Dubai: Phew … two more days and the year 2016 is going to be over. As members of the Fourth Estate, we tend to measure the passage of time with landmark events — and the year has given plenty to talk about — from the rise of Donald Trump to the loss of personalties who had shaped our sensibilities through a better half of the last century.
It’s been no different in sport, with two of the major sporting showpieces — the Rio Olympics and Euro 2016 — coinciding to make it a really heavyweight year. There had been not much of a twist in the tale in the ‘Holy Grail’ of all sporting action in Brazil with Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps adding on jewels to their crown while the organisers at Rio proved their critics wrong with one of the most vibrant Games in recent times.
Euro 2016, with it’s increased field of 24 teams, was a mixed bag though with very few matches living up to the exalted standard. It was the tactical nous of Fernando Santos which finally saw Portugal ending their heartbreak of 2004 — and Cristiano Ronaldo finally ending a major international triumph to his glittering CV. It was only in the fitness of things that the Portuguese was awarded the Ballon d’Or for the fourth time, while the choice for the independent ‘Fifa Footballer of the Year’ on January 9 also looks a foregone conclusion.
A much more endearing story in football, to my mind, was Leicester City scripting their ultimate sporting underdog story by winning the Premier League title. The impact of Ranieri’s ultimate outsiders’ upset act, ranked 5000-1 odds, was possibly the most fascinating fairytale act that I have seen after being more than 25 years in the business.
There is no dearth of other significant milestones during the year — be it the Caribbeans underlining their supremacy in the Twenty20 form of cricket by bagging a ‘double’ with both men and women’s World Cups earlier this year at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, or Andy Murray conquering all his self doubts to dethrone the seemingly infallible Novak Djokovic as the new men’s No.1.
However, if asked to name the most significant sporting story for the year, my choice would be the passing away of a legend — no prizes for guessing that one is talking about Muhammad Ali here. ‘The Greatest’
had, for reasons of physical disability, been inactive for so many years now — with the anniversaries of his famous fights resurrecting him in public memory off and on.
Once the lights were out on June 4, 2016, the world was left poorer at the loss of a hero who truly transcended the barrier of sport. Time to say again: ‘The Greatest’ is now gone … long live ‘The Greatest.’
