A year which was supposed to showcase the virtues of modern sport was instead smeared by a series of scandals that exposed the ugly underbelly of the games people love.
On the fields of play, the action this year was at times breathtaking.
A German team, unshackled from its pragmatic past and playing with uninhibited flair, won a World Cup in Brazil that exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations.
Photo: AFP
Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the final at the sprawling Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, thanks to a superb extra-time goal from baby-faced substitute Mario Goetze, to lift the trophy for the first time since 1990.
The hosts buckled under the weight of expectation, finishing fourth, but never had the samba nation shone so brightly on the world stage.
Magnanimous in defeat, Brazil delivered a tournament that will be remembered for its contagious carnival atmosphere, infecting everyone from the golden sands of Copacabana Beach to the Amazon rainforest.
However, the year did not end well for the beautiful game, with FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, fending off more accusations of bribery over its decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and 2022 to Qatar.
FIFA cleared both of any of wrongdoing, but the former US prosecutor who led the investigation said it had misrepresented his findings and he later quit.
The timing of the 2022 World Cup is also causing problems, with doctors warning the tournament will have to be moved from its usual summer slot to avoid the stifling heat in Qatar.
However, any change could impact the European leagues and potentially clash with the 2022 Winter Olympics, in either Beijing or Almaty, the only two cities in the bidding race.
The rest all dropped out, citing the astronomical US$51 billion price tag for this year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, and prompting the International Olympic Committee to introduce a raft of reforms.
Like Brazil’s World Cup, Russia’s Olympics went better than expected, despite the inevitable collision between sport and politics. The buildup was overshadowed by threats of Muslim militant violence, an international outcry over a contentious “anti-gay propaganda” law and allegations of corruption.
Western critics labeled the Games a wasteful extravagance to show off modern Russia’s might. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the complaints were fueled by jealousy and were reminiscent of the Cold War rhetoric that dominated the Olympics in the 1970s and 1980s.
Russia finished top of the medals table with 13 golds, but the country’s recent surge in sport was questioned later in the year with allegations of systemic doping by Russian athletes.
Racism, doping and domestic violence dominated the US sporting landscape.
Donald Sterling, the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team, was banned for life and eventually agreed to sell the franchise after a racist rant that overshadowed the San Antonio Spurs’ victory over the Miami Heat in the championship final.
Baseball’s highest-paid player, Alex Rodriguez missed the entire MLB season after ending a legal challenge to his record suspension for allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs.
The San Francisco Giants won the World Series for the third time in five seasons, with ace pitcher Madison Bumgarner playing the starring role.
The NFL, the US’ richest and most-watched sport, played its first Super Bowl in the New York area — with the Seattle Seahawks beating the Denver Bronocs.
However, the sport was plunged into crisis when Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was caught on film punching his then-fiancee, and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson used a tree branch to discipline his son.
The genteel sport of cricket was left heartbroken after the shocking death of Australia batsman Phillip Hughes — who was killed when he was hit in the head by a ball.
His death triggered a global outpouring of grief not seen since Formula One driver Ayrton Senna was killed in a high-speed crash 20 years ago.
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Japan yesterday secured a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup finals appearance with a 2-1 win over 2023 champions Canada, thanks to Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama’s 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win over Kayla Cross and Rebecca Marino in the qualifying doubles decider. Shibahara and Aoyama powered through the opening set 6-3, breaking twice for a quick 3-0 lead. Cross and Marino hit back in the second, edging it 7-5 to level the match, before the Japanese pair regained control in the third. Canada’s 18-year-old Victoria Mboko edged Shibahara 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5 in a marathon opening clash. Mboko fired eight aces to
DAY OF BLOWOUTS: Elsewhere, the Lakers clinched the third seed in the Western Conference with a 140-109 pounding of the under-strength Houston Rockets The Denver Nuggets on Friday improved their playoff position, with a triple double from Nikola Jokic helping them to a 117-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Serbian put up 26 points, 13 assists and 16 rebounds. The triple-double performance, his 34th this season, ensured that he will finish the regular season as just the third NBA player to average a triple double across an entire season. The win meant the Nuggets improved to 49-32 on the season and gave them a real chance of grabbing fourth place and home-court advantage in the playoffs. Aaron Gordon top scored with 33 points for Denver,
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