Thrill of returning to play, agony of persistent pandemic: Major sports events of 2021

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp, Can Erozden, and Muhammed Enes Calli

ANKARA (AA) – Emerging from a challenging period when the coronavirus pandemic forced most sports events to be suspended, 2021 saw a broad recovery from restrictions, with major games such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and UEFA EURO 2020 finally held, even as the omicron variant led to a new tightening of rules as the year closed.

Among the highlights and lowlights of the year in sports were the Italian national football team's EURO 2020 triumph, Danish football player Christian Eriksen's collapse on the pitch during a EURO match, Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi's departure from Barcelona, the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA championship, and Red Bull Racing Honda's Dutch driver Max Verstappen's maiden Formula 1 world title.

JANUARY

Jan. 2:

- Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) names Mauricio Pochettino their new head coach following Thomas Tuchel's dismissal.

Jan. 3:

- Cristiano Ronaldo surpasses Pele with his 758th goal to become the second-highest goal scorer ever as Juventus defeat Udinese 4-1. Czech-Austrian forward Bican is the all-time top scorer with 805 career goals.

Jan. 5:

- Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu of AC Milan is awarded the most valuable player of December in the Italian top-tier football league Serie A.

- Legendary Manchester City footballer Colin Bell dies at 74.

Jan. 11:

- Kazuyoshi Miura, 53, the oldest goal-scorer in Japanese football, gets his contract with Yokohama FC extended.

Jan. 12:

- Formula 1 releases a revised calendar for the start of the 2021 season as Australian and Chinese Grands Prix are postponed due to coronavirus restrictions.

Jan. 13:

- It is “absolutely impossible” to postpone this year’s Summer Olympic Games due to the coronavirus, says Yoshiro Mori, head of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee.

Jan. 15:

- English Football League Championship club Derby County appoints Wayne Rooney as the permanent manager.

Jan. 21:

- World football’s top bodies declare that they will not recognize a rumored breakaway European “Super League” and anyone who takes part in such a competition will face consequences.

Jan. 24:

- Fenerbahce announce the signing of a 3.5-year contract with Mesut Ozil from England's Arsenal on a free transfer.

Jan. 26:

- Thomas Tuchel is appointed as the Chelsea manager after Frank Lampard's departure.

Jan. 27:

- Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard joins Arsenal from Real Madrid on loan.

- Trabzonspor win the 2020 Turkish Super Cup, beating Medipol Basaksehir 2-1.

Jan. 30:

- Brazilian football club Palmeiras defeat rivals Santos 1-0 to win the 2020 CONMEBOL Libertadores title.

FEBRUARY

Feb. 1:

- Fenerbahce's Jan Vesely is named January’s most valuable player (MVP) in EuroLeague.

Feb. 2:

- Turkish center-back Ozan Kabak completes his loan move to Liverpool from German side Schalke 04.

Feb. 5:

- UEFA bans Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana for 12 months for a doping violation.

Feb. 11:

- The European football body UEFA launches proceedings against Romanian referees over alleged racist remarks in a 2020 match between PSG and Medipol Basaksehir.

- Bayern Munich win the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup after defeating Mexico's Tigres 1-0 in the final.

Feb. 12:

- Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori resigns over sexist comments made at a meeting.

Feb. 16:

- Former Argentine football player Leopoldo Jacinto Luque dies at age 71.

Feb. 18:

- Japan's outgoing Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto accepts to lead the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee.

Feb. 19:

- 2021 NBA All-Star Game starters is unveiled.

East Pool: Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets / Team Captain), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), and Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets).

West Pool: LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers / Team Captain), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), and Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers).

Feb. 20:

- Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka defeats Jennifer Brady from the US in straight sets to win her second Australian Open title.

- Turkey qualifies for the EuroBasket 2022 after the Netherlands defeat Croatia 65-57 in qualifiers.

Feb. 21:

- Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic wins his ninth Australian Open title with a 3-0 victory over Daniil Medvedev in the men's singles final.

Feb. 25:

- Thierry Henry resigns from his post as CF Montreal manager.

Feb. 26:

- Lille’s Turkish midfielder Yusuf Yazici nets seven goals in one Europa League season. He now has the most UEFA Europa League goals among all Turkish players in a single season.

MARCH

March 2:

- Turkish pentathlon athlete Ilke Ozyuksel breaks a world record in laser-run.

March 3:

- FIFA, the world football's governing body, extends its condolences over death of nine footballers in a road accident in Sierra Leone.

March 5:

- The Formula 1 adds the Portuguese Grand Prix to the 2021 calendar.

March 6:

- FIFA announces a rule change for accidental handballs when scoring a goal, saying handballs in goal-scoring situations will no longer be considered an offence.

March 7:

- Rangers win their first Scottish Premiership title in ten years after second-placed Celtic are held to a 0-0 draw over Dundee United.

March 8:

- Team LeBron beat Team Durant 170-150 in the NBA All-Star Game 2021.

- Philadelphia 76ers' star duo Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons miss the 2021 All-Star Game after contacting a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.

