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In the world of football, Jurgen Klopp has spoken about his intention to step down as the manager of Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season. Rohan Bopanna became the oldest Grand Slam champion after winning the Australian Open men's doubles title with Matthew Ebden of Australia. Aryna Sabalenka defended her Australian Open women's singles title by defeating China’s Qinwen Zheng in the final of women’s singles. The Indian men’s hockey team defeated South Africa 3-0 to continue their unbeaten run during the South Africa tour in Cape Town.
Read below to check major headlines and other happenings of the sporting world in the past 24 hours.
Football
Jurgen Klopp to step down as Liverpool manager at the end of 2023-24 season
In a surprising turn of events, Jurgen Klopp has announced his intention to step down as the manager of Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season. During his announcement on the official website of Liverpool, the 56-year-old was quoted as saying about his decision to leave the English club, “I still think it's the right thing to do. I don't take these things lightly. I'm convinced it's right. I have no regrets but a lot of special memories.”
Belgian Pro League match set to be replayed in full after VAR error
The Belgian Pro League match, which finished 2-1 in favour of Anderlecht and Genk, is set to be replayed in full after an error from Video Assistant Referee (VAR) at the Lotto Park on December 22 last year. Notably, VAR disallowed a goal for Sor of Genk for encroaching in the area but ignored the encroachment from two Anderlecht players, which led to an appeal from Genk, based on the rules being “misapplied” by VAR, getting upheld at the expense of Anderlecht.
Tottenham prepare late bid worth £80m for Conor Gallagher: Reports
Tottenham are reportedly preparing a late bid of £80m to sign the Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher in the ongoing January transfer window, as per the report from Football Insiders. The London-based club are working to bring in the 23-year-old into the setup after they failed to get Kalvin Phillips, the Manchester City midfielder, which made the manager Ange Postecoglou want the Chelsea man for the remainder of the season.
Some major results in football are as under:
FA Cup 2023-24
- Bristol City 0-0 Nottingham Forest
- Chelsea 0-0 Aston Villa
- Tottenham 0-1 Manchester City
La Liga 2023-24
- Almeria 0-3 Alaves
Bundesliga 2023-24
- Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 Mainz
Serie A 2023-24
- Cagliari 1-2 Torino
Ligue 1 2023-24
- Lyon 2-3 Rennes
Eredivisie 2023-24
- PEC Zwolle 1-0 Vitesse
Hockey
Indian men’s hockey team defeat hosts South Africa 3-0
The Indian men’s hockey team defeated South Africa 3-0 to continue their unbeaten run during the South Africa tour in Cape Town. India’s goals came from Captain Harmanpreet Singh Abhishek, and Sumit in the 2nd, 13th, and 30th minute of the encounter, respectively. Despite plenty of attacks from South Africa in the second quarter, India's defence maintained their composure and managed to earn a clean sheet over their rivals. The hosts continued their search for goals in the final minutes of the game, but the Indian defence continued to hold down the fort.
Tennis
Rohan Bopanna wins men’s doubles title at Australian Open alongside Matthew Ebden
The Indo-Australian duo of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden won the men’s doubles title at the Australian Open with a 7-6 (0), 7-5 scoreline in straight sets against the Italian pairing of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. With this epic triumph, Rohan Bopanna became the oldest male player at the age of 43 years old to win a Grand Slam title, tasting success at the first major of the year in his 17th consecutive appearance.
Aryna Sabalenka defends Australian Open title; defeats Qinwen Zheng in final
World number 2 Aryna Sabalenka defended her Australian Open title by defeating China’s Qinwen Zheng in the final of women’s singles. Sabalenka defeated her young counterpart 6-3, 6-2 in just an hour to successfully defend her Australian Open crown. With this, she became the second player to win back-to-back women's titles at Melbourne Park after Victoria Azarenka, who won in 2012 and 2013. Not only this, but she also became the fifth player in history to win the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup without conceding a set, after Ash Barty in 2022, Serena Williams in 2017, Maria Sharapova in 2008, and Lindsay Davenport in 2000.
Alexander Zverev accuses Daniil Medvedev of 'doing a show' after latter asks to see point replay
Alexander Zverev accused Daniil Medvedev of playing mind games during the semifinal clash at the 2024 Australian Open. Zverev expressed his disapproval after a close-line call went in his favour and Medvedev asked for a replay. The semifinal clash between them went on for four hours at the Rod Laver Arena, where Medvedev came from two sets down to win in a five-set thriller and reach his sixth Grand Slam final by defeating his counterpart 5-7, 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 6-3. Zverev was visibly irritated by Medvedev’s act of asking for a replay and told the umpire, "He knows it was inside the line. He’s doing a show again."
Ashleigh Barty pays emotional tribute to Evonne Goolagong Cawley after being honored at Australian Open
Ashleigh Barty recently paid an emotional tribute to the Australian tennis legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley after the latter was honoured at the Australian Open 2024. Barty wrote, "A friend, mentor, icon and absolute legend. What an incredible person you are, Evonne. A special year celebrating the 50th anniversary of your first AO win, but an even greater appreciation and acknowledgment of your entire career with the renaming of a very special day - Evonne Goolagong Cawley Day. I cherish our relationship every single day. And I will always be your biggest fan.”
Others
Getting this award is a huge achievement": Uday Vishwanath Deshpande
International Mallakhamb coach Uday Vishwanath Deshpande expressed his happiness after getting conferred with the Padma Shri. He told ANI, "Getting this award is a huge achievement. But this is not my achievement. So many people have been working in the field of Mallakhamba for years. Because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Mallakhamba has been included in Khelo India. National winners are getting an annual scholarship of ₹1.2 lakhs. More than 100 Mallakhamba centres have been established with proper equipment and coaches have been appointed.”
