From England's World Cup glory to Simone Biles' gold rush - 2019 Sports Wrap

Here's a wrap of all the major happenings in the world of sport in 2019 - from England's cricket World Cup triumph to Simone Biles' stunning gold rush.

Published : Dec 31, 2019 17:52 IST

january 2019

Border-Gavaskar Trophy final match, Sydney [Cricket] (January 3 to January 7)

India and Australia draw the final Test as India lifts the trophy to win the four-match series 2-1 and retain the trophy. 

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AFC Asian Cup, Qatar [Football] (January 5 to February 1) 

Qatar wins the championship, beating Japan 1-3 in the final; India failed to progress from the group stage, having finished last in Group A with three points with two losses and one win.

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India tour of Australia ODI series, Australia [Cricket] (January 12 to January 18)

India wins the three-match series 2-1 beating Australia by 7 wickets in the third and final match to bounce back and seal the series. This was India's maiden bilateral ODI series triump in Australia. India also became the first country to return from Australia without losing a single series, having won the Test series 2-1 and drawn the T20I 1-1. 

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Australian Open, Melbourne [Tennis] (January 14 to January 27)

Novak Djokovic wins men's singles beating Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, whereas Naomi Osaka wins in women's singles beating Petra Kvitova 7-6, 5-7, 6-4.

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Defending champions Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas (fourth round) and Maria Sharapova (third round) respectively. 

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India tour of New Zealand ODI series, New Zealand [Cricket] (January 23 to February 3)

India wins the five-match series 4-1 with a 35-run victory in the final match in Wellington, bouncing back from 18 for four to reach 252 in the first innings.

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India women in New Zealand ODI series [Cricket] (January 24 to February 1)

India women win the three-match series 2-1, sealing victory in the first two ODIs. In the final match, Mithali Raj becomes the first woman cricketer to play 200 ODIs.

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February 2019

Pro Volleyball League [Volleyball] (February 2 to February 22)

Chennai Spartans beats Calicut Heroes 3-0 (15-11, 15-12, 16-14) in the final to win the inaugural edition of the tournament.

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India in New Zealand T20I series [Cricket] (February 6 to February 10)

India loses the three-match series 1-2, falling to defeat in the final ODI as New Zealand wins narrowly by four runs.

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India women in New Zealand T20I series [Cricket](February 6 to February 10)

India loses the series 0-3, falling to a two-run defeat in the final T20. New Zealand wins the first match by 23 runs and the second ODI by four wickets.

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Ranji Trophy final, Nagpur [Cricket] (February 7)

Vidarbha defeats Saurashtra in the final by 78 runs to defend its title. Vidarbha becomes the sixth team to defend its title, while Wasim Jaffer becomes only the fifth cricketer to win 10 Ranji Trophy titles. 

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Australia in India T20 series [Cricket] (February 24 to February 27)

India loses the two-match series at home – its first T20 series loss to Australia. Australia rides on Glenn Maxwell's unbeaten 113 to chase a target of 191 in 19.4 overs in the second match. 

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March 2019

Australia in India ODI series [Cricket] (March 2 to March 13)

India loses the five-match series 2-3 after getting off to a good start with victories in the first two ODIs. Australia seals the series with three back-to-back wins, winning the final match by 35 runs.

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Special Olympics World Summer Games, Abu Dhabi  [Multisports] (March 14 to March 21)

India (284 athletes) wins 368 medals including 85 gold, 154 silver, and 129 bronze medals.

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Indian Super League final [Football] (March 17)

Bengaluru FC wins the ISL 2018-19, beating FC Goa 1-0 in the final. Rahul Bheke scores the winning goal to hand Bengaluru its first ISL title. 

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I-League [Football] (March 20)

Chennai City officially crowned the winner of I-League. It defeated Minerva Punjab 3-1 on March 9 to seal the title but was given the trophy on that day. 

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Indian Premier League [Cricket] (March 23 to May 12) 

Mumbai Indians defeats Chennai Super Kings by 1 run in the final to win its fourth title. R Ashwin's Mankading incident involving Jos Buttler sparked a controversy. 

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Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Malaysia [Hockey] (March 23 to March 30)

South Korea beats India loses 4-2 in the penalty shootout in the final after regulation time ends with a 1-1 scoreline. Malaysia wins the third-place playoff, defeating Canada 4-2 in the bronze medal match. 

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Formula 1 [Motorsport] (March to December)

Lewis Hamilton wins his sixth F1 drivers' championship after finishing second at the US Grand Prix. The Briton is only one title behind Michael Schumacher, who holds the record of seven. Hamilton's team Mercedes wins the constructors' championship for the sixth consecutive time. 

