Current Affairs March 2019 - Sports

1 - Deepak Singh Wins Gold at Makran Cup in Boxing

Deepak Singh (49 kg), National Boxing champion, was the only Indian boxer who grabbed a gold medal at the Makran Cup in Boxing. Five others claimed silver medals in Chabahar, Iran. Deepak defeated Jaafar Naseri in the finals.

P. Lalitha Prasad (52 kg), Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Manish Kaushik (60 kg), Duryodhan Singh Negi (69 kg), Sanjeet (91 kg) and Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Satish Kumar (+91 kg) claimed silver medals.

2 - Chris Gayle Becomes First Player to Smash 500 Sixes in International Cricket

Chris Gayle, West Indies opener became the first ever batsman to smash 500 or more sixes in international cricket. In the 4^th ODI against England in Grenada, Gayle scored 162 runs.

His innings contained a staggering 14 sixes and powered the Windies to their highest-ever ODI score of 389. Gayle also reached the 10,000-run milestone in ODIs and became only the second West Indian after Brian Lara (10,405 runs) to achieve the milestone.

3 - Roger Federer Claims 100^th ATP Title Of His Career

Roger Federer has claimed the 100^th ATP title of his career after beating 20-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships. The 20-time grand slam champion is the second man, after American Jimmy Connors to claim 100 titles.

Federer will have to win 10 more titles to beat Connors' men's record of 109, while Martina Navratilova holds the all-time record having won 167 women's singles crowns during her career.

4 - Finland Boxing Tournament: India Wins 1 Gold, 4 Silver

Kavinder Singh Bisht grabbed a Silver in 56 kg-category struck gold while Shiva Thapa claimed a Silver in 60 kg category. Three others claimed silver medals to end a fine Indian campaign at the 38^th GeeBee Boxing Tournament in Helsinki, Finland.

Bisht defeated Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist Hussamuddin in the 56 kg summit clash. Signing off with silver medals were three-time Asian medallists: Shiva Thapa, Govind Sahani, Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist: Mohammed Hussamuddin and Dinesh Dagar.

5 - All England Open Badminton Championships 2019: Complete List of Winners

2019 All England Open, officially YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships 2019 was a BWF World Tour 1000 event which took place at Arena Birmingham in England from 6 to 10 March 2019. It had a total purse of $1,000,000.

Here is the complete list of Winners of All England Open Badminton Championships 2019 −

6 - Sailor Upamanyu Dutta Clinches Bronze in Asian Regatta

In the Laser Asian Sailing Championship, Mumbai sailor Upamanyu Dutta bagged the bronze medal in the Laser Standard Race for Men which concluded in Singapore.

The young sailor gained India’s first ever medal in the competitive single-handed Laser Standard category. Nethra Kumanan of Chennai achieved a creditable 4^th position in the Laser Radial event for women.

7 - Special Olympics World Games 2019 in The UAE Makes History

Special Olympics World Games 2019 held from March 14 to March 21 in the UAE has made history by welcoming a record-breaking 200 nations ahead of the Games. Of the 200 nations, 195 will compete in the Games and five will observe.

It is being held in West Asia for the first time. 7,500 athletes will take part in 24 Olympic-style sports over seven days.

8 - Supreme Court Appoints PS Narasimha as Mediator to Resolve Disputes Within BCCI

The Supreme Court appointed senior advocate PS Narasimha as a mediator for resolving various disputes related to cricket administration within the cricket body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

PS Narasimha will hear the BCCI's position, and then make recommendations to the Committee of Administrators (CoA).

9 - India to Host U-17 Women's Football World Cup in 2020

India will host the Under-17 Women's Football World Cup in 2020. This was announced by the President of International Football Federation (FIFA) Gianni Infantino after the council meeting in Miami, USA.

This will be the second FIFA tournament India will be hosting, after the U-17 Men's World Cup in 2017.

10 - JP Duminy to Retire From ODIs After World Cup 2019

South African all-rounder JP Duminy announced that he would retire from ODIs after the ICC World Cup in England. Duminy will, however, continue to be available for South Africa in T20 Internationals.

Duminy, who announced his retirement from Test and first-class cricket in 2017, stated that 'the time is right' to close this chapter of his international career.