- UEFA bans Romanian football referee Sebastian Coltescu until the end of the current season for "inappropriate behavior" in the match last December between PSG and Medipol Basaksehir. Turkish side Basaksehir claimed Coltescu used a racial slur to identify Pierre Achille Webo, their assistant manager from Cameroon.

March 11:

- Turkish special athlete Fatma Damla Altin wins gold in the women's pentathlon at the 2021 European Indoor Athletics Championships in France.

March 13:

- Turkey wins the 2021 Virtus European Indoor Athletics Championships, bagging 13 medals.

March 17:

- Former Dallas Mavericks player Shawn Bradley was paralyzed two months ago after he was hit from behind by a vehicle while riding a bicycle, the American basketball club says.

- Bayern Munich commemorates their former Turkish football player Erhan Onal.

March 18:

- Olympic hammer throw gold medalist Dilshod Nazarov from Tajikistan is banned for two years for doping.

March 21:

- Turkish paralympic athletes win eight medals at the 2021 World Para Athletics Grand Prix.

March 22:

- Los Angeles Lakers legend Elgin Baylor passes away at age 86.

March 24:

- Saugella Monza from Italy were crowned the winners of the women's 2021 CEV Volleyball Cup, beating Turkey's Galatasaray HDI Sigorta 3-0 in the second leg of the final.

- Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Secretary General Jerome Valcke are banned for six years and eight months over violating the code of ethics.

- UEFA decides to confiscate 15% of Besiktas' revenues from Europe in the 2021-22 football season unless the Turkish club proves that it has not violated the financial rule.

- Turkish volleyball team Sistem9 Yesilyurt win the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup 2021 after defeating CSM Volei Alba Blaj from Romania in the second leg of the women's final.

March 25:

- Fenerbahce mutually part ways with manager Erol Bulut. Emre Belozoglu will serve as interim manager until end of the season.

March 26:

- Former French football star Thierry Henry says that he will disable his social media platforms for insufficient measures against racism and cyberbullying.

March 27:

- Istanbul will host the 2021 EuroLeague Women Final Four, FIBA Basketball announces.

March 31:

- UEFA lifts its spectator limit, which was up to 30% capacity of a stadium to minimize coronavirus risks.

APRIL

April 4:

- USA Basketball announces that Grant Hill will replace Jerry Colangelo as its men’s national team managing director following the Tokyo Olympics.

- Kenyan runners Ruth Chepngetich and Kibiwott Kandie win the 16th edition of the Istanbul Half Marathon, an annual road running event.

April 5:

- Three Turkish athletes win medals at EWF Senior Weightlifting Championships in Russia.

April 6:

- Turkish athlete Daniyar Ismayilov sets a European record and claims two gold medals at the European Weightlifting Championships in Russia.

April 9:

- Scottish football side Rangers announce a seven-day boycott from all social media channels to fight against online abuse.

April 12:

- The World Ethnosport Confederation organizes the fourth Ethnosport Forum in a hybrid format in Istanbul with participants from 61 countries.

April 13:

- Stephen Curry scores 53 points to become franchise scoring leader in Golden State Warriors' 116-107 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Warriors' superstar and the two-time MVP passes NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain who has held the record since 1964 with 17,783 points. Curry now has 17,818 points.

- Florentino Perez is re-elected the president of Real Madrid until 2025.

April 14:

- Fenerbahce women's basketball team star Alina Iagupova wins the MVP of the EuroLeague Women season award for the second time in a row.

- Czech football club Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela is banned for 10 games for racist behavior.

April 15:

- LaMarcus Aldridge, a Brooklyn Nets player, announces his sudden retirement due to an irregular heartbeat.

April 16:

- Two-year ban on Christian Coleman, men's world 100-meter champion, for breaching anti-doping rules is reduced to 18 months. He still cannot join the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in July.

April 18:

- Turkish Paralympic swimmer Sumeyye Boyaci clinches a gold medal in the third leg of the World Para Swimming World Series.

- Turkish judoka Vedat Albayrak claims a gold medal by defeating Matthias Casse from Belgium in the men’s 81 kg final while Kayra Sayit beat France’s Lea Fontaine to win a gold medal in the women's 78 kg final at the European Judo Championships.

- Barcelona win the 2021 Copa del Rey with a 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao.

- Spanish cyclist Jose Manuel Diaz Gallego of France's Delko team wins the 56th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey.

- Russian basketball club UMMC Ekaterinburg win the EuroLeague Women trophy after beating Perfumerias Avenida of Spain 78-68 in the Istanbul final.

April 19:

- Several major football clubs announce that they reached an agreement to establish a new mid-week competition – the Super League – despite earlier objections by UEFA.

- Tottenham Hotspur fire their Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho.

- UEFA approves the new 36-team Champions League format taking effect in the 2024/25 season.

April 20:

- A total of 55 member federations of UEFA unanimously condemn the declaration of the European Super League.

- Turkish wrestler Suleyman Atli clinches a gold medal at the European Wrestling Championships in Poland.

April 21:

- European Super League collapses as founding clubs withdraw.

- Olympic champion Turkish wrestler Taha Akgul wins gold at the 2021 European Championships in Poland.

April 22:

- PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi becomes the new chairman of the European Club Association.

- Italian Serie A club AC Milan extends the contract of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 39-year-old veteran star, for another season.

