January 2020 Sports

Sakshi Education

ATF unanimously nominates Anil Khanna as life President
Senior Sports Administrator Anil Khanna, who recently decided not to contest the President's post of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF), was today nominated Life President of the continental body.

He had served as ATF President from 2005 to 2019 and also ITF Vice President from 2015-19.

The ATF held the meeting of its Board of Directors in Melbourne and unanimously nominated Mr Khanna as Life President. He was also appointed Chairman of the ATF Finance Committee.
Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna among 9 killed in helicopter crash in California
In the US, Kobe Bryant, 41-year-old National Basketball Association (NBA) legend and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna died yesterday in a helicopter crash in the city of Calabasas, California.

Reports said that nine people were on board, with no survivors left. He played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He retired in April 2016. He was twice the NBA scoring champion and a two-time Olympic champion.
Indian Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra qualifies for Tokyo Olympics
Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.86 metres at the Athletics Central North East meeting in South Africa. The 22-year-old Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medallist breached the Olympic qualification mark of 85 metres in his fourth attempt at Potchefstroom.

Neeraj’s last major international competition was the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games where he won gold with a national record of 88.06 metres.

Another Indian in fray, Rohit Yadav threw 77.61 metres.
India’s Esow Alben bags gold in men's Keirin individual event of Six Day Berlin Tournament
In Cycling, India's Esow Alben has bagged gold in the men's Keirin individual event of the Six Day Berlin Tournament. The 18-year-old finished on top of the podium, earning 20 classification points last night.

Czech Republic's Tomas Babek, who won silver in the 2017 World Championship, came in second while Maximilian Lev of Germany took home the bronze.

Earlier in the competition, the teenager had won a bronze on day two followed by a silver medal on the fourth day in the individual Keirin event.

The event is a six-day track cycling race. Each cyclist competes on every day of the competition.
National Shooting trials: Ayonika Paul and Vijayveer Sidhu emerge winners
Olympian Ayonika Paul has won the women's 10m Air Rifle T1 event while Vijayveer Sidhu won the men's 25m Pistol T2 event in the National Shooting trials at Thiruvananthapuram today.

Ayonika registered a score of 252.0 enroute to victory. Her effort was just 0.9 behind Apurvi's world record of 252.9.

Apurvi came third with a score of 229.8 but it was Himachal's Zeena Khitta, who had the best day in women's Air Rifle event, coming in second place with a score of 251.1.

Zeena also won the junior women's trials in the same event and also had the best qualifying score on the day with a 630.0 to show after 60 shots.

Chandigarh's Vijayveer won the junior men's 25m Pistol with an aggregate score of 585. He had three inner 10s, more than second-placed Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu of Punjab.
Rani Rampal named 2019 World Games Athlete of the Year
India women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal on 30 January, 2020 won the 2019 World Games Athlete of the Year award. The prize, which is voted for by the public, is given for outstanding performance, along with social commitment and fair behaviour.

The 25-year-old Rani has been part of the Indian women''s hockey team since she was 15 years old and has made 240 appearances for the national team thus far. Rani played an integral role in the team''s successful qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, playing a key role in midfield and scoring what turned out to be the winning goal in the second leg of their Olympic qualifier against the US in November. Apart from that she was the player of the tournament in the FIH Women''s Series Finals in Hiroshima, among other highlights of 2019 for her and the team.
Flame-Throated Bulbul 'Rubigula' official mascot for Goa 2020 National Games
'Rubigula', Flame-Throated Bulbul, has been unveiled as the official mascot for the Goa 2020 National Games in Panaji, Goa on 31 January, 2020.

Goa will be hosting the 36th edition of the National Games from 20th October to 4th November 2020.The event will see participation by 36 states and union territories, 12,000 athletes, officials and will host 37 sports disciplines across 24 venues in Goa.

The Flame-Throated Bulbul is the state bird of Goa. Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant and Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju were present at the unveiling ceremony.
India beat New Zealand in 4th T20 International at Wellington
India beat New Zealand via Super Over in the fourth T20 International after a second successive tie at Wellington on 31 January, 2020. Chasing the target of 166 set by India, New Zealand was coasting at one stage before the hosts were restricted to 165 for 7.

