We are starting the last quarter of 2023, and the year has been exciting and sometimes turbulent. The ladies and gents of the sports world have also entertained and shown us incredible moments on the fields, pitches and courts worldwide. We know the year hasn’t ended, but we thought it prudent to start rounding up the most memorable sports moments thus far. If you are a betting person, you could use this collection to guide your next sporting bets.
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023
Soccer is a universal sport loved and watched from the VIP box at Old Trafford to pubs in Ireland and the luxurious towers in Dubai. The FIFA Women’s World Cup was no different, with a viewership of over 300,000. It was one of the most watched events. And here are some memorable moments from the tournament.
- Spain took home their first trophy, beating a formidable England side by 1-0, with a beautifully executed goal that came off the boot of Olga Carmona.
- Katie McCabe’s corner goal against Canada was flawless in its execution, displaying superior kicking skills. The ball curved past the goalie’s left shoulder, making it impossible for her to twist, turn and catch it in time. It was the kind of goal you want to watch in slow motion repeatedly.
- The USA team was the defending champions but fell out of the tournament in the group stages. If you had money on them at 10bet – South Africa, you weren’t misguided; the Americans have won the tournament four times. But this wasn’t their year. Fans watched in disbelief as three players missed penalty after penalty in the penalty shoot-out against Sweden. For Megan Rapinoe, this was a sad swan song as she retired from international soccer.
Apart from the goals and excellent soccer skills, these ladies demonstrated true sportsmanship. They showed us what it means to win graciously; they handled wins and losses with maturity. Images of England players consoling Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie after losing a penalty shoot-out were heartwarming. Or who can forget how the Lionesses comforted striker Kerr, who was emotional after their semi-final defeat?
Tennis
- No one can deny that this is Novak Djokavic’s year on the ATP, surpassing Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 grand slam titles. With the US Open underway, the Serbian player is chasing number 24.
- Who can forget the upset with Andy Murray and the umpire during his match against Alexandra Zverev? The umpire awarded Zverev an advantage point based on a correction call, and Zverev went on to win that match point.
- In a spectacular match against Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka won her first grand slam at the Australian Open. Now, in an equally impressive run at the US Open, she has made her way into the second round. With the retirement of greats like Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters from the WTP, it will be interesting to see which youngsters will rise to fill those gaps.
Motorsport
The days of Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Williams BMW ruling the F1 circuit are over. It is anyone’s race, and Red Bull has risen to the occasion. In Belgium, the Red Bull racing team surpassed McLaren’s 11 victories in 1988, meaning the Red Bull team has won every race in the 2023 F1 calendar. They currently have 540 points in the constructors championship, 285 points more than Mercedes.
Still, with Red Bull, Max Verstappen has had an impressive season, with ten consecutive wins, which puts him at 41 career wins. And he is only 25 years old.
With Formula 1 back from three weeks back, we can only expect more twists, turns, and shocking podium wins.
Boxing
In our opinion, boxing is a sport that doesn’t get enough publicity. There are great boxers who prefer the sport over the limelight. It sometimes seems like the sport peaked during the Muhammad Ali era, so it’s great to see younger fighters like Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis establish themselves.
One of the best fights in the earlier half of the year was Haney vs. Lomachenko, where Haney successfully defended his lightweight championship title. His opponent, Vasiliy Lomachenko, is a former unified champion with incredible skills.
What would have been a momentous fight between Fury and Usyk was cancelled with no rescheduled date set. Fury and Usyk have been butting heads in the media for a while now, and it would have been great to see all that energy transferred into the boxing ring. The year is over, so we hope to see that match up before it ends.
Point, Match Set
There are four months left in this year, and so much can happen; with the 2023 Rugby World Cup, we wait with bated breath to see how far current champions the Springboks will go. The US Open is heating up, and Djokovic may get the elusive 24th grand slam.
The 2022/23 English Premier League season ended with a bang in the European leagues. With the new season in full swing, it will be interesting to see who will surpass Erling Haaland’s record of 36 goals in a single season.
