A year when some normalcy returned to sports

IF THERE was one thing that sports fans could celebrate during this frustrating pandemic-ridden year, it was to be able to regularly watch their favourite athletes and teams in the flesh once again.

Whether one was at home catching the live action on TV or fortunate enough to be at a stadium to witness a thrilling match up close, we witnessed some true sporting prowess on display throughout the year.

In no particular order, BT Weekend picks out 6 of the most memorable stories during what has been an unforgettable 2021.

LKY becomes world champ

The name on everyone's lips in Singapore - and the entire badminton world, for that matter - is Loh Kean Yew.

The 24-year-old entered this month's World Championships in the Spanish city of Huelva as an unseeded player, but went on to stun 6 top-10 stars - including his mentor and world No 1 Viktor Axelsen - to win the title in style.

Even though he's reached the pinnacle of the sport, the humble and very likeable Loh is far from done. He is hungry for more accolades and wants to continue testing himself against the very best, with his ultimate goal being the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Raducanu makes history

Another unseeded player in a different racket sport at a major tournament, but the outcome was the same.

Emma Raducanu - the 19-year-old from Britain - rewrote the history books en route to winning this year's US Open in New York. She played a total of 10 matches including qualifiers, failing to drop a single set as she soared to the top of the tennis world.

Her defeated opponent in the final, the exciting Leylah Fernandez from Canada, is another young starlet to watch out for on the women's tour in 2022.

Long wait over for Italy, Argentina

Two of football's most successful nations, Italy and Argentina, claimed the 2 biggest international trophies in the sport in 2021.

The Italians were brilliant from start to finish at Euro 2020, beating England on their own turf at Wembley Stadium in the final after a nerve-jangling penalty shootout. That was the Azzuri's first triumph at a big competition since winning the World Cup in 2006.

Argentina, and captain Lionel Messi, beat their arch-rivals Brazil - at Brazil's Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, no less - to clinch their first Copa America title in 28 years.

Super League fails to take off

The most controversial story in world football in 2021 was the so-called "breakaway league" by 12 top European teams, a project called the European Super League that was doomed for failure the minute it was announced.

There was a furious backlash by fans and politicians, arguing that the formation of such a league would destroy the very soul of football and bankrupt scores of other teams in the process.

The Super League may be dead, but there are bigger questions to be asked about what the future of football will be like, especially at the very top where billions of dollars are at stake every year.

F1 drama at Abu Dhabi

Motor racing fans are still talking about the chaotic finish to the Formula One (F1) season earlier this month, when Max Verstappen caused a huge upset with a breathtaking final-lap overtake of Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi.

Canada's Nicholas Latifi crashed into a wall with 5 laps to go, which led to the deployment of the safety car. That gave Verstappen enough time to make a pit stop and get fresh tyres, allowing him to overtake Hamilton when the race resumed.

Make no mistake, Verstappen thoroughly deserved his world drivers' championship title, the first of his career. Hamilton was denied a record eighth crown, but the British driver will surely be hungry for revenge next season.

The Peng Shuai saga

The mystery of what happened to Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai may never be solved fully. At first, the 35-year-old disappeared from public view for weeks after posting on Weibo in early November that she was sexually assaulted by a retired Chinese vice-premier. Last week, however, she resurfaced and surprisingly retracted those claims.

That, however, hasn't been enough to satisfy the Women's Tennis Association, as well as other senior sports officials who remain concerned about her exact whereabouts and safety, and whether she was speaking on her own free will. No one quite knows what to believe, and the world may never get the full details of what actually happened to this former world doubles champion.