Current Affairs - Sports

The FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 trophy has been renamed the Viswanathan Anand Cup to honour India’s legendary chess grandmaster and five-time World Champion. This decision celebrates Anand’s immense contributions to global chess and his role in inspiring generations of Indian players. Known as the “Tiger of Madras,” Anand’s achievements transformed chess into a mainstream sport in India. The renaming was announced during a ceremony in Goa, attended by key dignitaries, including the FIDE President and Indian officials. The tribute marks a proud recognition of Anand’s lasting legacy in the international chess community.

Namitbir Singh Walia from Jalandhar, Punjab, achieved the prestigious International Master (IM) title after securing fourth place at the 3rd Annemasse International Masters Tournament in France. His consistent performance, including winning the Senior State FIDE Rating Open Chess Championship earlier this year, highlights his dedication and growing prominence in Indian chess. With this achievement, Namitbir becomes Punjab’s second International Master, following Dushyant Sharma, who earned the title in 2022. His success marks a significant milestone for the state’s chess community and inspires emerging players to aim for international recognition.

Rohit Sharma, at 38 years and 182 days, created history by becoming the oldest player to top the ICC Men’s ODI batting rankings. This remarkable achievement marked his first time reaching the No. 1 position in the ODI charts. By doing so, Rohit surpassed the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who held the previous record at 38 years and 73 days in 2011. He achieved this milestone by overtaking Shubman Gill, reaffirming his consistency, experience, and dominance in world cricket even in the later years of his career.

In a historic semi-final of the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup held at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, India defeated Australia by 5 wickets to secure a place in the final against South Africa. Chasing a mammoth target of 339 runs, India recorded the highest successful run chase in Women’s ODI history. Jemimah Rodrigues’ unbeaten 127 and Harmanpreet Kaur’s crucial 89 anchored the innings, while contributions from Richa Ghosh and Amanjot Kaur sealed the win. This victory marked India’s first appearance in a World Cup final since 2017 and ended Australia’s long unbeaten streak in the tournament.

Sujeet Kalkal secured a historic victory by winning the gold medal in the men’s freestyle 65kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships. He defeated Uzbekistan’s Umidjon Jalolov in the final to claim his first-ever world title. This achievement adds to Kalkal’s growing list of accolades, which already includes two U-23 Asian titles and a U-20 Asian Championship gold. His triumph is particularly significant as it was India’s only medal at the event, showcasing his exceptional skill, determination, and contribution to Indian wrestling on the global stage.