Correct Answer :   Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto

India’s Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto won the women’s doubles title at the Guwahati Masters 2023 badminton tournament 10th Dec 2023.

* Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto, the second seeds at the BWF Super 100 tournament, beat the Taipei’s Sung Shuo Yun and Yu Chien Hui 21-13, 21-19 to win what was their second title as a pair.

* Results at the Guwahati Masters 2023 badminton tournament will count towards players’ qualifying rankings for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

* The Indian badminton duo won the Abu Dhabi Masters Super 100 tourney earlier this year. Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto also made the final of the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament last week in Lucknow but lost the title decider to Japan’s Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi...


Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Nahida Akter

Bangladesh’s slow left-arm spinner Nahida Akter has been announced as the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for November. She became the first-ever Bangladesh women’s player to win the award.


SA v BAN: Nahida Akter dismisses Dane van Niekerk on her second delivery

* Akter beat compatriot Fargana Hoque and Pakistan spinner Sadia Iqbal to win the award and was thrilled to accept the monthly honour.

* “This is a moment to cherish," Akter said.

* "To be recognised by such a distinguished panel of cricket experts mean a lot and winning the ICC Women Player of the Month award will be a massive source of inspiration and motivation for me.
 
* “We have played some amazing cricket in recent months and I am so happy to have contributed to the successes we have tasted as a team. I must thank my captain, coaches and teammates for always believing in me and that has allowed me to play my natural game against quality opponents and perform under pressure.”

* Akter’s seven ODI wickets at an average of 14.14 were instrumental in setting up an important series win for Bangladesh during November, with her haul earning the Player of the Series award.

WICKET: Matthews falls to Nahida Akter's first ball

* In the first game, Bangladesh were dismissed for merely 81, but the slow left-arm spinner didn’t give up. She struck thrice before Pakistan eventually managed to overhaul the modest total.

* In the second ODI, she finished with 1/43 and broke a pivotal stand between Diana Baig and Najiha Alvi. Bangladesh eventually tied the game, and Nahida was given the responsibility of bowling the Super Over. The 23-year-old gave away just seven runs and scalped two wickets. The batters then finished the job by chasing down the score and levelling the series.


ICC T20WC Qualifier: USA v BAN - Nahida Akter's message to the fans

* The final game saw her pick up 3/26 and help restrict Pakistan to 166/9. This total was eventually hauled in by the Bangladesh batters in the 47th over.

* The sensational youngster is already the highest wicket-taker for Bangladesh in T20Is and the third-highest for them in ODIs..


Source : icc-cricket

Correct Answer :   Travis Head

Australian batter Travis Head, who smashed an explosive century to help Australia win their sixth ICC Cricket World Cup title, has been named as the ICC Men's Player of the Month for November 2023. Head beat tough competition from teammate Glenn Maxwell and India seamer Mohammed Shami to claim the honour.

* Maxwell scored a magnificent double-century against Afghanistan during the World Cup, while Shami had a brilliant run with the ball during the same tournament, becoming the leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets in just seven matches, as per the ICC.

* But it was Head's 220 ODI runs in November--including a half-century and a century - that proved the difference, with the left-hander winning his first Player of the Month award.

* The 29-year-old paid tribute to his teammates for their help in his journey over the last year.

* "It has been an incredible 12 months for the team which it has been a real privilege to be a part of. The way we have navigated a home summer, away trips to India, England, South Africa, India and the World Cup has been a great credit to Pat (Cummins), the players and the staff," Head said as quoted by ICC..

Source : Hindustan Times

Correct Answer :   India

FIVB ( Fédération Internationale de Volleyball) Men's Volleyball Club World Championship 2023 will commence at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru 6th Dec 2023.

This is the first time that the prestigious tournament will be held in India. The five-day tournament will see six teams compete for the top honours.

Prime Volleyball League Season 2 champions, Ahmedabad Defenders, will become the first Indian team to feature in the competition.

The Defenders qualified for the Club World Championship after winning the Prime Volleyball League earlier this year. Setter Muthusamy Appavu will lead the Defenders.

The top two teams in the group stages will qualify for the semi-finals on December 9, and the final will be played on December 10..


Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Ramkumar Ramanathan

Ramkumar Ramanathan of India clinched his 3rd ITF Title by Winning Kalaburagi Open Tennis 2023 in a span of 57 days after beating Austrian David Pichler 6-2, 6-1 in the final of the Kalaburagi Open at the Chandrashekhar Patil Stadium here on Sunday (3rd Dec 2023).

Ramkumar pocketed the winner’s cheque of US$ 3,200 and 25 ATP points afte winning the one-sided summit clash that lasted just 64 minutes.

