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Yearender 2021: Messi ends Argentina’s trophy drought, Neeraj Chopra’s golden throw at Tokyo Olympics, Rishabh Pant breaches Gabba fortress

Published

5 years ago

January 2, 2022

By Abhishek Kumar

2021 has been a year unlike any for sport and sports lovers and will go down as a memorable one in the shadow the virus. In sport, there are many moments that stay in our minds beyond the runs, goals and trophies. These moments remain etched in our memories forever. Many teams scripted history while they were on peak, whereas sportspersons across the world achieved unimaginable highs. In 2021, many people lost their lives, lost hopes due to the coronavirus pandemic across the world, but it was the sport that gave motivation and opportunity to the people to celebrate life. Nothing and absolutely nothing deterred the will and motivation in the sport even when the world, as we knew it, perished under Covid-19’s onslaught. From football, cricket, tennis, and the deferred Olympics, we saw many glorious moments. Let’s have a quick recap of 2021.

Messi ends Argentina’s trophy drought

Lionel Messi ended the trophy drought for his national team after Argentina beat Brazil to lift their first international title after 1993. This was also Messi’s first international trophy with his national team. Before that, Messi had led Argentina to FIFA World Cup final in 2014 and the Copa America final in 2015 & 2016. The year also saw the Blaugrana legend swap shirts and turn out for Paris Saint Germain.

Transfers of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos

2021 was also a very strange year for sports, as no one would have predicted that the captains of Spanish rival clubs Real Madrid FC and FC Barcelona will be playing for the same team. Yes, it happened in 2021, Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos both left their iconic clubs in dramatic exits and landed at the same club, Paris Saint Germain. While Portuguese legend and former Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo left Juventus after three seasons in Italy and ended up at his former club Manchester United, after a brief heartattack for the United faithful when reports said he was headed to the other Manchester team.

Italy win Euro 2020

After failing to make it to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Italy announced their comeback in international football in a grand fashion by winning the European championship. Manager Roberto Mancini engineered the Azzurri to their second Euro title after beating England, again tantalisingly close, in a penalty shoot-out at Wembley. The Italians steamrolled through the tournament which was marked by Christian Eriksen’s collapse for Denmark.

Messi winning his 7th Balon d’Or over Robert Lewandowski

This year the Balon d’Or was awarded to former Barca and Argentina legend Lionel Messi. It was his 7th (most) in his collection. However, the sporting world was divided over this year’s Balon d’Or winner and many described this as a ‘scandal’. German media and some English media including The Guardian declared Lewandowski as the stand out player of the year.

Newcastle United’s Saudi-backed takeover

The Premier League already has some of the richest owners in club football. But no one imagined that Newcastle United will be bought by the richest owners of all. Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund owned by Mohamed Bin Salman took over the Magpies. After the official announcement, Newcastle fans celebrated outside the club and in the city.

Pant’s Gabba breach

Until this year January, no team had beaten Australia in a Test match at Brisbane’s Gabba stadium in the last 33 years. The Gabba was an impenetrable fortress with its bouncy pitch and home-crowd advantage for the Aussies. But stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s team finally breached the Gabba fortress. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant shone bright in the match with his unbeaten 89. India went on to win the series for the first time in Australia.

Australia win T20 World Cup 2021

Before the tournament, no pundit had predicted that Australia would even be in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. England and Pakistan were the favourites to win the tournament, but proving everyone wrong, Aaron Finch-led Australia went on to win their first-ever T20 World Cup defeating rivals New Zealand in the final.

New Zealand crush Kohli’s dream

2013 was the year when India won an ICC trophy last time. Since then, the Men in Blue have lost in knockouts in various ICC tournaments, including the 2014 final defeat to Sri Lanka, the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy against arch-rivals Pakistan, and recently the 2021 World Test Championship final against New Zealand. The Kane Williamson-led Kiwis thrashed the Men in Blue by 8 tickets in the World Test Championship final at the Lords. All these defeats came during Virat Kohli’s captaincy. During his 7 years as captain, India had not won a single ICC tournament.

Chennai Super Kings adds one more title

India’s finest captain MS Dhoni once again led his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings to the title. Earlier in the 2020 season of the cash-rich cricket tournament, CSK finished second last on the points table, but in 2021, the MS Dhoni-led franchise became the first team to qualify for the playoffs. CSK handed a 27-run defeat to Eoin Morgan’s Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021 final to clinch the title for the 4th time.

Ajaz Patel’s rare feat

India defeated New Zealand in the Mumbai Test match and won the series, but it was New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel who stole the limelight. The 33-year-old Patel took all 10 wickets in a Test match innings and equalled the record of Anil Kumble and Jim Laker.

