SPORTS MARCH 2016

SPORTS MARCH 2016

• India reached semi final in World T20 semis
   Virat Kohli led the way with a sublime half-century as India defeated Australia by six wickets at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on 27th March to enter the World Twenty20 semi-finals. Kohli remained unbeaten on 82 runs off 51 balls as the Indians survived a few early setbacks to overhaul a difficult target of 161 with five deliveries to spare.
  
• HS Prannoy wins Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold badminton title
  India's HS Prannoy won the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament in Basel, Switzerland, on 20th March. The 13th-seed Prannoy defeated Marc Zwiebler of Germany in the final.
  
• Services beat Maharashtra to retain Santosh Trophy
  Services team retained the Santosh Trophy National Football Championships title after beating hosts Maharashtra 2-1 in the summit clash in Nagpur on 13th March.
  
  This is Services fifth title overall.
  
• Lin Dan earns his sixth All England Badminton title
  Lin Dan earned his sixth All England badminton title when he routed Chinese teammate Tian Houwei in the final in Birmingham on 13th March. The sixth championship by badminton's greatest player came 12 years after his first, and four years after his last, when he went into semi-retirement for two years. In the women's final later, Wang Shixian of China was going for her third title.
  
• UN suspends Sharapova as goodwill ambassador after doping allegations
  United Nations says it has stopped working with disgraced tennis player Maria Sharapova who admitted to testing positive for a banned substance. The New York based UN Development Programme, UNDP, said in a statement on 14th March that it was suspending Sharapova, who worked as a goodwill Ambassador, until the outcome of the investigation into her case is known.
  
  The statement said that the UNDP remains grateful to Maria Sharapova for her support of our work, especially around the Chernobyl nuclear disaster recovery.
  
• India wins Asia Cup for record sixth time
  India clinched the Asia Cup trophy for a record sixth time after beating hosts Bangladesh by eight wickets, riding on Shikhar Dhawan's scintillating 44-ball 60 in a rain-truncated final on 6th March.
  
  While Sri Lanka have won the continental title five times and Pakistan twice, India's title triumph makes them the ahead of their continental neighbours.
  
• 17-member wrestling team headed by Yogeshwar named for Asian Olympic Qualification tournament
  A 17-member wrestling team, headed by Olympic medallist Yogeshwar Dutt, has been named for the Asian Olympic Qualification tournament, to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from March 18 to 20. The team, consisting five in men's freestyle, six in Greco-Roman and six in female wrestling, is likely to reach Astana on March 15.
  
  After the crucial tournament in Astana, which is the first qualifying event for the Olympics this year, the team will head to Mongolia for another qualifying tournament -- 1st World Qualification tournament from April 20 to 24.
  
  The last Olympic qualifier -- 2nd World Qualification tournament -- is scheduled to be held in Istanbul from May 6-8.
  
• Maria Sharapova provisionally suspended after failing drugs test at Australian Open
  Former world number one Maria Sharapova has revealed she failed a drugs test at the Australian Open. The 28 year old Russian star tested positive for meldonium, a substance, she has been taking since 2006 for health issues.
  
  The International Tennis Federation said, Sharapova, a five time Grand Slam champion, is provisionally suspended from March 12th pending further action.
  
  Meanwhile, sportswear maker Nike has suspended their relationship with Sharapova till the investigation continues. Sharapova, who lives in Florida, provided the anti-doping sample in question on January 26th, the day she lost to Serena Williams in the Australian Open quarter finals.
  
• Rest of India beat Mumbai to lift Irani Cup Cricket Title
  Rest of India has lifted the Irani Cup Cricket Title. In Mumabi on 10th March, they defeated 41-time Ranji Champions Mumabi by four wickets. Rest of India overhauled the mammoth victory target of 480 by making 482 for 6 on the fifth and final day in Mumbai. The winners started the day at their overnight second innings score of 100 for one.
  
• India beat Sri Lanka to enter Asia Cup final
   India rode on fine knocks by Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh to defeat Sri Lanka by five wickets in their Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on 1st March and enter the finals. Coming in after the early fall of opener Shikhar Dhawan, Kohli anchored the innings with an unbeaten half-century as India overhauled the 139-run target with four balls to spare. The Delhi lad remained not out on 56, with seven well-timed boundaries studding his 85-ball knock.
  
  India, who have won all the three matches they have played so far, thus assured themselves a spot in the final.
  
• Jitu Rai wins gold in 50m Air Pistol event at the ISSF World Cup
  India got off the blocks at the 2016 ISSF World Cup in Bangkok on 4th March, courtesy a Gold from ace pistol shooter Jitu Rai in the Men's 50m Air Pistol event
  
  The 28-year-old fired a final tally of 191.3 to finish 4.8 ahead of second placed Wei Pang of China, who won silver. His fellow countrymen, Zhiwei Wang won the bronze with a score of 165.8.
  
  Rai finished third in the qualification round, behind Wang and Pang with a score of 562 but brought his 'A' game to the forefront in the final with a string of fine shots.
  
  This is the Indian's 5th World Cup medal and a second one in the 50m Pistol event. He had won the Silver in this event at the 2014 Maribor World Cup and he also has a Gold, Silver and a Bronze in the 10m Air Pistol event at World Cups. Earlier, Prakash Nanjappa couldn't make the cut into the final, finishing 17th in qualifying with a score of 549.
  
  Earlier the opening day of action at the ISSF World Cup in Bangkok proved to a disappointing one for India, as none of the shooters on view could manage to clinch a medal even as Pooja Ghatkar put in a spirited performance to finish 4th in the Women's 10m Air Rifle final.
  
• Indian men's and women's teams win gold medals at World Table Tennis Team Championship
  Indian men's and women's teams scripted history on 5th March by clinching the gold medals at the World Table Tennis Team Championship in Kuala Lumpur. While Indian eves beat Luxemburg 3-1 in the event final of the Second Division, the Men overcame Brazil 3-2.
  
  Incidentally, this was the first time ever that the women's team kept a clean slate - eight wins - in the first and the second stages. The men, on the other hand, bounced back after losing their only group match against Nigeria to achieve the exceptional honours.
  
  India had sealed their entry in the Champions Division last night after reaching the finals. The Champions Division event will be played in 2018.