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National and International Sports updates,  Important for Competitive Exams.

IPL 2025 Mega Auction : Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history

The IPL 2025 Mega Auction, held at the Abadi Al-Johar Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, witnessed record-breaking bids and intense team strategies over two days.

Day 1 Highlights (24th November 2024):

  • Record Bids:
    • Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history, sold to Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crore.
    • Punjab Kings secured Shreyas Iyer for ₹26.75 crore and Yuzvendra Chahal for ₹18 crore, setting a record for an Indian spinner.
    • Venkatesh Iyer went to Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹23.75 crore.
    • Punjab also acquired Arshdeep Singh for ₹18 crore.

Day 2 Highlights (25th November 2024):

  • The day began with 33 capped players going under the hammer, followed by an accelerated auction for capped and uncapped players.
  • Notable Buys:
    • Mumbai Indians: Secured Will Jacks for ₹5.25 crore and Deepak Chahar for ₹9.25 crore.
    • RCB: Acquired Bhuvneshwar Kumar for ₹10.75 crore and Tim David for ₹3 crore.
    • Lucknow Super Giants: Bought Akash Deep for ₹8 crore.
    • Rajasthan Royals: Signed Tushar Deshpande for ₹6.5 crore.
  • Uncapped Players:
    • CSK signed Anshul Kamboj for ₹3.4 crore and Mukesh Choudhary for ₹30 lakh.
    • Gujarat Titans brought back Gurnoor Singh Brar for ₹1.3 crore.
    • Punjab Kings added Azmatullah Omarzai for ₹2.4 crore.

The auction showcased fierce competition as teams strengthened their squads with both marquee and emerging players, setting the stage for an exciting IPL 2025 season.

N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli won the Men’s Doubles Tennis title at the ATP Challenger Tour in Italy

N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli won the Men’s Doubles title at the ATP Challenger Tour in Italy. They defeated the second-seeded duo of French tennis player Theo Arribage and his Portuguese partner Francisco Cabral in the final held on November 23, 2024.

This victory marked Rithvik Bollipalli’s second ATP Challenger Tour title, having previously won the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan with Arjun Kadhe last month. For the 34-year-old Balaji, it was his first title on the ATP Challenger Tour.

North East United Football Club Becomes Champion of the 40th All India Governor’s Gold Cup International Football Tournament 2024

North East United Football Club emerged as the champion of the 40th All India Governor’s Gold Cup International Football Tournament 2024, held at Paljor Stadium, Gangtok on 24 November 2024. In a thrilling final match, they defeated the home team, Gangtok Himalayan Sporting Club, in a tie-breaker.

The match, attended by Governor Om Prakash Mathur and Chief Minister PS Tamang, ended goalless in regular time and proceeded to a penalty shoot-out. North East United FC successfully converted all four of their penalty shots, while Gangtok Himalayan SC managed to score only three out of five.

The tournament, organized by the Sikkim Football Association, featured 16 teams and included four international clubs from Nepal, Bhutan, Dubai, and Malaysia. This prestigious event returned after a five-year hiatus, with the last edition held in 2019.

Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025 will be held in Bihar in April 2025

The Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025 will be held in Bihar in April 2025, followed by the Khelo India Para Games after a 10-15 day gap, adopting a format similar to the Summer Olympics. This event will host over 10,000 young athletes, showcasing their talents across various sports.

The announcement was made by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, who praised Bihar for its capability to host Women’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey championship. The games align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to expand Khelo India Games nationwide, strengthening sports infrastructure and grassroots talent development, and contributing to building a stronger nation through sports.

India won the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 in hockey

India won the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in hockey on 20 November 2024 at Rajgir Hockey Stadium, Bihar, defeating China 1-0 in the final. This marked India’s second consecutive and third overall title, equalling South Korea’s record.

Deepika scored the decisive goal in the 31st minute from a penalty corner and emerged as the tournament’s leading scorer with 11 goals, earning the Player of the Tournament award.

India had earlier defeated China 3-0 in the league phase. Japan secured the bronze medal by defeating Malaysia 4-1.

India Reaches the Final of the Women’s Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024

India advanced to the final of the Women’s Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024 by defeating Japan 2-0 in the semi-final held on 19 November 2024 at Rajgir Hockey Stadium, Bihar. India entered the semi-finals as favorites, having won all their group-stage matches, including a 3-0 victory over Japan.

China also secured a spot in the final by beating Malaysia 3-1 in the other semi-final, marking their fifth win in six games. Malaysia, with 2 wins and 4 losses, will now compete against Japan for the bronze medal.

The final match between India and China will take place on 20 November 2024, at 4:45 PM, while the bronze medal match between Malaysia and Japan is scheduled for 2:15 PM on the same day at Rajgir Hockey Stadium.