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MotoGP [Motorsport] (March to November)

Marc Marquez wraps up the 2019 title with four races to spare, as he wins his sixth MotoGP title. Repsol Honda wins the riders', teams' and constructors' championships.

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April 2019

Masters tournament, Augusta [Golf] (April 11 to April 14)

Tiger Woods wins the 2019 Masters - his 15th Major overall and his first in 11 years.  The win comes 10 years, nine months and 29 days after his last major title at the 2008 US Open. For the first time Woods comes from behind in the final round to win a major. 

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Super Cup, Bhubaneswar [Football](April 13)

FC Goa wins the Super Cup beating Chennaiyin 2-1 in the final. This was Goa's first-ever trophy.

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Serie A, Italy [Football] (April 20)

Juventus wins its eighth consecutive Serie A title as it comes from behind to beat Fiorentina.

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Asian Weightlifting Championship, China [Weightlifting] (April 20 to April 28)

Jhilli Dalabehara wins silver in the women's 45kg [non-olympic] category by lifting 162kg. Mirabai Chanu (49kg) lifts a total of 199kg, same as the bronze medal winner Zhang Rong but the Chinese wins under new rules which came into effect in 2017-  under these rules, the competitor who has a lower clean and jerk result (that means higher snatch result) will be ranked higher in the classification of athletes for total lift. Jeremy Lalrunnuga breaks the youth world and Asian records in snatch, clean and jerk and total lift with an effort of 297 kg (134 kg+163 kg). 

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Asian Athletics Championship, Qatar [Athletics]  (April 21 to April 24) 

India finishes with 17 medals: three gold, seven silver and seven bronze. P.U Chitra (women's 1500), Gomathi Marimuthu (women's 800m) and Tejinder Pal Singh Toor (men's shot put) are the gold medallists. India finishes fourth in total medal tally; Bahrain tops with 22 medals. 

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Ligue 1, France [Football] (April 22)

Paris Saint-Germain wins the Ligue 1 2018-19 title for the eighth time with a massive 17-point lead over AS Monaco.

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Asian Wrestling Championship, China [Wrestling] (April 23 to April 28)  

India wins 16 medals which included one gold, six silver and nine bronze medals. Bajrang Punia won the gold medal in 65kg category.

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La Liga, Spain [Football] (April 28)

Barcelona wins its 26th La Liga – its eighth in 11 years – as Lionel Messi comes off the bench to score in the victory over Levante to secure the championship.

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Coupe de France final [Football] (April 27)

In the 2019 Coupe de France final, Rennes overcomes four-time defending champion Paris Saint-Germain 6-5 in a penalty shootout after the scores are tied 2-2 after extra time for its third title overall and first since 1971.

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May 2019

Diamond League, Qatar [Athletics] (May 3)

Daniel Ståhl (Sweden) is the highlight of the meeting with six straight discus throws beyond 69.50m, becoming the first man ever to deliver such as series) including a Diamond League record of 70.56 m. Caster Semenya (South Africa) wins the women's 800m in a meet record of 1:54.98 minutes and Dalilah Muhammad (America) improves the previous women's 400m hurdles record with her time of 53.61 seconds. 

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Premier League, England [Football] (May 12)

Manchester City wins final league game away to Brighton to retain its title. City matched its own record of 32 wins over a single season. Liverpool fails to overcome City by one point. 

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Coppa Italia final [Football] (May 15)

Juventus, the four-time defending champion, loses 0-3 to Atalanta in the quarterfinals. In the final, Lazio beats Atalanta 2-0, thanks to late goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Carlos Joaquin Correa, to win its seventh Coppa Italia trophy. 

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PGA Championship [Golf] (May 16 to May 19) 

Brooks Koepka wins by two strokes over Dustin Johnson for his second straight PGA Championship victory. He becomes the first player to simultaneously hold the last two titles of two different major championships (2017 and 2018 U.S. Open).

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FA Cup Final (May 18 – Manchester City vs Watford) [Football]

The FA Cup is the oldest football competition in history. The 2018-19 season of the tournament is its 138th edition. Chelsea FC is the defending champion, while Manchester United is the losing finalist from last year. However, both the teams fail to make the semifinals this time around. The last-four consist of Premier League and League Cup winner Manchester City, Brighton and Hove Albion, Wolves and Watford. City takes on Brighton in the first semifinal. A solitary fourth-minute Gabriel Jesus goal was enough to take Pep Guardiola's Citizens to the final. In the other last-four outing, Gerard Deulofeu inspires Watford to an extra-time victory over Wolves. In the summit clash at the Wembley stadium, Man City thumps Watford 6-0 to win its sixth FA Cup title, thereby completing a domestic treble in the season.

