2006 in sports

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American football

American football

American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive team sport known for mixing strategy with physical play....

BCS Bowl Games

NFL Playoffs

• February 5: The Pittsburgh Steelers
  Pittsburgh Steelers
  
  The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania. They are currently a member of the AFC North of the American Football Conference in the National Football League) ....
   win Super Bowl XL
  Super Bowl XL
  
  Super Bowl XL featured the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 NFL season....
   at Ford Field
  Ford Field
  
  Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan that is the current home field of the National Football League's Detroit Lions....
   in Detroit, Michigan
  Detroit, Michigan
  
  Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Wayne County, Michigan. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwestern United States of the United States....
  , defeating the Seattle Seahawks
  Seattle Seahawks
  
  The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington, USA. They are currently members of the NFC West of the National Football Conference in the National Football League ....
   21-10.

• MVP of Super Bowl XL was Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

• Reggie White
  Reggie White
  
  Reginald Howard "Reggie" White was a professional American football player who played defensive end for 17 seasons in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers becoming one of the most decorated players in NFL history....
  , Troy Aikman
  Troy Aikman
  
  Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, and currently a television sportscaster for the NFL on FOX network....
  , John Madden, Warren Moon
  Warren Moon
  
  Harold Warren Moon is a former American football and Canadian football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs....
  , Harry Carson
  Harry Carson
  
  Harold Donald Carson is a former American football Linebacker who played his entire career for the New York Giants in the National Football League ....
  , and Rayfield Wright
  Rayfield Wright
  
  Larry Rayfield Wright is a former American football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame....
   are elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
  Pro Football Hall of Fame
  
  The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, Ohio, United States, on September 7 1963 with 17 charter inductees....
  .

Association football

Events

• January 1 - Australia
  Football Federation Australia
  
  Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of association football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003....
   officially leaves the Oceania Football Confederation
  Oceania Football Confederation
  
  The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six "continental" confederations of international football , consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Islands countries....
   and joins the Asian Football Confederation
  Asian Football Confederation
  
  The 46 member Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of football in Asia, excluding Cyprus and Israel, and including Australia.The AFC was founded in 1954 in Manila, Philippines, and is one of FIFA's six continental confederations....
  .

International tournaments

• 2006 African Cup of Nations
  2006 African Cup of Nations
  
  The 2006 African Cup of Nations was the 25th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Egypt....
   - Egypt
  Egypt national football team
  
  The Egypt national football team , nicknamed The Pharaohs, is the national team of Egypt and is administered by the Egyptian Football Association....
  
• 2006 FIFA World Cup
  2006 FIFA World Cup
  
  The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names international football world championship tournament....
   - Italy
  Italy national football team
  
  The Italian national football team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation and represents Italy in international Football competition....
  
• 2006 FIFA Club World Cup - Sport Club Internacional
  Sport Club Internacional
  
  Sport Club Internacional, also known as Inter, is a Brazilian Football League Teams from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909....
  
• CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores da América 2006 - Sport Club Internacional
  Sport Club Internacional
  
  Sport Club Internacional, also known as Inter, is a Brazilian Football League Teams from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909....
  
• UEFA Champions League 2005-06
  UEFA Champions League 2005-06
  
  The UEFA Champions League 2005–06 was the 51st staging of UEFA's premier European club association football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, and the 14th since it was rebranded from the European Cup in 1992....
   - FC Barcelona
  FC Barcelona
  
  Futbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Bar?a , is a sports club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
  

Major national championships

• Argentina Primera División
  Primera División Argentina
  
  Primera Divisi?n is the top category of Argentina Football , and is organized by the Argentine Football Association. It was founded in 1893, and currently, there are 20 teams in the first division....
   - Boca Juniors
  Boca Juniors
  
  Club Atl?tico Boca Juniors, known also as Boca Juniors or simply Boca, is a popular Argentina sports clubs, best known for its football team....
   (Clausura)
• Brazil Campeonato Brasileiro
  Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
  
  The S?rie A is the highest division of Football in Brazil. It is composed of 20 teams; currently, the bottom four teams in S?rie A are Promotion and relegation and the top four teams in Campeonato Brasileiro S?rie B are Promotion and relegation....
   - São Paulo FC
• England Premiership
  FA Premier League
  
  The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition....
   - Chelsea
  Chelsea F.C.
  
  Chelsea Football Club are a professional English association football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Football in England....
  
• France Ligue 1
  Ligue 1
  
  Ligue 1 is the top division of French and Monegasque football , one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
   - Lyon
  Olympique Lyonnais
  
  Olympique Lyonnais is a France football club based in Lyon. They play in Ligue 1 and are the reigning champions of France. They have won the Ligue 1 title seven years straight, a record that no other club in France has matched....
  
• Germany Bundesliga
  Fußball-Bundesliga
  
  The Bundesliga is the highest level of Germany's German football league system. The term Bundesliga also applies to Austrian Football Bundesliga and is used to refer to the highest level league competitions in several other sports in those two countries....
   - Bayern Munich
  FC Bayern Munich
  
  FC Bayern Munich is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful club in German football, having won 21 German football champions and 14 German Cup....
  
• Italy Serie A
  Serie A
  
  Serie A is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top echelon of the Italian football league system. It is widely regarded as one of the elite leagues of the footballing world....
   - Inter Milan
  F.C. Internazionale Milano
  
  Football Club Internazionale Milano, most commonly referred to as Inter Milan or just Inter in Italy, is an Italy professional Association football club based in Milan, Lombardy, founded in 1908....
   awarded title after initial winners Juventus
  Juventus F.C.
  
  Juventus Football Club , most commonly referred to as Juventus and as simply Juve, is a professional football club based in Turin, Italy....
   were stripped of the title due to involvement in the 2006 Serie A match fixing scandal
  2006 Serie A scandal
  
  The 2006 Italian football scandal involved Italy's top professional Football leagues, Serie A and Serie B. The scandal was uncovered in Serie A 2005-06 by Italian police, implicating league champions Juventus F.C., and other major teams including A.C....
  .
• Spain La Liga
  La Liga
  
  The 'Primera Divisi?n' of the , commonly known as 'La Liga' or 'Liga BBVA' since 2008, is the top professional association football league in Spain....
   - FC Barcelona
  FC Barcelona
  
  Futbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Bar?a , is a sports club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
  
• Portugal Liga
  Portuguese Liga
  
  The Portuguese Liga , currently named Liga Sagres after Sagres , is the league Portuguese football competitions for Portugal professional Association football clubs located at the top of the Portuguese football league system , making it Portugal's primary football competition....
   - FC Porto

Athletics (track and field)

Athletics (track and field)

Track and field athletics, commonly known as athletics or track and field, is a collection of sports events that involve running, throwing and jumping....

