Sports

Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships 2023 javelin throw final on 27 August 2023 with a throw of 88.17m here in Budapest, Hungary. He secured the gold in his second attempt, with his first throw being a foul.

Neeraj Chopra became India’s first-ever World Athletics Championships gold medallist by winning the javelin throw event

Neeraj Chopra is an Indian track and field athlete who is the reigning Olympic champion, World champion and the Diamond League champion in the javelin throw.

Q.: Who recently became India’s first-ever gold medallist at the World Athletics Championships?

a) Abhinav Bindra
b) P. T. Usha
c) Neeraj Chopra
d) Sushil Kumar

Answer: c) Neeraj Chopra

Indian women’s visually impaired cricket team won the T-20 final of the IBSA World Games on 26 August 2023 in Birmingham.

• They defeated Australia by nine wickets in a rain-interrupted match.
• Australia had set a target of 115 runs, but rain reduced the match to 9 overs and the target became 42 runs.
• India reached the revised target in 3.3 overs, losing only one wicket.
• Indian men’s visually impaired cricket team is set to play against Pakistan in the finals of the IBSA World Games 2023.

Q.: Which women’s visually impaired cricket team won the T-20 final of the IBSA World Games in Birmingham?

a) Australia
b) Pakistan
c) India
d) England

Answer: c) India

In Chess FIDE Chess World Cup 2023 final, Magnus Carlsen of Norway beat India’s R. Praggnanandhaa in tie-breaks at Baku in Azerbaijan on 14 August 2023.

• Magnus Carlsen wins FIDE Chess World Cup 2023 by defeating Praggnanandhaa.
• Carlsen wins with a final score of 1.5, Praggnanandhaa with 0.5.
• Carlsen gets the Gold, Praggnanandhaa gets the Silver.
• Carlsen wins his first FIDE World Cup title.
• Praggnanandhaa reaches the final and makes history as the youngest finalist and winner.
• Praggnanandhaa is the first Indian after Viswanathan Anand to reach the final.

Q.: Who emerged as the winner of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2023?

a) R. Praggnanandhaa
b) Viswanathan Anand
c) Magnus Carlsen
d) Ding Liren

Ans : c) Magnus Carlsen

The Chess World Cup 2023 final between India’s R Praggnanandhaa and Norway’s Magnus Carlsen has reached a thrilling climax as the two players have agreed to a draw after 30 moves in the second classical game on 23 August 2023.

The score is now tied at 1-1 after the first game also ended in a draw on 22 August. The final will now be decided by a tie-breaker match, which will consist of two rapid games, followed by blitz games and an Armageddon game if needed.

Praggnanandhaa, who is only 18 years old, has stunned the chess world by becoming the second Indian ever to reach the final of the Chess World Cup after Viswanathan Anand.

Q.: Who are the finalists in the Chess World Cup 2023?

a) R Praggnanandhaa and Viswanathan Anand
b) Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana
c) R Praggnanandhaa and Magnus Carlsen
d) Fabiano Caruana and Viswanathan Anand

Ans : c) R Praggnanandhaa and Magnus Carlsen

The final of the FIDE World Cup 2023 chess tournament took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, starting on Tuesday, August 22. The initial game of the best-of-four series featured a match between Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa and Norwegian World Champion Magnus Carlsen.

1. The first classical game concluded in a draw after 40 moves, with both players displaying cautious and solid gameplay.
2. Despite being only 18 years old, Praggnanandhaa impressed observers by holding his ground against the world’s top-ranked player, Magnus Carlsen, who has a significantly higher rating.
3. Praggnanandhaa’s path to the final involved defeating World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana in the semifinals, setting a record as the youngest player to achieve this feat.
4. Magnus Carlsen’s journey to the final included a victory over Levon Aronian in a closely contested match.
5. The second classical game of the final was scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, followed by two more games on Thursday and Friday.
6. In the event that the score remains tied after the four games, tiebreaks were set to take place on Saturday.

Q.: What record did R Praggnanandhaa set during the FIDE World Cup 2023 chess tournament?

a) Youngest player to reach the final.
b) Most wins in a single tournament.
c) Highest rating increase.
d) Most games played in the tournament.

Ans : a) Youngest player to reach the final.

Chief Selector of BCCI, Ajit Agarkar, has announced the Indian Men’s Cricket team for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023.

