BENGALURU --- When the womens 4x400m relay quartet of Nirmala Sheoran, Tintu Luka, MR Poovamma and Anilda Thomas booked Indias berth at the Rio Olympics during the Indian Grand Prix in Bengaluru earlier this month, one of their teammates would have been forgiven for pumping her fist harder than others.At 28, Ashwini Akkunji is raring to have her first go at the Olympics. More than that, it would be a shot at redemption for her.I come from an agricultural family in a small village called Jansale, Udupi district (in Karnataka), and in my childhood days I used to run in school, Akkunji says. My father always encouraged me about sports. The foundation of my career in sport was when I went to a sports school in Bangalore.Starting out as a sprinter, the young Akkunji tried her hand at 800m as well, before settling on the 400m, encouraged by her father, who observed how her lanky frame and stride-length gave her a natural advantage.However, it would take a few years, until the preparations for a seminal year in 2010 which brought her in touch with Russian coach Yuri Ogorodnik, that Akkunji began a purple patch in her career.The year 2010 was really amazing, because I got a very good opportunity to train under Yuri and the 4X400m relay team; the seniors were really good back then, Akkunji says of a phase when she helped India to relay golds in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games and the Guangzhou Asian Games, besides bagging the 400m hurdles gold in the latter.I learnt a lot of things from my seniors, truly speaking, because they guided me. They told me things about running and also encouraged me a lot.A dark phase was to follow, when Akkunji and two of her relay teammates were among seven athletes who tested positive for anabolic steroids just prior to an Asian Championship in Japan the following year. Akkunjis voice chokes when recalling the two-year ban that followed.Those two years, emotionally and personally as well, were the hardest of my life, Akkunji says. My morale had really gone down. If my life had been normal then, I could have won gold medal. People used to humiliate us; I know it was a difficult situation. Life was entirely different, between 2010 and 2014.The ban was lifted 2013, and her first competitive race only took place the following June at the Inter-State Championship in Lucknow. Running the 400m hurdles, she beat her closest competitor by almost nine seconds in her heat. She then clinched the gold with a timing that broke the existing meet record -- held by Jauna Murmu, ironically one of her former colleagues who was also handed out a ban in 2011.She was ready for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, though this time the Indian team would fall way short of defending the crown they picked up in Delhi, finishing fifth in their heat. In two months time, Akkunji sat out as her younger teammates smashed the existing Asian Games record -- recorded by Akkunji and her team in 2010 -- on their way to the relay gold in Incheon.Akkunji stresses the importance of educating athletes about what they are ingesting, while pointing out an inherent flaw in the Indian drug-testing system.We dont have any specialised lab here to test. If anyone is taking something, we dont know what we are taking. We (athletes) are not manufacturers; at least we should have one specialist lab where we can test whatever we have taken. It is just a precaution.Akkunji also demands greater accountability from the nutritional supplements industry, possibly because there were rumours at the time of her ban that the banned substances had been introduced into the athletes due to supplements given by their coaches.The supplements industry is just a money-making enterprise. They dont think about athletes. But as athletes, we have to take supplements. Our physical capacity is not that much; we have to train and we need recovery.We cant say daal, chawal, roti?(pulses, rice and bread) and youll be an Olympic medallist. I dont think so; it would be foolishness. If daal, chawal, roti?was the diet of champions, every man on the street would be a medallist. Everybody is different and we have to think about recovery, diet, and everything.Akkunjis eyes light up when asked about the prospects of the relay team in Rio. Our team is really good for the Olympics. Two of the girls are from PT Ushas academy, one of the girls, Nirmala (Sheoran), is from Haryana; shes a really young girl. And we also have (MR) Poovamma, Anilda (Thomas), Debashree (Majumdar) and me.?People can say anything, but the 4x400m girls will always come in medal reckoning. New girls, anybody, (even) if I am not there, any of the other girls...the 4x400m team is always going to win in Asia and the next Commonwealth Games also. Were going to get medals. Vapormax Plus Herre Danmark . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods. Vapormax Dame Tilbud Dk . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. http://www.vapormaxdanmark.com/vapormax-dame-sko-danmark/vapormax-plus-dk.html . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Vapormax Herre Zalando . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. Vapormax Dame Tilbud Danmark . The 18-year-old American had five birdies in her bogey-free round for a 17-under total of 196. Lee held the overnight lead but mixed three birdies with two bogeys for a 70. ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Retirement proved to be temporary for Percy Harvin, the once-dynamic playmaker whos back in the NFL and returning to Buffalo to reinforce the Bills injury-depleted group of receivers.Using the past six months to rest his mind and rehab numerous injuries that led him to walk away from football in April, Harvin was back on the practice field Tuesday, shortly after signing a one-year contract.It felt good, just the smell of the grass again, the smell of the pads when I walked in the locker room, Harvin said. Man, when youre away from it, you miss so much of those things.Then, breaking into a smile as beads of sweat dribbled down his forehead, he added: The time I took it was well needed. But it was time to go back to work.Harvin returns to the team he essentially walked out on a year ago, when he elected not to travel overseas for Buffalos game at London. He blamed that decision on the personal frustrations he felt in being in constant pain from a knee injury that was also affecting his hip.Limited to playing just five games last season, Harvin finished with 19 catches for 218 yards and a touchdown before being placed on the season-ending injured reserve .He said he had surgery on one of his knees in January, and spent much of his time off working out.The only question mark is when the 28-year-old might be ready to play.Well see. I think I could, Harvin said, when asked if he might be available to play on Monday night, when the Bills (4-4) travel to play Seattle (4-2-1).He cautioned he wasnt going to rush back and risk being hurt, even if it meant missing a game against one of his former teams.I just want to be the best I can be and play at the level that I know I can, Harvin said.A more realistic expectation would have Harvin making his debut at Cincinnati on Nov. 20, once the Bills return from their bye week.Staying healthy has been an issue for Harvin, the NFLs Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2009. In his first four seasons in Minnesota, he combined for 3,302 yards receiving and 29 touchdowns (including four rushing and five returns). Over the past three years, hes managed just 728 yards receiving and three scores combined with three teams.Though the Bills are taking a wait-and-see approach with Harvin, they need immediate help given the state of their banged-up offense.Their top receiving threat, Sammy Watkins (left foot),, is on injured reserve and not eligible to begin practicing for another three weeks.dddddddddddd. No. 2 receiver Robert Woods is playing despite an injury to his right foot. And speedster Marquise Goodwins status is uncertain after missing one game because of a concussion.I wouldnt say desperate, but were always looking no matter what position to upgrade, general manager Doug Whaley said.Whaley understood the reasons behind Harvins decision to retire in April. And yet he made sure to keep tabs on Harvin in the event he might have a change of heart.Once we started going down this road, we said, `Maybe after getting healthy, lets see where his mind is, Whaley said. When we reached out, he said he was interested, and now hes with the Buffalo Bills.Harvin didnt give resuming his career much thought until he started to begin feeling healthy last summer. Even then, he didnt want to make a snap decision.It wasnt until the Bills contacted him about two weeks ago, when Harvin was forced to make up his mind.I kind of just walked around my house for a few hours still not knowing whether I was going to come back or not, Harvin recalled.He decided to return after consulting with his family and friends, including several retired NFL players.It helps, too, that hes familiar with Bills players, the offensive playbook and coaching staff.Thats my boy, Im definitely excited, quarterback Tyrod Taylor said. Taylor and Harvin grew up in the Virginia Beach, Virginia, area and played high school football and basketball against each other.Percy obviously is a dynamic playmaker, said fullback Jerome Felton, who also played with Harvin in Minnesota. If hes healthy, youre adding an A-plus player to the team.In signing Harvin, Buffalo freed up a roster spot by placing starting safety Aaron Williams on injured reserve.Though under contract through 2018, Williams career is in question after sustaining his second neck injury in just over a calendar year in a 28-25 loss at Miami on Oct. 23, when he was blindsided by Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry.Last week, his father told The Associated Press that Williams plans to wait until the offseason to determine whether to continue playing.---AP NFL website: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '