Table tennis star Achanta Sharath Kamal was India’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022.

New Delhi: Veteran table tennis player and reigning CWG champion Sharath Kamal will be India’s flag-bearer at the 2024 Paris Olympics, while legendary boxer MC Mary Kom was appointed chef de mission of the country’s contingent on Thursday. The 41-year-old table tennis player symbolizes “the unity and spirit of our contingent as they compete on the Olympic stage,” the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said in a statement while making the announcement.

“It was an incredible three weeks. From not even being assured of an Olympic spot to playing like I did last week in Singapore, rising 54 places in the rankings to the title of India’s flag bearer,” Kamal told PTI. “It is the greatest honor and a fairytale story, as it will be my fifth and last Olympic Games. Moreover, not many TT players worldwide have received that honor. I just got a call from the IOA and I couldn’t believe it.”

Kamal was the flag bearer for India at the closing ceremony of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022. Recently, the Indian men’s and women’s teams had qualified for the team events of the Olympic Games for the first time based on their rankings. Six-time world champion Mary Kom, bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, will be assisted by luger Shiva Keshavan, who has been appointed deputy chef de mission.

“Mary Kom’s unparalleled dedication to sport and inspiring journey make her a natural choice to guide and guide our athletes at the Olympic Games,” the IOA said. “Keshavan, a former Olympian in luge, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to support the team’s management and coordination efforts.”

Olympic bronze medalist in rifle shooting Gagan Narang will oversee India’s operations at the shooting range, which is very far away from the main locations. India will send its largest ever shooting contingent to Paris, with 19 quota already in hand.

“His (Narang’s) meticulous approach and understanding of athletes’ needs will ensure an enabling environment for our shooters,” the statement said. “These appointments represent a blend of experience, expertise and leadership that will contribute significantly to the success of our athletes on the world stage,” the statement said.

Commenting on the appointments, IOA President PT Usha said: “We are delighted to have such a distinguished and capable team of officials leading our contingent for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Their expertise, dedication and passion for sports will undoubtedly inspire our athletes to be the best they can be and make the nation proud.”

By Adam S. Levy for Dailymail.com

Published: 5:40 PM EDT, March 20, 2024 | Updated: 6:05 PM EDT, March 20, 2024

• A legendary jockey has died at the age of 93
• Cliff Clare won more than 1,500 races
• He retired from horse racing at the age of 62

By Ollie Lewis

Published: 5:53 AM EDT, March 20, 2024 | Updated: 2:49 PM EDT, March 20, 2024

The oldest and one of the chicest hotels in London started life as a nondescript terraced house.

But since then, royalty, American presidents and many other leading figures from the past two centuries have crossed the threshold.

Notably, the then Princess Elizabeth was present as guest of honor at Brown’s Hotel for the regimental tea party of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in July 1951.

And Diana, Princess of Wales, was a guest at the Association of American Correspondents in London in 1996, at a time when she was consulting lawyers about her divorce from Prince Charles.

Legend has it that when Winston Churchill was asked which hotel in London he preferred, he replied: ‘I don’t stay in a hotel; I’m staying with Brown.’

It has provided them all with a sanctuary that is both opulent and intimate. Located in the heart of Mayfair, it remains one of the most exclusive places to stay in the capital, spread across what was once 13 adjoining Georgian properties.

The Kipling Suite – named after author Rudyard Kipling – costs £6,000 per night.

Yet the original owner, after whom the hotel is named, was the humble servant James Brown, who, it is said, had worked in Lord Byron’s household.

He could only afford to rent the property and converted it into a hotel in 1832.

But his timing was perfect: the nobility began to prefer hotels to the costs of renting or maintaining a home in London.

Brown and his wife Sarah, another servant, made a winning team by learning to mirror their guests’ own country homes in a comfortable and discreet way.

Kipling considered Brown’s his second home.

He had lunch with his best man on the day of his wedding and is said to have started The Second Jungle Book there.

It was also the place where he wrote to a friend in 1915: ‘My son is going to Flanders this week. So we wait in town until he leaves… ‘A month later John Kipling was killed at the Battle of Loos.

Horror movie star Peter Cushing called Brown’s “my favorite hotel in London.”

He even had a stay there written into his Hammer studio contract during filming.

One night, American writer Stephen King couldn’t sleep during his stay at Brown’s. He went downstairs to find a quiet place to write and was led by a concierge to a desk that, according to legend, Kipling had used during his visits.