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Copa del Rey final [Football] (May 25)

Barcelona, playing in its sixth consecutive final and seeking a record fifth straight title, loses 1-2 to Valencia, which won its eighth Copa del Rey final.

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DFB-Pokal final [Football] (May 25)

Bayern Munich thumps Leipzig 3-0 in the final to win a record-extending 19th DFB-Pokal title, with Robert Lewandowski scoring a brace and Kingsley Coman the other goal.

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French Open (May 26 – June 9) [Tennis]

The 2019 French Open is the 123rd edition of the premier Clay court spectacle. In the men's singles event at Roland Garros, Spaniard Rafael Nadal defends his crown in style and wins a record 12th French Open title (18th Grand Slam in total). He beats Dominic Thiem in a repeat of the 2018 final to claim the top honour. Ashleigh Barty becomes the first Australian player since Margaret Court in 1973 to win a Roland Garros singles title after she beat Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova in the women's singles summit clash. The German duo of Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies win the men's doubles crown, while Hungary's Timea Babos and local favourite Kristina Mladenovic bag the women's doubles title. Last but not the least, Latisha Chan and Ivan Dodig become the first duo in Open Era history to successfully defend the French Open mixed doubles title.

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UEFA Europa League Final [Football] (May 29)

In the 10th instance of two clubs from the same association meeting in either the Europa Cup or UEFA Champions League final, Chelsea beats fellow Premier League side Arsenal in the 2018-19 Europa League final 4-1 to win its second title.

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NBA Finals (May 30 to June 16 – Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors) [Basketball]

The 2019 NBA Finals is contested between two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors and first-time finalist Toronto Raptors. The Warriors are the Western Conference champions, while the Raptors came out on top in the Eastern Conference. This is the first season in which some of the Finals games are played outside United States. In the end, Toronto beats Golden State 4-2 to become the first non-USA team to win the NBA title. Kawhi Leonard, who was named the Finals' Most Valuable Player when San Antonio Spurs won the championship in 2014, wins his second career NBA Finals MVP award in 2019.

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ICC World Cup (May 30 – July 14) [Cricket]:

The 2019 ICC World Cup is the 12th edition of the quadrennial tournament. It is hosted by England & Wales. This edition follows a different format as ten teams played each other in a round-robin stage which is followed by the semifinals and final. It is somewhat similar to the 1992 event in which there were nine teams. India tops the points table at the end of the league stage, while Australia finishes second. Host England and New Zealand complete the last-four spots. In the semis, England knocks out defending champion Australia and 2015's runner-up New Zealand beats India to set up a final that guarantees a new winner. The summit clash takes place at the Lords' Cricket stadium in London. On July 14, England wins its first Men's World Cup title after beating New Zealand in a thriller on boundary count-back since the scores were tied even after the Super Over. Kane Williamson, the Black Caps skipper, is adjudged player of the tournament.

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June 2019

FIFA Women's World Cup (June 7 – July 7) [Football]:

The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup is held in nine cities across France. The tournament consists of 24 teams split into six groups of four each. The top two teams from each group advances to the round of 16, while the four best third-placed teams also makes it through. Host France was eliminated by defending champion United States at the last-eight stage. England, Netherlands and Sweden join USA in the semifinals. USA beats England 2-1 in the first last-four encounter and 2017 Euro-winner Netherlands edges past continental rival Sweden in extra-time to make the final. USA, guided by player of the tournament Megan Rapinoe, wins its fourth World Cup after beating the Dutch 2-0. In the third-place playoff, Sweden defeats England 2-1.

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UEFA Champions League Final (June 1 – Liverpool vs Tottenham) [Football]:

Three-time defending champion Real Madrid is eliminated by Ajax as early as the round of 16. Liverpool overcomes a 0-3 first-leg deficit against La Liga champion FC Barcelona to qualify for the final. Tottenham, on the other hand, pips Dutch team AFC Ajax on away-goals to reach the summit clash. The 2018-19 UEFA Champions League final is contested between the previous year's finalist Liverpool FC and fellow Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. In the final at Atletico Madrid's home turf – the Wanda Metropolitano – Liverpool beats Tottenham 2-0 due to goals from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi to win its sixth Champions League title. Barcelona's Lionel Messi is the top-scorer of the tournament with 12 goals.

