SPORTS OCTOBER 2012

SPORTS OCTOBER 2012

• India beat Pakistan by 18 runs in the final of women Twenty20 Asia Cup final on 31 October. In the final contest of Women’s Twenty-20 Asia Cup played at Guanggong International Cricket Stadium, China Pakistan failed to chase the 82-run target in allotted 20-over game and were all out at 63 runs in 19.1 overs. From victorious India, Archana Das and Nagarajan Niarnjana shared two wickets apiece while Shubhlakshmi Sharma, Ekta Bisht, Anuja Patil and Reema Malhotra got one wicket each.Earlier, India won the toss and elected to bat first in the big match against Pakistan.India made 81 runs all out in the allotted 20-over game.Poonam Raut and Harmanpreet Kaur individually added 25 and 20 runs. Poonam Raut was declared woman of the match, while Pakistan's Bismah Maroof was declared player of the series.
  
• The Barcelonean forward footballer Lionel Messi, on 29 October 2012 won Golden Boot Award. Messi won the award in recognition to his record 50 goals scored in the Europe’s domestic football league in the last session. This is the second Golden Boot award for Messi, as he won his first Golden Boot Award in the year 2010 after scoring 34 goals during Argentina International to help Barcelona win the league title. The 25 year old is an Argentine Footballer and a captain to the national team of Argentina.
  
• Sydney Sixers won the Champions League Twenty20 titlewith a thumping 10-wicket victory over Highveld Lions in a final summit held in Johennasburg on 28 October. Sixers first rode on a brilliant bowling display by spinner Nathan McCullum (three for 24) and pacer Josh Hazlewood (three for 22) to dismiss Lions for a modest 121 after electing to field.The Australian side overhauled the target with 7.3 overs to spare, thanks to some powerful hitting by openers Michael Lumb and Brad Haddin who added 124 runs. Lumb (226 runs) received the Golden Bat for being the highest scorer in the competition while teammate Mitchell Starc (14 wickets) took home the Golden Wicket.The latter was named ‘man of the tournament.’
  
• The Union Home Ministry on 30 October 2012 mentioned that it had cleared the Pakistan cricket team’s India visit later this year after detailed discussions with the BCCI officials on issues related to security and visas for fans who will be visiting for the limited-overs series.The coming series is going to be of limited-overs and is likely to begin on December 2012 and continue till January 2013.
  
• Both the teams are going to play three one-day internationals and two Twenty-20 international matches. The liberal visa regime was already signed by both the countries and is supposed to be on operational mode before beginning of cricket series on 25 December 2012.
  
• Sahara India Pariwar on 31 October 2012 at the Sahara Shaher in Lucknow felicitated six Indian athletes who won medals at the London Olympics in July-August 2012. The function was attended by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. The silver medalist Sushil Kumar and Vijay Kumar were presented with gold weighing three kg while bronze medalist Gagang Narang, Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom and Yogeshwar Dutt were presented with 2 kg of gold by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.Sahara India Pariwar is a major business conglomerate and the prime promoter& patron of sports in India.It had been already declared by Sahara India Pariwar prior to the commencement of the London Olympics that it is going to award medals of pure gold of 5 Kg, 3 Kg and 2 Kg to every Indian winning gold, silver and bronze medal respectively in the London Olympics 2012.
  
• Great Baminton Player, Peter Gade of Denmark on 30 October 2012 announced his retirement. Peter Grade is five-time European Champion in Year (1998, 2000, 2004, 2006 and 2010).Peter Gade had 22 Super series and Grand Prix titles under his name and took 5 medals at World Championships: Silver in 2001, Bronze in 1999, 2005, 2010 and 2011. He had also won the 1999 All-England Championships.Peter Gade remained professional ambassador for European badminton, through major part of his career.
  