In the Super Over, New Zealand made just 13 runs, a target which the Indians overwhelmed with one ball to spare. India had earlier defeated New Zealand in the Super Over in the third T20 in Hamilton. The visitors now lead the five-match series 4-0. The fifth and final T20 will be played on 2 February, 2020 at Mount Maunganui.
98 Ratchanok Intanon lifts Indonesia Masters 2020 title
Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon lifted the Indonesia Badminton Masters 2020 women's singles title after defeating Carolina Marin in the summit clash on 19th January, 2020.

Intanon defeated Marin 21-19, 11-21, 21-18 in one hour and twenty minutes long match. The clash went into three-games and both the shuttlers tried their 100 per cent to turn things in their favour.

Despite losing the first game, the Spanish shuttler made a comeback in the second game and claimed the game by 21-11. Intanon won the match by claiming the third game by 21-18.
Wrestling: India bags 7 medals in Rome Ranking Series
In wrestling, India has returned with seven medals from the Rome Ranking Series. Bajrang Punia and Ravi Kumar Dahiya claimed gold medals in the tournament.

The 25-year-old Bajrang staged a comeback to secure a 4-3 win against USA's Jordan Michael Oliver in the summit showdown of the 65kg freestyle category.

The 23-year-old Ravi bagged the gold after defeating Kazakhstan's Nurbolat Abdualiyev 12-2 in his final 61 kg category bout.
Vinesh Phogat wins gold medal in Rome Ranking Series
A dominant Vinesh Phogat won her first gold medal of the 2020 season at the Rome Ranking Series event after teen sensation Anshu Malik settled for silver in 57kg competition, in Rome o n 17th January, 2020.

Vinesh downed two tough Chinese rivals on her way to the 53kg gold medal bout in which she overpowered Ecuador's Luisa Elizabeth Valverde 4-0. She won by technical superiority against KhrystynaBereza (10-0) and LannuanLuo (15-5) before getting the better of Qianyu Pang (4-2).
Srikanth, Sameer Verma knocked out of Thailand Masters Badminton
India's Kidambi Srikanth and Sameer Verma were knocked out of the Thailand Masters Badminton after suffering first-round defeats. Verma lost to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia 16-21, 15-21 in a 39-minute men's singles match in the BWF World Tour Super 300 event at Bangkok. Fifth seeded Srikanth, lost to Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia 21-12, 14-21, 12-21, in a match that lasted 48 minutes. This was Srikanth's third consecutive first-round exit this season.

Saina Nehwal and HS Prannoy are scheduled to start their campaign later in the day.
India 'A' beat New Zealand 'A' by 5 wickets
India 'A' notched up a convincing five-wicket victory over New Zealand 'A' in the first unofficial One-Day International match at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. Chasing 231 after opting to field, India completed the task with more than 20 overs to spare.

Opener Prithwi Shaw smashed 48 off 35 balls to lay the foundation for the visiting team's chase. Wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, who replaced Dhawan in India's T20 squad, blazed away to a 21-ball 39, while Suryakumar Yadav hammered 35 off a mere 19 deliveries.

With the ball, Mohammed Siraj was the most successful bowler for India 'A', picking up three wickets for 33 runs, while there were two wickets each for Khaleel Ahmed and Axar Patel. The second unofficial ODI will be played in Christchurch on Friday and third on Sunday.
Host Assam bags 7 gold medals in newly introduced lawn bowls in Khelo India Youth Games
In the Khelo India youth games in Guwahati, host Assam wrapped up the lawn bowls campaign with 7 gold medals out of 10 that were at stake. In swimming, Shivangi Sarma of Assam won gold in 50 meter freestyle taking her gold tally to 5. Maharashtra girl Kenisha Gupta has also bagged a total of 5 gold medals in swimming so far. Mizoram won the boys under 17 football gold by defeating Assam.

Assam's new swimming sensation Shivangi won 5 gold in individual and 2 silver medals in team events . Shivangi said, it was great feeling to achieve such feat in front of the home crowd.