“Stirring cup after cup of tea, I filled sixteen pages of a shorthand notebook,” King recalls.

The result was the outline of Misery, his 1987 novel about a deranged fan.

History has been made at Brown’s.

In 1877, inventor Alexander Graham Bell stayed on his honeymoon and brought his new gadget with him – and made the first telephone call in Europe.

The Fortes’ involvement with the hotel began in 1970 when my father Charles, who had built a significant business, merged with TrustHouse, which owned Brown’s.

After a hostile takeover of the group by Granada in 1996, I was able to take over in 2003 when the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund decided to sell it.

A strict dress code was once enforced, requiring men to wear a jacket and tie.

The late actor Oliver Reed took off his pants in protest because legwear was not mandatory.

But even then he got the pants back nicely pressed at the end of the meal. Just as you would expect.

Leander Peas is a twenty-time Grand Slam winner. He is the first and only Indian to win a tennis medal at the Olympics.

Calcutta: Legendary tennis star Leander Paes has joined hands with a Calcutta-based real estate company in a strategic partnership with a keen focus on creating an environment that promotes sports as a way of life by honing emerging talent and creating abundant employment opportunities for former sportspersons through a series of centers of excellence in West Bengal.

The first joint venture project is to create an Olympic-level infrastructure with state-of-the-art training facilities under top coaches and systems with structured modules for different age groups across multiple disciplines. This will be India’s first multi-sport setup, complete with sports science, analytics, sports medicine and nutrition.

“I am excited about partnering with Shrachi to create an ecosystem that leverages sports for life, build the India of tomorrow and create jobs for more Indians,” said Leander, who has twenty years in his glittering career. has won Grand Slam titles.

The partnership is aware of its responsibility towards both sport and society and wants to invest in innovations, including support and development for top sport, but also for leisure and recreational sports. It also aims to combine application-oriented sports education with curriculum-based performing arts, especially theatre, literature, painting and local folk art.

The University will continuously promote interdisciplinary exchanges and close cooperation with various fields involved in the application of sports, encourage new academic talent and offer students specialized training in academically oriented career profiles.

Paes also envisions using sports as a catalyst for building more robust ecosystems within communities. His ambitious plan means he wants to reach 250 million Indian children in the next fifteen years. The partnership strategically focuses on a variety of sports including hockey, athletics, tennis, badminton and table tennis, in addition to the widely popular cricket and football.

At the heart of their strategy are grassroots-level coaching camps, led by former players, that foster a symbiotic relationship. This approach not only imparts valuable knowledge to aspiring athletes, but also generates employment for the players who have become mentors. This multi-faceted initiative is expected to open up a wide range of prospects for athletes in various sports.

A crucial aspect of their vision involves the development of a sports curriculum, further strengthening their commitment to promoting well-rounded sports education.

A SUNDAY league football team unveiled the ultimate ringer this weekend: legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo.

The striker – considered by many to be the best to ever play the game – put on his boots and left for Phoenix FC, bottom of the NWL Division 8 in Essex.

6

6

6

Their beleaguered line-up was strengthened by the ex-pro, now 47, who stepped up as super-sub with his side trailing 4-0.

R9, with number 17, initially showed some nice details and kicked off with a bit of Brazilian flair: a rabona pass.

The World Cup winner hung up his boots 13 years ago, but put them back on to play for ‘one of the worst teams in England’ after winning a Paddy Power social media competition.

Unfortunately, even the football team could not turn around its team’s fortunes as Essex was a long way from Rio de Janeiro in March.

After being caught offside – and on his phone – the superstar was promptly sent back by his temporary manager.

Phoenix FC manager Brian Edwards said: “The boys couldn’t believe it when Ronaldo turned up. I didn’t register him, so I used the name ‘Dave Walsh’ and benched him.

“Unfortunately, he was anything but a Super Sub.

“He was late getting changed and we were way behind by the time I could put him on, but it’s definitely a moment I’ll remember forever.

“The rest of his performance? Less memorable.”

Ronaldo’s antics in Essex were all part of a script social media video released on Paddy Power’s channels to launch new betting feature Super Sub, which transfers bets when a player is knocked out – even giving one fan a 1998 Ronaldo haircut for the occasion.

A spokesperson for the betting company said: “They say the form is temporary, but now that we’ve seen it in real life, Ronaldo’s post-retirement form looks quite permanent. It happens to all of us, R9.”

6

6

6

In 1968, she was awarded the Padma Shri and in 2011, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.

PM Modi meets Vyjayanthimala: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Padma Vibhushan, legendary actress Vyjayanthimala, and said she is admired across India for her exemplary contribution to the world of Indian cinema.

PM Modi posted on X: “Glad to have met Vyjayanthimala Ji in Chennai. She has just been awarded the Padma Vibhushan and is admired across India for her exemplary contribution to the world of Indian cinema.

I am glad I met Vyjayanthimala Ji in Chennai. She has just been awarded the Padma Vibhushan and is admired across India for her exemplary contribution to the world of Indian cinema. pic.twitter.com/CFVwp1Ol0t

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 4, 2024

Vyjayanthimala Bali was conferred on the Padma Vibhushan this year.

In 1968, she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, and in 2011, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.

Vyjayanthimala made her acting debut in the Tamil film ‘Vazhkai’ and eventually made a name for herself in the Tamil and Telegu film industry. She made her Bollywood debut with ‘Bahar’.

Vyjayanthimala has received several awards for her contributions to the film industry.

Vyjayanthimala’s political career began in 1984 when she contested the 1984 Tamil Nadu general elections from the South Chennai constituency as a Congress candidate against Janata Party leader Era Sezhiyan.

Vyjayanthimala won the election by a margin of around 48,000 votes and a percentage of 51.92.

'Namaskar Behno aur Bhaiyon! Main aapka dost Ameen Sayani bol raha hoon..!' India's first celebrity Radio Jockey Ameen Sayani's famous line will be missed. May his soul rest in peace.

The legendary radio host Ameen Sayani – who ruled the airwaves and ruled the hearts of millions of 'Behno aur Bhaiyon' in the Indian subcontinent and neighboring countries – fell silent forever after suffering a cardiac arrest at the age of 91. Ameen Sayani is survived by his son Rajil and several grandchildren. Sayani suffered a heart attack late on Tuesday and was rushed to Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Nana Chowk where he breathed his last. “His remains will be kept for people to pay their last respects at Famous Studios, Mahalaxmi, followed by burial,” Rajil Sayani said in a statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union I&B Minister Anurag Thakur, Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other bigwigs from the political and entertainment fraternity paid tributes and offered their condolences to Sayani's family.

The iconic lines of the country's first famous Radio Jockey: “Namaskar Behno aur Bhaiyon! Main aapka dost Ameen Sayani bol raha hoon..!” became embedded in the hearts of millions of people, spanning several generations, and remains an unparalleled radio greeting even today.

Sayani became a household name with the country's first popular countdown show featuring the best Bollywood songs on Radio Ceylon (now Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation) and subsequently on All India Radio (AIR).

“One of the greatest radio presenters, Ameen Sayani, has passed away. He was the iconic host of the popular radio show 'Binaca Geetmala',” AkashvaniAIR said on Wednesday in paying tribute to the renowned radio host.

An acclaimed communicator, a voice-over artist par excellence and an unparalleled storyteller, Sayani also had a great sense of humor, and over the decades his voice became synonymous with the golden age of Indian radio.

This was long before the airwaves were loosened up and a young breed of RJs took up the studio microphones.

He was born on December 21, 1932 in Mumbai, educated at St. Xavier's College and started working for Radio Ceylon from 1951. Sayani went on to create a massive record of presentations, presenting more than 54,000 radio programs and more than 19,000 spots or jingles, and appears as herself in several Hindi films.

Initially, he would help his mother Kulsum Sayani in editing a fortnightly multilingual magazine 'Rahber' initiated by Mahatma Gandhi, while his elder brother Hamid Sayani was an equally famous English broadcaster.

Starting with the 'Binaca Geetmala' (later 'Cibaca Geetmala', 'Hit Parade' and revived as 'Colgate Cibaca Geetmala'), the program reigned for 42 years from 1952-1994.

There, Sayani, in his mesmerizing voice, presented the best Bollywood songs of the week, counting down, with the grand finale of the top song ('Aur pehle payaan par hai…!'), for which his captivated audience placed bets, shouted and celebrated when they got directly.

Sayani also contributed to many English programs at AIR for a decade before he fully concentrated on Hindi programming and carved a permanent place in the hearts of his audience despite the meager payments at the time.

Through the 'Geetmala' series, Sayani also helped popularize Hindi film music among the masses through the humble 'family radio', especially for those who could not afford the expensive gramophone players and records.

