Fifa appoints Fatma Samoura as first female secretary general

 Fifa broke new ground by appointing a Senegalese United Nations official as its first female and first non-European secretary general.

•  Fatma Samoura has no experience working in sports but Fifa President Gianni Infantino hopes that will help it try to regain the trust and credibility of the world.

Fédération Internationale de Football Association(FIFA) :

• Headquarters- Zürich, Switzerland
• Membership-  211 national associations
• President- Gianni Infantino
• Senior Vice-President Issa Hayatou

Vice-Presidents-

1.  Ángel María Villar
2. David Chung
3. Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa
4. David Gill
5. Alejandro Dominguez
6. Sunil Gulati

Secretary General -Fatma Samoura

Anil Kumble re-appointed ICC Cricket Committee chairman

 Former India captain Anil Kumble has been re-appointed ICC (International Cricket Council) Cricket Committee chairman for a second term of three years.

•  Earlier he was appointed as the chairman for his first term in 2012 and now he will continue to head the panel until 2018. 
• Besides, former Indian Rahul Dravid was also named member of the ICC Cricket Committee.
•  Former Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene also has been appointed member. 
• Former Australia off-spinner Tim May has been elected as current player representative and shall replace Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, who has completed his three-year term.
•  Three-time ICC Umpire of the Year Richard Kettleborough also has been appointed as umpires’ representative in the committee.

ICC (International Cricket Council) :

• Headquarters -Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Chairman- Shashank Manohar
• President -Zaheer Abbas
• CEO- David Richardson

AR Rahman becomes India’s fourth Goodwill Ambassador for Rio Games

Music composer AR Rahman accepted the Indian Olympic Association’s offer to become the Goodwill Ambassador for the Rio Olympics.

•  He becomes the fourth India’s Goodwill Ambassador for the Rio Olympics after Salman Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and Abhinav Bindra. 
• There was a storm when the IOA named Salman Khan as a Goodwill Ambassador late last month.
•  Rahman is well-respected across the country and bagged an Oscar for his music in ‘Slumdog Millionaire.’
•  The Olympics this year is going to be a very significant event for India as it will send its largest ever contingent – about 90 athletes – to the Games in Rio de Janeiro beginning August 5.

Shashank Manohar elected unopposed as ICC’s first independent Chairman

 Veteran cricket administrator Shashank Manohar was elected unopposed as ICC’s (International Cricket Council) first independent Chairman.

•  He was the sole nominee for the position and the ICC Board has now unanimously supported his appointment. 
• He will have tenure of two years.
•  ICC the international governing body of cricket is head-quarterd at Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Shashank Manohar resigns as BCCI president

 Shashank Manohar has resigned as the president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC).

•  The move has come in anticipation of Mr. Manohar set to be re-nominated as ICC chief during the governing body’s annual board meeting scheduled for next month. 
• However, with the ICC set to revert to its old rule of not allowing its chief to hold a post in his/her home board, Mr. Manohar has stepped down. 
• The deadline for filing the nomination for the ICC chief’s post is May 23.
•  The BCCI will have to propose Mr. Manohar as its ICC presidential candidate.

Mickey Arthur appointed as Pakistan cricket team’s head coach

Former South African cricketer Mickey Arthur has been appointed as Pakistan cricket team’s head coach.

•  It was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). 
• With this appointment he fills the role vacated by Waqar Younis’ resignation in April 2016 following Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup.

Pakistan wins 2016 Asia Kabaddi Championship Cup

Pakistan has won the third edition of the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2016 (Circle Style) by defeating India.

•  In the final match held at Pakistan Ordinance Factory Sports Complex in Wah Cantonment, Pakistan (defending champion) defeated India by 50-31 points.
•  This is Pakistan’s second successive win in the Asian Kabaddi title as they had won it in 2012.

Asia Kabaddi Cup :

• Kabaddi is a contact sport that originated in ancient India,
• Kabaddi originated in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where it is derived from group hunting and village defense.
• The Asia Kabaddi Cup has been held twice in consecutive years.

Leicester City crowned English Premier League Champion

Leicester City FC was crowned champions of the of English Premier League title for 2015-16 season without playing as nearest challenger Tottenham Hotspur FC.

•  They were crowned after its nearest challenger Tottenham Hotspur FC had 2-2 draw with Chelsea FC.
•  The draw placed Tottenham at second position and was not able to surpass Leicester City FC’s seven point lead at the top of the table. 
• This is the first time in the Leicester City FC’s 132-year history it became the champion of the England. 

Leicester City Football Club :

• It is also known as the Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester.
• They play in the Premier League, having been promoted as champions of the Football League Championship in 2013–14, signalling a return to the top flight of English football after a decade away.

Nico Rosberg wins 2016 Russian Grand Prix

German Formula One Driver Nico Rosberg from Mercedes team has won 2016 Russian Grand Prix held at the Sochi Autodrom in Sochi, Russia.

•  It was Rosberg’s fourth consecutive win in the 2016 season and overall eighteenth championship title of F1 in his career. 
• Russian Grand Prix was the fourth race of the 2016 season of Formula One in which total 11 teams had participated .

Formula One :

• Formula One (also Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of single-seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). 
• The FIA Formula One World Championship has been the premier form of racing since the inaugural season in 1950, although other Formula One races were regularly held until 1983. 
• The "formula", designated in the name, refers to a set of rules, to which all participants' cars must conform.

Natekar became first non-cricketer to become a member of CCI’s Legend Club

Badminton ace Nandu Natekar in April 2016 became the first non-Cricketer to be inducted into the Legends Club founded by the late Cricket Club of India (CCI) president Raj Singh Dungarpur.

•  Natekar was inducted into the club along with 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev, who became the sixth cricketer to be inducted in the club.
• The two, Nandu and Kapil were inducted into the Club’s legend group after consultation with the Cricket Club of India (CCI) president, Kekoo Nicholson.

About Nandu Natekar :

• Nandu Natekar is a former Indian badminton national champion.
• Natekar has won over 100 national and international titles for India in a career spanning 15 years.
• Natekar was the first Indian to win a title abroad, in 1956.
•  Natekar is a director of Natekar Sports and Fitness (NSF).

ICC suspends Cricket Association of Nepal

The ICC has suspended the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) in view of government interference in the board.

• In December, Nepal's National Sports Council (NSC) had formed an ad-hoc committee to run the CAN.
•  This happened soon after Chatur Bahadur Chand was elected the CAN's president in controversial annual general meeting - which was not attended by its then president Tanka Angbuhang - without the NSC's permission. 
• The Chand-led CAN faction then filed a court case, which is still pending, challenging the NSC's decision.
• In light of the ongoing court case involving the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and the Ad hoc Committee established by the Nepalese National Sports Council (NSC), which has led to a vacuum of cricket leadership in Nepal, the Board suspended the Membership of CAN for breach of Article 2.9 of the ICC's Articles of Association, which prohibits government interference and requires free and fair elections.

India to host 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championship

India will be hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships in Jaipur, besides organising the Asian Cadet and Asian Junior Judo Championships in September in Kerala this year. 

The Commonwealth Judo Championships was allotted to India, by the Commonwealth Judo Congress held on April 23rd at Port Elizabeth, South Africa. 

"The Commonwealth Judo Championships is the official event of the Commonwealth Judo Associations and being organised in every 2 years for Cadets, Junior, Seniors, Masters and visually impaired Judo Players. 

• This will be the first time that Commonwealth Judo Championships will be held in India.

Commonwealth Judo Championships :

The Commonwealth Judo Championship is an international judo competition, open to countries of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Kapil Dev to be inducted into CCI's Legends Club

India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain and one of the greatest all-rounders the game has seen, Kapil Dev, will be the sixth member to be inducted into the Cricket Club of India's Legends Club. This was announced by Legends Club president and former India batsman Madhav Apte.

Cricket Club of India's Legends Club :

• It was established in 2003.
• Legends Club is the brainchild of former Board of Control for Cricket in India president, Dungarpur.
•  It was formed along the lines of England's Master's Club started by famous cricket commentator John Arlott in memory of Jack Hobbs when cricketers and cricket lovers got together and spoke on different topics of the game.
•  The Legends Club honours famous Indian cricketers like Vijay Merchant, Vijay Hazare, Vinoo Mankad, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar.

New emblem of Tokyo 2020 Olympics unveiled

     The new emblem of Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Games was unveiled on 25 April 2016, featuring an indigo-coloured check in the design.

•  The logo features a circular Japanese traditional checkered pattern. Below the design are the words “Tokyo 2020” and under them the five interlocking Olympic rings. 
• The logo was chosen from a shortlist of four announced on April 8 after more than 14,599 entries were publicly accepted. 
• Tokyo 2020 organisers had to scrap a logo by Japanese designer Kenjiro Sano over its close resemblance of a theatre in the Belgian city of Liege created by designer Olivier Debie.

Olympics :

• The modern Olympic Games or Olympics  are the leading international sporting event featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. 

Rafael Nadal beats Kei Nishikori to win Barcelona Open for ninth time

    Ace tennis player Rafael Nadal( Spain ) beat the defending champion, Kei Nishikori( Japan ), 6-4, 7-5 to win the Barcelona Open for the ninth time ;equalling  Guillermo Vilas’s record of 49 career clay-court titles.

• He also has now won his first 10 matches of the European clay-court 2016 season.
• Nadal added this title to his trophy from Monte Carlo last week as the 14-time grand slam winner regains form on his favourite surface before next month’s French Open.

Rafael Nadal :

• Rafael "Rafa" Nadal ( born 3 June 1986) is a Spanish professional tennis player currently ranked world No. 5.
•  He is widely regarded as the greatest clay-court player in history; due to his dominance and success on the surface, he has been titled "The King of Clay".
•  His evolution into an all-court threat has established him as one of the greatest players in tennis history.

Salman Khan to be Goodwill Ambassador for Rio Olympics 2016

   

  Bollywood actor Salman Khan will be the goodwill ambassador for the Indian contingent at the Rio Olympics 2016.

•  The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had to choose between two to three candidates including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. 

 IOA have chosen Salman Khan considering he is more connected with youth and sport persons. 

Salman Khan will be the face and mascot of the Indian Rio Olympics contingent in Rio Olympics.

•  He will be part of the some of the promotional events.  
• This is the first time when a Bollywood superstar will be a goodwill ambassador for the national squad for such a big event like summer Olympics.

Rio Olympics 2016 :

• Host city  - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Motto- Live your passion