So which sporting event do you want to travel to in 2009?… 2008 was an eventful year in the sporting world - highlights included the hugely successful Olympics and Paralympics (especially for team GB) in Beijing, Lewis Hamilton’s maiden World Championship victory and Manchester United’s Premiership/Champions League double. United needed to overcome Chelsea on both fronts and it went down to the wire, especially in the Champions league where there was the climax of the ‘Russian Roulette’ penalty shoot-out in the Moscow rain…
2009 has a lot to live up to after an incredible 2008...
2009 has a tough act to follow, but it promises to deliver many highlights of its own. Here are a selection of the most anticipated events on the calender that you can plan your holidays around: - The World Athletics Championships take place in Berlin in August (15-23) - A spectacle that is always special. This year it should be no different, especially on the back of the exciting olympics where Usain Bolt ripped up the track in the sprints. In football, the Champions League culminates in a final in Rome on the 27th of May, whilst the UEFA Cup final takes place in Istanbul a week prior on the 20th of May. Will there by any British interest in the final? You would have to presume so. In Rugby Union, the British Lions tour South Africa from the 30th of May to the 4th of July. Can they topple the might of the World Cup winners? It is eagerly awaited to see if they can do it.
2009 has the promise and potential to be an outstanding year...
The popular IPL returns to cricket from the 10th of April to the 29th of May, whilst the 20/20 World Cup takes place between the 5th and the 21st of June in England. The Australians visit these shores too for the Ashes series from the 8th of July to the 24th of August. Who will win the battle? Let’s hope England have similar success to last time the Aussies came over! Whilst we are on a UK theme, can Andy Murray win at Wimbledon for the first time? This could be his year. The action kicks off on the 22nd of June and finishes on the 5th of July. He is currently battling it out at the Australian Open and has still got the French Open in Paris and the US Open at Flushing Meadows later in the year to compete for. The Formula One Championships are going to be a very exciting close run thing this year with the new aerodynamic rules. Can Lewis Hamilton hold onto his crown? My outside tip is for Sebastien Vettel to win, who is currently a 33/1 shot!!! They seem long odds for such a talent, so get your bet on whilst you can! The season starts in Melbourne on the 29th of March and finishes in Abu Dhabi on the 1st of November. One of the biggest events of the year could be the on/off fight between Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao, due to take place on the 2nd of May in Las Vegas. If it goes ahead, it should be fantastic - Pacquiao is described by many as the best ‘pound for pound’ boxer in the world. So there we have it… A fantastic sporting year awaits. I, for one, can’t wait to see the events unfold in front of my eyes.
By Ben Charlton.
Tags: Sport Holidays, sports