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US Open (June 13 – 16) [Golf]

The US Open is one of the four major Golf championships of the year. The 2019 tournament is the 119th edition of the major. Brooks Koepka of United States is the two-time defending champion heading into the competition and he looks set to win a third straight title at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in California. However, Koepka's countryman Gary Woodland puts up impressive performances in the last three rounds to claim his first major title. Woodland edges past world number one Koepka by three strokes in a stunning finish.

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Tyson Fury vs Tom Schwarz (June 15) [Boxing]:

In the fight in Las Vegas, Tyson Fury purposely backs up against the ropes and lets Schwarz unload, using head movements to evade strikes and generating applause from the 9,000 people in attendance. After being in complete control in round one, Fury finishes off the undefeated Schwarz in the second round by technical knockout to take Schwarz's WBO InterContinental Title.

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African Cup of Nations (June 15 – July 13) [Football]:

The 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is hosted by Egypt. This is the 32nd edition of the biennial tournament and this is the first-time ever the competition is held during June/July instead of the original January/February window. The total number of participating teams is also increased to 24 from 16. The event follows the same format as the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2016 Euro Championship. Cameroon is the defending champion and it is knocked out by Nigeria in the round of 16. The host and 2017's runner-up Egypt is eliminated by South Africa in the last-16 stage as well. Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria and Nigeria make the semifinals. Senegal and Algeria beat Tunisia and Nigeria respectively to reach the summit clash. Nigeria defeats Tunisia 1-0 in the third-place playoff, while Algeria beats Senegal by the same scoreline to claim its second AFCON championship.

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July 2019

Wimbledon (July 1 – 14) [Tennis]:

In the 2019 Wimbledon Championships held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, a standard tie break rule when the scores are tied 12-all in the final set is introduced. Defending Gentlemen's singles champion Novak Djokovic defends his title by beating Roger Federer in the final. Simona Halep has it easy against Serena Williams in the women's singles summit clash. Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah of Colombia overcome the French pair of Nicholas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin to bag the top honour in men's doubles. Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova win the women's doubles title, while Ivan Dodig and Latisha Chan claim yet another mixed doubles crown.

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Tour de France (July 6 – 28) [Cycling]:

The 2019 Tour de France is the 106th edition of the cycling spectacle. Great Britain's Geraint Thomas of Team Ineos is the defending champion. However, his teammate Egan Bernal of Colombia wins the 2019 Tour general classification championship. Netherland's Steve Kruijswijk of Team Jumbo-Visma bags the third place. The secondary points classification is won by Slovakia's Peter Sagan of Team Bora-Hansgrohe.

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FINA World Aquatics Championships (July 12 – 28) [Swimming]:

The 2019 World Aquatics Championships is hosted by South Korea across four venues. There are various events related to Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Artistic Swimming, High Diving and Open Water Swimming at the Championships. China ends the competition with the most gold medals and displaces 2017-leader United States (USA) at the top of the medals tally. China has 16 golds, 11 silvers and three bronze (30 in total), while USA manages to win 15 gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze (36 in total). Russia occupies the third spot in the table, retaining its place from 2017, with 12 gold, 11 silvers and seven bronze (30 in total). USA's Caeleb Dressel, with six golds and two silvers, and Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom, with one gold, two silver and two bronze, are crowned the swimmers of the meet.

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British Open (July 18 – 21) [Golf]:

The 2019 British Open or Open Championship is held at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. This is the fourth and final major golf championship of the year after the Augusta Masters, PGA Championship and the US Open. Francesco Molinari of Italy is the defending champion heading into the tournament. However, he finishes a tied 11th with a 3-under par 281 this time around. J.B Holmes of United States is leading in the first two rounds and Irish golfer Shane Lowry claims the lead from him in the third round and keeps hold of it till the end to win his first-ever major championship. Lowry beats England's Tommy Fleetwood by six strokes at the British Open.

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Pro Kabaddi League [Kabaddi] (July 20 – October 19)

The seventh edition of the 12-team Pro Kabaddi League is conducted in a double round-robin plus knockout format. The top six teams in the group stage – Dabang Delhi, Bengal Warriors, UP Yoddha, U Mumba, Haryana Steelers and defending champion Bengaluru Blls – make the playoffs. Delhi and Bengal make it straight to the semifinals as the top two in the standings. Bengaluru overcomes UP in the first eliminator, while Mumbai gets the better of Haryana in the other. The defending champ is eliminated after losing to table-topper Delhi in the first semifinal. Meanwhile, Bengal beats Mumbai in the second last-four fixture. In the final, Bengal defeats Delhi to win its first-ever PKL title.

