i. England has been awarded the right to host the 2018 Table Tennis Team World Cup, which will be held in London. The event will take place at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 22-25 February 2018.
ii. It will be the first major table tennis-only event to be held in London since Wembley hosted the 1954 World Championships. A total of 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams will compete at the event.
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Biju Patnaik Award for Scientific Excellence
i. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik granted the Biju Patnaik Award for Scientific Excellence for the year 2016 to Prof Digambar Behera.
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Rural Games to Take Place in Delhi
i. Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mr. Vijay Goel announced that the first edition of Rural Games or Grameen Khel Mahotsav will kick-start from Delhi.
ii. The Rural Games will aim at popularising the indigenous games like wrestling, athletics etc. and will also have fun games like Matka Race, Tug of War for senior citizens to add the fun element in the games.
Island of Tuvalu World’s Least Visited Country: UN Report
i. According to a report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the island of Tuvalu was the least visited country in 2016.
ii. According to the report, 2,000 people visited Tuvalu in 2016, while 1,000 people visited the country in 2014. Located in the South Pacific Ocean, Tuvalu is 4.6 meters above sea level and has a population of 11,000 people.
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