Farewell to Sports in 2024. It was a fun, thrilling ride. New benchmarks were set, higher peaks were scaled, fun was aplenty, and so were controversies that kept us hooked. From athletes testing positive for doping to geopolitical tension spilling over the field, sports in 2024 had a fair share of fusses. We look at seven of the biggest controversies of the year:
From Imane Khelif's Gender War to Jannik Sinner's Doping Sin: 7 Most Controversial Sporting Moments of 2024
Imane Khelif's Gender Row in Paris
Imane Khelif found herself amidst a gender war triggered in the Paris Olympics, after her opponent Italian fighter Angela Carini resigned from the bout just a minute after it kicked off, insinuating the lack of a level playing field. Carini insinuated that Khelif isn't fit to compete in a women's sport. Khelif, however, didn't let the outside noise drown her resolve, and went on to win the gold in her event.
ICC Champions Trophy 2025
The same old question haunted cricket once again, as India refused to play their matches in Pakistan, where the 2025 edition of the Champions Trophy was originally scheduled. Representatives from both nations exchanged a war of words, and it took a while to reach a consensus: the hybrid model where Indian matches will be played on a neutral venue.
Real Madrid Ballon d'Or Boycott
Real Madrid opted out of attending the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony, following the announcement that Manchester City's Rodri had been awarded the title of the world's best player. Real Madrid contended that their talented winger, Vinicius Jr., deserved the accolade for his outstanding contributions to their successes in La Liga and the Champions League. The club viewed the decision to honor Rodri as a slight towards Vinicius Jr. and a dismissal of their accomplishments.
Jannik Sinner's Doping Sin
Jannik Sinner's remarkable year where he won two grand slams and finished as the world's number one player was marred by a doping controversy. The Italian was tested positive for clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, in two separate drug tests in March. An independent tribunal ruled that Sinner bore "No Fault or Negligence" in the matter. However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the decision.
Sanjeev Goenka's Tense Encounter With KL Rahul
In the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League, a bizarre exchange between Lucknow Super Giants' captain KL Rahul and the team owner Sanjiv Goenka was observed. After a crushing ten-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Goenka stepped on the field, and was seen having a heated discussion with Rahul on the boundary line. While the exact conversation wasn't audible, it was clear that Goenka was expressing his disappointment with the team's poor showing.
Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul
The most hyped boxing clash of the year raised some serious questions about the state of boxing in 2024. Jake Paul, an internet sensation who turned into a mixed martial artist, challenged Mike Tyson, a boxer who retired way back in 2004. Tyson had faced multiple health scares but he still chose to come out of his retirement for a fight that attracted a fair share of hype and criticism.
Igor Stimac vs Indian Football
Former Indian men's national football team head coach Igor Stimac was embroiled in a payment dispute with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) following his departure in June 2024. Initially offered three months' salary as compensation, Stimac rejected the amount and instead demanded two years' salary totaling around USD 920,000. After negotiations and potential legal action, an agreement was reached between Stimac and the AIFF. Stimac ultimately received USD 400,000 (approximately Rs 3.36 crore) as compensation after tax.
