Bhandara became the first district in Maharashtra to be COVID free on 6th August, after the sole patient recovering from the infection was discharged and no new cases were reported throughout the day. Proper planning and collective efforts towards testing and treatment of the infection have been cited as chief factors in making the district completely COVID free for the Triumph over COVID first time since the pandemic started.
Harihar Behera, a native of Tulubi village in Odisha proved that where there is a will, there is indeed a way, by carving a three-kilometer-long road through a mountain. Tired of waiting for government support, Harihar, his brother and other villagers took matters in their own hands and have today completed the task he started 30 years ago.
Mirabai Chanu, who won India’s first medal in the Tokyo Olympics, treated about 150 drivers from Manipur to gifts and a sumptuous lunch. She expressed her gratitude towards these truck drivers for giving her lifts to and from her village and her training centre, everyday for several years.
A recent paper by Bahahta Ansumali Mukhopadhyay has uncovered evidence that Ancestral Dravidian languages were possibly spoken by a significant population of the Indus Valley Civilization. This finding has opened new doors to decoding the complex prehistory of the South Asian subcontinent.
In another triumph for India at the Olympics, wrestler Bajrang Punia entered the semi-finals after defeating Iran’s Morteza, thus placing him in medal contention. There are high hopes from Punia who has started his first Olympic journey with two consecutive wins, despite some concerns about a previous knee injury.
In the high jump event, athletes Gianmarco Tamberi from Italy and Mutaz Barshim from Qatar found themselves in a tie. Instead of proceeding with a tiebreaker, the two heartwarmingly decided to share the win. Barshim said that they both truly deserved the gold, while Tamberi said that sharing the win with a friend made it extra beautiful.
At this year’s Olympics, surfing as a sport debuted in Tokyo. Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi lost to Brazili’s Italo Ferreira in their match, resulting in him getting trolled online. However, instead of feeling resentful, Igarashi kindly translated a press conference question for his competitor using his knowledge of Portuguese, getting beaming thanks from officials and Ferreira.
In an event full of medals and victors, an unlikely hero rose at the Olympics: Kindness. In a beautiful show of sportsmanship, Norwegian athlete Lotte Miller, who had placed 24th in the women’s triathlon, consoled Belgian runner Claire Michel, who had placed last in the race. Miller walked up to a tearful Michel and commended her fighting instincts and Olympic spirit.
The Mitti Cafe in Bangalore was established four years ago by 28-year-old Alina Alam. The cafe is run by disabled folk and aims to spread awareness about rights for the physically disabled and people with special needs. Alina expressed that change needs to occur, not in these people but in society’s perception of them. The cafe currently has 116 paid employees, most of whom have special needs!
The Indian women’s hockey team made history by qualifying for the back-to-back Olympic Games. The team, led by Rani Rampal from Haryana, is at the Olympics only for the third time. They first played in Moscow in the 1980 Olympics and then played in Rio for the 2020 games, after a 36-year absence. Now in Tokyo, they are better prepared than ever, giving Indians and Chak de India fans everywhere, great hope!