“It feels great to win back-to-back titles. My game is coming along good. I did play some of my best tennis in these last two weeks. The courts here didn’t suit my game initially, but I adapted to them very quickly,” said Ramkumar after the victory.

After both the players held their serve for the first five games, Ramkumar made the first dent by breaking David’s serve in the sixth game and never looked back, dishing out some superb winners to capture the rest of the games and win the set 6-2.

Pichler showed the promise of a fightback in the second set when he held his serve losing just a point. However, Ramkumar forced his opponent to commit mistakes and himself came up with a couple of cross-court winners.

The only game Ramkumar struggled to hold his serve was the fifth, where the Indian Davis Cup team member didn’t find answers to Pichler’s down-the-line winners. With two breaks in the fourth and sixth game, Ramkumar signed off with an ace to win the title..

Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer :   Vaishali Rameshbabu

Indian chess player Vaishali Rameshbabu earned her grandmaster title by crossing 2,500 International Chess Federation (FIDE) ranking points at the IV El Llobregat Open in Spain on Friday, becoming only third Indian female player to do so.

Earlier having fulfilled three GM norms, Vaishali completed the one final requirement on Friday by attaining the required number of rating points.

She is the third female player to attain the grandmaster title, besides Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli. She has now joined the company of over 80 Indian chess players who have been given this title, including legendary Vishwanathan Anand, Humpy, Dronavalli, Dibyendu Barua, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa etc.

Vaishali is also the sister of young 18-year-old chess sensation Praggnanandhaa, making them the first-ever grandmaster siblings pair in the game's history.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin congratulated the duo on their achievement.

"Huge congrats, @chessvaishali, on becoming the third female Grandmaster from India and the first from Tamil Nadu! 2023 has been splendid for you. Alongside your brother @rpragchess, you've made history as the first sister-brother duo to qualify for the #Candidates tournament. Adding to the glory, you are now the first-ever Grandmaster siblings. We're immensely proud of your achievements, and your remarkable journey is an inspiration to aspiring chess enthusiasts and a testament to women's empowerment in our state! #TamilNaduPride@Udhaystalin @ChessbaseIndia @FIDE_chess," tweeted Stalin from his official X (formerly Twitter) handle..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Armenia

Five out of a possible six boxers from Russia took wins in the first day of finals at the IBA Junior World Boxing Championships 2023 at the Mika Stadium in Yerevan, Armenia.

Across the card, there were fiery fights and close calls – but some victories were more clear-cut than others.

Platon Kozlov was a contender for boxer of the day, defeating Adam Maca representing Albania in the men’s 57kg. Within the first round, the Russian put together an impressive combo, flooring the Albanian, but the referee deemed it as a slip.

Kozlov played it defensively in the second, but importantly got the pivotal strikes to lead unanimously, a lead that Maca was unable to overcome as he chased a referee’s stoppage in his favour in the last round.

Ekaterina Frolova was the unanimous winner in the women’s 75kg final, overcoming Uzbekistan’s Maftuna Yangieva in a sedated affair. Both boxers looked reserved in the feeling out process that is the first round, but it was Frolova who recaptured her semi-final performance, looking more dynamic and executing her signature straight right jab successfully, while Yangieva looked occasionally sloppy.

Fine margins were the difference between gold and silver for Snezhana Kuznetsova and Bairamkhan Ashurov.

European champion Kuznetsova faced Maria Georgopoulou of Greece in the women’s 50kg, with both standout stars from their previous bouts. Kuznetsova’s opener was vital to her victory, winning unanimously before the Greek was deemed more impressive by the majority of judges in the second round after scattering some single shots throughout and a three-shot combo. Late shots in the second and third rounds from the Russian could have been the difference-maker that allowed her to sneak out a 4-1 split decision win, a scoreline that does not tell the whole story.

Ashurov featured in one of the most intense bouts of the day, overcoming Panwar of India by a 3-2 split decision in the men’s 80kg. Panwar was mostly favoured in the first for his decisive jabs, taking his counterpart by surprise on restarts. Yet, Ashurov turned the heat up in the following two-minute round, having a high volume of punches to snuff out a late attempt by the Indian. Fatigue was the theme of the final round, with both fighters looking sloppy, but Ashurov being deemed the better of the two, surviving a late right hook who caused him to swivel.

Anastasiia Tiunina was victorious in the first 46kg final of the Championships, overcoming Maftuna Musurmonova of Uzbekistan. It was a rapid opening round, with the Uzbek starting best, but Tiunina impressing the judges as the bout went on, even planting a late left hook to win on a 4-1 split decision..

Source : IBA

Correct Answer :   Amazon

Amazon Prime Video has clinched the Australian broadcasting rights for all International Cricket Council (ICC) events until 2027, marking a sea change in the realm of Australian sports broadcasting. This acquisition signifies an end to the traditional broadcasting arrangement, where Foxtel and Channel Nine had shared the rights for ICC events for a duration of 15 years.