• The team will be captained by Rohit Sharma, with Hardik Pandya serving as the Vice Captain.
• Notable players in the squad include Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Sanju Samson.

About Asia Cup 2023 

The Asia Cup 2023 is a cricket tournament that will feature six teams from Asia: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and one qualifier. The tournament will be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from 30 August 2023 to 17 September 2023. The matches will be played as one-day internationals (ODI). The Asia Cup 2023 will be the 16th edition of the tournament, which was first held in 1984. The current champion is India, who won the 2018 edition in the United Arab Emirates.

Question: Who will be captain of Indian Men’s Cricket team in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023?

A) Shubman Gill
B) Virat Kohli
C) Rohit Sharma
D) KL Rahul

Answer: C) Rohit Sharma

R Praggnanandhaa is a young chess prodigy from India who has made history by becoming the first Indian after Viswanathan Anand to reach the semifinals of the FIDE Chess World Cup. He achieved this feat by defeating his compatriot Arjun Erigaisi in a thrilling tie-break on August 17, 2023.

Praggnanandhaa, who is only 18 years old, started playing chess at the age of six and became the second youngest grandmaster in history at the age of 12 years and 10 months. He has won several national and international titles, including the World Youth Chess Championship in 2019. He is currently ranked 40th in the world and has a rating of 2718.

The FIDE Chess World Cup is a prestigious knockout tournament that features some of the best players in the world. It also serves as a qualifier for the Candidates Tournament, which determines the challenger for the World Chess Championship. Praggnanandhaa is one of the four semifinalists, along with Magnus Carlsen, Sergey Karjakin and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. He will face Karjakin, a former world championship finalist, in the next round.

Q.: Who recently achieved the distinction of being the first Indian, following Viswanathan Anand, to advance to the semifinals of the FIDE Chess World Cup?

A) Viswanathan Anand
B) Arjun Erigaisi
C) Magnus Carlsen
D) R Praggnanandhaa

Ans : D) R Praggnanandhaa

Spain won their first FIFA Women’s World Cup title by defeating England 1-0 in the final at Stadium Australia in Sydney on 20 August 2023.

1. The winning goal was scored by captain Olga Carmona with a stunning volley from a corner kick in the 29th minute.
2. Spain’s solid defense and goalkeeper Sandra Panos made crucial saves to deny England’s attempts to equalize.
3. Spain dominated possession and created more chances, while England struggled with their rhythm and accuracy.
4. This was England’s second consecutive final defeat, previously losing to the USA in 2019.
5. Spain’s national football team, La Roja, became the second country after Germany to win both the Men’s and Women’s World Cups.

Q.: Which nation emerged as the champion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023?

A) Germany
B) Spain
C) USA
D) France

Ans : B) Spain

Shooters Esha Singh and Shiva Narwal won the 10m air pistol mixed team gold at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship in Baku, Azerbaijan on August 18, 2023.

• They defeated the Turkish team of Ilayda Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec with a score of 16-10 in the final.
• This victory contributed to India’s total medals count, bringing it to two.
• India is currently in the second position on the medals table with one gold and one bronze medal.
• China leads the medals tally with five gold and two bronze medals.

Q.: Who clinched the 10m air pistol mixed team gold at the ISSF World Championship 2023?

a) Ilayda Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec
b) Esha Singh and Shiva Narwal
c) China’s shooting duo
d) Turkish shooting team

Answer: b) Esha Singh and Shiva Narwal

Indian wrestler Priya Malik secured a gold medal at the U20 World Wrestling Championships in Jordan on August 17, 2023. She won the gold in the 76 kg category by defeating Germany’s Laura Kuehn with a score of 5-0 in the final.

• Priya Malik is the second Indian woman to win a gold medal in this competition.
• Antim Panghal had previously won a gold medal in the previous edition of the championships.
• Priya’s victory brings India a total of two gold medals in the ongoing championships, a feat that has occurred only once before, in 2001.
• Another Indian wrestler, Arju won a bronze medal in the 68 kg category by defeating Turkey’s Elif Kurt in the bronze medal bout.

Q.: In which weight category did Priya Malik win the gold medal at U20 World Wrestling Championships in August 2023?

a) 68 kg
b) 76 kg
c) 80 kg
d) 85 kg

Answer: b) 76 kg

Indian wrestler Mohit Kumar made history by winning the Under 20 World Championship in the men’s 61 Kg Freestyle category in Amman City, Jordan, on August 17, 2023.

