Dalits in Game/Sports (M-Z)

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 Manpreet Kaur

Manpreet Kaur

Manpreet winning the Gold medal in 2017 Asian Athletics Championships, Bhubaneswar.

Born 5 March 1990
Sport
Country India
Sport Shot put
Event(s) Athletics
Coached by Karamjit Singh
Achievements and titles
Regional finals Indian
National finals

2013 National Gold
Personal best(s) 18.86 (Gwangju 2017)

Women's athletics
Representing  India

Updated on 7 July 2017.

Manpreet Kaur (born 5 March 1990) is an Indian professional Olympic shot putter. Born in Ambala, her gold-medal winning performance of 18.86m at the 2017 Asian Grand Prix in Jinhua, China turned out to be a world-leading throw, taking her to the No. 1 spot in the rankings. She also holds the Indian national record 17.96m in Women's Shot Put. Kaur was qualified to represented India at Summer Olympics at Rio 2016 in shot put.

Early life

Kaur is the eldest of three siblings. When she was 13 years old, her father passed away. Her mother was paralyzed in 2006. She developed an interest in athletics through father and her cousins who were also into sports. One of her cousins was a university-level 100m sprinter and other is a discus thrower, while her sister-in-law was also a shot putter. She initially trained for a year in the 100m, but her brother whom she trained under felt she would do better in shot put and she switched. She hails from Sahauli village from Patiala and works at the Indian Railways.

Career

Kaur placed 9th in the 5th IAAF World Youth Championships in 2007 at Ostrova. In 2010, she took a 3-year hiatus and returned to break an 18-year-old national record in women's shot put. In 2015, she won the Gold medal scoring a 17.96m throw at the 55th National Open Athletics Championship at Kolkata.

2016 Summer Olympics

Kaur was the only Indian woman to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics in her field.
Asian Grand Prix Athletics

Kaur clinched a gold in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix Athletics Meet with a national record and world season-leading effort. She set the national record with her best throw of 18.86m. With this performance, she also qualified for the IAAF World Championships to be held in August in London. The entry standard for women's shot put in the World Championships stands at 17.75m.

Asian Athletics Championship

Kaur later took the Gold medal at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championship in Odisha in July.
Suspension

Kaur was tested positive for steroids four times in 2017. She began serving a 4 year period of suspension beginning July 20, 2017, and as a consequence she had to forfeit her gold medals and national record.

Personal

She is married to Karamjeet Singh, a university level shot putter who is also her trainer. The couple have a daughter.

Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan
Jordan in 2014
Charlotte Hornets
Position Owner
League NBA
Personal information
Born February 17, 1963 
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight 216 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school Emsley A. Laney
College North Carolina (1981–1984)
NBA draft 1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Playing career 1984–1993, 1995–1998, 2001–2003
Position Shooting guard
Number 23, 12, 45

Career history


Career highlights and awards

14× NBA All-Star (1985–1993, 1996–1998, 2002, 2003)
2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (1987, 1988)
2× Consensus first-team All-American (1983, 1984)
2× First-team All-ACC (1983, 1984)
First-team Parade All-American (1981)
Career NBA statistics
Points 32,292 (30.1 ppg)
Rebounds 6,672 (6.2 rpg)
Assists 5,633 (5.3 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com


Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ is an American former professional basketball player and businessman. He is the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and of 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. He played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. He was integral in helping to popularize the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a global cultural icon in the process.

Jordan played college basketball for three seasons under coach Dean Smith with the North Carolina Tar Heels. As a freshman, he was a member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982. Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 as the third overall draft pick, and quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring while gaining a reputation as one of the game's best defensive players. His leaping ability, demonstrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in Slam Dunk Contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". Jordan won his first NBA championship with the Bulls in 1991, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Jordan abruptly retired from basketball before the 1993–94 NBA season to play Minor League Baseball but returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and led them to three more championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998, as well as a then-record 72 regular season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. He retired for a second time in January 1999 but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards.

Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include six NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, ten scoring titles (both all-time records), five MVP Awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors (joint record), fourteen NBA All-Star Game selections, three All-Star Game MVP Awards, three steals titles, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA records for career regular season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was named the 20th century's greatest North American athlete by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press' list of athletes of the century. Jordan was twice inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, once in 2009 for his individual career and again in 2010 as part of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team"). He became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015.

One of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation, Jordan is also known for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1984 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred as himself in the 1996 live-action animated film Space Jam, and is the central focus of the Emmy Award-winning documentary miniseries The Last Dance (2020). He became part-owner and head of basketball operations for the Charlotte Bobcats (now named the Hornets) in 2006, and bought a controlling interest in 2010. In 2014, Jordan became the first billionaire player in NBA history. With a net worth of $1.6 billion, he is the fifth-richest African American, behind Robert F. Smith, David Steward, Oprah Winfrey, and Kanye West.

Early life

Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born at Cumberland Hospital in the Fort Greene neighborhood of New York City's Brooklyn borough on February 17, 1963, the son of bank employee Deloris (née Peoples) and equipment supervisor James R. Jordan Sr. In 1968, he moved with his family to Wilmington, North Carolina. Jordan attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, where he highlighted his athletic career by playing basketball, baseball, and football. He tried out for the varsity basketball team during his sophomore year; at 5'11" (1.80 m), he was deemed too short to play at that level. His taller friend Harvest Leroy Smith was the only sophomore to make the team.

Motivated to prove his worth, Jordan became the star of Laney's junior varsity team, and tallied several 40-point games. The following summer, he grew four inches (10 cm) and trained rigorously. Upon earning a spot on the varsity roster, Jordan averaged more than 25 points per game (ppg) over his final two seasons of high school play. As a senior, he was selected to play in the 1981 McDonald's All-American Game and scored 30 points, after averaging 27 points,12 rebounds, and 6 assists per game for the season. Jordan was recruited by numerous college basketball programs, including Duke, North Carolina, South Carolina, Syracuse, and Virginia. In 1981, he accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in cultural geography.

College career
Jordan going in for a slam dunk for the Laney High School varsity basketball team, 1979–80
Jordan's No. 23 jersey among others in the rafters of the Dean Smith Center, pictured in May 2005

As a freshman in coach Dean Smith's team-oriented system, Jordan was named ACC Freshman of the Year after he averaged 13.4 ppg on 53.4% shooting (field goal percentage). He made the game-winning jump shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown, which was led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing. Jordan later described this shot as the major turning point in his basketball career. During his three seasons with the Tar Heels, he averaged 17.7 ppg on 54.0% shooting, and added 5.0 rpg.

Jordan was selected by consensus to the NCAA All-American First Team in both his sophomore (1983) and junior (1984) seasons. After winning the Naismith and the Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984, Jordan left North Carolina one year before his scheduled graduation to enter the 1984 NBA draft. Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986, when he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography. In 2002, Jordan was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team honoring the 50 greatest players in ACC history.

Professional career

Early NBA years (1984–1987)

The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third overall pick of the 1984 NBA draft after Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets) and Sam Bowie (Portland Trail Blazers). One of the primary reasons why Jordan was not drafted sooner was because the first two teams were in need of a center. Trail Blazers general manager Stu Inman contended that it was not a matter of drafting a center but more a matter of taking Sam Bowie over Jordan, in part because Portland already had Clyde Drexler, who was a guard with similar skills to Jordan. Citing Bowie's injury-laden college career, ESPN, named the Blazers' choice of Bowie as the worst draft pick in North American professional sports history.

During his rookie season with the Bulls, Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting, and helped make a team that had won 35% of games in the previous three seasons playoff contenders. He quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas. Roy S. Johnson of The New York Times described him as "the phenomenal rookie of the Bulls" in November, and Jordan appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the heading "A Star Is Born" in December. The fans also voted in Jordan as an All-Star starter during his rookie season. Controversy arose before the All-Star game when word surfaced that several veteran players, led by Isiah Thomas, were upset by the amount of attention Jordan was receiving. This led to a so-called "freeze-out" on Jordan, where players refused to pass the ball to him throughout the game. The controversy left Jordan relatively unaffected when he returned to regular season play, and he would go on to be voted the NBA Rookie of the Year. The Bulls finished the season 38–44, and lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in four games in the First Round of the playoffs.

An often-cited moment was on August 26, 1985, when Jordan shook the arena during a Nike exhibition game in Trieste, Italy, by shattering the glass of the backboard with a dunk.The moment was filmed and is often referred to worldwide as an important milestone in Jordan's rise. The shoes Jordan wore during the game were auctioned in August 2020 and sold for $615,000, a record for a pair of sneakers. Jordan's second season was cut short when he broke his foot in the third game of the year, causing him to miss 64 games. The Bulls made the playoffs despite Jordan's injury and a 30–52 record, at the time the fifth-worst record of any team to qualify for the playoffs in NBA history. Jordan recovered in time to participate in the postseason and performed well upon his return. Against a 1985–86 Boston Celtics team that is often considered one of the greatest in NBA history, Jordan set the still-unbroken record for points in a playoff game with 63 in Game 2; however, the Celtics managed to sweep the series.

