KUALA LUMPUR: It has only been a few weeks since sports fans across the planet were treated to one of the best World Cup football tournaments to give a fitting finale to a drama-packed 2022.
Now another brand new year awaits us. Expect 2023 to be just as thrilling with a number of major events lined up locally and internationally over 12 months.
For national athletes, the two major assignments are the Cambodia Sea Games in May and the postponed-Hangzhou Asian Games in September.
The onus is on the national contingent to make amends following their lacklustre display in the Hanoi Sea Games last year where they could muster only 39 gold medals.
The meagre haul led to as Malaysia finishing sixth for their worst overall result in 40 years.
As for the Asiad, Malaysia will seek to at least better their seven-gold haul and 14th placing achieved in Jakarta-Palembang in 2018.
Malaysian badminton fans will not have to wait long as the Petronas Malaysia Open, from Jan 10-15, is set to get the ball rolling for the local sporting calendar.
The tournament will return with an elevated Super 1000 status on the BWF World Tour, one of the only four tournaments accorded the highest tier alongside the All England, Indonesia Open and China Open.
It was reported that the tickets in several categories were nearly sold out, and local fans will want to see Malaysians crowned after a lapse of five years. Lee Chong Wei was the last Malaysian to win in 2018.
This time, based on last year's performances in the international circuit, world No 2 Lee Zii Jia, world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and French Open champions Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah are expected to challenge strongly in the Malaysia Open.
A good outing at the Malaysia Open will provide the shuttlers with a confidence boost for the Sudirman Cup in Suzhou, China, in May and the World Championships in July.
All eyes will be on Malaysia at the Hockey World Cup in India from Jan 13-29. Making their ninth appearance in the sport's biggest showpiece, the squad, coach Arul Selvaraj and his men will aim to improve on their second last position at the 2018 World Cup where Malaysia finished 15th out of 16 teams.
Malaysia's best-ever result in the tournament was fourth place in the 1975 edition on home soil.
Bowlers, led by former world champions Rafiq Ismail and Sin Li Jane, are among the first batch of national athletes to get down to business as they head to Hong Kong for the long-overdue Asian Championships.
The continental flagship event was supposed to be held in November 2020 but had to be postponed several times due to travel restrictions caused by Covid-19.
Malaysia will be out to defend the overall title they captured in the Kuwait edition in 2019. Then they topped the medal tally with six gold.
In football, Harimau Malaysia, led by South Korean Kim Pan Gon, have a good chance to put Malaysia back on the continental map with a strong performance in the Asian Cup.
Malaysia will make their fourth appearance in the tournament after qualifying on merit through the qualifiers last year.
The last time Malaysia contested in the Asian Cup was in 2007, then as one of the co-hosts.
Malaysia hope to clear the group stage, which the national team had never done before, having played in the 1976 and 1980 editions.
Other major sporting events that Malaysia will be involved in this year
include the World Aquatics Championships in July, the World Athletics Championships and World Cycling Championships in August while the World Cups of rugby and cricket are also set to take centre stage.
There will be plenty at stake as some of these world meets also serve as the qualifying platforms for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Most of the Olympic qualifiers are set to commence this year and run in stages until next year.
THE 2023 SPORTS CALENDAR (subject to changes)
MULTI-SPORT GAMES
May 5-16: Phnom Penh Sea Games
July 28-Aug 8: World University Games in Chengdu, China
Sept 23-Oct 8: Hangzhou Asian Games
Nov 17-26: Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games in Thailand
AQUATICS
Feb 2-4: Southeast Asian open water swimming championships in Putrajaya
March 11-14: Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur
July 14-30: World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan
ARCHERY
July 31-Aug 6: World Archery Championships in Berlin, Germany
Nov 4-12: Asian Archery Championships in Bangkok, Thailand
ATHLETICS
July 12-16: Asian Athletics Championships in Pattaya, Thailand
Aug 19-27: World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary
BADMINTON
Jan 10-15: Malaysia Open
Feb 14-19: Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship
March 14-19: All England
April 25-30: Badminton Asia Championships
May 14-21: Sudirman Cup
May 23-28: Malaysia Masters
Jun 13-18: Indonesia Open
Aug 21-27: World Championships
Sept 5-10: China Open
Oct 2-15: World Junior Championships
Dec 13-17: World Tour Finals
BASKETBALL
Aug 23-Sept 10: FIBA World Cup
BOWLING
Jan 8-18: Asian Championships
May 1-7: Malaysian Open
Oct 9-22: World Championships
CRICKET
Oct 10-Nov 26: ICC World Cup
CYCLING
Feb 26-Mar 2: Jelajah Malaysia
May 6-28: Giro d'Italia
Jul 1-13: Tour de France
Mar 23-25: Asian Track Championships
Aug 3-13: UCI World Championships
Aug 26-Sept 17: Vuelta a Espana
TBC: Le Tour de Langkawi
FOOTBALL
May 20-Jun 11: Under-20 World Cup
Jun 10: Champions League final
Jun 16-Jul 16: Asian Cup
Jul 20-Aug 20: women's World Cup
Aug 1-23: AFC Cup (qualifying)
Aug 8-22: AFC Champions League (qualifying)
Sept 18-May 5, 2024: AFC Cup (competition proper)
Sept 18-May 18, 2024: AFC Champions League (competition proper)
TBC: Malaysia Super League
TBC: Malaysia Cup
TBC: Malaysia FA Cup
GOLF
Apr 6-9: Masters Tournament
May 18-21: US PGA Championship
Jun 15-18: US Open
Jul 20-23: British Open
GYMNASTICS
Sept 30-Oct 8: Artistic World Championships
HOCKEY
Jan 13-29: World Cup in India
Feb 9-Mac 19: Malaysia Hockey League
Dec 5-16: Junior World Cup in Kuala Lumpur
TBC: Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh
TBC: Sultan of Johor Cup
KARATE
Oct 24-29: World Championships in Budapest, Hungary
MOTORSPORTS
Nov 10-12: Malaysian Grand Prix
RUGBY
Sept 8-Oct 28: World Cup
SHOOTING
Aug 14-Sept 3: World Championships
Oct 22-Nov 5: Asian Championships
SNOOKER
Apr 15-May 1: World Championships
SQUASH
Jan 4-8: British Junior Open
Apr 9-16: British Open
Jul 18-29: World Junior Championships
Dec 11-17: Men's World Team Championships
TABLE TENNIS
May 20-28: World Championships
Sept 3-10: Asian Championships
TENNIS
Jan 16-29: Australian Open
May 28-Jun 10: French Open
Jul 3-16: Wimbledon Championships
Aug 28-Sept 10: US Open
WEIGHTLIFTING
May 3-13: Asian Championships
Sept 2-17: World Championships