Category: Sports

Netherlands went past Australia’s record of most goals scored by a team in a single FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup match on Thursday. In its final Pool C match, three-time winner Netherlands beat Chile 14-0 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, to go past Australia’s 12-0 win over South Africa during the 2010 edition of the World Cup.

In the Thursday match, Netherlands scored its 13th goal in the 48th minute. The team eventually won the match 14-0. Janssen Jip, with four goals, and skipper Thierry Brinkman, with three goals, scored hat-tricks. Koen Bijen scored two goals, and Derck de Vilder, Thijs van Dam, Terrance Pieters, Justen Blok and Teun Beins scored one goal each. Jip Janssen opened the account for the men in orange via a penalty corner in the sixth minute, and other players followed. Netherlands led the South American team 5-0 at half-time. The third quarter proved to be the most productive one for Netherlands, as it put six goals past the South American team. The record-breaking 13^th goal came in the 48th minute. The 14th and final Netherlands goal came two minutes before the full-time hooter.

Akane Yamaguchi of Japan and Viktor Axelsen of Denmark won the Malaysia Open Super 1000 women’s and men’s singles titles, respectively, in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

World no. 1 Yamaguchi defeated World no. 4 An Se Young to clinch the Super Series Premier title. The reigning world champion, who won the season-ending World Tour Finals in December, beat Young in a thriller that lasted for an hour and nine minutes by 12-21, 21-19 and 21-11. She won her maiden Super Series Premier title at the China Open in 2017.

In the men’s singles final, Axelsen, the reigning Olympic and world champion, won the Malaysia Open title in straight games. He trounced Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in 40 minutes. The world no. 1 Dane, with his brilliant attacking spree and defence, won the game 21-6, 15-21. This was his ninth Super Series Premier title and third Malaysia Open crown.

In women’s doubles, Chinese pair Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan, the world no. 1 pairing in women’s doubles, overcame South Korea’s Baek Hana–Lee Yulim 21-16, 21-10 in 52 minutes. In mixed doubles, the world no. 1 pair of Zheng Siwei–Huang Yaqiong, picked the season’s first Super Series Premier title beating Yuta Watanabe–Arisa Higashino of Japan 21-19, 21-11 in 44 minutes.

Ethiopian athletes Hayle Lemi and Anchalem Haymanot won the Mumbai Marathon on Sunday. The duo also set new course records to take home $45,000 winners’ prize and a bonus of $15,000 each.

Tata Mumbai Marathon returned after a break of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with 55, 212 participants across seven categories of races.

Hayle Lemi, the 2016 Boston Marathon winner, won at 02:07:32, beating the record of defending champion and compatriot Derara Hurisa of 2:08:09 set in 2020. In her first full marathon, Anchalem Haymanot broke the women’s mark of 2:24:33 set in 2013 by clocking 02:24:15 for victory. Both the champions ran through the streets of Mumbai for the first time. Ethiopian’s Rahma Tusa was second at 02:24:22 and Letebrhan Haylay was third at 02:24:52, making all three women in the Ethiopian sweep recording under 02:25 hours.

Olympian Gopi T, the first Indian male to win the Asian Marathon Championship in 2017, made a winning return to competitive action. He clocked 2:16:41 to finish on top of the domestic Elites and 10th overall. Gopi was followed by Man Singh, who was 17 seconds behind, and Kalidas Hirave. India’s Chavi Yadav also registered a spectacular victory on her marathon debut in the Indian race. She won the Indian Elite Women Category by completing the 42-kilometre run in the record time of 2:50:39 seconds.

On Sunday, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the International Kite Festival 2023 in Ahmedabad.

This year, the annual kite festival will see the participation of around 125 kite flyers from 68 countries. The event, which runs from January 8 to January 14, will also include 65 kite flyers from 14 Indian states and 660 from different parts of Gujarat. The theme of the festival, One Earth, One Family, One Future, is based on the G-20 theme.

Patel, while inaugurating the event, noted that the kite industry, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, has grown from a Rs 8-10 crore industry two decades ago to a Rs 625 crore industry today, providing employment to 1.30 lakh people.

India is hosting the meetings of G-20 countries for the first time. Gujarat Chief Minister also highlighted the numerous changes that have occurred in India under PM’s leadership, including in the digital economy and defence sector, and the country’s status as the fifth largest economy in the world with the highest growth rate.

The annual kite festival of Gujarat is observed on the occasion of Uttarayan, a Hindu festival celebrating the winter solstice and the transition to springtime, as well as the harvest. The International Kite Festival is also being held in other locations in Gujarat, including Vadodara, Vadnagar, Somnath, Rajkot, Dholera, and Dhordo.

Indian bowler Umran Malik clocked a speed of 155 kmph as he got Sri Lankan batsman Dasun Shanaka out in the first India versus Sri Lanka T20I match. It was also the fastest ball of the match.

Team India began the series with a two-run victory over Sri Lanka in the 1st T20I in Mumbai on Tuesday. Shivam Mavi, who made his India debut in the clash, was the star of the show with four wickets at 22 runs in four overs.

Mavi found support from Umran Malik, who outshone others with his ferocious pace. The pace sensation returned with two wickets and conceded 27 runs in four overs. During his spell, Malik delivered the fastest ball of the match, at 155 kph. The ball helped India get rid of Dasun Shanaka, who was caught by Yuzvendra Chahal at extra cover for 45 off 27 balls.

Umran Malik has now beat Jasprit Bumrah’s record for clocking the highest speed among Indian pacers. Bumrah’s highest speed to be recorded so far stands at 153.36 kph. He is followed by Mohammed Shami at 153.3 kph and Navdeep Saini at 152.85 kph.