Magnus Carlsen wins Tata Steel Chess India Blitz event

At the Tata Steel Chess India tournament in Kolkata, Magnus Carlsen, World No. 1, secured the blitz title on November 17, 2024. Carlsen staged a crucial comeback against India’s Arjun Erigaisi in the penultimate round, ensuring an unassailable lead with 12 points. He concluded the tournament by defeating Vidit Gujrathi, achieving 13 points and clinching the blitz crown. This marks Carlsen’s second double victory in Kolkata, having achieved the same in 2019.

Indian players also performed well: Arjun Erigaisi finished third with 10.5 points, R Praggnanandhaa placed fourth with 9.5, and Vidit Gujrathi secured fifth with 9 points.

Pankaj Advani won the 2024 World Billiards Championship

Veteran Indian billiards player Pankaj Advani won the 2024 World Billiards Championship, achieving his 28th world title and his seventh consecutive win. The championship, held by the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) in Doha, Qatar, saw Advani, 39, defeat England’s Robert Hall in a thrilling 4-2 final match on November 9, 2024. Advani’s career also includes two Asian Games gold medals, won in 2006 and 2010.

GM Aravindh Chithambaram wins Chennai Grand Masters Chess Tournament 2024

In the Chennai Grand Masters Chess Tournament on November 11, 2024, GM Aravindh Chithambaram won the Masters title after a challenging final against American GM Levon Aronian. Aravindh secured victory by winning the first blitz play-off and drawing the second match with the black pieces.

Meanwhile, GM V Pranav remained unbeaten to win the Challengers title. The tournament, organized by MGD1 and sponsored by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, included two categories: Masters and Challengers.

Mandeep Jangra won the World Boxing Federation’s Super Featherweight world title

Indian boxer Mandeep Jangra won the World Boxing Federation’s (WBF) Super Featherweight world title in the Cayman Islands, defeating Britain’s Conor McIntosh with a unanimous 10-0 decision on November 5, 2024. This victory makes Mandeep the first Indian to achieve a world champion title in any professional boxing category.

A Commonwealth Games silver medalist from 2014, Mandeep has had an impressive professional record, winning 11 out of 12 fights, including seven knockouts, with only one loss in his career.

Mansi Ahlawat won a bronze medal in the women’s 59kg category at the Seniors World Wrestling Championships

India’s Mansi Ahlawat won a bronze medal in the women’s 59kg category at the Seniors World Wrestling Championships in Tirana, Albania. She defeated Canada’s Laurence Beauregard with a score of 5-0 in the bronze medal match.

Japan’s Risako Kinjo claimed the gold medal, Mongolia’s Tserenchimed Sukhee took the silver, and Germany’s Elena Heike Brugger shared the bronze with Mansi.

Yashaswini Ghorpade and Krittwika Roy won the women’s doubles title at the WTT Feeder Cagliari table tennis tournament

On October 27, 2024, India’s Yashaswini Ghorpade and Krittwika Roy won the women’s doubles title at the WTT Feeder Cagliari table tennis tournament in Italy. They defeated South Korea’s Yoo Siwoo and Kim Haeun 3-1 in the final match. Earlier in the tournament, the Indian team, seeded second, won against Italy’s Arianna Barani and Maria Picu 3-0 in the first round and Japan’s Sachi Aoki and Sakura Yokoi 3-0 in the quarter-finals.

In the semi-final, they defeated Germany’s Sophia Klee and Franziska Schreiner 3-1 to reach the final. Additionally, Yashaswini Ghorpade reached the mixed doubles semi-finals with Harmeet Desai, but they lost 3-0 to Italy’s John Oyebode and Gaia Monfardini.

Arjun Erigaisi crosses  2800 Elo rating mark in Chess; second Indian to achieve the mark

Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi reached the prestigious 2800 Elo rating milestone with a win at the European Chess Club Cup in Serbia on October 24, 2024. At 21, he became only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to achieve this.

Erigaisi secured this rating by defeating Russian Grandmaster Dmitry Andreikin in Round 5 with the White pieces, propelling him to world No. 3 in the rankings. Elo ratings are widely used to measure chess players’ skill levels.

Manika Batra Makes History as First Indian Table Tennis Player to Reach Top 8 at WTT Champions Event

Manika Batra made history as the first Indian table tennis player to reach the quarterfinals at the WTT Champions Montpellier 2024 in France on October 27, 2024. Ranked 30th globally, she defeated Romania’s world No. 14 Bernadette Szocs 3-1 to secure her spot in the top eight, following a 3-0 win over the USA’s Lily Zhang.

