Sports Current Affairs MCQs

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Former New Zealand all-rounder Doug Bracewell has announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket at the age of 35. He represented New Zealand in 28 Tests, 21 One Day Internationals, and 20 Twenty20 Internationals during his 12-year international career. Bracewell finished his international career with 120 wickets and 915 runs across formats for the Black Caps. He played a decisive role in New Zealand’s memorable Test victory over Australia in Hobart in 2011, their last Test win against Australia.

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Fourteen-year-old Amieyra Khoslla won the Gold Medal in Youth Girls (Under-17) at the 29th National Sport Climbing Championship (NSCC) 2025 held in Bengaluru from 26–29 December. She competed in the bouldering discipline, showing excellent strength, technique, and calm mindset. In the qualification round on 27 December, she scored a perfect 100.0, topping all four bouldering problems. The championship was organised by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) with the General Thimayya National Academy of Adventure (GETHNAA).

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The 44th Junior National Kho Kho Championship began at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium, Gunjur, Bengaluru. Around 1,000 young athletes from states and union territories are competing in boys’ and girls’ categories. Nearly 40 matches were played on the opening day. The tournament follows a league-cum-knockout format, with semifinals on 3 January and finals on 4 January 2026. 58th Senior National Kho Kho will be in Kazipet, Telangana (11–15 January), and 35th Sub-Junior Nationals in Kurukshetra, Haryana (31 Jan–4 Feb).

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National record-holder and Asian Games gold-winning Indian middle-distance runner Jinson Johnson announced his retirement at age 34. He is from Kerala and specializes in 800 metres and 1500 metres events. His career highlight was winning the 1500 metres gold at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games with a time of 3:44.72 minutes. He also won a silver medal in the 800 metres at the same Asian Games. In 2018, Johnson broke Sriram Singh’s 42-year-old men’s 800 metres national record at the National Inter-State Championship in Guwahati with 1:45.65 minutes.

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Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated the 47th National Junior Boys Handball Championship at a government school in Pitampura, New Delhi. The event brings together young handball players from across India, promoting grassroots sports development. It is organised jointly by the Handball Federation of India and Delhi Handball Association.

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Australia women’s cricket captain Alyssa Healy has announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. The 35-year-old cited mental fatigue and recurring injuries as reasons for her decision. She confirmed the home series against India in February–March will be her final assignment for Australia. Her final international appearance will be the one-off Test against India in Perth. Alyssa Healy retires as one of the most successful women cricketers and an eight-time World Cup winner.

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The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) launched the National Olympic Education and Development Programme (NOEDP) and reactivated the National Olympic Academy (NOA) to strengthen India’s Olympic movement. The decisions were approved in January meetings held in Ahmedabad. NOEDP is a national framework for structured Olympic education and development across all levels of sport. It will be implemented with National Sports Federations (NSFs) and State Olympic Associations (SOAs). The NOA will serve as the central institution for Olympic education, research, and athlete development. It will support athletes in education, leadership, values, and career transition.

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The 7th Para Archers National Championship 2026 was inaugurated at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Patiala, Punjab. It is a national-level para sports event showcasing top talent in para archery. The championship is hosted by the Punjab Archery Association under the Archery Association of India. It is supported by the Sports Authority of India. The championship is being held from 30 January to 3 February 2026.

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The 6th Badminton Asia Team Championships began on 3 February 2026 in Qingdao, China, with men’s and women’s national teams from Asia. India’s women are defending their title without two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, who withdrew from the tournament. Women’s team is in Group Y with fourth seeds Thailand and Myanmar, featuring Tanvi Sharma, Unnati Hooda, Malvika Bansod, and doubles pair Treesa Jolly–Gayatri Gopichand. Men’s team is in Group C with fourth seeds Japan and Singapore, comprising Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, and doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy–Chirag Shetty.

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Indian teenage squash player Anahat Singh became the youngest Asian to enter the PSA World Top 20, breaking Nicol David’s record. She achieved this after winning her first PSA Bronze-level title at the Washington Fire Open. In the tournament, she defeated world number 17 in the quarterfinal, world number 23 in the semifinal, and world number 10 Georgina Kennedy in the final (12-10, 11-5, 11-7).