A surreal 2020 for the world of sports

WITH just 12 days to go before we bid farewell to 2020, sports fans all over the world will look back on a surreal year that saw the coronavirus pandemic wreck untold havoc on the global sporting calendar.

In no particular order, BT Weekend picks out six of the most memorable stories during what has been a highly eventful and unforgettable 12 months.

Farewell to legends

There were quite a number of deaths in sports this year, and probably the most tragic of them all was when 41-year-old American basketball star Kobe Bryant perished in a helicopter crash in January, along with every single person on board including his daughter Gianna. The Los Angeles Lakers player, widely regarded as one of the best in the sport, won five NBA championships and was an 18-time All-Star.

The football world lost several icons too, among them Argentina's Diego Maradona, who died last month at the age of 60 due to heart failure. Argentina declared three days of national mourning for the man most famous for scoring the "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 World Cup.

Italian great Paolo Rossi, best known for leading his country to World Cup glory in 1982, died earlier this month at the age of 64 due to lung cancer. Rossi scored six goals at that tournament, including a mesmerising hat-trick against Brazil in the second round.

A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU

Friday, 2 pm

Lifestyle

Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.

Sign Up

Major events affected

As the coronavirus pandemic tore through the entire world, two of the largest events in sports - the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and football's European Championships - were postponed for the very first time.

The Summer Olympics - the biggest sporting spectacle on the planet - will now kick off in July 2021, while Euro 2020 - a 24-team tournament - will begin on June 11.

This year's Copa America, the most high-profile football tournament in South America, was also pushed back by 12 months and will begin on that same day, June 11.

And in tennis, Wimbledon - due to start at the end of June - was cancelled altogether, making it the first time the championships were called off since World War II.

Liverpool's first EPL title

Thirty years is a long time, and so it was natural that Liverpool fans celebrated with aplomb when the "Reds" finally ended their painful title drought in July by winning England's top-flight league title.

Few will deny that Liverpool were deserving winners, for Jurgen Klopp's men sauntered to the trophy in style, winning 26 of their first 27 games and clinching the title with a record seven matches to spare.

Unfortunately, Liverpool could not celebrate their triumph with the customary parade through the streets of Merseyside due to Covid-19. Still, the roars from their jubilant supporters could be heard all around the world as captain Jordan Henderson lifted the giant trophy on July 22 in an empty Anfield stadium.

Nadal still "King of Clay"

In the end, it didn't matter that the French Open was played in the cooler month of September, four months later than the usual May start date.

The identity of the winner was still the same, as Rafael Nadal powered his way to a record-extending 13th title at Roland-Garros. What's more astonishing is the 34-year-old Spaniard didn't drop a single set at all.

In the final, Nadal achieved a "bagel" in the first set against World No 1 Novak Djokovic, winning 6-0 en route to an impressive straight-sets victory.

Sports Hub plays its part

The Singapore Sports Hub in Kallang has, for the most part, been a white elephant in 2020 as far as its ability to stage live sports events and concerts is concerned.

But from April to August, the 55,000-seater National Stadium, OCBC Arena and other facilities in the complex were transformed to house thousands of migrant workers.

With the authorities eager to reduce Covid-19 transmissions by moving some of the workers out of their usual dorms, the Sports Hub was among the many sites in Singapore activated to become a temporary accommodation.

Everything from meals to Wi-Fi and even a remittance service and barber were provided on-site for the workers, many of whom gave a rousing thumbs-up for a comfortable stay during what was a troubling period for them.

Tyson's return from retirement

Fifteen years after retiring from the boxing ring, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson - known as "the baddest man on the planet" - returned to action on Nov 28 in Los Angeles.

The 54-year-old showed he has lost little of his magic as he took part in an action-packed exhibition charity match with 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr. There were eight two-minute rounds and the judges at ringside ruled the contest a draw in the end.

Rapper Snoop Dogg, who was providing TV commentary for the match, delivered some witty one-liners: "This is like two of my uncles fighting at the barbecue!"