Cricket

Ranji Trophy

Rajasthan coached by R R Jadeja won its second consecutive Ranji Trophy title by defeating Tamil Nadu at the MA Chidambaram stadium, Tamil Nadu on 23 January 2012. Rajasthan won the 78th Ranji Trophy on the basis of its mammoth 326-run lead in the first innings. Rajasthan declared its second innings at 204 for five at tea on the fifth day. Robin Bist of Rajasthan notched up 92 (185b, 13x4) becoming the only batsman in the Ranji season to cross 1000 runs. The short righthander became the first man in three seasons to breach the 1000-run barrier in a Ranji season, joining an elite club that now has 12 members. Bist became the first Rajasthan batsman to aggregate 1,000 runs in a Ranji season. The previous was Hanumant Singh's 869 runs in 1966-67. V A Saxena of Rajasthan was judged Man of the Match in the 78th Ranji Trophy final. The Rajasthan Cricket Association announced a cash award of Rs 1.31 crore for its triumphant State team. The BCCI also announced a cash prize of Rs 2 crore for the team.

Cricketers who scored 1000- plus runs in a Ranji season:

• 1415 – VVS Laxman (Hyderabad), 1999-2000
• 1280 - Vijay Bharadwaj (Karnataka), 1998-99
• 1260 - Wasim Jaffer (Mumbai), 2008-09
• 1089 – Ajinkya Rahane (Mumbai), 2008-09
• 1075 - Sridharan Sriram (Tamil Nadu), 1999-00
• 1066 – Dheeraj Jadhav (Maharashtra), 2003-04
• 1037 – Jacob Martin (Baroda), 1998-99
• 1034 - Raman Lamba (Delhi), 1996-97
• 1034 – Robin Bist (Rajasthan), 2011-12
• 1033 – Ajay Sharma (Delhi), 1996- 97
• 1018 - WV Raman (Tamil Nadu), 1988-89
• 1008 - Rusi Modi (Bombay), 1944-45

Tennis

Australian Open:

The 2012 Australian Open tennis tournament was played in Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia from 16 January to 29 January 2012. 2012 marked the 100th edition of The Australian Open which is the first Grand Slam event of the year. The tournament consisted of events for professional players in singles, doubles and mixed doubles play. The host broadcaster of the event was the Seven Network.

Australian Open Men’s Final Winner: Novak Djokovic

The 2012 men’s final went past the 2008 Wimbledon final time record, finishing after 5 hours and 53 minutes of play. It was the longest match in the history of the Australian Open, and in fact, the longest ever singles final in the Open Era in Grand Slam history. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic was the defending champion in the Auatralian Open and won in the final 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 7–5 against Rafael Nadal of Spani. He thus started the 2012 season as reigning World No. 1 for the first time of his career. It marked the 5th grand slam of his career and his 3rd Australian Open. It also marked the
first time that he had defended a grand slam title.

Australian Open Women’s Final Winner: Victoria Azarenka

Belarusian Victoria Azarenka defeated Maria Sharapova of Russia to win first Grand Slam title. She over took Caroline Wozniacki as the number one ranked player on the WTA Tour. She became the latest World No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association from 30 January 2012. It was Azarenka's 2nd title of the year and 10th of her career.

Australian Open Men’s Doubles Winners: Leander Paes (India) and Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) Paes won his first mens doubles title at the Australian Open and in the process completed a long-awaited career Grand Slam in the doubles.

Australian Open Women’s Doubles Winners: Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva (both from Russia)

Australian Open Mixed Doubles Winners: Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) and Horia Tecau (Romania)

Chennai Open

Canadian Milos Raonic won the ATP Chennai Open by defeating world number nine Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 7-6 7-6 in the final on 8 January 2012. Milos Raonic was named the best newcomer in 2011 after he rose from 156 to 31 in the rankings. Raonic slammed 35 aces on the way to his second career title in a rousing clash that lasted three hours and 13 minutes. Tipsarevic had won the opening set it was the first time in the tournament Raonic. Neither player was however able to gain a service break in the entire match, with all three tiebreaks ending 7-4. Raonic wasted two of the four match points he earned in
the tie-breaker of the final set before converting the third when Tipsarevic netted a forehand return. Raonic`s  biggest weapon was his booming serve.The victory fetched Raonic his second tour title on three final appearances after the triumph in San Jose. The singles final match also turned out to be the longest final in the history of the Chennai Open. Leander Paes lifted the Chennai Open doubles title on 8
January 2012. Paes partnered with Janko Tipsarevic to defeat Israeli pair of Jonathan Erlich and Andy  Ram 6-4, 6-4 to claim his sixth trophy in the Nungabakkkam Stadium. Paes had won the Chennai Open doubles title in 2011 with his now-estranged partner Mahesh Bhupathi. Paes-Tipsarevic split the winners’ prize-money of $21800 besides earning 125 ATP points while Erlich-Ram took home $11480 and 75 points.

Football

World's Outstanding Footballer

Argentina’s Lionel Messi was awarded the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or on 9 january 2012 in Zurich. He won the award for the third consecutive year for the world's outstanding footballer. Messi who plays for club Barcelona won 47.88 per cent votes and finished ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (21.6)%) and Xavi (9.23%). Messi becomes only the second player, after current UEFA president Michel Platini, to win the award for three consecutive years. He joined Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten as the only men to have won the prize thrice. Japanese midfielder Homare Sawa claimed the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or in the women’s category. Japan’s women’s team, known as the Nadeshiko had memorably claimed their maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup with a thrilling performance by defeating the USA on penalties after extra time. Barcelona’s coach Pep Guardiola was named FIFA Coach of the Year. Pep Guardiola was former midfielder of SpainThe winners in other categories are as follows:

Coach of the Year (women): Norio Sasaki (Jpn); FIFA Puskas Award:  Neymar (Bra); FIFA Presidential Award: Sir Alex Ferguson (Sco); FIFPro XI: Iker Casillas; Daniel Alves, Gerard Pique,
Sergio Ramos, Nemanja Vidic; Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Xavi; Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney.

FIFA Award

The FIFA Ballon d’Or was awarded for the second time in January 2012. The award was formed when the Ballon d'Or merged with the FIFA World Player-of-the-Year award in 2010 and is voted for by national team coaches and captains, as well as a panel of football journalists selected by France Football magazine. These awards were decided  after a poll in which the captains and head coaches of the men’s (for the two men’s football awards)  and women’s (for the two women’s football awards) national teams, as well as international media represent atives selected by French football magazine France Football, voted for candidates in each of the four categories. Each group’s votes represented one third of the final result.

Archery/Shooting

55th National Shooting Championships

Haryana’s Ajay Mittal won the gold medal at the 55th National Shooting Championships for shotgun on 1 February 2012 by defeating stalwarts like Sodhi and Athens Olympics silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore in the final. Delhi’s Sangram Dahiya finished second, followed by Rathore and Sodhi. Ajay Mittal’s younger brother, Ankur Mittal finished fifth and another  Delhi lad, Shayan Masood, sixth. Ankur Mittal also won the juniors’ competition, with Masood second and Andhra Pradesh’s Asher Noria third. Ajay Mittals’ father, Ashok, who combined with his sons to win the bronze medal in the team competition for Haryana too, behind winners Delhi and runners- up Punjab.In the non- Olympic women’s double trap competition, Bihar’s Shreyasi Singh won the gold with a score of 92 out of 120, breaking her own national record of 90. Army shooters Seema and Varsha Tomar won the silver and bronze medals respectively.Shreyasi also pocketed the juniors’ gold ahead of Madhya Pradesh’s Varsha Varman and Uttar Pradesh’s Malika Wig.

Squash

SDAT-WSF Under-21 Squash World Cup

Egypt defeated India 2-1 in the final of the SDAT-WSF Under-21 Squash World Cup on 5 February 2012. Marwan El Shorbagy defeated Ravi Dixit 11-4, 1 1 - 7 , 7-11, 11-7 w h i l e Ka r i m A b d e l Gawad bt Ramit Tandon 12-10, 11-4, 6-11, 11-8. However Dipika Pallikal manged to score a point by defeating Nour El  Sherbini 11-7, 4-11, 8-11, 14-12, 11-5. England defeated France 2-0 (Charles
Sharpes bt Lucas Serme 14-12, 7-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-6; Emily Whitlock bt Cyrielle Peltier 11-5, 11-7, 11-7) to finish third. After Ravi Dixit’s defeat, Dipika Pallikal fought hard to bring India back into contention by winning a five-game marathon against Nour el Sherbini. However, Ramit Tandon’s defeat dealt a blow to India. Tandon, who beat a much higher ranked opponent in the sefi final on 4 January had to do it all over again at the Express Avenue Mall against Gawad, who is placed close to 300 places above him in the world rankings. Gawad finally managed to  close the game 11-8 to win the match and the inaugural U-21 World Cup for Egypt.

