Persons in News - August, 2008

India’s ODI skipper MS Dhoni was selected for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for the most outstanding performance in 2007 on August 4, 2008. He is the second cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar to get the award.

India’s Viswanathan Anand won the prestigious 13th Grenkeleasing rapid world chess championship at Mainz, Germany on August 3, 2008.

Tennis star Rafael Nadal won a rare distinction when an asteroid was named after him.

Dr Prakash Amte, son of late Baba Amte, and his wife Mandakini Amte were declared the winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2008 for community leadership.

The 54-year-old Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) was sworn in as the first Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal on August 18, 2008.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation on August 18, 2008.

Chief Minister of UP Ms Mayavati made it to the list of the world’s 100 most powerful women compiled by the Forbes magazine on August 28, 2008.

The 23-year-old American swimmer won an unprecedented 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics 2008. He overtook the seven gold medal record set by Mark Spitz at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra won the men’s 10 m air rifle shooting competition at the Olympic Games 2008 to become the first ever individual to win an Olympic Gold for India.

Eminent industrialist and former Rajya Sabha MP KK Birla passed away on August 30, 2008.

The 25-year-old wrestler won the bronze medal in the 66 kg men’s freestyle wrestling event at the Beijing Olympics 2008.

The 22-year-old Indian boxer from Haryana won the Bronze medal in the 75 kg men’s middleweight category in Beijing Olympics 2008.