Current Affairs April 2020 - Sports

1 - Official mascots of 19^th Asian Games unveiled in Hangzhou, China

The official mascots of the 19^th Asian Games were unveiled at a digital launch ceremony in Hangzhou, China. The three robots, which are going to be the mascots for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games are collectively known as the smart triplets. The Mascots - Congcong, Lianlian and Chenchen reflect the internet prowess of Hangzhou city and Zhejiang province.

The Olympic Council of Asia's 19^th Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou from September 10 to 25, 2022. It will be the third Asian Games to be hosted by China following Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010.

2 - 2021 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama postponed to 2022

The 2021 World Games have been postponed to 2022 to avoid clashing with the Tokyo Olympics, which were rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The World Games were scheduled to take place in Birmingham, Alabama, from 15–25 July, 2021.

Birmingham was set to host the 11^th edition of the World Games, which first began in 1981. It is held every four years and features 32 sports, that are not part of the Olympic program. The International World Games Association (IWGA) President is Jose Perurena.

3 - Kobe Bryant officially inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has been posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The five-time NBA champion passed away at the age of 41 years in January 2020. He retired in 2016.

Los Angeles Lakers great Bryant was the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2008, was Finals MVP twice and earned 18 All-Star selections. He was in the United States team, that won Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012. The Hall of Fame is named after Dr. James Naismith, the Canadian physician who invented basketball.

4 - Malaysia, Thailand weightlifters banned from Tokyo Olympics

International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has imposed disciplinary sanctions on Thailand and Malaysia and banned both the countries from participating in weightlifting events at the Tokyo Olympics because of multiple doping offences.

The Independent Member Federation Sanctions Panel (IMFSP) of the IWF also suspended the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (TAWA) for three years, while the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) has been given a one-year ban. Additionally, the Thai federation has also been fined USD 2,00,000.

5 - Ben Stokes named Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World 2020

England all-rounder Ben Stokes was named the 'Leading Cricketer in the World' in the 2020 edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Stokes had a remarkable 2019, in which he guided England to their maiden World Cup title before, producing one of the great Test innings to beat Australia in the Headingley Ashes Test.

Australia's allrounder Ellyse Perry was named as the leading woman player in the world. West Indies' Andre Russell was named as the leading T20 player in the world.

6 - India retained at 108^th slot in FIFA’s latest ranking

Indian football team retained 108^th spot in the latest FIFA rankings. Belgium topped the FIFA rankings followed by France at 2^nd place and Brazil at 3^rd spot followed by England at 4^th position. Uruguay is ranked 5^th in the chart. Croatia, Portugal, Spain, Argentina and Colombia complete the top ten respectively.

In the women’s rankings, USA is the top ranked team followed by Germany, France, Netherlands and Sweden in the top-five. The Indian women’s team is ranked 55^th in the list.

7 - BCCI created Team Mask Force to spread awareness

BCCI has created a new video promoting the idea of wearing masks calling Team India Team Mask Force. The Team Mask Force has been created to spread awareness about wearing masks in public places.

The 'Team Mask Force' video has messages from Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Smriti Mandhana, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Harmanpreet Kaur, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and Mithali Raj. Earlier, the BCCI contributed Rs. 51 crore to the Prime Ministers' Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund.

8 - Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc won virtual Chinese Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc has won his second straight F1 Virtual Grand Prix, after he won the virtual Chinese Grand Prix. He finished ahead of Red Bull’s Alexander Albon and Guanyu Zhou, who races for UNI-Virtuosi Racing in Formula 2.

The actual Chinese GP, originally scheduled for April 19, was postponed in February due to Corona virus pandemic. With the F1 season halted by the coronavirus pandemic, the sport launched a virtual series to keep fans entertained.

9 - India will host Asian Boxing Championship in November

India will host the Asian Boxing Championships for men and women in November-December 2020. The Asian Amateur Boxing Championships is the highest competition for boxing amateurs in Asia. India last hosted the men's Asian meet back in 1980 and women’s event in 2003 in Hisar. The Olympic qualification program will resume around November 2020.

India last hosted the men’s Asian meet back in 1980 in Mumbai, while it conducted the women’s event in 2003 in Hisar.

10 - “Feifei” to be the mascot for Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games

Feifei, a 'Divine Bird,' has been selected as mascot for the 4^th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China. The 4^th Asian Para Games are going to be held from October 9-15, 2022, featuring 22 sports with Taekwondo and Para-Canoe to form their Games debuts.

The design is inspired by the motif of the ‘Divine Bird’ that brings bliss, and is a messenger of joy and cultural distinction. It is the fusion of Hangzhou's heritage and its drive for technological innovation, carrying the longing for harmonious co-existence between humans and nature.

11 - World Games unveil new logo, title after postponement to 2022

The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama has unveiled an updated logo and title after postponement to 2022, due to coronavirus pandemic. It will now be known as The World Games 2022.

The World Games are held every 4 years, one year after the Summer Olympic Games. he World Games are organised and governed by the International World Games Association (IWGA), recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

12 - Alireza Firouzja defeated Magnus Carlsen in final of Banter Blitz Cup

Iranian refugee Alireza Firouzja defeated world champion Magnus Carlsen in the final of the $78,000 Banter Blitz Cup. Alireza Firouzja left his native Iran, due to its policy of forbidding games against Israeli opponents, and now plays under the Fide global chess body flag.

With the win, Alireza Firouzja, at 16 years of age, becomes the second-youngest player to reach the 2700 Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) rating.

13 - India loses hosting rights of men's World Boxing Championships

India has lost the hosting rights of the 2021 men's world boxing championship to Serbia after the Boxing Federation of India failed to pay the host fee. International Boxing Association (AIBA) terminated the agreement signed in 2017.

This would have been the first instance for India to have hosted the tournament. It will now be held in the Serbian city of Belgrade. The world boxing body is under suspension from the International Olympic Committee and has been barred from organising the Tokyo Olympics competition.