News
Recent poor performances of Ronaldo and Messi
Real Madrid and French forward Karim Benzema won the Ballon d’Or for the first time.
Benzema scored 44 goals in 46 games as he helped Real Madrid win the Champions League and La Liga in 2021-22.
Lionel Messi (seven times) and Cristiano Ronaldo (five times) have won the award on 12 of the previous 13 occasions.
Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the award in recent years, apart from Croatia midfielder Luka Modric winning it in 2018.
Messi has already won the trophy more times than any other player and his seventh success in 2021 comes after victories in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019.
Manchester United’s Ronaldo, who last won it in 2017, finished 20th out of 30 nominees, the Portuguese’s lowest Ballon d’Or ranking since 2005.
Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas retained the 2022 Women’s Ballon d’Or.
රොනාල්ඩෝ සහ මෙසීගේ මෑත කාලීන දුර්වල දස්කම්
වසරේ දක්ෂතම පාපන්දු ක්රීඩකයාට පිරිනැමෙන Ballon d’Or සම්මානය ප්රථම වරට දිනාගැනීමට රියල් මැඩ්රිඩ් සහ ප්රංශ ඉදිරිපෙළ ක්රීඩක කරීම් බෙන්සෙමා සමත් විය.
2021-22 දී චැම්පියන්ස් ලීගය සහ ලා ලීගා දිනා ගැනීමට Real Madrid උදව් කළ බෙන්සෙමා තරඟ 46 කදී ගෝල 44 ක් රැස් කළේය.
ලයනල් මෙසී (හත් වතාවක්) සහ ක්රිස්ටියානෝ රොනාල්ඩෝ (පස් වතාවක්) මීට පෙර පැවති අවස්ථා 13 න් 12 කදීම මෙම සම්මානය දිනා ගෙන තිබුණි.
2018 වසරේ ක්රොඒෂියාවේ මැදපෙළ ක්රීඩක ලූකා මොඩ්රික් එය දිනාගත් අවස්ථාව හැරුණු විට මෑත වසරවලදී මෙසී සහ රොනාල්ඩෝ සම්මානයේ ආධිපත්යය දැරූහ.
මෙසී දැනටමත් වෙනත් ඕනෑම ක්රීඩකයෙකුට වඩා වැඩි වාර ගණනක් කුසලානය දිනාගෙන ඇති අතර 2021 දී ඔහුගේ හත්වන සාර්ථකත්වය පැමිණියේ 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 සහ 2019 ජයග්රහණවලින් පසුවය.
අවසන් වරට 2017 දී එය ජයග්රහණය කළ මැන්චෙස්ටර් යුනයිටඩ් හි රොනාල්ඩෝ නම් කරන ලද ක්රීඩකයින් 30 දෙනාගෙන් 20 වැනි ස්ථානයට පත් වූ අතර එය 2005 සිට පෘතුගීසියේ පහළම බැලන් ඩි ඕර් ශ්රේණිගත කිරීම වේ.
Barcelona හි Alexia Putellas 2022 හොඳම කාන්තා පාපන්දු ක්රීඩිකාවට පිරිනැමෙන කාන්තා Ballon d’Or සම්මානය රඳවා ගැනීමට සමත් විය.
ரொனால்டோ மற்றும் மெஸ்ஸியின் ஆதிக்கத்தை இழந்தது
ரியல் மாட்ரிட் மற்றும் பிரான்ஸ் முன்கள வீரர் கரீம் பென்சிமா முதல் முறையாக பலோன் டி’ஓர் விருதை வென்றனர்.
2021-22ல் சாம்பியன்ஸ் லீக் மற்றும் லா லிகாவை ரியல் மாட்ரிட் வெல்வதற்கு பென்சிமா 46 ஆட்டங்களில் 44 கோல்களை அடித்தார்.
லியோனல் மெஸ்ஸி (ஏழு முறை) மற்றும் கிறிஸ்டியானோ ரொனால்டோ (ஐந்து முறை) ஆகியோர் முந்தைய 13 முறை 12 முறை இந்த விருதை வென்றுள்ளனர்.
2018 ஆம் ஆண்டில் குரோஷியாவின் மிட்ஃபீல்டர் லூகா மோட்ரிச் வென்றதைத் தவிர, சமீபத்திய ஆண்டுகளில் மெஸ்ஸி மற்றும் ரொனால்டோ ஆகியோர் இந்த விருதில் ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்தினர்.
மெஸ்ஸி ஏற்கனவே வேறு எந்த வீரரையும் விட அதிக முறை கோப்பையை வென்றுள்ளார், மேலும் 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 மற்றும் 2019 வெற்றிகளுக்குப் பிறகு 2021 இல் அவரது ஏழாவது வெற்றி கிடைத்தது.
மான்செஸ்டர் யுனைடெட்டின் ரொனால்டோ, கடைசியாக 2017 இல் வென்றார், 30 பரிந்துரைக்கப்பட்டவர்களில் 20 வது இடத்தைப் பிடித்தார், இது 2005 ஆம் ஆண்டுக்குப் பிறகு போர்த்துகீசியத்தின் மிகக் குறைந்த பாலன் டி’ஓர் தரவரிசையாகும்.
பார்சிலோனாவின் அலெக்ஸியா புட்டெல்லாஸ் 2022 ஆம் ஆண்டுக்கான மகளிர் பலோன் டி’ஓரை தக்கவைத்துக் கொண்டார்.
Cricket
KSCA Officials Resign Over Chinnaswamy Stampede; RCB Faces FIR in Tragic Victory Celebration Fallout
In a tragic turn of events following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) historic IPL 2025 title win, a deadly stampede at the celebratory event held at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives and injured several others. The aftermath has sparked controversy and accountability issues, leading to major resignations and legal action.
Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam resigned on Friday, citing “moral responsibility” for the incident. Their resignations were submitted to KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, as questions mount over mismanagement and negligence at the overcrowded venue.
The Bengaluru Police have filed an FIR listing RCB, DNA Entertainment (event partner), and KSCA as accused parties. Police confirmed that the event had not been granted official permission. In a swift move, Nikhil Sosale, RCB’s head of marketing and revenue, was arrested—raising further scrutiny over organizational lapses.
KSCA has filed a writ petition calling the FIR a “knee-jerk” reaction under political pressure. They argued that crowd control and gate management were the responsibilities of RCB and the event organizers, not KSCA.
RCB has announced INR 10 lakh compensation for each victim and committed to covering all medical expenses of the injured. However, the franchise has yet to make a comprehensive public statement.
This incident raises serious concerns about sports event management and safety standards, casting a shadow over what was supposed to be a moment of celebration in Indian cricket
Football
Asia Leads the Charge as 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Begin to Take Shape
The road to the historic 2026 FIFA World Cup is gaining momentum, and Asia is already making its mark on football’s grandest stage. With an expanded format featuring 48 teams and co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, this edition promises to be the most inclusive and diverse yet — and Asia is stepping up early.
🇯🇵 Japan Sets the Benchmark for Asia
Japan was the first nation worldwide to book their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, underscoring their dominance in Asian football. Unbeaten in their qualifying campaign with six wins and one draw, the Samurai Blue continue to be the standard-bearers for the continent.
🇮🇷 Iran Continues Consistent Form
Iran soon followed Japan, securing their seventh overall World Cup appearance and fourth consecutive berth. The team remained undefeated in their group, showcasing the experience and tactical depth that has made them a fixture on the world stage.
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan Makes Historic Debut
In one of the most emotional stories of the qualifiers so far, Uzbekistan qualified for their first-ever FIFA World Cup. A gritty 0-0 draw against the UAE was enough for the Central Asian side to clinch a spot, sparking nationwide celebrations. Their rise highlights the growing strength of second-tier Asian nations on the global stage.
Asia’s Presence Grows in 2026 Format
Asia is guaranteed eight slots in the 2026 World Cup — a significant jump from previous editions — allowing the region to showcase more talent, depth, and emerging football powerhouses. With teams like South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Australia still in the hunt, the continent could make a serious impact come 2026.
Global Context
The tournament’s expanded format and host countries in North America mark a new era for international football. With 104 matches, 16 host cities, and an increased number of participants, it will be a celebration of global diversity — and Asian nations are ready to shine.
Countries Qualified So Far
- Asia: 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇮🇷 Iran, 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
- Oceania: 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- South America: 🇦🇷 Argentina
(Additional qualifiers from other confederations are ongoing.)
As the countdown to 2026 begins, all eyes are on Asia’s rising stars — ready to challenge the world and redefine the future of football.
Cricket
Sachithra Senanayake Indicted in Landmark Match-Fixing Case Under Sri Lanka’s Anti-Corruption Law
Former Sri Lankan cricketer Sachithra Senanayake has been formally indicted before the Hambantota High Court, marking a historic first in Sri Lanka’s efforts to criminalize corruption in sports. The charges stem from an alleged match-fixing attempt during the 2020 Lanka Premier League (LPL), making Senanayake the first player to face prosecution under Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act No. 24 of 2019.
Senanayake, currently out on bail, is accused of attempting to influence Colombo Kings player Tharindu Ratnayake to underperform during the tournament. The incident reportedly occurred via a WhatsApp message, which was later flagged by a local anti-corruption officer, prompting an official investigation in 2020.
The case falls under the landmark legislation introduced in 2019 by then Sports Minister Harin Fernando, which criminalizes match-fixing and related offenses in the country. If convicted, Senanayake could face a prison term of up to 10 years, a fine reaching Rs. 100 million, or both.
The indictment signals a serious shift in Sri Lanka’s approach to tackling corruption in sports. Authorities hope this high-profile case will serve as a strong deterrent against similar offenses in the future.
Senanayake, once a celebrated off-spinner and a member of Sri Lanka’s victorious 2014 ICC T20 World Cup squad, now faces the grim prospect of being remembered not for his achievements on the field, but for his role in one of Sri Lanka’s most significant match-fixing scandals.
As the case unfolds, it casts a spotlight on the broader issue of corruption in sports and reinforces the urgent need for integrity, vigilance, and transparent governance across all levels of competition in Sri Lanka
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