(Current Affairs) Sports | July + August - 2015

Sports

Bangladesh, India in Final

  • India and Bangladesh, the top two teams, made the final of the SAARC golf championship.

  • On the penultimate day of the championship at the KGA course, India defeated Bhutan, while Bangladesh swamped a hapless Afghanistan in the semifinals. Both teams winning the 36-hole Match Play round without dropping a match.

  • The 18-hole morning session set the tone with India’s top amateur Viraj Madappa essaying a flawless, bogey free round to beat Bhutan’s Karma Wangchuk 8 and 7.

  • Pukhraj Singh Gill then beat Bhutan’s Capt. (retd) B.B. Gurung 7 and 5. But the India team captain Jaibir Singh was stretched to the fourth extra hole by Bhutan’s Tshendra Dorgi.

  • In the sudden death play-off with both players level after three holes, Jaibir Singh landed his tee shot on the green of the short, par-3 fourth hole and duly holed out for a par. But Dorgi failed to chip and putt finishing with a bogey.

  • India was as invincible in the afternoon session with Madappa and Gill winning by identical 6 and 5 margins.

  • Bangladesh, clearly the favourite in its semifinal against Afghanistan won all its three matches in the morning session.

  • India and Bangladesh will face off in the final .

Ethiopia’s Geremew and Daska emerge victorious

  • Kenya’s stranglehold over the TCS World 10K was broken in absorbing fashion as Ethiopia’s Mosinet Geremew and Mamitu Daska emerged victorious.
  • The previous five men’s and three women’s winners had all come from Kenya but there was to be no encore.
  • Geremew finished in a time of 28:16, with compatriot Fikadu Seboka two seconds behind him. The pair ran a cautious race, not wishing to set the pace at any stage but making sure to stay within striking distance of the leader at all times. Edwin Kiptoo was third.
  • Kogo, the former world record holder and the pre-race favourite, was unable to find the same finishing kick and settled for fourth.
  • The winners earned $21,000 each in prize money while the top Indian finishers were awarded Rs. 2.5 lakh each.

Sania-Hingis duo loses Rome Masters final

  • The Indo-Swiss tennis combine of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis did not live up to expectations as the top seeds were upset by Hungarian-French pair of Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic in straight sets in the women’s doubles final of the $2,428,490 Rome Masters.

  • The third seeds took just an hour and 13 minutes to come out on top with a 6—4, 6—3 win on the outdoor clay courts of Foro Italico in the first ever match between the two pairs.

  • This was Sania and Martina’s, ranked World No.1 and 2 respectively, fourth final together, having won at Indian Wells, Miami and Charleston earlier in the year.

  • The match did not go in favour of the top seeds right from the start as Sania and Martina were shocked in the fifth game of the first set when Timea and Kristina broke them and held serve to extend the lead to 4—2.

  • Sania and Martina finally earned two breakpoints for the first time in the match when the the third seeds were looking to close the set on their service game at 5—4. However, both opportunities were wasted as Timea and Kristina won the set to take the lead in the match in only 38 minutes.

  • The third seeds took the momentum into the second set as they immediately broke their opponents. But Sania and Martina reverted by breaking back and levelling the set at 1—1.

  • The next four service games were held by both teams but the third seeds once again stunned the Indo-Swiss combo by breaking them in the seventh game of the set. They held serve to extend the lead to 5—3.

  • Within no time, Timea and Kritina had two matchpoints. The first was saved by the top seeds but the Hungarian-French pair converted the second to earn the vital crown.

Bronze for Archana

  • India’s Archana Kamath won a bronze medal in the cadet girls’ singles at the Thailand Open table tennis tournament .
  • Archana lost 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 to Chinese Taipei’s Chen Ting-Ting, the eventual winner, in the semifinals.

Djokovic, Sharapova win Rome titles

  • Novak Djokovic scored a 6-4, 6-3 win over Roger Federer to capture his fourth Rome Masters title.
  • Djokovic also won the Rome title in 2008, 2011 and last year.
  • In the women’s tournament, Maria Sharapova beat 10th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 to win her third Rome title.
  • Sharapova’s first two titles in Rome came back-to-back in 2011 and 2012.

ICC committee recommends removal of batting PowerPlay

  • The ICC Cricket Committee recommended the removal of batting PowerPlay besides allowing five fielders outside the circle in the last 10 overs.

  • The committee, headed by former India captain Anil Kumble, discussed the ODI playing conditions, code of conduct as far as player behaviour is concerned, illegal bowling actions, use of technology and helmet safety among other issues.

  • The Cricket Committee will recommend to the Chief Executives Committee that there should be three changes to the ODI fielding restrictions: the requirement to have two compulsory catchers in the first 10 overs be removed, the batting PowerPlay be removed and that five fieldsmen be allowed outside the circle from overs 41-50 instead of four.

  • In an attempt to strike a balance between bat and ball, the ICC will not introduce a regulation about the size of bats, but it will provide input on this issue to the MCC through the consultation process ahead of the re-drafting of the Laws of Cricket in 2017.

  • The committee reiterated its previous edict that boundaries at international venues needed to be set-up to the maximum size at each venue. The committee asked ICC to investigate ways in which no balls can be reviewed quickly upon the fall of a wicket and also recommended that all no-balls in ODI and T20I cricket should result in a free hit.

  • The committee supported the stronger stance being taken against inappropriate player behaviour, and was concerned at the increasing number of send-offs.

  • There was also strong support for the current practice of suspending captains for over rate breaches.

  • There was a discussion on the performance of DRS and the use of technology in umpiring.

  • There was a presentation on helmet safety, particularly the development of the new British Standard for cricket helmets, and the increasing number of manufacturers that now make helmets that are certified to this new standard.

  • Whilst the committee did not believe the wearing of helmets should be mandatory at international level, it did strongly recommend that all helmets worn by international players should be certified to this new British Standard.

  • The Cricket Committee’s remit is to discuss cricket-playing matters and to make recommendations to the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee and the ICC Board that will meet in Barbados during the apex body’s annual conference week, from June 22 to 26.

  • “We have enjoyed two very productive days of meetings in which the committee discussed a wide range of issues affecting the global game through practical examples and illustrations,” said Kumble, the committee’s chairman.

Bayliss appointed England head coach

  • Australian Trevor Bayliss has been appointed as the new head coach of England, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced .

  • The 52-year-old former Sri Lanka coach succeeds the sacked Peter Moores, having been preferred to his compatriot Jason Gillespie, the Yorkshire coach, who was the initial favourite for the job.

  • “Trevor has an outstanding record as coach, has global experience and is very highly regarded in the game,” said the ECB’s director of cricket Andrew Strauss in a press release.

  • Currently coach of New South Wales, Bayliss will take charge of England in time for the start of their home Ashes series against Australia in July.

  • “He has proved himself in both domestic and international cricket, has a strong reputation for man-management and has shown how to build winning teams in all three formats,” Strauss added.

  • “His expertise in the shorter forms of the game will be vital as we build towards three major ICC events over the next four years; the ICC World T20 tournament in India in 2016 and the ICC Champions Trophy and ICC Cricket World Cup, which will be staged in England and Wales in 2017 and 2019 respectively.”

  • Strauss confirmed that Bayliss will work alongside current caretaker coach Paul Farbrace, who steered England to a stirring 124-run win over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s, which concluded on Monday.

  • Farbrace will remain in charge for the second Test at Headingley, starting , and the following limited-overs matches. Bayliss worked with Farbrace during his time as coach of Sri Lanka, who he led to the final of the 2011 World Cup.

  • “It’s an honour to be appointed England coach,” said Bayliss.

  • “There’s a great opportunity to help (Test captain) Alastair Cook and (one-day captain) Eoin Morgan shape the direction and development of their respective teams.

  • “I am also looking forward to working alongside Paul Farbrace once again as we have a similar outlook on the game, get on well after two years working together and have kept in touch.”

Ministry considers recognising regional federations

  • The Union sports ministry has decided to consider granting recognition to sports bodies dealing with indigenous disciplines as Regional Sports Federations (RSFs).

  • In a release, the ministry said in order to promote such disciplines and give them due acknowledgement it would take up the cases of such sports bodies and consider them for recognition with the approval of the competent authority.

  • However, the ministry said these bodies must fulfil some conditions. Accordingly, the sports disciplines (a) must be popular in a region/ state and played in one or more states, (b) should have been played in the region for at least last 10 years, (c) RSFs seeking recognition should have conducted championships at senior, junior and sub-junior levels and (d) in case there is an international federation for a discipline, the National body should have the recognition of the global outfit (in case there are several bodies at the international level for one sport and if more than one RSF apply for recognition, then the Government shall take a decision in the matter).

  • The ministry clarified that a particular condition, which required a National Sports Federation to have affiliated units in two-third of the state/ union territories, will not be applicable for the grant of recognition to RSFs.

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