A single photograph possesses the ability to convey more than a page of written text. The 2020 sports season was marred by a lot of unfortunate incidents, controversies and some excellent display by the sportspersons.
Here, we look at some of the most remarkable pictures from the world of sports in the year which went by:
Fans mourning Kobe Bryant
Widely known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe Bryant passed away along with his daughter Gianna following a helicopter crash on 26th January 2020. Kobe was just 41 years old.
Searching for balls in empty stands
New Zealand toured Australia for a series in March 2020 which was held behind closed doors owing to the fear of coronavirus. Players from both the sides were forced to search for the balls in the stands themselves due to the absence of fans in the stadium.
Liverpool celebrating Premier League title
Liverpool were cruising towards their first Premier League title in 30 years, when the pandemic struck the world. There were talks of the season being discarded, but it was not to be as Liverpool clinched the title alone without fans in the stadium during June 2020 after the sporting activities resumed.
West Indies and England cricketers take a knee
The cricketers from West Indies and England took a knee in support of the BLM movement before the start of their test series in July 2020.
Naomi Osaka stands up against racism and police brutality
Naomi Osaka lifted the women’s singles title in the US Open during September 2020. During the course of the tournament, Osaka was seen wearing seven different masks – each with the name of Black Americans who fell victim to police brutality or racial profiling in the country.
Fans mourn for Diego Maradona
Thousands of fans gathered in streets across Argentina to mourn the death of Diego Maradona during November 2020. Maradona passed away aged 60 after suffering a heart attack.
Paula Dapena refuses to pay tributes
Diego Maradona was a highly controversial figure during his lifetime. So, when the players from Viajes InterRias FF and Deportivo La Coruna were asked to observe silence for the legend before the start of their match, InterRias’ Paula Dapena refused doing so terming Maradona to be a ‘rapist, pedophile and abuser.’
Romain Grosjean crash
F1 driver Romain Grosjean faced a brutal crash during a race at the Bahrain GP. The Frenchman made a miraculous escape as his car split into two and went up in flames following the crash.
PSG-Istanbul Basaksehir walk-off
The players of Paris Saint German and Istanbul Basaksehir staged a walkout from the pitch during their Champions League match in December 2020. This incident took place after a player from Basaksehir alleged racial abuse from one of the match officials.