Track

• May 12 — Justin Gatlin
  Justin Gatlin
  
  Justin Gatlin is an American Sprint . He is an Olympic gold medalist, with a 100 m personal best of 9.85 seconds. He is currently serving a four year ban from track and field for testing positive for a banned substance; Gatlin had appealed the ban earlier this year, but it was later denied....
   equals Asafa Powell
  Asafa Powell
  
  Asafa Powell Order of Distinction is a Jamaican Sprint who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m World records in athletics between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively....
  's 100 m world record time of 9.77 seconds in Doha
  Doha
  
  Doha is the capital city of Qatar. With a population of 400,051 according to the 2005 census, it is located in the Ad Dawhah municipality on the Persian Gulf....
  , Qatar
  Qatar
  
  Qatar , officially the State of Qatar , is an Arab emirate in Southwest Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula....
  . Gatlin was initially given a time of 9.76 s, which would have been a new record, but few days later the time was corrected to 9.77
• June 11 — Asafa Powell
  Asafa Powell
  
  Asafa Powell Order of Distinction is a Jamaican Sprint who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m World records in athletics between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively....
   equals the 100 m world record once again, as he ran the distance in 9.77 seconds at Gateshead
  Gateshead
  
  Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England. It lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne, England, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne. Gateshead town centre and Newcastle city centre are very close to one another, and together they form the urban core of Tyneside....
  , England
  England
  
  native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
  .
• August 18 — Asafa Powell
  Asafa Powell
  
  Asafa Powell Order of Distinction is a Jamaican Sprint who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m World records in athletics between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively....
   runs the 100 m in a record-equalling 9.77 seconds for a third time, this time in Zürich
  Zürich
  
  Z?rich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Z?rich. The city is Switzerland's main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne....
  , Switzerland
  Switzerland
  
  Switzerland is a landlocked Swiss Alps country of roughly 7.7 million people in Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km?. Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 states called Cantons of Switzerland....
  .

Marathon

International Races

• March 19 — Commonwealth Games Marathon
  2006 Commonwealth Games
  
  The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria , Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, Sportsperson competing, and events being held....
  , Melbourne, Australia
• Men's Winner: Samson Ramadhani (TAN) 2:11:29
• Women's Winner: Kerryn McCann
  Kerryn McCann
  
  Kerryn McCann was an Australian Athletics , and was one of Australia's most successful long-distance runners....
   (AUS) 2:30:54

• April 9 — Rotterdam Marathon
  Rotterdam Marathon
  
  The Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes....
  , Netherlands
  Netherlands
  
  The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
  
• Men's Winner: Sammy Korir
  Sammy Korir
  
  Sammy Korir is a long-distance Running from Kenya, who raced into the history books as only the second man ever to run under 2 hours, 5 minutes, when he finished second in the Berlin Marathon on September 28, 2003: 2:04:56....
   (KEN) 2:06:38
• Women's Winner: Mindaye Gishu
  Mindaye Gishu
  
  Mindaye Gishu is an Ethiopian Long distance track event, and road running athlete.Gishu won the 2006 Rotterdam Marathon on April 9 beating Helena Javornik and Isabel Elizmendi after 2:28:30, breaking away from Javornik passing the 35km mark....
   (ETH) 2:28:30

• April 17 — Boston Marathon
  Boston Marathon
  
  The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon sporting event hosted by the city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April....
  , United States
  United States
  
  The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
  
• Men's Winner: Robert Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:07:14
• Women's Winner: Rita Jeptoo
  Rita Jeptoo
  
  Rita Jeptoo Sitienei is a Kenyan marathon race.She won the Stockholm Marathon, her first marathon race, and the Milan Marathon in 2004, finished third in the 2005 Turin Marathon, seventh at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics - Women's Marathon, and won the bronze medal at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships....
   (KEN) 2:23:38

• April 23 — Enschede Marathon
  Enschede Marathon
  
  The Enschede Marathon is an annual marathon race held in the city of Enschede, Netherlands. The race is the distance of a typical marathon . It has been held annually since 1991, after being bi-annual for the previous 44 years....
  , Netherlands
  Netherlands
  
  The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
  
• Men's Winner: Sammy Rotich (KEN) 2:12:05
• Women's Winner: Petra van Tongeren (NED) 3:19:13

• April 23 — London Marathon
  London Marathon
  
  The London Marathon is a popular road running marathon that has been held each year in London since 1981, usually in April. The race is currently sponsored by Flora , as the Flora London Marathon....
  , United Kingdom
  United Kingdom
  
  The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
  
• Men's Winner: Felix Limo
  Felix Limo
  
  Felix Limo is a Kenyan distance runner who specializes in the marathon. Limo is one of the best marathon runners in the world today. He solidified that claim with victory at the 2006 London Marathon, which had boasted one of the strongest fields ever assembled for a marathon....
   (KEN) 2:06:39
• Women's Winner: Deena Kastor
  Deena Kastor
  
  Deena Michelle Kastor is an United States long distance runner. She holds American records in the marathon, half-marathon, and numerous road distances....
   (USA) 2:19:36

• August 12 — European Championships Marathon
  2006 European Championships in Athletics
  
  The 19th European Championships in Athletics were held in Gothenburg, Sweden, between August 7 and August 13, 2006. The competition arena was the Ullevi and the official motto "Catch the Spirit"....
  , Gothenburg, Sweden
• Women's Winner: Ulrike Maisch
  Ulrike Maisch
  
  Ulrike Maisch is a long-distance Running from Germany, who won the women's marathon at the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden....
   (GER) 2:30:01

• August 13 — European Championships Marathon
  2006 European Championships in Athletics
  
  The 19th European Championships in Athletics were held in Gothenburg, Sweden, between August 7 and August 13, 2006. The competition arena was the Ullevi and the official motto "Catch the Spirit"....
  , Gothenburg, Sweden
• Men's Winner: Stefano Baldini
  Stefano Baldini
  
  Stefano Baldini is an Italy Athletics and the Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's Marathon and current 2006 European Championships in Athletics champion in the marathon....
   (ITA) 2:11:32

• September 24 — Berlin Marathon
  Berlin Marathon
  
  The Berlin Marathon is a major running and sporting event held annually in Berlin, Germany. The official marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers is set up as a city-wide Road running where professional athletes and amateur sportsmen jointly participate....
  , Germany
  Germany
  
  Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
  
• Men's Winner: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) 2:05:56
• Women's Winner: Gete Wami
  Gete Wami
  
  Getenesh Wami is a female Ethiopian Cross country running and track runner.Wami won the 2006 Berlin Marathon finishing in front of Alina Kosgei and Monika Drybulska on September 24....
   (ETH) 2:21:34

• October 8 — Eindhoven Marathon
  Eindhoven Marathon
  
  The Eindhoven Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km held in the city of Eindhoven, The Netherlands in October....
  , Netherlands
  Netherlands
  