Jordan completely recovered in time for the 1986–87 season, and had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in NBA history; he became the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to score 3,000 points in a season, averaging a league-high 37.1 points on 48.2% shooting. In addition, Jordan demonstrated his defensive prowess, as he became the first player in NBA history to record 200 steals and 100 blocked shots in a season. Despite Jordan's success, Magic Johnson won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. The Bulls reached 40 wins, and advanced to the playoffs for the third consecutive year but were again swept by the Celtics.

Pistons roadblock (1987–1990)
Jordan (center) with the Bud Light Daredevils in 1987

Jordan again led the league in scoring during the 1987–88 season, averaging 35.0 ppg on 53.5% shooting and won his first league MVP Award. He was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, as he averaged 1.6 blocks and a league-high 3.1 steals per game. The Bulls finished 50–32, and made it out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in Jordan's career, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. However, the Bulls lost in five games to the more experienced Detroit Pistons, who were led by Isiah Thomas and a group of physical players known as the "Bad Boys".

In the 1988–89 season, Jordan again led the league in scoring, averaging 32.5 ppg on 53.8% shooting from the field, along with 8 rpg and 8 apg. During the season, Sam Vincent, Chicago's point guard, was having trouble running the offense, and Jordan expressed his frustration with head coach Doug Collins, who would put Jordan at point guard; in his time as a point guard, Jordan averaged 10 triple-doubles in eleven games, with 33.6 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 10.8 apg, 2.9 spg, and 0.8 bps on 51% shooting.

The Bulls finished with a 47–35 record, and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating the Cavaliers and New York Knicks along the way. The Cavaliers series included a career highlight for Jordan when he hit "The Shot" over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer in the fifth and final game of the series. However, the Pistons again defeated the Bulls, this time in six games, by utilizing their "Jordan Rules" method of guarding Jordan, which consisted of double and triple teaming him every time he touched the ball.

The Bulls entered the 1989–90 season as a team on the rise, with their core group of Jordan and young improving players like Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, and under the guidance of new coach Phil Jackson. On March 28, 1990, Jordan scored a career-high 69 points in a 117–113 road win over the Cavaliers. He averaged a league-leading 33.6 ppg on 52.6% shooting, to go with 6.9 rpg and 6.3 apg, in leading the Bulls to a 55–27 record. They again advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers; despite pushing the series to seven games, the Bulls lost to the Pistons for the third consecutive season.

First three-peat (1991–1993)

In the 1990–91 season, Jordan won his second MVP award after averaging 31.5 ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0 rpg, and 5.5 apg for the regular season. The Bulls finished in first place in their division for the first time in sixteen years and set a franchise record with 61 wins in the regular season. With Scottie Pippen developing into an All-Star, the Bulls had elevated their play. The Bulls defeated the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening two rounds of the playoffs. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where their rival, the Detroit Pistons, awaited them; this time, the Bulls beat the Pistons in a four-game sweep.

The Bulls advanced to the Finals for the first time in franchise history to face the Los Angeles Lakers, who had Magic Johnson and James Worthy, two formidable opponents. The Bulls won the series four games to one, and compiled a 15–2 playoff record along the way. Perhaps the best-known moment of the series came in Game 2 when, attempting a dunk, Jordan avoided a potential Sam Perkins block by switching the ball from his right hand to his left in mid-air to lay the shot into the basket. In his first Finals appearance, Jordan posted per game averages of 31.2 points on 56% shooting from the field, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks Jordan won his first NBA Finals MVP award, and he cried while holding the Finals trophy.

Jordan and the Bulls continued their dominance in the 1991–92 season, establishing a 67–15 record, topping their franchise record from 1990 to 1991. Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with averages of 30.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game on 52% shooting. After winning a physical seven-game series over the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs and finishing off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals in six games, the Bulls met Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in the Finals. The media, hoping to recreate a Magic–Bird rivalry, highlighted the similarities between "Air" Jordan and Clyde "The Glide" during the pre-Finals hype.

In the first game, Jordan scored a Finals-record 35 points in the first half, including a record-setting six three-point field goals. After the sixth three-pointer, he jogged down the court shrugging as he looked courtside. Marv Albert, who broadcast the game, later stated that it was as if Jordan was saying: "I can't believe I'm doing this." The Bulls went on to win Game 1 and defeat the Blazers in six games. Jordan was named Finals MVP for the second year in a row and finished the series averaging 35.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.5 apg, while shooting 52.6% from the floor.
Jordan in 1992

In the 1992–93 season, despite a 32.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, and 5.5 apg campaign, including a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting, Jordan's streak of consecutive MVP seasons ended, as he lost the award to his friend Charles Barkley. Coincidentally, Jordan and the Bulls met Barkley and his Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. The Bulls won their third NBA championship on a game-winning shot by John Paxson and a last-second block by Horace Grant, but Jordan was once again Chicago's leader. He averaged a Finals-record 41.0 ppg during the six-game series, and became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Finals MVP awards. He scored more than 30 points in every game of the series, including 40 or more points in four consecutive games. With his third Finals triumph, Jordan capped off a seven-year run where he attained seven scoring titles and three championships, but there were signs that Jordan was tiring of his massive celebrity and all of the non-basketball hassles in his life.

Gambling

During the Bulls' 1993 NBA playoffs, Jordan was seen gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the night before a game against the New York Knicks. The previous year, he admitted that he had to cover $57,000 in gambling losses, and author Richard Esquinas wrote a book in 1993 claiming he had won $1.25 million from Jordan on the golf course. NBA commissioner David Stern denied in 1995 and 2006 that Jordan's 1993 retirement was a secret suspension by the league for gambling, but the rumor spread widely.

In 2005, Jordan discussed his gambling with Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes and admitted that he made reckless decisions. Jordan stated: "Yeah, I've gotten myself into situations where I would not walk away and I've pushed the envelope. Is that compulsive? Yeah, it depends on how you look at it. If you're willing to jeopardize your livelihood and your family, then yeah." When Bradley asked him if his gambling ever got to the level where it jeopardized his livelihood or family, Jordan replied: "No." In 2010, Ron Shelton, director of Jordan Rides the Bus, said that he began working on the documentary believing that the NBA had suspended him, but that research "convinced [him it] was nonsense."

First retirement and stint in Minor League Baseball (1993–1994)

Michael Jordan
Jordan in training with the Scottsdale Scorpions in 1994
Birmingham Barons – No. 45, 35

Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Professional debut
Southern League: April 8, 1994, for the Birmingham Barons
Arizona Fall League: 1994, for the Scottsdale Scorpions
Last Southern League appearance
March 10, 1995, for the Birmingham Barons
Southern League statistics
(through 1994)
Arizona Fall League statistics
Batting average .252
Runs batted in 8
Teams

Birmingham Barons (1994–1995)


On October 6, 1993, Jordan announced his retirement, saying that he lost his desire to play basketball. Jordan later said that the death of his father three months earlier helped shape his decision. James Jordan was murdered on July 23, 1993, at a highway rest area in Lumberton, North Carolina, by two teenagers, Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery, who carjacked his Lexus bearing the license plate "UNC 0023". His body, dumped in a South Carolina swamp, was not discovered until August 3. Green and Demery were found after they made calls on James Jordan's cell phone convicted at a trial, and sentenced to life in prison.

Jordan was close to his father; as a child, he imitated the way his father stuck out his tongue while absorbed in work. He later adopted it as his own signature, often displaying it as he drove to the basket. In 1996, he founded a Chicago-area Boys & Girls Club and dedicated it to his father. In his 1998 autobiography For the Love of the Game, Jordan wrote that he was preparing for retirement as early as the summer of 1992 The added exhaustion due to the Dream Team run in the 1992 Olympics solidified Jordan's feelings about the game and his ever-growing celebrity status. Jordan's announcement sent shock waves throughout the NBA and appeared on the front pages of newspapers around the world.

Jordan further surprised the sports world by signing a Minor League Baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox on February 7, 1994. He reported to spring training in Sarasota, Florida, and was assigned to the team's minor league system on March 31, 1994. Jordan said that this decision was made to pursue the dream of his late father, who always envisioned his son as a Major League Baseball player. The White Sox were owned by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who continued to honor Jordan's basketball contract during the years he played baseball.

In 1994, Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, batting .202 with three home runs, 51 runs batted in, 30 stolen bases, 114 strikeouts, 51 bases on balls, and 11 errors. He also appeared for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 1994 Arizona Fall League, batting .252 against the top prospects in baseball. On November 1, 1994, his No. 23 was retired by the Bulls in a ceremony that included the erection of a permanent sculpture known as The Spirit outside the new United Center.

"I'm back": Return to the NBA (1995)

In the 1993–94 season, the Bulls achieved a 55–27 record without Jordan in the lineup, and lost to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs The 1994–95 Bulls were a shell of the championship team of just two years earlier. Struggling at mid-season to ensure a spot in the playoffs, Chicago was 31–31 at one point in mid-March; however, the team received help when Jordan decided to return to the Bulls.