• Jeevan Nedun-chezhiyan and Prerna Bhambri won the men’s and women’s singles title of the Fenesta National tennis championship at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) complex. Prerna, seeded second, had defeated her opponent, top-seeded Rishika Sunkara while Jeevan won over Arjun Kadhe. The organisers also decided to bring the prize money of women’s singles finalists on par with men from this year. The announcement came during the prize distribution ceremony following a suggestion from Sania Mirza, who was the chief guest.
  
• Olympic bronze-medallist shuttler Saina Nehwal won her fourth title of the year by lifting the Denmark Open Super Series Premier trophyby defeating Juliane Schenk of Germany. On the other hand for Saina, this was her sixth Super Series title overall and second this year after the Indonesian Open win.
  
• LP Prasad (49kg) continued his winning spree as he went on to claim the light flyweight title at the 33rd International Tammer Tournament, Finland on. The 17 year old put up a sterling performance against the solid attack of Jack Bateson from England to emerge victorious in the Championship round and bag his first International medal.But the other Indian in the fray in the finals, Dheeraj Singh (52kg) had to make do with a silver medal after losing out to Elie Konki of France.
  
• India’s Anaka Ala¬n¬kamonyclaimed her second tit¬le on the women’s professi¬o¬nal squash tour and her first o¬ne abroadwhen she defeated t¬op seed Kylie Lindsay of New Ze¬aland to win the Ipswich Op¬en in Queensland on 22 october.Alankamony, ranked 93, in the world had earlier beaten si¬xth seeded South African C¬h¬eyna Tucker in the semi-fi¬n¬als.
  
• The International Cycling Union, cycling’s governing body, on 22 October, has ratified the findings of the US Anti-doping Agency and confirmed that Lance Armstrong has been banned for life and have stripped him of his seven Tour de France titles. UCI president Pat McQuaid said, “Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling.”
  
• Bengal's left-arm spinner Iresh Saxena and part-time leg-break bowler Anustup Majumdar shared nine wickets amongst themselves as East Zone won their second successive Duleep Trophy title beating Central Zone by virtue of 43-run first innings lead on 26 october in Chennai.
  
• Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar will be conferred the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award at the annual BCCI awards function.The BCCI's Col CK Nayudu Award Committee met on 25 october, in Mumbai and decided to confer the honour on the legendary opener,
  
• Indian cueists proved they were among the best in the business all over again with Pankaj Advani winning the World Billiards Championship title in the timed format. Where as, Rupesh Shah won the points format title.Advani proved his class once again, notching up his eighth world title overall and seventh in billiards, with a comprehensive 1895-1216 win against defending champion and local favourite Mike Russell in the final held in Leeds, U.K. Interestingly, Advani had defeated Russell at the same venue for the 2009 World Professional Billiards Championship. He also won the World Billiards Championship (Timed Format) in 2007 and the World Professional Billiards title 2009.Rupesh Shah became only the fifth Indian cueist to lift the world title twice after he beat Australia's Matthew Bolton 6-2 in the final of the World Billiards (point frame) in Leeds.
  
• Sebastian Vettel won the Indian Grand Prix on 28 October held in Greater Noida. The Red Bull ace has now won the last FOUR races and looks nailed onto win the title for a third successive year. Vettel was 9.4 seconds ahead of second-placed Alonso around the Buddh International Circuit, as the two slugged it out like two heavyweights. The German’s team-mate Mark Webber was in third while Lewis Hamilton, who started in third place, had to settle for fourth spot, one ahead of Jenson Button.
  
• India's top squash player Joshna Chinappa claimed the IJM Land Penang Open (Malaysia), after defeating top seed and local favourite Siti Munirah Jusoh in straight games on 28 October. Chinappa defeated her Malaysian opponent 11-9 11-7 11-1 in a 34-minute battle between the two top seeds at the Nicol David International Squash Centre. This was Chinappa's seventh WSA World Tour title.
  
• Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-3 on 29 October to win the WTA Championships for the third time. Serena will finish the year ranked No. 3, behind Sharapova. Victoria Azarenka, beaten by Sharapova in the semifinals, finished the year as the top-ranked player in the world.
  
• Olympics Bronze medallist shuttler Saina Nehwal failed to win back-to-back title as she suffered a straight-game defeat to Japanese Minatsu Mitani in the summit clash of the French Open Super Series in paris on 29 october. Playing her second final in two weeks, world number three Saina could not live upto expectations against 21-year-old Minatsu and lost 19-21 11-21 in the 39-minute women's singles final. Saina, who won the Denmark Super Series Premier title last week, was tested only for the second time in the tournament by world number 26 Minatsu, who rode on her superior court coverage and accurate strokes to clinch her first Super Series title.
  
• Sun TV Network on 25 October won the Hyderabad franchise of the Indian Premier League for Rs. 85.05 crore per year, putting an end to the process of finding a new team in the wake of the controversial termination of cash-strapped Deccan Chargers. This franchise fee represents a premium of over a 100% above the amount paid by DCHL for the Hyderabad Franchise in 2008,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale said in a release.
  
• Opening batsman of New Zealand Cricket team Martin Guptill on 18 October 2012 claimed the top honour at the New Zealand Cricket Awards in Auckland, winning the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for 2011-12. Martin Guptill was also named ODI and Twenty20 player of the year, based on performances between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012. Also, Young fast bowler of New Zealand cricket team Doug Bracewell picked up the other big award of Test Player of the Year. Bracewell finished the 2011-12 season with taking up of 37 wickets at an average of 24.05
  Martin Guptill played terrifically in all forms of the game during the 2011-12 season. With 490 Test runs he is only second behind skipper Ross Taylor, while he top-scored for the New Zealand team in one-day with 579 and in T20 with 378.
  
• The Supreme Court of India on 19 October 2012 rejected the plea of Deccan Chargers to put a stay order on the decision of Mumbai High Court that supported the decision of BCCI to terminate the franchise from being in Indian Premier League (IPL). The Bench of Supreme Court after dismissal of the plea made by the Deccan Chronicle Holding Ltd. cleared that the arbitrator can’t overrule an order passed by the Court. With this development by the side of Supreme Court it is clear that the Deccan Chargers are completely out of the League.
  
• Novak Djokovic defeated British Tennis Player Andy Murray, on 14 October 2012 at 5- 7, 7- 6, 6- 3 to win the Shanghai Rolex Masters final. With the winning of match Novak Djokovic became the first player to win seven of the nine ATP World Tour 1000 Masters events. In the Double’s Category, Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek won the Shanghai Rolex Double title by defeating Mahesh Bhupati and Rohan Bopanna.
  
• Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on her visit to India on 16 October 2012 announced that Sachin Tendulkar would be conferred with the membership of the Order of Australia. This is the honor that is rarely bestowed on any non-Australian.. Sachin will be conferred with this award during the visit of Australian Minister Simon Crean to India. Tendulkar will be honoured with AM award, one of the six different grades of the Order of Australia honour. Sachin is the Second Indian after Soli Sorabjee, the former Attorney General of India to be conferred with this award. Before Sachin Tendulkar, Brain Lara the cricketer from West Indies was conferred with this honour in the year 2009.
  
• Indian Golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar on 14 October 2012 , won the Venetian Macau Open Golf tournament. Gaganjeet Bhullar finished with 16-under 268 for a two-shot win and bagged his second title on Asian Tour within a month. American Jonathan Moore got the second position. The Macau Open is a men's professional golf tournament on the Asian Tour that take place in Macau ever year. The venue is the Macau Golf & Country Club at Coloane.
  
• London Olympic Shooter and silver medalist Vijay Kumar on 19 October 2012 was honoured with the “Services Best Sportsman” award for 2012 at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi. The award which include trophy and cash award of one lakh rupees is generally given to the best sportsman from the three defence forces of Army, Air Force and Navy.Vijay Kumar won a silver medal at the July-August 2012 London Games in the individual 25 metre rapid fire pistol. He was also awarded with Arjuna Award in 2007 and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2011-12 by the Government of India.
  
