December 2011
China won the gold medal in the World Women`s Team Chess Championship at Mardin, Turkey. The Russians claimed the silver while Georgia got the bronze.
Indonesia’s shuttler, Taufik Hidayat, won the Syed Modi India Open Grand Prix Gold badminton championship by defeating Sourabh Verma of India. The women`s singles was won by Inthanon Ratchanok of Thailand.
Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer overtook former teammate Amol Muzumdar (8237 runs) as the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy. He scored 8242 runs a against Muzumdar’s 8237 runs.
India striker Sunil Chhetri was on 20 December 2011 voted Player of the Year by the All India Football Federation. He will receive a cash award of Rs 2 lakh and a silver plaque.The criteria of selection were Performance for India and general conduct on and off the field. Chhetri scored 13 goals in 17 internationals in 2011, which was the highest the by an Indian. He has also been awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award in the past. I.M.Vijayan was the first recipient of the award in 1992. In 2010 the award was bestowed on Gouramangi Singh
Indian ace badminton player and World No. 4 Saina Nehwal of India was defeated by World No. 1 Wang Yihan 18-21, 21-13, 21-13 in the women’s singles final of the $500000 BWF World Super Series badminton championship in China on 18 December 2011. Saina Nehwal had created history by becoming the first ever Indian to enter the singles final of the World Super Series. . In 2011, Saina won only the Swiss Open Super Series title.
Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta won the London Chess Classic`s open section, with a victory over Grandmaster Keith Arkell of England. Abhijeet, a former world junior champion and reigning national champion, scored eight points in all.
Iran`s teenage sensation Hossein Vafaei Ayouri won the IBSF World Snooker Championship for the first time beating Wales star Lee Walker 10-9 in the best of 19 frames final held in Bangalore.
Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal, the two highest-ranked Indians in the world, won the senior National squash championships at the Indian Squash Academy, Chennai. Saurav defeated Harinder Pal Sandhu, while Dipika defeated Anaka Alankamony.
The defending champion India retained the SAFF football championship against Afghanistan during the final match played in New Delhi. This is the sixth time for India to won the SAFF football championship.
Legendary weightlifter Karnam Malleswari resigned as vice-president of the national body, Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) on 1 December 2011 citing unconstitutional functioning of the body as the reason for her resignation. Malleswari was appointed vice-president in December 2009.
Spain won its fifth Davis Cup title after Rafael Nadal defeated Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro. Nadal with the victory stretched his record on clay to 16-0. Nadal earned his 20th straight victory since debuting in the competition in 2004.Argentina remained the only nation to play in four Davis Cup finals and never win one.
India won its 6th SAFF Championship title against Afghanistan on 11 December 2011. India`s star striker Sunil Chhetri won all the individual awards in the tournament. India was a five-time SAFF champion before it won the 2011 SAFF. The other participating nations in the 2011 South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFF) were Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan.
Belgium defeated India 4-3 in the final of the Champions Challenge hockey tournament in Johannesburg, South Africa on 4 December 2011. Sandeep Singh finished the tournament with seven goals, all through penalty corners, and won the Player of the Tournament award.
India`s opening batsman Virender Sehwag made a world-record 219 runs out of 149 balls against West Indies in their 4th One Day International being played at Indore. Virender Sehwag is the second batsman to do double century in ODIs after Sachin Tendulkar`s unbeaten 200 against South Africa in Gwaliar in 2010.