FIFA Men's World Cup, Beijing Games, CWG: 10 major sporting events to look forward to in 2022

From Italy lifting the Euros to Verstappen's breathtaking finish to the F1 World Championship, 2021 had some memorable moments

The year 2021 was unforgettable for sports. From Italy lifting the Euros to Verstappen's breathtaking finish to the F1 World Championship, 2021 had some iconic moments. Here's a look at some of the major sporting events that enthusiasts can look forward to in the New Year.

1. Africa Cup of Nations: The 33rd edition of the tournament was planned to kick-off earlier this year, but was pushed to 2022, due to the ongoing pandemic. The tournament will start in early Jan in Cameroon, with Algeria returning as defending champions.

2. Australia Open- First of the four Grand Slam tennis events, this annual event is all set to start from mid-Jan and will go on for two weeks. While women's defending champion Naomi Osaka is all set for the tournament, her male counterpart Novak Djokovic's return remains doubtful.

3. Winter Olympics: One year after the Tokyo Summer Olympics, the Beijing Winter Olympics will start early February. The tournament is however assumed to be boycotted by Western countries as an act of protest towards China and its human rights violations, with the disappearance of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai in the spotlight recently.

4. ICC Women's Cricket World Cup: The 12th edition of the World Cup is planned to be held in the months of March and April in New Zealand. A total of 8 teams will compete in the tournament, as England try to defend the trophy.

5. IPL 2022- The biggest cricket league in the world will begin in early April and will go on till the last week of May. With a 'mega-auction' planned for early 2022 and the inclusion of 2 new teams from Lucknow and Ahmedabad, fans of the tournament are in for a big treat this year.

6. Southeast Asian Games: The 31st edition of the Southeast Asian Games will take place between May 12 and May 23 at Hanoi, Vietnam. Eleven nations will participate in the biennial tournament, with the Philippines looking to retain the trophy.

7. Commonwealth Games: The 22nd edition of the Games will commence in July at Birmingham. This is the third time the tournament is hosted in an English city, following London in 1934 and Manchester in 2002, and 72 nations will participate. Australia won the last edition of the tournament, which was hosted on their home soil.

8. Asian Games: To be held at Hangzhou in the month of September, the 19th edition of the tournament will see a third Chinese city as hosts, after Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010. A total of 45 nations are expected to be competing in the tournament. China won the last edition of the tournament with a total of 290 medals including 132 golds.

9. ICC Men's T20 World Cup: With the 2020 edition held this year due to the pandemic, the 8th edition is to be hosted in the land of the defending champions, Australia. A total of 16 teams are expected to participate in the tournament which is set to start on October 16.

10. FIFA Men's World Cup: Often considered as one of the most widely watched sporting event in the world, the FIFA Men's World Cup is set to kick off next year. Unlike previous times, the tournament will not be held in June and July. The 22nd edition of the tournament will take place between November 21 and December 18. The World Cup will be held in the Middle-Eastern country of Qatar, the first ever to be held in the Arab world. This edition of the tournament will be the last to include 32 nations in the final round, as it plans to increase the number of participants to 48, from the 2026 edition. Reigning champions France will look to break the 'Champion's curse' and this edition of the World Cup is expected to be the last for many modern-day football legends.

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