  The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
  
• Men's Winner: Philip Singoei
  Philip Singoei
  
  Philip Singoei is a long-distance Running from Kenya, who won the Eindhoven Marathon on October 8, 2006, clocking a total time of 2:08:18....
   (KEN) 2:08:18
• Women's Winner: Agnes Hijman
  Agnes Hijman
  
  Agnes Hijman is a long-distance Running from The Netherlands, who won the Eindhoven Marathon on October 8, 2006, clocking a total time of 2:54:36....
   (NED) 2:54:36

• October 15 — Amsterdam Marathon
  Amsterdam Marathon
  
  The Amsterdam Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands since 1975. It has taken place in October since the 24th edition in 1999, and has attracted many top athletes from around the world since the late 1990s, when the organizers chose a new, flatter course....
  , Netherlands
  Netherlands
  
  The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
  
• Men's Winner: Solomon Bushendich (KEN) 2:08:52
• Women's Winner: Rose Cheruiyot
  Rose Cheruiyot
  
  Rose Jelagat Cheruiyot is a runner from Kenya....
   (KEN) 2:28:26

• November 5 — New York City Marathon
  New York City Marathon
  
  The New York City Marathon is a major annual Marathon whose course runs through all five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 37,850 finishers in 2006....
  , United States
  United States
  
  The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
  
• Men's Winner: Marilson dos Santos (BRA) 2:09:58
• Women's Winner: Jelena Prokopcuka
  Jelena Prokopcuka
  
  Jelena Prokopcuka is a Latvian long-distance runner, perhaps best known for winning the New York City Marathon in 2005 and 2006. She is married to Aleksandrs Prokopcuks, who holds the Latvian marathon record with 2:15:56 from 1995....
   (LAT) 2:25:05

• December 3 — Fukuoka Marathon
  Fukuoka Marathon
  
  The , held in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan, is a prominent international Marathon race established in 1947. It is usually held on first Sunday in December....
  , Japan
  Japan
  
  Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
  
• Men's Winner: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) 2:06:52

National Champions

• April 9 — Debrecen
  Debrecen
  
  Debrecen , , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain Regions of Hungary and the capital of Hajd?-Bihar county....
  , Hungary
  Hungary
  
  Hungary , officially in English the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia....
  
• Men's Winner: Gergely Rezessy — 2:24:30
• Women's Winner: Petra Teveli — 2:43:06

• April 9 — Rotterdam
  Rotterdam
  
  Rotterdam ; city and municipality in the Netherlands province of South Holland, situated in the west of the Netherlands. The municipality is the List of cities in the Netherlands with over 100,000 people in the country, with a population of 584,046 on 1 January 2007 and comprises the southern part of the Randstad, the List of metropolitan are...
  , Netherlands
  Netherlands
  
  The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
  
• Men's Winner: Kamiel Maase
  Kamiel Maase
  
  Kamiel Maase is a long-distance Running from the Netherlands, who is the current Dutch record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres. He also holds the national record in the marathon , which he ran on October 21, 2007 in the Amsterdam Marathon....
   — 2:10:44
• Women's Winner: Kristyna Loonen — 2:43:13

• April 23 — London
  London
  
  London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
  , England
  England
  
  native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
  
• Men's Winner: Peter Riley — 2:14:31
• Women's Winner: Mara Yamauchi
  Mara Yamauchi
  
  Mara Rosalind Yamauchi is a Great Britain Long distance track event, and road running athlete. She currently holds the second fastest time by a British woman over the marathon, behind the world-record holder, Paula Radcliffe....
   — 2:25:13

• May 28 — Ottawa
  Ottawa
  
  Ottawa is the Capital of Canada. The city has population of 812,000, the List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population municipality in the country and second largest in Ontario....
  , Canada
  Canada
  
  Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
  
• Men's Winner: Charles Bedley — 2:27:58
• Women's Winner: Lyudmila Korchagina — 2:29:42

• July 2 — Brisbane
  Brisbane
  
  Brisbane is the state List of Australian capital cities of Queensland and its most populous city. It is also the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, behind southern rivals Sydney and Melbourne....
  , Australia
  Australia
  
  Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
  
• Men's Winner: Lee Troop
  Lee Troop
  
  Lee J. Troop an Olympic Games marathon Running from Geelong, Victoria, Victoria, Australia. He became involved in Athletics at the age of 11 when he joined his father's weight loss campaign by taking training runs around the Geelong suburb of Whittington, Victoria....
   — 2:14:13
• Women's Winner: Jennifer Gillard — 2:41:06

• September 23 — Joutseno
  Joutseno
  
  Joutseno is a former town and List of former municipalities of Finland of Finland. It is located in the provinces of Finland of Southern Finland and is part of the South Karelia regions of Finland....
  , Finland
  Finland
  
  Finland , officially the Republic of Finland , is a Nordic countries situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland....
  
• Men's Winner: Yrjö Pesonen — 2:23:19
• Women's Winner: Hanna Jantunen — 2:45:07

Baseball

• March 20: Japan
  Japan national baseball team
  
  The Japan national baseball team is the national baseball team of Japan. It has participated in every Summer Olympic Games since the first demonstration tournament in 1984....
   wins the first World Baseball Classic
  World Baseball Classic
  
  The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament, first held in 2006 in sports. It is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world....
  , defeating Cuba
  Cuba national baseball team
  
  The Cuba national baseball team is the national team of Cuba. The team is made up of amateur players from the Cuban national baseball system, as there are no professional sports leagues in Cuba....
   10-6 in the championship game.
• May 28 - Barry Bonds hits his 715th career home run in a 6-3 home loss to the Colorado Rockies
  Colorado Rockies
  
  The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado, Colorado. Established in 1993 Colorado Rockies season, the Rockies play in the National League West of the National League....
  , passing Babe Ruth for second place on the career list and setting a new record for left-handed hitters.
• July 11 - The American League
  American League
  
  The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada....
   wins the MLB All-Star Game by a score of 3-2 on Michael Young's game-winning 2-run triple in the 9th inning.
• October 14 - The Detroit Tigers
  Detroit Tigers
  
  The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit, Michigan in ....
   sweep the Oakland Athletics
  Oakland Athletics
  
  The Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the American League West of Major League Baseball's American League....
   in the American League Championship Series and advance to their first World Series since 1984.
• October 27 - The St. Louis Cardinals
  St. Louis Cardinals
  
  The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the National League Central in the National League of Major League Baseball....
   win the 2006 World Series
  2006 World Series
  
  The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's World Series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion, St....
   4-1 in Game 5. The St. Louis Cardinals (10 wins) advance to 2nd place for most World Series
  World Series
  
  The World Series is the championship series of Major League Baseball, the culmination of the sport's playoff each October. Since the Series takes place in mid-autumn, sportswriters many years ago dubbed the event the Fall Classic, a usage reflected in the logo for the 2008 World Series; it is also sometimes known as the October Clas...
   wins after the New York Yankees
  New York Yankees
  
  The New York Yankees are a professional baseball based in the Borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of the American League East of Major League Baseball's American League....
  (26).

