When a new year begins, most of us have the habit of scrolling through the event calendar to find out what lies ahead, and almost all the time disappointment sets in as the blank calendar only exhibits a long monotonous list of days to pass by. That will certainly not be the case this year, at least not for a sports fanatic.   

2016 promises to be an exciting year with a number of sporting events to look forward to. Below are 4 major sporting events which will attract worldwide attention:

ICC World Twenty20
The T20 world cup is on the horizon and will take place in India from March 8 to April 3. Sixteen teams will battle it out for the winner's tag with all ten ICC members set to compete tooth and nail against each other and six Associate members looking to cause upsets. With the tournament being held in the subcontinent, defending champions Sri Lanka will hope to hold on to the trophy but will definitely face stiff challenges from hosts India, hard-hitting West Indies and others. It goes without saying that high profile upsets by lower ranked teams are always on the cards. Even those who are not much interested in cricket are enticed by this shorter format of the game.  

UEFA Euro 2016
Football is undoubtedly the most popular and the most watched sport across the globe and much to the delight of its massive number of fans, the second most important international football tournament will get underway right at the heart of this calendar year. The UEFA Euro 2016, to be hosted by France, will commence on June and end exactly a month after on July 10 with the final at Stade de France. Twenty-four top European teams will contest for the ultimate prize with defending champions Spain's quest to retain their title threatened by the commanding presence of Germany, France and others. The month long event will keep people up at night, cause mayhem in streets and rooftops and keep fans on the edge of their seats. Euro 2016 is the one football fans can't wait for.

Copa America Centenario
Note: This is not the “Copa America” which takes place once every four years but it's a tournament as per an agreement between CONMEBOL (the south American football confederation) and CONCACAF (the football confederation of north and central America) which will contest 16 teams from both regions. It will be hosted by the USA from June 3-26. Although the clash of timeline between this competition and Euro 2016 will probably result in the Euros stealing its thunder, the Copa America Centenario is also an invigorating football tournament to look forward to. World favourites Brazil and Argentina will take part so who'd want to miss out on Messi and Neymar in action?

Rio Olympics 2016
Last but not the least, the major international multi sporting competition will return this summer. The 2016 Olympics will go to Brazil's Rio de Janeiro and will take place from August 5-21. This season's competition will include more athletes, more games, and more gold medals. A total of 28 Olympic sports will be featured including the usual and the return of golf will also be staged. A record number of countries will take part in the games to be held across 33 venues in Rio and 5 venues in neighbouring cities in what is shaping up to be an exhilarating Olympics to anticipate. 

Hold on to your seats sports fans, 2016 will take you by storm!

Tahmeed Chaudhury is a diehard Liverpool fan and procrastinator who dislikes being asked questions. Don't ask him questions at tahmeed789@gmail.com