Top five worst moments in sports in 2023

Angelo Matthews became the first int. cricketer to be timed-out.

A year in sports is marked by the achievements made by athletes or countries during twelve months of sporting events across various disciplines. Winning and losing are inherent aspects of every game. When one emerges victorious, the other must inevitably suffer defeat. This unyielding dynamic has shaped the world of sports throughout the years.

Within this realm, there are moments where the sporting community reveres and pays homage to exceptional talent, while other instances serve as shocking reminders of unexpected outcomes.

In this article, we will completely focus on the instances that shocked the sporting world in 2023. 

1. Ghana’s footballer Raphael Dwamena dies on the pitch during a match.

Raphael Dwamena, a 28-year-old Ghanaian international footballer, passed away after suffering two cardiac arrests on November 11, 2023. He collapsed on the pitch during the 24th minute of his club KF Egnatia’s Albanian Superliga game against Partizani Tirana.

He was given immediate medical care on the field and rushed to the closest hospital, but he did not survive the second heart attack on the way. He was the leading scorer in the Albanian league this season, scoring nine goals for Egnatia.

2. Angelo Mathews controversial timed-out dismissal

Angelo Mathews made history as the first international cricketer to be dismissed by a timed-out during the Cricket World Cup 2023. He was playing for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh and had reached the crease on time, but he had to change his helmet due to a defect. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan challenged this delay and asked for a timed-out verdict. The umpires agreed with him and gave Mathews out.

This decision sparked a lot of debates, as most people criticized it for being unfair and against the spirit of the game.

3. Laura Siegemund crying in post-match press conference because of ill treatment by crowd 

Laura Siegemund was in tears at the press conference after losing to Coco Gauff at the US Open 2023. She said she felt hurt by the crowd’s behavior during the match. Furthermore, the crowd jeered at her every time she made a mistake.

She blamed her slow play for the situation. Laura iterated needed more time to get ready for Gauff’s serve, which led to a time violation from the umpire. This made the crowd cheer for Gauff, the home favorite, which affected Laura’s game.

4. Jennifer Harmanoes-Luis Rubiales kiss scandal

The sports world was stunned by a shocking event when the head of the Spanish Football Association, Luis Rubiales, smooched midfielder Jennifer Hermoso at the award ceremony of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Hermoso shared her feelings about this episode during a live session on Instagram.

As a result, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee swiftly intervened by temporarily barring the Spaniard and applied a three-year prohibition from taking part in any football-related activities.

5. Argentinian fans beaten by security personnel during FIFA World Cup qualifier match between Argentina and Brazil

A rare incident happened when the Brazilian police abused the fans of Argentina’s national football team at the Maracana Stadium in Brazil before the kickoff of a FIFA World Cup Qualifier game between Argentina and Brazil.

The atmosphere got more heated, leading to the involvement of Argentina’s players to sort out the problem. Realizing the worsening nature of the situation, Lionel Messi temporarily pulled his team off the pitch, only coming back once the situation was under control. Later, Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in the game.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram