WITH strict safety protocols up for much of 2020 to guard against the spread of the coronavirus, the sporting scene was rendered limited in what it could do. Resilient and flourished, however, were electronic sports, or esports.

MANCHESTER, England — The fate of the rescheduled Euro 2020 soccer tournament will not be decided until March, but organizers of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) are hoping that vaccination efforts will allow them to stick to their original plan for June’s pan-European tournament.

IN recent years, some sports facilities have been called “white elephants.” The term dates back to ancient Asia when a king would gift a white elephant to a subordinate he was dissatisfied with because the associated costs of keeping a white elephant significantly outweigh its value.

Depending on perspective, Doug Pederson’s firing by the Eagles was either shocking or but a logical offshoot of a lost season. Around this time three years ago, he stood on top of the National Football League; he was hailed as a progressive head coach who bested the vaunted Patriots, featuring all-time-great bench tactician Bill Belichick, in the Super Bowl. Now, he’s a declared has-been who supposedly performed so badly as to tarnish the franchise’s singular accomplishment. To his critics, he didn’t simply run his charges down to the ground in the league’s worst division; he did so in a manner that embarrassed all and sundry.

THE planned return to training of national athletes vying for a spot in the rescheduled Olympic Games at the weekend did not push through and instead was delayed by a week, but the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) reminder on safety stays.

QUARTERBACK (QB) Lamar Jackson etched his name in the National Football League (NFL) record book while leading the Baltimore Ravens to a 20-13 win over the host Tennessee Titans in an American Football League (AFC) wild card game on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.

AWARDED by the Utah Jazz with a fresh four-year contract extension in the offseason, Filipino-American player Jordan Clarkson looks to repay the confidence given to him, setting solid personal goals and for the team.

ANTHONY Davis scored 27 points and blocked three shots in his return from a one-game injury hiatus as the Los Angeles Lakers remained unbeaten on the road with a 120-102 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

HER push to make it to the Olympic Games in Tokyo down to one last shot later this year, national karate team member Jamie Lim said she remains undeterred and looking to make things happen in her quest.

GOALS from Cristiano Ronaldo and Welshman Aaron Ramsey helped Juventus to secure a 3-1 victory over 10-man Sassuolo in Serie A on Sunday, lifting the champions to fourth place in the standings.

THE Philippine national men’s basketball team has begun preparation for the third and final window of the qualifiers for the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup set for February.

TOM Brady threw for 381 yards and two touchdowns to propel the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-23 victory over the Washington Football Team on Saturday in an NFC wild card game.