Holiday Sports Report
A Recap in Case You’ve Missed
T. G. George
IT WAS ANOTHER SUMMER OF EXHILARATING SPORTING CONTESTS, but if you weren’t in the loop, then here is a recap.
As America enters their frigid winter months, its sporting competitions are heating up.
In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the spotlight has been on rookie Victor Wembanyama, the 7’4” Frenchman. He has exuded mesmerising talent, but despite his individual brilliance, his team, the San Antonio Spurs, sits 10-38, the third-worst record in the NBA. Although many thought he would cruise to Rookie of the Year, 7 ‘1” star Chet Holmgren is providing some serious competition, playing an integral role in guiding the OKC Thunder to the second seed in the Western Conference. In the race for Most Valuable Player (MVP), reigning holder Joel Embiid is orchestrating another exceptional campaign, averaging 36 points per game, 11.4 rebounds per game, as well as dropping 70 points against the Spurs. Currently, the Celtics sit atop of the Eastern Conference, while the Timberwolves lead the West. With still plenty to play for, it is sizing up to be another captivating season.
Moving to America’s most popular sport, the NFL. Even with the insurgence of Swifties, this season has been incredibly entertaining and enjoyable to follow. Both conferences have been extremely competitive, seeing five teams miss out on playoffs with winning records. The Wildcard weekend saw the Chiefs host the Dolphins in -32 degree Celsius wind chill. While the reigning champs haven’t looked themselves this year, they punished the thin-blooded fins. In Buffalo, they kept their season alive, sealing victory in another classic encounter. In the AFC championship game, the dominant Ravens, led by MVP frontrunner Lamar Jackson, were shocked by a clinical Chiefs performance, sending them to their 4th Super Bowl in five years. In the NFC, Green Bay headlined the Wild Card weekend with a 48-32 win over highflying Cowboys in their own backyard. Despite a prevailing first half showing vs the 49ers, they fell agonisingly short, ending their underdog run. The Lions have also captured the attention and support of the NFL over the past month, hosting the first playoff game in Detroit since 1991. With Eminem and other passionate Detroit reps in the house, the Lions executed a thrilling 24-23 win over the LA Rams, and a 31-23 win over the Buccaneers. With a chance to send their team to the first Super Bowl in their 58-year history, they came out firing in San Francisco. Unfortunately, another heroic second-half performance from the 49ers saw the game end 34-31. This weekend is the Pro Bowl, and next week, the Chiefs will face the 49ers in Las Vegas for the Lombardi Trophy. The game starts at 10:30am on Monday, so teachers – keep an eye on the laptops.
Now for some real football: Manager Jurgen Klopp has announced his shock exit from Liverpool FC at the end of this season, following nine revolutionary years at the helm. In the meantime, Liverpool sit 1st in the Premier League with a five-point lead over Man City. With an EFL Cup Final position secured, more silverware could capitalise on a stellar managerial career for the German. If any of you read my Holiday Sport Report from last year, you may recall me alluding to Girona’s unprecedented performance in the LaLiga. Well, this has not slowed, sitting in a comfortable 2nd place after 22 games, only 2 points behind league leaders Real Madrid. In the Bundesliga, Bayern Leverkusen are placed 1st, with Bayern two points behind, hoping to turn around their season in dramatic fashion, as seen last year. PSG are six points clear in the Ligue 1. Inter Milan is atop the Serie A, while reigning champions Napoli have slid to 9th, a stark contrast to their dominance last season. The 2023 Ballon d’Or was crowned to Lionel Messi for the 8th time, now three ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, but very likely the last from that historic duo.
In the women’s competition, Barcelona’s dominance is perpetual, topping their Champions League group and leading the LaLiga by nine points. Their star player, Aitana Bonmati, also won the Ballon d’Or, practically completing football in 2023, by winning the World Cup, Champions League, and LaLiga. Chelsea, PSG, and Lyon all also finished top of their group, with the quarter-final draw taking place in a few days. Chelsea also lead the Women’s Super League, and Lyon the French Division 1 Feminine.
In cricket, Australia has completed another successful test summer, dismantling a strong Pakistani side. David Warner played his final test, finishing his career with 112 matches, 8,786 runs and a memorable high score of 335. Following his retirement, Australia faced the West Indies, winning comfortably in the first test. In the second, Australia were chasing an achievable 216 on the 4th day, and triumph seemed almost inevitable. However, sloppy batting saw Steve Smith fighting on his own against a fierce West Indie bowling attack. The wickets kept falling as Australia scuffed their way closer to the target. With only nine runs needed to win, Shamar Joseph collected his 7th, clean bowling Hazlewood for the West Indies first victory in Australia since 1997.The sporting spectacle of the Australian summer was most certainly the Australian Open. World number 1, Novak Djokovic, entered as a heavy favourite to win his 11th AO. His pathway to the semi-final was relatively routine. On Australia Day, with seemingly the entire nation against him, he faced off against the Italian ranked 4th in the world, Jannik Sinner. Almost immediately, he found himself two sets down. Despite claiming the 3rd set, Sinner was clinical in the 4th, ending Djokovic’s 2,195-day streak of not losing in the Australian Open. The final was equally as entertaining, where Sinner faced Medvedev. Regardless of having spent five more hours on the court, the Russian was superior in the first two sets, winning 6-3, 6-3. However, fatigue soon set in, as Sinner won the next three straight to seal his first ever Grand Slam win. In the women’s competition, Qinwen Zheng displayed a valiant effort throughout the tournament, playing some excellent tennis. However, she was no match for the Russian Aryna Sabalenka, who cruised her way to her 2nd consecutive Australian Open title, not losing a single set the entire tournament.