Sports - Current Affairs for March, 2017

After emerging victorious in the final of Deodhar Trophy 2016-17 against India B, Tamil Nadu became the first state team to win the tournament as well all major domestic BCCI tournaments (involving state teams).

They won the final match by defending 303 against Parthiv Patel-led India B.

Tamil Nadu, however, had won their first and only Ranji Trophy tournament in 1987-88, followed by Irani Trophy in 1988-89.

Tamil Nadu were the first champion team in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2007-08.

Coming to India’s premier List A tournament, which is famously named as Vijay Hazare Trophy, Tamil Nadu have won this tournament four times (2002-03, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2016-17), and shared once with Uttar Pradesh in 2004-05.

They completed the set by winning the Deodhar Trophy this time.

This year makes the state five-time winners in the tournament.

Tamil Nadu has won the Irani Cup in the year of 1988-89 and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in the year of 2007-08.

Srinath Narayanan is all set to become India’s 46th Grandmaster after he defeated Spanish Grandmaster David Anton Guijarro (Elo rating of 2676) at the Sharjah Masters.

Srinath Narayanan, the 23-year-old from Chennai, came into limelight when he became India’s youngest FIDE rated chess player in 2002 when he was just eight years old.

Three years later, Srinath Narayanan became joint-winner at the under-12 world chess championship held in Belfort, France.

Srinath became an International Master at the age of 14 and crossed the 2500 Elo rating a few months back. He had already secured five GM norms.

He won his first GM norm in 2012 by winning the Asian Junior Chess Championship, which he won again the next year.

Indian shooter Ankur Mittal won Gold medal in the Men’s Double Trap event at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World24 Cup held in Acapulco, Mexico.

He defeated James Willet of Australia, the gold medalist at ISSF World Cup held in New Delhi in February 2017.

Ankur finished with a tally of 75, while Willet managed 73 points win silver medal.

China’s Ying Qui won bronze medal with 52 points.

Mittal had settled for a silver at the recent International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in New Delhi, where Willet had won the gold.

Mittal ended with 75 points out of possible 80 in the six-man final to win India's first medal in the competition while Willet managed 73.

Medal events now remain in the Mens and Womens Skeet shooting disciplines, scheduled to be held over the weekend.

Sports Discipline	National Observer
Athletics	PT Usha Anju Bobby George
Archery	Dr Sanjeev Kumar Singh
Badminton	Aparna Popat
Boxing	Mary Kom Akhil Kumar
Hockey	Jagbir Singh
Shooting	Abhinav Bindra
Tennis	Somdev Devvarman
Weightlifting	Karnam Malleshwari
Wrestling	Sushil Kumar
Football	I M Vijayan
Swimming	Khajan Singh
Table Tennis	Kamlesh Mehta

Apart from providing inputs for their respective disciplines, the National Observers would also to be consulted as a group on cross cutting issues impacting sports development in the country.

The National Observers would be playing a key role in the implementation of action plans for Mission Olympics 2020, 2024 and 2028.

On 30 January 2017, the government constituted a Task Force to prepare an action plan for 2020, 2024 and 2028 Olympic games.

On 5 February 2017, the foundation stone of the boundary wall of the first-ever Centre of Excellence for differently-abled sportsmen was laid at Sector-25 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

On 10 February 2017, the Mission XI Million initiative was launched to promote football among school children.

On 14 March 2017, Hockey India announced the appointment of four new Scientific Advisors for men and women, both senior and junior teams.

Joanna Rowsell Shand has announced her retirement at the age of 28.

She is stepping away from elite cycling with two Olympic gold medals and five world titles in the locker.

Primarily a track rider, Rowsell Shand formed an integral part of the British women's team pursuit squad.

The team pushed the discipline to new heights, helping to stretch the world record time and again.

That benchmark now stands at 4:10.236 - the ride that won the gold in Rio this summer - while the gold medal ride from London 2012 set the final world record for the 3km distance, before it was increased to four kilometres in 2013.

About Joanna Rowsell Shand

• Rowsell Shand was spotted by British Cycling's talent programme at the age of 15 and, after taking junior national titles on the track in 2005 and 2006, she stepped up to senior level in 2007 at the age of 18.
• In 2008 she won her first elite gold medal, forming part of a triumphant women's team pursuit quartet at the World Championships.
• She battled back alopecia and glandular fever to return to full fitness in time for the all-important Olympic year in 2012.
• Shand won the team pursuit world title again before claiming Olympic gold in London at her first Games.
• She also won the team pursuit title at the Worlds for a fourth time, before winning her first and only elite individual titles - at the Worlds and then the Commonwealth Games.
• Shand's team won gold and broke the world record, at the Rio Olympics.

Medals won:


• 5 World Titles,
• 4 European Titles, Commonwealth Gold and
• 2 Olympic Golds
• Multiple World Cup and National Championship medals across both team and individual events

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended left-arm pacer Mohammad Irfan in the spot-fixing case which came to light during the recently concluded Pakistan Super League.

Irfan and two other cricketers were interrogated by the PCB's anti-corruption unit for the PSL.

The other two players were left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar (Quetta Gladiators) and opening batsman Shazaib Hassan (Karachi Kings).

Irfan has been charged with failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by a participant to engage in corrupt conduct.

He now has 14 days to respond to the charges.

During the tournament, Islamabad United's batsmen Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were provisionally suspended and ordered to return home.

Meanwhile, in February, Pakistan's opening batsman Nasir Jamshed was arrested by Britain's National Crime Agency in connection with the alleged spot-fixing case.

This is not the first time corruption has haunted Pakistan cricket in the recent past.

In 2010, Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were jailed and banned over their involvement in the spot-fixing case during the Lord's Test against England.

Mohammad Irfan: Know More

• Nationality: Pakistani
• Batting style: Right-handed
• Current teams: Pakistan national cricket team, Islamabad United, Dhaka Dynamites, Khan Research Laboratories cricket team

International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar as the official ambassador of Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017.

The women’s World Cup is scheduled to be held in June 2017 at England and Wales.

The eight top cricketing countries locking horns to grab the coveted trophy.

The tournament will host 28 matches at five different venues with the final at Lord’s Stadium.

Women's World Cup Cricket 2017

• Dates: 24 June – 23 July
• Administrator(s): International Cricket Council
• Cricket format: One Day International
• Tournament format: Group stage and knockout
• Host: England