Let the games begin

The new decade starts with great promise for the sports aficionado. Two cricket World Cups straddle a summer of Olympics, Paralympics and the Euros. Here are the highlights of 2020 to look forward toUEFA Euro ChampionshipThe mega summer offering opens with the Euros in June. The tournament will be held across 12 countries to mark the 60th anniversary of the championship. The draw in November has set tongues wagging already. In Group F, defending champs Portugal have been drawn alongside World Cup winners France and Germany. Besides, England, Croatia and the Czech Republic have been clubbed together in Group D. Enough said?Olympic Games.preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}In Tokyo this summer, there will be no Usain Bolt or a Yelena Isinbayeva. Instead, look to athletes such as hurdler Karsten Warholm and swimmer Caeleb Dressel to scorch the competition. The Games will see the introduction of four new disciplinesskateboarding, surfing, sport climbing and karate. Konnichiwa, Japan!Paralympic GamesTwo weeks after the Olympics end, the action continues in Tokyo with the Paralympic Games in August. Japan’s insatiable appetite for sport is apparent from the 3.1 million ticket requests the organisers have received so far. At the previous edition in 2016, the Indian contingent comprised 19 athletes; as of December, over 20 have already qualified for Tokyo, making it the largest representation so far.ICC World Men’s T20 World CupCricket’s shortest format draws the biggest cheer, which will only get louder in October at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Defending champions West Indies will look to extend their good form, while the hosts will hope to make the most of the familiar conditions to win their first title. With their last triumph coming during the inaugural edition in 2007, India will be hungry to prove a point Down Under.ICC Women’s T20 World CupThe most successful team at the Women’s T20 World Cup, Australia will have the opportunity to make it five winning campaigns, this time at home when they host the tournament in February. For the Indian women, it will be another opportunity to break the semi-final jinx, where they’ve exited on three previous occasions. With Mithali Raj stepping down as skipper in September, it will be down to new captain Harmanpreet Kaur to rally the troops.Published By: Iram Ara IbrahimPublished On: Jan 3, 2020--- ENDS ---

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Let the games begin

Here are the highlights of 2020 to look forward to.

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