However, in the quarterfinals, she was defeated 3-0 by China’s Qian Tianyi, who is ranked 21st and recently bested the world No. 4, Wang Yidi. Earlier in the year, Batra also beat Szocs during India’s 3-2 victory over Romania at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Kho Kho World Cup from January 13–19, 2025, at New Delhi

The Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) announced the first-ever Kho Kho World Cup, set for January 13–19, 2025, at New Delhi’s IGI Stadium, marking a significant global debut for the traditional Indian sport. Twenty-four nations from six continents will compete, with both men’s and women’s divisions hosting 12 teams each. Participating nations include:

  • Africa: Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda
  • Asia: India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka
  • Europe: England, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland
  • North America: Canada, United States
  • South America: Brazil, Peru
  • Oceania: Australia, New Zealand

Men’s Division: 16 teams will compete, including India, Pakistan, and Australia.
Women’s Division: Key teams include India, Kenya, and Germany, with Pakistan fielding teams in both divisions.

KKFI president Sudhanshu Mittal emphasized the tournament’s importance for elevating Kho Kho globally, with the official tagline, #TheWorldGoesKho, unveiled alongside an exhibition match between Team Maharashtra and the Rest of India. KKFI aims to solidify Kho Kho’s international appeal and growth through this event.

Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2, 2026

The organisers of the 2026 Commonwealth Games have decided to reduce the number of sports to just 10, removing prominent sports like hockey, badminton, wrestling, cricket, squash, and shooting to manage financial and operational risks while maintaining a multi-sport feel.

The 23rd edition of the Games will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2, 2026, across four venues. Approximately 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories, including India, will participate in the event.

Virat Kohli becomes 4th Indian Cricketer to reach 9,000 Test Runs

Virat Kohli has achieved another milestone in his illustrious career by becoming the fourth Indian cricketer to reach 9,000 Test runs. This remarkable feat was accomplished during the first Test match against New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 18, 20242.

Kohli joins the elite club of Indian cricket legends, which includes Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs), and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs). Kohli reached the milestone in 197 Test innings, making him the fourth-fastest Indian and the 13th-fastest overall to achieve this landmark.

Reflecting on his journey, Kohli has consistently demonstrated his exceptional skill, dedication, and passion for the game. His highest Test score is an unbeaten 254, and he has accumulated 29 centuries and 31 half-centuries in his Test career.

ISSF Junior World shooting championship 2024 : India finishes at top in overall medal tally with 13 gold

At the 2024 ISSF Junior World Shooting Championship in Lima, Peru, Indian shooters delivered an outstanding performance, leading the medals tally with a total of 24 medals: 13 gold, 3 silver, and 8 bronze.

Mukesh Nelavalli was a standout, winning seven medals, including five golds. Divanshi also shone by claiming her second individual gold in the women’s 25m standard pistol event. The Indian team excelled in team events as well, with the junior men’s 50m pistol team taking gold.

India finished far ahead of Italy (13 medals) and Norway (10 medals), among 51 participating nations and over 560 shooters.

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Sharjah and Dubai

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 is currently being held in Sharjah and Dubai, UAE, from October 3 to October 20. This tournament features 10 teams: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies.

Group Stages:

  • Group A: Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
  • Group B: South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Scotland

Parth Rakesh Mane secures double Gold at ISSF Junior World Championship in Peru

Indian shooter Parth Rakesh Mane secured two gold medals at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru, on October 1, 2024. He won the individual gold in the 10m air rifle event with a score of 250.7, narrowly defeating China’s junior Asian champion Huang Liwanlin by 0.7 points. Parth, along with Ajay Malik and Abhinav Shaw, also clinched the gold in the men’s team event.

India’s third gold of the day came in the junior women’s 10m air rifle team event, with Gautami Bhanot, Sambhavi Kshirsagar, and Anoushka Thakur securing victory. India currently leads the medal tally with five golds.

India won the SAFF Under-17 Championship

India won the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-17 Championship by defeating Bangladesh 2-0 in the final on 28 September 2024 at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan.

Mohammed Kaif scored the first goal in the 58th minute with a header from a corner delivered by Ngamgouhou Mate. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Nazmul Huda Faysal secured India’s victory with a powerful strike from the edge of the box.

Gulveer Singh won gold medal in the men’s 5,000 meters race at the World Athletics Continental Tour in Japan

Gulveer Singh, a 26-year-old Indian athlete, won the gold medal in the men’s 5,000 meters race at the World Athletics Continental Tour in Japan on 28 September 2024. He set a new national record with a time of 13 minutes and 11.82 seconds, breaking his previous record of 13 minutes and 18.92 seconds.

Earlier this year, Gulveer also broke the men’s 10,000m record at the Ten Track Meet in California, finishing in 27 minutes and 41.81 seconds, surpassing the 16-year-old record held by Surender Singh. However, he missed the Paris Olympics qualification time of 27:00.00 by over 41 seconds.

