After the month of June ending with India winning ICC T20 World Cup 2024, July brings along the promise of a dazzling Paris Olympic Games. In the lead-up to the quadrennial showpiece, plenty of sporting action kept enthusiasts hooked in the first week of the month. (More Sports News)
Let us recap all that went down across sporting disciplines between July 1 and 7, 2024.
Cricket
The high of India's T20 World Cup triumph was followed by the low of a shocking loss to Zimbabwe in the first T20I. Though none of the members of the victorious team featured in the new-look team sent to Harare, the result was a bit of a wake-up call.
And the youth brigade responded well, winning the next game handsomely by a 100-run margin. Abhishek Sharma (100 off 47 balls) smashed his maiden international hundred in just his second outing, becoming the fastest Indian to do so (by innings) in T20Is.
Back home, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led women's team won the one-off Test against South Africa by a big 10-wicket margin, but only after a stirring fightback by the visitors. The T20I leg that followed has since gone the Proteas way so far, with Laura Wolvaardt's side leading 1-0 going into the third T20I (the second game was rained out in Chennai).
Football
At the UEFA European Championship 2024, Spain and France booked a semi-final meeting after winning their respective last-eight ties against Georgia and Belgium, respectively.
The other last-four clash will feature England up against Netherlands. While the Three Lions got the better of Switzerland in penalties, the Oranje fought from a goal down to pip Turkiye.
Meanwhile, at Copa America 2024, defending champions Argentina will take on Canada in the semis after edging Ecuador on penalties. Uruguay will meet Colombia in the other last-four match, having narrowly defeated Brazil in a penalty shootout. Colombia had it easy, however, thrashing Panama 5-0 to get there.
Other Sports
Wimbledon threw up a number of interesting results, as top seed Iga Swiatek was knocked out by Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva in the third round and so was second seed Coco Gauff by compatriot Emma Navarro.
But all eyes were on the farewell of Sir Andy Murray, who bowed out from his home Grand Slam on a bittersweet note as his last match - a mixed doubles tie alongside Emma Raducanu - did not materialize with Raducanu opting out of it.
In athletics, India's steeplechase star Avinash Sable bettered his own national record with a strong show at the Paris Diamond League, just days ahead of the Olympic Games in the same city. Staying with Paris 2024, former shooter Gagan Narang replaced Mary Kom as India's chef de mission and PV Sindhu was named as the female flag-bearer for the opening ceremony.
And in Formula One, Lewis Hamilton held off Max Verstappen's late charge to win a thrilling British Grand Prix. Hamilton became the first F1 driver to win on any track nine times and also extended his F1 record to 104 wins.
