Sports - Current Affairs for February, 2017

At the ISSF World Cup in Karni Singh Ranges in New Delhi, pistol shooters Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu partnered each other to win the gold badge on 27th Feb 2017.

The 11 Gurkha Regiment shooter, Jitu Rai, who was the only shooter to clinch gold at the 2014 Asian Games at Incheon.

He has several World Cup medals to his credit, teamed up with Heena Sidhu in the ‘Mixed team Event’ to clinch the ‘badge’ for India.

Mixed Team event is making its debut in the opening World Cup of the season and medals are not being awarded even though the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) executive committee has ratified the recommendations.

Once the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gives its approval to the ISSF changes, the event will become ‘official’.

The recommendations to include mixed gender event was given by the Abhinav Bindra-led ISSF Athletes Committee and the world governing body soon ratified the proposal.

Teaming up with Heena Sidhu, the duo emerged on top and broke a string of disappointing performances by Indian shooters.

Indian shooters managed just one bronze medal, through Pooja Ghatkar in 10m air rifle.

Jitu and Heena defeated Japan's Yukari Konishi and Tomoyuki Matsuda 5-3 in the final. Slovenia's Naphaswan Yangpaiboon and Kevin Venta were placed third.

The recommendations to include mixed gender event was given by the Abhinav Bindra-led ISSF Athletes Committee and the world governing body soon approved the proposal.

Pooja Ghatkar: Know More

• Earlier, Pooja Ghatkar won the women's 10m air rifle bronze to give India its first medal in the competition.
• The 28-year-old Ghatkar is a former Asian champion.
• She shot 228.8 in the final of 10m air rifle to finish third on the podium and win her maiden World Cup medal.

India’s Pooja Ghatkar won bronze in the women’s 10-metre air rifle on the opening day of the International Shooting Sports Federation World Cup at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges.

Pooja finished third with a total of 228.8 in the 10m Air Rifle final behind China’s Mengyao Shi, who won a gold medal with 252.1 in final.

Dong Lijie won the silver medal.

ISSF: Know More

- Sport: Shooting sport

- Jurisdiction: International

- Abbreviation: ISSF

- Founded: 1907

- Headquarters: Munich, Germany

- President: Olegario Vázquez Raña

India’s first Gramin Khel Mahotsav will be conducted in New Delhi from 25^th to 31^st March 2017.

The games will be held in five sports disciplines Athletics, Volley Ball, Wrestling, Kabaddi and Kho-Kho.

This festival will boost participation of rural youth in large numbers in popular sports and encourage them to achieve excellence and adopt healthy life style.

These games are intended to act as a catalyst to promote sports in rural areas across the country and will be replicated in other States/UTs as well.

One of the most well known and controversial cricketers of his generation, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has finally called time on his international career.

The decision, announced after the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final here on 19^th Feb 2017, put an end to an illustrious and colour 21-year career.

The 36-year-old however, will continue to play in the PSL for the next two years.

Shahid Afridi: Know More

- Shahid Khan Afridi is a Pakistani professional cricketer and former captain of the Pakistan national cricket team.

- He also holds a record of taking most wickets and most player-of-the match awards in Twenty20 International cricket.

- Born: 1 March 1980 Khyber Agency, Pakistan

- Height: 1.82 m

India won the silver medal at the women’s Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy having won five matches and lost one here on 18^th Feb 2017.

In the seven-nation round-robin competition, India defeated Laos 22-7, Philippines 12-5, Nepal 43-0 and Malaysia by 26-12.

On the second day, India defeated Pakistan by 5-0 and in the last match were beaten by South Korea by 0-29.

As per Asia Rugby’s tournament statistics, Indian Hupi Majhi was one amongst the top three Try Scorers of the tournament and Meerarani Hembram was the third highest in the conversions.

Asian Sevens Series: Know More

• The Asian Seven Series is an annual series of regional rugby sevens tournaments.
• It is run by Asia Rugby featuring national sevens teams.
• It has been held regularly since 2009 to determine Asia's best men's national team in the sport of rugby sevens.
• Sport: Rugby union
• Founded: 2009
• No. of teams: 12

Norman Isaac in February 2017 became the first Indian to be promoted by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as the Technical Delegate (TD).

His appointment/promotion was confirmed by the sport’s worldwide governing body.

He was promoted to TD along with a select few aspirants, who successfully cleared a series of tests at Doha, Qatar.

As a Technical delegate, Norman will be assigned to any country and will be responsible for conducting an entire event which will range from actual competition management including media arrangements to logistics.

However, any country will not include his country.

In 2006, as a FIBA Commissioner, Norman was conferred with the title at Muscat, Oman.

His earliest assignments included in 2009 for the FIBA Asia women’s championship at Chennai and the FIBA Asia girls’ under-16 years’ tournament in Pune.

His last assignment as the FIBA Commissioner was in the FIBA Asia Challenge Cup for men in Iran in September 2016.

He played his first senior Nationals at Ludhiana, Punjab as a ball-handler in 1981.

He represented Andhra Pradesh till 1992.

After his playing days, he joined the Basketball Federation of India’s (BFI)’s B panel in 1993.

Later in 1996, he graduated to the A level as the only one of 13 to pass the exams at Guwahati.

He became a FIBA Referee in 2001. In 2002, he officiated in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Kuala Lumpur. In 2004, he officiated in the FIBA Asia championship at Singapore.

In 2015, the BFI appointed him as its Chairman, Technical Commission.

Young Indian racer Jehan Daruvala created history by winning the New Zealand Grand Prix 2017 at the Chris Amon Circuit.