April 23:

- Turkish national chess players Can Durak and Ozgun Sahin each earn their FIDE Master titles.

- Ryan Giggs will not manage the Wales national football team at EURO 2020 after being charged for assaulting two women.

April 24:

- Turkey’s Riza Kayaalp wins his 10th European Wrestling Championships title in Poland.

April 25:

- Famed Turkish basketball player Ender Arslan, the 2010 FIBA World Championship silver medalist, ends his 21-year career.

- Manchester City win the 2021 English Football League Cup with a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

April 26:

- Legendary strikers Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer become the first two footballers inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

- Australian swimming legend John Konrads passes away at age 78.

April 28:

- Turkish Grand Prix will replace Canada in the 2021 race calendar for June 11-13, Formula 1 confirms.

April 30:

- FIFA and UEFA say they will support the English football's social media boycott to protest online abuse.

MAY

May 2:

- Inter Milan win the Italian Serie A title to end Juventus' nine years of dominance, becoming champions for first time since 2010.

- Ajax Amsterdam secure the Dutch Eredivisie title for the 35th time in history.

May 7:

- UEFA approves sanctions against nine clubs for joining the breakaway European Super League.

Arsenal, AC Milan, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur are said to face sanctions such as loss of 5% of revenue from UEFA organizations for one season.

May 8:

- PSG's Brazilian star Neymar renews his contract with the French club until 2025.

- Bayern Munich win the German Bundesliga, clinching their ninth consecutive domestic league title.

May 11:

- Manchester City are crowned the English Premier League champions.

May 12:

- UEFA opens a disciplinary investigation into three major clubs – Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus – for their involvement in aborted breakaway European Super League.

May 13:

- UEFA relocates the 2021 Champions League final, taking it from Istanbul to Porto due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The all-English final between Manchester City and Chelsea is decided to be held in Porto's Estadio do Dragao so that both clubs' fans would be able to travel after the UK government places Turkey on its red list of travel destinations.

May 14:

- The Turkish Grand Prix in the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship scheduled for June is canceled due to new COVID-19 travel restrictions.

May 15:

- Besiktas win the Turkish Super Lig title.

- Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan enter basketball's top class, the Hall of Fame.

May 21:

- Former tennis champion Simona Halep from Romania withdraws from the 2021 French Open with a left calf injury.

May 22:

- Atletico Madrid win the Spanish La Liga title for first time since 2014.

- Italy's Benedetta Pilato breaks the women’s 50 meters breaststroke world record in the European Swimming Championships, with a clocking of 29.30 seconds.

May 23:

- Lille win the French Ligue 1 title for the first time since 2011.

- Bayern Munich's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski scores 41 goals in the 2020-21 season, setting a new record in the history of Germany's top-tier Bundesliga. Lewandowski breaks the record of Bayern Munich legend Gerd Muller, who scored 40 league goals in the 1971-72 season.

May 26:

- Anadolu Efes guard Vasilije Micic is named the MVP of the 2020-2021 season in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

- Villarreal beat Manchester United on penalties to win their first UEFA Europa League title.

May 27:

- Real Madrid's French manager Zinedine Zidane leaves the Spanish club for failing to win the La Liga.

May 28:

- Juventus sack Italian manager Andrea Pirlo after a disappointing season. The club rehires Massimiliano Allegri for the vacant post.

May 29:

- Utah Jazz legend Mark Eaton passes away at age 64.

- Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 to win the UEFA Champions League.

May 30:

- Anadolu Efes win 2021 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title after beating Barcelona 86-81 in the final. They become the second Turkish team to win this trophy after Fenerbahce, who were crowned the EuroLeague champions in 2017.

May 31:

- Japanese tennis star Osaka withdraws from French Open, citing depression and anxiety.

JUNE

June 1:

- Real Madrid agree with Italian Carlo Ancelotti for the manager seat.

June 3:

- Inter Milan appoint Simone Inzaghi as their new manager.

June 4:

- Lille’s Turkish forward Burak Yilmaz becomes the French Ligue 1 player of the season.

June 5:

- Manchester City's Portuguese defender Ruben Dias is named the Premier League player of the season.

June 6:

- Swiss tennis star Roger Federer withdraws from the fourth round of the French Open over concerns after knee surgeries.

June 7:

- Anadolu Efes win the Turkish basketball league title with a 3-0 series sweep over Fenerbahce Beko in playoff finals. Anadolu Efes secure a comfortable 93-66 win over Fenerbahce Beko in the third game to be the domestic league champions.

June 9:

- Denver Nuggets' Serbian center Nikola Jokic wins the 2020-21 NBA season's MVP award.

- Russian football referee Sergey Lapochkin is banned by UEFA for 10 years on corruption charges.

June 11:

- Italy beat Turkey 3-0 in the opening game of the UEFA EURO 2020.

June 12:

- Czech tennis player Barbora Krejcikova wins the 2021 French Open title in women's singles after she beats Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-1 in the final.

- Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen, 29, collapses during a EURO 2020 group match against Finland. Eriksen suffers a cardiac arrest to be intervened by medical staff on the pitch. With the player taken to a hospital, the game resumes.

