cas 2013 sports - sakshi · dhoni launches ‘7 by ms dhoni’ indian cricket captain mahendra...
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2013 Current Affairs Special - Sports
January
Kohli bagged ICC Cricketer of the year Award
Young Indian batsman Virat Kohli bagged the International Cricketer of
the Year award on 4th January; while Pakistan was named as the Best
International Cricket Team in the 2011-2012 season at the CEAT
cricket awards. Former batting great of Pakistan Zaheer Abbas received
the Lifetime Achievement Award. In the special India-Pakistan award
category, legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar lifted the Best Test
Batsman trophy while former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq was honoured with the Best
ODI Batsman award. The 1983 India's World Cup winning captain Kapil dev was adjudged the
Best Test bowler, Akram received the Best ODI bowler award. CEAT Audience Choice
Awards 2011-2012 went jointly to former Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar and Indian opener
Virender Sehwag.
McGrath was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame
Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath was inducted into the International Cricket
Council’s Hall of Fame on 4th January, making him its 68th male
member. McGrath joins fellow 2012-13 inductees West Indian Brian
Lara and England’s Enid Bakewell in being recognised by the ICC
and the living members of the Hall of Fame. McGrath represented
Australia in 124 Test matches between 1993 and 2007 claiming 563
Test wickets at an average of 21.64. When McGrath retired from the game in 2007 he had
represented Australia in 250 ODIs, claiming 381 wickets at an average of 22.02 while he took
over 800 first-class wickets in his career.
Serena won the WTA Brisbane International
Serena williams won the WTA Brisbane International with a straight sets demolition of
Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on 5th January. Serena defeated the world no. 36 with
6-2, 6-1 sets in just an hour to win her 16th consecutive match - her 52nd win in her last 54
matches and her 47th career title.
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Janko Tipsa clinched Chennai Open
Serbian world number nine Janko Tipsarevic clinched the Chennai Open on 6th January by
defeating the Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut. Tipsarevic beat the unseeded 24-year old
Spaniard by 3-6 6-1 6-3.
Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek
Sania Mirza and her partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands won the WTA Brisbane International
trophy by winning against Kveta Peschke and Anna-Lena Groenefeld on 6th January. The
second seeded Indo-American pair crashed the fourth seeded rivals by 4-6 6-4 10-7. It was
Sania's first doubles title of the season while 15th of her career.
Andy Murray defended Brisbane International title
Andy Murray defended Brisbane International title by defeating Bulgarian Grigor
Dimitrov 7—6, 6—4 on 6 January, 2013. Murray began his breakthrough season in 2012 by
winning in Brisbane and followed that up later with titles at the London Olympics and U.S.
Open.
Lionel Messi added yet another record
Lionel Messi added yet another record to his stellar series of achievements on 8th January,
when he won an unprecedented fourth, consecutive, Ballon d'Or at a FIFA gala in Zurich.
Messi received a vote share of 41.60 percent to 23.68 for Ronaldo and 10.91 for Iniesta. Messi
and former French star Michel Platini, had been the only players to win three straight Ballon
d'Or awards while Dutch greats Johan Cruyff and Marco Van Basten won the accolade on
three occasions. Spain's Vicente del Bosque was named coach of the year for 2012.
Kerala retained 61st National volleyball championship
Defending champion Kerala defeated Tamil Nadu 25-22, 25-23, 25-23 to retain the men’s title
in the 61st National volleyball championship in Jaipur on 15th January. In the women’s
final, Railways clinched its 28th title in the championship.
Saina clinched 2nd Rank
Saina Nehwal, the Olympics bronze medalist bagged her career best second rank in the
latest rankings released by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on 17th January 2013.
Saina scored 80091.7444 points in the latest rankings released and is leaded by the Chinese Li
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Xuerui, who has 94626.7153 points by her name. Parupalli Kashyap the quarterfinalist in
London Olympics was also successful in bagging his career best tenth position
in men’s list and he has 51986.6900 points by his name. Kashyap is the only
Indian player to be within the list of top-25 players in the BWF list. Saina
Nehwal regained her world number two position after an interval of two
years. For the first time, she achieved this position in December 2010.
IOC asked Armstrong to return Olympic Medal
The International Olympics Committee (IOC), on 17th January 2013,
asked the American Cyclist Lance Armstrong facing the charges of
doping to return the Olympic Bronze Medal and Certificate of 2000
Sydney Games. The IOC wrote a letter to the defamed cyclist and the
winner of seven times Tour de France in this regard and asked him to
return the bronze medal and the certificate that accompanied it for the
men’s time trial event. Lance Armstrong was a cyclist, who used performance enhancing
drugs and banned substances.
Kohli became the Quickest Indian to complete 4,000 ODI runs
Kohli became the quickest indian and second at World Level to complete 4,000 One day
International (ODI) runs. The Indian Cricketer and right handed batsman Virat Kohli on 19th
January 2013 by completing his 4,000 runs in ODI cricket tournament. He is the 12th Indian
batsman and 84th at world level to reach this milestone. By scoring these runs in just 93
innings, he became the first quickest from India and second at world level to accomplish this
milestone. Viv Richards, the West Indies player reached this milestone in 88 innings in the
year 1985 and is placed at the 1st position in the list of crickets to touch the mark of 4,000
runs in less number of innings. Before Kohli, the former Indian Captain Sourav Ganguly had
this record of scoring the fastest 4,000 runs in ODI in 110 matches and 105 innings.
Lalith Babu won Chennai Chess Tournament
Indian Grandmaster M.R. Lalith Babu emerged the winner of the CSK 5th Chennai Open
International Grandmasters Chess Tournament by defeating Swapnil Dhopade in the
final round on 23rd January. Grandmaster Lu Shanglei of China became the runner-up of the
event as he outwitted Russian Grandmaster Anderi Deviatkin. Though both Lalith Babu and
Lu Shanglei were tied with nine points each, Lalith Babu emerged champion because of
superior tie-break. Indian Grandmaster B. Adhiban annexed the third place with 8.5 points.
