Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been named Sweden's footballer of the year for the ninth time and although his eighth victory in a row came as no shock, his acceptance speech showing a more sensitive side surprised many.
As another eventful year draws to a close, Rediff.com gives you a pictorial look back at the best and worst moments that shaped the sports stories this year.
The ministry found violations of the Sports Code by RFI in four areas.
The haul of 64 medals at the Commonwealth Games, in July-August, which included 15 gold, should act as the ideal springboard for the Indian contingent to better its medal tally at Guangzhou, China, four years ago.
'Shooting is number one.' 'Archery, wrestling, badminton and boxing.' 'These are the five where we stand the best chance of winning a medal.'
The refurbished Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera is now renamed Narendra Modi Stadium.
A row between India and the International Olympic Committee which has led to the suspension of the Asian nation from all Olympic activities is heading towards a possible resolution, the IOC said.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday.
Monday's ruling cleared the way for the 19-year-old to compete again in both domestic and international events after she was forced to sit out for about a year.
An obsession with being 'neat, tidy and stylish' almost led her to archery, says world champion and Commonwealth Games gold-medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who feels a chance meeting with her eventual coach changed her career plans.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday.
Deepak Kumar and Divyansh Singh Panwar finished a lowly 26th and 32nd respectively in the men's 10 metres Air Rifle event of the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday
Muslim gymnast, Farah Ann Abdul Hadi, of Malaysia was criticised for wearing revealing leotard.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday.
Apprehensions following the imposition of GST on sports equipment has forced the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) to 'approach' the finance ministry and take up the cudgels on behalf of a very concerned shooting community.
The source said logistics became a big issue for almost all the participating countries.
'If the appointment of Salman Khan helps promote sports in our country, then what's the harm?'
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Tuesday.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
The 32-year-old wrestler, who a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and silver at the London Games in 2012, was omitted from the Wrestling Federation of India's Rio preparatory camp, which will begin in Sonepat on Wednesday.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
The hijab is never an obstacle, says the 23-yr-old achiever from Kerala.
Amiya Kumar Mallick, 21, will undergo a four-month training stint in Kingston, Jamaica, under the watchful eyes of Glenn Mills at the Racers Track Club. Mills is the club's head coach and has worked with the two fastest men in the world currently -- Bolt and Yohan Blake.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Throwing his weight behind veteran boxer Sarita Devi, who is currently serving a provisional suspension, India's ace discus thrower Vikas Gowda said International Boxing Association should review the system to avoid controversies in the future.
These athletes made India proud four years ago.
The fallout of the Pulwama terror attack, which killed over 40 CRPF personnel, on the sporting ties between India and Pakistan was felt the strongest on Friday.
'IOC has in the past sent letters to International Federations not to award major events to Spain after athletes from Kosovo were not allowed to participate under their own flag at the Karate World Championships. And you never know it might be India next'
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The Queen's Baton of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games was taken at the historic India Gate by the country's top sportspersons in a low-key event on the first day of its India stop on Saturday.
Stating that India has not made much progress since the Beijing Olympics, Ajit Sharan, Secretary - Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), said that India needs to become a sporting nation if it has do well in big event.
The 15-year-old from Aizwal, who is also a world youth silver-medallist, lifted a total of 274 kg (124 kg +150 kg) to finish on top.
'He will go to Australia in a couple of months. I am sure he will do well because he is a good back-foot player. You want to see young players doing well'
'He will go to Australia in a couple of months. I am sure he will do well because he is a good back-foot player. You want to see young players doing well'
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday.
The iconic player concluded a historic 15-year career, where he has led several teams to victory and grown the sport in the country.
Deepika managed to stay in the top 10 in the qualification round with a total score of 663.
'They need to see Bolt compete and struggle and come back from losses,' says Edwin Moses, athletics legend.
National Anti-Doping Agency Director General Navin Agarwal says all the Rio Olympics-bound sportspersons have undergone testing for banned substances and are dope-free. He, however, conceded that there were issues regarding testing of a few Rio-bound sportspersons as they were not available at the 'whereabouts' provided by them as mandated under the Anti-Doping Administration Management System (ADAMS) of the World Anti-Doping Agency, but NADA was able to get their testing done later on.
Badminton world number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia has been provisionally suspended for an "apparent" anti-doping violation, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said on Tuesday.