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Ultimate Table Tennis [Table Tennis] (July 25 – August 11)

The third season of the Ultimate Table Tennis league in New Delhi features Dabang Delhi T.T.C., Puneri Paltan Table Tennis, Chennai Lions, U Mumba TT, RP-SG Mavericks Kolkata and Goa Challengers. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Goa make the semifinals. The home team overcomes U Mumba 8-7 in the first semifinal, while the Lions beat the Challengers by the same scoreline to reach the final. Chennai dominates defending champion Dabang Delhi 8-1 in an extremely one-sided final to win its first UTT title on August 11.

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CFL: Calcutta Football League (July 26 – September 29) [Football]:

Twelve teams take part in the CFL Premier Division A. After games on the penultimate match day, Peerless SC is in pole position to become the first club outside the Big Three (East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan SC) to win the CFL title since 1958. Peerless beats George Telegraph 2-0 in its final league outing, while the game between East Bengal and Calcutta Customs is rescheduled due to unplayable weather & ground conditions. East Bengal (EB) has to win by seven goals or more to snatch top spot from Peerless. However, on the later date, EB doesn't turn up and thus Customs is awarded a 3-0 win. This result hands Peerless its first-ever CFL Premier Division title and it also enables Mohun Bagan to pip rival EB to second place in the final points table. The title-winning team's forward Ansumana Kromah is the leading goal-scorer of the tournament with 13 goals.

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August 2019

The Ashes (August 1 – September 16) [Cricket]:

The 2019 Ashes cricket series between England and Australia begins in Edgbaston, Birmingham on August 1. The visitor Australia wins the opening Test match by 251 runs. The second game at the Lords' cricket ground in London ends in a draw. The home side levels the series at Headingley, Leeds, after a thrilling one-wicket victory. After the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, Australia takes an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series with an 185-run win. With this win, Australia retains the Ashes urn as it had won the previous 2017-18 Ashes series at home. Tim Paine becomes the first captain to retain the Ashes since 2013. However, England wins the fifth test at the Oval in London by 135 runs to draw the series level at 2-2. This is the first drawn Ashes since the 1972 series in England. Steve Smith, with a mammoth 774 runs and 12 catches, is the player-of-the-series and he wins the Compton-Miller medal. Ben Stokes is adjudged England's man-of-the-series for his 441 runs and eight wickets.

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Durand Cup (August 2 – 24) [Football]:

The Durand Cup is Asia's oldest football competition. The 2019 edition of the tournament begins on 2 August. The 16 participating teams are divided into groups of four each. The four group winners – East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Real Kashmir and Gokulam Kerala reach the semifinals. Gokulam Kerala edges past East Bengal in a penalty shootout in the first semifinal, while Mohun Bagan pips Real Kashmir after extra-time in the second last-four outing. The final takes place at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. In the summit clash, Gokulam Kerala beats Mohun Bagan 2-1 to win its first-ever Durand Cup title. Marcus Joseph, the title-winning side's skipper, ends the tournament as the top-scorer with 11 goals.

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FA Community Shield (August 4) [Football]:

The 2019 FA Community Shield is contested between Premier League and FA Cup champion Manchester City and Premier League runner-up Liverpool at London's Wembley Stadium. Raheem Sterling hands City the lead in the 12th minute. Joel Matip equalises for Liverpool in the 77th minute. The match ends 1-1 after full-time. Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum is the only player to miss during the penalty shootout as City claims back-back Community Shield titles.

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UEFA Super Cup (August 14) [Football]:

The 2019 UEFA Super Cup is contested between the 2018-19 season's Champions League winner Liverpool and Europa League champion Chelsea at Vodafone Park in Istanbul. Sadio Mane opens the scoring for Liverpool and Olivier Giroud equalises for Chelsea. The game ends 1-1 at full time. Mane completes his double, while Jorginho finds the goal that levels the score once again in extra time. Liverpool beats Chelsea 5-4 on penalties for its fourth UEFA Super Cup title.

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BWF World Championships [Badminton] (August 19 – 25)

The 2019 BWF Badminton World Championships is conducted at St Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland. Japan's world No. 1 Kento Momota beats Anders Antonsen of Denmark to win the men's singles gold medal, while India's Sai Praneeth wins the bronze. Meanwhile, P. V. Sindhu of India defeats Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the women's singles final. Mohammad Ahsan and Henra Setiawan, the No. 1-ranked duo from Indonesia, win the men's doubles gold, and the Japanese pair of Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara claims the women's doubles crown. Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong from China win the mixed doubles event.

