Correct Answer :   Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen continues his dominance as he recorded his sixth win from the opening eight races this season with the Canadian Grand Prix 2023 title on Sunday (18th June 2023).

The Dutch ace, starting at pole, also guided Red Bull Racing to record its 100th win since its inception in 2004. Verstappen also stretches his lead at the top with 195 points, 69 more than second-placed Sergio Perez.

Veterans Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso stole the majority of the limelight at the Canadian circuit as the duo clashed with each other for the second spot. Alonso finished runner-up, nine seconds behind Verstappen, and five seconds ahead of the English star to take another podium this year.

Meanwhile, Verstappen registered his 41st win as he leveled with Ayrton Senna in the most wins record in Formula 1 history.

He is now only behind Lewis Hamilton (103*), Michael Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53), and Alain Prost (51). .

Source : Indiatv News

Correct Answer :   Tajinderpal Singh Toor

Tajinder Pal Singh Toor could not have timed his comeback better. Three months before the Asian Games, the burly shot putter shattered his own Asian record with a huge throw of 21.77m. His personal best of 21.49m achieved two years ago was the previous national and Asian record.

Toor got the mark in his third attempt, having started with 21.09m. The throw was big enough to land him a spot in the Budapest World Championships (21.40m qualifying mark). The Asian Games qualifying mark was a modest 19m.

It puts him at ninth place in the world this season. American Olympic and world champion Ryan Crouser heads the chart with a sensational 23.56m -- the world record – this season..

Source : Hindustan Times

Correct Answer :   Bhavani Devi

Olympian C.A. Bhavani Devi has secured the bronze medal at Asian Fencing Championships 2023 held in China.

In the quarterfinal, she created history by defeating reigning World Champion Misaki Emura and secured India its first-ever medal at the event.

She stunned the world number one 15-10 to enter the women’s sabre semifinal.

However, Bhavani lost to Uzbekistan’s Zaynab Dayibekova in the semifinals by 15-14, securing a bronze medal..

Source : Air

Correct Answer :   Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty

India's dynamic duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty scripted history by winning the men's doubles title at the Indonesia Open here on Sunday (18th June 2023), becoming the first pair from the country to claim a Super 1000 event.

The Indians outwitted the Malaysian world champion duo of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 21-17, 21-18 in an intense contest that lasted 43 minutes.

Satwiksairaj and Chirag gained initiative midway through the first game and they never really gave a sniff to their fancied opponents since then.

In the second game as well, the Indian pair did not allow their opponents to break free and a four-point streak kept them ahead of the curve.

The Indians seemed to be in for a facile victory when the Malaysians nullified four match points to come within sniffing distance of their opponents.

Doubles outing :

However, Satwiksairaj and Chirag, the world No. 6 pair, who won a gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and bronze at the world championships last year, could not be denied when the score read 20-18 in their favour, and this time they converted the match point to script a magnificent win.

The magnitude of the result can be gauged from the fact that this was the first time Satwiksairaj and Chirag are beating Aaron and Soh in 11 attempts.

In fact, the triumph of Satwiksairaj and Chirag in the Indonesia Open is quite unparalleled as they are the first doubles Indian doubles pair to land the title while Saina Nehwal (2010, 2012) and Kidambi Srikanth (2017) had earlier bagged the singles crown in Jakarta...

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer :   Lebanon

Indian men's senior football team clinched the Intercontinental Cup 2023 with a 2-0 victory over Lebanon in the final at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar 18th June 2023.

* The first half was goalless while in the second half, the hosts made it 1-0 in the 46th-minute with Indian captain Sunil Chhetri's goal.

* Lallianzuala Chhangte netted the second goal in the 65th -minute, making it 2-0.  This is India's second title in the tournament, following their win in the inaugural edition in 2018. Korea won in 2019.

* India extended their streak of being unbeaten in the competition as they drew their previous meeting against Lebanon and defeated both Vanuatu and Mongolia.

* This is Chhetri's 87th international goals in 137 appearances. Chhetri is continued to be the third highest goal-scorer among active players in international football, only behind Portuguese ace Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi of Argentina..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Dubai

The inaugural edition of India's first-ever Women's Kabaddi League (WKL) commenced with great fanfare in Dubai on June 16, 2023.

This historic event marks the first time that women kabaddi players from across India have been given the opportunity to exhibit their skills and prowess on a global stage.

The league consists of eight teams, featuring a total of 96 players, each representing Indian states. These teams bear the names of various states, including the Delhi Dynamites, Gujarat Angels, Great Marathas, Haryana Hustlers, Punjab Panthers, Rajasthan Riders, Uma Kolkata, and Bengaluru Hawks.

The victorious team will be awarded a prize of approximately half a million dirhams (equivalent to 1 crore INR). The opening ceremony of the IPL-style women's kabaddi league was graced by the presence of Bollywood actor Govinda, who unveiled the coveted trophy.

APS Sports, the primary organizer of the WKL, highlighted that this substantial reward exemplifies the league's commitment to acknowledging and appreciating the relentless efforts, dedication, and exceptional talent exhibited by these outstanding athletes.

The Women's Kabaddi League is set to span over a period of 12 days, from June 16 to June 27, at the Shabab Al Ahli Sports Club in Dubai. The league's overarching objective is to enhance the prominence of kabaddi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and empower female athletes from India. It provides a robust platform for these exceptional talents to exhibit their prowess, ultimately inspiring a new generation of kabaddi enthusiasts.

Pradeep Kumar Nehra, director of the Women's Kabaddi League, emphasized the league's mission and its impact on women's empowerment, stating, "We have started the league to promote women power. Talented girls from villages and rural areas, who were playing very well in school and college, but could not find a good platform. We tried to give them a platform".

Chandrashekhar Bhatia, a resident of Dubai, shared his thoughts on the initiative, saying, "This is an initiative to fulfill the Prime Minister's dream of promoting women in sports. In the coming times, we hope  basketball, kho-kho, cricket, and other events will be organised."

As the Women's Kabaddi League unfolds in Dubai, it promises to captivate audiences with exhilarating matches and extraordinary displays of athleticism. This landmark event stands as a testament to the growing recognition and support for women's sports, paving the way for a brighter future for female athletes in India and beyond..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Egypt

Egypt has retained the World Squash Championship 2023, after beating Malaysia by 2-1 in the final, at the Express Avenue Mall on Saturday (17th June 2023)

* Malaysia won the silver, and third place (bronze) was shared jointly by hosts India and Japan.

* India was defeated by Malaysia 3-0 in the semi-final.

* The championship was held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu with 8 countries as participants and was held from June 13 to 17.

* Egypt won the World Cup when it was last held here in 2011..

Source : Sportstar

Correct Answer :   Sri Lanka and Pakistan

The Asia Cup 2023 will be take place in Pakistan and Sri Lanka between August 31 and September 17, 2023.

* Earlier, the tournament was originally meant to be held entirely in Pakistan.

* The Asian Cricket Council has approved the hybrid model, in which four of the 13 matches will be played in Pakistan and the remaining 9 in Sri Lanka.

* In Pakistan, matches will be held in Lahore while the games to be played in Sri Lanka will be held in Kandy and Pallekele.

* The hybrid model has come into effect after the BCCI expressed its reservations about touring Pakistan for the Asia Cup. Earlier, former champions Pakistan were given the right to entirely host the continental tournament.

Source : Hindustan Times

Correct Answer :   Uruguay

The U-20 FIFA World Cup 2023 came to a close with Uruguay lifting the coveted trophy after a narrow 1-0 win against Italy, powered by an 86th-minute goal from Luciano Rodriguez, on Monday (12th June 2023) in Argentina.

* One of the key figures in Uruguay’s defensive setup, Randall Rodriguez featured in all seven matches for his nation and conceded just three goals.

* Uruguay recorded clean sheets in all of its knockout matches, including the final, and went on to lift the trophy by beating Italy 1-0 in the final.

* According to the FIFA U-20 World Cup website, Rodriguez has prevented a whopping 68 goal attempts, the most by any goalkeeper in this edition.

* The custodian, who currently plays for Uruguay club Penarol, was called up to the senior Uruguay national team for the first time by new national team manager Marcelo Bielsa..

Source : Thehindu

Correct Answer :   India

* In Hockey, India beat Argentina 2-1 in its final FIH Pro League 2022-23 match in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, 11 June 2023.

* Akashdeep Singh and Sukhjeet Singh scored goals for India while Lucas Toscani netted the only goal for Argentina.

* With this victory, India consolidated their position atop the FIH Pro League standings with 30 points from 16 matches. Argentina are fifth with 13 points from 14 matches.

* India now holds a four-point advantage over second-placed Great Britain in the FIH Pro League 2022-23 standings but the European team has four games to go.

* The Indian men’s hockey team finished in fourth place in their debut FIH Pro League campaign back in 2020-21. Their best finish in the competition, third, came in the 2021-22 season..

Source : AIR