GOING FOR GLORY
BRITAIN is gearing up for its best ever sporting year.
Our national sides and top stars are going for glory in the next
12 months.
And telly viewers have plenty to look forward to, starting as early as this
Friday with the FA
Cup third round.
Tennis ace Sir Andy Murray has already got a match win under his belt at the Brisbane International before appearing in the Australian Open grand slam from January 14.
Fellow tennis stars Kyle Edmund, Johanna Konta, Heather Watson and Katie Boulter also have their sights set on a winning year.
Rugby fans get a first taste of how their national sides will perform later in 2019 at the Rugby World Cup in Japan when France v Wales kicks off the Six Nations on February 1.
In May, the world’s top cricketers arrive on our shores for the ICC Cricket World Cup before captain Joe Root’s England team meet Australia for The Ashes in August and September. England’s footballers take on the Dutch in the Nations League semi-finals in June. And bookies Ladbrokes say there is a 43-1 shot English fans will be celebrating a football, rugby and Ashes hat-trick by the end of 2019. Spokesman Alex Apati said: “There’s so much up for grabs across the sporting world and with England heading the football and cricket betting, we could be celebrating plenty of tournament wins this time next year.”
Other highlights include the start of the 2019 Formula 1 season in Melbourne as Lewis Hamilton looks to become only the second man to win six titles.
And England will be looking to avenge their 2015 Women’s World Cup defeat thanks to a cruel own goal against Japan when the 2019 football tournament kicks off in France in June. Meanwhile our netball side, who last year picked up a Commonwealth gold and BBC Sports Team Of The Year award, will hope to match 2018’s joy when they as they compete at the Netball World Cup in Liverpool in July.