June 13:

- Serbia's Novak Djokovic, the world number one in men's tennis, wins the 2021 French Open. Djokovic topples Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 3-2 in Paris.

June 16:

- Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, 35, leaves the club after 16 years of service.

June 17:

- LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets wins the 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year award.

- Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, 43, leaves Juventus to join his boyhood club Parma.

- Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal pulls out of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Wimbledon.

- Naomi Osaka withdraws from Wimbledon for "taking some personal time with friends and family.”

June 18:

- Christian Eriksen, who collapsed in a EURO 2020 match, is discharged from hospital after a successful operation.

June 20:

- Turkey's EURO 2020 journey ends without any point after losing against Switzerland 3-1 in their last Group A match in Baku. In the previous matches, Turkey were beaten by Italy and Wales.

- Turkey’s national men's volleyball team beat Ukraine 3-1 to become the winner of CEV Volleyball European Golden League 2021.

June 21:

- Anadolu Efes' Turkish manager Ergin Ataman wins the 2021 EuroLeague Coach of Year award.

June 23:

- Cristiano Ronaldo equals record for most international goals belonging to former Iran forward Ali Daei, who scored 109 goals in 1993-2006.

June 24:

- Real Madrid basketball player Felipe Reyes retires from the game age 41.

- Austrian tennis player Dominic Thiem withdraws from the Wimbledon due to a wrist injury.

June 25:

- The Turkish Grand Prix rejoins the 2021 Formula 1 calendar, with the organizers saying the race will be held in early October.

- Simona Halep withdraws from this year's Wimbledon for her calf injury.

- Turkish women's national volleyball team beat Japan 3-0 to win a bronze medal in the 2021 Nations League.

- Former Fenerbahce Beko head coach Zeljko Obradovic, 61, returns to Partizan for a second stint in charge at the Serbian club.

- The US women's national volleyball team win the 2021 FIVB Nations League trophy after beating Brazil 3-1 in the final.

June 26:

- Greek playmaker guard Vassilis Spanoulis announces his retirement from basketball age 38. Spanoulis played for NBA's Houston Rockets, and Greek archrivals Panathinaikos and Olympiacos.

June 27:

- Serena Williams confirms that she will not be competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

June 29:

- Simona Halep announces her withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics, saying she needs more time to recover from calf injury.

- Turkey announces that sports matches can be held with limited number of fans and COVID-19 safety measures observed.

- Ankle injury forces Serena Williams to exit Wimbledon early.

June 30:

- English football club Everton hire Rafael Benitez as their new manager.

JULY

July 1:

- Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi's contract with Barcelona expires, leaving the 34-year-old forward a free agent.

- Norwegian athlete Karsten Warholm sets a new world record in the men's 400 meters hurdles at the 2021 Diamond League. The two-time world champion finishes in 46.70 seconds to be the record holder.

July 2:

- Toni Kroos, the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner, quits the German national team.

July 3:

- Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion in the Formula 1, extends his contract with his team Mercedes.

July 5:

- Matiss Kivlenieks, the Latvian-born goalie for the Columbus Blue Jackets, dies in a fireworks accident during the US Independence Day weekend, Ohio-based ice hockey team confirms.

July 6:

- PSG sign Achraf Hakimi from Inter Milan on a five-year contract.

July 8:

- The Tokyo Olympics will be held under the coronavirus state of emergency, the Japanese government says.

- Japan bars local spectators from the Tokyo Olympics over virus concerns.

- World Cup winning Spanish defender Sergio Ramos moves to PSG.

- Atletico Madrid extend their manager Diego Simeone's contract until 2024.

July 9:

- Olympic torch relay starts in Tokyo with a small ceremony that is held behind closed doors over coronavirus fears.

July 10:

- Ashleigh Barty wins Wimbledon women's singles title after beating Karolina Pliskova 2-1 in the final.

July 11:

- Messi-led Argentina are crowned the 2021 Copa America champions after beating Brazil 1-0 in the final.

- Novak Djokovic defeats Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 3-1 to claim his sixth Wimbledon title.

- Italy win EURO 2020 after beating England 3-2 on penalties in the final at Wembley Stadium.

July 13:

- UEFA names the EURO 2020 Team of the Tournament. The top scorers of this year's European football contest, Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrik Schick, are not selected for the team.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, Leonardo Bonucci, Leonardo Spinazzola, Jorginho, and Federico Chiesa are the Italian players named in the Team of the Tournament. The Italian quintet help Azzurri win the EURO 2020.

- Roger Federer pulls out of the Tokyo 2020 for a knee injury.

July 14:

- Turkish basketball player Sertac Sanli signs a two-year contract with Spain 's Barcelona.

July 15:

- PSG sign Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on free transfer.

- Dutch footballer Arjen Robben announces his retirement from active football, the second time in two years. The 37-year-old retired from Bayern Munich in 2019 but returned to play in Groningen in 2020.

July 16:

- UEFA announces that Istanbul will host the 2023 Champions League final.

July 18:

- Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar wins the Tour de France for the second straight year.

July 20:

- The Milwaukee Bucks win their second NBA title in 50 years, beating Phoenix Suns 105-98. The Bucks won the NBA final series 4-2.

