Last updated:January 6, 2025, 14:40 IST
From Vinesh Phogat’s unfathomable buzz to the Champions Trophy saga, we take a look back at the biggest controversies that swept the sporting world in 2024.
Vinesh Phogat (left) and Champions Trophy 2025 will be some of the biggest sports debates in 2024 (Image: AFP, PCB)
The year 2024 has brought its fair share of controversy in the sports world. From boycotts to legal battles, there was plenty of drama on and off the field that made headlines.
Let’s take a look at the biggest controversies that swept the world in 2024.
Ray Gun’s ‘viral’ show at the Olympics
Australian breaker Rachel Gunn, also known as Ray Gunn, has questioned how she got her ticket to the Paris Olympics. Her questionable performance at the quadrennial competition went viral on social media as she failed to score a single point.
Breaking’s debut at the Paris Olympics made headlines for inadvertent reasons, with few even questioning the sport’s inclusion in the mega-event. Ray Gun quelled a lot of hate on social media.
The backlash proved too much for the 37-year-old, who decided to retire from the sport due to the negative comments. In fact, an online petition to investigate possible Olympians rigging the selection process has gone viral, garnering more than 28,000 signatures.
guilty doping scandal
Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner was having arguably the best season of his life. However, the International Tennis Integrity Authority (ITIA) revealed in March 2024 that the No. 1-ranked player in the men’s world rankings had twice tested positive for banned steroids. The show has faded into obscurity.
The reason given by the Italian athlete was that the coach used a commercially available spray available in Italy for the massage, which was contaminated with the steroid in question.
Sinner appealed the preliminary injunction and presented evidence of drug purchases. Questions were raised as to why the ITIA reached its decision so quickly.
Stimac vs AIFF
Igor Stimac’s resignation as head coach of the Indian senior men’s team came as a shock. The Croatian player later slammed Indian football and threatened to sue the All India Football Federation (AIFF) if his dues were not paid promptly.
Stimac has made his views on the AIFF public, accusing the governing body of not providing basic facilities to teams, including several infrastructure, scheduling and other issues that continue to plague Indian sports. criticized.
Real Madrid boycott Ballon d’Or
After a successful 2023-24 season, it seemed certain that Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior would win the prestigious Ballon d’Or, which is awarded annually to the world’s best footballer. However, Rodri, a midfielder from Spain, not only helped Spain win the title at Euro 2024, but also helped Manchester City win their fourth consecutive Premier League title.
Even before the results were announced, it was reported that the Brazilian winger was already celebrating his victory. However, it was later revealed that Rodri was expected to win the award. Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid were angry that their star player was not considered for the award and ended up boycotting the event. This sparked widespread debate, with former players and fans brainstorming over who would be the right winner.
Kerif gender column
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, Algerian boxer Imane Kherif caused a stir in the world of women’s boxing by dominating her opponents. However, after her victory over Italy’s Angel Carini, social media was rife with claims suggesting the boxer was biologically male.
Despite Kerif giving her all to win the gold medal, it was a rather traumatic victory for the 25-year-old as questions about her gender took precedence over her victory. The International Boxing Association (IBA) had disqualified Kerif from competing in previous competitions, but after he was disqualified from the world governing body, the reins were handed to the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and Kerif’s Participation was allowed.
Several issues related to gender came into the spotlight, and the world was divided on this issue. Even politicians like Donald Trump used Mr. Kerif as an example during his campaign.
McMahon faces sexual assault charges
The professional wrestling entertainment world was rocked when WWE co-founder Vince McMahon was accused of sexual assault and employee trafficking within the company. Amid these allegations, Mr. McMahon subsequently decided to resign from his position within the company.
As a result, the company underwent a major overhaul. The company eventually went through a major change moving away from a McMahon-led structure, with companies like Triple H taking more responsibility on the production side.
BCCI vs PCB Champions Trophy Saga
Even though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) won the hosting rights for the 2025 Champions Trophy, questions remained over whether India would travel across the border amid tensions between the two countries. The BCCI refused to send an Indian team and the ICC advised the PCB to accept a hybrid model that would allow India to play the match at a neutral venue.
However, the PCB remained adamant about hosting the entire tournament. a
Both the PCB and BCCI refused to make any concessions. As a result, the announcement of the schedule was delayed and there were rumors that the tournament might be canceled. In the end, the PCB accepted the model of playing all matches against India in Dubai.
Phogat misses weight and Olympic medal
Vinesh Phogat is set to win a medal in the women’s 50kg freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics. While the nation was looking forward to the first gold medal in women’s wrestling, their hopes and dreams were dashed just before the final match.
Phogat was unable to make weight for the finals. The wrestler and the coaching team took extreme measures such as cutting her hair and cutting off part of her singlet in order to shed those few grams, but the efforts proved to be in vain and in the end she was hospitalized.
The drama continued even after the Games ended, and the Indian Olympic Association appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but that too had a disappointing outcome. The heartbreak caused Phogat to retire from the sport.