Volleyball

60th Senior National Volleyball Championship

Kerala men defeated Uttarakhand 25-22, 25-22, 25-13 to win the National title for the fourth time, in the 60th senior National volleyball championship, at the Balbir Juneja Indoor Stadium, Raipur on 11 January 2012. Kerala had last won its men's title by beating Tamil Nadu in 2001 in Raipur. It repeated the feat a decade later after 72-minute final. Uttarakhand had first won the title in 2002. In 2012, lack of bench strength and ageing players led to Uttarakhand's defeat. Serices ranked third ahter defeating Tamil Nadu. Tom Joseph was judged the Man of the Tournament while Terin Antony emerged Woman of the tournament. The Railway women extended their hegemony by winning the 27th title by defeating Kerala 25-12, 25-14, 25-16in a one-sided final in the women’s category. West Bengal defeated Andhra Pradesh 25-23, 25-13, 25-18 to finish third in the women’s category.

Various

McDonald's extended Sponsorship Agreement

US fast food chain McDonald's in January 2012 extended its global sponsorship agreement with the International Olympic Committee until 2020. McDonald's signed up to sponsor the Olympics for a further eight years till 2020. It essentially means athletes and fans will be offered its burgers and fries in the official restaurants at Games venues until 2020. The value of the new deal is likely to be about $200 million
based on what sponsors have paid in the past. McDonald's is the seventh major company to agree to support the Games until 2020. McDonald's has been the long-time and valued Olympic Partner for
more than 35 years. McDonald's, an Olympic sponsor since 1976, began its involvement at the 1968 Winter Games when it flew hamburgers to U.S. athletes in the French Alpine resort of Grenoble after they reported being homesick for American food. It plans to continue its ongoing commitment not only to help fund the Olympic Games but also to support the Olympic Movement around the world and ultimately the athletes themselves. The agreement was signed at the world youth Olympic Games in the Austrian city of Innsbruck. The move will help boost McDonald's brand in fast-growing economies, with the 2014 Winter Games to be held in the Russian city of Sochi and the 2016 summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The 2018 Winter Games will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The deal is
set to expire in 2020 because IOC plans to review its sponsorship programme beyond that date to take account of developments in technology. The IOC received revenues of $957 million from its 11 leading sponsors for the Winter Games in 2010 in Vancouver and the Olympics in London in 2011. Atos Origin, Panasonic and Samsung extended their partnerships until Rio  while Coca-Cola, Visa, Omega, Dow, GE and Procter & Gamble signed deals until the 2020 Games. However Taiwanbased computer company Acer, the only leading sponsor that has not so far renewed its sponsorship. Under a longstanding contract, the USOC receives a 20 percent share of global sponsorship revenue and a 12.75 percent share of U.S. broadcast rights deals. Any new formula would go into effect after 2020.

Award in Memory of G.V. Raja

According to the draft sports policy  of the Kerala Government released on 11 January 2012, a special life-time achievement award, in memory of G.V. Raja, the founder-president of the Kerala State Sports Council is to be instituted. The award is to be instituted to recognise contributions towards the overall development of sport in the State. The current prize-money of Rs. 1 lakh given to winner the G.V. Raja award,the highest sporting honour of the State is to be enhanced. The scope of the cash awards now in vogue and given to medal winners of identified competitions at the National level would also be reviewed. A provision for disbursement of pocket money on need basis to sportspersons attending National camps from the State would be examined. A State  Sports Development Fund is to be set up to assist sportspersons nearing international medal winning standards by way of training abroad, engagement of dedicated specialised coaches and other requirements. The Fund would also be utilised in the running of specialised training centres, academies, Centres for Excellence, the establishment of the proposed State Institute of Sports and identified infrastructure projects.