Current Affairs December 2017 - Sports

1 - Prithvi Shaw to lead India in 2018 ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup

Batsman Prithvi Shaw will lead a 16-member Indian team in 2018 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. The All-India Junior Selection Committee has finalized the India U19 team for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2018. The 16-team event will be held in New Zealand from 13^th January to 3^rd February 2018. India have won the Under-19 World Cup title thrice in 2000, 2008 and 2012. India is the joint-most successful team in the history of the tournament along with Australia who were winners in 1988, 2002 & 2010.

2 - Virat Kohli became first captain to register a hat-trick of centuries

Indian captain Virat Kohli created history by becoming the first captain to score a hat-trick of centuries in a three-match series. He not only made hat trick of centuries but also scored his sixth double century, the highest as a captain. With six double centuries, Virat Kohli broke the record of Brian Lara for most double centuries scored by a Test captain. The history was created on the second day of the third and final Test against Sri Lanka. With 6 double centuries, Virat Kohli matched Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag for most double hundreds for India in Tests.

3 - IOC banned Russia from next year's Winter Games

Russia were banned from the 2018 Olympics over state-sponsored doping but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that Russian competitors would be able to compete under strict conditions. Russian athletes would be able to take part in the Games, as independent competitors under the Olympic flag. The IOC announced the decision after examining evidence of state-sponsored doping over several years that reached a high-point at the Winter Olympics hosted in Sochi, Russia, in 2014. The decision was taken in the IOC's executive board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.

4 - India won first-ever South Asian Regional Badminton Team Championship

India has won the first-ever South Asian Regional Badminton Team Championship. India defeated Nepal, 3-0, in the final held at Guwahati. Aryaman Tandon won the boys' singles competition after he defeated Dipesh Dhami 21-9, 21-15. Ashmita Chaliha won by 21-9, 21-6 over Rashila Maharjan in the Girls' singles event. In Boys' Doubles, the pair of Arintap Dasgupta and Krishna Prasad beat the duo of Dipesh Dhami and Nabin Shrestha 19-21, 21-14, 21-11 to seal the deal for India.

5 - Sports Minister launched SAICON 2017 in New Delhi

The first international conference on sports medicine and sports sciences SAICON 2017 was launched by the Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports in Delhi. Sports medicine doctors and scientists contribute significantly to athletes’ performance as they provide an edge to their talent and skills and help in facilitating rehabilitation and recovery. SAICON 2017 promoted scientific temperament in the country and inspired students, researchers and educationists alike to take up sports science and research to the next level.

6 - India won five medals at 10^th Asian Airgun Shooting Championship

India won five medals at the 10^th Asian Airgun Shooting Championships in Japan. Ravi Kumar won an individual bronze in the men's 10 metre air rifle, while Arjun Babuta won individual silver in the corresponding junior men's event. India also bagged three team silver medals in each of the three air rifle events. Overall, India had seven individual finalists across the three events. This will be the same range where the shooting competitions for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be hosted.

7 - Government to launch 'Khelo India' programme to bring sports into mainstream

The government will launch a 'Khelo India' programme at a cost of 1,756 crore rupees for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20. Some salient features of the programme:

• A new Pan Indian Sports Scholarship scheme, which will cover 1,000 most talented young athletes each year across select sports disciplines, will be introduced. Each athlete selected under the scheme will receive an annual scholarship worth 5 lakh rupees for 8 years

• Year 2018 will be celebrated as Year of Sports.

• Promote 150 select schools and 20 universities across the country, as hubs of sporting excellence

8 - Australia beat Argentina to win gold in Hockey World League final

Australia’s Kookaburras have defended the Hockey World League title that they won in Raipur two years ago by claiming a 2-1 triumph over reigning Olympic champions Argentina. Blake Govers and Jeremy Hayward scored for Australia. The two teams occupy the top two spots in the FIH World Rankings.

Awards

9 - Cristiano Ronaldo won 5^th BALLON D'OR

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or for a fifth time to equal Lionel Messi for the most Ballons d'Or of all time. Ronaldo scored 42 goals across all competitions during the 2016-17 season, leading Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double. He helped Madrid to a La Liga, Champions League and Spanish Super Cup treble this year. Ronaldo won his first prize in 2008 before successes in 2013, 2014 and 2016. Lionel Messi finished second in the voting while Brazil's Neymar finished third.

