JANUARY
2-14 MOTORSPORT: Dakar Rally, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina
7 NFL: Playoffs start
13 MOTORSPORT: Dubai 24H
14-Feb 5 FOOTBALL: African Cup of Nations, Gabon
15-22 CRICKET: India v England, ODI series
20 MARATHON: Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon
16-29 TENNIS: Australian Open, Melbourne
19-22 GOLF: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
20 MOTORSPORT: Start of WRC season, Monte Carlo
26-Feb 1 CRICKET: India v England, T20I series
28 BOXING: Frampton v Santa Cruz, Las Vegas
FEBRUARY
2-5 GOLF: Dubai Desert Classic
3-6 CYCLING: Dubai Tour
4-Mar 18 RUGBY UNION: Six Nations
5: NFL Super Bowl, Houston
Can Tom Brady inspire the Patriots to another SuperBowl?
7-Mar 7 CRICKET: Pakistan Super League
23-26 CYCLING: Abu Dhabi Tour
23-Mar 28 CRICKET: India v Australia, Test series
26 FOOTBALL: English League Cup final, London
20-Mar 3 TENNIS: Dubai Duty Free
Reigning champion: Stan Wawrinka.
MARCH
2 RUGBY LEAGUE: NRL season starts
3-4 TRIATHLON: Abu Dhabi triathlon
4 BOXING: Haye v Bellew, London/Garcia v Thurman, New York
23 AUSSIE RULES: AFL season starts
25 RACING: Dubai World Cup
26 MOTORSPORT: Start of new F1 season, Melbourne
26 MOTORSPORT: Start of new MotoGP season, Qatar
Will Lewis Hamilton win a fourth drivers’ title?
APRIL
2 MLB: Start of new season
5-May 21 CRICKET: Indian Premier League
6-9 GOLF: Masters
8 RACING: Grand National
12-16 CYCLING: UCI World Track Championships, Hong Kong
12 NHL: Start of playoffs
15 NBA: Start of playoffs
27 NFL: Draft
29 BOXING: Klitschko v Joshua, London
Will Anthony Joshua make it 19 consecutive wins?
MAY
5-28 CYCLING: Giro d’Italia
5-9 SQUASH: PSA World Series finals, Dubai
6 RACING: Kentucky Derby
13 RUGBY UNION: European Champions Cup final, Edinburgh
20 RACING: Preakness Stakes
21 CRICKET: IPL Final
24-29 CRICKET: England v South Africa, ODI series
24 FOOTBALL: Europa League final, Stockholm
27 FOOTBALL: FA Cup final, Wembley
28-Jun 11 TENNIS: French Open, Paris
JUNE
1 NBA: Start of Finals
1-18 CRICKET: Champions Trophy, England and Wales
3 FOOTBALL: Champions League final, Cardiff
Who will stop Barcelona?
10 RACING: Belmont Stakes
15-18 GOLF: US Open, Wisconsin
17-18 MOTORSPORT: 24 Hours of Le Mans
17-27 SAILING: America’s Cup, Bermuda
17-Jul 2 FOOTBALL: Confederations Cup, Russia
22 NBA: Draft
24: RUGBY UNION: First British & Irish Lions Test v New Zealand, Auckland
26-Jul 23 CRICKET: Women’s World Cup, England
Will the All Blacks beat the Lions?
JULY
1-23: CYCLING: Tour de France
1: RUGBY UNION: Second British & Irish Lions Test v New Zealand, Wellington
3-16: TENNIS: Wimbledon
Who will challenge Murray, Djokovic and co. at Wimbledon?
6-Aug 8: CRICKET: England v South Africa Test series
8: RUGBY UNION: Third British & Irish Lions Test v New Zealand, Auckland
9: RUGBY UNION: Women’s World Cup, Ireland
16: FOOTBALL: Women’s Euro 2017, Netherlands
20-23: GOLF: Open Championship, Royal Birkdale
AUGUST
4-13: ATHLETICS: World Championships, London
10-13: GOLF: PGA Championship, Quail Hollow
17-Sep 7: CRICKET: England v West Indies, Test series
18-20: GOLF: Solheim Cup, Des Moines
Solheim Cup.
19-Sep 10: CYCLING: Vuelta a Espana
21-27: BADMINTON: World Championships, Glasgow
28-Sep 10: TENNIS: US Open
SEPTEMBER
17-24: CYCLING: World Road Race Championships, Bergen, Norway
28-Oct 1: GOLF: President’s Cup, New Jersey
30: AUSSIE RULES: AFL Grand Final
Who would you like to see win this AFL season?
OCOTBER
1: RACING: Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
23-29: TENNIS: WTA Finals, Singapore
24: BASEBALL: World Series starts
27-Dec 2: RUGBY LEAGUE: World Cup, Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea
History makers in 2016: Chicago Cubs.
NOVEMBER
7: RACING: Melbourne Cup
13: TENNIS: ATP World Tour Finals, London
16-19: GOLF: DP World Tour Championship
23-27: CRICKET: First Ashes Test, Brisbane
24-26: TENNIS: Davis Cup final
26: MOTORSPORT: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
DECEMBER
1-2: RUGBY: Dubai Sevens (TBC)
2: CRICKET: Second Ashes Test, Adelaide
6-16: FOOTBALL: Club World Cup, UAE
13-17: BADMINTON: World Superseries Finals, Dubai
Dubai fan favourite PV Sindhu.
14: CRICKET: Third Ashes Test, Perth
26: CRICKET: Fourth Ashes Test, Melbourne
26: RACING: King George V, Aintree