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Djokovic won Australian Open
Novak Djokovic of Serbia defeated Andy Murray of UK in four sets to win Australian
Open 2013 final held in Melbourne. It was Djokovic’s third consecutive Australian Open
title and fourth overall. In 2012, Djokovic had started with an epic 5-hour,
53-minute five-set win over Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open, the
longest Grand Slam final. Djokovic won his first major title in 2008
Australian Open. He now has six Grand Slam titles altogether. Victoria
Azarenka of Belarus on 26th January 2013 won the Women’s Singles title of
the Australian Open Tennis tournament at Melbourne by defeating Li Na of China, 4-6, 6-4,
6-3 in the final to win the title for the second successive time. Top seeded American brothers
Bob and Mike Bryan won the men's doubles title. Americans Mike and Bob Bryan won their
record 13th Grand Slam doubles title, defeating the Dutch team of Robin Haase and Igor
Sijsling 6-3, 6-4.
Tiger Woods won his 75th career golf title
World No. 2 Tiger Woods captured his 75th career golf title on 28th January, winning the US
PGA Farmers Insurance Open by four strokes for his record-setting eighth career triumph at
Torrey Pines, U.S.A. Woods won his most recent major crown at the 2008 US Open at Torrey
Pines and has also won the PGA event staged at Torrey Pines seven times. No other PGA
player has won so many times on a single course.
Fauja Singh the oldest marathon runner
Fauja singh (101), the oldest marathon runner of the world decided to stop running in the
competitions after Hong Kong marathon which will be held in February 2013. Before the
Hong Kong marathon, Singh will also be running in the Australia marathon. Fauja Singh
is also popularly known as the Turbaned Tornado in all the international events. Fauja
Singh was born on 1st April 1911.
Dhoni Launches ‘7 By MS Dhoni’
Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined the likes of Roger
Federer and David Beckham as he launched his own signature brand of
international perfumes at an event held in Dubai on 31st January. Dhoni
became the first Indian cricketer to launch his line of fragrances
named '7 By MS Dhoni', which is to be named after his lucky number 7. In
an event held at the Al Joharah Ballroom in Madinat Jumeirah, the Indian skipper
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launched a collection of six body sprays and perfumes. The six fragrances are named Intense,
Power, Action, Connect, Cool and Energy.
February
Dhoni appointed as Vice President of India Cement
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain of the Indian cricket team, as appointed as the vice-
president of India Cements on 1st February 2013. India Cements is headed (MD cum-Vice
Precedent) by BCCI President N Srinivasan. India Cements owns IPL franchise Chennai
Super Kings, the captaincy of which lies in the hands of Dhoni since 2008.
ICC rankings for test cricket were released
ICC rankings for test cricket were released on 4th February 2013 in Dubai. South Africa
emerged as the world number one team in this category and followed by England, Australia,
Pakistan and India. In the latest rankings, Hashim Amla, the South African batsman has
bagged the first position. He became the first batsman to hold the number one dice in both
test and one-day format of the game since 2007, before him Ricky Ponting
held this unique position. Michael Clarke, the Australian batsman was racked
at second position in the ranking. Dale Steyn, the South African bowler holds
the top position in the bowling ranking and is followed by his teammate,
Vernan Philander. Pragyan Ojha is the only Indian to feature among the top
ten bowlers in the test rankings released.
Rebecca announced retirement
Britain-based Rebecca Adlington, the Olympic champion announced retirement from all
forms of competitive swimming on 4th February 2013. Adlington, 23, is from Mansfield. She
won, 2008 - Olympic Games 400m gold, 2008 - Olympic Games 800m gold, 2009 - World
Championship 400m bronze, 2011 - World Championship 400m silver, 2011 - World
Championship 800m gold, 2012 - Olympic Games 400m bronze, 2012 - Olympic Games 800m
bronze.
India returned with 46 medals in 2013 Special Olympics
The 2013 Pyeong Chang Special Olympics World Winter Games finished on 5th February
2013 after a week of competition among differently-abled athletes from different countries.
The games took place from 29th January to 5th February 2013 at Pyeong Chang, South
Korea. The differently-abled athletes of India won 46 medals in this sporting event - 13
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gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze medals. About 2,200 mentally-challenged athletes participated
from more than 120 nations in the games.
BCCI was slapped a penalty of Rs. 52.24 crore
Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) was slapped a penalty of Rs. 52.24 crore by the
Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 8th February 2013 for indulging in anti-
competitive practices. The CCI ordered BCCI to deposit the penalty within 90 days from the
date of issue of orders. In its verdict, the CCI stated that BCCI abused its dominant position
and directed it to cease its all practices of denying market access to the potential competitors.
The regulator also stated that the stance of BCCI was of serious concern and quantum of
penalty which should be levied that is proportional to the seriousness of violation. A complaint
was filed by Surinder Singh Barmi in November 2010 against BCCI and his allegations were
based on issues related to Professional League Tournament and Indian Premier League
(IPL) conducted by the BCCI.
Sachin equaled Gavaskar record
Sachin Tendulkar equaled the record of Sunil Gavaskar of 81 first class centuries in first
class cricket at Mumbai on 8th February 2013. He managed to equal Gavaskar’s record after
scoring an unbeaten 140 runs in Irani Trophy against Rest of India in the first innings of the
tournament of Mumbai team.
Serena Became the World Number One
Serena Williams became the new World number one. The 31-years Serena thrashed Petra
Kvitova of Czech Republic 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 and reached Semifinals of Qatar Open Tennis
Championship in Doha, which propelled her ranking to the top. She achieved this position
after two and half years.
Zedong died in Beijing
Zhuang Zedong (72), the table tennis legend of China, died fighting cancer in Beijing on 10th
February 2013. Zedong is a three-time world TT champion. He won a range of events in
1960s. He remained a crucial figure in ping-pong diplomacy of 1971 and is popularly also
called the Architect of Ping-Pong Diplomacy. Ping-pong diplomacy means exchange of the
table tennis (Ping-Pong) players between China and US. This was done to normalise relations
between these two countries.