Basketball

College basketball

Men's

• March 30: The University of South Carolina
  University of South Carolina
  
  The University of South Carolina is a state university , co-educational, research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States....
   wins its second straight NIT
  National Invitation Tournament
  
  The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The association plays two tournaments each season....
   title, defeating the University of Michigan
  University of Michigan
  
  The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan is a public university research university located in the state of Michigan. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan, which also includes two regional campuses in University of Michigan-Flint and University of Michigan-Dearborn....
   76-64.
• April 3: The University of Florida
  University of Florida
  
  The University of Florida is a Public university land-grant university, sea grant colleges, Space grant colleges major research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States....
   wins its first ever NCAA title
  NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
  
  The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a Single-elimination tournament tournament held each spring featuring 65 college basketball teams in the United States....
  , defeating UCLA 73-57. George Mason, an 11 seed, makes it to the final four

Women's

• April 4: The University of Maryland
  University of Maryland, College Park
  
  The University of Maryland, College Park is a public research university located in the city of College Park, Maryland in Prince George's County, Maryland outside Washington, D.C....
   wins its first ever NCAA women's title
  NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
  
  The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981 in sports-1982 in sports season....
  , defeating Duke
  Duke University
  
  Duke University is a private university research university located in Durham, North Carolina, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodism and Religious Society of Friends in the present-day town of Trinity, North Carolina in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892....
   77-75 in overtime.

Professional competitions

Americas

• National Basketball Association
  National Basketball Association
  
  The National Basketball Association is North America's premier professional men's basketball league, composed of thirty teams: twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada....
   (United States and Canada)
• January 22: Los Angeles Lakers
  Los Angeles Lakers
  
  The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, which they share with their fellow NBA rival, the Los Angeles Clippers, and their sister team, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association....
   star Kobe Bryant
  Kobe Bryant
  
  Kobe Bean Bryant is an United States National Basketball Association All-Star Game shooting guard who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association....
   scores 81 points in a win over the Toronto Raptors
  Toronto Raptors
  
  The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
  , becoming only the second player in league history to score at least 80 points in one game. It was the second highest individual point total in NBA history (Second only to Wilt Chamberlain's
  Wilt Chamberlain
  
  Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain , nicknamed Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards, was an American professional National Basketball Association basketball player for the Philadelphia Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; and also played for the Harlem Globetrotters....
   100 point performance).
• June 20: Miami Heat
  Miami Heat
  
  The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association ....
   defeat the Dallas Mavericks
  Dallas Mavericks
  
  The Dallas Mavericks are the professional basketball team of the National Basketball Association based in Dallas, Texas.Founded in 1980, the Dallas Mavericks have won two division titles and one conference championship....
   in 6 games in the NBA Finals
  NBA Finals
  
  The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's NBA Playoffs each June. The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
   series. Finals MVP Dwyane Wade
  Dwyane Wade
  
  Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. is an United States professional basketball player who currently plays for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association ....
   rallied four consecutive 35-point games to come back from a two games to none deficit and win four straight.

Asia-Pacific

• Chinese Basketball Association
  Chinese Basketball Association
  
  The Chinese Basketball Association is the premier professional basketball List of professional sports leagues in People's Republic of China. It is commonly known as the CBA, and this acronym is often used even in Chinese language....
   - Guangdong Southern Tigers
  Guangdong Southern Tigers
  
  Guangdong Winnerway Southern Tigers or Guangdong Southern Tigers or Guangdong Winnerway are the basketball team owned by the Guangdong Winnerway Group playing in the Chinese Basketball Association, based in Dongguan, Guangdong....
   defeat Bayi Rockets
  Bayi Rockets
  
  Bayi Shuanglu Rockets or Bayi Rockets or Bayi Army Rockets or Bayi Shuanglu are a basketball team in the South Division of the Chinese Basketball Association, based in Ningbo, Zhejiang....
   (4-1) in finals.

• National Basketball League (Australia)
  National Basketball League (Australia)
  
  The National Basketball League is Australia's top-level professional basketball competition.The league commenced in 1979 NBL Season, playing a winter season and did so until the completion of the 20th season in 1998 NBL Season....
   - Melbourne Tigers
  Melbourne Tigers
  
  The Melbourne Tigers are a team in the Australian National Basketball League , and along with the South Dragons is one of two teams based in Melbourne....
   defeat the Sydney Kings
  Sydney Kings
  
  The Sydney Kings were a basketball team competing in the National Basketball League in Australia. They were the first team to win three consecutive championships in the NBL....
   3-0 in best-of-five final series

• Philippine Basketball Association
  Philippine Basketball Association
  
  The Philippine Basketball Association is a professional basketball league in the Philippines founded in 1975. It is the first and the oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the National Basketball Association of the United States....
  
• February 19: Red Bull Barako
  Red Bull Barako
  
  Barako Bull Energy Boosters is a professional team of the Philippine Basketball Association which entered the league in 2000. It was a part of the semi-professional Philippine Basketball League in the late 1990s where it won several championships....
   defeats the Purefoods Chunkee Giants
  Purefoods Chunkee Giants
  
  The Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants is a Philippine Basketball Association team under the Purefoods-Hormel division of the San Miguel Corporation....
  , 4 games to 2 in the Fiesta Conference Finals.
• July 21: The Purefoods Chunkee Giants
  Purefoods Chunkee Giants
  
  The Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants is a Philippine Basketball Association team under the Purefoods-Hormel division of the San Miguel Corporation....
   defeats Red Bull Barako
  Red Bull Barako
  
  Barako Bull Energy Boosters is a professional team of the Philippine Basketball Association which entered the league in 2000. It was a part of the semi-professional Philippine Basketball League in the late 1990s where it won several championships....
  , 4 games to 2 in the Philippine Cup Finals.

Europe

• Euroleague
  Euroleague
  
  The Euroleague is one of the professional basketball competitions in Europe, with teams from thirteen different European countries. The competition is operated by ULEB, a Europe-wide consortium of leading professional basketball leagues....
   - April 30: Russia
  Russia
  
  Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
  n power CSKA Moscow
  PBC CSKA Moscow
  
  PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball club, often referred to as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. They have won two of the last three titles in Europe's principal club competition, the Euroleague, making the final in all three seasons....
   dethrones the two-time defending Euroleague champions Maccabi Tel Aviv
  Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)
  
  Maccabi "Electra" Tel Aviv is a professional basketball team based in Tel Aviv, playing in the Ligat HaAl and Euroleague basketball competitions....
   (Israel
  Israel
  
  Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area....
  ) 73-69 at Sazka Arena in Prague
  Prague
  
  Prague is the Capital and World's largest cities of the Czech Republic. Its official name is Hlavn? mesto Praha, meaning Prague, the Capital City....
  . This is CSKA's fifth title in the competition, but first since 1971. Third place goes to TAU Cerámica
  Saski Baskonia
  
  Saski Baskonia SAD is a Spain professional basketball club from the Basque Country city of Vitoria-Gasteiz. Outside of Spain, the club is more often referred to as TAU Cer?mica, a brand name of ceramics manufacturer TAULELL, which has sponsored the club since 1987....
  , which defeated FC Barcelona 87-82 in an all-Spanish
  Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
  
  The ACB League is the premier professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional, changing its name to the current one in 1983....
   affair.

• Adriatic League (former Yugoslavia) - April 23: FMP
  KK FMP
  
  KK FMP is a Serbian professional basketball club.Based in the Serbian capital's neighbourhood of ?eleznik, the club contuinually posts notable results every competition it competes in....
   (Serbia
  Serbia
  
  Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a country in Central Europe and Balkans Europe, covering the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and the central part of the Balkans....
  ) defeat Partizan
  KK Partizan
  
  Ko?arka?ki Klub Partizan is a professional basketball club from Belgrade, Serbia. KK Partizan currently participates in the Adriatic League, Euroleague and the Sinalco Superleague....
   (Serbia) 73-72 in the final.

• Croatian League
  A1 Liga
  
  The A1 Liga or Croatian A1 League is the highest level basketball league in Croatia. It is operated by the Croatian Basketball Federation....
   - June 9: Cibona
  KK Cibona
  
  Ko?arka?ki klub Cibona Zagreb is a professional basketball club based in Zagreb, Croatia. It competes in the A1 Liga and the Adriatic League, and is a regular participant in the Euroleague....
   defeat Zadar
  KK Zadar
  
  KK Zadar is a Croatian basketball team from the city of Zadar. The club currently plays in the NLB League, A1 Liga and the ULEB Cup.Zadar is the place where Croatian basketball was born in 1930....
   2-1 in the best-of-three finals.

• LNB - Pro A (France)
  Ligue Nationale de Basketball
  
  The LNB is the top men's France professional basketball league. There are 2 divisions: French Pro A League and French Pro B League ....
   - June 18: Le Mans
  Le Mans Sarthe Basket
  
  Le Mans Sarthe Basket is a professional basketball club based in Le Mans, France. The club plays in the Ligue Nationale de Basketball and the Euroleague....
   defeat Nancy 93-88 in the Pro A Final.

• HEBA (Greece)
  A1 Ethniki
  
  The A1 Ethniki , often referred to as the Greek League, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by the Hellenic Basketball Association and is considered to be one of the top leagues in European basketball....
   - June 7: Panathinaikos complete a 3-0 sweep of Olympiakos
  Olympiacos BC
  
  Olympiacos B.C. , also known simply as Olympiacos and Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greece professional basketball club, part of Olympiacos CFP which was founded in 1925 and is based in Piraeus, Athens....
   in the HEBA finals.

• Super League (Israel) - June 8: Maccabi Tel Aviv
  Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)
  
  Maccabi "Electra" Tel Aviv is a professional basketball team based in Tel Aviv, playing in the Ligat HaAl and Euroleague basketball competitions....
   defeat Hapoel Jerusalem
  Hapoel Jerusalem (basketball)
  
  Hapoel 'Migdal' Jerusalem is a basketball team based in Jerusalem, Israel. The club currently plays in the ULEB Eurocup 2008-09, Ligat HaAl , and the Israeli Basketball State Cup....
   96-66 in the Super League Final.

• Lega Basket A (Italy)
  Serie A (basketball)
  
  In Italian professional basketball, the Serie A or Lega A Basket is the highest level club competition where play determines the national champion....
   - June 20: Benetton Treviso
  Pallacanestro Treviso
  
  Pallacanestro Treviso, more often known by its sponsorship name of Benetton Basket, or Benetton Treviso, is an Serie A professional basketball club from Treviso, the headquarters city of its longtime owner Benetton....
   defeat Climamio Bologna
  Fortitudo Bologna
  
  Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna is a prominent Serie A professional basketball club that is based in Bologna. It began the current 2008-09 season as the only club in the top Italian League that did not include a sponsor's name , but in November 2008 signed a sponsorship deal with the American financial services company GMAC....
   3-1 in the best-of-five Lega A finals.

• LKL (Lithuania)
  Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga
  
  The Lietuvos Krep?inio Lyga is Lithuania's premier professional men's basketball league, composed of eleven teams....
   - May 27: Lietuvos Rytas
  BC Lietuvos Rytas
  
  BC Lietuvos Rytas is a professional basketball club based in Vilnius, Lithuania playing in the Lietuvos Krep?inio Lyga, Baltic Basketball League, and ULEB Eurocup....
   complete a 4-0 sweep of Žalgiris
  BC Žalgiris
  
  BC ?algiris is a professional basketball team based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos Krep?inio Lyga ....
   in the LKL finals.

• PLK (Poland)
  Dominet Basket Liga
  
  Dominet Bank Ekstraliga or Polish Basketball League is the highest level league of basketball in Poland. Earlier as Dominet Basket Liga Era Basket Liga and Lech Basket Liga....
   - May 19: Prokom Trefl Sopot
  Prokom Trefl Sopot
  
  Asseco Prokom Sopot SSA is a Poland professional basketball team, based in Sopot, Poland. The team plays in the Dominet Bank Ekstraliga and the Euroleague....
   complete a 4-1 win over Anwil Wloclawek
  Anwil Wloclawek
  
  WTK Anwil Wloclawek SSA is a Poland professional basketball team, based in Wloclawek, Poland. The team plays in the Dominet Bank Ekstraliga and the ULEB Eurocup....
   in the PLK finals.

• Super League (Russia)
  Russian Basketball Super League
  
  The Russian Basketball Super League is the top league of Russian professional basketball. There are 12 teams in the Super League A Division and 14 teams in the Super League B Division....
   - May 27: CSKA Moscow
  PBC CSKA Moscow
  
  PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball club, often referred to as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. They have won two of the last three titles in Europe's principal club competition, the Euroleague, making the final in all three seasons....
   complete a 3-0 sweep of Khimki in the Super League finals.