In March 1995, Jordan decided to quit baseball because he feared he might become a replacement player during the Major League Baseball strike. On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA through a two-word press release: "I'm back." The next day, Jordan took to the court with the Bulls to face the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, scoring 19 points. The game had the highest Nielsen rating of any regular season NBA game since 1975. Although he could have worn his original number even though the Bulls retired it, Jordan wore No. 45, his baseball number.

Despite his eighteen-month hiatus from the NBA, Jordan played well, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back. He scored 55 points in his next game, against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 1995. Boosted by Jordan's comeback, the Bulls went 13–4 to make the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Orlando Magic. At the end of Game 1, Orlando's Nick Anderson stripped Jordan from behind, leading to the game-winning basket for the Magic; he would later comment that Jordan "didn't look like the old Michael Jordan" and that "No. 45 doesn't explode like No. 23 used to."

Jordan responded by scoring 38 points in the next game, which Chicago won. Before the game, Jordan decided that he would immediately resume wearing his former No. 23. The Bulls were fined $25,000 for failing to report the impromptu number change to the NBA. Jordan was fined an additional $5,000 for opting to wear white sneakers when the rest of the Bulls wore black. He averaged 31 points per game in the playoffs, but Orlando won the series in six games.

Second three-peat (1995–1998)

Jordan was freshly motivated by the playoff defeat, and he trained aggressively for the 1995–96 season. The Bulls were strengthened by the addition of rebound specialist Dennis Rodman, and the team dominated the league, starting the season at 41–3. The Bulls eventually finished with the best regular season record in NBA history, 72–10, a mark broken two decades later by the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors. Jordan led the league in scoring with 30.4 ppg, and he won the league's regular season and All-Star Game MVP awards.

In the playoffs, the Bulls lost only three games in four series (Miami Heat 3–0, New York Knicks 4–1, and Orlando Magic 4–0), as they defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 4–2 in the NBA Finals to win their fourth championship. Jordan was named Finals MVP for a record fourth time, surpassing Magic Johnson's three Finals MVP awards; he also achieved only the second sweep of the MVP awards in the All-Star Game, regular season, and NBA Finals after Willis Reed in the 1969–70 season. Upon winning the championship, his first since his father's murder, Jordan reacted emotionally, clutching the game ball and crying on the locker room floor.

In the 1996–97 season, the Bulls started out 69–11 but missed out on a second consecutive 70-win season by losing their final two games to finish 69–13. The Bulls again advanced to the Finals, where they faced the Utah Jazz. That team included Karl Malone, who had beaten Jordan for the NBA MVP award in a tight race (986–957). The series against the Jazz featured two of the more memorable clutch moments of Jordan's career. He won Game 1 for the Bulls with a buzzer-beating jump shot. In Game 5, with the series tied at 2, Jordan played despite being feverish and dehydrated from a stomach virus. In what is known as the "Flu Game", Jordan scored 38 points, including the game-deciding 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining. The Bulls won 90–88 and went on to win the series in six games For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Jordan received the Finals MVP award During the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, Jordan posted the first triple double in All-Star Game history in a victorious effort; however, he did not receive the MVP award.
Jordan with coach Phil Jackson in 1997

Jordan and the Bulls compiled a 62–20 record in the 1997–98 season. Jordan led the league with 28.7 points per game, securing his fifth regular season MVP award, plus honors for All-NBA First Team, First Defensive Team, and the All-Star Game MVP. The Bulls won the Eastern Conference Championship for a third straight season, including surviving a seven-game series with the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals; it was the first time Jordan had played in a Game 7 since the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals with the Knicks. After winning, they moved on for a rematch with the Jazz in the Finals.

The Bulls returned to the Delta Center for Game 6 on June 14, 1998, leading the series 3–2. Jordan executed a series of plays, considered to be one of the greatest clutch performances in NBA Finals history. With 41.9 seconds remaining and the Bulls trailing 86–83, Phil Jackson called a timeout. When play resumed, Jordan received the inbound pass, drove to the basket, and sank a shot over several Jazz defenders, cutting Utah's lead to 86–85. The Jazz brought the ball upcourt and passed the ball to Malone, who was set up in the low post and was being guarded by Rodman. Malone jostled with Rodman and caught the pass, but Jordan cut behind him and stole the ball out of his hands.

Jordan then dribbled down the court and paused, eyeing his defender, Jazz guard Bryon Russell. With 10 seconds remaining, Jordan started to dribble right, then crossed over to his left, possibly pushing off Russell, although the officials did not call a foul. With 5.2 seconds left, Jordan made the climactic shot of his Bulls career, giving Chicago an 87–86 lead with a jumper over Russell. Afterwards, the Jazz' John Stockton narrowly missed a game-winning three-pointer, and the buzzer sounded as Jordan and the Bulls won their sixth NBA championship, achieving a second three-peat in the decade. Once again, Jordan was voted Finals MVP, having led all scorers by averaging 33.5 points per game, including 45 in the deciding Game 6. Jordan's six Finals MVPs is a record; LeBron James is in second place with four. The 1998 Finals holds the highest television rating of any Finals series in history; Game 6 also holds the highest television rating of any game in NBA history.

Second retirement (1999–2001)
Plaque at the United Center that chronicles Jordan's career achievements

With Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the pending departures of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman looming, and being in the latter stages of an owner-induced lockout of NBA players, Jordan retired for the second time on January 13, 1999. On January 19, 2000, Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player but as part owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards. Jordan's responsibilities with the Wizards were comprehensive, as he controlled all aspects of the Wizards' basketball operations, and had the final say in all personnel matters; opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed. He managed to purge the team of several highly paid, unpopular players (such as forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland) but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA draft to select high schooler Kwame Brown, who did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons.

Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% certain" that he would never play another NBA game,[74] in the summer of 2001 Jordan expressed interest in making another comeback, this time with his new team. Inspired by the NHL comeback of his friend Mario Lemieux the previous winter, Jordan spent much of the spring and summer of 2001 in training, holding several invitation-only camps for NBA players in Chicago. In addition, Jordan hired his old Chicago Bulls head coach, Doug Collins, as Washington's coach for the upcoming season, a decision that many saw as foreshadowing another Jordan return

Washington Wizards comeback (2001–2003)
Jordan as a member of the Washington Wizards, April 14, 2003

On September 25, 2001, Jordan announced his return to the NBA to play for the Washington Wizards, indicating his intention to donate his salary as a player to a relief effort for the victims of the September 11 attacks. In an injury-plagued 2001–02 season, Jordan led the team in scoring (22.9 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), and steals (1.42 spg), and was an MVP candidate, as he led the Wizards to a winning record and playoff contention; he would eventually finish 13th in the MVP ballot. After suffering a torn cartilage in his right knee and subsequent knee soreness, the Wizards missed the playoffs, and Jordan's season ended after only 60 games, the fewest he had played in a regular season since playing 17 games after returning from his first retirement during the 1994–95 season. Jordan started 53 of his 60 games for the season, averaging 24.3 points, 5.4 assists, and 6.0 rebounds, and shooting 41.9% from the field in his 53 starts. His last seven appearances were in a reserve role, in which he averaged just over 20 minutes per game. The Wizards finished the season with a 37–45 record, an 18-game improvement.

Playing in his 14th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2003, Jordan passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star Game history, a record since broken by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. That year, Jordan was the only Washington player to play in all 82 games, starting in 67 of them, and coming from off the bench in 15. He averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He also shot 45% from the field, and 82% from the free-throw line. Even though he turned 40 during the season, he scored 20 or more points 42 times, 30 or more points nine times, and 40 or more points three times. On February 21, 2003, Jordan became the first 40-year-old to tally 43 points in an NBA game. During his stint with the Wizards, all of Jordan's home games at the MCI Center were sold out, and the Wizards were the second most-watched team in the NBA, averaging 20,172 fans a game at home and 19,311 on the road. However, neither of Jordan's final two seasons resulted in a playoff appearance for the Wizards, and Jordan was often unsatisfied with the play of those around him. At several points, he openly criticized his teammates to the media, citing their lack of focus and intensity, notably that of Kwame Brown, the number-one draft pick in the 2001 NBA draft.

With the recognition that 2002–03 would be Jordan's final season, tributes were paid to him throughout the NBA. In his final game at the United Center in Chicago, which was his old home court, Jordan received a four-minute standing ovation. The Miami Heat retired the No. 23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though Jordan never played for the team. At the 2003 All-Star Game, Jordan was offered a starting spot from Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson but refused both; in the end, he accepted the spot of Vince Carter. Jordan played in his final NBA game on April 16, 2003, in Philadelphia. After scoring 13 points in the game, Jordan went to the bench with 4 minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter and his team trailing the Philadelphia 76ers 75–56. Just after the start of the fourth quarter, the First Union Center crowd began chanting "We want Mike!" After much encouragement from coach Doug Collins, Jordan finally rose from the bench and re-entered the game, replacing Larry Hughes with 2:35 remaining. At 1:45, Jordan was intentionally fouled by the 76ers' Eric Snow, and stepped to the line to make both free throws. After the second foul shot, the 76ers in-bounded the ball to rookie John Salmons, who in turn was intentionally fouled by Bobby Simmons one second later, stopping time so that Jordan could return to the bench. Jordan received a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, his opponents, the officials, and the crowd of 21,257 fans.