Later, Sayani hosted popular shows like 'S Kumar ka Filmi Muqaddama' and 'Filmi Mulaqaat' on AIR and Vivid Bharati, and also the 'Bournvita Quiz Contest' which he took over from his brother after his death in 1975, and a 13-episode of a public awareness radio series in the form of plays based on actual HIV/AIDS cases.

Other big shows included: 'Sangeet Ke Sitaron Ki Mehfil', 'Shalimar Superlac Jodi', 'Saridon Ke Saathi' and later several parts of the 'Geetmala' program serials like 'Geetmala Ki Chhaon Mein' which was equally popular turned out to be .

He has also produced radio series for the BBC's ethnic network in the UK, Sunrise Radio in London, Radio Asia and Radio Ummal Quwain of the UAE, and various radio networks in Canada, the US, Africa and others.

As his popularity transcended national boundaries, Sayani hosted more than 2,000 live shows and events such as beauty pageants, international film festivals, fashion shows and others, in India and around the world, where audiences hung on to his every word.

Sayani received the Padma Shri (2009), the Hindi Ratna Puraskar (2007), IAAFA's Hall of Fame Award, among many other awards and accolades.

Miley Cyrus fans were left stunned Wednesday after her Grammy-winning single Flowers was ripped apart due to its lyrical and compositional similarity to previously released songs by other artists.

The American singer received mainstream music's top honor in February after the song was named Record of The Year and Cyrus Best Pop Solo Performance at the 66th annual Grammy Awards.

The break-up song, written by Cyrus with collaborators Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack, is widely believed to have been inspired by her divorce and subsequent divorce from ex-husband Liam Hemsworth.

But one clever Instagram user has highlighted the striking lyrical similarity to Bruno Mars hit When I Was Your Man, released twelve years before Flowers in 2012.

The chorus in particular seems to paraphrase Mars, who laments his apparent failure to buy his former lover flowers, hold her hand in public, or even dance with her.

Conversely, Cyrus reflects similar sentiments, albeit from the point of view of an empowered single woman who can “buy her own flowers” and “hold her own hand.”

Instagram user Jarred Jermaine also drew attention to the song's structure, highlighting its string arrangement and striking similarity to Gloria Gaynor's 1978 disco classic I Will Survive and South Korean girl group Ive's more contemporary 2023 single After Like.

Jermaine's comparisons also extend to Cyrus himself, whose thick Tennessee accent pairs eerily with the robotic sound of a Battle Droid from the George Lucas blockbuster Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Commenting on the post, a follower wrote, “Do these other artists get partial writing credit for her grammy?”

While a second theorized: “It was actually a sample of that song, as Miley's song is mainly a diss track from her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth, with apparently Mars' song being romantically 'their' song.”

Elsewhere, a third joked: “She copied two songs, responded to one 11 years after it came out, impersonated a B-1 Battle Droid and thought she could get away with it.”

A fourth added: 'I felt this the moment I heard her song. I'm not sure how Bruno Mars feels about this.

“Because the reality is, she wouldn't even get a Grammy if she didn't make a song that directly responded to 'When I Was Your Man.'

Cyrus defeated Taylor Swift to win her first-ever Grammy Awards in February for Flowers, accepting her first honor – Best Pop Solo Performance – from host Mariah Carey at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

“This MC will be standing next to this MC because this is just too iconic,” she said after receiving the award.

Cyrus then humorously admitted that she was more worried about missing meeting Mariah than accepting a Grammy Award when she was delayed on her way to the ceremony.

“Oh my God, I got stuck in the rain and traffic and thought I was going to miss this moment!”

“I could have missed the award, that's fine, but not Mariah Carey. I just saw you at the Hollywood Bowl and it was everything,” she added, quickly looking back at the fellow music artist.

Cyrus – who was nominated for the award along with Billie Eilish (What Was I Made For?), Doja Cat (Paint the Town Red), Olivia Rodrigo (Vampire) and Taylor Swift (Anti-Hero) – then compared Flowers to catching of flowers. a butterfly.

She explained, “I was sitting in my lucky seat number three, and so I'm going to tell a story that sums up this moment, and I wasn't planning on telling it… but now Mariah is here.”

“So there was a little boy who just wanted a butterfly for his birthday, and his parents gave him a butterfly net. He was so excited and went outside in the sun and started swinging and swinging, but with no luck.

“He sat down on the ground and finally let go and surrendered, and he was okay with the fact that he wasn't going to catch this beautiful butterfly. And right as he did that, this butterfly flew down and landed right on his nose.”

'This song Flowers is my butterfly, thank you'