Sports - General Knowledge Questions

Correct Answer :   Australia

* Australia clinched the title of 2023 World Test Champions in a commanding fashion, securing a resounding 209-run victory over India in the thrilling WTC Final at The Oval. Travis Head and Steve Smith’s remarkable centuries in the first innings laid the foundation for Australia’s early control of the Test.

* Despite India’s valiant response, the match extended to a fifth day, but they fell short of an extraordinary record chase, ultimately being bowled out for 234. Australia scripted history on Sunday, June 11 as they became the first men’s team in world cricket to win an International Cricket Council (ICC) world title in all three formats.

* Player of the Match : Travis Head (163 off 174 balls in 1st innings, 18 off 27 balls in 2nd innings). Australia won the ICC Test Championship mace for the first time, and were also awarded the cash prize of US$1.6 million, while India won US$800,000.

AUSTRALIA’S ICC TITLE’S (MEN’S CRICKET) :

* 50-over World Cups: 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015
* Champions Trophy: 2006, 2009
* T20 World Cup – 2021
* World Test Championship – 2021-23

World Test Championship 2023, Scott Boland and Lyon Lead Australia’s Bowling Charge :

* Australia’s triumph in the World Test Championship final was fueled by an exceptional bowling performance led by Scott Boland. Boland made early breakthroughs with two crucial dismissals on the final day, setting the tone for an impressive display.

* Accompanied by the contributions of Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc, Australia systematically dismantled India’s batting lineup, ultimately clinching the title. Nathan Lyon’s stellar performance throughout the Test Championship made him the highest wicket-taker in the world.


Australian Batsmen Shine Bright in ICC World Test Championship Cycle :

* Australia’s dominance in the WTC cycle was bolstered by their formidable batting lineup, with four of their top six run-scorers featuring prominently in the rankings.

* Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne showcased their prowess, accumulating an impressive tally of runs, with only Joe Root surpassing them in scoring.

* Furthermore, Travis Head and Steve Smith, the heroes of the first innings in the WTC Final, displayed their consistency throughout the Championship, contributing significantly with 1407 and 1389 runs respectively.

Correct Answer :   India

The Indian hockey team clinched the Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2023 title in Kakamigahara, Japan, with a 2-1 win over the Republic of Korea in the final on Sunday (11th June 2023).

This is the first time India have won the Women's Junior Asia Cup. India had already secured a spot in the FIH Women's Junior World Cup 2023 in Chile.

Japan beat China 2-1 to become the third team to qualify for the World Cup scheduled this year (2023).

For India, Annu (21') and Neelam (40’) were on target while Seoyeon Park (24’) scored the solitary goal for Korea.

India started the game on an attacking note by winning a penalty corner in the opening minute of the game but they failed to capitalise on it. However, Korea resorted to counter-attacks and controlled the possession. Despite both teams playing attacking hockey, the first quarter ended goalless.

Korea stuck to their approach in the second quarter and pushed India on the back foot. However, India took the lead through Annu who converted via a penalty stroke.

India’s lead, however, didn’t last long as Seoyeon Park scored an equaliser for Korea via a field goal. The second quarter didn’t witness any more goals as both teams went into the half-time break with the scores levelled at 1-1.

Earlier this month, India also won the Men’s Junior Asia Cup hockey tournament after beating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final..

Source : Olympics

Correct Answer :   Murali Sreeshankar

Ace Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar secured a creditable third place in the 2023 Diamond League meet at Paris, France.

* With a jump of 8.09m, in his maiden podium finish in the prestigious one-day meeting series in Paris.

* Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sreeshankar achieved his best jump of the day in his third attempt.

* Sreeshankar also became the only third Indian to finish in the top three of a Diamond League after Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and former discus thrower Vikas Gowda.

* Olympic Champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece and Simon Ehammer of Switzerland finished ahead of Sreeshankar with jumps of 8.13m and 8.11m respectively.

* Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur have congratulated Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar for his rare feat..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic won his men’s-record 23rd Grand Slam title with a victory over Casper Ruud in French Open 2023 Final.