National team career
Jordan on the "Dream Team" in 1992

Jordan made his debut for the United States national team at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela. He led the team in scoring with 17.3 ppg as the U.S., coached by Jack Hartman, won the gold medal in the competition.A year later, he won another gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics. The team was coached by Bob Knight and featured players such as Patrick Ewing, Sam Perkins, Chris Mullin, Steve Alford, and Wayman Tisdale. Jordan led the team in scoring, averaging 17.1 ppg for the tournament.

In 1992, he was a member of the star-studded squad that was dubbed the "Dream Team", which included Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The team went on to win two gold medals: the first one in the 1992 Tournament of the Americas, and the second one in the 1992 Summer Olympics. Jordan was the only player to start all eight games in the Olympics and averaged 14.9 ppg, finishing second on the team in scoring. Team USA never lost a single game in the four tournaments in which Jordan played.

Player profile
Jordan dunking the ball, 1987–88

Jordan was a shooting guard who could also play as a small forward (the position he would primarily play during his second return to professional basketball with the Washington Wizards), and as a point guard. Jordan was known throughout his career as a strong clutch performer. With the Bulls, he decided 25 games with field goals or free throws in the last 30 seconds, including two NBA Finals games and five other playoff contests. His competitiveness was visible in his prolific trash-talk and well-known work ethic Jordan often used perceived slights to fuel his performances. Sportswriter Wright Thompson described him as "a killer, in the Darwinian sense of the word, immediately sensing and attacking someone's weakest spot." As the Bulls organization built the franchise around Jordan, management had to trade away players who were not "tough enough" to compete with him in practice. To help improve his defense, he spent extra hours studying film of opponents. On offense, he relied more upon instinct and improvization at game time.

Noted as a durable player, Jordan did not miss four or more games while active for a full season from 1986–87 to 2001–02, when he injured his right knee. Of the 15 seasons Jordan was in the NBA, he played all 82 regular season games nine times. Jordan has frequently cited David Thompson, Walter Davis, and Jerry West as influences. Confirmed at the start of his career, and possibly later on, Jordan had a special "Love of the Game Clause" written into his contract, which was unusual at the time, and allowed him to play basketball against anyone at any time, anywhere.

Jordan had a versatile offensive game and was capable of aggressively driving to the basket as well as drawing fouls from his opponents at a high rate; his 8,772 free throw attempts are the 11th-highest total in NBA history. As his career progressed, Jordan also developed the ability to post up his opponents and score with his trademark fadeaway jump shot, using his leaping ability to "fade away" from block attempts. According to Hubie Brown, this move alone made him nearly unstoppable. Despite media criticism as a "selfish" player early in his career, Jordan was willing to defer to this teammates, with a career average of 5.3 assists per game and a season-high of 8 assists per game. For a guard, Jordan was also a good rebounder, finishing with 6.2 rebounds per game. Defensively, he averaged 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks.

Three-point field goal was not Jordan's strength, especially in his early years; his 16% shooting record (5-for-30) in the 1990 Three-Point Contest gave him the worst percentage of points ever in that competition. He improved his three-point shooting over time, and finished his career with a respectable 32% success rate. After shooting under 30% from three-point range in his first five seasons in the NBA, including a career-low 13% in the 1987–88 season, Jordan improved to a career-high 50% in the 1994–95 season. The three-point shot became more of a focus of his game from 1994–95 to 1996–97, when the NBA shortened its three-point line from 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m) to 22 ft (6.7 m). His three-point field-goal percentages ranged from 35% to 43% in seasons in which he attempted at least 230 three-pointers between 1989–90 and 1996–97. Jordan's effective field goal percentage was 50%, and he had six seasons with at least 50% shooting, five of which consecutively (1988–1992); he also shot 51% and 50%, and 30% and 33% from the three-point range, throughout his first and second retirements, respectively, finishing his career with 49% shooting.

Unlike NBA players such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, often compared to Jordan and who had a similar three-point percentage, he did not shoot as much as they did, as he did not need it in order to be effective on offense; three-point shooting was only introduced in 1979 and would not be a more fundamental aspect of the game until the first decades of the 21st century, with the NBA having to briefly shorten the line to incentivize more shots. Jordan's three-point shooting was better selected, resulting in three-point field goals made in important games during the playoffs and the Finals, such as hitting six consecutive three-point shots in Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals. Jordan shot 37%, 35%, 42%, and 37% in all the seasons he shot over 200 three-pointers, and also shot 38.5%, 38.6%, 38.9%, 40.3%, 19.4%, and 30.2% in the playoffs during his championship runs, improving his shooting even after the three-point line was reverted to the original line.

In 1988, Jordan was honored with the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and became the first NBA player to win both the Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in a career. In addition, he set both seasonal and career records for blocked shots by a guard, and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player. He ranks third in NBA history in total steals with 2,514, trailing John Stockton and Jason Kidd. Jerry West often stated that he was more impressed with Jordan's defensive contributions than his offensive ones. Doc Rivers declared Jordan "the best superstar defender in the history of the game."

Jordan was known to have strong eyesight; broadcaster Al Michaels said that he was able to read baseball box scores on a 27-inch (69 cm) television clearly from about 50 feet (15 m) away. During the 2001 NBA Finals, Phil Jackson compared Jordan's dominance to Shaquille O'Neal, stating that "Michael would get fouled on every play and still have to play through it and just clear himself for shots instead and would rise to that occasion."
Legacy

 
Michael Jordan

Jordan's talent was clear from his first NBA season; by November 1984, he was being compared to Julius Erving. Larry Bird said that rookie Jordan was the best player he ever saw, and that he was "one of a kind", and comparable to Wayne Gretzky as an athlete. In his first game in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, Jordan received a near minute-long standing ovation. After establishing the single game playoff record of 63 points against the Boston Celtics on April 20, 1986, Bird described him as "God disguised as Michael Jordan."

Jordan led the NBA in scoring in 10 seasons (NBA record) and tied Wilt Chamberlain's record of seven consecutive scoring titles. He was also a fixture of the NBA All-Defensive First Team, making the roster nine times (NBA record shared with Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant).Jordan also holds the top career regular season and playoff scoring averages of 30.1 and 33.4 points per game, respectively. By 1998, the season of his Finals-winning shot against the Jazz, he was well known throughout the league as a clutch performer. In the regular season, Jordan was the Bulls' primary threat in the final seconds of a close game and in the playoffs; he would always ask for the ball at crunch time. Jordan's total of 5,987 points in the playoffs is the second-highest in NBA history. He retired with 32,292 points in regular season play, placing him fifth on the NBA's all-time scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant.

With five regular season MVPs (tied for second place with Bill Russell—only Abdul-Jabbar has won more, with six), six Finals MVPs (NBA record), and three All-Star Game MVPs, Jordan is the most decorated player in NBA history. Jordan finished among the top three in regular season MVP voting 10 times, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. He is one of only seven players in history to win an NCAA championship, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal (doing so twice with the 1984 and 1992 U.S. men's basketball teams). Since 1976, the year of the NBA's merger with the American Basketball Association, Jordan and Pippen are the only two players to win six NBA Finals playing for one team. In the All-Star Game fan ballot, Jordan received the most votes nine times, more than any other player.

"There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us."


Many of Jordan's contemporaries have said that Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. In 1999, an ESPN survey of journalists, athletes and other sports figures ranked Jordan the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century, above Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali. Jordan placed second to Babe Ruth in the Associated Press' December 1999 list of 20th century athletes. In addition, the Associated Press voted him the greatest basketball player of the 20th century. Jordan has also appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated a record 50 times. In the September 1996 issue of Sport, which was the publication's 50th-anniversary issue, Jordan was named the greatest athlete of the past 50 years.
Statue of Michael Jordan inside the United Center

Jordan's athletic leaping ability, highlighted in his back-to-back Slam Dunk Contest championships in 1987 and 1988, is credited by many people with having influenced a generation of young players. Several NBA players, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, have stated that they considered Jordan their role model while they were growing up. In addition, commentators have dubbed a number of next-generation players "the next Michael Jordan" upon their entry to the NBA, including Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Bryant, Vince Carter, James, and Wade. Some analyists, such as The Ringer's Dan Devine, drew parallels between Jordan's experiment at point guard in the 1988–89 season and modern NBA; for Devine, it "inadvertently foreshadowed the modern game's stylistic shift toward monster-usage primary playmakers", such as Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Luka Dončić, and LeBron James. Don Nelson stated: "I would've been playing him at point guard the day he showed up as a rookie."