In boys under 21 category, Maharashtra's Mihir Ambre won gold and Karnataka's Srihari Nataraj got silver in 50 meter freestyle. In Lawn Bowls, Assam players won gold in mixed triples and mixed pairs. Adinita Kakati who clinched gold in mixed triples, thanks her coaches for their success.

Harayana boxers won maximum gold medals followed by Maharashtra. In Badminton, under 21 categories, Gujrat girl Tasnim Irfan and Amit Rathod of Madhya Pradesh clinched the gold medals.
India beat Japan in ICC Under-19 World Cup
In cricket, India won the Group A ICC Under-19 World Cup Cricket match against Japan by 10 wickets at Bloemfontein, South Africa. Put into bat, Japan were all out for paltry 41 runs. As many as 5 Japanese batsmen were out without any score.

S.Noguchi and K.K.Dobell top scored for Japan sharing 7 runs each. For India, Ravi Bishnoi claimed 4 wickets and Kartik Tyagi 3.

India "A" reached the 42 run target in 4.5 overs. Opening batsman YBK Jaiswal scored 29 for India while his partner K.Kushagra scored 19. Earlier, India cruised to a 90-run victory over Sri Lanka in their opening group league encounter on Sunday.

India will play New Zealand in their last group match on the 24th of this month.
Celebrated wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and Paralympian Deepa Malik inducted in AlCS
Celebrated wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and Paralympian Deepa Malik are among the new inductees in the government's All India Council of Sports (AICS).

It is an advisory body to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports which was formed in 2015 by the then Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

Its term has also been extended by three years and it will continue to be led by veteran sports administrator V K Malhotra as President.

Some other renowned new entrants in the Council are former shooter Anjali Bhagwat, footballer Renedy Singh, and mountaineer Bachendri Pal. Senior India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has also been inducted in the council.
Indian shooters Divyansh Singh Pawar, Apurvi Chandela Clinch Gold in Meyton Cup
Indian shooters Divyansh Singh Pawar and Apurvi Chandela have clinched a gold medal each in Meyton Cup in Innsbruck, Austria.

The Meyton Cup is a private tournament where shooters go on their own to participate to gain experience before international events.

While Divyansh won the gold in the men's 10m air rifle event with an effort of 249.7, Auprvi bagged the yellow metal in the 10m air rifle women's category with a 251.4.

Deepak Kumar and Anjum Moudgil also a bagged bronze medal each in men's and women's 10m air rifle events respectively. Deepak shot 228 en route the bronze, while Anjum's effort of 229 also fetched her a podium finish.
Gibraltar chess festival
Indian Grandmasters B Adhiban and S L Narayanan registered impressive wins in the third round of the Masters' category of the ongoing Gibraltar chess festival.

Adhiban and Narayanan scored superb wins over Martin Petrov of Bulgaria and Tingjie Lei of China while young GM Raunak Sadhwani securing 1.5 points shared the point with higher-ranked David Navara.
India wins 1st T20 of 5-match series against New Zealand
In cricket, India has won the first T20 International of five-match series against New Zealand by six wickets.

Visitors achieved the target of 204 in just 19 overs losing four wickets at Eden Park in Auckland. For India, KL Rahul made 56, skipper Virat Kohli scored 45 and Shreyas Aiyyar made 58 runs.

Earlier, put in to bat first, New Zealand scored 203 for five in the stipulated 20 overs. Colin Munro and Skipper Kane Williamson smashed quick-fire half-centuries.

The second T20 will also be played at Eden Park in Auckland on Sunday while the third T20 will be held at Hamilton on the 29th January, 2020.

The 4th T20 will be played at Wellington on 31st January while the final and the 5th match will be held at Mount Maunganui on 2nd February.

The three-match ODI series starts from 5th of February 5 with the first match at Hamilton, followed by the second at Auckland and the third ODI at Mount Maunganui.
Government to recruit 1500 coaches to fill up existing vacancies: Kiren Rijiju
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government has decided to recruit around 1500 coaches to fill up existing vacancies and ensured full support to the country's athletes.