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Ranchi Rhinos beat Delhi Wave riders
Ranchi Rhinos beat Delhi Wave riders 2-1 to win the inaugural Hockey India League
(HIL) in the match at Astroturf Hockey Stadium on 10th February 2013. Apart from winning
the trophy, Ranchi Rhinos took away Rs. 2.5 crore. Mumbai Magicians player Sandeep Singh
hit maximum goals (11) in the tournament. HIL was played from 14th January to 10 February
2013 in which 5 teams Delhi Waveriders, Jaypee Punjab Riders, Sahara India Uttar
Pradesh Wizards, Dabur Mumbai Magicians and Patel-Union Ranchi Rhinos
participated. The tournament was played at 5 places-Delhi, Jalandhar, Lucknow, Mumbai
and b.
Wrestling may be removed from 2020 Olympics Games
Members of the International Olympic Committee have voted to drop wrestling from the
2020 Summer Olympics Games. The proposal came as a surprise, as wrestling is one of the
oldest Olympic sports. The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) executive board
voted on 12 February, to remove wrestling from the 2020 Summer Olympics Games,
however the move is not yet final. The board recommended dropping wrestling as it was not a
part of the 25 "core sports" list.
Pankaj Advani made history Bet Victor Welsh Open
Pankaj Advani made history at the Bet Victor Welsh Open on 14th February, as a 4-1
victory over Graeme Dott saw him become the first Indian player to reach the quarter-finals
of a world ranking event. Advani, 8-time world billiards champion playing as a newcomer on
the main snooker tour this season, went 2-0 up in the second-round match in Newport with
breaks of 63 and 73. The 27-year-old from Pune has now defeated two former world
champions at this tournament.
Mathews was appointed as the Captain of Sri Lanka
Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lankan all-rounder cricketer was appointed as the Captain of the
test and one-day cricket team of Sri Lanka on 14th February for a period of one year.
Mathews replaced Mahela Jayawardene, who announced to quit
captaincy after Sri Lanka’s tour of Australia. Dinesh Chandimal, the
wicket-keeper batsman was appointed as the vice-captain in the test and
one-day format of the game and will lead the country as a captain in the
T20 format of the game. Lasith Malinga was appointed as the vice-
captain for the T20 team.
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“Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius appeared in court
South African “Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius appeared in court on 15th February, charged
with the murder of his girlfriend, an incident that has stunned the country. Reeva Steenkamp,
a model and budding reality TV show participant, was shot and killed at Pistorius'
upmarket home in an eastern suburb of the South African capital in the predawn
hours of 12th February, sending the country reeling. South African media reported
that Paralympic and Olympic track star Pistorius shot his girlfriend four times
through a bathroom door at his Pretoria home. Pistorius made history at the London Olympics
last year when he became the first double-amputee track athlete to compete at any games.
Australia won the ICC Women’s World Cup Trophy
Australia won the ICC Women’s World Cup Trophy after defeating West Indies by 114-runs
on 17th February 2013 at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Australia clinched the title for
the sixth time in the history of women’s cricket World Cup, it last won the title in 2005.
New Zealand’s Suzie Bates elected as player of the tournament for scoring 407 runs with
three half-centuries in the series.
March
Rafael Nadal won ATP Mexican Open
Rafael Nadal defeated top seed and defending champion David Ferrer 6-0, 6-2
on 2nd March 2013 in the final match of the ATP Mexican Open 2013 tennis
tournament. David Ferrer was the 3-time defending champion. On the other
hand, in the women’s final, Italy's Sara Errani defeated Carla Suarez-Navarro
of Spain 6--0, 6-4. Rafael Nadal won ATP Mexican Open tournament for the
second time. Earlier he had won this title in 2005. This is the 38th clay court title of Nadal.
Smriti Mehra won Hero Women’s Golf Tour
Smriti Mehra, the veteran golfer, won her second title in the fourth leg of Hero Women’s pro
golf tour 2013 in Mumbai on 6th March. Smriti played a round of one under 64 and finished
with an overall score of 194 at the Willington Sports Club. At the second position was Neha
Tripathi who completed with the final round score of one over 66 and an overall score of 200.
Sharmila Nicollet achieved third position with lowly six over 71 and a total score of 202.
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Chen Long won the All England Badminton Championship
Chen Long of China won the All England Badminton Championship men’s singles title by
defeating Lee Chong Wei with 21-17, 21-18. Tine Baun of Denmark, won the women’s
singles title in the All England Open Badminton Championships 2013 at the National
Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England on 10th March 2013. With this victory, the 33-year-old
Baun became the oldest All-England women’s singles champion of Open Era. She
defeated three-time world junior champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 21-14, 16-21, 21-
10.
Liu and Qiu of China defeated the Japanese pair of Endo and Hayakawa in the men’s
doubles in a one-sided final, with the unseeded Chinese pair winning 21-11, 21-9 for their first
All England title. Wang and Yu of China won the women’s doubles title by defeating their
fellow compatriots Cheng and Zhao in two games. In the Mixed doubles event, the second
seeded Indonesian pairing of Ahmad and Natsir successfully defended their All England title
against the Olympic champions Zhang and Zhao of China. All England Open Badminton
Championships is one of the oldest as well as the prestigious badminton tournaments of the
world, which is played annually.
Neha Tripathi won BT Pro Golf Tournamnet
Neha Tripathi defeated Thailand's Pennapa Pulsawath to win BT Pro Am of Champions
golf tournament 2013 in Manesar on 10th March 2013. After initially tying up at a score of
141, Neha won the match in second playoff on 18th hole. At the third position was golfer
Smriti Mehra from India who got the total score of 142. Thai golfer Tiranan Yoopan finished
at the fourth position with a score of 143. Tang Ni Nhung of Vietnam came at the fifth position
with an overall score of 148.
Beckham was named as the richest footballer of the world
David Beckham was named as the richest footballer of the world,
according to the Goal Rich List 2013. David Beckham has a total
income of 175 million pound. 37-year-old Beckham is the biggest
brand in the world now, leaving behind Cristiano Ronaldo and
Lionel Messi. In 2012, Beckham earned more than 20 million pound
from wages as well as endorsement. The Goal Rich List 2013
revealed that the worth of Beckham is 60 million pound more than Messi.