With the win, Jehan became the first and only Indian to win a Grand Prix in motorsport and has joined the ranks of Grand Prix winners including Keke Rosberg, Bruce Mclaren, John Surtees and Sir Jackie Stewart.

Jehan earned the pole position in the Race 1 of the Toyota Racing Series as well as in the New Zealand GP.

This GP is the only other Grand Prix aside from the Macau Grand Prix in motorsport outside Formula 1 and hence is a prestigious event for all racers.

Comprising 35 laps, the race was longest of the season.

Jehan Daruvala: Know More

• Jehan Daruvala is an Indian racing driver, currently competing in the European Formula 3 Championship with Carlin.
• Born: 1 October 1998 Mumbai
• Current team: Carlin Motorsport

Indian off-spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest cricketer to take 250 wickets in Test matches.

He achieved this feat in his 45th test match played against Bangladesh.

In his record 250th test wicket, he dismissed Bangladesh’s captain Mushfiqur Rahim.

With this, Ashwin surpassed previous record held by Australian fast bowler Dennis Keith Lillee, who had reached the milestone of 250 Test wickets in 48 matches.

Ravichandran Ashwin is sixth Indian bowler to reach 250 test wickets.

Earlier in 2016, Ashwin achieved the feat of taking fastest 200 wickets in Test in his 37th test.

He had beaten Pakistan’s Waqar Younis and Australia’s Dennis Lillee who had taken 200 wickets in 38 test matches.

Ravichandran Ashwin: Know More

• Born: 17 September 1986 (age 30)
• Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu, India
• Nickname: Ash
• Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
• Batting style: Right-handed
• Bowling style: Right-arm off spin
• Role: Bowling all-rounder

India defeated Pakistan by nine wickets to lift the T20 World Cup for Blind title on 12^th Feb 2017 in Bangalore.

Set a target of 198 runs to win, India chased down the total with the loss of just one wicket and with 14 balls to spare.

This was the second edition of the tournament, with India having won the inaugural edition back in 2012.

India had beaten Pakistan in the final of the 2012 tournament too, winning that match by 29 runs.

Sports Minister Vijay Goel congratulated the Indian team for lifting T20 World Cup for Blind for the second successive edition after defeating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final at Bengaluru.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also joined those congratulating the Indian team.

"Delighted that India won the Blind T20 World Cup. Congratulations to the team. India is proud of their accomplishment," the PM tweeted.

Former Argentina captain Diego Maradona has been handed an ambassadorial role by the game’s global governing body FIFA.

The world body is recovering from the worst graft scandal in its history, with dozens of people, including ex-FIFA executive committee members, indicted in the United States since May 2015.

Maradona, regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the game, says he is looking forward to working for a “clean and transparent” worldwide governing body.

The 56-year-old, who had spells with Barcelona, Boca Juniors and Napoli during his club career, led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

He was sent home from the 1994 tournament in the United States for failing a drugs test.

He was subsequently banned for 15 months

Diego Maradona

• Born: 30 October 1960, Lanús, Argentina
• Height: 1.65 m
• Full name: Diego Armando Maradona
• Number: 10 (FC Barcelona / Midfielder)

The official mascot of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, ‘Kheleao’ was unveiled at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

The clouded leopard is an endangered wild cat whose habitat extends from the Himalayan foothills to mainland Southeast Asia.

Kheleao will participate in numerous activities in the run-up to the first-ever FIFA tournament to be hosted by India, which will be played from 6 to 28 October this year.

Driven by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi´s vision of making football the sport of choice in India, Mission XI Million, the biggest school sport outreach programme was launched by the Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Vijay Goel.

A first of its kind, the programme will encourage children to play the beautiful game of football, gain healthy habits and learn important life lessons in teamwork and sportsman spirit.

The approach is to work with school principals and sports teachers and encourage and incentivise them to make children play football games on regular basis.

The aim is to spread the message of productivity amongst all stakeholders

India will host FIBA Women’s Asia Cup basketball tournament in July, Basketball Federation of India announced.

The continental flagship tournament for women will be held here from July 23 to 29.

India has also been given another continental level tournament - the FIBA U-16 Women’s Asian Championship - which will be held from October 22 to 28 in Hyderabad.

This will be the first time since 2009 that India will host a major FIBA (International Basketball Federation) event.

In 2009, the BFI was allotted the same two Championships - the 1st FIBA Asia U-16 Championship for Girls in Pune and the 23rd FIBA Asia Championship for Women in Chennai.

Fourteen teams will compete in both the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup and the U-16 Women’s Asian Championship, with eight teams in Division A (which include new Oceania teams Australia and New Zealand) and six in lower Division B.

India is in Division B in both the Senior and U-16 events.

The Union Minister for Sports Vijay Goel laid the foundation stone of the country’s first centre of excellence for differently abled sportsmen at Gandhinagar today.

The centre is proposed with an estimate of INR 50 crores rupees and will provide World class facilities such as indoor halls, dedicated tracks and 100 bedded hostel where para athletes will be trained for various international competitions including Paralympics.

The Minister also inaugurated a sports training centre at Sports Authority of India campus in Gandhinagar.

Around 50 differently abled sportspersons between age group 8-12 will be imparted training in Athletics, Swimming and power lifting at the training centre.

Government is committed to encourage sports culture in the country and will soon launch the sports talent hunt portal through which talented amateur sportsmen from all parts of the country will be selected and provided with training as well as scholarships.

Sports Ministry has established task forces to select and train sports persons for the coming Olympics in 2020.

The Centre will train the para athletes for various international sporting competitions including Olympics, Asian Games and Common Wealth Games. It will have dedicated tracks and a 64 m long, fully air conditioned indoor hall having swimming pool as well as other training facilities for the athletes.