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

Correct Answer :   Vidya Pillai

Vidya Pillai secured Gold to clinch the title of World Champion in the  World 6 Red Women Snooker Championships in Dhoa, Qatar.

In the final, she defeated compatriot Anupama Ramachandran by 4-1 frames. Anupama Ramachandran settled for Silver. Vidya earlier defeated top seed Bai Yulu of China by 4-3 frames in semi-final round.

Earlier, India’s Pankaj Advani won the IBSF World Billiards Championship title in Doha. This is for 26th time that the Indian cueist is winning the title. He defeated fellow Indian cueist Sourav Kothari in the final.

Advani defeated Kothari 1000–416 in a rematch of last year’s title clash in Kuala Lumpur. He had won his first world title in this competition way back in 2005.

Meanwhile, the Women’s World Snooker Championship was claimed by China’s Bai Yulu. She beat Ng On-Yee of Hong Kong 4-0 in the final match. The third place medals went to the India’s Amy Kamani and Vidya Pillai..

Source : East coast Daily

Correct Answer :   Ujjwala

'Ujjwala'- a sparrow, was unveiled as the official mascot of Khelo India – Para Games 2023. The little sparrow is a symbol of the pride of Delhi and its uniqueness portrays determination and empathy.

Ujjwala, as the mascot of Khelo India – Para Games 2023, is a reminder that strength comes in many forms and the human spirit is unbreakable.

Among the attendees, former Indian Women’s Hockey Team Captain Rani Rampal, Indian freestyle wrestler and Olympian bronze medallist, Yogeshwar Dutt, Indian professional wrestler Sarita Mor along with Indian professional boxer Akhil Kumar were present.

The presence of star para athletes like Pramod Bhagat, Bhavina Patel, Avani Lekhara, Sumit Antil added to the special occasion.

Reflecting on the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of an inclusive sports ecosystem, Shri Anurag Thakur said, “On the occasion of the launch of the inaugural edition of the first-ever Khelo India Para Games, I would like to congratulate everyone. It is because of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision, that Khelo India has become a household name. It has become a movement and Khelo India was missing the Para Games for the last few years. From 2018 till date, we have had 11 Khelo India Games, we are delighted to add Para Games this year.”

The Union Minister also added that for the last four years, the budget for Khelo India was Rs 3,000 crores sanctioned by the Prime Minister of IndiaShri Narendra Modi and today, I am elated to announce that for the next five years, it has been increased to more than Rs 3300 crores..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Anahat Singh

Velavan Senthilkumar (Tamil Nadu) and Anahat Singh (Delhi) won their maiden men’s and women’s titles, respectively in the 79th National squash championships at the Indian Squash and Triathlon Academy (ISTA) here on Thursday (23rd Nov 2023).

The 15-year-old Anahat is the second youngest ever to have won the women’s title. Joshna Chinappa was 14 when she won the first of her 19 titles in 2000.

In the first match of the day, top seed Tanvi Khanna (Delhi), having seemingly picked up a right knee injury, unfortunately conceded the women’s final to Anahat.

In the second game, she seemingly slightly collided with Anahat and immediately went down clutching her right knee. Anahat was awarded the point and was up 6-4.

She walked out of the court, was tended to, and was given a three-minute recovery time. As she tried walking around a bit, apparently to get a sense of whether she would be able to continue, the official announced that she had only fifteen seconds left at which point she conceded the game. The official declared that Anahat had won the second game 11-4.

As the two-minute break between the games elapsed, Tanvi conceded the match.

It was misery for poor Tanvi, who had won the first game with a combination of her skill, opponent’s mistakes, and never-give-an-inch doggedness.

She played a delicate drop shot at the right corner to go 6-3 up before holding on to clinch the longest rally of the first game to lead 8-5. She clinched the opener 11-9.

In the men’s final, it was neck and neck in the first and third games. Velavan was up 10-9 when defending champion Abhay Singh (Tamil Nadu) saved a game point to draw level 10-10, but the former went on to claim the first game 12-10.

Though Abhay briefly retired with a physical discomfort in the second game, Velavan otherwise comfortably won it 11-3.

Velavan is to be commended for being nerveless in saving two game points from 8-10 down to make it 10-all in the third game and eventually clinch the match.

“I’m pretty happy with the way I played today. It was more of a mental battle than a physical battle. Mentally, I could keep pushing every single point. I’m really proud of that. More than physicality, I’m just glad I could push through mentally today,” said Velavan after the match.



RESULTS :

Men : Velavan Senthilkumar (TN) bt Abhay Singh (TN) 12-10, 11-3, 12-10;

Women : Anahat Singh (Del) bt Tanvi Khanna (Del) (retd.) 9-11, 11-4..


Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer :   South Africa

The ICC Board named a new host nation for the 15th edition of the ICC Men's U19 Cricket World Cup 2024 in January.

The ICC Men's U19 Cricket World Cup 2024 in January will be held in South Africa after the ICC Board that met 21st Nov 2023 confirmed Sri Lanka would be replaced as hosts.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) was recently suspended by the ICC for breaching its obligations as a Member, namely for failing to manage its affairs autonomously and without government interference.

It was revealed after the board meeting that Sri Lanka can continue to compete internationally both in bilateral cricket and ICC events, however funding to SLC will be controlled by the ICC and as a result, the U19 event has been moved to the same country that hosted the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup earlier this year.

The upcoming World Cup marks the 15th edition of the U19 men's event, following the last tournament in the West Indies in 2022 where India clinched the title for the fifth time..

Source : Icc-Cricket