The year after an Olympic Games season normally triggers a feeling of emptiness. The big party has lifted one to a huge high from where anything less would look unappealing.
That is the challenge in front of the sporting season 2013. London 2012 served up so much thrills, drama and colour that the season ahead will have a hard time even coming close to delivering the kind of fare that filled your drawing room in two rollicking weeks last year.
From Usain Bolt’s triple crown to Michael Phelps race to the pinnacle of Olympian achievement, London had it all. And as 2013 rolls on, the question, inevitably, will be on the heroes of the season and on the kind of thrills that one might encounter on the twists and turns of the sporting highway.
Bolt and company partied like there is no tomorrow after London but as the world slowly wakes up from its winter slumber, it will find the big man of track and field flexing his muscles again for another tilt at glory.
Moscow, as such, is the place to be for track and field aficianados this year, with the historic city hosting the World Championships for the first time. Bolt, aware of his sport’s history and his place in it, will not spare any efforts to further embellish his aura.
Cricketing world will look forward to seeing Sachin Tendulkar regaining his touch, with the series against Australia offering him a perfect chance while Team India itself is desperately looking to regain its touch. Changes as such could be the order of the new season.
Rafael Nadal’s return to the courts could enrich the rivalries in men’s tennis which is in the pink of health, in contrast to its Spanish super star.
Another fiery season in Formula One and gladiatorial tussles on the footballing pitches of Europe and South America will add spice to the year and ensure that the fans will have their fill, though not in the same level as 2012!
Cricket
Two Ashes series will hold the interest of the fans worldwide but from the Indian point of view, the larger question once again pertains to Sachin Tendulkar. The little big man of Indian cricket has quit the ODI version of the game and a clearer picture on his Test future could emerge during the India-Australia series in February-March. India’s other major series is an away tour to South Africa, beginning in December.
The sixth edition of the Indian Premier League starts in April 3 while the 50-over version’s Champions Trophy, in its last edition, is in England in June.
NOTABLE contests
India vs Australia:
I Test: February 22-26: Delhi
II Test: Mohali: March 2-6
III Test: Hyderabad: March 14-18
IV Test: Chennai: March 22-26
Eng v Aus (Ashes): July 10-Aug 25
Aus v Eng (Ashes): Nov 28-Jan 7, 2014
Eves World Cup: Jan 31-Feb 15, India
IPL: April 3-May 26
ICC Champions Trophy:
June 6-23, England
Champions League T20: September-October
South Africa vs India: Dec-Jan 2014
Formula One
An exhilarating season of speed saw Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel enhancing his stature by becoming the youngest triple world champion.
His battle with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso captivated the fans with the title being decided in the final race of the season. The two will renew their rivalry with the series kicking off in Melbourne on March 17 with the Australian Grand Prix.
Vettel will not have it easy, with Alonso smarting from the narrow defeat of last season in which he fought till the last despite some unfortunate mishaps.
Briton Lewis Hamilton, after switching to Mercedes from McLaren in a suprise move, will also look to launch a strong bid, though a lot will depend on the competitiveness of his car.
In the 19-race calendar, the Indian Grand Prix is on Oct 27.
Mar 17: Australian GP, Melbourne
Mar 24: Malaysian GP, Kuala Lumpur
Apr 14: Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai
Apr 21: Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir
May 12: Spanish Grand Prix
May 26: Monaco Grand Prix
Jun 9: Canadian Grand Prix
Jun 30: British Grand Prix
Jul 7: German Grand Prix
Jul 28: Hungarian Grand Prix
Aug 25: Belgian Grand Prix
Sep 8: Italian Grand Prix
Sep 22: Singapore Grand Prix
Oct 6: Korean Grand Prix
Oct 13: Japanese Grand Prix
Oct 27: Indian Grand Prix
Nov 3: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Nov 17: United States Grand Prix
Nov 24: Brazilian Grand Prix
A most intriguing season awaits tennis fans in 2013. The men’s game witnessed some classic confrontations in 2012 and an extension of it is very much possible this season, with Novak Djokovic (right), Roger Federer and Andy Murray battling it out. Djokovic claimed the year-end No 1 spot but Federer showed he still has some fire left. Murray’s confidence will be high after his US Open triumph. The big question of the year, though, will be whether Rafael Nadal could return to the top after an injury-induced break. He was tipped to return for the Australian Open after recovering from a knee injury but a stomach ailment has delayed it.
Serena Williams (below), winner of two Grand Slam titles besides the Olympic gold last year, has plans to dominate the women’s game in the coming season but she will have to watch out for younger challengers, including the Belarussian Victoria Azarenka.
gRAND SLAM EVENTS:
Australian Open: January 14-27
French Open: May 26-June 9
Wimbledon: June 24-July 7
US Open: August 26-September 8
Davis Cup:
I round: February 1-3
Quarterfinals: April 5-7
Semifinals: September 13-15
Final: November 15-17
Football
The Big One —World Cup in Brazil —is still more than a year away but the teams will look to seal their berths as qualification race hots up. Also in focus will be the club contests in Europe, with the Champions League in spotlight. Specifically, two individuals will once again rise to the fore, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (right), who set a new scoring record in 2012 with a tally of 91 goals.
Chelsea, the defending champions, are out of the Champions Leaugue but the tournament still has some big teams left as the last 16 matches get underway and with Messi in sparkling form, the fans can hope to see more goals from the Argentine in Europe as well as in the World Cup qualifiers.
Badminton
For the Indian fans, Saina Nehwal will remain the cynosure as she looks to build on her successes in the Olympic year.
Saina won the Olympic bronze medal and had a few other notable successes, taking her to No 3 in world rankings but the season didn’t end the way she would have liked it to, with a knee injury hampering her. When she returns on court, the main target for the Indian this year will be the World Championships.
important events
Jan 8-13: Korean Open, Seoul
March 5-10: All England, Birmingham
April 23-28: India Open, New Delhi
June 11-16: Indonesia Open, Jakarta
Oct 15-20: Denmark Open, Odense
Nov 12-17: China Open: Shanghai
Aug 4-11: World Championships, Guangzhou
Golf
Rory McIlroy (in the pix) emerged as the new face of golf with a wonderful show in 2012. He will be looking to consolidate in the new season while American Tiger Woods, who also bounced back last year with some heartening displays, will be eager to add to his collection of majors.
US Masters: April 11-14, Augusta
US Open June 13-16, Pennsylvania
Open Championship: July 18-21, Muirfield, Scot
US PGA: Aug 15-18, Kentucky