A

• [+] 1981 in alpine skiing (7 P)
• [+] 1981 in American football (3 C, 3 P)
• [+] 1981 in aquatics (1 C, 1 P)
• [+] 1981 in athletics (track and field) (7 P)
• [+] 1981 in Australian rules football (2 P)

B

• [+] 1981 in badminton (1 P)
• [+] 1981 in baseball (3 C, 9 P)
• [+] 1981 in basketball (17 P)
• [+] 1981 in boat racing (1 P)

C

• [+] 1981 in chess (2 P)

C cont.

• [+] 1981 in cricket (8 P)
• [+] 1981 in cycle racing (5 P)

F

• [+] 1981 in figure skating (3 P)
• [+] 1981 in football (soccer) (8 C, 96 P)

G

• [+] 1981 in Gaelic games (32 P)
• [+] 1981 in golf (8 P)

H

• [+] 1981 in horse racing (2 C)

I

• [+] 1981 in ice hockey (64 P)

J

• [+] 1981 in judo (1 P)

M

• [+] 1981 in motorsport (4 C, 19 P)

R

• [+] Recurring sporting events established in 1981 (14 P)
• [+] 1981 in rugby league (7 P)
• [+] 1981 in rugby union (1 C, 7 P)

S

• [+] 1981 in snooker (5 P)
• [+] 1981 in speedway (3 P)
• [+] Sports clubs disestablished in 1981 (1 C, 2 P)
• [+] Sports clubs established in 1981 (1 C, 23 P)

T

• [+] 1981 in tennis (3 C, 14 P)

V

• [+] 1981 in volleyball (6 P)

m

• [+] 1981 in multi-sport events (2 C, 2 P)

• 1981 in sports

B

• 1981 Bolivarian Games
• Bandy World Championship 1981
• Biathlon World Championships 1981

C

• 1981 CFL season

F

• FIS Ski-Flying World Championships 1981

G

• 69th Grey Cup

H

• 1981 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final

L

• 1981 World Lifesaving Championships

M

• 1981 Maccabiah Games

R

• 1981 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships

S

• 1981 Southeast Asian Games

W

• World Games 1981
• 1981 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
• 1981 World's Strongest Man