They may be struck in sporting events (7)
I believe the answer is:
matches
'events' is the definition.
(match is a kind of event)
'they may be struck in sporting' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'be' could be 'match' (matching is a kind of being) and 'match' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'es' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for matches that I've seen before include "Picks out for union potential" , "Agrees" , "Contests or thin pieces of wood" , "Contests or partnerships of equals" , "Sporting occasions" .)