• Mohit secured victory in the final by defeating Russia’s Eldar Akhmadudinov with a score of 9-8.
• He became the fourth Indian Freestyle Wrestler to achieve a Junior World Championship title.
• Mohit joins the ranks of Palwinder Cheema (2001), Ramesh Kumar (2001), and Deepak Punia (2019) as male Indian wrestlers who have won gold medals in the U20 World Championships.
• Jaideep won the bronze medal in the 74kg category, defeating Kyrgyzstan’s Zhakshylyk Ruslanovich Baitashov.
• Sagar Jaglan clinched a silver medal in the Freestyle 79 kg category.
• Deepak Chahal earned a bronze medal in the Freestyle 97 kg category on the second day of the event.
• The Indian men’s freestyle wrestling team has achieved a total of five medals in the competition.

Q.: Who recently made history by winning a gold medal at the Under 20 World Championship in men’s 61 Kg Freestyle wrestling category?

a) Ramesh Kumar
b) Sagar Jaglan
c) Mohit Kumar
d) Deepak Punia

Answer: c) Mohit Kumar

The ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings are a system of ranking the individual performance of cricketers in Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. The rankings are maintained by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body of cricket. The rankings are updated after every T20I series and are based on a points system that takes into account various factors such as runs scored, wickets taken, strike rate, economy rate, etc.

According to the latest rankings updated on 16 August 2023 :

1. Suryakumar Yadav has maintained his position as the top batter in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings.
2. Shubman Gill has made a significant improvement, moving up by 43 places to secure the 25th rank.
3. Suryakumar Yadav holds the first position with a total of 907 points.
4. Mohammad Rizwan, the opener from Pakistan, is in the second position with 811 points.
5. Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan’s team, holds the third rank with 756 points.
6. Aiden Markram, a cricketer from South Africa, occupies the fourth place with 748 points.
7. No other Indian batter is among the top 10 in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings.

Q.: Who holds the top spot in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings for batters, as per rankings updated on 16 August 2023?

a) Shubman Gill
b) Babar Azam
c) Suryakumar Yadav
d) Mohammad Rizwan

Ans : c) Suryakumar Yadav

India wins the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 hockey tournament with a thrilling comeback victory over Malaysia. The final took place at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai on August 12.

• India’s victory marks their record fourth title in the tournament, surpassing Pakistan’s three titles.
• India had previously defeated Japan 5-0 in the semi-final, while Malaysia had beaten South Korea 3-2 in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw.
• Malaysia took an early lead through a penalty corner goal by Shahril Saabah, but India equalized with a drag-flick by Harmanpreet Singh.
• Malaysia regained the lead through a field goal by Firhan Ashari, extending it further with another penalty corner goal by Shahril Saabah.
• India narrowed the gap with a field goal by Mandeep Singh.
• India dominated the third quarter and leveled the score at 3-3 with a field goal by Dilpreet Singh.
• India secured the winning goal in the 58th minute through a brilliant field goal by Akashdeep Singh.
• India’s captain, Harmanpreet Singh, was named the player of the tournament, while Dilpreet Singh was awarded the emerging player of the tournament.
• Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh was recognized as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
• The victory also elevated India to the third position in the FIH rankings, trailing behind Belgium and Australia.
• India’s next focus will be the FIH Hockey World Cup 2024, scheduled to take place in India from January 13 to February 5.

Q.: India wins Asian Champions Trophy 2023 in Hockey. Who was India’s opponent in the final?

a) Pakistan
b) Japan
c) Malaysia
d) South Korea

Ans : c) Malaysia

Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will lead the Indian contingent in the upcoming World Athletics Championships 2023 scheduled in Budapest on from 19 to 27 August 2023.

1. Among the 28 athletes, 15 will be participating in the World Championships for the first time.
2. Shaili Singh, a former Under 20 silver medalist, is the youngest member of the Indian contingent.

Q.: Who will lead the Indian contingent in the upcoming World Athletics Championships 2023?

a) Shaili Singh
b) Neeraj Chopra
c) P T Usha
d) Hima Das

Ans : b) Neeraj Chopra

India’s athletes achieved a historic performance at the 31st World University Games took place from July 28 to August 8 in Chengdu, China.

