Current Affairs 18th May 2019

Current Affairs 18th May 2019 - Important Points

• UNDRR confers PM Modi’s Secretary with Sasakawa Award on - 16th May 2019
• Tennis legend Sir Andy Murray receives Knighthood at Buckingham Palace on - 16th May 2019
• China to host AFC Asian Cup - 2023 
  Current Affairs 18th May 2019 - Details

UNDRR confers PM Modi’s Secretary with Sasakawa Award on - 16th May 2019

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction on May 16th, 2019 bestowed Dr.Pramod Kumar Mishra,
Additional Principal Secretary to PM Narendra Modi, with the ‘Sasakawa Award 2019 for Disaster
Risk Reduction’.
The award was declared during the 6th Session of “Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction”-
2019, which is being organised at Geneva, Switzerland.
Theme of 2019 Sasakawa Award
The theme of the Sasakawa Award 2019 was “Building Inclusive and Resilient Societies”. Under this
theme, the UN Disaster Risk Reduction got more than 60 recommendations from more than 30
nations.
Mishra was bestowed for his concentrated efforts and devotion towards working for the
communities that are most exposed to disasters. 
He has altruistically worked to the cause of social inclusion to diminish inequality and poverty,
eventually profiting the socially and economically marginalised in the nation.
About Sasakawa Award
The Sasakawa Award is the most impressive award of the UN in the area of Disaster Risk Management.
Instituted 30 years back, the award is mutually organised by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Nippon Foundation.
The winners of the award can be either group/individuals who are bestowed with USD 50000 as the award prize.

Tennis legend Sir Andy Murray receives Knighthood at Buckingham Palace on - 16th May 2019

3-time Grand Slam champion, Sir Andy Murray on May 16th, 2019 got the Knighthood by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, at an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in gratitude of his services to tennis and charity.
The initiative comes more than Two years following the Knighthood was declared in the Queen’s
New Year’s Honours in 2016, after he secured the 2nd Wimbledon title, fetched 2nd Olympic gold
&emerged as World No.1 in the positions.
The ceremony was overdue due to his busy abroad playing schedule. Lately, Murray made statement
at a news conference during the Australian Open in January 2019 of his plans to retire from the sport
subsequently 2019 Wimbledon in June as he struggles to recover from hip injury and an efficacious hip
surgery.
Sir Andy Murray
Murray collected a sum of 45 career titles; he is the 1st in Britain to reach 500 ATP match victories and is also the 1st ever British World no 1 in the Open Era.
At the age of 17, Murray had secured the US Open Junior Championship in 2004.
Murray has 3 Grand Slams, 2 Olympic Gold medals, and 14 Masters 1000 titles with him and he secured the 2012 US Open Champion, and the 2013 as well as 2016 Wimbledon titles.
He grasped the position of World No.1 for 37 weeks and had been effective in reaching 11 Grand Slam finals matches.
Murray is also the UK’s Ambassador to the UNICEF.

China to host AFC Asian Cup - 2023 

After South Korea’s withdrawal from their bid to phase Asian Cup Football tournament bid, China will
now be organising 2023 AFC-Asian Cup. China was the sole other bidder and now has a free run to become hosts.
Key Details

• In 2017, The Korea Football Association declared Seoul’s bid to host the 24 Nations Asia Football Cup 2023 edition.
• It would have been following a gap of 63 years that South Korea would have hosted the most admired football tournament in Asia. It also hosted Asia Football Cup for the 1st time in 1960.
• South Korea’s withdrawal from Asian Cup signifies that on 4th June 2019 China should be long-
  established by Asian Football Confederation as new host of the Asian nation’s championship finals.
• Formerly, Indonesia and Thailand had expressed interest in hosting Asia Football Cup 2023 programme, but then dropped their bids.
• This is the 2nd time China will be hosting the tournament. It was in 2004 when China staged the event lost with 3-1 to Japan in Beijing final.
• According to the Korea Football Association it pulled out of hosting event so as to ‘strategically focus’ on a combined bid with North Korea to host Women’s World Cup which will also be organised in 2023.