10 - India to host 2021 Champions Trophy and 2023 World Cup

India has been selected as venue for conducting One Day International World Cup in 2023 as well as the Champions Trophy in 2021. It has been for the first occasion that India would be hosting an ODI World Cup completely as it had earlier co-hosted ODI World Cup in 1987, 1996 and 2011. The 2021 ICC Champions Trophy to be held in India, is the 9^th edition of ICC Champions Trophy, a One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament. 2023 Cricket World Cup will be the 13^th Cricket World Cup competition to be held in India.

11 - Saurabh Chaudhary qualified for 2018 Youth Olympics Games

India's Saurabh Chaudhary registered his place by qualifying with a gold medal for the 2018 Youth Olympics Games and a junior world record in 10m air pistol at the Asia Youth Olympics Games qualification tournament held in Wako City, Japan. With this, he became third Indian to register a qualifying place for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games at the 10^th Asian Airgun Championship. 10^th Asian Airgun Championship is a qualifying event for the 3^rd Youth Olympic Games, Buenos Aires, Argentina (2018).

12 - Rohit Sharma became first batsman to hit third double century in ODIs

Rohit Sharma became the first batsman to score three double hundreds in one-day international cricket. No other batsman in the world has more than one. Rohit scored an unbeaten 208 off just 153 balls. He scored his first double hundred against Australia with 209 off 158 balls. He hit his second double hundred for 264 off 173 balls, against Sri Lanka, which still remains the highest score in ODI cricket.

13 - India became first-ever team to register their 100^th ‘300 plus’ score of team total

India played the second ODI against Sri Lanka to score their 100^th 300-plus score of team total. With this total team’s 100^th 300+ scores, India became first-ever team to receive such achievement. Indian team is closely followed by Australian team at 2^nd position with 96 instances of scoring 300-plus team total scores. It will also be considered as 25^th occurrence of India scoring 350+ scores in an ODI innings, closely following leading team South Africa with 26 such instances in total.

14 - Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma claimed Joburg Open title

Veteran indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma won maiden European Tour victory in the Joburg Open, in South Africa. With this triumph, he became fifth Indian to win a European Tour event. Other Indian players who won this title were Arjun Atwal, Jeev Milkha Singh, SSP Chowrasia and Anirban Lahiri. Shubhankar Sharma recently took to professional golf and has bagged Professional Golf Tour of India title for five times. The Joburg Open is a trio event by the European, Asian and South African Sunshine Tours with 240 players playing on two golf courses.

15 - BCCI lifted ban on Rajasthan Cricket Association

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has lifted the ban on the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) provided former IPL chief Lalit Modi stays away from its functioning. The Rajasthan Cricket Association was suspended in 2014 after Lalit Modi, ex-Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner, was re-elected its president. Ever since, the RCA's cricket affairs were controlled by BCCI. BCCI has also added a clause that the ban could be reinstated if Modi returns in any capacity.

16 - Roger Federer named BBC overseas sports personality of the year

Roger Federer has been voted BBC overseas sports personality of the year for a record fourth time. Federer previously won the award in 2004, 2006 and 2007. Muhammad Ali and Usain Bolt have each won it three times. Federer became the first man to win Wimbledon eight times and extended his record to 19 Grand Slam titles in 2017. The BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year is an award presentedto a non-British sportsperson considered to have made the most substantial contribution to a sport in that year.

17 - Four-day test to have minimum of 98 overs per day

A minimum of 98 overs will be played on each day of the inaugural four-day test between South Africa and Zimbabwe starting December 26 in Port Elizabeth. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has granted official status to the new format. The play will be extended for an extra 30 minutes to accommodate the additional eight overs in the 4-day format. A first-innings lead of 150 will be enough to enforce the follow-on in the day-night fixture in Port Elizabeth.

18 - Sachin Siwach Named ABC’s Best Youth Boxer

World Youth Champion Sachin Siwach was named the Asian Boxing Confederation’s best youth boxer of the year. Sachin won an online poll conducted by Asian Boxing Confederation with 36.2% of the votes in his category. India's Lenny D'Gama won the Best Asian International Technical Official (ITO) award with 45.5% of the total votes. He officiated at the ASBC Asian Confederation junior boxing championships in Puerto Princesa and also in the Asian Women’s boxing championships in Ho Chi Minh City.

19 - Narinder Batra Elected IOA President

International Hockey Federation (FIH) Chief Narinder Batra has been elected as the new President of the Indian Olympic Association for a four-year term from 2018-22. Batra received 143 of the 160 votes polled. His rival Anil Khanna, honorary life president of the All India Tennis Federation, got 13. Rajeev Mehta was re-elected as Secretary General for a second term. Anandeshwar Pandey was elected as treasurer while R K Anand was elected as senior vice president.

20 - Official emblems for Beijing 2022 Winter Games unveiled

The Beijing 2022 Organising Committee (BOCOG) unveiled the official emblems of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter games Beijing 2022. The emblem resembles a skater at the top and a skier at the bottom. The flowing ribbon-like motif between them symbolises the host country’s rolling mountains, Olympic venues, ski pistes and skating rinks. It also points to the fact that the Games will coincide with the Chinese New Year. The emblem was designed by artist Lin Cunzhen.

21 - Sushil Kumar won Gold at Commonwealth Wrestling Championships

India's Sushil Kumar clinched a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship in Johannesburg, South Africa. He defeated New Zealand’s Akash Khullar via a pinfall in the final of the 74kg freestyle category. Sakshi Malik also linched a gold medal in the championship after she defeated New Zealand's Tayla Tuahine Ford by a score of 13-2 in the final of the 62 kg women's freestyle category. India returned with a total of 29 gold, 24 silver and 6 bronze medals from the championships.

22 - PV Sindhu won silver at BWF World Superseries Finals

PV Sindhu lost to World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the women's singles summit clash of the BWF World Superseries Finals. Sindhu won the first game but Akane Yamaguchi registered an incredible comeback to take home the title. Sindhu had won two super series titles at India Open and Korea Open, besides reaching the finals at Hong Kong Open and World Championship this year. Viktor Axelsen of Denmark won the men's singles final against Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia.

23 - Mo Farah won BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award

Sir Mo Farah was named the winner of the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award. He got the most votes. World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea came second and two-time Paralaympic champion Jonnie Peacock came in third place. The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award is the main award of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, which takes place each December. The recipient must either be British or reside and play a significant amount of their sport in the United Kingdom.

24 - Real Madrid presented with the FIFA World Champions Badge

Real Madrid has been presented with the FIFA World Champions Badge. Real Madrid have earned the honour of being able to wear the official FIFA World Champions Badge on their competition jerseys for the duration of 2018. Real Madrid defeated Gremio in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017. The FIFA World Champions Badge is awarded to each winning team at a major FIFA event. The design of the badge includes the respective tournament trophy along with the tournament edition.

25 - Lionel Messi won La Liga Best Player Award

Lionel Messi has won the Marca's award for the best player in La Liga in 2016-17. It was the fifth career Alfredo Di Stefano Award for the Barcelona star after he scored 37 goals and provided nine assists during the 2016-17 La Liga season. Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the award last year, has won it four times. Messi also won the Pichichi award for finishing as top scorer in La Liga. Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak was honoured with the Zamora trophy as the top goalkeeper.

26 - India's Prasad and Shaikh to officiate in 2018 Hockey World Cup

India's Raghu Prasad and Javed Shaikh were named in the panel of umpires for 2018 Hockey World Cup to be held in Bhubaneswar. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that 25 officials representing 19 countries from all five continents will officiate at this prestigious event taking place at the Kalinga Stadium. During ‘Vitality Hockey Women's World Cup London 2018’ appointments, both men and women will undertake officiating roles at this event, further enhancing FIH's drive to enhance gender parity across all areas of the sport.

27 - Mithali Raj and Ekta Bisht selected for ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year

India captain Mithali Raj was named in the ICC Women's ODI Cricket Team of the Year while left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht was the lone cricketer to find a place in the both the ODI and T20 Teams of the year announced by the world body. Besides the duo, Harmanpreet Kaur has found out a place in the ICC Women's T20I Team of the Year. Bisht is the only cricketer to feature in both the ODI and T20I teams of the year.

28 - 2022 Commonwealth Games to be held in Birmingham, England

2022 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Birmingham, England. Prior to England, Durban city of South Africa was announced as host city but due to financial difficulties faced by South Africa, Commonwealth Games Federation reopened the bid process for the 2022 games. Birmingham is a city in the West Midlands of England, standing on the small River Rea. XXII Commonwealth Games will be an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth. The motto of 2022 Commonwealth Games is ‘Heart of the UK, Soul of the Commonwealth’.