Kamal Chawla wins Gold in IBSF World 6 Red Snooker Championship

Indian snooker Kamal Chawla secured his first IBSF World 6-Red title by defeating Pakistan’s Asjad Iqbal 6-2 in the final on 25th November 2024, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This victory is especially meaningful for Chawla, who had been the runner-up in the 2017 edition of the tournament.

Alongside his triumph, India won three bronze medals: Malkeet Singh in the men’s category, Vidya Pillai, and Keerthana Pandian in the women’s category. Pillai, the defending women’s champion, was unable to retain her title, losing 2-4 in the semifinals to Hong Kong’s Ng On Yee.

Sangram Singh win MMA fight at Gama International Fighting Championship

Indian wrestler Sangram Singh made history by becoming the first Indian male wrestler to win an MMA  (mixed martial arts) fight. He achieved this at the Gama International Fighting Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 22 September 2024.

Sangram, who is also a Commonwealth heavyweight wrestling champion, won the match in just 90 seconds against his Pakistani opponent, Ali Raza Nasir. This victory was also the fastest win by any Indian fighter in the 93 kg division of the championship.

India won double gold medals in Chess Olympiad

India’s teams delivered outstanding performances at the 45th International Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess Olympiad, held in Budapest, Hungary. Both the men’s and women’s teams won the Gold on 22 September 2024.

In the open section, India’s men’s team secured their first-ever gold, with Arjun Erigaisi’s crucial win over Slovenia’s Jan Subelj in the final round. China, who was in second place, lost points to the USA, allowing India to officially claim the title. The men’s team included Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna, and Srinath Narayanan.

The Indian women’s team also won gold, defeating Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5 in the final. The women’s team featured Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, Tania Sachdev, and captain Abhijit Kunte.

India’s men’s hockey team won the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024

India’s men’s hockey team won the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy for the fifth time on September 17, 2024 at Hulunbuir, China. India defeated China 1-0 in a closely contested final.

Jugraj Singh scored the decisive goal in the 51st minute, while captain Harmanpreet Singh led a strong defense to secure the win. India remained undefeated throughout the tournament, with key victories against Japan, Malaysia, and Korea in the semifinals.

Asian Champions Trophy 2024: India reaches the final by defeating South Korea 4-1

In the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament, India reached the final by defeating South Korea 4-1 in Hulunbuir, China on September 16. Harmanpreet Singh scored two goals, while Uttam Singh and Jarmanpreet Singh scored one each. Yang Jihun scored the only goal for South Korea.

India will now play against China in the final on September 17, aiming for their second consecutive gold. In the first semifinal, China beat Pakistan 2-0 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw.

India is the only unbeaten team, having already defeated China, Japan, Malaysia, Korea, and Pakistan in the tournament.

Neeraj Chopra finishes second in Men’s Javelin Throw Final at Diamond League

Neeraj Chopra finished second in the Men’s Javelin Throw Final at the Diamond League in Brussels on 14 September 2024, with a throw of 87.86m. He missed the top spot by just 1 cm, with Anderson Peters (Paris Olympics bronze medallist) winning with 87.87m. Julian Weber of Germany finished third with a throw of 85.97m.

This is Neeraj’s second consecutive runner-up finish in the Diamond League. In 2023, Neeraj lost to Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, with a throw of 83.80m compared to Vadlejch’s winning distance of 84.24m.

Manipur’s T.G. English School won the Junior Boys title of the 63rd Subroto Cup

Manipur’s T.G. English School won the Junior Boys title of the 63rd Subroto Cup, defeating Meghalaya’s Myngken Christian Higher Secondary School 4-3 in a sudden-death tiebreaker. The final, held at BR Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi, on 11 September 2024, ended 1-1 in regulation time.

Manipur’s Namdigong Kamei scored in the 32nd minute, while Meghalaya’s Banpliebok Khongjoh equalized with a penalty in the 64th minute. In the tiebreaker, Meghalaya missed a key spot-kick, giving Manipur the victory. It was the first time in 44 years that a team from Manipur won the Subroto Cup. Despite playing with 10 men for 20 minutes, Manipur secured the title.

The Subroto Cup, one of Asia’s oldest tournaments, promotes grassroots football development in India.

India Hockey team enters semifinal of Men’s Asian Champions Trophy

Indian Hockey team has qualified for the semifinals of the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy after a dominant 8-1 victory over Malaysia in the round-robin stage at Hulunbuir in China on 11 September 2024.

Rajkumar Pal scored a hattrick, and Araijeet Singh Hundal netted two goals, contributing to India’s third successive win in the tournament. Jugraj Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, and Uttam Singh also added goals. For Malaysia, Akhimullah Anuar scored their only goal.

India now tops the standings with nine points, and the semifinals will be held on September 16, followed by the final on September 17.

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