On the sidelines of a programme celebrating 'National Girl Child Day' in New Delhi, Mr Rijiju said that government is not going to wait for 8 years period and will promote the assistant coaches to senior-level after few years on the basis of their service record so that there is no dearth of coaches.

He said reputed foreign coaches will be hired irrespective of their remuneration adding that there are some very good Indian trainers and coaches who will also be hired.

He said there will be no shortage of funds for the training of the Indian athletes. Mr. Rijiju also said that his Ministry is trying to ensure that athletes get the required diet at all training centers.
Djokovic beats Nadal at ATP Cup in Sydney
Novak Djokovic over powered long-time rival Rafael Nadal and led Serbia to victory in the inaugural ATP Cup at Sydeny. The world number two blasted the top-ranked Spaniard off court 6-2, 7-6. The world number 10 Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Serbia's Dusan Lajovic 7-5, 6-1 in the other singles.

A fresh Djokovic returned to Sydney's Ken Rosewall Arena for the deciding doubles with Feliciano Lopez partnering Pablo Carreno Busta. Djokovic and Viktor Troicki, bounced back from a break down in the first set to romp home 6-3, 6-4 and ensure Serbia was the last country standing from the 24 that began the season-opening event.

The doubles drew the curtain on an event that proved a big hit with players and fans, dishing up competitive matches driven by the passion of athletes representing their home countries. Serbian Djokovik had won nine of their past 12 contests and been dominant over the years on hard courts including a comfortable win against Nadal in the Australian Open final last year (2019).
Jasprit Bumrah to receive Polly Umrigar Award
BCCI announced that India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will receive the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for his super performance in international cricket in the 2018-19 season. The world's No. 1 ODI bowler made his Test debut during India's tour of South Africa in January 2018 and hasn't looked back since.

He picked up a five-wicket haul in South Africa, England, Australia and the West Indies becoming the first and only Asian bowler to achieve the feat. He played a stellar role in the historic 2-1 Test series win in Australia, India's first Down Under and which helped them retain the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Poonam Yadav has claimed the top prize in women's section and will be awarded the best international cricketer. The award will be another feather in the leg-spinner's cap who recently received the Arjuna Award.

Former India captains Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Anjum Chopra will be presented with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award and the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award for women.

A member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, Srikkanth took on the fearsome West Indies fast bowlers and scored an attacking 38, the top individual score in the low-scoring final at the Lord's. He also captained India and post-retirement served as the chief selector and it was during his tenure that the 2011 World Cup squad was picked.
Khelo India: Arunachal Pradesh's Golom Tinku wins gold in U-17 weightlifting
In the Khelo India Youth Games in Guwahati, Arunachal Pradesh's Golom Tinku won gold in Under-17 boys weightlifting in 55 kilogram Prabal Pratim Gogoi got silver in this category. Maharashtra boy Sanket Mahadev won gold in 55 kilogram event in Under-21 category.

Maharashtra is leading the medal tally with 35 gold and 37 silver medals on the eighth day today followed by Haryana with 28 golds. Delhi is in third place with 20 gold medals.
Sania Mirza cruises into women's doubles finals of Hobart International
Sania Mirza cruises into women's doubles finals of Hobart International Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza today (17 January, 2020) cruised into the women's doubles final of the Hobart International with her Ukrainian partner Nadia Kichenok.

Sania and Kichenok sailed past the Slovenian-Czech pair of Tamara Zidansek and Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (3), 6-2 in the semifinal contest that lasted one hour and 24 minutes.

The fifth-seeded Indo-Ukrainian combination will lock horns with second seeds Shuai Peng and Shuai Zhang of China. The Chinese pair got a walkover after Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens and Alison Van Uytvanck conceded the other semifinal match because of injury.
ICC names Kohli, captain of ICC's both ODI & Test teams of the year
India skipper and batting mainstay Virat Kohli named captain of the International Cricket Council's ODI and Test teams of the year.

Apart from Kohli, there were four other Indians who were picked in the ICC's Test and ODI teams of the year.

