Sports Panorama: Top 10 Sports News Of This Week

by Shatakshi Gupta
  • The Indian contingent displayed exceptional skill and determination in the WTT (World Table Tennis) Contenders Tournament in Tunis (Capital of Tunisia).  The women’s doubles pair of Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ahika Mukherjee won after a thrilling final, marking an important milestone for Indian badminton. Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ahika Mukherjee defeated Japan’s Miyu Kihara and Miwa Harimoto in the final. The Indian pair displayed their skill and resilience throughout the match to win 3-1. Highlighting the challenging nature of the final, the score was 11-5, 11-6, 5-11, 13-11. Their win is the first contender title for India in the current year.
  • The 16th Special Olympics World Games, the world’s largest inclusive sporting event, took place in Berlin, Germany from 17 June to 25 June 2023.  This momentous occasion brought together thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities from around the world to compete in 26 sports.  Aimed at promoting recognition and inclusion, the Games showcased the remarkable talent, determination and spirit of these exceptional athletes. For the first time, Germany was chosen as the host country for the Special Olympics World Games.  Berlin, the vibrant capital city, served as the backdrop for this historic event.  With its rich history, diverse culture and world-class sporting facilities, Berlin is well equipped to provide a memorable and welcoming experience for participants and spectators alike.
  • In a significant achievement for Indonesian sports, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has warmly welcomed FIFA’s decision to choose Indonesia as the host country for the upcoming U-17 World Cup.  The announcement has generated excitement and optimism among officials and sports fans alike.  Minister Ariotejo (Minister of Youth and Sports) expressed his gratitude and outlined the next steps to ensure a successful event.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo has received a Guinness World Record after reaching 200 international caps for Portugal.  The veteran forward is playing his 200th match for A Seleção das Quiñas in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Iceland.  The 38-year-old has broken yet another record and is the most capped player in international football. Cristiano Ronaldo’s achievement has been recognized by the Guinness Book of Records.  The Portugal captain was presented with a certificate for his achievement ahead of his country’s tie against Iceland.
  • Indian fencer Bhavani Devi created history at the Asian Fencing Championships on 19 June.  Bhavani Devi has won a bronze medal despite going down in the semi-finals of the women’s saber event in Wuxi, China.  This is the first ever medal for the country.  Let us tell you that Bhavani had to face a thorny battle against Uzbekistan’s Zeynab Deybekova in the semi-finals.  Bhavani lost 14-15 in this match, but she brought laurels to the country by winning bronze medal in this competition. In fact, Bhavani Devi was assured of a medal by defeating Misaki Imura in the quarter-finals of the Asian Fencing Championships, but lost in the semi-finals against the women’s saber event in Wuxi, China.  Despite this defeat, he registered a bronze medal in his name.

Read more: India This Week: Top 10 National News Of This Week

  • With Max Verstappen’s victory at the Canadian GP, Red Bull has also won its 100th race.  Red Bull Car Racing Company, which debuted in 2004, has so far participated in 356 races in which it has achieved a place on the podium 100 times.  Red Bull’s success percentage is almost at par with Lewis Hamilton as the star driver has taken 103 wins in 318 races since his debut in 2007. However, at the Canadian GP, Verstappen won with a time of 1:33:58.348.  Aston Martin’s Fernando Onla So came second in +9.570s and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was third in +14.168s.  George Russell of Mercedes could not finish the race.  He hit the wall in the 53rd lap.
  • Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty became the men’s doubles champions at the Indonesia Open, winning sets 21-17 and 21-18 against Aaron Chia and Soe Woo Yik. The 2023 Indonesia Open was held from 13 to 18 June 2023 at Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta, Indonesia. World No. 6 pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated world No. 3 pair of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia. The final match was completed in 43 minutes.
  • Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched ‘MOGA’ at a launch event held at Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Stadium in Talegao, Goa.  The 37th edition of the National Games of India will be organized in various places in the state of Goa.  There will be competitions in a total of 43 subjects.  It will also feature ‘Gatka’, a traditional martial art form associated with Punjab. The National Games in India are organized by the Indian Olympic Association. The Indian Sports Ministry has confirmed that the National Games will be held every two years, except in the years in which the Olympic and Asian Games are held. PT Usha is the President of the Indian Olympic Association which is headquartered in New Delhi.
  • 48 matches of ODI World Cup will be played in India for 46 days between October-November.  The International Cricket Council (ICC) released the World Cup schedule on Tuesday.  The tournament will begin on October 5 with the New Zealand-England match.  The match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.  The final will be held on this ground on 19 November.  The semi-finals of the tournament will be held in Mumbai and Kolkata. The most talked about match of the tournament, i.e. the India-Pakistan match will be held on October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium itself.  However, India’s World Cup campaign will begin with a match against Australia.  This match will be played in Chennai on 8 October.
  • Country’s golden boy and Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra will lead India at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary.  The championship will begin on August 19 and end on August 27.  India has won only 2 medals in the history of the World Athletics Championships. Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a silver medal in 2022 Eugene.  Earlier, in 2003, Anju Bobby George created history by winning the first ever medal for India at the championships, competing in the women’s long jump.  Last year, a total of 23 athletes from India participated in the 2022 World Championships in Eugene.