Sport in 2023: Men's cricket World Cup to women's football World Cup, five big events to watch

2023 promises to be another great year for sports as numerous top sporting events are lined up for the upcoming year. We will have World Cups in cricket, hockey, and football. There’s a lot more besides this as well.

We take a look at the showpiece events:

Men’s Hockey World Cup

Where: Bhubaneshwar and Rourkela, India

When: 13-29 January

Men’s hockey World Cup is back and four years after hosting the event in Bhubaneshwar, India is once again gearing up to stage the prestigious event in Odisha, which has become the home of the sport. Belgium who won their first world title in 2018 will be aiming to defend the crown while India will be looking to win their second title after 1975. Pakistan have won the most four world titles but they are not part of the World Cup this time. Three-time winners Australia are seen as the top favourite for the trophy.

Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup

Where: South Africa

When: 10-26 February

The T20 World Cup will be the first one to be hosted after the 2018 edition in West Indies where without any surprises Australia won. In fact, Australia are also the ODI champions and hence the challenge for other participants will be to cause a surprise and stop the inevitable from happening. India will be taking part in the World Cup under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur and will be hoping to win their first title. With Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami retiring, this will be the first time in over two decades that India will be without those two legends in a world tournament. Ten teams will take part and they have been put in two groups of five teams each. The top two teams from the groups will make it to the semi-finals.

Women’s Football World Cup

Where: Australia and New Zealand

When: 20 July to 20 August

The all-conquering United States women’s national team face stiff competition from a series of emerging European contenders for the World Cup. The Americans have won four of the eight previous editions of the tournament, including the last two, but have been beaten by Germany, England and Spain this year. England are looking to back up their victory on home soil at Euro 2022, while co-hosts Australia will be hoping Chelsea star Sam Kerr can lead the Matildas beyond the quarter-finals for the first time. Ten venues across nine host cities in Australia and New Zealand will host the first 32-team women’s World Cup, which is set to smash records for attendance and viewing figures in a further indication of the growing popularity of the sport.

World Athletics Championships

Where: Budapest

When: 19-27 August

World athletes of the year Armand Duplantis and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will bid to recreate their world record-setting victories in the Hungarian capital. Coming a year after the Covid-delayed world champs in Eugene, Oregon, the biennial event will play host to a raft of up-and-coming track and field stars. All eyes will be on Jamaica’s five-time 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the women’s sprints, at the age of 36. The US team will look to the likes of Fred Kerley, Noah Lyles, Michael Norman and Erriyon Knighton to light up the men’s short track, while Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Karsten Warholm will bid to extend their winning form.

Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup

Where: India

When: October-November (dates to be decided)

The 13th edition of the global 50-over showpiece will see England defend the title they won in thrilling fashion on home ground in 2019. Despite the event stretching over seven weeks and featuring 48 games, only 10 teams are taking part. The top seven countries from the Super League plus hosts India will make it through as well as two teams from a qualifying tournament to be held in Zimbabwe in June/July. There is, however, already controversy with former Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ramiz Raja having hinted his country could boycott the World Cup if India refuse to play the Asia Cup scheduled for Pakistan also in 2023.

With AFP inputs