29 - Sushil Kumar became highest paid wrestler at PWL Auction

Sushil Kumar emerged as the most expensive wrestler in the history of Pro Wrestling League. Delhi Sultan paid Rs 55 lakh to acquire his services. Sushil was bought for Rs. 38 lakhs in the first season. Vladimir Khinchegashvili was the previous highest sold wrestler for Rs 48 lakh. The third season of Pro Wrestling League will commence on 9^th January. Sushil won the National Championship and gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in South Africa.

30 - IOC banned 11 Russians for life over alleged Sochi Games doping violations

Sochi luge silver medallists Albert Demchenko and Tatyana Ivanova were among a group of 11 Russians disqualified for doping and handed lifetime bans by the International Olympic Committee. Demchenko and Ivanova were punished along with two speed skaters, three cross country skiers, two bobsledders and two ice hockey players. Russia has been banned from taking part at next year's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea due to this widespread doping. However, athletes who prove themselves to be clean can compete under strict conditions, and under a neutral flag.

31 - Indian boxers claimed 3 gold medals at Galym Zharylgapov Boxing Tournament

Indian boxers claimed three gold, a silver, and a bronze medal at the Galym Zharylgapov Boxing Tournament in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. India's Gold Medal winners were K Shyam Kumar in 49kg, Naman Tanwar in 91kg and Satish Kumar in the +91kg category. 19-year-old Tanwar was adjudged the best boxer of the tournament. The silver medal came through national champion Manish Kaushik in 60kg, while Mandeep Jangra accounted for the Bronze in the 75 kg category after going down in the semifinals. The season-ending tournament featured five international and 15 local teams, adding up to 154 boxers in all.

32 - Boxer Vijender Singh retained WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific Super Middleweight titles

Vijender Singh went into the offensive to defend his WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific Super middleweight titles with an unanimous verdict over African champion Ernest Amuzu in Jaipur, continuing his unbeaten run in the pro circuit. With this victory, Vijender has now won 10 pro bouts on the trot and retains twin titles. The 32-year-old Olympic bronze medallist won all his nine fights in the professional career. He has emerged as the king of 'Rumble Rajasthan'.

33 - Team India rose to 2^nd place in ICC T20 Rankings

Team India rose to 2^nd place in ICC T20 Rankings. Aussie opener Aaron Finch emerged as the top-ranked batsman in the Twenty20 format dethroning Indian skipper Virat Kohli as per the latest ICC rankings. Kohli was pushed to the third position. As per ICC rules, players lose two per cent of their ratings for each T20 match they miss. Kohli's points, therefore, dropped from 824 to 776. On the bowlers list, Jasprit Bumrah was pushed to third position. Pakistan with 124 points topped the team rankings.

34 - India finished as runners-up in SAFF U-15 Women's Championships

India finished as runners-up in the SAFF Under-15 Women's Championships. India lost to Bangladesh 0-1 in the final at Dhaka. In a closely contested game, Shamsun Nahar's strike in the 41^st minute helped Bangladesh to bag the title. India defeated Bhutan and Nepal in the first two games at group stage. The 2017 SAFF U-15 Women's Championship was 1^st ever edition of the SAFF U-15 Women's Championship, an international football competition for women's under-15 national teams organized by SAFF. India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan participated in this South Asian Football Federation tournament.

35 - Association of Indian Football Coaches launched in Mumbai

The Association of Indian Football Coaches, AIFC, was launched in Mumbai, with the recognition of the All India Football Association to provide a platform and for the welfare of the coaches. The aim of AIFF is to develop 65,000 coaches in the next five years. Dinesh Nair, former India captain I M Vijayan, former international player Derrick Pereira, Sanjoy Sen and Thangboi Singto form the board of Directors of the AIFC. The AIFC is supported by Sporting Lions Foundation.

36 - Viswanathan Anand won World Rapid Chess Championship

India’s Viswanathan Anand won the World Rapid Chess Championship in Riyadh. he remained unbeaten all through. He defeated Magnus Carlsen in the ninth round and went to win over Russia’s Vladimir Fedoseev in the final in a tie breaker. Anand had last won this title in 2003. India's P. Harikrishna finished 16^th, Surya Shekhar Ganguly 60^th and Vidit Gujarathi 61^st. The women’s title was won by China’s Ju Wenjun. Dronavalli Harika was the best-placed Indian, finishing 19^th.