July 21:

- International Olympic Committee announces that Australia's Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics.

July 23:

- The 2020 Olympic Games starts with the opening ceremony in a near-empty National Stadium in the Japanese capital Tokyo in the shadow of COVID-19.

- Manchester United sign English football star Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.

July 25:

- US men's basketball team start their 2020 Olympics journey with a shocking 83-76 loss to France. The team suffer their first Olympic loss since Athens 2004.

July 26:

- US pop star Pink expresses her support and offers to pay the "sexist" fine imposed on the Norwegian women’s beach handball team for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms at a recent game in the EURO 2021 tournament.

July 28:

- Olympic gold medalist gymnast Simone Biles of US pulls out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics women’s team final to "focus on mental health.”

- Chinese athlete Shi Zhiyong, 27, wins the Olympic gold medal in the men's 73 kg weightlifting category in Tokyo 2020. He breaks all three Olympic records in snatch, clean and jerk, and total with 364 kg. He lifted 166 kg in snatch and 198 kg in clean and jerk.

July 29:

- US swimmer Caeleb Dressel sets an Olympic record, clinching a gold medal in the Tokyo 2020. Dressel, 24, is the victor in men's 100-meter freestyle final clocking 47.02 and set a longtime Olympic record as well.

July 30:

- Tatjana Schoenmaker wins a gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 women's 200-meter breaststroke with a world record time of 2 minutes, 18.95 seconds.

- Selemon Barega of Ethiopia bags a gold medal in men's 10,000-meter in the Tokyo Olympics after a thrilling sprint on the final lap.

- South Korean An San wins a gold medal in the women's individual archery in the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first woman archer to seal three gold medals at a single Olympics since 1904.

July 31:

- American gymnast Simone Biles withdraws from the event finals in the vault and uneven bars in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

- Mete Gazoz wins first gold medal in Turkey's history in men's individual archery in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

- American swimmer Caeleb Dressel sets a new world record as he wins men’s 100-meter butterfly to grab his third gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics. He finished with a time of 49.45 seconds, bettering his own world and Olympics records of 49.50 seconds and 49.71 seconds, respectively.

- Ajax youth player Noah Gesser dies in a car accident age 16.

- Jamaican athlete Elaine Thompson-Herah wins gold in the women’s 100 meters final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, breaking an Olympic record in 10.61 seconds.

AUGUST

Aug. 1:

- Belinda Bencic from Switzerland takes Olympic gold in Tokyo, beating her Czech opponent Marketa Vondrousova in the women's tennis singles final.

- Germany's Alexander Zverev beats Karen Khachanov of the Russian Olympic Committee to win an Olympic gold in men's singles tennis at Tokyo 2020.

- American swimmer Caeleb Dressel gives another record-breaking performance in men's 50-meter freestyle with 21.07 seconds and grabbed his 4th gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Dressel breaks the Olympic record in men's 50-meter freestyle, previously held by Cesar Cielo of Brazil with 21.30 seconds in 2008.

- Andriy Shevchenko steps down as Ukraine's national football team manager.

- Australian Emma McKeon clinches two more gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first female swimmer to win seven medals at a single Games.

- Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs wins the men’s 100-meter final at the Tokyo Olympics.

Aug. 2:

- Belarusian Olympic athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya goes under Japanese police protection after refusing to board a plane home following her social media criticism of her coaches. Sprinter Tsimanouskaya, 24, is "safe and secure" after asking for protection from police in Tokyo's Haneda Airport.

- Olympic gold medalist gymnast Simone Biles will compete in the balance beam final at Tokyo Olympics, US Gymnastics announces.

- Turkish wrestler Riza Kayaalp wins a bronze medal in men's Greco-Roman 130 kilogram in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Kayaalp, 31, defeats Iran's Amin Mirzazadeh 7-2 to bag his third Olympic medal.

- Turkey’s Yasemin Adar wins a bronze medal in the Tokyo 2020 Games, making her Turkey's first-ever Olympic medalist in women's wrestling.

Aug. 3:

- Norwegian athlete Karsten Warholm wins an Olympic gold in the Tokyo 2020 men's 400-meter hurdles, smashing his own world record. Warholm, 25, runs the 400-meter hurdles final in 45.94 seconds. The previous world record in this category was also Warholm, with 46.70 in July 2021 in Norway's capital Oslo.

- US gymnastics star Simone Biles takes an Olympic bronze medal to finish her Tokyo 2020 campaign. Biles earns a bronze in the women's balance beam category, scoring 14.000 points in the final.

- The US’ Athing Mu wins a historic Olympic gold in the Tokyo 2020 women’s 800 meters, ending a half-century title drought for US women competing in Olympic track events. Mu, 19, runs the 800-meter final with a time of one minute and 55.21 seconds – breaking the US record – to bring home the gold.

- Gymnast Ferhat Arican, 28, seals the first-ever Olympic medal for Turkey in gymnastics. Arican earns a bronze medal with 15.633 points in the men's parallel bars final.

Aug. 4:

- Sydney McLaughlin of Team USA sets a new world record in the women's 400-meter hurdles to win a gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She scored 51.46 seconds at Olympic Stadium. The 21-year-old athlete also defeats her own record of 51.90.