• They won a total of 26 medals, including 11 golds, 5 silvers, and 10 bronzes.
• This marks India’s best-ever performance at the event, surpassing their previous record of five medals.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian contingent and praised their accomplishment, highlighting their role in inspiring future athletes.
• Notable Indian gold medalists include Neeraj Chopra (javelin throw), Dutee Chand (100m sprint), Annu Rani (women’s javelin throw), and Manu Bhaker (10m air pistol).
• The World University Games, known as the Summer Universiade, is a major multi-sport competition for university students.
• The event was organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and featured over 10,000 participants from 170+ countries.

Q.: In which city did the 31st World University Games take place?

a) New Delhi, India
b) Beijing, China
c) Chengdu, China
d) Tokyo, Japan

Ans : c) Chengdu, China

The Indian women’s archery team comprising V. Jyothi Surekha, Aditi Swami, and Parneet Kaur won their first-ever gold medal in the World Archery Championships in Berlin on 4 August 2023.

1. They achieved a convincing victory of 235-229 against top-ranked Mexico in the compound women’s team final.
2. This victory marks the first time Indian archers have won a World crown at the elite level, surpassing their previous successes in the World under-21 and under-18 categories.
3. The Indian archers’ consistent performance led them to win all four ends, securing the title.
4. Youth Affairs and Sports Minister, Anurag Thakur, congratulated the winning trio and praised their confidence and skills that led India to victory.
5. Mr. Thakur expressed immense pride and joy, hoping that they continue to make history for India and the world.

Q.: What historic achievement did the Indian women’s archery team accomplish in the World Archery Championships held in Berlin?

A) They won their first-ever gold medal in the compound women’s team final.
B) They secured a victory against Mexico in the under-21 category.
C) They emerged as the top-ranked team in the World Archery Championships.
D) They won the World crown at the elite level for the third time in a row.

Answer: A) They won their first-ever gold medal in the compound women’s team final.

The Durand Cup, India’s annual domestic football competition, with a long and rich history, commenced on August 3, 2023. The ongoing 132nd edition of the Durand Cup features 24 teams from different leagues and regions of India. The matches are being played across four venues in Assam and West Bengal, namely Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Kolkata, and Siliguri. The roster includes teams from the Indian Super League, I-League and the Armed Forces. Army teams from Nepal and Bangladesh have also been included this season.

1. Established in 1888 by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, then the Foreign Secretary of India, the Durand Cup is the oldest club football tournament in Asia and the third oldest in the world.
2. Initially, the tournament was exclusive to British India Army troops, but it later opened its doors to civilian teams as well.
3. Over the years, the Durand Cup has hosted legendary players and witnessed many memorable moments, making it a prestigious event in Indian football.
4. Beyond being a celebration of football, the Durand Cup also serves as a showcase of India’s diversity and culture.

Q: Which club football tournament is the oldest in Asia and the third oldest in the world?

A) Durand Cup
B) FA Cup
C) Copa Libertadores
D) AFC Champions League

Answer A) Durand Cup

Indian contingent concluded the Sri Lanka Athletics National Championships with a total of 14 medals. The medals consisted of nine gold, four silver, and one bronze. On the final day of the event, 0n 31 July 2023, Indian athletes secured six medals.

• The Indian 4×400 meter mixed relay team (Amoj Jacob, Aishwarya Mishra, Muhammed Anas, and Himanshi Malik) won a gold medal.
• Another Indian relay team (Nihal Joel William, Subha Venkatesan, Mijo Chacko Kurian, and Vithya Ramraj) earned a silver medal.
• Amoj Jacob, along with Muhammed Anas, Rajesh Ramesh, and Muhammed Ajmal, secured another gold medal in the 4×400 meter men’s relay event.
• The Indian quartet of Sonia Baishya, Aishwarya Mishra, Subha V, and Himanshi Malik won the gold medal in the 4×400 meter women’s relay event.
• In the same event, India’s Jisna Mathew and Vithya Ramraj teamed up with Sri Lanka’s WS Himaya Fernando and K Shanika Lakshani to finish in third place.
• India’s T Santhosh Kumar won the men’s 400-meter hurdles event.
• Indian javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena, who previously won the gold medal, was awarded the Best Male Thrower trophy.

Q.: How many gold medals did the Indian contingent win at the Sri Lanka Athletics National Championships 2023?

A) Four B) Six C) Nine D) Eleven

Answer: C) Nine