Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema wins Ballon d'Or 2022
Paris: Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema won his first Ballon d'Or trophy in a ceremony in Paris and became the fifth Frenchman to win the most sought-after football trophy.
Former Ballon d'Or winner Zinedine Zidane presented the trophy to Benzema, who became the oldest player since Stanley Matthews in 1956 to win the prestigious award.
The 34-year-old French striker scored 44 goals in 46 matches last season to help Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League and La Liga.
Speaking at the event, Benzema said, “Age is just a number for me. People play until their later years now and I still have this burning desire. It is this drive that has kept me going and never allowed me to let up," he expressed.
The French striker saw off Sadio Mane, Kevin De Bruyne, and Robert Lewandowski to win the 2022 men's Ballon d'Or.
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Two Naxalites gunned down in encounter with cops in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur
Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): Two Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, police said.
The exchange of fire broke out in a forest along the Indravati river in the morning when a joint team of security forces was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, a senior police official said.
After guns fell silent, bodies of two Naxalites, clad in uniform, along with a Self-Loading Rifle, an Insas rifle and a 12-bore rifle were recovered from the spot, he said.
Search operation was still underway, he added.
With this action, at least 25 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters in the state so far this year.
Earlier, 14 Maoists were gunned down in two encounters on January 3 in the Bastar region, which comprises seven districts, including Bijapur.
Last year, 285 Maoists were killed in various encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh.
The Centre has set a deadline of March 31 this year to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism from the country.