- Tamyra Mensah-Stock from the US becomes the first Black woman athlete to secure an Olympic wrestling gold. She defeats Nigeria's Blessing Oborududu 4-1 in the women's freestyle 68kg final at the Tokyo Olympics.

- Stephen Curry, 33, extends his contract with the Golden State Warriors with a four-year deal worth $215 million.

Aug. 5:

- Barcelona officially confirm the departure of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi due to "financial and structural" issues.

Aug. 6:

- Cuban boxer Julio la Cruz seals the men's heavyweight gold at Tokyo Olympics. Having secured his second Olympic gold medal, la Cruz, 31, beats Muslim Gadzhimagomedov from the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) on unanimous points in the final.

- Turkish wrestler Taha Akgul clinches a bronze medal in the men’s freestyle 125-kilogram class at the Tokyo Olympics. Akgul, 30, beats his Mongolian opponent Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur 5-0 to claim the second Olympic medal of his career, following his gold at Rio 2016.

- Kenyan athlete Faith Kipyegon bags an Olympic gold medal in women's 1,500-meters at Tokyo 2020, with a record time of 3:53.11.

Aug. 7:

- The US men's basketball team wins a fourth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics, after defeating France 87-82 in Tokyo.

- Bulgarian Stoyka Krasteva beats Turkey's Buse Naz Cakiroglu to win gold medal in women's flyweight boxing final at Tokyo Olympics. Cakiroglu is awarded a silver medal.

- Turkish boxer Busenaz Surmeneli wins an Olympic gold in women's welterweight final by beating China's Gu Hong at Tokyo 2020.

- Sifan Hassan takes a gold medal in the women’s 10,000-meter final at the Tokyo Games. She wins the race with a time of 29 minutes and 55.32 seconds at the Olympic Stadium.

- Brazil defeat Spain 2-1 to secure the gold in men's football at Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Aug. 8

- The US women's basketball team beat Japan 90-75, capturing their seventh consecutive Olympics gold.

- The US women’s volleyball team in Tokyo earn their first-ever Olympic gold medal, winning against Brazil 3-0.

- The US tops the medal table at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, taking home 113 medals in total.

The US completes the Tokyo Games with 39 golds, 41 silvers, and 33 bronzes, followed by China with 88 medals, including 38 golds, 32 silvers, and 18 bronzes.

Japan comes third in the medal standings with 58 medals, including 27 golds, 14 silvers, and 17 bronzes.

- The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which began without spectators on July 23 due to coronavirus, concludes with a closing ceremony.

Aug. 10:

- Slovenian basketball star Luka Doncic seals a massive multi-year contract with NBA team the Dallas Mavericks.

Doncic, 22, will have $207 million for five seasons as the deal begins in 2022.

- PSG sign Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.

Aug. 11:

- Chelsea beat Villarreal 6-5 on penalties to win 2021 UEFA Super Cup.

Regular time and extra time ended 1-1 in Belfast, so penalties decided the winning team.

Aug. 13:

- Manchester United confirm signing of Raphael Varane, keeping the French defender at the Red Devils until 2025.

Aug. 15:

- Bayern Munich legend Gerd Muller dies at age 75.

Aug. 18:

- 2021 Japanese Grand Prix in Formula One is canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

- A Polish 2020 Olympic medal winner auctions off her brand-new silver medal to pay for heart surgery for an infant.

On Instagram, Maria Andrejczyk says she had collected over half a million zlotys ($128,380) for the ailing infant in cooperation with a local convenience store.

- World no. 6 in men's tennis Dominic Thiem says that he will miss the remainder of the 2021 season due to a right wrist injury.

Aug. 20:

- A Georgian gold medalist judoka is disqualified from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics for allegedly attacking a hotel security guard.

After Japanese police arrested Zviad Gogotchuri, the 34-year-old is charged with breaking the security guard’s ribs.

- Rafael Nadal announces that he will not play tennis again this year due to a foot injury. The Spaniard skips the US Open starting on Aug. 30.

- Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema renews his contract with the Spanish football powerhouse.

- The Boston Celtics will retire Kevin Garnett's no. 5 jersey in March 2022 to honor its former star, the NBA franchise says.

Aug. 21:

- Besiktas' Congolese defender Fabrice N'Sakala collapses on the pitch during a Turkish Super Lig match.

Besiktas say on Twitter that N'Sakala, 31, was "conscious" and was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Aug. 22:

- N'Sakala is released from hospital after in-game collapse.

Aug. 24:

- The Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 starts with a ceremony.

Aug. 25:

- Tennis great Serena Williams will not play in the 2021 US Open due to a hamstring injury, the world famous athlete says on Instagram.

- PSG rejects a €160 million ($188 million) bid by Spanish giants Real Madrid for Kylian Mbappe, the French club's sporting director Leonardo de Araujo tells French media.

Aug. 26:

- Sofia Kenin withdraws from the 2021 US Open after testing positive for COVID-19.

- Chinese athlete Guo Lingling wins a gold medal, breaking the world record in women's 41 kilogram powerlifting at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Lingling lifts 109 kg, setting a new world and Paralympics record.