BCCI’s Kohli nama

2021 didn’t end on a positive note for Virat Kohli. After India’s poor performance in the T20 World Cup, he voluntarily stepped down from T20I captaincy. But Virat was sacked by the BCCI from the ODI captaincy. Reports suggest the BCCI had given him a 48-hour ultimatum to resign from ODI captaincy. But the 33-year-old claimed he was informed 90 minutes prior to India’s team selection for the South Africa tour. BCCI appointed Rohit Sharma as the new captain to lead the Indian side in white-ball cricket. BCCI boss Sourav Ganguly has since then ducked the fast-rising Kohli bouncer with great elan.

Neeraj Chopra’s golden throw at Tokyo Olympics 2020

In a nation beset with vegetarian-loving people, winning a javelin throw gold at the Olympics is special. The 24-year-old Haryana boy scripted history at the Tokyo Olympics and won the first-ever gold medal in the track and field category for India. Chopra delivered on the biggest stage by throwing his javelin farthest (87.58 m). He became the second Indian to win an individual gold in the Olympics after shooter Abhinav Bindra in the Beijing Olympics 2008.

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai and the CPC

Former World no. 1 doubles Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai accused Zhang Gaoli, China’s former vice-premier, of sexual assault. The news spread like wildfire in the whole world, but she reportedly went missing. Concerned over her whereabouts took the sports fraternity by storm. However, a few weeks later a Chinese website claimed that the allegation was false and Peng Shuai is ok. The Communist Party of China seems to have blanked out all traces of the story now.

Medvedev shatters Djokovic’s dream of Grand Slam

In tennis, 2021 belonged to 20-times Grand Slam title winner, Serbian Novak Djokovic. The 34-year-old went on to win three of the 4 Grand Slam titles of the year, the Wimbledon, Australia Open, French Open. However, his dream to win all 4 titles to complete his Grand Slam was shattered by Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, who clinched his first-ever Grand Slam at the US Open.

Emma Raducanu fairytale at US Open

No one knew who Emma Raducanu was until she created history for England at US Open 2021. She became the first and only player to win the Grand Slam title as a qualifier. The 18-year-old also became the first British woman to win a Grand Slam title in 44 years.

Max Verstappen’s last-lap victory to win Formula 1 title

In one of the most dramatic finishes in Formula One history, Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Pix with his insane final lap over former champion Lewis Hamilton. Not all were convinced but Verstappen did win the chequered flag!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt_eSSFIhHc&t=5s

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RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat says Gen Z protesters are our own people, not anti-national

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said Gen Z protesters should not be called anti-national, describing protests as a democratic form of dialogue and urging engagement with young people.

Published

1 week ago

August 6, 2026

APNLive Desk

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said members of Generation Z (Gen Z) should not be labelled anti-national merely because they participate in protests. Speaking at the Mumbai Conference titled ‘The Role of Youth in Uniting the World, the Indian Way’, he said young protesters are “our own people” and their concerns should be addressed through dialogue.

Bhagwat said that while protests are part of democracy, they should be carried out through democratic means. He also expressed confidence in the younger generation, describing Gen Z and Gen Alpha as more honest and receptive to the values of patriotism and public service.

Bhagwat calls dialogue essential in a democracy

Addressing the conference, Bhagwat said Gen Z should not be viewed as anti-national for raising concerns.

“If the Gen Z is agitating, they certainly aren’t anti-nationals; they are our own people, our next generation,” he said, adding that a sense of belonging and continuous dialogue are necessary to resolve differences.

He also said that while he would not discourage protests, democracy provides appropriate ways to express dissent.

Says protest is a legitimate form of dialogue

Bhagwat described protests as a democratic mechanism when regular communication fails to resolve issues.

He said that if discussions do not produce results, people naturally raise their voices to draw attention to unresolved concerns, calling protests another form of dialogue in a democratic society.

RSS chief compares Gen Z with earlier generations

Reflecting on generational differences, Bhagwat said today’s youth are more inclined to question authority than previous generations.

According to him, earlier generations generally accepted what elders said without questioning, whereas Gen Z and Gen Alpha seek logical explanations before accepting viewpoints.

He also remarked that he considers the younger generation more honest and said he would readily place his trust in Gen Z.

Remarks come after student protests in Delhi

Bhagwat’s comments come days after student protests in Delhi over alleged undergraduate medical entrance examination paper leaks. The demonstrations, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, resulted in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

When asked whether earlier dialogue could have prevented the situation from escalating, Bhagwat said that if an undesirable situation develops, there must have been shortcomings somewhere that need to be identified and corrected.

On pellet gun allegations

Responding to a question about the reported use of pellet guns against protesting students, Bhagwat said he did not have complete information about the incident.

He said he would need to examine the facts before commenting on what happened or determining where responsibility lay.