• Austrian Felix Baumgartner has broken the record for the highest ever skydive by jumping out of a balloon 128,000 feet (39 km) above New Mexico, the BBC reported 15 October. The 43-year-old was hoping also to break the sound barrier during his descent - although that mark awaits confirmation. Video cameras relayed the moment Baumgartner stepped from his balloon capsule to begin his fall to Earth. It took just under 10 minutes for him to reach the desert surface below. Only the last few thousand feet were negotiated by parachute. Once down, he fell to his knees and raised his fists in triumph. Helicopter recovery teams were on hand moments later, according to the BBC. None of the new marks set by Baumgartner can be classed as "official" until endorsed by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI). Its representative was the first to greet the skydiver on the ground. GPS data recorded on to a microcard in the Austrian's chest pack will form the basis for any height and speed claims that are made.
  
• West Indies on 7 October 2012 won the finals of ICC World Twenty20 Championship after defeating the Sri Lankan team by 36 runs at R. Premadasa Stadium. West Indies batting first in the match scored 137 runs for six wickets down. In response to the target, the Lankan team finished off at a score of 101 runs allowing West Indies to win the tournament. The West Indies team won a world cup title after 33 years. Before this the team won the 1979 ODI World Cup after defeating the English team in the final. In fact, West Indies also won the 1st edition of World Cup in 1975 after defeating Australia in the final match. Australian all-Rounder Shane Watson on 7 October 2012 at the conclusion of T-20 World Cup in Premadasa Stadium named player of the tournament. It was his outstanding form in T-20 World cup that helped Australian Team getting into semi-final before they were knocked out by West Indies. Shane Watson is also the only Player in the tournament who got four consecutive man-of-the-match awards.
  
• The Australian Women Cricket team on 7 October 2012 defeated England by four runs to retain the Women T-20 world cup title. It is Australia’s second win in women T-20 World cup. Before this Australia had won T-20 World Cup in 2010.Australia Batted first and made 142 runs in 20 overs with 6 wickets in hand, In response to that England women cricket team managed to make only 138 runs in 20 overs losing the tournament to Australia. England captain and opening batswoman Charlotte Edwards was on 7 October, named the player of the ICC women’s World twenty20 after leading her side to the final.
  
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) on 10 October 2012 suspended all the six umpires for their alleged involvement in their willingness to fix the T20 matches by the TV Sting Operation. The statement released by the governing body of ICC after the meet of its full member board cleared that the umpires named in the sting would not be appointed in any format of international or domestic cricket matches, until the ongoing investigations doesn’t reach to a conclusion. Due to the matters of urgency, the board that recruits and nominates the umpires would directly look into the matter. Umpires alleged for their willingness to fix the match in the TV sting were Nadir Shah from Bangladesh, Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui from Pakistan and Maurice Winston, Gamini Dissanayake and Sagara Gallage from Sri Lanka.
  
• Former India cricketer and captain Anil Kumble on 11 October 2012 was named the new head of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) cricket committee, replacing former West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd. The International Cricket Council's (ICC) cricket committee is a 16-member committee, which meets twice a year to consult on playing matters and offer recommendations to the ICC on technical aspects and rules of the sport. Anil Kumble also heads the Board of Control for Cricket in India's board's technical Committee. Anil Kumble, is 41 years old and has 619 Test and 337 One-Day International wickets to his name.
  
• Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek faltered at the final hurdle as they suffered an upset straight-set defeat at the hands of Alexander Peya of Austria and Brazil’s Bruno Soares to finish runners-up at the ATP Japan Open held in Tokyo. The fourth-seeded Austrian-Brazilian pair defeated top seeds Paes and Stepanek 6-3, 7-6(5) in an hour and 46 minutes in the $1,280,565 hard court event to win their second ATP World Tour doubles titles in as many weeks. Kei Nishikori made history by becoming the first Japanese player to win the ATP Japan open tournament since 1972 when he defeated young Canadian star Milos Raonic in the men’s singles final.
  