11 - 18-yr-old Diksha 2^nd Indian Golfer To Win Ladies European Tour

18-year-old Diksha Dagar has become the second Indian to win an event on Ladies European Tour after clinching South African Women's Open in Cape Town.

Aditi Ashok was the first Indian to win on the Ladies European Tour after clinching Hero Women's Indian Open in Gurugram in 2016.

12 - 2019 Swiss Open Championship Concludes: Complete List of Winners

The 2019 Swiss Open, officially the YONEX Swiss Open 2019, was a badminton tournament which took place at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland and had a total purse of $150,000.

Here is the complete list of Winners of 2019 Swiss Open Badminton Championships −

13 - Bottas Wins Australian F1 Grand Prix 2019

Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas beat his world champion teammate Lewis Hamilton to clinch the season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix.

Hamilton finished the race in the second spot, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished third.

14 - Asian Youth Championship 2019 Concludes: India Finishes 2^nd, China Tops

In Asian Youth Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, boys medley relay team won a gold medal for India on the final day to help Indian youth team finish second in the overall medals tally with a total of 26 medals including 8 gold, 9 silver and 9 bronze medals.

China topped the overall medals tally with 31 medals that included 12 gold, 11 silver and eight bronze medals and Japan finished third with 20 medals that included 6 Gold, 8 Silver and 6 bronze.

15 - Bengaluru FC Crowned ISL Champions For the 1^st Time

Bengaluru FC clinched their maiden Indian Super League title as Rahul Bheke found a championship-winning header in the dying minutes of the final against FC Goa, in Mumbai.

The two teams were locked 0-0 after 90 minutes. Even the first extra time saw no goals but Bengaluru got better of a 10-men Goan team 1-0, four minutes from the end of the second extra half.

16 - Special Olympics Games 2019 Concludes: India Bags 368 Medals

India returned with 368 medals (85 gold, 154 Silver, and 129 Bronze) at the Special Olympics World Summer Games, held at Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Indian powerlifters bagged the maximum number of medals: 20 gold, 33 silver and 43 bronze. Roller Skating earned India 49 medals: 13 gold, 20 silver and 16 bronze. In cycling, the Indians won 45 medals: 11 gold, 14 silver and 20 bronze.

17 - India Clinches SAFF Women’s Championship For 5^th Time

India has lifted South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women's Championship 5^th time in a row. Keeping its winning streak, India defeated the host Nepal in the final by 3-1 in Biratnagar, Nepal.

India's Dalmia Chhibber scored 1^st goal of the match in 26^th minute. India's Indumathi Kathiresan and Sabitra Tamang of Nepal remained top scorers of the tournament.

18 - Neeraj Chopra to lead Indian athletics team in Asian Championships

Star javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra was named to lead a 39-member Indian athletics team for next month's Asian Championships in Doha, with sprint sensation Hima Das also making the cut in 400m despite her recent below-par show.

National record holders, Mohd Anas (400m), Jinson Johnson (800m and 1500m), Dharun Ayyasamy (400m hurdles), Avinash Sable (3000m steeplechase), Tajinder Pal Singh Toor (shot put) and Annu Rani (javelin throw) and Dutte Chand (200m) were also among those named in the team.

19 - Paralympics high jumper Girish Gowda named as Ambassador of Karnataka LS Elections

Silver Medalist in Paralympic high jump, Girish Gowda has been appointed as the Ambassador of Karnataka Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

He represented India in men’s high jump F-42 category during 2012 Summer Paralympics games held in London, where he clinched the silver medal.

With this, he became the first Indian to win medal in this category.

20 - Suresh Raina becomes first cricketer to score 5,000 runs in IPL history

Chennai Super Kings' Suresh Raina has become the first ever cricketer to reach 5,000 runs in Indian Premier League (IPL).

He reached the landmark in the opening match of the 12^th edition of the IPL against RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore).

RCB captain Virat Kohli is the second highest run-scorer in IPL, with 4,954 runs in 156 IPL innings.

21 - Veselin Matic Set To Be India's Basketball Coach

Veselin Matic, who took Iran to an Asian Games bronze medal in 2010, is set to be appointed as the new head coach of the Indian men's basketball team.

The Serbian's name had been cleared by the sports ministry. A veteran international coach, Matic helped Iran qualify for its first ever World Championship (2010) with victory in the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship.