The FIFA World Cup is over, but there are a few major international championships waiting to happen in 2010, and here the five we think you should look into.

2010 FIBA World Championship

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The 16th Basketball World Championships will be held in Turkey between August 28 and September 12, with the final held at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul. The Olympics tournament is usually the more important event in the international basketball world, with NBA players often skipping the world championships, but still, this is pretty big. Spain are the world champions, but Pau Gasol, fresh off a second NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers and the 2006 tournament MVP, won’t be playing. The United States, the usual favorites although haven’t wont the title since 1994, will be without Kobe, LeBron and Wade for starters, but still have the most talented group by far. As usual, Argentina (without Ginobili) Serbia and Greece also have a long shot at making the finals.

2010 FIVB Men’s World Championship

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Most people don’t care for volleyball, and if they do, it’s mostly to watch babes playing the beach version. Still, for those who love the game, the World championships in Italy (September 25 – October 10) are the place to be. Brazil are the two-time defending champions, but they were stunned by the United States in Beijing, as the Americans stunned the Brazilians in the final. Italy, the hosts, won three consecutive titles in the 1990’s, but their last top 3 finish in both the Olympics or the World’s was 10 years ago in Sydney.

2010 World Series

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The National league won its first All-Star game since 1996 last night, beating the AL All Star 3-1, meaning the NL pennant winners will have the home advantage in the 2010 World Series. There is a World Championship of Baseball, the World Baseball Classic, but the World Series is the real big event in Baseball. The Yankees won their 27th championship in 2009, and are currently with the best record, again, in the AL (56-32), while the Atlanta Braves are the best in the NL with a 52-36 record. They haven’t been to the playoffs since 2005, haven’t been to the World Series since 1999 and haven’t won it since 1995.

2010-2011 Ashes Series (England vs Australia)

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The Ashes, maybe International Cricket’s biggest rivalry series, dating back to 1882. It is currently held every two years, with Australia hosting the next one, with the first test taking place in Brisbane, November 25. The Ashes comprises of five test matches, two innings per match. England have won the last series in 2007 and 2 of the last three. The 2005 win came after Australia dominated the series from 1989-2003, and the Aussies hold the lead in the all-time series, winning it 31 times to England’s 28. There have also been five draws, and the previous winner get to retain its trophy in case of a draw.

The name, Ashes, came from a satirical column in a British paper, describing England’s loss to Australia at home (the first Australian win against England on English ground) as the death of English Cricket, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The English tour of Australia in 1882-1883 was dubbed as the quest to regain The Ashes by the English media.

2010 US Open (Tennis)

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The 2009 champion, Juan Martin Del Potro, won’t be in New York to defend his title due to an injury that has kept him away from the tennis courts for most of 2010. Nadal and Federer will be, although Federer, probably for the first time since winning his first US Open in 2004, won’t be heading into the tournament as a favorite, even to make the finals. His bad 2010 (besides the win at the Australian Open) while Nadal has already won two Slams, eyeing the only major he has failed to win (has never even made it to the final) to complete a career grand slam at the age of 24. Murray, Djokovic, Soderling, Berdych and Andy Roddick will be hoping they can stop the Spanish bull from getting his ninth Grand Slam title.