1. Tokyo
unveiled its long-awaited mascot for the 2020 Olympic Games: a futuristic
blue-checked, doe-eyed character with pointy ears & “special powers” that
was picked by schoolchildren across mascot-mad Japan. One has an athletic
figure & a strong sense of justice. The other is a cherry blossom-inspired
superhero.
2.
Navjot Kaur clinched the 1st gold medal for
India in the Asian Wrestling championship in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. She defeated
Imai Miyu of Japan in the final of women’s 65 kg freestyle. With 1 gold, 2
silver & 1 bronze medal, India was at the second spot in the medals tally.
Vinesh Phogat & Pinki of Indian Railways claimed silver medals while Sakshi
Malik won a bronze in the 62-kilogram category. China was leading the table
with 4 gold & 1 bronze medal while Japan was at the third place with 1
gold, 1 silver & 2 bronze medals.
3. The
27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey tournament begins in the Malaysian city of
Ipoh. Six nations – India, hosts Malaysia, defending champions England, Australia,
Argentina & Ireland – are taking part in the tournament.
4. International
Olympic Committee (IOC) has restored Russia's Olympic membership with immediate
effect following its suspension from the Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang in
South Korea. Russia was banned from February's Games by the IOC over
state-sponsored doping.
5. World
rapid champion Viswanathan Anand annexed the Tal Memorial rapid chess title in
Moscow, Russia after an easy final round draw against Boris Gelfand of Israel.
6. India
won the inaugural IBSF Snooker Team World Cup in Doha, Qatar. India beat
Pakistan in the best-offive final.
7. The
leg-spinner from Afghanistan, Rashid Khan (19year-old) has become the youngest
captain in international cricket history. He now holds the ICC No. 1 rank for bowlers
in both the ODIs & T20Is & also became the youngest player ever to hold
the top spot for any form of ICC men's ranking.
8. On
the opening day of the ISSF World Cup at Guadalajara in Mexico, India had won
four medals which include two gold & two bronze. Shahzar Rizvi clinched the
gold medal with a world record score in his maiden ISSF World Cup appearance.
Rizvi won gold medal in the 10-metre air pistol event men. Manu Bhaker won the
gold medal in 10 metre Air Pistol Women. Pistol ace Jitu Rai won the bronze in
the event, as three Indians made it to the finals of the season’s first World
Cup. Mehuli Ghosh won bronze in the women’s 10-metre air rifle event.
9. Mahendra
Singh Dhoni has become a brand ambassador of gaming platform Dream11.
10. Indian
shooter Anjum Moudgil clinched a silver medal in the women’s 50m Rifle 3
Positions event at the ongoing ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was
Anjum’s first World Cup medal.
11. Delhi
youngster Tejaswin Shankar smashed his own national record to claim the high jump
gold as three athletes booked their Commonwealth Games berths on the third
& penultimate day of the 22nd Federation Cup Senior National Athletics
Championships.
12. World
champions Australia have lifted the coveted Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey title. In
the final at Ipoh, Malaysia, they beat defending champions England by a narrow
2-1 margin. Australia has now won the prestigious tournament for the 10th
time. For the 3rd place, Argentina
finished third after beating Malaysia 3-2.
13. Indian
para-athlete Deepa Malik won a gold medal in the F-53/54 category javelin event
at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai.
14. After
Afghanistan’s rapid rise to prominence in limited-overs cricket, Nepal took a
massive step forward after achieving One-day International status, after their
victory over Papua New Guinea.
15. Sri
Lanka Cricket (SLC) paid tribute to former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya with
a book titled, 'A Tribute to Jagu'.
16. Kevin
Pietersen, 37 years old, has officially announced his retirement from the
International cricket.
17. Indian
Wells Masters, also known as BNP Paribas Open & the WTA Indian Wells Open,
is an annual tennis tournament held in California, United States. Former US
Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro stunned top-ranked Roger Federer to win his
first Indian Wells title & second consecutive ATP crown. Unseeded Naomi
Osaka became the first Japanese player to win the Indian Wells final, routing
Russian Daria Kasatkina for her first WTA Tour title.
18. India’s
Purva Barve has won the Women’s Singles (Under-19) title at the Israel Junior
2018 Badminton tournament held in Rishon LeZion, Israel.
19. Indian
shooter Elavenil Valarivan shattered the qualification world record in 10-meter
women’s air rifle event of the season’s first junior ISSF World Cup in Sydney,
Australia. Arjun Babuta bagged his second junior world cup medal, claiming a
bronze in men’s 10-meter air rifle event.
20. Mercedes
driver Lewis Hamilton set a blistering time in his final lap of qualifying to
take pole position at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix for a record
seventh time, outpacing his nearest rival Kimi Raikkonen by a sizable 0.664
seconds. It’s the 73rd pole of Hamilton’s career.
21. Shooter
Manu Bhaker secured India's second individual gold after prevailing over
Thailand's Kanyakorn Hirunphoem in a thrilling final of the women's 10m air
pistol event at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
22. Indian
Olympic Association (IOA) chooses PV Sindhu as the flag-bearer of the Indian
contingent for the opening ceremony of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. The
opening ceremony will be held on April 4.
23. India's
15-year-old shooter Anish Bhanwala won a gold medal at the ISSF Junior World
Cup in the 25 meter rapid fire pistol event in Sydney, Australia. It was
India's third gold at the event.
24.
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) won a dramatic
Australian Grand Prix after leapfrogging Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) during a safety car period.
26.
Pankaj Advani defended his Asian Billiards
Championships title by demolishing his practice partner B Bhaskar 6-1 in the
summit clash in Yangon, Myanmar. With this win, Advani remains the reigning
27.
Indian, Asian & world champion in
billiards for 201718. India's Amee Kamani won the Asian Women's Snooker title
by defeating her Thai opponent Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan.
28. The
India U-16 team emerged champions in the Jockey Cup International Youth
Invitational Football Tournament with a victory over Hong Kong U-17 in the
final in Hong Kong.
29. The
duo of Manu Bhaker & Anmol secured India’s seventh gold medal in the ISSF
Junior World Cup in Sydney, Australia. The pair won the mixed 10-meter air
pistol event with a qualification world record.
30. Indian
shooter Muskan Bhanwala clinched the gold medal in women’s 25m pistol event at
the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney, Australia. The 16-year-old Muskan beaten
China’s Qin Sihang & Thailand’s Kanyakorn Hirunphoem. India thus upstaged
China with 22 medals, including nine gold. India has also five silver &
eight bronze medals.
31.
Indian women’s cricket team captain Mithali
Raj adjudged ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ while ace shuttlers Kidambi Srikanth
& P V Sindhu bagged the best senior male & female athletes at the
Telangana Sports Journalists Association annual awards for 2017 in Hyderabad.
Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman presented ‘best coach of the year’ award to
Pullela Gopichand, who received this award for the second time in a row. Triple
Olympian & former national Hockey player N Mukesh Kumar was honoured with
the Lifetime Achievement award at the event.
IMPORTANT LINKS MARCH 2018