While the Test team featured double-centurion Mayank Agarwal, opener Rohit Sharma, speedster Mohammed Shami and left-arm spinner KuldeepYadav found a place in the ODI side.

Indian seamer Deepak Chahar won T20I Performance of the Year, Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne has been named as Emerging Cricketer of the Year, whilst Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer is the Associate Cricketer of the Year.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the world player of the year.
Khelo India Games: UttamYadav makes a new meet record in 1500 metre race
Maharashtra is leading the medal tally in the ongoing third Khelo India youth games in Guwahati.

The last year's champion team has won 26 gold, 31 silver and 50 bronze so far. Haryana grabbed a total of 67 medals with 21 gold. Delhi is in third place with 17 gold.

UttamYadav from UP won gold in 1500 meter race with meet record under-17 category.
ICC U-19 World Cup Cricket begins in South Africa
The ICC Under-19 World Cup Cricket begins in South Africa.

Indian team, under the captaincy of Priyam Garg, will look to defend the title when it begins its campaign against Sri Lanka at the Oval, Bloemfontein.

India are placed in Group 'A' and will face New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Japan, who will be making their first-ever appearance in any World Cup.
Anshu Malik won silver in 2020 Rome Ranking Series
Indian teenage wrestler Anshu Malik won in the women's 57kg freestyle event of the season 's first major competition, the Ranking Series in Rome. She lost to Nigeria's Odunayo Adekuoroye for the score 10-0.

Rome Ranking Series 2020:
Rome Ranking Series 2020 was announced by the United World Wrestling. The event is being held from 15-18 January 2020. The event included all three wrestling styles: freestyle, women's wrestling, and Greco-Roman and will influence seeding for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Series will influence the top four seeds at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Khelo India Youth Games-2020 to advocate for elimination of single-use plastics
The third edition of Khelo India Youth Games-2020, to be held in Guwahati from 10th of January, will be advocating for the elimination of single-use plastics this time.

The Games will continue till 22nd Jnauary, 2020. The event will be held in 20 disciplines at 11 venues.

Assam's rich culture, heritage, art as well as India's diversity, ethnicity will be displayed in the inaugural ceremony on 10th of January at Sarusajai stadium.

Sports initiatives launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be displayed. Bollywood singer Shanker Mahadevan to enthral around 30 thousand audiences that are expected to see the opening ceremony.

The entire event including the opening and closing ceremonies are entry free.

Needful steps are being taken by the organizer so that elderly people and Divyangs can enjoy the games.

During the closing ceremony, a Chinese team will perform its martial arts along with other programmes.
Cristiano Ronaldo bagged best men’s player title
Cristiano Ronaldo was named the year’s best men’s player at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards.

Ronaldo has now earned the title for the sixth time of its nine years of existence.

The ‘best agent’ award was won by Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes.

England International Lucy Bronze was crowned the year’s best female player.
Bhubaneswar to host 1st edition of Khelo India University Games from Feb 22 to March 1
The first edition of Khelo India University Games is scheduled to be held at the KIIT University in Bhubaneswar from February 22nd to March 1st.

The launching ceremony of the event was held at Bhubaneswar. Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled the logo and jersey of Khelo India University Games.

Mr Patnaik announced the first edition of the Khelo India University Games at Bhubaneswar, a city which has gained the repute of being the Sports Capital of India.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank who was present in the function said the University Games will further nourish the talents of the youth.

Participating in the function, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reflected the Centre’s ambition of seeing the tri-colour fly high at the 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games.

Initiatives have been taken up by the government under the leadership of prime minister will definitely help mould the future of budding sports stars of India.
Leh-Ladakh: Both Boys, Girls teams win 5th IHAI National Ice Hockey Championship 2020
In Leh-Ladakh, the home teams won the 5th Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) National Ice Hockey Championship -2020 in both Boys and Girls categories.

Ladakh Scouts Regiment Centre (LSRC) won the bronze medal, in Under-20 Boys category.

Maharashtra girls stood 3rd in the championship.

IHAI Secretary Harjinder Singh said that Ice Hockey National teams will be shortlisted from the Championship and teams will be selected after a coaching and conditioning camp.

The Under-20 boys will be playing Asia Challenge Cup between 10th and 15th February in Thailand.

Girls will play in the Asian Championship between 23rd and 28th of next month in the Philippines.
3rd edition of Khelo India Youth Games to be held in Guwahati
The country gears up for the third edition of the Khelo India Youth Games, to be held in Guwahati from 9th to 22nd January, 2020.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju along with a host of star athletes will grace the opening ceremony, to be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium.

The competition has started a sporting revolution in India and expressed pride that the games are being held in Assam.

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the Games have certainly inspired the youth of the country to take up sports.

Around 6,800 athletes from teams of 37 states and union territories will compete in a total of 20 sports events, including new additions of lawn bowls and cycling, across eleven venues in Guwahati. Maharashtra and hosts Assam will be fielding the biggest contingents in the games.

Special acts have been devised to celebrate the natural beauty and cultural wealth of Assam.

Performances by ethnic communities from across Assam and an act to champion the Fit India movement are also included in the ceremony.

The event will have aircrafts dedicated to ferry athletes from Kolkata and Delhi to Guwahati and a go-green programme that will see four electric cars at the venues. Besides the Khelo India scholarships that winners of the tournament will get, the Assam Government has also announced cash awards for the winners.
2nd T20I: India beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in Indore
In Cricket, India secured a massive seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second T20 International match at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. With this victory, the host team has taken a 1-0 lead over Sri Lanka in the three-match T20 International series. The first match was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain.

Chasing a target of 143 runs, K L Rahul put up 45 runs and Shikhar Dhawan scored 32. Skipper Virat Kohli played an unbeaten knock of 30 runs from 17 balls in the match.

India made 144 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 17.3 overs. Wanindu Hasaranga took 2 wickets for the visitors.

The third and final T20 International between both teams will be played on 10th January, 2020 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
Malaysia Masters Badminton: PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal to play their quarterfinals
Reigning world champion PV Sindhu will take on world number one Chinese Taipai shuttler Tai Tzu Ying in the women's singles quarterfinal match of Malaysia Masters Super 500 badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur on 9 January, 2020.

In another quarterfinal match, Saina Nehwal will clash with Olympic champion Spaniard Carolina Marin.

In pre-quarterfinal match, sixth seed Sindhu notched up a commanding 21-10, 21-15 victory over Japan's Aya Ohori and Saina Nehwal beat eighth seed An Se Young of South Korea 25-23, 21-12.

In the men's singles, India's challenge ended after both Sameer Verma and HS Prannoy crashed out in the second round.

Verma lost to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia 19-21, 20-22, Prannoy was shown the door by top seed Kento Momota of Japan 14-21, 16-21.
ITTF executive committee meeting to be held
New Delhi will host the 2-day Executive Committee meeting of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) beginning 10 Jan 2020.

This will be the second time the country will be hosting such a meeting.

The previous EC meeting of the ITTF was held in New Delhi way back in 1987.

It will be chaired by ITTF President Thomas Weikert and will discuss the development of table tennis in India.
Fouaad Mirza became the first Indian to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics after 2 decades
Indian equestrian Fouaad Mirza became the first Indian to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics officially. He ended a wait spanning two decades.

International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) issued the latest rankings that included all results between 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. Mirza's qualification to enter the Tokyo Games was confirmed in the issue.

The riders competed the 4-star level tournaments to qualify for the Olympics.

Previously, Imtiaz Anees in 2000 Sydney and Late Wing Commander IJ Lamba in 1996 Atlanta are the two Indians to who represented India at the Olympics.

The 27-year-old Mirza had won a silver in individual eventing in the 2018 Asian Games.