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Shrinivas won 42nd National Carrom Championship
Shrinivas won 42nd Senior National and Inter-State Carrom Championship at Akola. He
defeated world no.3 Yogesh Pardeshi in the men’s final 8-25, 25-18, 25-4. In the women’s
final, Rashmi Kumari defeated I Ilavazhaki 25-9, 25-18 to win the women’s title. This was
the fifth title of her career.
Manorama Devi won bronze in Cycling Championship
India's Deborah and Manorama Devi on 10th March 2013 won a bronze in the team sprint on
the second to last day of the Hero Asian Cycling Championships in New Delhi. The pair came
just 0.148 seconds ahead by defeating Malaysia's Faihah Shahwati Mohd Adnan and Nurul
Alissa Mohamad Azman. Deborah is from Andaman and Nicobar.
India won eight medals in Archery Championship
India won a total of eight medals in the inaugural Asian Grand Prix Archery Championship
at Bangkok on 14th March 2013. India won two gold, two silver and four bronze. In the
category of compound Men's individual, Ch. Jignas clinched the Gold after he defeated China's
He Ying 145-142. In the Compound Men's trio category, Ch. Jignas, Abhishek Verma and
Ritul Chatterjee won the Gold, registering a victory over Vietnam, 226-218. Silver was won
by Rahul Banerjee in Recurve Men and Anjali Kumari in Compound Women in the individual
categories. In the Recurve Men's event, Atanu Das clinched the Bronze. Recurve Women's
team of Bombayala Devi, Dola Banerjee and Rimil Biruli defeated Indonesia to win a Bronze.
In the same section, Bombayla Devi won a Bronze in individual category. Atanu and
Bombayala also defeated opponent team in Mixed team event to win fourth Bronze for India.
Laureus World Sports Awards 2013
Laureus World Sports Awards 2013 were organized in Rio de Janeiro on 11th March 2013.
Prestigious awards were claimed by sports stars - Jessica Ennis, Andy Murray and
Sebastian Coe. Jessica Ennis who won heptathlon gold in London 2012 Olympics was awarded
the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award at the Theatro Municipal. Andy Murray
won the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award. Andy
Murray had won Olympic gold in the singles as well as silver in
mixed doubles before winning grand slam title at the US Open in
2012. Sebastian Coe, the Chairman of the London 2012
organising committee acclaimed Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter won the World Sportsman of the Year award
for third time. Feliz Sanchez, the Dominican athlete won the World Comeback of the Year
Award. Daniel Dias, the multiple Paralympic champion swimmer of Brazil was awarded with
the title of World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability. This was the second time he won
the award. Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian skydiver was named as the World Action
Sportsperson of the Year Award. Michael Phelps, the American swimmer won the Laureus
Academy Exceptional Achievement Award. The Laureus World Team of the Year title was
acclaimed by the European Ryder Cup Team which featured 7 UK golfers.
Bhaichung Bhutia Appointed as AIFFTC Chairman
Bhaichung Bhutia, the former captain of Indian football team was appointed as the
chairman of the All India Football Federation’s technical committee. The decision to appoint
him as the chairman was taken by President Praful Patel. He succeeds former Indian player
Mohammad Habib. Bhutia scored a record of 42 goals from 107 appearances. He led India to
the victory of Nehru Cup twice.
Raikkonen won Australian Grand Prix
Kimi Raikkonen, the Australian driver of Formula One team Lotus won the season-opening
Australian Grand Prix 2013 on 17th March 2013. In the Australian Grand Prix 2013
opening season, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel finished at the
second and third position respectively. Kimi Raikkonen won 2007 World Championship with
Ferrari.
Rafael Nadal won BNP Paribas Open
Rafael Nadal of Spain won Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open 2013 on 17th March 2013.
Nadal defeated Argentine Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final. After winning
Tokyo Open in October 2010, this is the first hard court victory of Nadal. With this, Nadal
became number 4 in the world ranking. Apart from this, Maria Sharapova won the first title
of 2013 in women’s final of the tournament by defeating Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-2.
Australia won Azlan Shah Hockey title
Australia, the World Champions won the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament title for
the seventh time on 17th March 2013. Australia defeated Malaysia 3-2 in the final match in
Malaysia. South Korea won bronze after defeating 2012 winner- New Zealand 2-1. At the
fifth position was India which defeated Pakistan 4-2. Trent Mitton was declared as the man-of-
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the-match for final match. Earlier, Australia had won the Tournament in 1983, 1996, 2004,
2005, 2007 and 2011.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament is held in Malaysia every year. The tournament
is named after the ninth king of Malaysia- Sultan Azlan Shah. It is important to note that
India won its first Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament in 1985.
India won Alan Border Series
India on 24th March 2013 won the fourth and the final test with 6 wickets remaining against
Australia in the Alan Border Series – Australia Tour to India, at Feroz Shah Kotla
Stadium, Delhi. India won the series 4-0. In the second innings of the final match,
Cheteswar Pujara scored an unbeaten 82 runs while chasing the 155 run target set by team
Australia on the third day of the match. Before this Jadeja’s 5 wicket haul for 58 runs in 16
over limited Australia to a lead score of 155 runs. Ravindra Jadeja for his all-round
performance won the Man of the Match award. Ravichandran Ashwin for claiming 29 wickets
in the four-Test Series won the Man of the Series award. India never in the 81 year test history
won more than two matches against Australia in a single series, but with this clean sweep –
India secured wrote a new history in test cricket.
Vettel won Malaysian Grand Prix
World champion Sebastian Vettel (Germany) of Red Bull won Malaysian Grand Prix on 24th
March. The event was held in Sepang. Mark Webber was on second position. Former world title
holder was Lewis Hamilton.
Harman preet Kaur, new Captain of Indian women's Cricket
Harmanpreet Kaur was named as the Captain of the Indian women's Cricket team for
the limited-overs series against Bangladesh, on 28th March 2013. The series will start in India
from 2nd April 2013. She replaced Mithali Raj as the captain of the women's cricket team.
