Brussels, Belgium. India’s Abdulla Aboobacker is set to compete in the triple jump at the Xiamen event. The lineup for the Shanghai meet hasn’t been announced yet. Meanwhile, India’s young talents are gearing up to make a mark at the SAFF Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai.
India’s badminton players aim to climb the rankings for the 2024 Paris Olympics by excelling at the 2024 Badminton Asia Championships. Stars like Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, and PV Sindhu will compete in this key event.
Later in the month, the prestigious Thomas & Uber Cup is scheduled, with India’s men’s team looking to retain their title and the women’s team eager to secure their first victory, following their recent triumph at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships.
In an attempt to earn a spot at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Indian gymnasts are getting ready for the last FIG World Cup series. Gymnasts to watch out for at the FIG World Cup 2024 in Doha are Tokyo Olympian Pranati Nayak and fourth-place vault finisher Dipa Karmakar from the Rio Olympics 2016.
India is poised to send its biggest group yet to the Paris Olympics for shooting events, with 19 athletes having already earned spots for the nation. These skilled marksmen will try to grab an additional five spots, with one up for grabs in each of the men’s and women’s trap and skeet events, plus one in the women’s air pistol discipline.
They’ll get their chance at the last Olympic qualifying rounds for rifle/pistol and shotgun events, slated for April 11-14 and April 19-29, respectively. It’s important to note that a National Olympic Committee can claim up to 24 spots at most.
The table tennis competitions are ones to keep an eye on, especially with the continuous ascent of Indian paddlers in the rankings. India’s challenge in the World Mixed Doubles Olympic Qualification event is led by Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manika Batra.
The seasoned doubles duo of Australian Matthew Ebden and Rohan Bopanna is expected to deliver a spectacular show at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters in tennis. Sumit Nagal will participate in the qualifying stages of the 2024 BMW Open in addition to the Estoril Open.
Last month’s national trial champions, selected by the temporary committee, will strive for prominence at the Seniors Asian Championships and vie for Olympic spots during the 2024 Asian Qualifiers in Bishkek. The victors will aim for the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifiers, while second-place finishers will partake in the Senior Championships. India’s Vinesh Phogat, competing in the women’s 50kg, and Aman Sehrawat, in the men’s 57kg freestyle categories, are set to lead at the Olympic Qualifiers.
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