- The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League season's groups are revealed: Turkey's Besiktas are to face Sporting, Borussia Dortmund, and Ajax in Group C.

Aug. 27:

- Manchester United sign Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo was a Manchester United forward in 2003-2009.

Aug. 28:

- Manchester City unveils statues of club legends David Silva and Vincent Kompany at the club’s Etihad Stadium.

Aug. 29:

- Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw wins the women’s P&O Antrim Coast Half Marathon in Larne, Northern Ireland, setting a new world record with a time of 1:03:44.

The previous world record was set on April 4 by Kenya’s world marathon champion Ruth Chepngetich with a time of 1:04:02 in Istanbul.

- Jacques Rogge, former president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), dies at age 79.

Aug. 30:

- Turkish Paralympian Abdullah Ozturk wins gold in 2020 Paralympic Games men's table tennis (Class 4) with 3-1 win over South Korea's Kim Young-gun.

- Sevilay Ozturk takes bronze in women's backstroke final at the 2020 Paralympic Games, Turkey's first medal in Paralympic swimming.

Ozturk, 17, completes the 50-meter backstroke S5 final in the third spot with a time of 43.48 seconds to claim the bronze medal in Tokyo.

Aug. 31:

- Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo inks two-year deal with Manchester United to come back to English club.

- The FIBA World Cup 2023 Qualifiers draw is made, with Turkey set to face Belarus, Great Britain, and Greece in Group B.

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 1:

- Barcelona give their number 10 shirt to teenage forward Ansu Fati after Argentine superstar Lionel Messi’s departure to PSG.

- Cristiano Ronaldo breaks the all-time international goal scoring record after netting his 110th goal for Portugal in his nation’s 2-1 win over Ireland.

Sept. 3:

- The Turkish women's national goalball team secure a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games

- 2018 FIFA World Cup silver medalist Croatian football player Mario Mandzukic retires from football.

Sept. 4:

- Italy become the 2021 CEV women's EuroVolley champions with a 3-1 victory over hosts Serbia.

Sept. 5:

- The 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Japan ends with closing ceremony after 12 days of action.

Sept. 6:

- With a 0-0 draw with Switzerland, the Italian National Football Team break a new international record of 36 matches without defeat.

Sept. 7:

- Italy’s Davide De Bortoli wins the 2021 European Motocross Championship.

Sept. 10:

- Dutch football manager Guus Hiddink announces his retirement from coaching.

- Lionel Messi becomes top goal scorer in South American confederation CONMEBOL by scoring hat-trick in his nation’s 3-0 win over Bolivia 3-0.

- Turkish National Football Team part ways with manager Senol Gunes in the wake of poor results.

Sept. 12:

- Emma Raducanu wins women’s 2021 US Open in her first Grand Slam title.

- NBA veterans Bill Russell, Toni Kukoc, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Ben Wallace, and Chris Webber are inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 2021.

Sept. 13:

- Daniil Medvedev becomes 2021 US Open champion in men's singles after beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets.

Sept. 15:

- Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba wins in the women's 2,000 meters in the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event with a record-breaking performance of 5:21.56.

Sept. 19:

- Stefan Kuntz is named new manager of Turkish National Football Team.

- Jimmy Greaves, legendary striker of England and Tottenham Hotspur, dies at age 81.

- Turkey win back-to-back European amputee football championship title by beating Spain 6-0 in final.

Sept. 21:

- Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski bags his first-ever Golden Shoe as the leading scorer in Europe with 41 Bundesliga goals.

- Argentine star Luis Scola retires from playing basketball.

Sept. 25:

- Spanish rider Dean Berta Vinales,15, dies following crash in Race 1 of Motul Spanish Round of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship.

Sept. 29:

- Legend Manny Pacquiao ends his boxing career age 42. His retirement comes shortly after he announced his candidacy for the Philippines president in May 2022 elections.

Sept.30:

-Hakuho Sho, the most decorated sumo wrestler in history, announces his retirement after a 20-year career.

OCTOBER

Oct. 1:

- Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas scores the second-quickest goal ever in UEFA Europa League to go down in tournament history.

He finds the net within 11 seconds into a match when Napoli loses to Spartak Moscow 3-2 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Oct. 4:

- Formula One announces 2022 season will feature a record 23 races.

Oct. 5:

- Spanish legend Pau Gasol announces his retirement from basketball at age 41.

Gasol began his career with Barcelona in 1998 before moving to the NBA in 2001 to play for the Memphis Grizzlies.

He later moved to the Los Angeles Lakers and helped the storied franchise win two NBA titles in 2009 and 2010.

Oct. 7:

- A Saudi-led investment group completes acquisition of English Premier League club Newcastle United.

Oct. 10:

- France defeat Spain 2-1 to win 2021 UEFA Nations League.

- Unvaccinated Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is barred from entering a football stadium to watch a Brazilian league match.

Oct. 12:

- Germany books their ticket to the 2022 World Cup with two games to spare by hammering North Macedonia 4-0 in qualifiers.

They become the first nation to qualify for the tournament.

Oct. 13:

- Kenya’s celebrated Olympian athlete Agnes Tirop is found dead in her house in Elgeyo-Marakwet County.