He secured 34 points on his first horse Fernhill Facetime and 30 with his second horse Touchingwood.
India beat Sri Lanka by 78 runs in final T20 International to clinch three match series
In Cricket, India beat Sri Lanka by 78 runs in the third and final T20 International to win the three-match series 2-0 in Pune. Earlier, India scored 201 for six in the stipulated 20 overs. Openers K L Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan scored fifty each for India. Sandakan scalped 3 wickets for Sri Lanka. Defending the total, the Indian bowlers, led by right-arm pacer Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, dished out a disciplined effort to bundle out Sri Lanka for 123 in 15.5 overs.
Maharashtra lead tally with 18 medals in Khelo India Youth Games
Uttar Pradesh Jatin Kumar kanojiya continues his golden performance in the Khelo India youth games with 3 Gold medals. He won his third gold in under 17 artistic gymnastics. Madhya Pradesh's Vivek kumar got gold in under 17 jevlin throw. In under 17 girls long jump Telengana's Nandini won gold medal. Maharastra's Arjun got gold in 3000 meter race of boys under 17 and Gujarat Ajit won gold in 5000 meter race of boys under 21.

So far Maharashtra is leading the medal tally with 18 medals including 4 Gold followed by Tripura with 4 Gold. With 3 gold and UP is third in the list. Tripura’s gymnasts coach Suma Nandi told that khelo india gave priyanka solid base for future. Bite - Suma Nandi.
Koneru Humpy becomes Women's World Rapid Chess Champion
Indian grandmaster Koneru Humpy has become the 2019 Women's World Rapid Champion.

She defeated China's Lei Tingjie in a dramatic final in Moscow, Russia. After losing the opening game, Humpy made an impressive comeback and collected nine points each in 12 rounds to be tied with Tingjie.

The duo then played a fierce game to break the deadlock. Tingjie finished with a silver, while Turkey's Ekaterina Atalik won bronze.

This is a significant triumph for Humpy who is India’s best-ever women’s chess player. She is more at ease in the classical format and was clearly trying to take her skills in the rapid format to a new level.

Norway's Magnus Carlsen claimed the men's title.
6500 athletes from 37 teams to take part in 3rd Khelo India youth games
6500 athletes from 37 teams will take part in the 3rd Khelo India youth games in Guwahati beginning from 10th of January.

Lawn ball and cycling will be included in the Khelo India for the first time.

Total of 20 competitions will be held at 11 venues in and around Guwahati.

The host Assam will have a strong contingent of 650 players in the event. Mr Joshi said, the Assam government will give 1 lakh rupees for Gold, 75 thousand for silver and 50 thousand rupees for bronze medalist Assam players.

The CEO added that cultural events from Assam, North East and rest of the country along with exhibition of indigenous games will be held from 13th to 15th January.

A mega inaugural ceremony is being planned at Sarusajai on 10th of January.
Boxer Vikas Krishan makes it to India squad for Olympic Qualifiers
Vikas Krishan claimed a slot in the Indian men's boxing squad in the 69 kilogram category for next year's Olympic qualifiers after winning his final trial bout along with two others in Bengaluru.

The former world championships and Asian Games medal-winner, who competed in the middleweight 75 kilogram category for a long time, is back to the 69 kilogram division after recovering from a back injury sustained during his short undefeated stint in the professional circuit.

The 26-year-old two-time Olympian out-punched national medallist, Duryodhan Singh Negi in a unanimous decision in the trial finals.

Also making in the squad for the Asia/Oceania zone qualifiers, scheduled from 3rd to 14th February in Wuhan, China, were Commonwealth Games medal-winning duo of Gaurav Solanki (57 kg) and Naman Tanwar (91kg).

While Solanki defeated Mohammed Hussamuddin, Tanwar edged past Naveen Kumar.
IOA withdraws boycott call for 2022 Commonwealth Games
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has withdrawn its threat to boycott the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham over Shooting's exclusion.

It also announced that the country will bid to host either the 2026 or the 2030 edition.

During its Annual General Meeting in New Delhi, the IOA, on the advice of Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), also decided to submit a formal proposal to host a Commonwealth Shooting Championships before the main Games, an idea mooted by both the national and international shooting bodies to make up for the sport's exclusion from 2022 CWG.

CGF President Dame Louise Martin welcomed India confirming participation at the Birmingham Games.

The country's apex body for Olympic sports will next approach the government for the necessary clearances to host the multi-sport event.

The country hosted the 2010 edition in the national capital.
Third Khelo India youth games to be held in Guwahati in Jan 2020
The third Khelo India youth games will be held in Guwahati between 10th and 22nd of next month.

Six thousand five hundred athletes from 37 teams will take part in the event. Chief Executive Officer of the Games Avinash Joshi told that the upcoming event is going to be the biggest multidisciplinary games ever held in the country. He said Cycling and lawn ball have been introduced as new disciplines in the games.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched the torch relay of the competition in Guwahati.

The torch will be carried to all district headquarters to elicit the cooperation of the people for the success of the Games.

Mr. Sonowal asked the people of Assam to create a fantastic environment for all the athletes who will be participating in the competitions.

The opening ceremony of the third Khelo India Youth Games will take place at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Guwahati on January 10 before the athletes take part in their respective events in full flow.
Venus Williams pulls out of Brisbane Tennis International
Venus Williams pulled out of the season-opening Brisbane Tennis International after a setback during practice.

The American veteran said she still hoped to play at the Adelaide International later this month ahead of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year.

The tournament, featuring a strong field including world number one Ashleigh Barty and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, gets underway on January 6.
Youth Olympic Games gold medallist Jeremy Lalrinnunga prepares for berth at 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Jeremy Lalrinnunga, who became the first Indian to win a gold at the Youth Olympic Games on 29th Dec, is now preparing for a berth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The 17-year-old weightlifter from Mizoram has been making it to the headlines as he recently clinched a silver medal in men's 67 kg weightlifting category at the 6th International Qatar Cup with the total lift of 306 kg that broke 27 records in total.

Jeremy from Aizawl has been the recent talk among the public for his outstanding performance in sports, who won gold in the first and second edition of the Khelo India Games and the athlete competed in the 62kg and 67kg categories in both the editions respectively.
Inaugural edition of revamped ATP Tennis Cup team event kicks off in Australia
The inaugural edition of the revamped ATP Tennis Cup team event kicks off in Australia.

A total of 24 nations, split into six groups, will be contesting in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney for over 10 days for the first time.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are among those who will be looking for a winning start ahead of the Australian Open Tennis Tournament beginning on 20th of this month (January, 2020).

While Federer, Nishikori and Murray are missing, most of the world's top 30 men are playing.

In Group F, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas will meet Denis Shapovalov of Canada in Brisbane's day session.

Germany’s Alexander Zverev will face home favourite Alex de Minaur in the night session.

In Group D, World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev of Russia will battle Italy’s Fabio Fognini in Perth's night session.
5th IHAI National Ice Hockey Championship-2020 begins in Leh
The 5th Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) National Ice Hockey Championship -2020 has begun in Leh.

In the inaugural match in Under-20 Boys category between Chandigarh and Haryana, the contest ended in a draw with 4 goals each.

Similarly, the second match between Ladakh Scouts Regiment Centre and Delhi also ended in a draw with 2 goals each.

Later in the afternoon Under-20 Girls match will be played between home team Ladakh and Maharashtra.

The tournament will continue till 7th January in Karzoo Ice Hockey Rink in Leh, where the Army, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and home team Ladakh are fighting for the championship in U-20 boys category.

Similarly, in Girls category Ladakh, Maharashtra, Delhi and Chandigarh are playing for the championship.
Manav Thakkar becomes world no.1 in latest International Table Tennis Federation rankings
Young Indian paddler Manav Thakkar became world no.1 in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings in the Under-21 men's singles category.

With this, Thakkar became the fourth Indian to achieve the feat after Harmeet Desai, G Sathiyan and Soumyajit Ghosh.

Among other Indians, G. Sathiyan has managed to retain his 30th spot in the senior category.

Achanta Sharath Kamal has climbed a spot to 33rd position.

Top woman paddler, Manika Batra was static at the 61st position.

The 19-year-old Manav Thakkar achieved the top spot after clinching the Under-21 men's singles title at the ITTF Challenge Plus Benemax-Virgo North American Open in Markham, Canada in December last year.

Thakkar was also world no. 1 in the Under-18 category in February 2018. He was part of the Indian men's team which won a bronze medal in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.