• Superleague (Serbia and Montenegro)
  Naša Sinalko Liga
  
  Na?a Sinalko Liga is a domestic basketball league in Serbia. Before the division of Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, the league also included teams from Montenegro, but starting with the 2006-07 season, it became a Serbia-only league, with Montenegro forming Opportunity League....
   - June 18: Partizan
  KK Partizan
  
  Ko?arka?ki Klub Partizan is a professional basketball club from Belgrade, Serbia. KK Partizan currently participates in the Adriatic League, Euroleague and the Sinalco Superleague....
   (Serbia) complete a 3-0 sweep of Red Star Belgrade
  KK Crvena zvezda
  
  Ko?arka?ki klub Crvena zvezda is a professional basketball Sports club based in Belgrade, Serbia. Its name Crvena zvezda means Red Star and it's part of the Red Star Belgrade sports society ....
   (Serbia) in the Superleague finals. Due to disturbances between Red Star supporters and police in Game 2, the last game is held at an empty Pionir Hall
  Pionir Hall
  
  Pionir Hall is a sports arena in Belgrade, Serbia, located in the Belgrade's municipality of Palilula Belgrade. Capacity of the arena is 7,000 seats....
  , and any other games would also have been played behind closed doors.

• ACB (Spain)
  Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
  
  The ACB League is the premier professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional, changing its name to the current one in 1983....
  
• February 19: TAU Cerámica
  Saski Baskonia
  
  Saski Baskonia SAD is a Spain professional basketball club from the Basque Country city of Vitoria-Gasteiz. Outside of Spain, the club is more often referred to as TAU Cer?mica, a brand name of ceramics manufacturer TAULELL, which has sponsored the club since 1987....
   lift the Copa del Rey
  Copa del Rey de Baloncesto
  
  The Copa del Rey de Baloncesto is an annual cup competition for Spain basketball teams organized by Spain's top professional league, Asociaci?n de Clubs de Baloncesto....
   with an 85-80 win over Pamesa Valencia.
• June 21: Unicaja Málaga complete a 3-0 sweep of TAU Cerámica in the ACB finals.

• TBL (Turkey)
  Turkish Basketball League
  
  The Turkish Basketball League is the top men?s professional basketball league in Turkey, which is also called Turkish Premier Basketball League ....
   - June 7: In what would turn out to be their last game as an independent club, Ülker complete a 4-0 finals sweep of crosstown rival Efes Pilsen.

FIBA tournaments

• 2006 FIBA World Championship
  2006 FIBA World Championship
  
  The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee....
   - September 3: Spain
  Spain national basketball team
  
  The Spain national basketball team is the basketball team representing Spain in international competitions. As of June, 2008 they are the reigning FIBA World Championship and third in the FIBA World Rankings for men....
   win the gold medal 70-47 over Greece
  Greece national basketball team
  
  The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, and it is organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Association....
  .

• 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women
  2006 FIBA World Championship for Women
  
  The 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women took place in Brazil from September 12 to September 23, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation and Confedera??o Brasileira de Basketball, the Brazilian national federation....
   - September 23: Australia
  Australia women's national basketball team
  
  The Australia Women's National Basketball Team is the women's National Basketball team for Australia. They won Gold at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006 defeating New Zealand's Tall Ferns in the final match with a score of 77-39....
   win the gold medal 91-74 over Russia
  Russia women's national basketball team
  
  The Russia women's national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball competitions for Women. The team has participated in the FIBA World Championship for Women since 1998 and their best finish has been a silver medal in 1998 FIBA World Championship for Women, 2002 FIBA World Championship for Women and 2006 FIBA World Cha...
  .

Boxing

• January 7 – Carlos Manuel Baldomir
  Carlos Manuel Baldomir
  
  Carlos Manuel Baldomir is an Argentina boxing and former World Boxing Council/Ring Magazine world welterweight champion.Boxing Style ...
   upsets Zab Judah
  Zab Judah
  
  Zabdiel Judah is an American Professional boxing, who is a former International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization junior welterweight champion and former List of undisputed boxing champions#Welterweight and is ranked #9 in the welterweight division by The Ring ....
   by unanimous decision and is crowned world welterweight
  Welterweight
  
  Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system....
   champion by the WBC.
• March 3 – Welshman Joe Calzaghe
  Joe Calzaghe
  
  Joseph William Calzaghe member of the Order of the British Empire, Order of the British Empire is an undefeated Welsh People former professional boxer....
   defeats American Jeff Lacy
  Jeff Lacy
  
  Jeffrey Scott Lacy is an United States boxing. He is a former International Boxing Federation super middleweight champion.Amateur career...
   by landslide unanimous decision for the WBO
  World Boxing Organization
  
  The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. Its offices are located in San Juan, Puerto Rico....
  -IBF
  International Boxing Federation
  
  The International Boxing Federation, or IBF, is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council and WBO....
   super middleweight
  Super middleweight
  
  Super middleweight is a boxing Boxing weight classes that has a weight limit of 168 pounds. There was interest in a division between middleweight and light heavyweight in the 1970s, and a few states briefly recognized a "Junior Light Heavyweight" division at 167 pounds....
   title unification. Calzaghe's stellar performance propelled him to #9 in Ring Magazine's pound for pound
  Ring Magazine pound for pound
  
  This table lists the current pound for pound rankings of The Ring magazine , which some boxing experts and fans regard as an authoritative source for ranking the best pound-for-pound boxing in the world....
   list.
• March 25 – Edwin Valero
  Edwin Valero
  
  Edwin Valero is an undefeated southpaw boxing who fought in the super featherweight division until he moved to lightweight. His professional boxing record is 24-0 ....
  's record streak of 18 consecutive first-round knockout
  Knockout
  
  A knockout is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving strike ....
  s ends when Genaro Trazancos survives until the second round.
• April 1 – Sergei Liakhovich
  Sergei Liakhovich
  
  Sergei "White Wolf" Liakhovich , born on May 29, 1976, in Vitebsk, Belarus, is a Belarusian people Boxing and a former World Boxing Organization heavyweight boxing champion....
   wins the WBO world heavyweight
  Heavyweight
  
  Heavyweight is a division, or boxing weight classes, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Organization, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing Organization....
   title from Lamon Brewster
  Lamon Brewster
  
  "Relentless" Lamon Tajuan Brewster is an United States heavyweight professional boxing, who won the silver medal as an amateur at the Boxing at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata....
   by unanimous decision.
• April 8 – Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeats Zab Judah
  Zab Judah
  
  Zabdiel Judah is an American Professional boxing, who is a former International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization junior welterweight champion and former List of undisputed boxing champions#Welterweight and is ranked #9 in the welterweight division by The Ring ....
   by unanimous decision to win the IBF welterweight title. A mini-riot ensued as Roger Mayweather, Floyd's uncle and trainer, runs into the ring retaliating to a low blow and rabbit punch by Judah. The fight resumed and Mayweather won by decision.
• April 22 – Wladimir Klitschko
  Wladimir Klitschko
  
  Wladimir Vladimirovich Klitschko is a Ukraine heavyweight Boxing. Klitschko currently holds the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization world heavyweight titles and is ranked number one by the International_Boxing_Organization in the top 100 computerized rankings....
   wins the IBF world heavyweight title from Chris Byrd
  Chris Byrd
  
  Chris Cornelius Byrd in Flint, Michigan where he attended Flint Northwestern High School is a 6'1" / 185.4 cm. tall Southpaw boxing, who was nicknamed "Rapid Fire"....
   by TKO in round 7.
• April 29 – Acelino Freitas
  Acelino Freitas
  
  Acelino "Pop?" Freitas , is a native of Bahia, Brazil, who is a boxing and a former world junior lightweight and lightweight champion. His style of fighting in the ring has garnered him a reputation for being more of a brawler than a boxer....
   defeats Zahir Raheem
  Zahir Raheem
  
  Zahir Raheem is an United States Boxing. Known as "Z-Man", his current professional record stands at 28 wins, 3 losses with 16 knockouts.After a stellar amateur career, which included a 213-4 record, 15-1 against international competition, and a spot in the 1996 U.S....
   for the vacant WBO lightweight
  Lightweight
  
  The word lightweight usually refers to a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight. It is also a slang term, indicating insignificance or ineptitude, for example having a low tolerance for liquor....
   title by split decision
  Split decision
  
  A Split Decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving strike in which two of the three judges score for the same fighter as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other fighter....
  .
• May 6 – Oscar de la Hoya
  Oscar de la Hoya
  
  Oscar De La Hoya — nicknamed "The Golden Boy" — is an United States boxing and promoter who won a List of Olympic medalists in boxing at the 1992 Summer Olympics....
   returns from a 20-month break and defeats Ricardo Mayorga for the WBC super welterweight title.
• May 20 – Marco Antonio Barrera
  Marco Antonio Barrera
  
  Marco Antonio Barrera Tapia is a Mexicoprofessional boxing. He is a seven time world champion in three different weight classes; he is a former world champion at WBO Super Bantamweight , IBO / WBC Featherweight , WBC Super featherweight and IBF Junior lightweight divisions....
   defeats Rocky Juarez
  Rocky Juarez
  
  Ricardo Rocky Juarez is a professional Mexican-American boxing. Juarez has a current professional record of 28 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw, with 19 wins coming by way of knockout....
   by split decision. Juarez was very competitive throughout the fight breaking Barrera's nose in the early rounds. The fight was originally announced as a draw until it was later revealed that there were two scorecard tabilation errors.
• June 10 – Bernard Hopkins
  Bernard Hopkins
  
  Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins is an United States Boxing. He is best known for his ten year reign as Middleweight World Champion in which he defended his title a record 20 times....
   defeats Antonio Tarver
  Antonio Tarver
  
  Antonio Deon Tarver , nicknamed the "Magic Man", is a professional Boxing from Orlando, Florida, who is the former Ring light heavyweight champion and former IBF, WBC and IBO light heavyweight champion....
   by unanimous to take the light heavyweight world championship.
• June 17 – Winky Wright
  Winky Wright
  
  Ronald Lamont "Winky" Wright is an United States boxing, the former Undisputed Champion light middleweight world champion and a current middleweight contender....
   and Jermain Taylor
  Jermain Taylor
  
  Jermain Taylor is a professional United States boxing and former undisputed middleweight champion of the world. Taylor currently has a record of 28-2-1, with 17 wins coming by way of knockout....
   fight ends in a draw for the undisputed middleweight championship of the world in Memphis, Tennessee
  Memphis, Tennessee
  
  Memphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County, Tennessee. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River ....
  

• July 13 to 23 – 36th European Amateur Boxing Championships
  2006 European Amateur Boxing Championships
  
  The European Amateur Boxing Championships were held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from July 13 to July 23. The 36th edition of this bi-annual competition was organised by the European governing body for amateur boxing, EABA....
   held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• Light Flyweight (– 48 kg): David Ayrapetyan
  David Ayrapetyan
  
  David Valeryevich Ayrapetyan ; October 26, 1983 in Baku) is a Russian-Armenian amateur boxer best known to win the European title at light flyweight 2006....
   (Russia)
• Flyweight (– 51 kg): Georgi Balakshin (Russia)
• Bantamweight (– 54 kg): Detelin Dalakliev
  Detelin Dalakliev
  
  Detelin Dalakliev is a boxing from Bulgaria. He is competing in the Bantamweight division, and won bronze medals at the 2003 World Amateur Boxing Championships and 2004 European Amateur Boxing Championships and a silver medal at the 2006 European Amateur Boxing Championships....
   (Bulgaria)
• Featherweight (– 57 kg): Albert Selimov
  Albert Selimov
  
  Albert Shevketovich Selimov is a Russian amateur Featherweight boxer best known for winning the European championship 2006 and the World Championships 2007....
   (Russia)
• Lightweight (– 60 kg): Hrachik Javakhyan
  Hrachik Javakhyan
  
  Hrachik Javakhyan is an Armenian lightweight boxer best known to win Silver at the 2006 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Plovdiv and qualifying for the Olympics 2008....
   (Armenia)
• Light Welterweight (– 64 kg): Boris Georgiev
  Boris Georgiev
  
  Boris Georgiev is an amateur boxing from Bulgaria who won a bronze medal at the Boxing at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the Light Welterweight class....
   (Bulgaria)
• Welterweight (– 69 kg): Andrey Balanov
  Andrey Balanov
  
  Andrey Vladimirovich Balanov is a Russian amateur boxer best known for winning the European title in 2006 at welterweight and being part of the Russian 2005 team at the Boxing World Cup....
   (Russia)
• Middleweight (– 75 kg): Matvey Korobov
  Matvey Korobov
  
  Matvey Georgiyevich Korobov is a Russian amateur boxer best known to win the middleweight world title in 2005 and 2007, and being a part of the Russian team at the 2005 Boxing World Cup....
   (Russia)
• Light Heavyweight (– 81 kg): Artur Beterbiyev
  Artur Beterbiyev
  
  Artur Beterbiev is a Russian amateur boxer best known to win silver at the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships at light heavyweight....
   (Russia)
• Heavyweight (– 91 kg): Denis Poyatsika
  Denis Poyatsika
  
  Denis Poyatsika is a Ukrainian amateur boxer best known to win the European title at 201 lbs in 2006....
   (Ukraine)
• Super Heavyweight (+ 91 kg): Islam Timurziev
  Islam Timurziev
  
  Islam Yahyayevich Timurziev is a Russian amateur boxer best known to win the European superheavyweight title in 2006....
   (Russia)

• August 12 – Oleg Maskaev
  Oleg Maskaev
  
  Oleg Maskaev is a Russian professional boxing and a former World Boxing Council heavyweight champion....
   knocks out Hasim Rahman
  Hasim Rahman
  
