If one thought sporting events were exciting in 2017, then 2018 is a chart-buster, with all sporting disciplines having marquee events lined up. The likes of cricket, football, multi-faceted sporting events and chess are set for some interesting times in 2018, report agencies.
For football lovers, they will be able to witness the biggest footballing event of the year with the FIFA World Cup being held in Russia for the first time. In chess, this year will witness the Candidates tournament in March that will see the challenger for the world crown, currently held by Magnus Carlsen. As the year ends, the world championship will be played in London in November.
For multi-faceted sports like athletics, swimming and other disciplines, 2018 is a bonanza year. The Asian Games will be held in Jakarta while the Commonwealth Games will be held in Gold Coast, Australia.
The Indian Premier League will also enter a new phase, first with the mega-player auction in January followed by a new season with new broadcasters.
FIFA World Cup 2018 (June 14 - July 15)
Away from the Olympics, the biggest and most attended sporting spectacle will be held in 2018 with best players in the world descending on Russia. Even though super powers such as Italy, Netherlands, and Chile won't be making the trip having failed in the qualifying stages, the likes of Lionel Messi and European champions Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, are expected to make it an event to remember. In fact, it is a strong probability that it would be their last World Cups which just adds to the lure.
2018 Commonwealth Games (April 4-15)
The 2018 Commonwealth Games will be held in the Australian city of Gold Coast in the state of Queensland. The Games will be held between April 4 and 15 and will be the fifth Commonwealth Games for Australia. Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth have previously played hosts to the event in Australia. 70 countries are expected to compete in the 11-day sporting event. Over 6,600 athletes and officials will descend on Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games which will see 18 sports across 275 events.
2018 Winter Olympic Games (February 9-25)
The 2018 Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place from February 9 to Feb 25 in Pyeongchang, South Korea which will be the first time that the country would play host to the Winter Games. It had already hosted the Summer Games back in 1988 in Seoul. The extravaganza will feature 102 events across 15 sports with over 100 medals on offer for the first time. Six new events will be played such as Snowboard Big Air (men, women), Speed Skating Mass Start (men, women), Curling Mixed Doubles and Alpine Skiing Team.
2018 Asian Games (August 18 - September 2)
The 2018 Asian Games will be hosted by Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia and has thus been officially named as 'Jakarta Palembang 2018'. It is only for the first time that the Asian Games are being co-hosted by two cities - the Indonesian capital in Jakarta and Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra province. The Asian Games would feature 462 events in 40 sports across 57 disciplines. 45 countries will participate in the games including a first time appearance for eSports as a demonstration sport.
Women's World T20, West Indies (Nov 3-Nov 24)
This is the first time the ICC is hosting the women's World T20 independently and hosting it in the land of the defending champions, The West Indies, will be a good indicator if the concept is a hit or a miss.
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