Djokovic broke a tie with rival Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men’s tennis. The Serb moves into the outright lead of men’s majors ahead of Rafael Nadal. He also becomes the first man to win all four majors at least three times.

By winning his 23rd Slam title at the French Open beating Norwegian world No. 4 Casper Ruud 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5 in the final. Djokovic broke away from Rafael Nadal in the men’s pecking order. Joining Serena Williams on the most Slam count by any player in the Open Era, he also became the first man to win all the Majors at least thrice.

This year, the Roland Garros tournament or French open has seen a significant increase in the total prize money, reaching an impressive €43.9 million. This reflects a notable rise of 13.76 percent compared to the previous year. As a result of his outstanding performance at the tournament, Djokovic will be awarded a prize money of €2,300,000 ($2,496,039), which is a 4.55 percent increase from the amount given twelve months ago.

The runner-up, Casper Ruud, will receive €1,150,000 ($1,248,019) as a recognition of his commendable efforts in the competition.

Correct Answer :   Tokito Oda

Japan's Tokito Oda (17) has defeated top-ranked Alfie Hewett from Britain 6-1, 6-4 to win the 2023 French Open wheelchair Men's singles title.

* With this win, he also become the sport's youngest Grand Slam champion.

* While Diede de Groot from Netherlands has secured the 2023 French Open – Wheelchair women's singles.

* Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid (Britain) won the Men's Double title, and Yui Kamiji and Kgothatso Montjane won the Women's Double title..

Source : Itftennis

Correct Answer :   Sunil Kumar

19-year-old Indian player Sunil Kumar won the gold medal in the men's decathlon event at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships 2023 being held in Yecheon city of South Korea.

* Sunil secured the first position by scoring 7003 points in 10 events decathlon.

* He got first place in 100 meters hurdles, discus throw and javelin.


Asian U20 Athletics Championships: Indian medal winners :

* Rezoana Mallick Heena (women’s 400m) - gold medal

* Laxita Vinod Sandila (women’s 1500m) - gold medal

* Rezoana Mallick Heena/Anushka Dattaray Kumbhar/ Riya Nitin Patil/ Kanista Teena (women’s 4x400m relay) - gold medal

* Siddharth Choudhary (men’s shot put) - gold medal

* Bharatpreet Singh (men’s discus throw) - gold medal

* Sunil Kumar (men's decathlon) - gold medal

* Susmita (women’s long jump) - silver medal

* Shivam Lohakare (men’s javelin throw) - silver medal

* Sharuk Khan (men's 3000m steeplechase) - silver medal

* Bushra Khan Gauri (Women's 3000m) - silver medal

* Pooja (women's high jump) - silver medal

* Shivaji Parashu Madappagoudra (men's 5000m race) - silver medal

* Deepak Singh/Sharan Megavarnam/Rihan Choudhary/Navpreet Singh (men’s 4x400m relay) - silver medal

* Antima Pal (women’s 5000m) - bronze medal

* Shakeel (men’s 800m) - bronze medal

* Rezoana Mallick Heena/Navpreet Singh/Anushka Dattaray Kumbhar/Deepak Singh (mixed 4x400m relay) - bronze medal

* Abinaya Rajarajan/Akshaya/Tamanna/Nayana Kokare (women's 4x100 relay) - bronze medal

* Vallip Hima Teja/Arijit Rana/Mohammad Reyan Basha/ Dondapati Mrutyam Jayaram (men's 4×100m relay) - bronze medal

* Mehdi Hasan (men’s 1500m event) - bronze medal.

Correct Answer :   Dhanush Srikanth

* Dhanush Srikanth won the gold medal in the Men’s 10m air rifle event in the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany, 5th June 2023.

* Dhanush Srikanth’s triumph marked India’s third gold medal in the ISSF WC so far. Dhanush defeated Pontus Kallin of Sweden.

* India also picked up a bronze in the skeet mixed team competition, when Harmehar Lally and Sanjana Sood defeated their Swedish opponents David Jonsson and Felicia Ros in a shoot-off.

* With these achievements, India currently leads the medal table, having secured three gold, one silver, and two bronze medals...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Siddharth Choudhary

* India showcased its dominance on the second day of the Under 20 Asian Athletics Championships in Yecheon, South Korea. India’s Siddharth Choudhary clinched gold in men’s shot put with a personal best throw of 19.52 metres.

* Further three other players Sharuk Khan (3000 metre steeplechase), Shivam Lohakare (Javelin), and Susmita (Long Jump) claimed silver medals in their respective events.

* Shakeel (800 metre) and the mixed relay team concluded the day by winning the bronze medal. With this India won six medals on day 2 with the overall tally accounting to nine..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen emerged victorious at the Spanish Grand Prix 2023, clinching the pole position and extending his lead in the Formula One championship by 53 points.

* Red Bull's dominance continued as they celebrated their seventh consecutive triumph of the season.

* Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, secured the second spot for Mercedes but trailed a substantial 24.090 seconds behind Verstappen. Hamilton's teammate, George Russell, completed the podium, marking a successful outing for the Mercedes team at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya, despite the cloudy yet dry conditions.



* Sergio Perez of Red Bull, Verstappen's closest contender in what seems to be a season destined to crown the Dutch prodigy for the third time, fought back from an 11th-place start to finish fourth.

* Verstappen's triumph in Spain marked his fifth win of the season, his third consecutive victory, and his third triumph in Spain. It also marked his 40th Formula One win, adding to his remarkable track record.

* Lando Norris of McLaren, who initially started in third position, experienced a broken front wing during the first lap after contact with Hamilton, forcing him to pit and resulting in a disappointing 17th-place finish.

* The performance of the Mercedes drivers sparked discussions, as the team showcased a redesigned car following a lacklustre start to the season. Mercedes moved up to second place in the championship standings with 152 points, while Red Bull maintained a commanding lead with 287 points. Aston Martin dropped to third place with 134 points.

* Carlos Sainz secured fifth place, followed by Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martins, finishing sixth and seventh, respectively.

* Esteban Ocon of Alpine claimed the eighth position, with Guanyu Zhou of Alfa Romeo in ninth. Pierre Gasly, who faced a six-place grid penalty despite qualifying fourth, managed to secure the final point for Renault-owned Alpine.

* Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who endured a nightmare in qualifying and started from the pitlane, finished in 11th place.

Correct Answer :   Aravindh Chithambaram

Grandmaster (GM) Aravindh Chithambaram of India won the 23rd Dubai Open 2023 for the second consecutive year.

The 23rd edition of Dubai Chess Open was organised by Dubai Chess & Culture Club.

* A total of 172 participants (in category A) from more than 46 different countries participated in this tournament. A total of 9 rounds were played in Swiss format.

* A draw in the final round proved enough for Grandmaster (GM) Aravindh Chithambaram of India to become one of only two players to win back-to-back championships in the history of the Dubai Open Chess Tournament.

* The defending champion halved the point with compatriot GM Arjun Erigaisi in Sunday’s ninth round and then proceeded to rule the tournament by virtue of a superior tiebreak score over Erigaisi and two others who finished with the same 6.5-point output.

* Chithambaram and the rest of the winners received their prizes during the awarding ceremony Sunday (4th June 2023) night attended by Khalid Ali Bin Zayed Al Falasi, Chairman of the Dubai Chess and Culture Club, Tarim Matar, President of the UAE Chess Federation, Mohammed Al-Modiahki, President of the Qatar Chess Federation, and chess officials and members of the board of directors.

* Khalid Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi expressed his gratitude for the successful staging of the 23rd edition of the Dubai Open, noting that the event has become a favorite destination for elite players as well as promising young masters from different countries.

* He added that major events such as the Dubai Open are important initiatives that support the development of UAE players, providing an opportunity to compete with some of the world’s best players and improve their international ranking. He further revealed plans of hosting world championship events as well as continental championships at the club..

Source : WAM