Although Jordan was a well-rounded player, his "Air Jordan" image is also often credited with inadvertently decreasing the jump shooting skills, defense, and fundamentals of young players, a fact Jordan himself has lamented: "I think it was the exposure of Michael Jordan; the marketing of Michael Jordan. Everything was marketed towards the things that people wanted to see, which was scoring and dunking. That Michael Jordan still played defense and an all-around game, but it was never really publicized." During his heyday, Jordan did much to increase the status of the game; television ratings increased only during his time in the league. The popularity of the NBA in the U.S. declined after his last title. As late as 2020, Finals ratings had not returned to the level reached during his last championship-winning season.

In August 2009, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, opened a Michael Jordan exhibit that contained items from his college and NBA careers as well as from the 1992 "Dream Team"; the exhibit also has a batting glove to signify Jordan's short career in Minor League Baseball. After Jordan received word of his acceptance into the Hall of Fame, he selected Class of 1996 member David Thompson to present him. As Jordan would later explain during his induction speech in September 2009, when he was growing up in North Carolina, he was not a fan of the Tar Heels and greatly admired Thompson, who played at rival North Carolina State. In September, he was inducted into the Hall with several former Bulls teammates in attendance, including Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, and Toni Kukoč. Two of Jordan's former coaches, Dean Smith and Doug Collins, were also among those present. His emotional reaction during his speech—when he began to cry—was captured by Associated Press photographer Stephan Savoia and would later go viral on social media as the Crying Jordan Internet meme. In 2016, President Barack Obama honored Jordan with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

NBA career statistics
Legend GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
FG% Field goal percentage 3P% 3-point field goal percentage FT% Free throw percentage
RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game
BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
† Won an NBA championship * Led the league  NBA record

Awards and honors
James Worthy, Jordan, and Dean Smith in 2007 at a North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball game honoring the 1957 and 1982 men's basketball teamsNBA
Six-time NBA champion – 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
Six-time NBA Finals MVP – 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
Five-time NBA MVP – 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998
10-time NBA scoring leader – 1987–1993, 1996–1998
Three-time NBA steals leader – 1988, 1990, 1993
14-time NBA All-Star – 1985–1993, 1996–1998, 2002, 2003
Three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP – 1988, 1996, 1998
10-time All-NBA First Team – 1987–1993, 1996–1998
One-time All-NBA Second Team – 1985
Nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team – 1988–1993, 1996–1998
Two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion – 1987, 1988
Two-time IBM Award winner – 1985, 1989
Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996
No. 23 retired by the Chicago Bulls
Class of 2009 – individual
Class of 2010 – as a member of the "Dream Team"
Statue in front of the United CenterUSA Basketball
Two-time Olympic gold medal winner – 1984, 1992
United States Olympic Hall of Fame – Class of 2009 (as a member of the "Dream Team")
Two-time FIBA Hall of Fame inductee:
Class of 2015 – individual
Class of 2017 – as a member of the "Dream Team"
Tournament of the Americas gold medal winner – 1992
Pan American Games gold medal winner – 1983 NCAA
Two-time Consensus NCAA All-American First Team – 1982–83, 1983–84
Adolph Rupp Trophy – 1983–84
John R. Wooden Award – 1983–84
Three-time Associated Press Athlete of the Year – 1991, 1992, 1993
Ranked No. 1 by Slam magazine's "Top 50 Players of All-Time"
Ranked No. 1 by ESPN SportsCentury's "Top North American Athletes of the 20th Century"
10-time ESPY Award winner (in various categories)
1997 Marca Leyenda winner National
Section of Madison Street in Chicago renamed Michael Jordan Drive – 1994

Post-retirement
Jordan on a golf course in 2007

After his third retirement, Jordan assumed that he would be able to return to his front office position as Director of Basketball Operations with the Wizards. However, his previous tenure in the Wizards' front office had produced mixed results and may have also influenced the trade of Richard "Rip" Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse, although Jordan was not technically Director of Basketball Operations in 2002. On May 7, 2003, Wizards owner Abe Pollin fired Jordan as the team's president of basketball operations. Jordan later stated that he felt betrayed, and that if he had known he would be fired upon retiring, he never would have come back to play for the Wizards.

Jordan kept busy over the next few years. He stayed in shape, played golf in celebrity charity tournaments, and spent time with his family in Chicago. He also promoted his Jordan Brand clothing line and rode motorcycles. Since 2004, Jordan has owned Michael Jordan Motorsports, a professional closed-course motorcycle road racing team that competed with two Suzukis in the premier Superbike championship sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) until the end of the 2013 season.

Charlotte Bobcats / Hornets

On June 15, 2006, Jordan bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats (now known as the Hornets), becoming the team's second-largest shareholder behind majority owner Robert L. Johnson. As part of the deal, Jordan took full control over the basketball side of the operation, with the title Managing Member of Basketball Operations. Despite Jordan's previous success as an endorser, he has made an effort not to be included in Charlotte's marketing campaigns. A decade earlier, Jordan had made a bid to become part-owner of Charlotte's original NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets, but talks collapsed when owner George Shinn refused to give Jordan complete control of basketball operations.

In February 2010, it was reported that Jordan was seeking majority ownership of the Bobcats. As February wore on, it became apparent that Jordan and former Houston Rockets president George Postolos were the leading contenders for ownership of the team. On February 27, the Bobcats announced that Johnson had reached an agreement with Jordan and his group, MJ Basketball Holdings, to buy the team from Johnson pending NBA approval. On March 17, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved Jordan's purchase, making him the first former player to become the majority owner of an NBA team. It also made him the league's only African-American majority owner.

During the 2011 NBA lockout, The New York Times wrote that Jordan led a group of 10 to 14 hardline owners who wanted to cap the players' share of basketball-related income at 50 percent and as low as 47. Journalists observed that, during the labor dispute in 1998, Jordan had told Washington Wizards then-owner Abe Pollin: "If you can't make a profit, you should sell your team." Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com called Jordan a "sellout" for wanting "current players to pay for his incompetence." He cited Jordan's executive decisions to draft disappointing players Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison.

During the 2011–12 NBA season that was shortened to 66 games by the lockout, the Bobcats posted a 7–59 record. The team closed out the season with a 23-game losing streak; their .106 winning percentage was the worst in NBA history. Before the next season, Jordan said: "I'm not real happy about the record book scenario last year. It's very, very frustrating."

During the 2019 NBA offseason, Jordan sold a minority piece of the Hornets to Gabe Plotkin and Daniel Sundheim, retaining the majority of the team for himself as well as the role of chairman.

23XI Racing

On September 21, 2020, Jordan and NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin announced they would be fielding a NASCAR team with Bubba Wallace driving, beginning competition in the 2021 season. On October 22, the team's name was confirmed to be 23XI Racing (pronounced twenty-three eleven) and the team's entry would bear No. 23.

Personal life
Jordan receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama at the White House

Jordan is the fourth of five children. He has two older brothers, Larry Jordan and James R. Jordan Jr., one older sister, Deloris, and one younger sister, Roslyn. James retired in 2006 as the Command Sergeant Major of the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U.S. Army. Jordan's nephew through Larry, Justin Jordan, played Division I basketball at UNC Greensboro and is a scout for the Charlotte Hornets.

Jordan married Juanita Vanoy in September 1989. They had two sons, Jeffrey and Marcus, and a daughter, Jasmine. The Jordans filed for divorce on January 4, 2002, citing irreconcilable differences, but reconciled shortly thereafter. They again filed for divorce and were granted a final decree of dissolution of marriage on December 29, 2006, commenting that the decision was made "mutually and amicably". It is reported that Juanita received a $168 million settlement (equivalent to $216 million in 2020), making it the largest celebrity divorce settlement on public record at the time.

In 1991, Jordan purchased a lot in Highland Park, Illinois, on which he planned to build a 56,000 square-foot (5,200 m2) mansion. It was completed in 1995. He listed the mansion for sale in 2012. His two sons attended Loyola Academy, a private Catholic school in Wilmette, Illinois. Jeffrey graduated in 2007 and played his first collegiate basketball game for the University of Illinois on November 11, 2007. After two seasons, he left the Illinois basketball team in 2009. He later rejoined the team for a third season, then received a release to transfer to the University of Central Florida, where Marcus was attending. Marcus transferred to Whitney Young High School after his sophomore year at Loyola Academy and graduated in 2009. He began attending UCF in the fall of 2009, and played three seasons of basketball for the school.

On July 21, 2006, a judge in Cook County, Illinois, determined that Jordan did not owe his alleged former lover Karla Knafel $5 million in a breach of contract claim. Jordan had allegedly paid Knafel $250,000 to keep their relationship a secret. Knafel claimed Jordan promised her $5 million for remaining silent and agreeing not to file a paternity suit after Knafel learned she was pregnant in 1991; a DNA test showed Jordan was not the father of the child.

Jordan proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto, on Christmas 2011, and they were married on April 27, 2013, at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. It was announced on November 30, 2013, that the two were expecting their first child together. On February 11, 2014, Prieto gave birth to identical twin daughters named Victoria and Ysabel. In 2019, Jordan became a grandfather when his daughter Jasmine gave birth to a son, whose father is professional basketball player Rakeem Christmas.