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US Open (August 26 – September 9) [Tennis]:

The main draw of the final Grand Slam of the year – US Open – begins on August 26. Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka are the men's and women's singles top seeds respectively. They are also the defending champions. Both the number one seeds are surprisingly knocked out in the fourth round. Spaniard Rafael Nadal beats Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the men's singles final to claim his 19th Grand Slam title. In the women's singles event, Serena Williams reaches a record 10th US Open final, in which she loses to teenager Bianca Andreescu who becomes the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam singles title. Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah cruise to their second straight men's doubles Grand Slam triumph, having won the 2019 Wimbledon as well. Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka come out on top in the women's doubles category, while Jamie Murray and Bethanie Mattek-Sands clinch the mixed doubles crown at the Flushing Meadows.

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FIBA World Cup (August 31 – September 15) [Basketball]:

The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup is the 18th edition of the tournament. It is hosted by China and is expanded from 24 to 32 teams. The defending champion United States finishes a disappointing seventh after losing to France in the quarterfinals and to Serbia in the 5-8 classification game. Argentina, France, Spain and Australia are the last four teams. Argentina beats France 80-66 to become the first team to make the final. On the same day, Spain edges past Australia in double overtime to enter the summit clash. In the final, Spain dominates Argentina in a 95-75 win to claim its second FIBA World Cup title. Ricky Rubio of Spain is adjudged the most valuable player (MVP) of the tournament.

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September 2019

AIBA Men's World Championships (September 7 – 21) [Boxing]:

The2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships is hosted by Russia in the city of Yekaterinburg. 365 competitors from over 70 nations take part in the event. Uzbekistan boxers top the medals table with three gold, one silver and one bronze (5 in total), while host Russia's men finish just behind in second with three gold and one bronze (4 in total). The Kazakhstan pugilists win the most medals in total (6), with a gold, a silver and four bronze. Amit Panghal (silver in flyweight category) and Manish Kaushik (bronze in lightweight category) are the Indian medallists at the Championships.

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UWW World Championships (September 14 – 22) [Wrestling]:

The 2019 World Wrestling Championships is held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. There are three categories at the event namely the Men's Freestyle, Men's Greco-Roman and Women's Freestyle. Russia ends up with the most medals and points in both the Men's categories, while Japan bags the top honour in the Women's section. Overall, Russia ends the Championships with nine golds, five silvers and five bronze (a mammoth 19 medals in total). United States finishes second in the overall medals table with five golds and two bronze (seven in total). The Indian wrestlers bag a solitary silver and four bronzes in Kazakhstan. Deepak Punia wins India's only silver medal in the Men's Freestyle 86kg category, while Ravi Kumar Dahiya (MFS 57kg), Rahul Aware (MFS 61kg), Bajrang Punia (MFS 65kg) and Vinesh Phogat (WFS 53kg) take home a bronze medal each.

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South Africa tour of India (September 15 – October 23) [Cricket]:

South Africa's tour of India consists of three T20Is and three Tests. The first T20I in Dharamsala is washed out. India beats South Africa by seven wickets in the second game in Mohali, while the visitor makes a comeback in the third match and defeats India by nine wickets in Bengaluru to level the series 1-1. The test matches are part of the World Test Championship. India seals a 3-0 whitewash with a 203-run win in the first Test and two innings victories to follow that, thereby claiming full 120 points from the series.

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IWF World Championships (September 16 – 25) [Weightlifting]:

Pattaya, Thailand hosts the 2019 Weightlifting World Championships. Over 500 competitors from 97 nations participate in the event. Egypt is banned from the Championships due to doping offences. Eventually, Chinese lifters dominate the competition and occupy the top spot in the medals tally with 18 medals (10 golds, five silvers, three bronze). North Korea and Armenia bag two gold medals each. India's Mirabai Chanu puts up an impressive performance in the women's 49kg category. However, she misses out on a medal by a whisker as she finishes fourth due to a deficit of three kilograms.

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Rugby World Cup (September 20 – November 2) [Rugby]:

The ninth Rugby World Cup begins in Japan on September 20. Twenty teams were divided into four pools (A, B, C, D). The top two teams from each group in the league stage advance to the quarterfinals. England beats Australia in the first quarterfinal and New Zealand comes out on top against Ireland to set up a clash between the two sides in the semis. The other semifinal is between Wales, which beats France, and South Africa, which defeats host Japan. In semifinal one, England dominates New Zealand in a 19-7 win. South Africa wins the other last-four fixture 19-16 against Wales. This is England's fourth final, while it's the third for South Africa. South Africa beats England 32-12 in the summit clash to win a third World Cup title.