Cricket news

Ajit Agarkar’s future as BCCI chief selector uncertain amid Rohit Sharma ODI controversy, says report

Ajit Agarkar’s position as BCCI chief selector is reportedly under scrutiny, with a report claiming VVS Laxman is being considered as his successor amid the Rohit Sharma ODI controversy.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 5, 2026

APNLive Desk

The future of Ajit Agarkar as the chairman of the BCCI’s senior men’s selection committee is reportedly uncertain, with a media report claiming that the board is considering appointing former India batter VVS Laxman as his successor.

According to the report, Agarkar’s tenure as chief selector was originally scheduled to conclude in June 2026. However, he received a three-month extension from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). While another extension until the end of the 2027 ODI World Cup was reportedly expected, recent developments surrounding Rohit Sharma’s ODI future have complicated the situation.

Rohit Sharma’s ODI future reportedly became a key issue

The report states that discussions over Rohit Sharma’s place in India’s ODI setup have emerged as a major factor in the ongoing developments.

It claims that ahead of India’s three-match ODI series against England, there were indications that the series could mark Rohit’s final appearance in the format. The report further alleges that the Agarkar-led selection committee had discussed with the Gautam Gambhir-led team management the possibility of leaving the veteran batter out of future ODI assignments.

However, the situation reportedly changed after speculation emerged that the third ODI at Lord’s would be Rohit’s last match. Rohit responded with a century in that game, a performance that, according to the report, put both the selectors and team management in a difficult position.

BCCI secretary issues clarification on Rohit’s future

Following the speculation, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia publicly dismissed suggestions that the Lord’s ODI would be Rohit’s final appearance in the format.

“Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team, and he will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the scheme of things. In other words, the Lord’s ODI won’t be his last match,” Saikia told PTI.

The report also claims that some individuals involved in managing the Indian team do not favour Rohit’s participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup, though no official announcement has been made by the BCCI on the matter.

Review meeting yet to take place

According to the report, the BCCI had planned a review meeting after India’s tour of England following the team’s eight defeats in ten matches across the Ireland and England tours.

However, the meeting has reportedly not taken place. The Indian team has since travelled to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series without the scheduled review being held.

As of now, the BCCI has not officially announced any decision regarding Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as chief selector or any appointment of VVS Laxman as his replacement.

LATEST SPORTS NEWS

Harsh Singh, Asmita Dey script history with India’s first Commonwealth Games judo golds

Harsh Singh and Asmita Dey created Commonwealth Games history by becoming India’s first male and female judo gold medallists, while India’s boxing campaign gathered momentum in Glasgow.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

APNLive Desk

India celebrated a landmark day at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow as Harsh Singh and Asmita Dey won historic gold medals in judo, becoming the country’s first-ever male and female Commonwealth Games champions in the sport.

The twin victories marked a breakthrough moment for Indian judo, ending the nation’s long wait for a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Harsh Singh becomes first Indian male judoka to win CWG gold

Harsh Singh produced an impressive performance in the men’s 60kg final to defeat Australia’s Joshua Katz. The Indian judoka secured a decisive Waza-ari during the contest before holding his advantage to seal the gold medal.

With the victory, Harsh became the first Indian male judoka to stand on top of the Commonwealth Games podium.

Asmita Dey wins women’s 48kg title

Earlier in the day, Asmita Dey claimed gold in the women’s 48kg category after overcoming Canada’s Heidi Quach in a closely fought final.

The contest extended into the Golden Score period before the Indian judoka delivered the decisive move to secure the title. Her victory also made her the first Indian woman to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in judo.

Asmita, who hails from Belonia in Tripura’s South Tripura district, has steadily progressed through the national and international ranks after beginning her sporting journey in athletics before switching to judo.

Indian boxing contingent continues impressive run

India’s boxing campaign also gathered momentum, with several boxers booking places in the finals.

Preeti Pawar, Ankush Panghal, Jaismine Lamboria, Jadumani Singh and Arundhati Choudhary advanced to Saturday’s title bouts, ensuring more medal opportunities for the Indian contingent.

Meanwhile, Priya Ghanghas, Lovlina Borgohain, Sachin Siwach and Narender Berwal were scheduled to compete in their respective semifinal bouts later in the day.

Neeraj Chopra headlines evening athletics action

Former Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra was set to lead India’s athletics campaign in the men’s javelin throw final later on Day 9.

Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh were also entered in the event, while Tejaswin Shankar was due to complete the final discipline of the decathlon. Indian athletes Yashas Palaksha and Santhosh Kumar Thamilarasan were also scheduled to compete in the men’s 400m hurdles final.

Medal hopes remain alive

With historic success in judo and multiple boxing finalists confirmed, India remained in contention for several more medals as competition continued on Day 9 of the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow.