5 sporting extravaganzas to look out for in 2018

2018 looks to be a great year for sports fans. The year is stacked with tournaments happening all over the world. We are just three months into 2018, and have already witnessed mega-events like the Winter Olympics 2018, the Super Bowl LII, and the Australian Open 2018.

We'll be running down the five big events from different sports, which fans have been eagerly waiting for. Honorary mention includes the Winter Paralympics, wherein special athletes from the world over will compete with each other across multiple sports, in an attempt to bring glory to their nations.

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#5 WWE's WrestleMania 34

WWE's flagship pay-per-view takes place in April

WWE's biggest event of the year, WrestleMania will take place on 8 April, emanating from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana. The card for the event looks stacked, with Brock Lesnar scheduled to go one-on-one with Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship, and Shinsuke Nakamura to face the WWE Champion AJ Styles.

Also announced is a huge mixed tag-team match, between Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, against Kurt Angle, and the debuting Ronda Rousey.

WrestleMania is a great mix of entertainment and sports, with fans all over the world, eagerly waiting for the event each year. It's a good avenue for casual fans to get a feel of the product, as big names from the pro wrestling world, come together for one big fiesta.

#4 Commonwealth Games 2018

This is the 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games 2018 are scheduled to take place between 4 to 15 April.The event will be held in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. This international event will feature athletes from countries who are members of the Commonwealth (former colonies of the United Kingdom) competing neck-to-neck across multiple sports.

A total of 275 events across 18 sports are scheduled to take place, involving athletes from 70 different countries. Indian fans will want the Indian contingent to bring home a large number of medals and have a pretty good showing at the Games.

The two-week tournament is a great opportunity for viewers to watch multiple events being played at the highest level. These Games are also the first time, that men and women will compete in an equal number of events.

#3 Men's Hockey World Cup 2018

India will definitely seek a podium finish at the World Cup

The action from the 2018 Men's Hockey tournament will begin from 28 November onwards, going all the way up to 16 December. The tournament will take place in the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, India. 16 of the world's top teams will go head-to-head against each other, in round robin format, with teams divided across four different pools.

The favourable atmosphere will provide a huge advantage to the Indian side in their attempt to bring home the coveted trophy, and cement their legacy. The Indian team comprising a good bunch of youth and experience, are worthy contenders to claim the crown.

However, Australia and Germany will be the odds-on favourites to go on and win the tournament. The fast-paced and high-octane action will surely keep the fans enthralled and mesmerized.

#2 Indian Premier League (IPL): 11th Edition

Mumbai Indians are the defending Champions

The 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is just around the corner, and fans are eagerly awaiting its commencement. Each year, the IPL gets bigger, better and even more exhilarating. The opening clash will see the defending champions Mumbai Indians kick off their campaign against their biggest rivals, the Chennai Super Kings.

With so much fresh talent on offer, the tournament promises to be an even bigger launchpad for these youngsters. IPL brings the best of entertainment and cricket together, and fans just can't get enough of it.

#1 FIFA World Cup 2018

Defending champions Germany are the favourites going into the tournament

Football fans are in for a treat this year, with some World Cup action coming their way in the summer months of June and July. Russia is the official host for this year's event. Germany, the defending champions, along with Spain, would definitely be the teams to be look out for, but one should also keep a close eye on Belgium.

This might come as a shocker, but both Italy and the Netherlands were unable to qualify for the tournament. Panama and Iceland are making their official debut at the FIFA World Cup.

Football has played a huge part in bringing people from different cultures and communities together under one common tree, and the World Cup is yet another occasion to celebrate this rich diversity and heritage.

This feeling is truly embedded in Jason Derulo's 'Colors', which is one of the official anthems for the World Cup. But when the action kicks off, it's all down to business, and at the end of it all, there is only one winner: us, the fans.