1) Karate is making a push to be part of the programme for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
- New reforms by the IOC have given karate officials renewed hope that the martial art could be added to the Tokyo games and the head of the World Karate Federation is meeting with 2020 organizers to make his case for the sport’s inclusion.
- Squash, roller sports, sports climbing, wakeboard and wushu are also hopeful of joining the Tokyo programme.
2) Shane bond was appointed as Mumbai Indian bowling Coach.
- Former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond had been appointed bowling coach of Mumbai Indians for the IPL-8 season.
- He played for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2010.
- Australia’s Ricky pointing is the head coach, Jonty Rhodes the fielding coach and Robin Singh the batting coach.
- About IPL–8
- The 2015 season of the Indian Premier League, abbreviated as IPL-8 or Pepsi IPL 2015, is the eighth season of the IPL.
- Kolkata Knight Riders are the defending champions having won the title in the 2014 season.
- The complete tournament is expected to be held across different cities in India unlike the previous season.
- The tournament is expected to start on April 8, 2015 after the end of the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
- A total of 60 T20 matches including Final are expected to be held in the entire tournament.
Winners of last IPL seasons:
- 2008: Rajasthan Royals.
- 2009: Deccan Chargers.
- 20010: Chennai Super Kings.
- 20011: Chennai Super Kings.
- 20012: Kolkata Knight Riders.
- 20013: Mumbai Indians.
- 20014: Kolkata Knight Riders.
3) Border Gavaskar Trophy won by Australia.
- Australia clinches the series with 2-0 against India.
- Border Gavaskar Trophy held in Australia from December 2014 to January 2015.
- The five test match series was clinched by Australia with 2-0.
- Results of five test matches
- First Test: Cancelled because of Rain.
- Second Test: Australia won by 48 runs.
- Third Test: Australia won by 4 Wickets.
- Fourth Test: Match Drawn.
- Fifth Test: Match Drawn.
- Man of the Match and Player of the Series: Australia Captain Steve Smith
- Highlights of the tourney
- 5870 Aggregate runs scored by India and Australia in this series, the most ever in a Test series of four or fewer Tests. The second-most runs (5651) also came in a series between India and Australia, 2003-04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
- 692 Runs scored by Virat Kohli this series, the most by an Indian batsman in Australia and the third-most by an Indian batsman in any series. Sunil Gavaskar aggregated 700-plus in a series on two occasions, in 1971 and 1978-79, both times against West Indies.
- 482 Runs scored by M Vijay this series, the most by an Indian opener in Australia and the third-most by an Indian opener in any away series. Gavaskar has aggregated more on two occasions: 542 against England in 1979 and 774 against West Indies in 1971.
- 5 Number of 50-plus scores for Vijay this series, the most by an Indian opener in Australia. The next most is three, by Gavaskar and Kris Srikanth during the 1977-78 and 1985-86 tours respectively.
- 5 Number of ducks scored by Suresh Raina in his last seven Test innings. He scored a pair against England at The Oval in 2011, a duck against New Zealand at Bangalore in 2012, and now a pair in this Test.
- Smith has just gone past the greatest batsman of all time, Sir Donald Bradman, after finishing with a whopping 769 runs in the four-match Test series. Bradman made 715 runs in a five-Test series between India and Australia back in 1947-48.
- About Border Gavaskar Trophy:
- The Border–Gavaskar Trophy is a Test cricket series, played between India and Australia.
- The series is named after Australia`s Allan Border and India`s Sunil Gavaskar, who both scored over 10,000 Test runs in their career and captained their respective teams and were the original world record holders for most runs scored in Test match cricket.
- The first Border–Gavaskar Trophy series was played in India the 1996–1997 Season and was won by the hosts 1–0. Australia won the trophy for the first time in the 1999–2000 Season at home where they mauled India 3-0.
Winner of Border Gavaskar Trophy:
- 1996-97: India won by 1-0.
- 1997-98: India won by 2-1.
- 1999-00: Australia won by 3-0.
- 2000-01: India won by 2-1.
- 2003-04: Match drawn.
- 2004-05: Australia won by 2-1.
- 2007-08: Australia won by 2-1.
- 2008-09: India won by 2-0.
- 2010-11: India won by 2-0.
- 2011-12: Australia won by 4-0.
- 2012-13: India won by 4-0.
- 2014-15: Australia won by 2-0.
Out of 12 tourneys India successful in 6 titles, Australia successful in 5 titles and one series is drawn.
Sachin scored most runs in these series with 2,380 runs. Most wicket taker in these series was Anil Kumble with 111 wickets.
4) National Junior Snooker Championship won by Avinash.
- Avinash Kumar won his maiden National Junior Snooker Championship at the BRC.
- Avinash belongs to Old Delhi.
- Final standings of National Junior Championship was
- Avinsh.
- Hritik.
- Shrikrishna.
- Laxman.
5) Brisbane International Championship won by Federer.
- Roger Federer won the Brisbane International Championship by defeating Milos Raonic.
- He is the third winner, who Secures 1,000 ATP wins. Jimmy conors and Ivan Lendi are the first two players.
- About Roger Federer
- Country: Switzerland.
- He has been ranked inside the top 10 since October 2002 and the top 20 since April 2001.
- Highest Ranking: 1.
- Current Ranking: 2.
- Career Record: 1000 ATP wins.
- Career Titles: 83.
- Grand Slam Singles Result: 17 titles.
- Australian Open: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010.
- French Open: 2009.
- Wimbledon: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012.
- US Open: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008.
- Olympic Medal Record:
- 2008 Beijing Olympics: Gold.
- 2012 London Olympics: Silver.
6) Stanislas Wawrinka lift Chennai Open Tennis title 2014.
- Stanislas Wawrinka defeated Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia to lift the Chennai Open Tennis title 2014.
- In the final he defeated Aljaz in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.
- Stanislas Wawrinka won the Chennai Open title for the third time.
- Venue: Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
- Prize Money: $4,50,000.
Men’s doubles:
- Won: Lu Yen- Hsun (China) and Jonathan marray (UK).
- Runners: Raven Klaasen (South Africa) and Leander peas (India).
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- Bengaluru FC lift Federation Cup Football Trophy.
- Bengaluru FC defeated Dempo Sports Club to lift maiden Federation Cup football title.
- Bengaluru FC defeated Dempo Sports Club by 2-1 in the final.
- Sunil Chhetri and substitute Robin Singh scored the goal from winning team.
7) India’s open water swimmer Bhakti Sharma has set a world Record by swimming 1.4 miles in 52 minutes in one degree temperature at Antaractic Ocean.
- She has bettered the earlier record of British open water swimmer Lewis Pugh and American swimmer Lynne Cox.
- Bhakti is now the youngest in the world and the first Asian girl to have achieved this feat.