A Shift in Broadcasting Paradigm :

The new deal means the end of free-to-air broadcasting of ICC events in Australia, as cricket enthusiasts will now need to subscribe to Amazon’s service to witness these tournaments. The previous arrangement involved Foxtel sub-licensing rights from Star Sports and then passing on some matches to Channel Nine to comply with Australia’s anti-siphoning laws, which safeguard certain sports broadcasts for free-to-air television.

Clash with Anti-Siphoning Measures :

Interestingly, Cricket Australia does not have a say in the ICC’s broadcast deals. This announcement comes at a time when the government is reasserting anti-siphoning measures, with proposed laws requiring significant sporting events to be offered first to free-to-air services. However, the anti-siphoning list only covers World Cup matches played by Australia in Australia or New Zealand, and none are scheduled there in the next four years.


Amazon’s Expanding Sports Broadcast Portfolio :

Amazon Prime Video’s portfolio in sports broadcasting is expanding, as it also holds global rights for Australian swimming events and airs New Zealand Cricket’s home internationals in India. With this new venture into cricket broadcasting, the internet giant is set to redefine the landscape of sports broadcasting in Australia, providing innovative coverage to cricket fans..

Source : BNN Network

Correct Answer :   Punjab

Punjab claimed the gold medal after their penalty shootout victory over defending champion Haryana in the final of the 13th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2023.

A total of 27 shots were taken in the shoot-out and sudden death, and Punjab emerged the winner over defending champion Haryana by a 9-8 margin after the teams were tied 2-2 at regulation time. This was Punjab’s fourth title in 13 editions.

There was little to choose between the two teams as both played slow, measured hockey, waiting for the right time to strike.

Towards the end of the first quarter, Punjab’s Sukhjeet Singh rolled one slowly and perfectly for Harjeet Singh to unleash a grand sweep into the net. Haryana fought back through Sanjay, who struck his 13th goal of the tournament with a penalty corner strike that was angled well to the left side of the net in the second quarter.

Punjab captain Harmanpreet Singh did what he does best with a near-perfect penalty corner strike into the left corner of the roof in the third quarter. Haryana made quite a few counter-attacks at the start of the fourth quarter, and it was rewarded soon when an attack from the right resulted in a goal. Sanjay glided one past ‘keeper Krishna Pathak off a short pass from Deepak.

It was neck and neck in sudden death as 17 shots were taken in total. After Dilpreet Singh of Punjab scored, the scoreboard read 8-8. Harmanpreet’s goal was disallowed for it was scored after the whistle was blown.

Then, Abhishek was pushed by the Punjab custodian when he went for the shot, and a stroke was awarded to Haryana. Joginder Singh, who took the stroke, scored. However, it was disallowed as it was deemed to be a ‘tap’ and not a ‘push’.

Simranjeet Singh, who retook the penalty as his first one was deemed an infringement by the ‘keeper, scored much to the joy of Punjab. With a 9-8 lead, it was left to Haryana striker Sanjay to convert and take the match forward, but he hit it wide.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu overcame Karnataka in penalty shootout to claim the bronze medal.


Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer :   Uganda

Uganda beat Rwanda by nine wickets to qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, becoming only the fifth African nation to feature in the history of the competition.

With five wins from its six games, Uganda has ensured a top-two finish in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Region Qualifier and booked its ticket for the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA.

This will be its first-ever appearance in an ICC World Cup event.

In the qualifiers, Uganda overcame Tanzania in its opening game by a comfortable margin of eight wickets. However, in the next game, a brilliant 4/17 from Namibian all-rounder David Wiese handed them a six-wicket defeat.

The African side picked up in grand style, defeating the Test-playing Zimbabwe by five wickets. While skipper Sikandar Raza’s 48* starred for his side, Uganda’s bowling effort led by Dinesh Nakrani (3/14), restricted the Chevrons to 136/7.

During the chase, the Cricket Cranes were guided by Riazat Ali Shah (42) and Alpesh Ramjani (40). They won with five wickets to spare in a major cricketing upset.

Lifted by this effort, the side then overcame Nigeria with ease. They followed up with a 33-run win over Kenya, to have one foot into the T20 World Cup.

It ensured the same with a comfortable nine-wicket win over Rwanda. It rendered a top-notch bowling effort, which bowled out Rwanda for merely 65. The target was then chased down by the ninth over mark.

On the other hand, Zimbabwe, which suffered losses at the hands of Namibia and Uganda, missed out on the bus to the T20 event. The side had featured in the previous edition of the tournament, where it had garnered a famous one-run win over Pakistan..

Source : Sportstar The Hindu