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FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers (September - June 2020): [Football]:

India opens its qualifying campaign with a 1-2 loss to Oman at home. India then travels to Qatar, 2022 FIFA World Cup's host, and earns a hard-fought goalless draw. Next up, India ends up playing a 1-1 draw against Bangladesh at home. India then holds Afghanistan to a 1-1 away draw. Last but not the least, India falls to a 1-0 defeat away at Oman, almost being knocked out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying round. India has three points from five games and it is placed fourth in Group E.

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Best Awards (September 23) and Ballon d'Or (December 2) [Football]:

Argentina and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi claims top honours in the men's category at both the award ceremonies, while Megan Rapinoe of United States (USA) and Reign FC takes home the highest honours in the women's division. The 2019 Ballon d'Or award is Messi's sixth in his career which is the most ever won by any football player.

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IAAF World Championships (September 28 – October 6) [Athletics]:

The 2019 IAAF World Championships is conducted in Doha, Qatar. This is the 17th edition of the global Athletics event. The athletes of the United States (USA) win the most medals at the event. USA ends with 14 golds, 11 silvers and four bronze (29 medals in total). Kenya and Jamaica are the only other teams to cross the 10-medal mark at the Championships. A number of records are also broken during the event. USA's Dalilah Muhammad breaks her own women's 400m hurdles World Record (WR), while the USA mixed relay team breaks the WR twice in a span of two days. Some Championships Records (CRs) are also shattered in the process. Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, who breaks the 1500m CR in a gold medal run, also completes an unprecedented double by bagging the top honour in the 10000m event as well.

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October 2019

AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships (October 3 – 13) [Boxing]:

The 2019 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships is held in Ulan-Ude, Russia. Home side Russia ends the competition as the only team to win more than one gold medal. It wins six in total (three gold, one silver, two bronze). China finishes second by claiming five medals (one gold, three silver and one bronze). India wins four medals (one silver, three bronze) at the 2019 Worlds. Manju Rani bags the silver in the 48kg category, while Mary Kom (51kg), Jamuna Boro (54kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) take home a bronze medal each.

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Eliud Kipchoge's sub two-hour marathon (October 12) [Athletics]:

Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge, the men's marathon world record (WR) holder, makes an attempt to become the first person ever to run a sub two-hour marathon. Vienna in Austria is chosen as the venue for the event. During the run, he is assisted by 41 pacemakers and a car in front of them setting the pace. He successfully completes the course in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40.2 seconds, thereby making good on a failed attempt two years ago in Monza, Italy. Since Kipchoge is not competing with anyone, this history-making record of his will not be validated by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) as a WR.

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WTA Finals (October 27 – November 3) [Tennis]:

The 2019 WTA Finals – WTA's year-end tournament – takes place in Shenzhen, China. Ukraine's Elina Svitolina is the defending champion in singles and she is seeded eighth this edition. Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic, the third seeds, are the defending champions in doubles. Svitolina once again makes the final after topping the purple group and defeating Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the semis. In the other semifinal, World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty of Australia beats Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova. Barty goes on to get the better of Svitolina in straight sets in the singles final. Babos and Mladenovic successfully defend their doubles title by defeating Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova in the final.

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2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships (October 4 - 13) [Gymnastics]:

The 2019 World Gymnastics Championships is the 49th edition of the competition. It is held in Stuttgart, Germany. Simone Biles of USA becomes the most decorated gymnast in the history of the Championships and she does it in style with a gold medal in the balance beam, her 24th. She also wins the gold medal in the floor exercise event to finish with five gold medals out of six events and takes her overall medal tally to 25, of which 19 are gold.

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November 2019

Women in West Indies ODI series (November 1 – 6) [Cricket]:

India wins series 2-1, winning the final ODI by six wickets. Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues hit contrasting half-centuries in the deciding third ODI.

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FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers- Women, Odisha (November 1 – 2) [Hockey]:

After winning the first leg 5-1 against USA, India losses in the second tie 1-4 but Rani Rampal's late goal makes the difference as India progresses to Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

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FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers- Men, Odisha (November 1 – 2) [Hockey]:

With 4-2 and 7-1 wins over Russia, India seals its ticket to Tokyo Olympics.