Koustav Chatterjee became India’s 78th Grandmaster (GM) in MPL 59th National Senior Chess Championship in New Delhi on Saturday. At the National Senior Chess Championships in New Delhi, the 19-year-old boy drew the game against GM Mitrabha Guha.

The ninth GM from West Bengal, Mitrabha Guha could have gone for a win, but Koustav cruised through the game and mixed up the order in the endgame and managed to draw it to secure his final GM norm. With the win, the Kolkata boy became West Bengal’s tenth Grandmaster.

Koustav started playing chess in 2010 and earned the International Master (IM) title in 2019. A bright student, he cleared CBSE exams from South Point High School in 2022 with 98% of marks from the commerce section. He managed his chess and studies well on his journey from IM to GM title. He earned his maiden GM-norm in 2021 October at Sheikh Russel GM 2021 in Bangladesh. He appeared for his Class 12 board examinations in the first half of 2022. The teenager continued playing chess through these times and even participated in a tournament. In November 2022, he scored his second GM-norm at Asian Continental Championship 2022. He crossed 2500 in the August FIDE rating list.

The Saudi Football Association will host an international women’s friendly tournament from January 11-19, where the matches will be held at Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium in Al-Khobar. The tournament will have four participating teams from Pakistan, Comoros, Mauritius, and Saudi Arabia.

The tournament is part of the goals of the Women’s Football Department of the Saudi Football Association (SFA) to develop the women’s first team, which was launched last year.

Lamia bint Ibrahim bin Bahian, member of the board of directors at the SFA and general supervisor of women’s football management, said that women’s football in the Kingdom has seen great development in recent months. There has been development of local competitions and regional training centres for girls, which help in the discovery of new talents. She added that the SFA has put all capabilities into developing women’s football under the Saudi football transformation strategy.

Bin Bahian added that the international friendly tournament aims to prepare the national team players before entering the future official tournaments.

In the past three years, Saudi Arabia has invested significantly in women’s football, from grassroots player development through to the establishment of a first women’s national team, which will soon qualify for FIFA rankings for the first time.

Australian cricketer David Warner on Tuesday smashed a historic ton in his 100th test match at Melbourne Cricket Ground against South Africa. With this century, Warner became the 10th player to smash a century in his 100th Test. The other cricketers to achieve the feat are Colin Cowdrey (England), Javed Miandad (Pakistan), Gordon Greenidge (West Indies), Alec Stewart (England), Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan), Ricky Ponting (Australia), Graeme Smith (South Africa), Hashim Amla (South Africa), Joe Root (England).

The veteran opener is also the only second Australian to hit a century in his 100th Test after Ricky Ponting slammed twin tons (120 and 143*) against South Africa back in 2006, which was his 100th Test. Warner also has the second-highest number of international cricket centuries among active players. India’s Virat Kohli tops this list with 72 tons, followed by Warner with 45 tons. England’s Root is at third with 44 centuries, while Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith are tied at 41 centuries each.

David Warner has also registered the highest number of centuries by an opener, with 45 centuries. He has 20 centuries in ODIs and 25 in the longer format. Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar hit 45 centuries, out of his 100 centuries, as an opener. West Indies batter Chris Gayle also has all of his 42 international centuries scored as an opener.

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain and the reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen won Gold medals at the 6th Elite Women’s National Boxing Championships in Bhopal on Monday.

Lovlina Borgohain beat Arundhati Choudhary of Services 5-0 in the 75 kg final, and Nikhat Zareen defeated Anamika of Railways 4-1 in the final of the 50 kg category.

The young boxer from Manipur, Sanamacha Thokchom Chanu, who picked a Gold medal at the 2021 Youth World Championships, also secured the title in the 70 kg by overcoming Madhya Pradesh’s Shruti Yadav 3-2 in the thrilling final.

The other Gold medal winners were Haryana’s Manisha (57 kg) and Saweety Boora (81 kg), Railway Sports Promotion Board’s (RSPB) Sakshi (52 kg), and Madhya Pradesh’s Manju Bamboria (66 kg) in the tournament.

The RSPB team topped the medals tally, with 10 medals, including five gold, three silver and two bronze medals. Madhya Pradesh stood second with one gold, two silver and five bronze medals, and Haryana took the third spot with two gold and two bronze medals.

The winners received the medals in the presence of Union Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur along with the Boxing Federation of India officials.

Bahrain’s Rizwan Butt on Wednesday became the first player to take a five-wicket haul in T20I cricket in six consecutive deliveries. Rizwan made the record against Singapore in a T20I in Bangi, Malaysia. The bowler picked wickets on the third, fourth and sixth delivery of Singapore’s 18th over and then took two wickets off the first two deliveries in the 20th over.

Rizwan Butt did not take any wicket in his first 14 balls. However, he took five wickets in the next 6 balls. The bowler took the wicket on the third and fourth balls of the 18th over, but could not take any wicket on the fifth ball, thus missing a hat-trick. The bowler took another wicket on the sixth ball of the 18th over. The bowler then returned to bowl the 20th over, and completed his hat-trick by taking wickets on the first two balls.

The Singapore team was all out for 168 runs, which the Bahrain team achieved by losing just 4 wickets in the 18th over.

In this ongoing series in Malaysia, the host country is in first place with 5 wins in 6 matches. Bahrain has won 3 out of 5 matches and is at number two. The Singapore team has lost all 6 matches and is at the last position. Qatar is at number three after winning 2 out of 5 matches.