• World No. 2 Novak Djokovicdefeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 7-6(4), 6-2 to win the China Open for a third time. The 25-year-old Serb defeated the world No.7 to maintain his unbeaten record at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing and take the winner’s prize of $530,570.While, Women’s singles title was won by Victoria Azarenka by beating Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-1. The mens doubles was won by Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan duo. Mike Bryan has become the most decorated tennis player in doubles history after he joined forces with his brother Bob to win the China Open. It is the 84th ATP-level title of his career, edging him ahead of Australian Todd Woodbridge who retired with 83 titles. Bob Bryan has 82 titles to his name.
  
• India’s top male shuttler Parupalli Kashyap won his maiden national title, while 2008 winner Sayali Gokhale cracked the defending champion PV Sindhu to clinch the crown for the second time in the women’s singles at the 77th Senior National Badminton Championship on 4 October in Srinagar. London Olympics quarterfinalist Kashyap, won over Ajay Jayaram 21-18, 21-17 in a 45-minute battle.
  
• The World No. 5 ranked Justin Rose captured the inaugural World Golf Final in Turkey with a one-stroke victory over Lee Westwood. Rose, who beat Tiger Woods in the semi-final, led from the first hole against estwood after a 25-foot birdie.
  
• The termination of Deccan Chargers franchise from the Indian Premier League was officially confirmed by the BCCIon 13 October, after its appeal was upheld by the Bombay High Court. The Chargers were suspended by the BCCI on 12 October. after owners, Deccan Chronicle Holding failed to come up with the bank guarantee of Rs 100 crore by the deadline time of 5PM.Justice CK Thakkar, the arbitrator appointed by the HC to work out a mutual agreement between the two parties, ordered a status-quo on Friday, meaning BCCI's decision to terminate the franchise was not formally completed.
  
• Michael Schumacher on 3 October has announced that he will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the season. Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has confirmed he will retire for good at the end of current Formula 1 season. Schumacher holds the record for number of championships and for grand prix wins, with 91. He began his career in 1991 and won two titles with Benetton then five for Ferrari. He initially retired in 2006 but made a comeback with Mercedes in 2010. That comeback had not lived up to expectations, with just one podium finish.
  
• World champion Sebastian Vettel won at the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix for the fourth year in succession on 6 october.This is the Vettel’s 34th career pole.
  
• The government said on 4 October that University and college sports persons who bring laurels to the country in national and international events will be provided free education till the highest level. HRD Minister Kapil Sibal told in this regard, "Any sports person, who brings laurels to the country, will be given free education up to the highest level".
  
• Punjab registered a 2-1 victory over Air India and claim the second Hockey India Senior Men's National championship title on 1 october held in Bangaluru.
  
• Europe retained Ryder Cup after beating the U.S. 14.5-13.5 in front of vociferous support for the home team in the biennial golf event. Martin Kaymer made a clutch par putt on 18 at the Medinah Country Club to secure the return of the trophy, and Tiger Woods conceded the final hole to Francesco Molinari to give the Europeans an outright win. Europe were buoyed by both a good start to the round and some late-hole struggles by the Americans, and they have now won five of the last six Ryder Cups.
  
• East Bengal regains Federation Cup:
  East Bengal regained the Federation Cup after a season, outclassing Dempo SC 3-2 in the final here at the Kanchanjungha Stadium. East Bengal lifted the title for the eighth time in 16 final appearances.
  World Squash Federation President (WSF) N Ramachandran of India was re-elected to the post for a further four-year term. Mr Ramachandran, who has been striving to ensure that Squash was included as a medal sport in Olympics, was unanimously re-elected President the at the 42nd WSF AGM held in Stockholm, Sweden.