Oct. 17:

- Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter wins the 2021 World Supersport title after coming third in Race 2 of round 11 in Argentina.

- The Chicago Sky basketball team beat Phoenix Mercury 3-1 in the final series, becoming the 2021 WNBA champions.

Oct. 20:

- Newcastle United announce the departure of manager Steve Bruce, days after the English club's Saudi takeover.

- Spanish winger Ansu Fati commits his future to Barcelona, renewing his deal until 2027.

Oct. 24:

- Ireland's Greg Callaghan with 312 points in men, and Russian biker Ksenia Chernykh with 227 points in women, win the Red Bull Dawn till Dusk bike tour held in central Turkey.

- Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 to win El Clasico, the first match between the rival clubs since the departure of Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi.

- France’s Fabio Quartararo wins his first MotoGP World Championship.

Oct. 26:

- Turkish diver Sahika Ercumen breaks 100-meter world record in variable weight freediving.

- Former Scotland and Rangers manager Walter Smith dies at age 73.

Oct. 27:

- Australian basketball player David Andersen ends 23-year career.

Oct. 28:

- Barcelona sack head coach Ronald Koeman following their 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano.

Oct. 31:

- After complaining of chest pains, Argentine footballer Sergio Aguero is taken to the hospital for cardiac tests.

NOVEMBER

Nov. 1:

- Tottenham Hotspur sack Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo due to poo results after just four months in charge.

Nov. 2:

- Turkish Viktoria Zeynep Gunes bags a gold medal at the 2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships.

Nov. 5:

- Ciro Immobile becomes top scorer for Lazio by netting his 160th goal.

The 31-year-old makes history after scoring in the UEFA Europa League game against Olympique Marseille.

Nov.6:

- Barcelona appoint club legend Xavi Hernandez as their new manager.

Nov.7:

- Uganda's Victor Kiplangat wins men's title in 43rd intercontinental Istanbul Marathon.

- Kenya's Sheila Jerotich wins women's title in 43rd intercontinental Istanbul Marathon.

- Kenyan athletes Peres Jepchirchir and Albert Korir win women's and men's titles respectively in the 50th New York City Marathon.

Nov. 9

- Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford gets MBE for his successful free school meals campaign in UK during coronavirus pandemic.

Nov. 16

- Former English cricketer Azeem Rafiq tells a British parliamentary inquiry that he suffered from racist abuse during his time at the Yorkshire cricket club.

Nov. 17

-The Serbia National Football Team decide to donate an award of €1 million ($1.13 million) for qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for the treatment of sick children.

Nov. 19

- UN demands proof of missing Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai's well-being.

The UN underlines the need for proof on the whereabouts of the missing Chinese tennis star who has been missing since recently alleging that she suffered sexual assault from a powerful ex-official.

Nov. 21

- Toprak Razgatlioglu from Turkey wins 2021 Superbike World Championship.

-Manchester United part ways with manager Ole Solskjaer.

Nov. 22

- Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai tells Olympic officials “she is safe and well” amid widespread international concern over her whereabouts.

- Barcelona star Pedri wins the 2021 Golden Boy award.

- FIFA reveals 2021 football awards' nominees.

Nov. 23

- Saudi football club Al Hilal are crowned the 2021 AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Champions League winners with a 2-0 victory over South Korea's Pohang Steelers in final.

Nov. 25

- Maradona is commemorated one year after he passed away.

Nov. 27

- Former Liverpool, Atletico Madrid winger Maxi Rodriguez announces his retirement from football.

- Defending champions Palmeiras win 2021 Copa Libertadores title by beating Flamengo 2-1 in the all-Brazilian final.

Nov. 28

- Williams Racing founder Sir Frank Williams passes away.

Nov. 29

- Manchester United appoint Ralf Rangnick interim manager until the end of the season.

- Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi wins 2021 Ballon d'Or award for seventh time in his career.

DECEMBER

Dec.2

- Olympic champions Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica and Karsten Warholm of Norway are named World Athletes of the Year.

- Atletico Mineiro win their 1st Brazilian Serie A title in 50 years.

Dec.9

- Barcelona are eliminated from the Champions League, finishing the group in third place with 7 points.

- Red Bull Leipzig appoint Domenico Tedesco the new head coach.

Dec. 10

- Havier Mascherano is named head coach of Argentina under-20 football team.

Dec. 12

- Red Bull's Max Verstappen becomes F1 World Champion.

Dec. 15

- Stephen Curry breaks NBA's all-time record for 3-pointers.

He manages to hit his 2,974th 3-pointer of his regular season career, surpassing Ray Allen.

- Barcelona's Argentine forward Sergio Aguero announces his retirement from football due to a heart condition.

Dec. 18

- Algeria beat Tunisia 2-0 to win FIFA Arab Cup.

Dec. 19

- Turkish volleyball team VakifBank bag 2021 FIVB Women's Club World Championship trophy.

- USA Basketball names Steve Kerr new head coach.

Dec. 27

- Turkish swimmer Emre Sakci sets world record in the breaststroke short course.

Sakci takes the new world record with a time of 24.95 seconds in the men's 50-meter breaststroke short course in the Turkish Championships at Sehit Kamil Arena, Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey.