POSTER: 2023 SPORTS CALENDAR urday, Fel SPORTSTARSPORTSTAR — _ maiden Thomas Cup triumph to Lionel Messi's crowning moment. Looking back at the major events that happened in 2022. The year that was. 8 O Sixteen nations vie for top honours at the Hockey World Cup. The colourful Opening Ceremony of the mega event in pictures. SPORTSTAR 8 4 8 In 2022, sport continued to be rw It is time for therapeutic for a world still trying to 1 a the annual Sportstar find its feet in the aftermath of a ad Aces Awards where we pandemic. India maintained its —z2— celebrate the performances reputation as a growing power with its INDIA TRIUMPHS of our sports stars in the athletes scaling new heights. ‘#hces2023 year gone by. Here are the first set of nominations for the Popular Choice awards. Design: R. Ravikannan Cover: Neeraj Chopra (Getty Images) Poster: 2023 Sports Calendar (Pages 45-50) For Advertisement ‘malt svakumarm@thehinduco.in #98415 85969 ‘mohan.s@thehinduco.in +919820588828 ForSubscription Email customercare@thehindu.co.in Tollfree No: 18001021878 © sportstarthehinducom OY GB sportstarwen Ed sportstar@thehindu.coin SPORISIAR resmusny 4.2028 318 PEMEEIES Ieee Nerd 18) Achievements to Celebrate | € SO ——_ | The Journey towards the dream of TRUE TRANSFORMATION has begun... From ae) Cac’ Movies to Tera ener rs fet ao) From ry ered fern) From err) oer he Ra Era co) TED® TALKS LEARNING TO TOP EMERGING WORKING ON SCHOOL BY TE! (TO!) & MAKING ROBOTS (PUBLIC SPEAKING) | LAUNCH RockersWe are happy to share the outcome of our tireless efforts of 18 months to bring the much needed change in the current school education system. Right from Academics to communication, sports to extra curricular, we are committed to building a Transformative Schooling System, where every child will come out WELL PREPARED for the world ahead. EXPERIENTIAL CAREER TRUE SPORTS “LETS GO TO EDUCATIONAL EXPEDITION FOCUSED SCHOOLING TRAINING AT SCHOOL SCHOOL AMMA’ @® ONT ee a a een Rei Pe eek a el a Lien] Fa isle eeWORLD VIEW QUOTES & SNIPPETS & The next 12 months is the real test and Pat's (Cummins) captaincy in particular because India is just about the last frontier for the Australian cricket team. We haven't won there very often. It’s a hard place to play and a hard place to win. — FORMER AUSSIE SKIPPER ALLAN BORDER ON THE UPCOMING FOUR-TEST SERIES AGAINST INDIA, “Well, for sure when she retired | felt like she still has the best tennis out there, So | was pretty sad I'm not going to be able to compete against her and maybe win = WORLD NO. 1 WOMEN'S TENNIS PLAYER IGA SWIATEK, SAYING SHE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE HAD MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO. GO TOE-TO-TOE WITH FORMER NO.1 ASHLEIGH BARTY. 6 Russia found no fault in Valieva doping case - WADA Russian figure-skater Kamila Valieva bore “no fault or negligence” in a doping case that rocked last year’s Winter Olympics, as per a Russian tribunal. WADA revealed the verdict, saying it was “con- cerned” that a Russian anti-doping agency panel ruled that Valieva should only be disqualified from one day of the 2021 Russian national championships, when the sample was taken. WADA said it would review the case file before deciding on further steps Iranian chess referee spars with FIDE over women’s solidarity Agesture of solidar- ity with female compatriots in Ice- land saw Iranian chess referee Shohreh Bayat being removed from FIDE’s arbiters commission. Byher act — she wore a T-shirt with ‘Wo- men, Life, Freedom’ written on it — she angered FIDE presid- ent Arkady Dvorkovich. FIDE said it respected Bay- at’s political activit- ies but that she “disregarded direct instructions given to her to stop wearing slogans or mottos.” Bayat accused Dvorkovich, a Russian deputy prime minister from 201202018, of succumbing to geopolitics. vans reonuanv 2009 SPORSTARMillions of dollars in Usain Bolt’s account feared missing After reports emerged that Usain Bolt may have lost millions of dol- lars to large-scale fraud, Jamaica's financial authorities have launched an investigation into a company holding investments for the former sprinter. Jamaica’s Financial Ser- vices Commission (FSC) said in a statement that it had placed the firm, Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL), in “enhanced oversight” while it conducts the probe. EUR cles ea Mahindra Racing started Season 9 of the FIA ABB Formula E Championship in style with Lucas Di Grassi finishing third. Di Grassi had earlier in the day clinched the first pole position of the Gen’ era, Starting from pole position, Lucas held the lead through two safety cars before dropping to second be- hind eventual winner, Jake Dennis. After a tense battle with Pascal Wehrlein, Lucas slipped to third but held on to the lead of a five-car train that were right on his tail throughout the latter part of the race. He crossed the line third, grabbing the team’s first podium in 2025. Svomsiae rama 4.2003 After getting his first pole and podium for Mahindra Racing, Lucas Di Grassi said, “What happened today was like a Mexican miracle. To be on pole and to be on the podium and go home with 18 points after a tough begin- ning to the season is a testimony to the hard work the team are putting in to make the car the best we can. | gave it my all today to try and make the team proud. I'm very happy to leave here with this result, it feels like a victory to us. But this is just the beginning. We need more consistent results and we have got to work hard for this.’COVER STORY Neeraj Chopra, Sharath Kamal, the Indian men’s badminton team and the Indian Lawn Bowls teams brought joy to the country in 2022 with their magnificent feats. SANTADEEP DEY SF * 2022, sport continued to be thera- peutic for a world still trying to find its feet in the aftermath of a pan- demic. India maintained its reputa- swing power with its athletes scaling new heights. ‘Many Indians woke up at ungodly hours Neeraj Chopra conquered ne frontiers in breaking the national record in javelin twice 8 to watch Neeraj Chopra fight with all his might at the World Athletics Champion- ships in Oregon. It was only a few weeks before his excellent performance at the Diamond League final in Zurich. The shuttlers gave Indians joy, too, by winning the TI up for the first time. reonuanv 2029 SPOMSTARAnother pleasant surprise was India’s per- formance in lawn bowls at the Common- wealth Games. Here’s a look back at four among many performances and moments in 2022, listed inno particular order, that made the yeara special one. Magnificent Sharath On a warm June afternoon in Chennai, Sharath Kamal was grabbing a quick Iunch at the 2022 Sportstar South Conclave when he said picking up daughter Suyasha after school on time was the only thing that wor- ried him at that moment. The Birmingham Commonwealth Games was a month away, the table tennis federation was going through an upheaval, but Sharath wasn’t too stressed. Today, the paddler may still worry about getting delayed by traffic, but the ‘West Midlands has been conquered. At 40, his reflexes were sharp. He returned with four medals — three gold and a silver — ‘winning one in every event he took part in. ‘The men’s singles gold was the icing on the cake. Sharath reclaimed it after 16 years, beating home favourite and higher~ ranked Liam Pitchford. With Steeja Akula, he won India’s first-ever Commonwealth Sorrsa Fesauscy 4.2003 Games mixed doubles gold, overcoming the giant-killing Malaysian pair of Javen Choong and Karen Lyne. He also led the Indian team, which won gold in the men’s team event. He and G. Sathiyan fell short of winning the gold in men’s doubles, losing to Pitchford and Paul Drinkhall in the final Leading up to the Games, Sharath won his 10th National singles title = he beat his own record ~ by dethroning Sathiyan in an enthralling clash in Shillong. Now the vice- chairman of the Athletes’ Commission of the Indian Olympic Association, Sharath was also honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, India’s highest sporting honour. Immediately after the Birmingham Games, Sharath made his intentions clear. He was not going to stop until the Paris Olympics. To realise that dream, itisimper- ative for him to do well this season. “While inning a medal at Paris 2024 is my imme- diate target, I haven't thought about the 2026 Commonwealth Games. My wife is do- ing all the family duties. T should consider these factors. I will take two years at a time,” he had told this publication in an earlier interview. Mr. Perfect Neeraj has made winning a habit. ‘When leading sportspersons welcomed ‘On a roll: Sharath kamal (left) and G. Sathiyan in action during the men’s doubles final of the Commonwealth Games. The duo failed to get past tthe finish line but the silver medal was nonetheless another feather in ‘the cap for the 40-year-old Sharath, who won four medals in the ‘competition,COVER STORY Eye on the targat: Lovely Chaubey competes during the quarterfinals of the Women's Pairs in Lawn Bowls during the Commonwealth Games. India's unheralded team won the gold medal. cerry maces the new year hosting grand parties or back- packing across picturesque locations, Neeraj was training in Loughborough. This year, he aims to hit the elite 90m mark Given his progress, the target has never looked more realistic. In 2022, he registered three 89m-plus throws. In 2022, Neeraj returned to the interna- tional circuit ~ he had taken a 10-month break after the Tokyo Olympics — in style, his $9.30m at the Paavo Nurmi Games set- ting a new national record. He won the gold medal at the Kuortane Games, before going past his national record with an 89.94m throw at the Diamond League in Sweden, Then came the Oregon Worlds where Neeraj made history again, registering In- dia’s best performance in the tournament. He won the silver medal with an 88.13m throw. It was India’s second medal in the Championships ~ the first, a bronze, was won in 2003 by long-jumper Anju Bobby George. Neeraj went on to top the next Diamond League meeting in Lausanne — again a first for an Indian ‘There is a host of events coming up this year where Neeraj will look to reign su- preme. “I've got three bigevents this year — the World Championships, Asian Games and the Diamond League Final. About when. to start, I have not thought about it. 1 will plan with the coach, assessing the situation in China. If it happens as per schedule in October, we may start the season a bit late so that we can stretch it till the Asiad,” the 25-year-old said during a recent press conference. Bowled over ‘There wouldn't have been many betting on two former physical education teachers, a police constable, and a forest department official to claim the gold medal in the wo- men’s team category in lawn bowls at the Commonwealth Games. Lovely Chaubey (lead), Pinki (second), Nayanmoni Saikia (third) and Rupa Rani Titkey (skip) didn’t put a foot wrong at Leamington Spa. The team beat the fancied South Africans 17-10 in the final of the Women’s Fours event. reomuanv 2009 SPORSTARel ‘What made the win remarkable was that the Indian team didn’t even have training access to the rinks in Victoria Park when it touched down in the United Kingdom. Not having a coach for a while added to its problems, Luckily, Michael Spiro, president of the Bishopswood Bowling Club in Not- rice Lea, agreed to accommodate the con- tingent for free ‘The men’s team sprung a surprise as well, winning silver medal ina sport India had never participated in before at the ‘quadrennial event. India will have a shot at further glory at the 2023 World Championships in Gold Coast. A giant leap India’s wait for the elusive Thomas Cup finally ended in 2022 after over 70 years. It beat 14-time champion Indonesia 3-0 to become the sixth nation to win the champi- onship, India had reached the semifinals of the tournament in 1952, 1955 and 1979, but Sons Fesausny 4.2003 failed to cross the final two hurdles on each World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen first defeated Indonesia's World No. 5 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting 8- 21, 21-17, 21-16in the first men’s singles to hand India the lead. In the first doubles game, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty saved four match points before beat- ing Mohammad Ahsan and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 18-21, 23-21, 21-19 to extend India’s lead. ‘Worlds silver medallist K. Srikanth then rode on the momentum to edge Jonatan Christie 21-15, 23-21 in only 48 minutes in the second men's singles match to seal the contest. “I am happy. Everyone played ex- tremely well. I don’t think this is one i vidual's win. It is about all 10 players. Everyone stepped up when it mattered. It is one of the biggest wins - best in terms of tournaments and one of my best perform- ances,” an elated Srikanth said in a virtual press conference later. En route to its maiden title, India had beaten Malaysia and Denmark. & History makers: The victorious Indian team with the Thomas Cup.JANUARY: FROM NOVAK DJOKOVIC BEING DETAINED IN AUSTRALIA TO RAFAEL NADAL WINNING HIS 21ST GRAND SLA\ SPORTING MOMENTS FROM JANUARY. January 7: Benjamin Mendy released on bail while awaiting trial The Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy, who has been accused ofa series of serious sex offences against young women, was freed on bail. The 27-year- old French international had been in custody for more than four months, since first being arrested and charged ‘on 26 August 2021. The French World Cup winner was granted bail by judge Patrick Thompson at a private hearing at Chester Crown Court, from which the media was excluded. The full bail conditions were not closed in open court, but Mendy was told he must live at his home address, surrender his passport and refrain from contacting complainants. M, HERE IS A LOOK AT THE TOP January 5: Bangiadesh beats New Zealand for first time in Tests Bangladesh beat New Zealand for the first time in. Test cricket with a sensational eight-wicket win in the first Test in Tauranga that snapped the World Test champion’s 17-match unbeaten run on home soil. Seamer Ebadot Hossain took six for 46 as Bangladesh dismissed the Black Caps for 169 on day five ofthe first Test at Bay Oval and the visiting team knocked off the 40 runs for victory for the loss of two wickets. J We January 14: south Africa secures 2-1 series win over India South Africa secured a 2-1 series win over India with a seven-wicket victory in the third Test in Cape Town. Keegan Petersen hit 82 as the Proteas chased down 212 on day four at Newlands. Following the loss, Virat Kohli stepped down from his position as Test captain. reonuav 4.2002 SPORSTARJanuary 16: australia routs England in fifth Test, completes 4-0 Ashes win England’s miserable Ashes tour ended on a losing note as Australia surged to a 146-run victory in the final Test to claima4-Oseries win. Needing 271 to win, England was 68-0 before being bowled out for the addition of another 56 runs in Hobart. January 16: Novak Djokovic deported from ‘Australia Novak Djokovic was detained in January over his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid. He was depor- ted from Australia 10 days later, despite mounting a successful legal challenge. Ash Barty ends 44-year wait for home Australian Open winner Ashleigh Barty beat Danielle Collins to win the Australian Open title, ending the home nation’s 44- year wait fora Grand Slam women’s singles champion. SoRIsR FesauAny 4.2003 January 30: Nadal wins Australian Open for record 21st major title Rafael Nadal won a record 21st Grand Slam men’s title, fighting back from two sets down to beat Russia's Daniil Medvedev in a classic Australian Open final. ‘The sixth seed Nadal rallied to win 2-6, 6-7 (5-7), 6 6-4, 7-5 on Rod Laver Arena,FEBRUARY: FROM ISHAN KISHAN BEING THE SECOND MOST MEGA AUCTION 2022 TO RUSSIAN TEAMS SUSPENDED BY PLAYER TO BE SOLD IN THE IPL FOOTBALL CLUBS AND NATIONAL PENSIVE INDIAN IFA AND UEFA, HERE IS A LOOK AT THE TOP SPORTING MOMENTS FROM FEBRUARY. i yh Re ‘hina wins Women’s Asian Cup February for ninth time China came back from a 0-2 deficit to defeat South Korea in the Women’s Asian Cup final to lift the title for a record-extending ninth time. This is the Steel Roses’ record-extending ninth WAC title and their first since February 12: kashmirskier Mohammad Arif Khan represents India at the Beijing Winter Olympics 31-year-old Mohammad Arif Khan became the first Kashmiri to become an Olympian and the first Indian to participate in two events at the Winter Olympics. Khan, the first Indian to qualify for two events in a Winter Olympics, had clocked combined time of 2 minute 47.24 seconds in the giant slalom event. He finished 45th, which is now India’s best-ever performance in men’s giant slalom event at Winter Olympics. Polish-born Jeremy Bujakowski, India’s first-ever Winter Olympian, had finished 65th at Grenoble 1968. 4 2006. China’ triumph is doubly special for head coach Shui Qingxia, a five-time winner of this tournament asa player, who becomes the first former player to win this title as a coach. China’s Zhu Yu and Wang Shanshan were adjudged best goalkeeper and most valuable player of the tourna- ment respectivel reomuan 2009 SPOMSTARFebruary 13: ishan Kishan becomes the second most expensive Indian player in IPL Auetion history India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan became the February 14: argentina vs Brazil World Cup Qualifier abandoned FIFA ruled that the 2022 World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina will be played at a venue and date to be determined after it was originally aban- February 25: pabang Delhi KC wins PKL 8 Vijay and Naveen Kumar starred for Dabang Delhi KCas they beat Patna Pirates 37-36 to win PKL 8. Delhi was narrowly beaten by Bengal Warriors in last season's final, but coach Krishan Hooda’s men dazzled on the second time of asking. Naveen Kumar and Vijay's raid- ing brilliance came tothe side's aid once more as the duo bagged Super 10s and scored a total of 27 points — 73 per cent of their team’s total points. The defence man- aged all of four points, Sandeep Narwal and Manjeet Chhillar managed two each, February 28: ira, UEFA suspend Russia from International football Russian football clubs and national teams were sus- pended from all competitions by FIFA and UEFA after spams econ 4,200 ‘most expensive player tobe bought on Day 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction as Mumbai Indi- ans (MP bought him for 15.25 crore. Kishanis the second ‘most expensive Indian player to be ever snapped upat the auctions after Yuvraj Singh (€16 crore in 2015). doned due to alleged coronavirus-related breaches. The ‘match was eventually not played. Both teams qualified for the World Cup in Qatar. Brazil topped the CONME- BOL table with 45 points while Argentina claimed second place on 39. Uruguay and Ecuador took the other two automatic World Cup spots. the country’s invasion of Ukraine, The world and European football governing bodies said they would be banned “until further notice.” “Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” FIFA and UEFA said in a joint statement. 6LOOKING BAC MARCH: FROM RODNEY MARSH AND SHANE WARNE'S DEATHS TO IRAN DENYING WOMEN ENTRY TO A FOOTBALL STADIUM, HERE IS A LOOK AT THE TOP SPORTING MOMEN 20M MARCH. March 4: veteran Aussie wicketkeeper Marsh passes on Former Australia wicketkeeper Rod Marsh died eight days after suffering a heart attack. Marsh, who played 96 Tests and 92 one-day internationals in the 1970s and 1980s, was 74 and passed away in Adelaide after suffering a heart attack while on his way to a charity event in Bundaberg in Queensland on February 24, “This is a tremendously sad day for Australian cricket and for all those who loved and admired Rod Marsh,” said Cricket Australia chairman Lachlan Henderson. Regarded as one of Australia’s finest wicketkeepers, Marsh retired in 1984 with a then-world record tally of 355 dismissals. 16 reomuanv 4.2002 SPORSTARMarch 4: australian Legend Shane Warne dies Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne died ofa suspected heart attack aged 52. Warne took 708 Test wickets, the second most of all time, in 145 matches across a stellar 15-year international career. “Shane was found unresponsive in his villa [in ‘Thailand and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived,” Warne's ‘management released a statement. March 7: Jamshedpur FC wins League Win- ner’s Shield Jamshedpur FC struck to a precise plan and picked up a solitary goal win against ATK Mohun Bagan to ensure the top spot and the League Winner's Shield, in the concluding match of the ISL-8 at Fatorda. It was a gteat moment for the Red Miners who lifted the Shield for the first time in their history. The memorable win helped Jamshedpur FC accomplish a tournament re- cord of seven straight wins. Italso bagged the record of completing the league stage with the highest accumu lation of 43 points in the tournament history (the previous best was 40 points shared by Bengaluru EC, ‘Mumbai City FC and ATK Mohun Bagan). SoRrsa FesmuAcy 4.2003 March 25: australia’s Test series win in Pakistan after almost 25 years ‘Australia claimed a 115-run victory in the third and final Test in Lahore to win its first series in Pakistan for almost 25 years. Pakistan failed to hold out in the last session which Australia won to clinch the series 1-0. ‘The host was dismissed for 235 in its second innings on worn-out wicket as Australia enjoyeda successful end toits first Test series in Pakistan since 1998. Resuming ‘on 75 for 0, and entering the final session at 190 for 5, Pakistan collapsed against veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who got plenty of turn and bounce from a fifth- day wicket and finished with 5 for 83 from 37 overs. Australia was rewarded for setting Pakistan a challen- ging target of 351 after boldly declaring its second innings at 227 for 5. Pakistan had conceded a decisive 123-run lead after scoring 268 in its first innings in reply to Australia’s 391. WARNER 31 March 30: iran denied women entry to foot- ball stadium Iran denied women entry to a football stadium to watch an international match, leaving hundreds of tick- eted fans locked out. The World Cup qualifier against Lebanon, won 2-0 by Iran, was played at the Imam Reza stadium in the northeastern city of Mashhad. “About 2,000 Iranian women, who had bought tickets for the Iran-Lebanon match, were present in the perimeter of Imam Reza stadium, but could not enter the stadium. For this match, 12,500 tickets were sold, of which 2,000 were for women,” ISNA news agency said. Mohsen Dav- ari, governor of Mashhad, told IRIB state television: “I apologise that many people couldn't enter the sta~ dium... Unfortunately, a large number of people outside the stadium were deprived of watching the game.” vAPRIL: FROM REAL MADRID WINNING A RECORD-EXTENDING 35TH LA LIGA TITLE TO THE AUSTRALIA WOMEN'S CRICKET TEAM STAMPING ITS DOMINANCE BY BEATING ENGLAND OP SPORTING MOMENTS FROM APRIL April 3: australia on cloud seven Australia bossed its way toa record-extending sev- enth Women's World Cup title with a crushing 71-run win over rival England, stamping its undisputed dom- inance in the tournament after a breathtaking hun- dred from Alyssa Healy in the final, IN THE WORLD CUP FINAL HERE IS A LOOK AT THE April 4: taylor bids adieu Ross Taylor scored 14 runs in his last innings in international cricket for New Zealand against Nether- Jands in the third ODI, coming to the crease and leav- ing it to a standing ovation. The match was Taylor's 450th and last for New Zealand before he retired at the end of a 16-year international career. The 38-year-old batter played his last Test against South Africa this, year but decided to make this match on his home ground at Seddon Park his final bow. April 6: cummins smashes fastest IPL fifty Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Pat Cummins equalled the record for the fastest fifty ever in the Indian Premier League. He joined KL Rahul, reaching the landmark in only 14 balls during a match against ‘Mumbai Indians at the DY Patil Stadium. reonuanv 2009 SPORSTARApril 6: Amian Borgohain sets 200m national record Amlan Borgohain won the men’s 200m gold at the Federation Cup at the Calicut University Stadium with anational record timing of 20.52s, achieving the quali- fying standard for the Asian Games in the process. April 9: Double delight for Pallikal Less than six months after giving birth to twins, Dipika Pallikal made the mother of alll comebacks when she teamed up with Saurav Ghosal and longtime teammate Joshna Chinappa to win the mixed doubles and women’s doubles title at World Doubles Champi- onships. April 12: mumbai city does Indian football proud ‘Mumbai City FC scripted history as it fought back from a goal downto stun Iraqi giant Air Force Club 2-1 and become the first Indian club to win a game at the top-tier AFC Asian Champions League. April 15: Root steps down as skipper England’s Joe Root announced his decision to step down from Test captaincy after five years in charge. Sorrsa FesmuAcy 4.2003 April 20: wimbledon bans Russians and Belarusians Tennis players from Russia and Belarus were barred from competing at Wimbledon due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the Grand Slam’s organisers All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said in a state- ment. April 29: Becker sentenced 4 to prison . 7] Tennis great Boris Becker was sen- rn tenced to two-and-a- half years in prison for illicitly transfer- ring large amounts of ‘money and hiding as- sets after he was de- clared bankrupt. April 30: Title No. 35 for Real Madrid Real Madrid won a record-extending 35th La Liga title after two first-half goals from Rodrygo spurred it to a 4-0 home victory over mid-table Espanyol. The win also made its Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti the first ‘manager to capture titles in each of Europe’s top five leagues — England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France, April 30: sindhu wins bronze P. V. Sindhu ended her Asian championships cam- paign with a bronze medal after a heart-breaking semi- final loss in three games to defending champion and top seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in Manila, Philippines. 19MAY: FROM INDIA LIFTING ITS MAIDEN THOMAS CUP CROWN TO REAL MADRID. SECURING A RECORD-EXTENDING 14TH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TITLE, HERE IS A LOOK AT THE TOP SPORTING MOMENTS FROM MAY. May 7: sable sets the pace India’s Avinash Sable broke a 30-year-old record of Bahadur Prasad in 5000m, setting a new national re- cord with a timing of 13:25.65 at the Sound Running ‘Track meet in San Juan Capistrano, USA. May 8: three-in-a-row for Chelsea Women Chelsea won the Women’s Super League with a brilliant 4-2 come-from-behind win over Manchester United, featuring two stunning volleys from Sam Kerr to secure its third straight league title and fifth in seven years. May 10: Yarraji registers national record Jyothi Yarraji won gold in Cyprus in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.25 and also finally secured the national record. May 12: McCuttum named England coach Brendon McCullum was named as the England ‘men’s Test coach. The former Kiwi skipper faced New Zealand in his first assignment. 20 May 14: a first in 16 years for Liverpool ‘A6-5 victory over Chelsea on penalties in the final produced Liverpool's first FA Cup triumph since 2006 and kept it in contention for, potentially if unlikely, a quadruple of trophies. May 14: cokulam Kerala retains I-League title Gokulam Kerala FC retained the I-League crown in style by beating the home favourite Mohammedan Sporting 2-1 in the concluding round of the tourna- ‘ment, which was played in front of a vociferous 47,000 supporters at the giant Salt Lake Stadium. ‘May 15: symonds dies in car accident Former Australian Test cricketer and two-time World Cup winner Andrew Symonds died following a car accident in Queensland, May 15: tndianbadminton scripts historiewin India won its maiden Thomas Cup title, beating 14-time champion Indonesia 3-0 in the final in Bangkok. reonuav 4.2002 SPORSTARMay 19: nikhat wins world title Nikhat Zareen gave adazzling performance in Istan- bul to beat Thai Olympian Jutamas Jitpong 5-0 and become the fifth Indian woman to win a World title. May 20: wimbledon stripped of ranking points ‘The women’s and men’s professional tennis tours decided not to award ranking points for Wimbledon this year because of the All England Club's ban on players from Russia and Belarus over the invasion of Ukraine. May 22: city wins Premier League Manchester City clinched a sixth Premier League title in 11 seasons by scoring three times in five ‘minutes to come from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-2 in the finale to avoid being toppled by challenger Liver- pool. SoRIsa Eesaunny 4.2003 May 22: ac Milan clinches Serie A title AC Milan won the Serie A title with a comprehens- ive 3-0 win at Sassuolo on the final day of the season. May 22: Lyon extends Women’s Champions League record Lyon beat defending champion and favourite Bar- celona 3-1 tear arecord-extending eighth Women’s Champions League trophy. May 29: Real Madrid wins 14th Champions ‘League crown Real Madrid secured a record-extending 14th European Cup when it beat Liverpool 1-0 in a Champi- ‘ons League final delayed for more than half an hour after police tried to stop people trying to force their way into the Stade de France. Vinicius Junior scored just before the hour with Real’s first attempt on goal and their goalkeeper ‘Thibaut Courtois made several fine saves to deny. erpool, who end the season with two domestic cups having also failed to win the Premier League. 2FROM RAFAEL NADAL’S RECORD-EXTENDING 22ND GRAND SLAM TO MITHALI RAJ'S RETIREMENT, HERE IS A LOOK AT THE TOP SPORTING MOMENTS FROM JUNE. June 2: Argentina beats Italy to win Finalissima Argentina marked the revival of the Cup of Cham- pions in style as an inspired Lionel Messi helped it outclass Italy 3-0 in a heavyweight clash billed as the ‘Finalissima’ at a raucous Wembley Stadium. June 5: Rafael Nadal wins record-extending Ath French Open and 22nd Grand Slam Tennis legend Rafael Nadal crushed Casper Ruud to lift his record-extending 14th French Open trophy and increase his lead at the top of the list of men’s Grand Slam champions with his 22nd title. June 7: Avani secues Paris Paralympics qualification India’s Avani Lekharawon gold at the Chateauroux Para Shooting World Cup with a world record score of 250.6 in women's 10m air rifle standing SH1. June 8: mithali Raj announces retirement from international cricket Veteran Indian cricketer Mithali Raj drew curtains on an illustrious 23-year international cricket career, havingfinished as one of the greatest female batters of alltime in the sport. June 16: warriors triumph in NBA Finals ‘The Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors beat Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4-2 in six games to win its fourth championship in eight years. reonuav 4.2002 SPORSTARJune 17: england records highest-ever ODI total England registered the highest innings total in the history of ODI cricket by amassing 498 for four in 50 overs against Netherlands in Amstelveen. June 18: Neeraj Chopra clinches gold in Finland in first appearance since Tokyo Games Fighting rain and slippery conditions, Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra ‘won the javelin throw gold with his opening effort of 86.69m at the Kuortane Games in Kuortane, Finland. June 28: England’s Eoin Morgan retires from international cricket June 24: Katie Ledecky smashes records at FINA World Championships Freestyle queen Katie Le- decky won gold medals in the women’s 400m, 800m and 1500m apart from helping the USA win gold in the 4x200 free- style relay at the FINA World Championships in Budapest. Awarded the “best female swim- mer’, Ledecky of the U.S. showed the world why she is seen as one of the best swimmers of al time, breaking several records. June 26: madhya Pra- desh wins maiden Ranji ‘Trophy title Madhya Pradesh beat Mum- bai by six wickets in the Ranji Trophy final at the M. Chin- naswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to clinch its maiden title. Payim RANG TRO 2021-22 time on what has been without doubt the most enjoy- able and rewarding chapter of my career hasn't been an easy decision,” Morgan said. The World Cup-winning England’s Eoin Morgan retired from international cricket after his team’s tour to the Netherlands. “To call SoRIsa Fesausny 4.2003 white-ball captain was replaced in his role by Jos Buttler. 23FROM MIRABAI CHANU'S COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2022 GOLD TO ELENA RYBAKINA'S LANDMARK WIMBLEDON TRIUMPH, HERE IS A LOOK AT THE TOP SPORTING MOMENTS FROM JULY. July 2: swiatek’s 37-match unbeaten streak ends World No. 1 Iga Swiatek’s loss to Alize Cornet in the third round of Wimbledon 2022 marked the end of a remarkable 37-match unbeaten streak. July 5: england thumps India in rescheduled Edgbaston Test, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow shredded India with unbeaten centuries as England rewrote history by ‘winning its series-deciding Test by seven wickets on the last day of the fifth Test at Edgbaston. July 9: rybakina’s landmark Wimbledon win Elena Rybakina beat Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the ‘Wimbledon final to become the first tennis player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles championship. July 10: Novak bags No. 21 at Wimbledon Novak Djokovic beat Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (8) in the men’s singles final to win his 21st Grand Slam title and a seventh silverware at the Wimbledon. July 17: pant, Hardik heroics floor England Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 115-ball 125 combined with Hardik Pandya’s all-round skills helped India beat England by five wickets in Manchester to win the ODI series 2-1. This was the third ODI series defeat for England at home since 2015. July 20: parcelona completes Lewandowski signing Barcelona signed Poland striker Robert Lewan- dowski from Bayern Munich for up to 50 million euros ($51.14 million). reonuav 4.2002 SPORSTARJuly 24: Neeraj Chopra's historic silver in World Championships Neeraj Chopra created history yet again by becom- ing the only Indian silver-medallist at the World Ath- letics Championship. ‘Neeraj Chopra was ruled out of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games due to an injury he picked up at the Athletics World championships. 3 Lovlina Borgohain and boxing contin- july 27: gent controversy at CWG 2022 Even before the Commonwealth Games began, the Indian contingent was embroiled in a controversy where 2020 Olympic Bronze medallist Lovina Borgo- hain complained that her preparation for the event was getting affected due to “continuous harassment” of her coaches. July 28 A grand opening ceremony kicked off the 44th Chess Olympiad hosted by India in Mahabalipuram, Chennai on July 28. ‘hess Olympiad kicks off in Chennai SoRrsa Fesauany 4.2003 July 30: sanket Sargar wins weightlifting silver, India’s first medal at Commonwealth Games 2022 Sanket Sargar won India’s first medal at Common- wealth Games 2022 after lifting a total of 248kg in the ‘men’s weightlifting 5Skg category on July 30. July 30: Mirabai chanu wins weightlifting gold at Commonwealth Games 2022 Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu handed India its first gold medal of the Commonwealth Games 2022 after her win at the women’s 49kg event. She put up a cor bined total of 201kg. It came with a Commonwealth Record (CR) and Games Record (GR) in snatch (88kg), and a GR in the clean and jerk (113kg).AUGUST: FROM INDIA'S PERFORMANCE AT THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2022 TO SERENA WILLIAMS SAYING SHE IS “EVOLVING AWAY FROM TENNIS" HERE S A LOOK AT THE TOP SPORTING MOMENTS FROM AUGUST. August 2: india wins lawn bowls CWG gold medal, creates history India won its maiden lawn bowls Commonwealth Games gold medal when the women’s fours team beat South Africa in the final, The Indian team comprising skip Rupa Rani Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, Pinki and Nayanmoni Saikia beat the South Africans 17-10 after 15 ends. A few days later, India won silver in the men’s fours category. August 3: Tejaswin Shankar wins bronze in high jump at CWG. ‘Tejaswin Shankar won bronze in men’s high jump event with a best jump of 2.22m at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Brandon Stare of Australia and Hamish Kerr of New Zealand won silver and gold respectively. August 4: Murali Sreeshankar misses gold by whisker in long jump at CWG ‘Murali Sreeshankar won a track and field silver in ‘men’s long jump with a best of 8.08m at the Common- wealth Games. The only other CWG men’s long jump medallist from India is Suresh Babu (1978). Laquan Nairn of Bahamas got gold with 8.08m. Nairn edged past Shankar, who also jumped 8.08m, because his second-best was 7.98m compared to the Indian's 784m. 26 August 6: avinash Sable breaks Kenyan CWG ‘hegemony in 3000m Steeplechase Making his Commonwealth Games debut, Avinash Sable won silver in the men’s 5000m steeplechase i Birmingham. He clocked 8:11.20 to come second and it was the ninth time Sable has re-written the national record. This was the first time after six Commonwealth Games that a non-Kenyan athlete has earned a podium finish in the event. August 7: Eldhose Paul wins gold, Abdulla ‘Aboobacker bags silver in men’s triple jump at cwc India’s Eldhose Paul and Abdulla Aboobacker won the gold and silver, respectively, in the men’s triple jump final at the Commonwealth Games in Birming- ham. Itwas Indian men’s first ever 1-2in CWGathletics. reonuav 4.2002 SPORSTARAugust 7: India beats New Zealand 2-1 in shootout to win women's hockey CWG bronze India beat New Zealand 2-1 in a thrilling penalty shootout in the women's hockey bronze medal match at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. August 8: india wins silver in men’s hockey, loses 0-7 to Australia in final The Australia men's hockey team continued its dominant show in the Commonwealth Games to thump India 7-0 in the gold medal match at the Uni- versity of Birmingham. August tennis men’s singles gold after 16 years ‘A. Sharath Kamal, the veteran paddler, regained the table tennis men’s singles gold at the Com- ‘monwealth Gamesafter 16 ong years with a convin: cing win against England's Liam Pitchfordiin the final. Having bagged the men's team gold and mixed doubles gold, Sharath be- came the first Indian pad- dler to win three gold ‘medals at a CWG edition. August 8: Arich haul for Indian shuttlers at cwG Indian shuttlers finished their Commonwealth Games campaign on an all-time high, winning three gold medals for the first time in the history of the quadrennial event. P. V. Sindhu ended her long wait for an elusive CWG gold with a convincing win over Canadian Michelle Li. Lakshya Sen put upa stunning show ina nerve-wracking contest against Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong for his maiden CWG gold. Having lost the mixed team gold to Malaysia (the mixed team ‘event was the first in the badminton fixture), India’s men’s doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy- Chirag Shetty proved a point defeating England’s, Ben Lane and Sean Vendy in the final. The women’s doubles combination of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, both 19, won bronze defeating Australi- ans Wendy Chen and Gronya Somerville. SoRIsa Fesauncy 4.2003 August 9: serena says she is ‘evolving away’ from tennis Serena Williams said that she is “evolving away from tennis” as she hinted at retiring from the sport she dominated for much of her career with 23 singles Grand Slam titles. August 19: sumit Antil, Yogesh Kathuniya break world records Sumit Antil and Yogesh Kathuniya broke world records at the fourth Indian Open National Para Ath- letics Championship 2022 in Bengaluru. August 19: Antim, becomes In- dia's first female wrestler to win ‘world U20 gold Antim —Panghal coasted to an8-O win over Kazakhstan’s Altyn’ Shagayeva at the women's 53kg field, creating history as the first Indian woman to win gold at the junior world championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, August 26: rira lifts AIFF ban, U-17 Wo- men’s World Cup to be held in India as planned ‘The Bureau of the FIFA Council announced that the suspension imposed on the All India Football Fed- eration to be lifted, thereby ending 12 days of exile for the Indian federation. August 27: satwik-Chirag win World Cham- pionship bronze, lose to Chia-Soh Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty capped off a memorable campaign with a historic bronze medal in men’s doubles of the World Badminton Championships after going down narrowly to Malay- sia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the semifinals. aSEPTEMBER: FROM ROGER FEI September 2: Kalyan Chaubey beats Bha- chung Bhutia to become AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey beat Bhaichung Bhutia 33-1 to be- come the president of the All India Football Federation ‘The former Indian National team goalkeeper succeeded Praful Patel for the post and became the first former footballer to hold the top spot in the sports body. September 7: chelsea sacks Thomas Tuchel after Zagreb Champions League loss Chelsea parted ways with head coach Thomas ‘Tuchel just seven games into the 2022-25 season. The decision comesafter the North London club fell toa 0-1 loss against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. September 9: Neeraj chopra becomes first Indian to win Diamond League title ‘Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a Diamond League title after clinching the men’s javelin event at the Zurich Diamond League Final 2022 with a best throw of 88.44m. 28 ER AND JHULAN GOSWAMI'S NEERAJ WINNING THE DIAMOND LEAGUE TITLE, HE JP SPORTING MOMENTS FROM SEPTEMBER REMENTS TO 2E IS A LOOK AT THE September 11: rruhvirtova comes from behind to bag Chennai Open WTA250 singles title Linda Fruhvirtova scored a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Magda Linette to bag the WTA Chennai Open title. Top-seeded Canadian-Brazilian pair of Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani, playing together after a year, clinched the doubles title. CCHenwal open we September 11: sritankabeats Pakistanto win sixth Asia Cup title Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 25 runs to win its third Asia Cup title and a first in 12 years in Dubai. September 11: Mathias pogba’s videos provide new twist Mathias Pogba and four others were handed pre- liminary charges and jailed in the extortion probe, French prosecutors said. In a series of recordings, Mathias accused Paul Pogba of having abandoned ‘members of their family, leaving them in poverty. reonuanv 2029 SPORSTARSeptember 12: Alcaraz becomes youngest World No. 1 after U.S. Open triumph Carlos Alcaraz’s U.S. Open championship moved him to No. 1 at age 19, making him the youngest man to lead the ATP computerised rankings since they began in 1973. Iga Swiatek’s third major title, and first in New York, kept her at No. 1 in the WTA rankings. September 14: Former Davis Cup captain Naresh Kumar no more Naresh Kumar, who strode the Indian tennis scene like a colossus, passed away following a brief illness owing to age-related complications. The former In- dian Davis Cup captain was 93 and is survived by wife Sunita, a son and two daughters. September 14: vinesh Phogat wins bronze medal in World Wrestling Championships Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian woman wrestler to win two medals at the World Champion- ships as she clinched a bronze in 53kg by defeating Emma Jonna Malmgren of Sweden. September 15: Roger Federer announces retirement Roger Federer an- nounced his retirement from tennis after Laver Cup. The Swiss tennis champion announced his decision on social ‘media. Sarr eesauncy 4.2003 September 18: Bajrang Punia wins bronze in World Wrestling Championships Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia beat Pu- certo Rico's Sebastian Rivera by theskin of his teeth 65kg bronze medal match to claim his fourth medal in ‘the World wrestling championships in Belgrade. September 24: jhutan Goswami gets fairy- tale farewell as India whitewashes England Thulan Goswami, 39, retired from inter- national cricket follow- ing the conclusion of the ODI series in Eng- land, in which the vis- itor secured a first-ever clean sweep to give the legendary seamer a fit- ting farewell. In an in- ternational career spanning over two dec- ades — the second longest in women’s in- ternational cricket — Jhulan, who made her debut in 2002, repres- ented India in 12 Tests, 204 ODIs and 68 T20Is, picking 355 wickets across formats.OCTOBER: FROM MAX VERSTAPPEN'S RECORD BREAKING PERFORMANCE TO KARIM BENZEMA'S BALLON D'OR, HERE IS A LOOK AT THE TOP SPORTING MOMENTS FROM OCTOBER October 8: Pankaj Advani pockets 25th Worlds title in Kuala Lumpur India’s leading cueist Pankaj Advani claimed his 25th world title after outclassing compatriot Sourav Kothari 4-0 in the 150 up billiards final at the World Championships. October 9: Verstappen clinches second F1 world championship title; later clinches record- breaking 14th race victory of season Red Bull's Max Verstappen won his second For- ‘mula One world championship amid scenes of confu- sion after closest rival Charles Leclerc was handed a five-second post-race penalty. On October 30, Ver- stappen won the Mexico City Grand Prix to set a For~ ‘mula One record of 14 victories in a single season. October 12: Hashika Ramachandra, Sajan Prakash dominate the pool at National Games 14-year-old Hashika Ramachandra of Karnataka and Kerala's 29-year-old Sajan Prakash were chosen as the best female and male athlete of the National Games 2022, respectively. 