Current affairs 30 December 2024

ICC Nominates Mandhana & Arshdeep for Cricketer of the Year Awards.

• T20I Cricketer of the Year: Arshdeep Singh, key in India's T20 World Cup win with 36 wickets, competes with Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Babar Azam (Pakistan), and Travis Head (Australia).
• Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: Smriti Mandhana shortlisted for her exceptional performances.
• Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year: Shreyanka Patil represents India in this category.

Shivaji Statue at Pangong Tso Stirs Debate in Ladakh.

• The Indian Army has recently unveiled a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Pangong Tso in Ladakh near the India-China border.
• Installed by the Fire and Fury Corps on December 26.
• The move aligns with India's infrastructure push to strengthen Ladakh's strategic position.

Kaamya Karthikeyan: Youngest Female to Scale 7 Continent Peaks.

• At 17, Kaamya Karthikeyan from Mumbai became the youngest female to complete the Seven Summits Challenge.
Peaks Conquered: Mt Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mt Elbrus (Europe), Mt Kosciuszko (Australia), Mt Aconcagua (South America), Mt
• Denali (North America), Mt Everest (Asia), and Mt Vinson (Antarctica).
• Recognition: Received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Shakti Puraskar (2021).

Humpy Clinches Second Women’s World Rapid and Blitz Chess Title.

• Koneru Humpy secured her 2nd title at the World Rapid and Blitz Championship, defeating Indonesia's Irene Sukander.
• She becomes the 2nd woman, after China’s Ju Wenjun, to win the title multiple times, having first won in 2019 in Georgia.
• Russia's 18-year-old Volodar Murzin won the men’s title, becoming the 2nd-youngest champion in the tournament's history after Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

Haryana Steelers Clinch Maiden Pro Kabaddi Title.

• Haryana Steelers defeated Patna Pirates 32-23 in the PKL Season 11 final in Pune, securing their first Pro Kabaddi League title. Key performers included Shivam Patare (9 points), Mohammadreza Shadloui (7 points), and Vinay (6 points).
• The champions received ₹3 crore, while the runners-up Patna Pirates were awarded ₹1.8 crore.