1. BRAZUCA, The official 2014 FIFA World Cup Match Ball was unveiled
i. Brazuka, the official 2014 FIFA World Cup match ball was unveiled on 3 December 2013 by manufacturers Adidas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
ii. The ball is called the 'Brazuca' after a public vote by more than one million football fans in the host nation Brazil. Brazuca is an informal local term which means "Brazilian", or relating to a Brazilian way of life.
iii. The ball was named Brazuca in September 2012 following a public vote in Brazil involving one million football fans.
iv. The colours of the ball reflect those of the Brazilian flag and tournament logo, while the design is a representation of the colourful wristbands that Brazilians often wear.
v. The ball, the successor to the Adidas Jabulani used at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, has already been tested in competitive international matches, at the Under-20s World Cup, with a different print design, and in the friendly between Sweden and Argentina in February 2014.
2. First India-S.Africa ODI in Jo'burg today
i. The first one dayer of the 3-match cricket series between India and South Africa begins in Johannesburg. Earlier, India won the toss and elected to field.
ii. The match will be played at 5 PM Indian Time. Both teams will play 2 Test matches after this ODI series.
3. Rlys to get mobile communication system for passenger safety
i. To ensure safety of passengers in view of ongoing efforts to increase speed of trains, Railways has decided to install sophisticated communication system in place of existing walkie talkie system for unhindered contact between the driver and ground staff.
ii. We are implementing Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) system which would provide better communication between the control room and the driver in speeding trains," said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the project.
iii. The system will provide control rooms with emergency brake for trains which can be used in case of signal violation by drivers.
iv. While the MRTC system is currently being installed in the 2264-km route including Delhi-Ludhiana, Howrah-Mughalsarai and Kolkata Metro sections, 2235-km-long route including the New Delhi-Howrah and New Delhi-Jammu will be equipped with the modern communication system by March next year
v. The 1465 km long JN Port Trust-Dadri route in the Western DFC and 626 km long Ludhiana-Mughalsarai in the Eastern DFC will have the system in the first phase, the official said, adding, "freight trains are expected to run at higher speed in the corridor."
4. Sports federations should be headed by sports persons not by businessmen: SC
i. The Supreme Court on Thursday blamed the administrators for the poor state of the national game, hockey, in the country.
ii. The court stated that the sports bodies should be headed by sports persons and not by businessmen. It also mentioned that politics has taken hockey into abysmal low.
iii. Deteriorating condition of the national game is a matter of concern. India used to win gold medals earlier but not now, stated the apex court.
iv. It is to be noted that politics has been deeply rooted in Hockey for a long time now. The tussle between Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Hockey India (HI) fighting for claiming sole power over hockey is well known.
v. Hockey India had approached the apex court 2 years ago and it was during the hearing of this case on Thursday that the court made this observation.
i. Brazuka, the official 2014 FIFA World Cup match ball was unveiled on 3 December 2013 by manufacturers Adidas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
ii. The ball is called the 'Brazuca' after a public vote by more than one million football fans in the host nation Brazil. Brazuca is an informal local term which means "Brazilian", or relating to a Brazilian way of life.
iii. The ball was named Brazuca in September 2012 following a public vote in Brazil involving one million football fans.
iv. The colours of the ball reflect those of the Brazilian flag and tournament logo, while the design is a representation of the colourful wristbands that Brazilians often wear.
v. The ball, the successor to the Adidas Jabulani used at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, has already been tested in competitive international matches, at the Under-20s World Cup, with a different print design, and in the friendly between Sweden and Argentina in February 2014.
2. First India-S.Africa ODI in Jo'burg today
i. The first one dayer of the 3-match cricket series between India and South Africa begins in Johannesburg. Earlier, India won the toss and elected to field.
ii. The match will be played at 5 PM Indian Time. Both teams will play 2 Test matches after this ODI series.
3. Rlys to get mobile communication system for passenger safety
i. To ensure safety of passengers in view of ongoing efforts to increase speed of trains, Railways has decided to install sophisticated communication system in place of existing walkie talkie system for unhindered contact between the driver and ground staff.
ii. We are implementing Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) system which would provide better communication between the control room and the driver in speeding trains," said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the project.
iii. The system will provide control rooms with emergency brake for trains which can be used in case of signal violation by drivers.
iv. While the MRTC system is currently being installed in the 2264-km route including Delhi-Ludhiana, Howrah-Mughalsarai and Kolkata Metro sections, 2235-km-long route including the New Delhi-Howrah and New Delhi-Jammu will be equipped with the modern communication system by March next year
v. The 1465 km long JN Port Trust-Dadri route in the Western DFC and 626 km long Ludhiana-Mughalsarai in the Eastern DFC will have the system in the first phase, the official said, adding, "freight trains are expected to run at higher speed in the corridor."
4. Sports federations should be headed by sports persons not by businessmen: SC
i. The Supreme Court on Thursday blamed the administrators for the poor state of the national game, hockey, in the country.
ii. The court stated that the sports bodies should be headed by sports persons and not by businessmen. It also mentioned that politics has taken hockey into abysmal low.
iii. Deteriorating condition of the national game is a matter of concern. India used to win gold medals earlier but not now, stated the apex court.
iv. It is to be noted that politics has been deeply rooted in Hockey for a long time now. The tussle between Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Hockey India (HI) fighting for claiming sole power over hockey is well known.
v. Hockey India had approached the apex court 2 years ago and it was during the hearing of this case on Thursday that the court made this observation.
