Current Affairs - Sports

The 2025 World Para Athletics Championships will be hosted by India for the first time, with the event set to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. The Paralympic Committee of India unveiled both the logo and the mascot, named Viraaj—a young elephant with a blade prosthesis—to mark the 100-day countdown to the 12th edition of the global event. This makes India the fourth Asian country to host the championships, signifying a major milestone in the country’s commitment to supporting para-athletes and promoting inclusivity in sports.

The inaugural Hockey India Masters Cup 2025 is being held in Chennai. This marks the first edition of the tournament, organized by the Tamil Nadu Hockey Unit, and includes participation from veteran men’s and women’s teams across India. Specifically, men in the 40+ age group and women over 35 are competing in this 10-day event. The choice of Chennai as the host city underscores its importance in the Indian hockey landscape and reflects the city's growing role in supporting national-level sporting events.

Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah finished as runners-up in the men’s doubles final at the WTT Contender Skopje 2025, held in North Macedonia. They were defeated by the South Korean duo of Jonghoon Lim and Junsung Oh. This final marked a significant achievement for the Indian pair, as it was their first appearance in a contender-level final together. Their performance highlights the growing competitiveness of Indian table tennis on the international stage and underscores their potential as a promising partnership in future international tournaments.

South Africa secured their first-ever ICC World Test Championship title by defeating Australia in the 2025 final held at Lord’s, London. This landmark win ended a 27-year drought for the Proteas in international cricket, marking their first global trophy since the 1998 ICC KnockOut. The victory was built on a stellar century by Aiden Markram, a crucial half-century by captain Temba Bavuma, and a disciplined bowling performance led by Kagiso Rabada. Overcoming a first-innings deficit, South Africa showed remarkable resilience in chasing down a challenging target of 282, making this triumph a defining moment in their cricketing history.

Coco Gauff secured her first French Open title by defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the final. At just 21 years old, she became the youngest American woman to win at Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2002 and the first from the U.S. since Williams in 2015. This victory marked Gauff's second Grand Slam title, further establishing her as a leading figure in women's tennis. Her triumph highlighted her growth on clay and cemented her status as one of the sport's brightest young stars.