It is the time of the year to acknowledge the sporting heroes of the past 12 months.
Thai taekwondo star Panipak Wongpattanakit celebrates winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics with her coach Choi Young-Seok.
After a disastrous 2020 in which Covid-19 wiped out a whole swathe of events, sport fought back gallantly to attain some form of normality which in some cases included a return of spectators, the lifeblood of sport.
However, Covid is still making its presence felt, forcing many English Premier League football matches to be called off.
Just like last year, we have lost far too many sport personalities. So let's first pay tribute to some of those who are no longer with us:
No Saint, no Greavsie: One of England's greatest footballers, Jimmy Greaves passed away at the age of 81. A prolific scorer in his club career which took him from Chelsea to AC Milan, Spurs, West Ham and Barnet, he also netted an impressive 44 goals for England. He was a member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning side. After overcoming alcoholism, Greaves went on to co-host the popular Saint & Greavsie show with former Liverpool and Scotland star Ian St John. Only six months earlier, Greaves himself had been mourning the death of St John.
Thai golfer Patty Tavatanakit jumps into Poppie’s Pond after winning the ANA Inspiration. (Photo: AFP)
Jimmy Greaves is mourned before a match between his former clubs Chelsea and Spurs. (Photo: Reuters)
Classic commentator: Murray "The Voice of Formula One" Walker died at the age of 97. Listening to him on a Sunday afternoon was like putting on your favourite slippers. He will be lovingly remembered for such commentary gems as "There's nothing wrong with the car except that it is on fire" and the classic "Excuse me while I interrupt myself."
Brave Warrior: Baseball lost one of its greatest-ever players Hank "Hammer" Aaron at the age of 86. His team, the Atlanta Braves, responded by winning their first World Series title in 25 years.
Whistling while she works: Rebecca Welch became the first woman appointed to referee an English Football League match in April when she officiated in Port Vale's 2-0 win over Harrogate in League Two. Both managers praised her performance. In 2010, Amy Fern took over from an injured referee during the Championship game between Nottingham Forest and Coventry.
Stevie Wonder: Rangers winning their 55th Scottish league title and ending Celtic's bid for 10 titles in a row prompted "Stevie Wonder" headlines in Scottish newspapers marking Steven Gerrard's success. There was similar delight at Aston Villa when Gerrard took over as manager from Dean Smith who moved on to ailing Norwich City.
Patty makes a splash: Thai golfer Patty Tavatanakit, then 21, won her first LPGA major at the ANA Inspiration at Rancho Mirage, California. She celebrated with the traditional plunge into Poppie's Pond.
Europe captain Catriona Matthew holds the trophy as she and her players celebrate winning the Solheim Cup. (Photo: AFP)
Worth the wait: Ariya "May" Jutanugarn triumphed in the Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club eight years after her heartbreaking 18th-hole loss in her first professional tournament at the same course.
Legendary Lefty: Phil Mickelson, at the age of 50, became the oldest golfer to win a major with his success at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. Mickelson called his sixth major "one of the moments I will cherish my entire life."
Seventh heaven: NFL star quarterback Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl, but this time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rather than the Patriots.
Farewell Frank: A rather poignant poster "In Frank We Trust" was still on display at Stamford Bridge when Thomas Tuchel helmed his first game for Chelsea after the sacking of Frank Lampard.
Pride of Lions: Despite England losing to Italy in the Euro 2020 football final, the English newspapers were unusually understanding, one headline reading: "It Hurts…But We're Proud of You".
Keeper's ball: There were inevitable "Alisson Wonderland" headlines after Liverpool goalie Alisson Becker scored with a 95th-minute header to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1. TV commentator Jim Proudfoot came out with "Just when you think you've seen it all..."
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, third left, scores against West Bromwich. (Photo: AFP)
Looking for a wand: Spurs manager Antonio Conte faced up to reality saying "I am not a magician" after Tottenham's dreadful defeat to Slovenian minnows Mura.
Golden girl: Despite the absence of supporters, there was still plenty of drama in the Tokyo Olympics. For Thailand, it came with a taekwondo gold medal for Panipak Wongpattanakit thanks to a successful last-gasp kick. Seeing the young Thai jump into the arms of her coach Choi Young-Seok was a joy to watch.
Beany's the best: An unlikely blend of Irish magic, Scottish wisdom and Scandinavian skills saw underdogs Europe upset Team USA 15-13 in a dramatic Solheim Cup on American soil at Inverness Club in Ohio. It prompted chants of "We love you Beany" in reference to Scottish team captain Catriona "Beany" Matthew.
Whistling in the wind: There were no such problems for the American men who at Whistling Straits thrashed Europe 19-9 in the Ryder Cup, the biggest margin of victory ever. It prompted the Daily Telegraph headline "Slaughter in the Water".
Now comes the hard part: The extraordinary US Open tennis victory by little-known British teenager Emma Raducanu stunned the world with the Daily Mail proclaiming "A Superstar is Born." Facing many distractions, things have since been a bit anti-climactic for young Emma, although winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award will have cheered her up.
Price of fame: Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka pulled out of a series of tournaments owing to "pressure," saying she was suffering from anxiety and depression.
Didn't touch him ref: Thankfully there are not so many silly VAR decisions in the Premier League this season, but there are still far too many head-scratchers from the gentleman at Stockley Park. They are not helped by players going down at the slightest touch.
Tennis player Emma Raducanu takes selfies with fans during the US Open. (Photo: AFP)
Tinkerman returns: Claudio Ranieri has been as charming as ever, although a little frustrated by Watford's erratic form. His terrific reception at Leicester, who he led to that stunning 2016 Premier League title, has been one of the season's more emotional moments.
Magpies soap opera: Never a dull moment at St James' Park. Steve Bruce marked his 1,000th match as a manager and his last at Newcastle in bitter-sweet fashion, commenting "I've tried to keep my dignity, but it has been difficult." We know what he means.
Saint of the Tyne: One consolation for the Magpies is that the most entertaining player in the Premier League has to be French star Allan Saint-Maximim. A pleasure to watch.
Lucky for some: The number 147 is something to celebrate in snooker but is not so great when it's England's first innings total in the opening Ashes Test in Brisbane. Opening bat Rory Burns being bowled by the very first ball of the series was not the most auspicious start.
Cheeky chant: When Hollywood stars and new Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney saw their team for the first time, they lost 3-2 at lowly Maidenhead United, and the home fans gleefully chanted "You Bought The Wrong Club."
No room for niceness: Confused tactics and misguided selection were among the reasons Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked by Manchester United. Some fans believe the real reason was that he was "too nice".
Max's miracle: Max Verstappen discovered miracles do happen thanks to a safety car which led to the Dutchman edging out Lewis Hamilton for the Formula One world title on the dramatic last lap of the final race of an extraordinary season. "I'm very relieved. It's been a very stressful day," Verstappen said. As regards his rival Hamilton, he admitted "sometimes we hated each other."
Arise Sir Lewis: It wasn't all tears for Hamilton. Three days after losing his world title, he received a knighthood.
A Happy Christmas and New Year to all readers and please keep up that sporting spirit.