30 October 14: Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil seals Paris Olympics shooting quota Rudrankksh Patil was in brilliant form as he beat Danilo Dennis Sollazzo of Italy 17-15 for the gold in men’s air rifle and sealed the Olympic quota for Paris, in style in the World Championship in Cairo, Egypt. October 15: india wins women’s Asia Cup India maintained its dominance in the Women’s Asia Cup with an eight-wicket demolition of a self- destructing Sri Lanka in the final for its seventh title in eight editions. October 17: sation @Or winners Karim Benzema of Real Madrid won the 2022 Men’s Ballon d'Or award at the ce- remony held in the Theatre du Chatalet in Paris. Spain’s Alexia Putellas won the wo- men’s Ballon @’Or for the second year running, the re- ward comingaftera season in which she was the top scorer asher club Barcelona reached the Champions League final reonuanv 2009 SPORSTAROctober 18: ae Roger Binny, the new BCCI president Roger Binny, mem- ber of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team, is named the next president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI, succeeding former India captain Sourav Ganguly. October 19: Man United player Greenwood granted bail after rape charge Manchester United player Mason Greenwood was granted bail, four days after being charged with at- tempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault, October 21: axelsen's 39-match winning streak Viktor Axelsen swept the 2022 season, claiming an overwhelming 39-match winning streak — a world record in the discipline as he surpassed Lin Dan (51) and his own 29-match streak. His winning march was finally broken by Loh Kean Yew in the Denmark Open. October 21: Hans Niemann files lawsuit after being accused of cheating by Magnus Carlsen Magnus Carlsen has publicly accused Hans mann of cheating, and Chess.com alleged that the 19-year-old American has “probably cheated more than 100 times” in online games. Niemann launches a {$100 million lawsuit against Carsten, October 21: simona Halep provisionally suspended for doping Romania’s Simona Halep has been provisionally suspended for doping, confirmed the International Tennis Integrity Agency. SoRrsa Fesauncy 4.2003 October 22: aman Sehrawat becomes first Indian wrestler to win gold at U-23 World ‘Championships Aman. Sehrawat _over- whelmed Tur- key’s Ahmet Duman 12-4 to become the first Indian to win gold at the U-25 World Champions October 28: Red Bull's cost cap breach and subsequent fine Formula One's governing body ordered Red Bull to pay a $7 million fine and forfeit wind tunnel time as punishment for overspending the 2021 cost cap by $1.8 million during Max Verstappen's first champion- ship season. October 30: shankar Muthasamy wins si ver at junior badminton world championships Sankar Muthtisamy’s fine campaign at the BWF ‘world junior badminton championships came to an end as the Indian lost to Kuo Kim Lin of Chinese Taipei 14-21, 20-22 in the final. October 30: satwik-Chiragwin French Open men’s doubles title ‘The star Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the French Open Super 750 crown with a straight-games demolition of Chinese Taipei’s Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han in the men’s doubles final. October 30: spain defends FIFA UIT WWC title after beating Colombia in final Defending champion Spain beat Colombia 1-0 to win the 2022 U-17 Women's World Cup at the D. Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumb 3LOOKING BACK ID WINNING THE T20 WORLD CUP TO THE FOOTBALL W GETTING UNDERWAY IN QATAR. HERE | OOK AT THE TOP 5 MOME 2M NOVEMBER November 1: india onty behind Russia in drug abuse 62 Indian athletes are serving suspensions for anti. doping rule violations, according to the Athletics Integ: rity Unit (ATU) of World Athletics. Only Russia has more athletes under suspension than India with 87 receiving sanctions. November championships. + Indian men win Asian squash Indian men's squash team — comprising Saurav Ghosal and Ramit Tandor — won its first-ever gold ‘medal at the Asian Team Championships in Cheongju, Korea. India beat Kuwait 2-0 in the summit clash. November 4: rebeca Andrade first Brazilian gymnast to win Worlds title Rebeca Andrade became the first Brazilian to win 2 November 6: Pramod Bhagat, Manisha Ra- madass win Worlds para-badminton gold Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramadass won gold ‘medals in singles at the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships in Tokyo. In the SL3 final, Bhagat beat, compatriot Nitesh Kumar, while Manisha got better of Japanese Mamiko Toyoda in the SUS final. November 9: singhraj qualifies for Paris Paralympics ‘Two-time Paralympic medallist Singhraj Adhana secured a quota for Paris 2024 after finishing fourth in Pi — men’s 10m air pistol SH1 event at the Para Shooting World Championships in Al Ain, UAE. the women’s individual all-around title at the world ‘gymnastics championships. Andrade sprinted to the lead after registering a 15.166 on vault in the first rotation, the highest score on any event. reomuanv 2009 SPORSTARNovember 13: england wins 120 World Cup England beat Pakistan by five wickets in the final in Melbourne to win the men’s T20 World Cup. It is England’s second T20 world title following its victory in the West Indies in 2010, November 20: Football world Cup gets underway Enner Valencia scored twice as Ecuador beat host Qatar2-0 tomark the beginning of the FIFA World Cup 2022. For the first time in the history of the World Cup the host nation suffered a defeat in the opening game. November 17: ciann term as FIFA president Infantino’s third FIFA president Gianni Infantino received four more years in charge of football's governing body after no candidate stepped up to challenge him. SoRIsa Fesmuncy 4.2003 November 22: United ‘onaldo leaves Manchester Manchester United confirmed that Cristiano Ron- aldo will leave the club by mutual agreement. The Portuguese player's future with the club was headed towards an end following a public outburst against the side and manager Erik Ten Hag. November 28: ru- turaj Gailewad hit 7 sixes: an over Ruturaj_ Gaikwad hit seven sixes in an over at the Narendra Modi Stadium, B Ground in Ahmedabad, ‘en route tohis unbeaten double century and powered Maha rashtra to a mammoth total of 330/5 against Uttar Pra desh in the quarterfinal of the Vijay Hazare ‘Trophy, Ruturaj became the frst bat- ter in limited-overs cricket to score 42 runs in a single over. 38DECEMBER: FROM ARGENTINA'S FIRST FIFA WORLD CUP WIN IN 36 YEARS TO PELE'S PASSING AWAY, HERE IS A LOOK AT THE TOP SPORTING MOMENTS FROM DECEMBER. December 5: engiana wins first Test series in Pakistan in 22 years England beat Pakistan by 74 runs in its first Test series win in Pakistan in 22 years at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. England last won a Test series in Pakistan in December 2000. December 7: mirabai claims Worlds silver Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu defied a wrist issue to secure a silver medal in the women’s 49kg category at the World weightlifting Champion- ships in Bogota. Decemiber 8: srittney Griner released from Russian prison Russia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner in a dra- ‘matic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. re- leasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, American officials said. The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a heavy price — and left behind an American jailed fornearly four years in Russia. December 11: axetsen, Yamaguchi bag BWF World World Tour titles Viktor Axelsen won his eighth title for 2022, steam- rolling Indonesian ace Anthony Ginting at the season- ending World Tour Finals men's singles final in Bangkok. In the women’s singles, reigning world cham- pion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan defeated Taiwanese powerhouse Tai Tzu Ying to claim the crown, December 17: indian women’s hockey team lifts Nations Cup ‘The Indian women’s hockey team beat Spain 1-0 to win the inaugural FIH Nations Cup in Valencia. The result also means that the Janneke Schopman- coached side has been promoted to the FIH Pro League 2025-24, December 1: wait for World Cup 3 Argentina ends 36 years 35-year-old Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to its first World Cup win in 36 years. Argentina beat France 4-2 ina penalty shootout after the match was tied 3-5. Before him, it was Diego Maradona who won the La Albiceleste the biggest prize of world football in 1986. Messi is the only footballer in the history of the World Cup to have won the Player of the Tournament award twice in 2014 and 2022. reonuanv 2009 SPORSTARDecember 19: Benzema retires France striker Karim Benzema announced his re- tirement from international football, a day after the national team lost the World Cup final against Argen- tina on penalties. December 2 weeks in top 10 jadal consecutive 900 Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal became the first player to remain in the top 10 of the ATP rankings for ‘900 consecutive weeks. Nadal has not exited top since ‘making his debut as an 18-year-old on April 25, 2005. December 23: Franchises splurge on over- seas players in IPL auction Overseas players dominated the IPL 2023 mini auction, with all-rounder trio Sam Curran (Rs. 18.50 crore, Punjab Kings), Cameron Green (Rs. 17.50 crore, Mumbai Indians) and Ben Stokes (Rs. 16.25 crore, Chennai Super Kings) fetching top deals. December 25: in Bangladesh wins ‘Test series in India beat Bangladesh in the second Test by three wickets to win the series 2-0. The win in Dhaka helped India retain its second spot in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) points table. December 27: warner becomes second player to score double ton in 100th Test David Warner scored a double century on Day 2 of the second Test between Australia and South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to become the second player to reach the figure in his 100th Test ‘match. Joe Root was the first to have achieved the feat, against India in February 2021. SoRISIR FEsauAny 4.2003 December 29: Football legend Pele dies at 82 Football great Pele, 82, passed away of cancer in Sao Paulo, his daughter confirmed on Instagram. “In- spiration, love marked the journey of King Pele, who peacefully passed away today. Love, love and love, forever,” the family statement from the Brazil legend read. December 30: Rishabh Pant survives a car accident Rishabh Pant, the wicketkeeper-batter of Indian cricket team, met with an accident after his car hit the divider near Manglore police station in Roorkee. Pant suffered injuries in his leg and head and was moved to a private hospital for treatment. December 31: Ronaldo moves out of Europe Cristiano Ronaldo signed a lucrative two-and-a- half year deal with Saudi Pro League club Al-Nasst FC as a free agent after terminating his contract with Manchester United. The Portuguese superstar is ex- pected to earn around $200 million per year in Saudi Arabia. 35FROM THE VANTAGE POINT PAUL FEIN EXTRAORDINARY AND MEMORABLE The year 2022 started with the exciting GOAT race deadlocked - Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer all boasted 20 Grand Slam titles, a once-unthinkable men’s feat. It ended with Nadal at 22, Djokovic next with 21, and Federer, sidelined with a career-ending knee injury, trailing at 20. The Swiss great bid an emotional farewell in September. 36 Jwo ageless champions continued their reign, while two tennis giants retired after long and brilliant ca- teers. A dynamic wunderkind shot to the top, but a popular star in her prime suddenly quit the game. There were contro- versial bans, the crowning of a new queen, surprise Grand Slam finalists, critical rule i al Emotional: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are unable to control their emotions during the Laver Cup. Federer announced his retirement, ending an illustrious career that included 20 Grand Slam titles and a role {as a statesman for tennis. ap changes, poignant farewells, and thrilling matches galore. The year that was had everything, or atleast everythinga tennis fan could imagine or want Extraordinary and memorable, 2022 star- ted with the exciting GOAT race deadlocked — Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer all boasted 20 Grand Slam titles, a reomuanv 2009 SPORSTARonce-unthinkable men’s feat. It ended with Nadal at 22, Djokovic next with 21, and Federer, sidelined with a career-end- ing knee injury, trailing at 20. ‘The GOAT competition riveted sports fans so much that tennis dominated Google’s most-searched athletes. Its an- nual year in search report ranked Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Willi- ams in the top three global spots with Carlos Alcaraz ranked No. 10. Neither debilitating illnesses nor ser- {ous injuries stopped the seemingly in- destructible 56-year-old Nadal from capturing the Australian and French Opens and racking up a 22-match win- ning streak. A chronic foot injury that left him on crutches and a case of Covid in late December put his trip to Melbourne and even his career in jeopardy. Down two sets to the for- ‘midable Daniil Medvedev in the final, Rafa changed tactics from grinding to hitting harder and harder. “Like a prize fighter on the ropes, Nadal keeps throw- ing punches,” said ESPN analyst John McEnroe. “That’s why people love him.” With a graceful, unreturnable volley on championship point, the ultimate warrior clinched the 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 tour de force that lasted 5 hours and 24 ‘minutes and ended at 1:15 a.m. ‘When Rafa limped off the court after losing in the Rome third round, playing Roland Garros appeared in jeopardy. Once again, he not only survived but pre- vailed. Treated by his travelling physician after each match, Nadal defeated No. 1 Djokovic, No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime, and No. 3 Alexander Zverev. He needed a pre- final injection to kill the tormenting pain, which made his foot feel “asleep”, to face much-improved Casper Ruud. The King of Clay overwhelmed the inexperienced Nor- wwegian, his good friend, 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 for an unfathomable French Open 14th title, a re- cord that may never be broken. While Nadal maximised his talent, Djokovic sabotaged his season. Novak's reckless refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19 resulted in his being prohibited from playing the Australian and U.S. Opens. Still, the extremely ambitious Serb managed Svomsine eamunny 42003 toseize his seventh Wimbledon title with an entertaining four-set victory over explosive shot-maker Nick Kyrgios. That triumph tied Djokovie with Pete Sampras and left him one short of Federer’s Big W record. Novak, in peak form, went unbeaten in five matches for his sixth ATP Finals title, matching Federer's record. Alcaraz idolised fellow-Spaniard Nadal as a boy but moulded his flashy, hyper-ath- letic game after Federer. His meteoric ascent shattered records as he became the youngest Open Era No. 1 at 19 and the first teenager in tennis history to earn $10 million or more in prize money in a single season. Past and present stars showered Carlos. with superlatives. “This guy has everything. He has incredible power, speed, touch, and Mixed feelings: Novak Djokovic's reckless refusal to. get vaccinated against Covid-19 resulted in his being prohibited from playing the Australian and US. Opens. Still, the extremely ambitious Serb managed to seize his seventh Wimbledon title. erty IMAGES 37YEAR GONE BY TENNIS IN REVIEW Talented kid: Carlos Alearaz's meteoric ascent shattered records as he became the youngest Open Era No. 1 at 19 and the first teenager in tennis history to earn S10 million or more in prize money in a single he’s great at net,” raved John McEnroe. “I've been trying to find a weakness in Alcaran’s game, and I haven't found one yet,” said Jim Courier. On his compatriot and heir-appar- ent, Nadal, said, “Ithink he's unstoppable in terms of his career. He has the passion. He’s humble enough to work hard. He reminds me of me when I was a 17- of 18-year-old kid.” ‘Those who worry about the popularity of tennis inthe post-Big Three era or even post- Federer, shouldn't. When a reporter asked Federer, the sport's most beloved champion, “What will your fans do when you retire?” Roger replied, “They'll fall in love with someone else.” ‘They're already falling in love with the charismatic Alcaraz, whose dazzling shots and on-court joy are complemented by his off-court bonhomie and humility. In women’s tennis, Iga Swiatek quickly filled the vacuum caused by the shock retire- ment of 25-year-old Ashleigh Barty, just two months after the Aussie won her third major at the Australian Open. The wonderfully ver- satile and tactically clever Barty edged Dani- elle Collins, 6-3, 7-6 (2) in the final after the hard-hitting American upset Swiatek 6-4, 6-1 in the semifinals. Collins, a tenacious competitor, suffers from rheumatoid arth- is and reached her first Grand Slam final just nine months after undergoing surgery for endometriosis, showing that her tenacity extends to more than the tennis court. Four months later, Iga, known for pump- ing herself up to Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Guns N’ Roses before matches, took her second French Open. In the final, she out- classed the less-experienced but highly tal- ‘ented, 18-year-old Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-3. Afterwards, the precocious American, who wrote “Peace. End gun violence” on a ‘camera lens following an earlier match, told the crowd, “I think in general using sports as, platform is important.” In the trophy cer mony, Swiatek also used her racquet as a megaphone to promote international justice. “I would like to say something to Ukraine. Stay strong, the war is still there.” Inspired by new coach Tomasz Witkorowski and calmed by her travelling psychologist Daria Abramowicz, Swiatek played more offensively than ever as she ‘grabbed her first hard-court major at the U.S. Open. Her devastating topspin forehand, mercurial defence, and mental toughness keyed her 6-2, 7-6 (5) final victory over Ons Jabeur. Iga, a 21-year-old Pole, finished with ‘a Tour-leading eight titles and nearly double the points of second-ranked Jabeur, 11,085 to 5,055. Two other indicators of Swiatek’s reomuanv 4.2002 SPORSTARsupremacy are her 37-match winning streak — the longest this century — and a superb 15-2 record against top-10 opponents. ‘The Wimbledon final featured two play- ers with contrasting personalities and play- ing styles, but the similarity of being from countries with little tennis tradition, Elena Rybakina left her family and native Russia four years ago for Kazakhstan to pursue her tennis dreams because “People believed in me. Kazakhstan supported me [with funding] so much.” Jabeur was bidding to become the first Tunisian, Arab, and African woman to capture a Grand Slam title in the Open Era (since 1968) ‘The 25rd-ranked Rybakina, a 100-1 pre- tournament longshot, was the underdog against No. 3 Jabeur. But the Tunisian’s guile and light-hitting touch game proved ineffec- tual against the powerful serves and ground- strokes of the Kazakhstani who prevailed 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, “Maybe I proved that [you don't always] have to have a great team from a young age because I didn’t till the age of 17, 18," Rybakina said afterwards. “So T think this is the most important thing, that every- body, no matter their financial situation, no ‘matter who they are, they can play and achieve many great results.” Ina sport notorious for destructive con- troversies, the bitterest dispute came when ‘Wimbledon banned Russian and Belarusian players in the wake of Russia's unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine. The ATP and Sora Fesaunny 4.2003 WTA retaliated by senselessly stripping players of their Wimbledon points, which didn’t diminish the tournament's prestige or the quality of the field, but only marred the rankings and hurt the players. BEST MEN'S PLAYER — Carlos Al- cataz, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal all have reasonable claims to Player of the Year. Alcaraz finished atop the flawed ATP rank- ings with the most points, barely ahead of Nadal. The Spanish teenager won the U.S. Open but didn’t make the semis at the other majors. He also captured Masters 1000 titles in Miami and Madrid. Djokovic had quality but not enough quantity. He captured five of 11 tournaments, most notably Wimbledon, the Rome Masters, and the ATP Finals, but was barred from two majors. My vote goes to Nadal. His two Grand Slam titles — the Aus- tralian and French Opens — plus reaching the Wimbledon semifinals along with two other titles trump the strong records of Al- caraz.and Djokovic. BEST WOMEN’S PLAYER — Iga Swi- atek dominated the women’s game with a blend of offensive power and defensive speed, winning the French and U.S. Opens and six other titles, including four at WTA 1000 events in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, and Rome. The 21-year-old Pole became the first player to finish a season with more than 10,000 ranking points since Serena Williams in 2015 and the first to capture two Grand Slam titles since Angelique Kerber in 2016. Top star: Iga Swiatek dominated ‘the women's game with a blend of offensive power and defensive speed, winning the French and US. Opens and six other titles, including four at WTA 1000 events in Doha. Indian Wells, Miami, and Rome. cerry maces 39YEAR GONE BY TENNIS IN REVIEW Queen quits: Serena Williams waves to the audience after losing to Australia’s Ajla Tomijanovic at the USS. Open. Serena refused to use the word “retirement when she played what was her final match. Now 41, the American said she was “evolving away from tennis. 40 Iga’s 37-match winning run, equalled the Tongest WTA streak since 1990, and she fin- ished the campaign with 67 match wins, the most since Serena in 2013. BEST MEN'S MATCH — For historical impact, competitive balance, high-level per- formances, contrasting styles and personal- ities, and suspense, the Australian Open final easily takes the trophy. Nadal needed this title to break the three-way tie with Djokovic and Federer at 20 majors and also win his second Aussie crown for a double soonistancareer Grand Slam; Medvedev was going for his second straight hard-court major. In a comeback that all-time great Martina Nav- ratilova called “one for the ages,” the more versatile and resilient Spaniard prevailed 2-6, 6-7 6), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. “Rafa has more {fighting| spirit than anyone out there,” said Navratilova. Second place goes toa US. Open quarterfinal thriller between heavy- hitting New Genners that lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes, ending at 2:50 a.m. when Carlos Alearaz overcame Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-7 (0), 7-5, 6-3. BEST WOMEN’S MATCH — Danielle Collins seemed to have everything against her in the Australian Open final against world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty. A 50-1 longshot towin the tournament and given 5-1 odds in her first major final, the 27th-seeded Amer- ican was facing a zealously pro-Barty crowd. Yet Collins knew she had a chance — if her strong first serve and explosive backhand came through as it did when she over- powered Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-1 in the semis Ash predictably took the first set 6-3, but ferociously competitive Danielle started blasting winners from inside the baseline to surge ahead 5-1 in the second set. The more athletic and tactically clever Aussie reboun- ded with two service breaks and a superb tiebreaker to win 6-3, 7-6 (2). The U.S. Open third-round match between Serena Williams and No. 2 Anett Kontaveit — for sheer atmo- SoRIsaR Fesmunny 4.2003 spheries more than the good, but not great tennis — earns second place. Inspired by the Taucous crowd, Serena pulled it out, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2, in her last career victory. BEST MEN'S DOUBLES TEAM ~ The retirement of Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful team in the Open Era with 16 Grand Slam titles, created parity in men's doubles. In 2022, with each major won by a different team, Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury achieved the most consistent, high-level res- ults, The American-British tandem captured the U.S. Open for the second straight year — which only the legendary Todd Woodbridge- Mark Woodforde combo had done before in the Open Era — and won the ATP Finals and Masters events at Monte Carlo and Cinein- nati They also made the semifinals twice and quarterfinals at the other majors. BEST WOMEN’S DOUBLES TEAM — Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova emerged as doubles superstars this year. The longtime Czech friends and partners en- joyed a sensational three-Slam year, tri- umphing at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open to run their ca reer major total to six. Their success in New York made them only the second team in WTA history to complete the career Golden Slam. Barbora and Katerina also finished runners-up at the WTA Finals to end the season with an outstanding 27-4 win-loss record. & Bidding goodbye: was shocking to note the 25-year-old Ashleigh Barty retiring from the sport just two months after she won her third major at the It Australian Open. a» 4aNew dawn for the Dutch, same TENNIS TATA OPEN old story for india Tata Open Maharashtra recaptured its proud place in the calendar, but it couldn't do anything to change the sad and unsettling story that Indian tennis has become. Not one singles player was ranked high enough to make the main draw on merit. N. SUDARSHAN ‘or Tata Open Maharashtra, the 2023 edition was a return to its pristine past. The tournament’s history isn’t long, having moved bases. from Chennai only in 2018. But after spending twoyears in an uncomfortable slot just after the Australian Open, the event was back as a prime preparatory tourney ahead of the sea- son’s first Major. This was reflected in the player roster. Where in 2020 and 2022 there was just one top-60 player in the singles draw, 2025 saw as many as eight, including five in the top-50. ‘The biggest draw card was the 2014 US Spouse reamunny 4.2003 Open champion Marin Cilic, who was in India for the first time since playing in Pune in 2018. Though he won just a solitary match and had to withdraw because of a knee injury that also put paid to his Aus- tralian Open hopes, the presence of a Major champion enhanced the competition’s pro- file significantly. The strength was evident in doubles as well, where the world’s second-best pair of Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury made Pune apit stop on the way to Australia The tennis, thus, was of high quality. Though the final featured two unseeded players in France’s Benjamin Bonzi and the Long awaited: Tallon Griekspoor became the first men's singles hard-court titlist from the Netherlands since Sjeng Schalken in Stockholm in 2001 He triumphed over France's Benjamin Bonzi in his first Tour-level final EMMANUAL YOIN| 51TENNIS TATA OPEN Fighting a tone battle: Ramkumar Ramanathan prepares for a backhand return during his opening round singles match against Spain's Pedro Martinez. Ramkumar was the only Indian to make it to the main draw ~ he came through the qualifying round, 52 Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor, both of whom were also playing their first Tour- level final, the on-court action was riveting, with the Dutchman goingon totriumph 4-6, 75, 653. Hindsight proves that ATP Tour-level tennis in India has often been a harbinger of future success, with the likes of Daniil Med- vedev, Casper Ruud, Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev all competing here in their formative years before going on to become global stars. It will be to Griekspoor's credit if he can be next in that list. Sobering times While the championship recaptured its proud place in the calendar, it couldn’t do anything to change the sad and unsettling story that Indian tennis has become. Not one singles player was ranked high enough to make the main draw on merit and the three direct entries — Mukund Sasikumar, Sumit Nagal and Manas Dhamne — were ali wildcards. Ramkumar Ramanathan, the fourth player, made it through the qualify- ing phase. But not one of them won a round. Dhamne, admittedly, was playing his first- ever Tour match and is all of 15. But the rest didn’t cover themselves in glory. That no Indian is ranked in the ATP singles top-300 tellsthe storyand the Australian Open sawa new low when no Indian even featured in the singles qualifying stage. This has been accompanied by the troubling trend of Indians increasingly shifting to doubles, with even Yuki Bham- bri, the winner of 2009 Australian Open ju- nior singles title and one of India’s best talents, making the switch. Two others in Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Sriram Balaji, ‘who got into the Pune doubles draw as al- ternates, made an admirable run to the final before losing to the Belgian pair of Sander Gille and Joran Viiegen. One cannot begrudge their desire to prolong their respective careers and be fin- ancially self-sufficient, for tennis isa taxing and monetarily draining sport. But it does question a nation’s priorities, like India's which has a storied past, for no country’s worth as a tennis nation is decided by doubles success. Self-belief The contrast with Griekspoor and the Netherlands couldn’t be starker. The 26- year-old was the first men’s singles hard- Court titlist from his country since Sjeng Schalken ~ the losing semifinalist to Pete Sampras at the 2002 U.S. Open — in Stock- holm in 2001. In fact, when Tim van Rijthoven — who also competed in Pune — won the grass title at home in ‘s-Hertogenbosch last June as a wild card entrant, mowing past the likes of Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Medvedev, it was the first Tour-level trophy for a Dutchman for 10 years on any surface. When Griekspoor was asked if he, van Rijthoven and Botic van de Zandschulp — the second seed in Pune — were inspired by the likes of 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek and 2003 French Open fi- nalist Martin Verkerk, the answer was i structive, “That's quite a long time ago,” Griekspoor said. “We just believe in ourselves.” It is this confidence and optimism that tournaments in India were supposed to kindle among home players, but that hasn’t quite happened. At the start of 2022, across reonuanv 4.2082 SPORSTARthe ATP 250 Tata Open Maharashtra and two ATP Challenger 80s in Bengaluru, In- dian singles players won a total of two ‘matches. Starting February 13, Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune are scheduled to host ATP Challenger 100 tournaments in back- to-back weeks. Similar results as last year will call into question the very conduct of such events. But Prashant Sutar, tournament dir~ ector of the Tata Open Maharashtra, and Sunder Iyer, joint-secretary of the All India Tennis Association and secretary of the Ma- harashtra State Lawn Tennis Association, believe tournaments of high pedigree do have a place in India’s tennis calendar, re- gardless of the immediate returns for home players. If India is to be taken seriously as a global tennis destination, such competi- tions are vital, they attest. sponse reamunev 2003 “Itisa process. Lots of countries host big ATP events, but how many players from their own countries are at the top?" asked Sutar. “But people who have played here are almost at the top in doubles. But unfortu- nately in singles they haven't been able to take the home crowd support and go for- ward. But the quality of players is improving.” ‘The contract of Tata Open Maharashtra with RISE Worldwide (formerly IMG Reli- ance) is also up for renewal and there is still no clarity on whether it would remain in Pune, or move cities within India orbe taken out of the country altogether. Though the Maharashtra government seems keen to keep the event within its borders and showcase its worth as a tennis- loving region, Indian stars emerging is cru- cial for the long-term health. It always takes two to tango. 8 “Rankings as on January 1. 53YEAR GONE BY CRICKET IN REVIEW In 2022, England dared to change the way Test matches are played. Success in red-ball and white-ball cricket made it a year to remember. ad oi AYAN ACHARYA rom England’s attacking brand of Test cricket scaling new heights to India mulling a reboot of its ‘120 mindset and Australia reaf- firming its hegemony in women’s cricket, 2022 brought joy, ecstasy, hurt and intrigue in equal measure. It felt like a lifetime of ‘what ifs’ and “if # onlys’ for the Indian cricket fan. The per- formance of the men’s team was dominated by a thrilling face-off with arch-rival Pakistan and an inventiveness of a kind from Suryakumar Yadav that earned him comparisons to AB de Villiers. It seems he can go toe-to-toe with the South African great not only on talent but also on out- eonuanv 2009 SPOMSTARrageous shot-making abilities. ‘The team results, by contrast, were un- derwhelming. An early exit at the Asia Cup in the UAE was followed by a stunning 10- wicket defeat to England in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup in Australia. The year had begun, too, with a sobering Test series loss in South Africa. ‘Meanwhile, the women finished fifth in the ODI World Cup and lost a home 201 Sora Fesmusny 4.2003 ies to Australia. The highlights were spirited run to the final of the Common- wealth Games in Birmingham, a 3-0 ODI series win in England, and a seventh Asia Cup title. Two of women’s cricket’s most illustrious stars — Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj — retired in 2022. Indian domestic cricketers had reasons tocelebrateas Ranji Trophy returned after a COVID-19 induced hiatus. The 2022 season Revolutionaries: England has profited spectacularly with its new approach to Test cricket. Here, captain Ben Stokes (left) and Brendon McCullum, who are at the vanguard of this change, celebrate winning the first Test in Rawalpindi of a three-Test series against Pakistan, England went on to become the first visiting team to Pakistan to win three matches in a series. Gerry maces 55YEAR GONE BY CRICKET IN REVIEW Unforgettable night: Virat Kohti hits a six against Pakistan during the 720 World Cup. Kohli proved to be the difference between the two sides ~ thanks to his innings, this match was perhaps the most exciting match of the competition. a> 56 was held over two phases. The first featured 38 teams and 57 matches between February 10 and March 15. The knockouts were held in the second phase, after IPL 2022; it eom- prised seven matches between May 30 and June 26. Madhya Pradesh beat Mumbai to win the Ranji Trophy last season. However, the 2022-25 season will run for 10weeksand has been split into two categories ~ plate and elite. Headline act That said, the headline act remained Virat Kohli’s mesmerising 53-ball 82 in a 720 World Cup win against Pakistan in front of 90,293 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The performance could not have been more perfectly executed nor more dra- matically delivered The last year was also when England dared to change the way Test matches are played, It started with a calamitous 0-4 Ashes series defeat which culminated in Chris Silverwood leaving as head coach and Ashley Giles stepping down as director of cricket. But when curtains were drawn on the year, England, on its first Test tour of Pakistan in 17 years, became the first visit- ing team to win three matches in a series. It capped off a incredible transformation un- der new Test captain Ben Stokes and new head coach Brendon MeCullum who have introduced to England an aggressive brand of red-ball cricket. In Rawalpindi, England became the first Test team ever to score 500 runs on the first day of a Test series. ‘And to top it all, the Three Lions also became the first team to hold both white- ball world titles at the same time following second T20 World Cup win Down Under. Controversy The Indian women’s team was in the middle of a controversy when Deepti Sharma stopped in her delivery stride to run out Charlie Dean at the non-striker's end and thereby ensure a 3-0 series victory over England. Dean left the field in tears and the dismissal, though divisive, was well within the laws of the game. ‘The year was a mixed bag for Australian men’s team, It claimed a 115-run victory in the third and final Test in Lahore to win its first series in Pakistan in almost 25 years, but failed spectacularly to defend the T20 World Cup title at home. Pat Cummins and his menalso earned plaudits for completing the tour of Sri Lanka even as the country’s crippling economic crisis threatened to throw a spanner in the works. The women added sheen to the title cabinet with its record seventh ODI World Cup win and a Commonwealth Games gold medal. ‘The Pakistan men’s team made it to the final of the T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup, but couldn’t win either title, Pakistan’s 0-3 Test series defeat to England at home re- mains its lowest point. The New Zealand men’s team had an average year. Its 89-run win over Australia in the opening game of the Super 12s in the ‘720 World Cup was ts lone highlight. It was its first victory against Australia in Australia since 2011. The women had a disappointing campaign at home in the ODI World Cup, but put on a brave show to beat England and win the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games. reonuav 4.2002 SPORSTARFaltering on the big stage again On the other hand, South Afriea crashed out of the men’s T20 World Cup after losing its final group match to the Netherlands, resulting in the end of Mark Boucher’s term. as the head coach. However, it was not all doom and gloom for the Proteas, who had beaten India2-1 fora famous Test series win at home. Elsewhere, Bangladesh's men’s team pulled off an eight-wicket Test win against New Zealand in New Zealand for the first time in its history, while West Indies, the two-time world champion, did not even qualify for the Super 12s of the T20 World Cup. West Indies limited-overs captain Kieron Pollard retired from international cricket in April, accentuating a gaping hole in the once-feared Caribbean T20 setup. It was a good year for Afghanistan, which trumped Sri Lanka ~ the eventual champion - and Bangladesh to top Group B in the first round of the Asia Cup in the UAE. Zimbabwe won hearts at the T20 World Cup, where Sikandar Raza’s three wickets in five balls helped it clinch a famous win over Pakistan. Zimbabwe also beat Bangladesh in an ODI series for the first time since 2013, and won an ODI in Australia for the first time. Sorrsa eesauAny 4.2003 New competitions for women ‘The year 2023 is expected tobe a signi- ficant one for women’s cricket. The first- ever U-19 Womien’s World Cup and the Wo- men’s T20 World Cup will be held; these competitions will be followed by the inaug- ural editions of the Women’s IPL and the PSL. The final of the ongoing ICC men’s World Test Championship will be held at The Oval in June 2023, with the Border- Gavaskar Trophy between India and Aus- tralia likely to decide the two finalists. It remains to be seen whether the 2023 Asia Cup will be held in Pakistan. Jay Shah, secretary of the BCCI and president of the Asia Cricket Council (ACO), said that the Asia Cup needs to be moved to a neutral venue. The Pakistan Cricket Board respon- ded with “surprise and disappointment,” claiming Shah had acted “unilaterally.” The two sides do not meet outside international tournaments because of strained political relations. Pakistan is due to host its first Asia Cup since 2008 before India hosts the men’s 50-over World Cup in October and November. Needless to say, fans can expecta steady diet of men’s and women’s cricket with a plethora of silverware at stake. & Final chapter: Jhulan Goswami retired last year after playing for Indla for more than 20 years. The three-match OD! series in England in September was her tast india assignment. India won the series 3-0. Here, she celebrates after dismissing Kate Cross in the third and final match of the series at Lord's, cerry maces 57ON THE WRITE LINE SUNIL GAVASKAR A wake-up call for speedsters on the road Rishabh Pant's accident drove home the point that it need not be your error that causes a calamity involving you ‘on Indian roads. 58 ishabh Pant’s lucky escape is a good wake up call for youngsters who get their thrill by speeding. ‘The one thing to remember in In- dia is that however good you are asa driver, others may not be as good, and it’s their mistake which can cause an accident. Pant suggests, according to reports, that he tried to avoid a pothole, and so the car swerved and the accident happened. That's another aspect of driving in India. The qual- ity of roads is not always the best, meaning an accident can happen any time. While travelling to and from the T20 game in Pune recently, we found that there are many miles of road that are bumpy even on the famed Mumbai-Pune exptessway. So if a person is speeding, there’s every possibility of the driver losing control due to the un- even surface, and the accident can happen any time. Sadly, road deaths are hardly ever taken seriously unless they happen closer tohome to one’s near and dear ones. There’s hardly any accountability for the road contractor and he continues to get his “benefit match’ over and over again. ‘The other concerning factor is that driv- ing licenses are given without adequate checks. Our driving schools are a joke. Most schools are interested in churning out so- called drivers. This is not simply about driv- ing straight or reversing properly and park- ing correctly. It is about being able to read road signs and to drive accordingly. Most long-distance drivers have not been to school, and so are unable to read or write. They are also under the pressure of delivering their goods on time, and so usu- ally don't mind taking shortcuts and ignor- ing road signs and traffic signals. With more and more powerful engine cars coming on the Indian roads, it is tantamount to hand- ingallethal weapon to those who don’t know how to drive correctly. Even simple norms like usingan indicator for turning or switch- ig lanes aren't practised when all it re- quires isa flick of the finger. Disregard for rules Try standing at a traffic signal on the road on any given day and you will find that trafficrulesare broken mostly by the profes- sional drivers, regardless of whether they are driving corporate vehicles or public vehicles. Seeing the number of deaths and near fatal accidents on Indian roads as the com- missioner for Road Safety World Series has brought out this rant, I am not even talking about those who barely survive and are physically challenged for the rest of their lives. ‘They say that New York City, which was, in the 1970s and 80s considered the crime reomuanv 4.2082 SPORSTARcapital of the world, became a safer city when the then mayor brought in a zero- tolerance policy for even the most minor traffic offences, Itis hoped that this policy is implemented in India. It would certainly go a Jong way in having more responsible mo- torists on the roads. Hopefully, young Rishabh will recover quickly and be back in action sooner that later. The government of India would then be smart ifit uses him as brand ambassador for road safety, and through him reach out to ensure that more and more drivers — especially the professional ones — become aware of the traffic signs and rules to reduce the number of accidents on our roads. There was another accident that happened, but this one wasat home to Salim Durrani. The 88-year-old genius — that’s sponse reamunny 4.2003 the only way to describe a player who could change the game with both bat and ball — fell at his home and broke his leg. Today, he would be bought for crores by IPL fran- chises. He, however, played cricket when there was no money in it, and so he is de- pendent on the BCCI monthly grant and some smaller ones from trusts like the CHAMPS foundation and _—_ other well-wishers. ‘The BCCI has very kindly given him the medical expenses for his treatment, which is wonderful. His expenses will be chicken fed when compared to what Pant’s will be, but make no mistake, during his playing days, he was as big a crowd puller as — or greater than — Pant is today. Here’s wishing both the speediest of recoveries. & Wishing a speedy recovery: Rishabh Pant being shifted from Max Hospital in Dehradun on January 4 to be airlifted to Mumbai for further treatment. He is all set to miss the Test series against Australia in March and perhaps even the IPL. pri 59Neck and crop: Kusal Mendis is bowled for a four-ball duck by Mohammad Siraj in Guwahati. The first ODI between India and Sri Lanka wasn’t one that Mendis would like to remember ~ earlier in the game, the wicketkeeper dropped Virat Kohli when he was on 52. Kohli went on to score a century and bag the player of the match award. Kohl's efforts with the bat took India to 373, its 18th highest total in ODIs: Sri Lanka, in reply, managed 306 for 8 in 50 overs, captain Dasun Shanaka scoring a century. arp Ensnaring the big fish: Wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav is delighted after Shanaka is bowled around his legs in the second (ODI at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. It was a low-scoring match. Batting first, Sri Lanka folded for 215, Kuldeep and Mohammad Siraj picking up three wickets each. India reached the target in the 44th over for the loss of six wickets, with K, L. Rahul, who batted in the middle order in this series, scoring a half-century. This was the 20th time that Kuldeep took three wickets or more in ODIs. a reonuanv 4.2002 SPORSTARplays an aggressive stroke en route to his unbeaten 166 that was the cornerstone of India’s massive total of 390 for 5 in the third ODI in Thiruvananthapuram. With this innings, Kohii’s tally of runs ballooned to 283 in the series, and his performances duly won him the player of the series award. Thanks to an excellent bowling performance, India inflicted a 317-run defeat on Sri Lanka ~ the biggest margin of victory in ODIs. « mMuRAL KUMAR Champion: The Indian team celebrates its 3-0 series win over Sri Lanka ~ its sixth consecutive bilateral series win at home, and the 10th consecutive series win against Sri Lanka. « MURALI KUMAR Sons eesauany 4.2003 8STATSMAN NUMBER CRUNCHING / MOHANDAS MENON Mavi in elite club ee paceman, Shivam Mavi, became the latest to achieve this against Sri Lanka in the opening match at the ‘Wankhede Stadium on 5 Jan 2023. For the record, five other bowlers have claimed a three-wicket haul on debut for India. ieee or more wickets by an Indian bowler on T20! debut ‘Note: Saini is the only player inthe above list to bowl a maiden 2 ‘The number of occasions when the sixth wicket pair or below managed to put on a partnership of (60+ runs in India’s latest T201 series against Sri Lanka, These two partnerships in Mumbai and Pune now occupy the first and third positions among lower-order pairs for India in T201 cricket. And on both occasions, Axat Patel was involved. Highest portnecshlne for the sixth wicket or lower for India in T20I cricket /Runs (Wt) "Against Venue Date Result’ Batting mara ea ener Vee eee a ee 5 The number of occasions India managed to sneak through a narrow win margin of four or fewer runs in T201 cricket, the recent one being the two-run win over Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on 3 Jan 2023. Both the one-run victories listed below have come in the World T20 tournament. India’s narrowest wise by runs in T20Is 6 The number of Indian players to appear in a T201 match for the first time after the age of 31 years. Rahul Tripathi, in Pune, became the latest to join this lis. It is no surprise that none of the below men- tioned players had a long T201 career. Four of them appeared in only one T201 match of their career, while Stu- art Binny managed to appear in three. Tripathi has so far played in two and could perhaps have the longest career in terms of matches among the Indian players who have been listed below. 2 reonuav 4.2002 SPORSTAROldest to make T201 debut for India Age Player Against Venue Date Result 38y-232d Rahul Dravid England Manchester -31Aug2011_—_—_Lost 33y-221d “Sachin Tendulkar “South Africa” Johannesburg 1Dec 2006. | Won 31y-309d Rahul Tripathi Sri Lanka Pune 5Jan 2023 Lost aia S. Aravind South Africa Dharamsala” |-2 Oct 2005, Lost Bly-44d Stuart Binny Zimbabwe Harare 17 Jul 2015 Won aly.20d M. Kartik ‘Australia ‘MumbalBS 20 Oct 2007 | Won ‘Notes: “Iewas the only 7201 match of their career for Tendulkar, Dravid, Kartik and Aravind. “Dravid made 31 in 21 balls with 3 shes in his only match, *The Johannesburg match was inda's inaugural T201 match. ‘The number of balls Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka required to reach his fifty against India in the second 1201 in Pune on 5 January 2023. This is now the joint second-quickest fifty by a batter but the quickest by an opponent captain against India in T20Is. Shanaka’s effort is also now the quickest by a Sri Lankan batter in this format. Quickest to reach an individual 1201 fifty against India Balls Batter Run (balls) For Venue Date Resutt Batting (Batting 19 Cameron Green 52(21) Australia Hyderabad (I) 25-Sep-2022 Lost 1 1st 20° Johnson Charles, 79(33) West indies Lauderhill 27-Aug-2016. Won Ast 20 Dasun Shanaka” 56*(22) Srilanka Pune Selan-2023 Won 6 Ist 21 Kumar Sangakkara®” 7837) StiLanka Nagpur ‘9:Dec-2009" Won! 3 Ast 21 Litton Das 60 (27) Bangladesh Adelaide 2Nov-2022 Lost 2 2nd 22 Heinrich Klaasen® 690) ‘South Africa” (Centurion 21-Feb-2018 Won! | 4 2nd. 22 Kusal Perera 66(37) Srilanka Colombo 6Mar-2018 Won 3 2nd “as captain + as keeper Quickest to reach an individual T201 fifty for Sri Lanka Balls Batter Run (batts) Against’ Venue Date Result Batting# Batting 20 Dasun Shanaka’ 56°(22) India Pune ScJan-2023 Won 6 Ist 21 Mahela Jayawardene® 65 (27) ~ Kenya Johannesburg | 4'Sep 2007! | Won | 4 Ist 2) Kumar Sangakkara’ 78(37) India Nagpur 9-Dec-2009 Won 3 Ist 22 Kusal Perera 66037) India Colombo 6-Mar-2018 | Won 3 2nd 23. Sanath Jayasuriya 51" (23) New Zealand Wellington WS 22-Dec-2006 Won 2 2nd 23 Tillkeratne Dilshan —-57(28) New Zealand (Colombo RPS 2-Sep-2009 | Lost 1 2nd “as captain +s keeper The number of batters who managed to register three or more centuries in their T201 career. ‘Suryakumar Yadav in Rajkot on 7 January 2023, became the latest to achieve this in the format. Interestingly, all his three centuries came in a period of fewer than six months. It has taken him only one year and 299 days to make his third three-figure score since making his T201 debut on 14 Mar 2021. Afghanistan-born Sabawoon Davizi, who plays T20Is for the Czech Republic, took two years and 264 days to register his three centuries. However, Davizi achieved his three centuries in just 21 innings, while Yadav took 43 innings and New Zealand's Colin Munro needed 35 innings. Batters with three or more T201 centuries 100s Batter For 1st100 2nd100 3rd 100 athi00 4 Rohit Sharma India 106 (Oct 2015) M18 (Dec 2017) 100 Jul 2018) MN" (Nov 2018) 3° Colin Munro New Zealand 101 an 2017) 109* (Nov2017). | 104 Uan 2018) 3 Glenn Maxwell Australia 145* (Sep 2016) 103* (Feb 2018) 113* (Feb 2019) 3. Sabawoon Davizi Czech Republic 101 (O¢t 2018) TI5* (May 2022). 117" Jul 2022) 3 Suryakumar Yadav India 117 (Jut2022) TM (Nov 2022) T12* (Jan 2023) ‘Note: month in which the century was achieved is mentioned in parentheses. All records are correct and updated until 14 January 2023 Sons EesauAny 4.2003 6FROM THE WORLD OF CRICKET 64 Perth Scorchers is perched at the top of the points table a month into the 2022-23 season of the Big Bash League. The team has won eight of its last nine matches (as on January 13). Andrew Tye, hye Richardson and Jason Behrendorff have been among, the wickets, while Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie have Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan threatened to pull out of the Big Bash League after Cricket Aus~ tralia decided not to tour Afgh- anistan in March for an ODI series given the country's decision to cur- tail women’s right to university edu- cation. On Twitter, Rashid wrote: “If playing vs Afghanistan is so uncom- fortable for Australia then | wouldn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable with my presence in the BBL. There- fore, I will be strongly considering my future in that competition.” Cricket Australia hit back at claims that it was inserting political mat- ters into cricket, saying “basic hu- man rights is not politics.” shone with the bat. The top two run-getters in the league so far are both of Adelaide Strikers — Chris Lynn and Matthew Short. The sideis currently thirdin the table. Meanwhile, in South Africa, MI Cape Town, Pretoria Capitals, and Jo'burg Super Kings got off to a ‘winning startin the inaugural SA20 competition. reonuav 4.2002 SPORSTAR‘Auction notes’ for Women’s IPL The BCCI has shared “auction notes” for the Women’s IPL auction registration system with State associ- ations. The base price has been di- vided into five categories — 710 lakh to 850 lakh. The deadline for registra- tion for the auction is January 26. Capped players — those who have played for India or currently have a central contract — can choose either 850 lakh, €40 lakh or $50 lakh as their base price. Uncapped cricketers have been given two options 10 lakh and 20 lakh. The auction is expected tobe held sometime in February. Viacom18 has won the media rights for WIPL for aperiod of five years and will pay 951 crore. South Africa avoided a 5-0 series sweep in Aus- tralia by securing a draw in the third Test in Sydney. ‘The team suffered a batting collapse yet again and was forced to follow-on after being dismissed for 255 in the first innings. Australia rode on centuries by Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith to score 475 for 4 declared. In Karachi, former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed Sons EesauAny 4.2003 rallied with the tail to nearly take Pakistan across the line in the second Test against New Zealand in a nail-biting finish, When play on the final day was called off due to bad light, the home team needed 15 nuns to win while the visiting team needed one wicket. The two-match series thus ended 0-0. Abhishek Mukherjee 65YEAR GONE BY FOOTBALL IN REVIEW Lionel Messi leading Argentina to the FIFA World Cup title in his fifth and final appearance was the highlight of 2022. Messi may have struggled at times to exert the desired influence with Paris Saint-Germain, but by dazzling in Qatar, he turned the year into a memorable one for himself and for all his compatriots. 66 AASHIN PRASAD ionel Messi was the centre of at- tention in football for nearly two decades, but in early 2022, things were changing. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland were tipped to take the baton from Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to form the next biggest duopoly in the world. Messi, 34, had moved away from Bar- celona to newer pastures, and was strug gling to exert the desired influence with Paris Saint-Germain, Was he mortal after all? By the end of the year, all such debates had been put to bed. In Qatar, he led Argen- tina to a FIFA World Cup crown, recreating his best hits from his youthful days in the legs and body of a 35-year-old. ‘The anticipation at the FIEA World Cup revolved around Messi. On his fifth and final appearance in the World Cup, he finally had the right formula and circumstances to lay his hands on the coveted title. In the pro cess, he transformed an otherwise unre- markable World Cup career into. legendary one. After his success on the international stage, Messi will have his eyes set on contin- ental and individual glory once again with PSG, with Mbappe and Neymar for compar King of Europe Real Madrid, which dramatically dumped the French giant in the UEFA Champions League, had a campaign like no other, becoming the king of Europe for a record 14th time. It was its fifth title in nine years and the first without Ronaldo. Karim Benzema finally had his time in the sun after reomuanv 2009 SPORSTARhis move to Madrid in 2009, powering the team to a domestic and continental double. His exploits earned him a maiden Ballon Or prize. Messi has staked his claim to win back the title of the world’s best player for a record-extending eighth time. Haaland’s move to Manchester City is viewed as the club’s key investment in its bid to extend its domestic supremacy into Europe. He has so far delivered on the prom- ise with a blistering start for his club (in terms of scoring goals). Arsenal's patient decision to “Trust the Process’ with Mikel Arteta has yielded dividends: the club has laid the marker to City in the Premier SPomTtAR seaman 203 League title race. The landscape of the English game might look different this year as the fallout from the failed Super League project contin- ues. The American owners of Liverpool and Manchester United — the two biggest clubs in the country — put their clubs up for sale last year. Saudi Arabia-backed Newcastle United has shown signs that it could be the next biggest force in the league — the club seems primed to break into the top four for the first time since 2003. Arabian knight Ronaldo's attempts to play the UEFA Champions League again failed with the 37- Can you hear me? ‘The anticipation at the FIFA World Cup revolved around Messi, and for once, he didn't disappoint. 4°YEAR GONE BY FOOTBALL IN REVIEW Promising start: New AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey speaks to journalists in New Delhi on January 7 during the unveiling of its roadmap for indian football. ‘Vision 2047 determines 1 key areas to focus on and sets out short and long-term targets. year-old bringing down curtains on the European chapter of his decorated career. Ronaldo's magicon the field seemed tohave gone missing last year. Now, the Portuguese great has secured a move to the less-heral- ded Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr on a three year deal; at-Al Nassr, he will re- portedly earn amind-boggling USD 200 mil- Jion annually. ‘The Arab and Asian teams used the World Cup in Qatar to showcase their qual- ity on the big stage once again. Morocco's semifinal run, Saudi Arabia's shock win over Argentina, Japan's wins over Germany and Spain, and South Korea's defeat of Portugal were all upset results that the tournament desperately needed to make it an event to remember. Elsewhere, the English women brought ‘home’ the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 after 56 years, winning a thrilling final against Germany. After her EURO success, Eng- land's Kiera Walsh became the most ex- pensive player in the women’s game when she completed a move to Barcelona fora fee of over GBP 350,000. The star-studded Eng- Jand, with Sarina Wiegman as manager, has the right ingredients to try and snateh the FIFA Women’s World Cup away from USA later this year. ‘The year 2022 saw tangible proof of the evolution of the women’s game. Attendance records were broken at the EURO final (87,192), Africa Cup of Nations final (45, 562), Women’s Super League (47,367), and the National Women’s Super League 2,000). The Champions League game between Barcelona and Wolfsburg broke the world record for attendance in any women’s ‘game — 91,648 people packed Camp Now to watch the game. Returning from the dead At home, Indian football came back from the dead. A temporary suspension was posed by the FIA on the All India Foot- ball Federation (AIFF) before it was reversed in time for India to host the U-17 Women's World Cup. A new president — Kalyan Chaubey — was elected, His administration has started 2025 on a positive note, setting out a reasonable long-term roadmap for both men’s and women’s football through the document ‘Vision 2047’, Bydoingtthis, it has separated itselffrom the previous administration’s short-lived legacy and its approach of trying to achieve qualification to major tournaments not by merit but by winning hosting rights. The team’s poor showing on and off the field in the Women’s Asian Cup and the U-17 Wo- men’s World Cup last year highlighted the problems with this approach. ‘The national men’s team qualified for the Asian Cup to be held later this year. It ‘could be Sunil Chhetri’s last bow at a major tournament in India colours. Chhetri, who has had his struggles in the last 12 months with Bengaluru FC, will want to make 2023 a year to remember for differ- ent reasons. & reonuav 4.2002 SPORSTARee Rata FEATURE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP Dejected: After the quarterfinal exit in the world Cup, Tite. the self-proclaimed humanist coach of Brazil stormed away, alone to the dressing room, his apparent act of cowardice prompted by the disintegration of his team ~ so balanced for so long but just not when it mattered most. neurers, Brazil’s stature has become fragile SAMINDRA KUNTI nd so Casemiro chased Luka Modric’s shadow for 120 utes. With so much space inbehind Neymar and Vinicius Jr on Brazil’s left channel, the defensive midfielder shuttled to cover the full back, which allowed Modric to master- mind Croatia’s quarterfinal victory against the five-time world champion, Here was the old master, grin and the wrinkles of a war- rior, doing what he did best — passing the opponents out of the match and out of the tournament. His grandiose last dance — one that de- fied the logic of physical fitness following prolongations against Japan — had tortured Tite, who fled the scene. The self-pro- claimed humanist coach of Brazil stormed away, alone to the dressing room, his appar- ent act of cowardice prompted by the disin- SoRIsia Fesmunny 4.2003 The 2022 World Cup was supposed to be Tite's redemption and Brazil's conquest of a sixth star, but rather Qatar proved anew disillusion. tegration of his team — so balanced for so Jong but just not when it mattered most. This World Cup was supposed to be Tite's redemption and Brazil's conquest ofa sixth star, but rather Qatar proved a new disillusion. It was above all deja vu — for Tite and Brazil, Four years ago, Belgium and Romelu Lukaku, playing on the right chan- nel, had shocked the Brazilians in a quarterfinal for the ages in Kazan, the graveyard of the greats. Tite was rattled, rebuilt, reinforcing the midfield, seeking a new balance, and blessed with a new gene: ation of talent shed the dependence on Ney- mar. A hiccup against Cameroon aside, Brazil danced their way to the last eight and then ithappenedall overagain — perhapsin an even more cruel, heartbreaking fashion. But the resuilt was the same and for all the criticism, laments and theories that fol- 69FEATURE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP lowed in a damning post-mortem. Brazil had crashed out again against European op- position: France and Zinedine Zidane in 2006, the Netherlands and Wesley Sneijder in 2010, Germany and their collective in 2014, Belgium and KDB in 2018 and Croatia and Modric in 2022, The causes? In chronological order: hubris, emotional implosion, pressure, fate, and loss of concentration. In isolation, all these reasons were perfectly acceptable, less so perhaps for Brazil, a nation that shaped the global game through Pele and the artistry of his contemporaries. They ce- mented the primacy of the sport, a nigh religion around the globe, and the World Cup, a global TV spectacular and one of the last’ cultural phenomena that bind humanity. Following Brazil’s golden epoch, cul- minating with those three delirious weeks in Mexico in 1970, the Selecao claimed the world crown two more times, but elimina- tion after elimination in recent times have made Brazil's status fragile: is it still the futebol nation? Have Europe and its indus- trialisation of scouring for, and developing, talent surpassed Brazil? Brazil can revert to type — appoint the next domestic coach, build on the genera~ tion of Vinicius fr. and attempt it all over againin 2026 ~ordoesthis moment require more reflection and a more incisive solu- tion? Some voices in Brazil argue in favour of a foreign coach to lead the Selecao to introduce fresh ideas and new methods, but those suggestions have, predictably, infuri- ated many domestic coaches. A brash Bolsonarista, Renato Gaucho rejected the idea entirely. He should know better. ‘At Flamengo, he was among the suc- cessors of Jorge Jesus, In 2019, Jesus arrived in Rio De Janeiro and tured the next 12 months into a victory parade, battering local football paradigms, winning just about everything, and getting serenaded by the Maracana — ‘Mister, Misteeeeeer’ — where fans are notoriously critical and ui pressed. It was the style and ethos of success that resonated. Flamengo played modern football, featuring a collective high press. ‘The notion of beautiful football in syne with modernity should be self-evident in Brazilian football. In reality, it’s anything but with coaches often applying a conser~ vative philosophy, under pressure from the media and supporters ‘The Portuguese showed it can be differ- 70 Disappointment: Brazilian players, are crestfallen after losing to. Croatia in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Have Europe and its industrialisation of scouring for, and developing, talent surpassed Brazil? ent, but he has been a tough act to follow — Gaucho never came close. Even so, this sea- son eight of the 20 top-flight clubs will be led by a foreign coach. Abel Ferreita stands out for his excellent work at Palmeiras. So why not a non-Brazilian coach for the na- tional team? The field of competent coaches Brazil is very small. In fact, itis hard to reomuanv 4.2002 SPORSTARfind Brazilian coaches in South America, let alone in Europe, reflecting perhaps the paucity of ideas that they bring to the game. yw, they are als space at home. However, the cultural resistance might president Ednaldo Rodrigues, a novice in the role, hasa crucial decision to take as the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup draw near: will he do what has never been done and trust a man born outside of Brazil's borders or run the risk that the next Luka Modric eliminated Brazil again from the World “up?EURO LEAGUES Napoli, despite its defeat to Inter, bounced back with victories against Sampdoria and Juventus and is on top of the Serie A table. n Action packed: Napoli’s Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen goes for a header against Sampdoria in the Italian Serle A at the Luigi-Ferraris Stadium in Genoa. arP Napoli bounces back SERIEA Inter’s 1-0 victory over Napoli after the World Cup break provided someunexpected turbulence to the latter’s quest for a first title in 35 years. But the Neapolitans were quick to bounce back and they did itwith the panache deserving of champions. ‘A.2-0 win over Sampdoria was followed by a 5-1 drubbing of Juventus, with the resistible duo of Victor Oshimen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia taking home three goal involvements each. The third-placed Juventus had no answers to the quicksilver Napoli side, which now has nine points cushion at the top of the table. The biggest win of the week though was achieved by Atalanta, which obliterated Salernitana 8-2, to put itself eighth in the league table. ‘While Roma sits seventh with 34 points, and AC Milan — which dropped points at Lecce — remains second with 38 points, the muddle-fest for European qualification spots might turn out to be the more exciting battle to watch out for, with Napoli looking set torun away with the title. ‘Sel eee LALIGA Real Madrid's shock defeat to Villareal reopened the door for Barcelona to take sole ownership of the top spot in La Liga. After dropping points to Espanyol, Xavi Hernander’s side was quick to regroup and proved its title credentials with a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in an ill-tempered clash, with both teams getting a red card each. Diego Simeone’s side’s remote chance for a title challenge looks all but extin- guished as it went on to drop more points at Almeria, where the team was dished out another red card. A change in the scenario was forced on the top dogs as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Real Betis set out to Saudi Arabia for the Supercopa de Espana. As ex- pected, Barcelona and Real Madrid marched onto the final, albeit unconvincingly, as both teams required penalty shootouts to clinch their spots. In the final, Barcelona pulled off a dom- int 3-1 win over its rival to secure its first title since Lionel Messi left. With the league reomuav 4.2002 SPORSTARtitle looking set to go down the wite, Robert Lewandowski and co will gather strength from this win, as it looks to recapture the title PREMIER LEAGUE Arsenal's Premier League title campaign received its biggest fllip, as it overpowered its North London rival Tottenham Hotspur 2-0, while its closest rival, Manchester City lost ground in its quest for a hat-trick of titles. ‘A Hugo Lloris blunder, coupled with a screamer from skipper Martin Odegaard was sufficient for Mikel Arteta’s men to seal the win and take an eight-point lead at the top of the table. Manchester United exacted revenge for the 5-6 defeat it received at the hands of its neighbour, Manchester City, earlier in the season, in a game which came to life in the final third, After Jack Grealish opened the scoring for the Cityzens witha header, United struck back through Bruno Fernandes, albeit under controversial circumstances. Marcus Rash- ford, who would then go on to score a late ‘winner, was in an offside position when the Portuguese scored, but was deemed by the referee to have not influenced play. sponse reamunny 2003 ‘This was Erik Ten hag’s side’s ninth win on the trot in all competition and it pushed the Red Devils one point behind City in the Teague table Elsewhere, Liverpool's efforts to recover from a flailing season received a shocking jolt after Brighton ran it ragged in a thump- ing 3-Owin, with Solly March starring with a double. LIGUE 1 Rennes delivered another striking blow to PSG's title aspirations, witha rousing 1-0 win over the Parisians at home. This was a club record-extending ninth consecutive win for Rennes. PSG, though, struggled to insert itself into the game, despite its all-star trio — Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe — back together in action for the first time since the World Cup. Earlier, Lens bounced back from drop- ping points to lowly Strasbourg in the game before, with a narrow 1-0 win over Auxerre, to put itself just three points behind PSG. ‘Monaco made a statement win after it thumped relegation-threatened Ajaccio 7-1 and is now fourth in the table, behind Marseille in third. Pranay Rajiv On target: Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes scores his team's first goal against Manchester City. United won 2-1 REUTERS B