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Bangladesh tour of India (November 3 – 26) [Cricket]:

The series consists of two T20Is and three two Tests. Bangladesh beats India by seven wickets in the first T20I in Delhi to register its first-ever win over the home side in the format. However, India defeats the visitor in the last two T20Is in Rajkot and Nagpur. The first Test match takes place in Indore and India wins it by an innings and 130 runs. The second Test in Kolkata is the first-ever day/night Test for both the teams. India defeats Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs in the pink ball Test to claim another 120 points.

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Fed Cup Final (November 10) [Tennis]:

France wins its first Fed Cup title in 16 years as Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia win a deciding doubles rubber to beat Australia 3-2.

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ATP World Tour Finals (November 10 – 18) [Tennis]:

The 2019 ATP World Tour Finals – ATP's year-end tournament – takes place at the O2 arena in London. Germany's Alexander Zverev is the defending champion in singles and he is the seventh seed this time, while American duo of Mike Bryan and Jack Sock are not there to defend their doubles title. Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas beats Roger Federer of Switzerland in the first singles semifinal. Austria's Dominic Thiem defeats Zverev in the other encounter. Tsitsipas overcomes Thiem in the final to win the ATP Finals trophy on his debut. French pair Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut beats Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus to win the doubles trophy.

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Davis Cup Finals, Spain (November 18 – 24) [Tennis]:

Spain wins sixth world title defeating Canada in the final, 2-0. It is the Spanish team's first Davis Cup title since 2011. Rafael Nadal defeats Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 7-6(7); Bautista Agut defeats Auger-Aliassime in tie's first rubber.

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Equestrian Olympic Qualifiers [November 22]

Double Asian Games medallist equestrian Fouaad Mirza secured an Olympic quota after finishing as the top-ranked rider in his group in the qualifiers, ending a wait spanning nearly two decades.

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December 2019

South Asian Games (December 1 - 10) [Multisport]:

India records the highest-ever medal tally of 312 medals including 174 gold, 93 silver, and 45 bronze medals.

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Andy Ruiz Jr. vs Anthony Joshua II (December 7) [Boxing]:

Unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. takes on challenger Anthony Joshua at Al-Turaif, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The bout is a contractual rematch that was triggered by Joshua after losing to Ruiz at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 1, 2019. The encounter is officially termed as the 'Clash on the Dunes'. Joshua avenges the only loss of his professional boxing career by recording a landslide points win over Ruiz. Therefore, he regains the IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight title belts in the process.

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BWF World Tour Finals (December 11 – 15) [Badminton]:

The 2019 BWF World Tour Finals is held at Tianhe Gymnasium in Guangzhou, China. Japan's World No. 1 Kento Momota beats Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia in the final to win the men's singles title. Chen Yufei of China claims top honours in the women's singles category after defeating Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu-ying. Indonesian duo of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan win the men's doubles title, while Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan from China bag the women's doubles gold medal. China's Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong win an all-Chinese affair in the mixed doubles final to snatch the gold.

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President's Cup (December 9 - 15) [Golf]:

Tiger Woods' USA team dominates singles as they beat the International team 16-14 in Melbourne to win an eighth successive Presidents Cup.

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2019 FIFA Club World Cup (December 11 - 21) [Football]

Premier League team Liverpool wins the 2019 Club World Cup by defeating Brazilian club Flamengo 1-0 after extra time in the final at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar. Mexican side Monterrey beats Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia in the third-place playoff to bag the bronze.

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Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (November 8 - December 1) [Cricket]:

Karnataka edges Tamil Nadu by one run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final to retain the title, with Krishnappa Gowtham defending 12 runs in the final over.

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West Indies in India T20I Series (December 6-11) [Cricket]:

India clinches the three-match series 2-1 by winning the third and final T201 by 67 runs in Mumbai. India won the first match by six wickets in Hyderabad but fell to an eight-wicket loss in Thiruvanthapuram.

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West Indies in India ODI Series (December 15 - 22) [Cricket]:

India wins the three-match series 2-1 beating West Indies 107 runs in the second match at Vizag and by four wickets in the third and final ODI in Cuttack.

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Italian Super Cup (December 22) [Football]:

Lazio beats Juventus 3-1 to win Supercoppa Italiana for the second time in three years as Luis Alberto, Senad Lunic and Danilo Cataldi scored for Simeone Inzaghi's men in Riyadh.

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Women's World Rapid Chess Championship (December 28) [Chess]:

Koneru Humpy's long wait finally ends after she beats Lei Tingjie in the Armageddon to win the Women's World Rapid Chess Championship in Moscow.

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