Opener Poonam Raut was named as the Vice-Captain of the team. Mithali Raj was not
named in the 15-member Indian women's Cricket team by the All-India Women's Selection
Committee.
Serena won Miami Masters open
World No. 1 Serena Williams on 30th March 2013 won Miami Masters Open Tennis
Tournament for record sixth time. She claimed this record by defeating Maria Sharapova 4-
6, 6-3, 6-0. By winning the title, Serena Williams joined Chris Evert, Steffi Graf and Martina
Navratilova as the only women to have won the same event six times.
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Gujarat won the Mushtaq Ali T-20 Championship title
Gujarat won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty 20 Championship title by defeating Punjab with
six-wickets on 31 March 2013 at Holkar Stadium, Indore. Punjab won the toss and elected
to bat first. The team scored 122 runs in 20 overs with a loss of 8 wickets. Gujarat
accomplished the score with 13 balls remaining. Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20
Championship is the domestic cricket championship of India. Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20
Championship is named after the Indian cricketer, Syed Mushtaq Ali.
Andy Murray won the ATP Miami Masters
Andy Murray of Britain won the ATP Miami Masters by defeating Spanish third seed
David Ferrer by 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/1) in Miami, Florida on 31st March 2013. It was Murray’s
26th career tour title, and second of the year after having wining the Brisbane International
in a tough two hours and 45 minutes. Andy Murray will rise to World No. 2, ahead of Roger
Federer, while Ferrer will move past Rafael Nadal to become fourth in the rankings.
April
India won a 5-0 victory in Davis cup
India won a 5-0 victory against Indonesia in the Asia-Oceania Group-I Davis Cup relegation
play-off tie in Bangalore on 7th April 2013 as Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri
posted straight-set wins in their respective reverse singles. Somdev defeated David Agung
Susant with 6-3 6-1, while Yuki Bhambari registered a thumping 6-0 6-1 victory over Wisnu
Adi Nugroho.
Rupesh Shah won Asian Billiards Championship
Reigning world champion Rupesh Shah added another feather in his cap by clinching the 12th
Asian Billiards championship with win over compatriot Alok Kumar in the fiercely fought final,
held in Indore on 7th April. Rupesh Shah finished at 101, 95 and 100 to defeat Alok Kumar.
This is India's 10th Asian Billiards title and Rupesh is new entrant in this elite club. He
follows previous champions Geet Sethi, Ashok Shandilya, Devendra Joshi,Pankaj Adwani
and Alok Kumar.
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HI announced High Performance & Development Committee
Hockey India on 9th April 2013 announced its High Performance and Development
Committee for 2013-14. The 15 member committee will be headed by Dr. Narinder Batra,
Secretary General of Hockey India and High Performance Director, Hockey
India, Roelant Oltmans will be the Vice-Chairman. The committee has Ajit Pal
Singh (former Captain of 1975 World Cup winning team), Col. Balbir Singh
(former Olympian and National Selector), Dilip Tirkey (former Captain and
Member Rajya Sabha), Sukhvir Singh Grewal, Thoiba Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Dr RP
Singh, Surinder Kaur, Saba Anjum, Michael Nobbs (Chief Coach, National Senior Men
Hockey Team), Neil Hawgood (Chief Coach, National Senior Women Hockey Team) and
Gregg Clark (Coach, National Junior Men Hockey Team) as its members. Ms Elena Norman,
CEO, Hockey India will be the Convener of this Committee.
Manipur stood overall champion in 27th North East Games
In the 27th edition of North-East Games played at Imphal and the host state- Manipur
claimed the title of overall team champion on 11th April 2013. The North-East Games were
held during 8 - 11 April 2013. The North-East games included eight states. These games also
include Sikkim. Manipur emerged as overall champion with the medal tally of 127. This
included 74 gold, 31 silver and 22 bronze. Assam came at the second place with 101 medals
which included 31 gold, 30 silver and 40 bronze. Mizoram was at the third place with 72
medals including 20 gold, 19 silver and 33 bronze. North East Games were earlier known as
North East Sports Festival. The North East Games were started with an aim of promoting the
sports and games in the North East region. First edition of North East Games was held in
Imphal in 1986-87.
Indian Women cricket team had a clean sweep
Indian Women cricket team had a clean sweep in the three-match One Day International
Cricket Series, 2012/13 against Bangladesh on 12th April 2013 after winning the third and the
final match at Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad. India defeated Bangladesh by 58 runs
in the third match. Before the ODI series, the Indian women also made a clean sweep T20
international series against Bangladesh Women with 3-0 on 5 April 2013.
Sania Mirza became Vice-President of ITPA
The Indian Tennis Players’ Association (ITPA) Secretary, Karti P Chidambaram on 14th
April 2013 announced that the tennis star player, Sania Mirza became one of the Vice-
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Presidents of ITPA. Sania Mirza now became one of the four Vice-Presidents of Indian Tennis
Players Association, which is a newly-formed body. Other three Vice-Presidents of the body are
Somdev Devvarman, Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes. Former Davis Cup captain
Jaideep Mukherjee is the President of the Association.
ICC Test Rankings
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravichandran Ashwin are the only two Indian Cricketers to figure
out among the top-10 in the latest ICC Test Rankings in batting and bowling respectively
released on 21st April 2013. Pujara with 777 ranking points retained his
position at number seven in the batting chart of the ICC rankings. Ashwin
was intact at the sixth position in the list of top ten bowlers with 757 points.
Hashim Amla, the South African batsman was listed as the top batsman in
the list and is followed by Shivnarine Chanderpaul of West Indies and A B
de Villiers of South Africa. While in the rankings of bowlers, Dale Steyn, the
South African pace spearhead was ranked as the best bowler with 905 ranking points. Dale
Steyn is followed by his teammate Vernon Philander and Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath.