  Hasim "The Rock" Sharif Rahman , is an United States Boxing who became the heavyweight champion of the world by knocking out Lennox Lewis in 2001....
   in the 12th round to win the WBC Heavyweight title.
• November 4 Floyd Mayweather Jr. becomes the WBC and linear Welterweight champion after he defeats Carlos Baldomir by unanimous decision.
• November 11 Wladimir Klitschko
  Wladimir Klitschko
  
  Wladimir Vladimirovich Klitschko is a Ukraine heavyweight Boxing. Klitschko currently holds the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization world heavyweight titles and is ranked number one by the International_Boxing_Organization in the top 100 computerized rankings....
   defends his IBF heavyweight title by defeating American contender Calvin Brock
  Calvin Brock
  
  Calvin Vance Brock is a contender in the heavyweight division of boxing....
   winning by a stunning knockout in the seventh round.
• November 18 Manny Pacquiao
  Manny Pacquiáo
  
  Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao , known as Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao is a professional Filipino people boxing. He is the former World Boxing Council List of WBC world champions#Lightweight, World Boxing Council List of WBC world champions#Superfeatherweight, International Boxing Federation List of IBF world champions#Junior featherweight, and...
   wins by technical knockout in his third and rubber match against Erik Morales
  Erik Morales
  
  ?rik Isaac "El Terrible" Morales Elvira is a semi-retired Mexican professional Boxing. He is a former seven-time world champion at WBC / WBO Super bantamweight , WBC Featherweight , WBC Super featherweight, WBC International Super Featherweight , and the IBF Junior lightweight divisions....
  
• December 9 Jermain Taylor
  Jermain Taylor
  
  Jermain Taylor is a professional United States boxing and former undisputed middleweight champion of the world. Taylor currently has a record of 28-2-1, with 17 wins coming by way of knockout....
   defends his middleweight title as he defeats Kassim Ouma
  Kassim Ouma
  
  Kassim Ouma is a Ugandan boxer....
  

Cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games team sport that originated in southern England. The earliest definite reference is dated 1598, and it is now played in more than 100 countries....

Curling

Curling

Curling is a team sport with similarities to bowls and shuffleboard, played by two teams of four players each on a rectangular sheet of carefully prepared ice....

• Olympic champions:
• Men's: Canada (Brad Gushue
  Brad Gushue
  
  Bradley Raymond "Brad" Gushue, Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, Doctor of Laws is a Canadian curler from Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador....
  , Mark Nichols
  Mark Nichols
  
  ||Mark Nichols, Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, Doctor of Laws is a Canadian curling from St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.Nichols currently plays third for Brad Gushue's team which represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics....
  , Russ Howard
  Russ Howard
  
  ||Russell W. "Russ" Howard, Order of Newfoundland and Labrador , Doctor of Laws is a Canada curling and Olympic champion from Moncton but originally from Penetanguishene, Ontario....
  , Jamie Korab
  Jamie Korab
  
  ||Jamie A. Korab, Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, Doctor of Laws is a Canadian curling.Korab was the lead for the Canadian men's team at the 2006 Winter Olympics skipped by Brad Gushue....
  , Mike Adam
  Mike Adam
  
  Michael B. Adam, Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, Doctor of Laws is a Canadian curling. He was born in Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador), and currently lives in Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador....
  )
• Women's: Sweden (Anette Norberg
  Anette Norberg
  
  Anette Norberg is a Sweden curler from Saltsj? Boo. She, and her team are the current Olympic women's curling champions having won the Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics over Mirjam Ott's Swiss team....
  , Eva Lund
  Eva Lund
  
  Eva Lund is a Sweden curler. 5'7" , 146lbs .Born in Stockholm, Sweden, as Eva Eriksson, she lives in Upplands V?sby, Stockholm, with her husband and Swedish national curling coach Stefan Lund and her son Adam and daughter Anna ....
  , Cathrine Lindahl
  Cathrine Lindahl
  
  Cathrine Lindahl is a Sweden curling from ?stersund.Lindahl plays second for her sister, Anette Norberg's team. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, the team won the gold medal....
  , Anna Svärd
  Anna Svärd
  
  Anna Sv?rd, , is a Sweden Curling. At the Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics, in Turin, Italy, she was the lead for the Swedish team who won the gold-medal after a thrilling final game....
  , Ulrika Bergman
  Ulrika Bergman
  
  Ulrika Bergman is a Sweden curler from Solna Municipality. She is currently the alternate for the World and Olympic Champion Anette Norberg team....
  )

• World champions:
• Men's: Scotland (David Murdoch
  David Murdoch
  
  David Murdoch is a Scotland curling from Lockerbie. Murdoch and his team of Ewan MacDonald, Warwick Smith, Euan Byers and Peter Smith were the 2006 World Curling Championship....
  , Ewan MacDonald
  Ewan MacDonald
  
  Ewan MacDonald is a Scotland curling. He currently plays third for David Murdoch.At his World Championship debut in 1999, MacDonald played second for Hammy McMillan....
  , Warwick Smith
  Warwick Smith
  
  Warwick B. Smith is a Scotland curling from Bridge of Earn, Perth and Kinross.Smith made his international debut at the 1996 World Curling Championships as the skip for the Scotland team....
  , Euan Byers
  Euan Byers
  
  Euan Byers is a Scotland curling.Byers started playing curling in 1983. He plays in first position and is right-handed.References...
  , Peter Smith
  Peter Smith (curler)
  
  Peter Smith is a Scotland curling. He plays second for David Murdoch.Smith started playing curling in 1979. He plays in second position and is right handed....
  )
• Women's: Sweden (Anette Norberg
  Anette Norberg
  
  Anette Norberg is a Sweden curler from Saltsj? Boo. She, and her team are the current Olympic women's curling champions having won the Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics over Mirjam Ott's Swiss team....
  , Eva Lund
  Eva Lund
  
  Eva Lund is a Sweden curler. 5'7" , 146lbs .Born in Stockholm, Sweden, as Eva Eriksson, she lives in Upplands V?sby, Stockholm, with her husband and Swedish national curling coach Stefan Lund and her son Adam and daughter Anna ....
  , Cathrine Lindahl
  Cathrine Lindahl
  
  Cathrine Lindahl is a Sweden curling from ?stersund.Lindahl plays second for her sister, Anette Norberg's team. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, the team won the gold medal....
  , Anna Svärd
  Anna Svärd
  
  Anna Sv?rd, , is a Sweden Curling. At the Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics, in Turin, Italy, she was the lead for the Swedish team who won the gold-medal after a thrilling final game....
  , Ulrika Bergman
  Ulrika Bergman
  
  Ulrika Bergman is a Sweden curler from Solna Municipality. She is currently the alternate for the World and Olympic Champion Anette Norberg team....
  )

Cycling

Cycling

Cycling is the use of bicycles, or - less commonly - unicycles, tricycles, Quadracycle s and other similar wheeled human powered vehicles as a means of transport, a form of recreation or a sport....

UCI ProTour