Prepare For A Summer Of Sports

As a sports fan I am really looking forward to the coming months when sports will take centre stage across the world. Listed in no particular order  are sporting events that appeal to me and I will for most of the time  be glued to the television watching them at every opportunity.

1. Current clay court tennis climaxing with the French Open in Paris 20^th May – 9^th
2. Grass court tennis culminating with the fortnightly All England Wimbledon Championships 1^st – 14^th July  where along with my wife  and others I have been fortunate to visit and  watch  tennis on Centre Court at least ten times over the years.
3. Hard court tennis climaxing at the US Open in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York  26^th August – 8^th September where I have  visited and watched tennis  on at least five occasions.
4. The UEFA European Football Championships14^th June -14^th July hosted by Germany.
5. The 2024 Paris Olympics 24^th July – 11^th August where I have to be partial in saying that I cannot wait to see the Caribbean athletes and especially the Jamaicans, to use a colloquial phrase ‘Mash up di track.’ This every four-year  sporting spectacular with such a vast array of sports is one that will certainly be the highlight of the summer of sports.

Interestingly the following new events have been added to this year’s Olympic Games schedule  and only time will tell whether they become popular: 1. Breakdancing  2. Kayak Cross  3. Kite Boarding  4. Men’s artistic swimming  5. Marathon race walk mixed relay.  I hasten to add that I never watch any walking races as find them incredibly boring.

Another point worthy of note about the television  Olympic coverage, since  twice as a family  we were visiting the Bahamas and New York;  the commentary from the American television stations  was  biased and focused on the American athletes even when they were not  in a winning position. I vowed never to be in the States again during the period of the Olympic Games as America is not the only competing country and the patriotism to that level was off the scale.

6. The West Indies cricket team will be touring England with three test matches and one day games for most of July. I will dip in and out of these matches as although I used to watch cricket at  Kingston’s Sabina Park cricket ground in the 1970’s, I am  not that keen on the present-day crop of players who really need to up their game. Some of us still harper for the glory days when the West Indies cricket team dominated on the world stage.
7. The Formula One Grand Prix which started in January continues until the end of the year.
8. The athletics Diamond League which started earlier in the year runs throughout the summer.
9. The climax of the European cycling season 29th June to 21st July is the Tour De France with riders competing over several stages for the yellow jersey

Then there is horse racing including Royal Ascot 18^th – 22^nd June and the Epsom Derby on 1st June. There are the usual major golf tournaments  which I cannot stand at all (apologies to golf aficionados) despite the achievements of Tiger Woods. For me this sport is like watching paint dry or grass grow although I accept how technical it must be to hit a hole in one.

Sports fans will be at events cheering on competitors as some win and others lose. Others will be in pubs or in public spaces watching on big screens soaking up the atmosphere. I will be at home shouting  and cheering at the TV screen  on occasions but certainly not throwing objects at it or spilling drinks  on  the carpet!!

Bring it on as I cannot wait for the action, excitement, spills and thrills to unfold. Some of these sports are so gladiatorial and as some would say it is not the winning that counts but the taking part. My take is may the best athlete or team win  and one must add be free of any performance enhancing drugs.

Here’s to a happy summer of glorious sports for us to appreciate as spectators, what the human body can achieve with hard work, discipline and focus.