Prayag Chauhan won ASBC Junior Boxing Championship
At the final round of ASBC Asian Confederation of the Junior Boxing Championships in
Kazakhstan, Prayag Chauhan of India defeated Azat Ilyubayev of Kazakhstan in the
lightweight category (60kg) on 22nd April 2013 to win a gold medal. In an overall performance,
India stood in the third position in team rankings. The Indian boxers completed Asian meet
with three bronze and one gold medal. Prayag Chauhan, 16, won the match in 60 kg
category. On the other hand, the sub-junior national champion Aditya Maan (66kg) grabbed
bronze medal at the Asian Championships.
Gayle’s fastest century ever
Chris Gayle, the West Indies opener hit the fastest ever century in the history of first class
cricket by scoring a ton in merely 30 balls during Royal Challengers Bangalore-Pune
Warriors IPL match on 23rd April 2013. Gayle scored a total run of 175 runs in mere 66 balls,
which included 17 sixes and 13 boundaries. This is also the top score for a batsman in any T20
innings. This was also his fourth century in the IPL career.
India to host Thomas Cup and Uber Cup
In a historic first, India is set host the finals of the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup, the sporting
events which are played by men and women national teams of Badminton World Federation
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(BWF) members, will be held in Delhi from May 18 to 25, 2014. The BWF formally entrusted
the hosting of the prestigious championships to the Badminton Association of India (BAI),
following the signing of an agreement between the two bodies on 25th April. Siri Fort Indoor
Complex, New Delhi will be the venue for the event, to be contested every two years, to decide
the world’s strongest men’s and women’s teams. India hosted the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup
preliminary stage matches in 1988, 2000 and 2006.
Haryana clinched the 3rd Hockey India Championship
Haryana defeated Railways 4-1 to win the third Hockey India Senior Women National
Championship at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in the Guru Gobind Singh Sports
College, Lucknow on 30th April 2013. However, Haryana clinched the 3rd Hockey India
Junior Women National Championship title in the final match on 1st May 2013 in Astroturf
Hockey Stadium in Ranchi.
May
Sindhu won Malaysian Grand prix title
India's rising shuttler P.V. Sindhu won her maiden Grand Prix Gold title winning the
women's final on 4th May 2013. In a thrilling clash held in
Kaulalampur, top seed Sindhu defeated lower seed, Gu Juan of
Singapore, 21-17, 17-21, 21-19. With this, the World Number 13
Sindhu has become the second Indian girl to win the Grand Prix Gold
competition, after India's shuttle queen and London Olympics bronze
medalist Saina Nehwal achieved the feat in 2006. Sindhu was the only Indian who had made
it to the final stage of this tournament.
Vikas Gowda clinched Gold IAAF World Challenge
At the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Jamaica, Kingston, US-based discus thrower,
Vikas Gowda clinched Gold on 5th May 2013 with the throw of 61.38 metres. Vikas Gowda,
representing India, clinched gold in the World Challenge Meeting at Kingston on 5th May, with a
throw of 61.38 metres. He pushed Jason Morgan and Fedrick Dacres (both Jamaica), with
throws of 60.96 and 59.30 metres, to second and third spots respectively. In the 100 metres
sprint, US’s Tyson Gay recorded 9.86 and secured the top most position. In women category,
the best performance was that of US Gia Lewis-Smallwood with 62.41 metres.
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India won 2 Silver & 7 Bronze in the Commonwealth Table Tennis
India won 2 silver and 7 bronze in the 19th Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships
that concluded in New Delhi on 10th May 2013. One silver medal was won by Soumyajit
Ghosh and Mouma Das in the mixed doubles event, and the other one was won by the men's
team earlier in the tournament. Singapore men and women won the gold.
Nadal Bagged Madrid Open
In the Men's Singles title clash of the Madrid Open played on 12th May 2013, Spain’s Nadal
Rafael defeated Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. In the Women's
Singles, World Number One Serena Williams bagged her 50th career Singles title. She beat
Russian Maria Sharapova, 6-1, 6-4 to win this title.
Charges against Sreesanth in IPL Fixing
Indian fast bowler, S. Sreesanth and his two team mates from Rajasthan Royals namely
Ajit Chadila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by Delhi Police on 16th May 2013 on charges
of Spot Fixing in Indian Premier League (IPL). The three cricketers were arrested from
Mumbai and will be brought to Delhi for being produced in a Court. The arrests made were a
part of the investigations being conducted by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police over months
on alleged Spot Fixing in the cash rich, IPL.
Rafael Nadal won the Italian open
Rafael Nadal beats Roger Federar in the final match played on 19th May 2013 to lift his
seventh Italian Open title. He defeated Federar in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 in the clay court
match. This was Nadal’s 20th victory against Federar.
Serena Williams won the women’s title after thrashing out the former world number one
Victoria Azarenka 6-1 6-3 on the Rome Clay. This is her second Rome Open title, before this
Serena won the Rome title 11 years ago in 2002. And this is her fourth consecutive tennis title
this year.
US, Russia & Iran forged on Wrestling in Olympic games
The United States, Russia and Iran have forged an unlikely heavyweight alliance to keep the
ancient sport of wrestling in the Olympic Games. While political differences between the three
are deep, the national teams from the three wrestling superpowers grappled with each other in
New York’s Grand Central Station railway terminal on 15th May 2013 to back the campaign.
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Wrestling has been in shock since the International Olympic Committee announced in
February that it wanted the sport ejected for the 2020 Games.
Indian boxers won the 2013 Invitational FXTM
Indian boxers won the 2013 Invitational FXTM International Limassol Boxing Cup held in
Limassol, Cyprus, on 19th May 2013. They won 10 medals which included four gold medals,
three silver medals and three bronze medals which ensured them the first rank. Indian boxers
won the tournament on the European circuit for the first time. Reigning national champion
Madan Lal (52kg) beat Ayigah Dodsi from Belgium to bag the flyweight title. V. Durga Rao
(56kg) beat German Dieter Dier to bag his very first international medal on the senior tour.
Super heavyweight boxer Praveen Kumar (+91kg) won the fourth gold for India beating
Beguerni Hamza from Algeria. Manoj Kumar (64kg), Olympian Dinesh Kumar (91kg) and
Sukhdeep Singh (75kg) won a silver medeal each.
Preeti Beniwal bagged gold in National Boxing Championship
Preeti Beniwal bagged the gold medal in Senior National Women's Boxing Championship on
22nd May 2013. In the event held at Khatima, uttarakhand, Preeti out-punched Manipur's Y.
Sandhya 22-9 in the final of the 60kg category. Preeti Beniwal hails from Hisar.
Mumbai won the IPL-6 title
In the final match of Indian Premier League 2013, Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians defeated
Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs to lift the title for the very first time at Eden Gardens on
26th May 2013. Mumbai Indians decided to bat first and scored 148 runs for nine in 20 overs.
On the other hand, in a chase of 148 runs, the Chennai Super Kings managed to score just
125 runs for nine in 20 overs. This was the first IPL trophy for Mumbai Indians. Earlier they
had lost in the finals to the Chennai Super Kings in 2010. Chennai Super Kings, now have lost
three times in the final, i.e., in the year 2008, 2012 and 2013.
Jamjang Deru wins three medals in Asian Youth Weightlifting
Jamjang Deru of Arunachal Pradesh won three medals, two gold and one silver, on the
opening day of 15th Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships here in Doha on 28th May
2013. He won the medals in the boy's 50kg category. Deru won a silver with 87 kg lift and a
gold with 113 kg lift. Finally, he signed off with the gold with a total of 200 kg. Previously he
had secured fourth position at the IWF Youth World Championships at Tashkent in April
2013 with an overall lift of 195 kilograms.
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Ang Dami Sherpa won the Everest Marathon
Ang Dami Sherpa (44) of Nepal won the Everest Marathon on 29th May 2013 in women’s
category of Year 2013. Ang Dami Sherpa, won the women’s title in 11th Tenzing-Hillary
Everest Marathon in a timeline of 6 hours, 2 minutes and 10 seconds. This is the second win
Sherpa’s at the 42.2 km race. She won her first title in year 2006. The Everest Marathon is
considered as one of the most strenuous marathon events, which starts at the Everest Base
Camp at an altitude of 5,364 meters, and ends at Namche Bazaar at 3,446 metres. The
Everest Marathon is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest marathon in the
world.
BCCI Constituted a committee to probe IPL 6 Allegations
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on 29th May 2013 constituted a three-man
inquiry commission to probe the allegations against Gurunath Meiyappan and the three
Rajasthan Royals players, who were arrested on charges of betting in the IPL-6 matches. The
Commission will be initiating the adjudication proceedings at the earliest. The committee
consisting of Former Judge of the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu High Courts Justice T. Jayaram
Chouta, Former Judge of the Tamil Nadu High Court Justice R. Balasubramanian, and Secretary
of BCCI Sanjay Jagdale. They will probe charges against M. Gurunath, former Team
Principal of Chennai Super Kings, as well as the three Rajasthan Royals cricketers who were
arrested for alleged spot-fixing.
Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships
Ragala Venkat Rahul swept all the three gold in the boys 77kg category as India continued
to shine at the 15th Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships on the fourth day in
Doha on 30 May. Rahul lifted 132kg in snatch and 157kg in clean and jerk for a total lift of 289
kg enroute to winning all the gold medals on offer in the weight category. After four days,
India now has secured 27 medals (13 gold, seven silver and seven bronze) in the
Championship.
Indian Girl's won the Gold medal in ITTF Table Tennis
Indian Girl's team won the Gold medal while the Boy's team won the silver medal in the
Slovak Junior ITTF Open Table Tennis tournament held in Senec, Slovakia on 31st May
2013. In the title clash, the Indian Girls, led by Sutirtha Mukherjee beat Serbia-A, 3-2. The
other members of the team were Monika Batra and Reath Tennison. In the boy's section,
the Czech Republic-A beat India 3-1 to win the gold. The Indian team, consisting of
Shudanshu Grover, Abhishek Yadav and Rohit Rajshekhar, had to settle for silver.
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June
Rajeev Shukla resigned as Chairman of IPL
Rajeev Shukla resigned as Chairman of IPL on 1st June 2013 in the wake of the raging spot-
fixing scandal. The resignation of Shukla came on the eve of the emergency meeting of the
BCCI working committee scheduled to be held in Chennai. Rajeev Shukla was an Indian
journalist, political commentator, television host and the Minister of State for Parliamentary
Affairs and Planning, Government of India. He is a Member of Parliament since 2000. He
serves as secretary of the All India Congress Committee.
Dhoni received the ICC ODI Championship Shield
Indian Skipper M.S. Dhoni received the ICC ODI Championship Shield and a cheque of US $
1,75,000 for leading the number One ODI team on the annual 1st April cut-off date. Indian
team claimed the number-one spot from England after winning the series 3-2 in January
2013. India won eight out of 13 ODIs while losing five in the 12-month period between 1st April
2012 and 1st April 2013. This is the first time since the current ranking system was introduced
in 2002 that India finished as the No.1 ranked One-Day International (ODI) side.
Serena won her second French Open title
Serena Williams won her 2nd French Open title on 8th June, 11 years after her first triumph,
defeating title-holder Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-4 in the final. It was the 31-
year-old American's 16th Grand Slam title win, taking her to within two of
Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova who are tied for fourth on the all-time list.
For Sharapova it was a 10th straight loss to her American nemesis dating back to 2004 when
she defeated her in the Wimbledon final and the WTA Championships when she was just 17.
Top-ranked American twins Bob and Mike Bryan on 8th June 2013 won their record 14th
major doubles title by defeating Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut of France 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 in
the French Open men's doubles final. In the tiebreaker, the Bryan brothers rallied from 4-2
down to clinch the victory. The Bryans had won their only other French Open in 2003. They
lost in the final in 2005, 2006 and 2012. Llodra and Mahut were hoping to become the first
Frenchmen to win the doubles since Yannick Noah and Henri Leconte in 1984.
K. Srikanth won gold medal in Thailand Open Grand
Indian youngster K. Srikanth won gold medal in the Thailand Open Grand Prix badminton
trophy on 9th June 2013. In the Men's Singles title, 13th seed Srikanth defeated top seed and
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local favourite Boonsak Ponsana in straight games, 21-16, 21-12, to bag his career's maiden
title. While, defending champion Saina Newal bowed out in the quarterfinals. Thailand Open
Badminton 2013 was held in Bangkok.
Nadal Bagged French Open title
Rafael Nadal won his eighth Men's Singles Title of the French Open Tennis Tournament on
9th June 2013. In the final at Paris, Nadal beat Spanish compatriot David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
With this, he became the first player to win 8 Singles Titles at the same Grand Slam
Tournament. It was his 12th Grand Slam title overall.
While in other events, Serena Williams won the Women's Singles title of French Open
Tennis tournament. She defeated Maria Sharapova by 6-4, 6-4. Bob and Mike Bryan won their
record 14th major doubles title by defeating Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut of France 6-4,
4-6, 7-6 in the French Open men's doubles final. The Russian duo of Elina Vesnina and caterina
Makarova lifted the Women's Doubles title. They defeated top seeded Italian's Sara Irrani and
Roberta Vinchi by 7-5, 7-2.
Raj Kundra was suspended as Co-owner of RR
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended Raj Kundra, the co-owner of
Rajasthan Royals on 10th June 2013 for allegedly betting on IPL matches. He has been
suspended from having any involvement in cricket till the police probe in the matter was
completed. The decision on Raj Kundra was taken by the emergent working committee of
BCCI that met on 10th May 2013.
Vettel won the Canadian Grand Prix
Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel won the Canadian Grand Prix Formula
One championship. He clinched the 29th victory of his record-breaking
career. It was the 25-year-old German’s third win this season. The Canadian
Grand Prix is an annual auto race held in Canada starting in 1961. It has
been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967.
Rajat Chouhan and Manjudha Soy won World Cup in Archery
The Indian players Rajat Chouhan and Manjudha Soy won a silver medal at the World Cup
(Stage-II) Archery competition held in Antalya, Turkey on 16th June. They lost against the
Italian world champions Sergio Pagni and Marcella Toniolli. This is a second World Cup silver
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for Railways girl Manjudha, who hails from Jharkhand, while it`s a first-ever silver in the mixed
team event in the compound section.
Roger Federer won ATP title
Roger Federer won his first title of the year on 16th June, the world number three beating
Russia's Mikhail Youzhny 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 in the ATP final at Halle, Germany. This was the
31-year-old Swiss great's sixth Halle Title and the 77th title of his career.
India bagged 17 medal in the Junior Asian Wrestling Championship
India topped in the medal tally in the Junior Asian Wrestling Championship by winning 17
medals in the tournament on 16th June 2013. India secured three gold, five silver and nine
bronze medals in the championship. The tournament was held from 13-16 June 2013 in
Phuket, Thailand. On 16th June 2013 the final day of the tournament, Pradeep Kumar (60
kilogram) and Sumit (96 kilograms), won Gold in the Junior Asian Wrestling
Championship in Phuket, Thailand. Vikas (66kilogram) and Pradeep Kumar (74kilogram)
captured silver medals after they lost the final bouts at the Saphan Hin Indoor Sports Complex.
Mandeep (55 kilogram) secured bronze medal in the championship.
Manjeet bagged silver in China Open
Manjeet Singh bagged a silver medal for India at the 3rd China Open boxing
Tournament on 22th June 2013. In the final of the super heavy weight category (+91kg), the
21-year-old Indian went down to China’s Akepeer Yusuf. Although Manjeet lost in the final,
he became the only Indian boxer to reach the final of the third China Open boxing tournament.
It was his first international tournament.
India won the ICC Champions Trophy 2013
India won the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 on 23rd June 2013 against England at
Edgbaston in Birmingham with a five-run victory.
India made a total of 129 runs in 20 overs for seven
wickets. It then restricted England to 124 for eight.
Ravindra Jadeja was declared as the Man of the Match
after he took two wickets and scored unbeaten 33 runs.
He was also awarded with the Golden Ball for
grabbing maximum number of wickets in the
series. Sikhar Dhawan was declared as the Man of the Series. This was the second
Champions Trophy title of India. Earlier, it had won the title jointly with Sri Lanka in the year
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2002. The ICC Champions Trophy is the One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament
which is organised by International Cricket Council (ICC).
BCCI to host T-20 world cup in 2016
The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) on 29th June 2013 was awarded a chance
to host two major events of International Cricket namely World Twenty20 for the first
time in 2016 and its fourth 50-over World Cup in 2023 by International Cricket Council (ICC).
BCCI also got the chance to host the second edition of ICC World Test Championship
scheduled in February-March 2021. The inaugural edition of the Test Championship will be
hosted by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) June-July 2017.
Afghanistan granted Associate membership of the ICC
Afghanistan was granted the Associate membership of the ICC, making it the eighth
Asian nation and the 38th overall to get the status. Looking at the immense progress shown by
Afghanistan, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had last year sent the nomination request in
2012 and the decision to grant Afghanistan the status was taken by the ICC at its ongoing
annual conference, which concluded in London on 29th June 2013.
Afghanistan now join Hong Kong (1969), Kuwait (2005), Malaysia (1967), Nepal (1996),
Singapore (1974), Thailand (2005) and UAE (1990) as ICC Associates from the Asian
region. The new Associate membership will help Afghanistan get more funds from the ICC and
also give much-needed exposure to the team. The ICC is now likely to pay Afghanistan USD
8,50,000 based on the Associate status, instead of US $ 7,00,000 as the annual fund.
Brazil won Confederations Cup
Brazil destroyed world and European champions Spain with 3-0 to win a third straight
Confederations Cup title held in Maracana Stadium on 30th June. The turbo-charged
samba stars roared to victory with two goals from Fred and a stunning strike from Neymar,
dominating a weary Spanish side whose strength was sapped after edging Italy on penalties in
Thursday's semi-final. Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said the result as the perfect fillip as
he plots a course to an assault on next year's World Cup finals in Brazil.