Media figure and business interests

Endorsements
Jordan in 2008

Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, McDonald's, Ball Park Franks, Rayovac, Wheaties, Hanes, and MCI. Jordan has had a long relationship with Gatorade, appearing in over 20 commercials for the company since 1991, including the "Be Like Mike" commercials in which a song was sung by children wishing to be like Jordan.

Nike created a signature shoe for Jordan, called the Air Jordan, in 1984. One of Jordan's more popular commercials for the shoe involved Spike Lee playing the part of Mars Blackmon. In the commercials, Lee, as Blackmon, attempted to find the source of Jordan's abilities and became convinced that "it's gotta be the shoes". The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spate of "shoe-jackings" where people were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. Subsequently, Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own division named the "Jordan Brand". The company features an impressive list of athletes and celebrities as endorsers. The brand has also sponsored college sports programs such as those of North Carolina, California, Georgetown, and Marquette.

Jordan also has been associated with the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. A Nike commercial shown during 1992's Super Bowl XXVI featured Jordan and Bugs Bunny playing basketball. The Super Bowl commercial inspired the 1996 live action/animated film Space Jam, which starred Jordan and Bugs in a fictional story set during the former's first retirement from basketball. They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI. Jordan also made an appearance in the music video for Michael Jackson's "Jam" (1992).

Jordan's yearly income from the endorsements is estimated to be over $40 million In addition, when Jordan's power at the ticket gates was at its highest point, the Bulls regularly sold out both their home and road games. Due to this, Jordan set records in player salary by signing annual contracts worth in excess of US$30 million per season. An academic study found that Jordan's first NBA comeback resulted in an increase in the market capitalization of his client firms of more than $1 billion.

Most of Jordan's endorsement deals, including his first deal with Nike, were engineered by his agent, David Falk. Jordan has described Falk as "the best at what he does" and that "marketing-wise, he's great. He's the one who came up with the concept of 'Air Jordan.'"

Business ventures

In June 2010, Jordan was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 20th-most powerful celebrity in the world with $55 million earned between June 2009 and June 2010. According to the Forbes article, Jordan Brand generates $1 billion in sales for Nike. In June 2014, Jordan was named the first NBA player to become a billionaire, after he increased his stake in the Charlotte Hornets from 80% to 89.5%. On January 20, 2015, Jordan was honored with the Charlotte Business Journal's Business Person of the Year for 2014. In 2017, he became a part owner of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball.

Forbes designated Jordan as the athlete with the highest career earnings in 2017. From his Jordan Brand income and endorsements, Jordan's 2015 income was an estimated $110 million, the most of any retired athlete. As of 2021, his net worth is estimated at $1.6 billion by Forbes, making him the fifth-richest African-American, behind Robert F. Smith, David Steward, Oprah Winfrey, and Kanye West.

Jordan co-owns an automotive group which bears his name. The company has a Nissan dealership in Durham, North Carolina, acquired in 1990, and formerly had a Lincoln–Mercury dealership from 1995 until its closure in June 2009.The company also owned a Nissan franchise in Glen Burnie, Maryland. The restaurant industry is another business interest of Jordan's. Restaurants he has owned include a steakhouse in New York City's Grand Central Terminal, among others; that restaurant closed in 2018. Jordan is the majority investor in a golf course, Grove XXIII, under construction in Hobe Sound, Florida.

In September 2020, Jordan became an investor and advisor for DraftKings.

Philanthropy

From 2001 to 2014, Jordan hosted an annual golf tournament, the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, that raised money for various charities. In 2006, Jordan and his wife Juanita pledged $5 million to Chicago's Hales Franciscan High School. The Jordan Brand has made donations to Habitat for Humanity and a Louisiana branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation named Jordan its Chief Wish Ambassador in 2008. In 2013, he granted his 200th wish for the organization. As of 2019, he has raised more than $5 million for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

In 2015, Jordan donated a settlement of undisclosed size from a lawsuit against supermarkets that had used his name without permission to 23 different Chicago charities. In 2017, Jordan funded two Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte, North Carolina, by giving $7 million, the biggest donation he had made at the time. In 2018, after Hurricane Florence damaged parts of North Carolina, including his former hometown of Wilmington, Jordan donated $2 million to relief efforts. He gave $1 million to aid the Bahamas' recovery following Hurricane Dorian in 2019.

On June 5, 2020, in the wake of the protests following the murder of George Floyd, Jordan and his brand announced in a joint statement that they would be donating $100 million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to "ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education."

Film and television

Jordan played himself in the 1996 comedy film Space Jam. The film received mixed reviews, but it was a box office success, making $230 million worldwide, and earned more than $1 billion through merchandise sales.

In 2000, Jordan was the subject of an IMAX documentary about his career with the Chicago Bulls, especially the 1998 championship season, entitled Michael Jordan to the Max. Two decades later, the same period of Jordan's life was covered in much greater and more personal detail by the Emmy Award-winning The Last Dance, a 10-part TV documentary which debuted on ESPN in April and May 2020. The Last Dance relied heavily on about 500 hours of candid film of Jordan's and his teammates' off-court activities which an NBA Entertainment crew had shot over the course of the 1997–98 NBA season for use in a documentary. The project was delayed for many years because Jordan had not yet given his permission for the footage to be used He was interviewed at three homes associated with the production and did not want cameras in his home or on his plane as "there are certain aspects of his life that he wants to keep private", according to director Jason Hehir. Jordan granted rapper Travis Scott permission to film a music video for his single "Franchise" at his home in Highland Park, Illinois, "without hesitation."

Books

Jordan has authored several books focusing on his life, basketball career, and world view.
Rare Air: Michael on Michael, with Mark Vancil and Walter Iooss (Harper San Francisco, 1993).
I Can't Accept Not Trying: Michael Jordan on the Pursuit of Excellence, with Mark Vancil and Sandro Miller (Harper San Francisco, 1994).
For the Love of the Game: My Story, with Mark Vancil (Crown Publishers, 1998).
Driven from Within, with Mark Vancil (Atria Books, 2005).(Wikipedia)
Manu Bhaker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Manu Bhaker
Bhaker at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney, 2018
Personal information
Born 18 February 2002
Goria, Jhajjar district, Haryana, India
Education BA 2 nd Year
Weight 60 kg (132 lb)
Sport
Sport Shooting

Representing  India
Women's shooting

Event1st2nd3rd
World Cup 9 2 0
Total 15 3 1

 2021 Lima 10 m air pistol
 2021 Lima 10 m air pistol team
 2021 Lima 10 m air pistol mixed team
 2021 Lima 25 m air pistol team
 2021 Lima 25 m air pistol

Manu Bhaker is an Indian Olympian who competes at airgun shooting. She represented India at the 2018 ISSF World Cup and won two gold medals. She is the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup. She won the gold medal in women's 10 m air pistol event at 2018 Commonwealth Games just at the age of 16 in her maiden Commonwealth Games appearance. 

Early life

She is from Goria village in the Haryana district of Jhajjar. Her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, works as a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy. Until the age of 14 Bhaker excelled in other sports like Huyen langlon, a Manipuri martial art, as well as boxing, tennis and skating, winning medals at the national games in these events.

Career

With an investment of ₹150000 by her father, Bhaker decided to take up competitive shooting. She first tasted success at the international level when she won the silver medal at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships. In the 2017 National games held at Kerala, Bhaker won nine gold medals and defeated multiple World Cup medalist Heena Sidhu and broke Sidhu's record of 240.8 points, scoring 242.3 points in the final.

In the 2018 International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup held at Guadalajara, Mexico. Bhaker won the gold medal in the Women's 10-meter air pistol, defeating Mexico's Alejandra Zavala, a two-time champion. Bhaker scored 237.5 the final match against Zavalaa, who scored 237.1. By winning the gold medal at age 16, Bhaker became the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the World Cup.

Bhaker won her second gold medal at the World Cup in the 10-meter Air Pistol mixed team event. She was paired with fellow countrymen Om Prakash Mitharval. The pair shot a score of 476.1 points, defeating Sandra Reitz and Christian Reitz who scored 475.2.

Bhaker scored 388/400 points at 2018 Commonwealth Games in women's 10m air pistol qualifying round and qualified for the finals. In the final round of the women's 10m air pistol event during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, she secured the gold medal with setting a new Commonwealth Games record of 240.9 points.

In 2018 Asian Games, she scored a game's record score of 593 in the qualification round of 25m Air pistol event. But she failed to win a medal there, as she finished 6th in the final. Eventually, her compatriot Rahi Sarnobat clinched the Gold in this event.

At the Youth Olympics 2018, Manu Bhaker shot 236.5 to stand at the top of the points table in the women's 10m air pistol event. The Indian flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics is also the World Cup and Commonwealth Games gold medalist. The 16-year-old Manu became the first shooter from India and the first female athlete from India to grab a gold medal at the Youth Olympics games.

In February 2019 she won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at 2019 ISSF World Cup in Delhi.

In May 2019 she qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 10m pistol event via a fourth place finish at the Munich ISSF World Cup. This came days after her pistol jammed in the finals of the 25m pistol event when she was leading, eventually forcing her to forfeit due to her gun not being able to fire.

In all the four Pistol & Rifle ISSF World Cups in 2019, she won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed event with Saurabh Chaudhry as her partner, making the pair a strong contender for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Martina Navratilova
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Martina Navratilova
Navratilova at the Prague Open, in May 2006

Country (sports)  Czechoslovakia
(1956–1975)
Residence Miami, Florida, U.S.
Born October 18, 1956 
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro 1975
Retired 2006
Plays Left-handed (one-handed backhand), born right-handed
Prize money US$21,626,089
Singles
Career record 1,442–219 (86.8%)
Career titles 167 WTA, 1 ITF (Open era record)
Highest ranking No. 1 (July 10, 1978)
Grand Slam Singles results
Wimbledon W (1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990)
Other tournaments
Doubles
Career record 747–143 (83.9%)
Career titles 177 WTA, 9 ITF (Open era record)
Highest ranking No. 1 (September 10, 1984)
Grand Slam Doubles results
US Open W (1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990)
Other doubles tournaments
Mixed doubles
Career titles 15
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Team competitions
Coaching career (2014–2015)

Agnieszka Radwańska (2014–2015)

Martina Navratilova (Czech: Martina Navrátilová [ˈmarcɪna ˈnavraːcɪlovaː] (listen); née Šubertová [ˈʃubɛrtovaː]; born October 18, 1956) is a Czech-American former professional tennis player and coach. Widely considered among the greatest female tennis players of all time, Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 major women's doubles titles, and 10 major mixed doubles titles, for a combined total of 59 major titles, marking the Open Era record for the most Grand Slam titles won by a single player. She reached the Wimbledon singles final 12 times, including for nine consecutive years from 1982 through 1990, and won the women's singles title at Wimbledon a record nine times (surpassing Helen Wills Moody's eight Wimbledon titles), including a run of six consecutive titles.

Navratilova was world No. 1 for a total of 332 weeks in singles, second behind Steffi Graf, and a record 237 weeks in doubles, making her the only player in history to have held the top spot in both singles and doubles for over 200 weeks. Navratilova is one of the three female tennis players, along with Margaret Court and Doris Hart, to have accomplished a Career Grand Slam in women's singles and doubles, and mixed doubles, called the career "Grand Slam Boxed Set". Navratilova, Margaret Court and Maureen Connolly share the record for the most consecutive major singles titles. She won her last major title in 2006, adding the mixed doubles crown at the 2006 US Open to her resume just a few weeks before her 50th birthday, 32 years after her first Grand Slam title in 1974.

Originally from Czechoslovakia, she was stripped of her citizenship when, in 1975 at age 18, she asked the United States for political asylum and was granted temporary residence. At the time, Navratilova was told by the Czechoslovak Sports Federation that she was becoming too Americanized, and she should go back to school and make tennis secondary. Navratilova became a US citizen in 1981. On January 9, 2008, she reacquired Czech citizenship. She stated she has not renounced her U.S. citizenship nor does she plan to do so, and that reclaiming Czech nationality was not politically motivated.

I love my birth country and the fact that it is now a free country and a true democracy. But my home is here, in the U.S. I have lived in America since 1975 and I intend to always live here. This is my home and it feels almost gratuitous to me that I have to affirm my love for the USA. I live here, I vote here, I pay my taxes here and yes, I will do my jury duty ... any reports stating I am leaving and most of all, denouncing my U.S. citizenship are simply not true and quite frankly, insulting.

— Martina Navatilova

Early life and background

Navratilova was born Martina Šubertová in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Her parents divorced when she was three, and her mother, an accomplished gymnast, tennis player, and ski instructor, moved the family to Řevnice. In 1962, her mother Jana married Miroslav Navrátil, who became her first tennis coach. Martina then took the name of her stepfather (adding the feminine suffix -ová), thus becoming Martina Navrátilová. Her father, Mirek (officially Miroslav Šubert), was a ski instructor.

Navratilova has a younger sister, Jana, and an older paternal half-brother. Her grandmother, Agnes Semanska, was a tennis player for the Czechoslovak Federation before the Second World War and had a ranking as high as No. 2 among Czech women during her amateur career.

When Navratilova was four, she was hitting a tennis ball off a concrete wall and started to play tennis regularly at age seven. In 1972, at the age of 15, Navratilova won the Czechoslovakia national tennis championship. In 1973, aged 16, she made her debut on the United States Lawn Tennis Association professional tour but did not turn professional until 1975. Although perhaps most renowned for her mastery of fast low-bouncing grass, her best early showing at majors was on the red clay at the French Open, where she would go on to reach the final six times. In 1973, she made the quarterfinals where she lost 6–7, 4–6 to Evonne Goolagong. She made the quarterfinals the next year and lost to Helga Masthoff (née Niessen), after again losing the first set in a tiebreak.

Professional tennis career

Navratilova won her first professional singles title in Orlando, Florida, in 1974, at the age of 17. Upon arriving in the United States, Navratilova first lived with former Vaudeville actress, Frances Dewey Wormser, and her husband, Morton Wormser, a tennis enthusiast.

Navratilova was the runner-up at two major singles tournaments in 1975; the Australian Open (won by Goolagong) and the French Open (won by Chris Evert in three sets). After losing to Evert in the semifinals of the US Open in September, the 18-year-old Navratilova went to the offices of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in New York City and informed them that she wished to defect from Communist Czechoslovakia. Within a month, she received a green card and in 1981 became a US citizen. Also, in 1975, Navratilova teamed with world number one Evert to win the French Open women's doubles title, Navratilova's first major title outside of mixed doubles. They teamed again in 1976 to win the Wimbledon women's doubles title over Billie Jean King and Bette Stove.

Navratilova won her first major singles title at Wimbledon in 1978, where she defeated Evert in three sets in the final and captured the world No. 1 ranking for the first time on the WTA computer, a position she held until Evert took it back in January 1979. Navratilova successfully defended her Wimbledon title in 1979, again beating Evert in the final in straight sets, and earned the World No. 1 ranking at the end of the year for the first time. Just before Wimbledon in 1979, Navratilova and Evert played possibly the highest scoring women's professional match ever in the Eastbourne final, in which Evert edged Navratilova 7–5, 5–7, 13–11 after facing match points herself. In April 1981, Evert defeated Navratilova in the finals of the Women's Tennis Association championships, held on clay at Amelia Island, 6–0, 6–0. It was Navratilova's only professional double bagel loss (one she later avenged with a crushing 6–2, 6–0 defeat of Evert in the finals of the same Amelia Island event in 1984). It was at this point that Navratilova began working with Nancy Lieberman to improve her fitness and toughen her mental approach to better compete with Evert and fulfill her true potential In 1981, Navratilova won her third major singles title by defeating Evert in the final of the Australian Open. Navratilova also defeated Evert to reach the final of the US Open, where she lost a third set tiebreak to Tracy Austin. Navratilova won both Wimbledon and the French Open in 1982.

After adopting basketball player Nancy Lieberman's exercise plan and using Yonex isometric midsize graphite-fiberglass composite racquets, Navratilova became the most dominant player in women's tennis. After losing in the fourth round of the first major event of 1983, the French Open, she captured the year's three remaining major titles (the Australian Open was held in December at that time). Navratilova's loss at the French Open was her only singles defeat during that year, during which she established an 86–1 record. Her winning percentage was the best ever for a post-1968 professional tennis player. During 1982, 1983, and 1984, Navratilova lost a total of only six singles matches. This included a run of 13 consecutive victories over her closest rival and world-ranked No. 2, Chris Evert. Navratilova's reign from 1982 to 1986 is the most dominant unbroken spell in the professional era.

Navratilova won the 1984 French Open, thus holding all four major singles titles simultaneously. Her accomplishment was declared a "Grand Slam" by Philippe Chatrier, president of the International Tennis Federation, although some tennis observers countered that it was not a true slam because the titles had not been won in a single calendar year. Navratilova extended her major singles tournament winning streak to a record-equalling six following wins at Wimbledon and the US Open. Navratilova's victory meant she became the first player to win majors on clay, grass and hard court on the same year. She entered the 1984 Australian Open with a chance of winning all four titles in the same year. In the semifinals, however, Helena Suková ended Navratilova's 74-match winning streak (a record for a professional) 1–6, 6–3, 7–5.

A left-hander, Navratilova completed a calendar grand slam in women's doubles in 1984, partnering right-handed Pam Shriver, a tall and talented player whose most noted stroke was a slice forehand, a shot virtually unheard of in the game today. This was part of a record 109-match winning streak that the pair achieved between 1983 and 1985. (Navratilova was ranked the world No. 1 doubles player for a period of over three years in the 1980s.) From 1985 through 1987, Navratilova reached the women's singles final at all 11 major tournaments held during those three years, winning six of them. From 1982 through 1990, she reached the Wimbledon final nine consecutive times. She reached the US Open final five consecutive times from 1983 through 1987 and appeared in the French Open final five out of six years from 1982 through 1987.

In 1985, Navratilova played in what many consider to be perhaps the best woman's match of all time, the French Open final against Chris Evert. Navratilova battled back from 3–6, 2–4 down to 5–5 all in the third set, before Evert hit a winning backhand passing shot on match point to defeat Navratilova 6–3, 6–7(4–7), 7–5. This was a major turnaround for Evert, who was so outmatched the year earlier in the final that Bud Collins remarked as a TV commentator that the sport needed to create a higher league for Navratilova to compete in. In outdoor matches against Evert, Navratilova led 10–5 on grass and 9–7 on hard courts, while Evert was up 11–3 on clay. On indoor courts, however, Navratilova had a decisive 21–14 lead. At the end of what is widely regarded as the greatest rivalry in women's tennis, Navratilova led Evert 43–37 in total matches, 14–8 in Grand Slams, and 10–4 in Grand Slam finals.

In 1986 at the U.S. Open, Navratilova prevailed over sixteen-year-old German Steffi Graf in a close semi-final winning 6–1, 6-7(7–3), 7–6(10–8), before handily winning the final over Helena Sukova 6–3, 6–2. Navratilova, with partner Pam Shriver, also won the women's doubles title. Navratilova also defeated Graf in straight sets at the WTA Tour Championship and with an 89–3 record, earned the number-one ranking for the fifth consecutive year.

Graf dominated the first half of the 1987 season including defeating Navratilova in straight sets in the semi-finals of the Miami Open and in the final of the French Open, 6–4, 4–6, 8–6. However, Navratilova defeated Graf in straight sets in the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open (and at the US Open became only the third player in the Open Era, joining tennis legends Margaret Court and Billie Jean King, to win the women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles at the same event—the rare "Triple Crown"). Navratilova reached all four Grand Slam finals in 1987, winning two of them (she lost the Australian Open to Hana Mandlikova). Graf's two losses to Navratilova were her only losses of the year and with 11 tournament wins over the year versus 4 for Navratilova she was able to obtain year-end world No. 1 ranking ahead of Navratilova at No. 2. Graf eventually broke Navratilova's records of 156 consecutive weeks and 331 total weeks as the world No. 1 singles player but fell 60 short of Navratilova's record of 167 singles titles. Including doubles, Navratilova won almost three times as many titles as Graf with a record doubles/mixed/singles combined total of 344 titles to Graf's 118.

In 1988, Graf won all four major singles titles, beating the 31-year-old Navratilova 5–7, 6–2, 6–1 in the Wimbledon final, their only match of the year, recovering from a set and a break down. Navratilova did not reach the finals of any of the other Grand Slam events but did win nine tournaments enabling her to claim the No. 2 ranking behind Graf.

In 1989, Graf and Navratilova met in the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open, with Graf winning both encounters 6–1 in the third set. Graf also defeated Navratilova in the finals of the WTA Tour Championships their third and final match of the year. Navratilova, who skipped the French Open that year, did win eight titles and was able to capture the No. 2 ranking behind Graf for the third straight year. Despite the 13 year age difference between the two players, and Graf's comparative lack of investment in doubles and mixed doubles, Navratilova won 9 of the 18 career singles matches with Graf and 5 of the 9 major singles matches with her. At age 34, Navratilova defeated Graf the last time they played in a major in the semifinals of the 1991 US Open 7–6(7–2), 6–7(6–8), 6–4, to end their Grand Slam rivalry 5-4 up, although it is noteworthy that all 4 of Graf's Grand Slam victories over Navratilova came in the finals of a Slam. This is reflected in the Grand Slams Finals chart below.
Navratilova and Sukova playing doubles

Navratilova's final Grand Slam singles triumph was in 1990. In the final at Wimbledon, the 33-year-old Navratilova swept Zina Garrison 6–4, 6–1 to claim an all-time record ninth Wimbledon singles crown. She won four other tournaments that year, although she did not participate in the Australian or French Opens, and finished the year ranked No. 3 in the world, narrowly edged out by sixteen-year-old Monika Seles for the No. 2 spot. Though that was her last major singles title, Navratilova reached two additional major singles finals during the remainder of career: in 1991, she lost in the US Open final to the new world No. 1, Monica Seles; and, in 1994, at age 37, Navratilova reached the Wimbledon final, where she lost in three sets to Conchita Martínez. In November that year, after losing to Gabriela Sabatini in the first round of the WTA Tour Championships, she retired from full-time competition on the singles tour. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000.

In 2000, Navratilova returned to the tour to mostly play doubles events, while rarely also playing singles. In her first singles performance in eight years, at Eastbourne in 2002, she beat world No. 22, Tatiana Panova, before losing in the next round to Daniela Hantuchová in three sets. In 2003, she won the mixed doubles titles at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, partnering Leander Paes. This made her the oldest ever major champion (aged 46 years, 8 months). The Australian Open victory made her the third player in history to complete a "boxed set" of major titles by winning the singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles at all four majors. The Wimbledon win allowed her to equal Billie Jean King's record of 20 Wimbledon titles (in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles combined) and extended her overall number of major titles to 58 (second only to Margaret Court, who won 62). Navratilova made a return to singles at the 2004 French Open after an absence of 10 years, but she was defeated by Gisela Dulko in the first round. Shortly afterwards, and despite being criticized for receiving a wildcard, Navratilova won a singles match over Catalina Castaño 6–0 6–1 at the first round of Wimbledon in 2004, aged 47 years and eight months, to make her the oldest player to win a professional singles match in the open era. Navratilova then lost her second round match with the same player who had beaten her at the French Open the previous month, Gisela Dulko, in three sets.

On Thursday, July 6, 2006, Navratilova played her last matches at Wimbledon, with partner Liezel Huber losing a quarterfinal match in women's doubles to fourth seeds and eventual champions Yan Zi and Zheng Jie, and later in the same day with partner Mark Knowles losing in the third round of mixed doubles to eventual champions Andy Ram and Vera Zvonareva.She had said that her last Wimbledon wasn't about breaking her record shared with Billie Jean King of 20 championships. In an interview, Navratilova was quoted as saying, "People keep saying that, but it so wasn't. I just wanted to win one more title here, period."

Navratilova capped off her career by winning the mixed doubles title, her 41st major doubles title (31 in women's doubles and 10 in mixed doubles) and 177th overall, at the 2006 US Open with American doubles specialist Bob Bryan. At the time, she was only about a month shy of her 50th birthday and broke her own record as the oldest ever major champion (aged 49 years, 10 months).

Navratilova won 167 top-level singles titles (more than any other player in the open era) and 177 doubles titles. Her last title in women's doubles came on August 21, 2006, at the Tier I Rogers Cup in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where she partnered Nadia Petrova. Navratilova won 18 major singles titles: nine at Wimbledon, four at the US Open, three at the Australian Open, and two at the French Open. Her overall record in 67 major singles events was 306–49 (120–14 at Wimbledon, 89–17 at the US Open, 51–11 at the French Open, and 46–7 at the Australian Open). Some observers argue that the very few singles match she played in her forties should be counted separately in her career statistics. She is the only player to have won at least one tour event for 21 consecutive years and won the singles and doubles at the same event a record 84 times. She was ranked in the world's top 3 in singles for 15 years between 1977 and 1993. Her career singles match win total of 1,442 is the most during the open era.

In September 1992, the 35-year-old Navratilova played 40-year-old Jimmy Connors in the third Battle of the Sexes tennis match at Caesars Palace in Paradise, Nevada. Connors was allowed only one serve per point and Navratilova was allowed to hit into half the doubles court. Connors won 7–5, 6–2. She played for the Boston Lobsters in the World TeamTennis pro league through the 2009 season.

Playing style and coaches

Navratilova had an attacking serve and volley. Under Renée Richards, she improved her game tactics.

Evert said that "Martina revolutionized the game by her superb athleticism and aggressiveness ... She brought athleticism to a whole new level with her training techniques — particularly cross-training, the idea that you could go to the gym or play basketball to get in shape for tennis."

Throughout her long career, Navratilova had many coaches. They included: Miroslav Navrátil, George Parma, Věra Suková, Renée Richards (1981–1983), Mike Estep (1983–1986), and Craig Kardon (1988–1994)

Coaching career

In December 2014, it was announced that Navratilova had joined Agnieszka Radwańska's coaching staff. However, in April 2015, after Radwańska struggled in the first half of the season, the pair decided to part ways.

Personal life

In 1985, Navratilova released an autobiography, co-written with The New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey, titled Martina in the U.S. and Being Myself in the rest of the world. She had earlier co-written a tennis instruction book with Mary Carillo in 1982, entitled Tennis My Way. She later wrote three mystery novels with Liz Nickles: The Total Zone (1994), Breaking Point (1996) and Killer Instinct (1997). Navratilova's most recent literary effort was a health and fitness book entitled Shape Your Self, which came out in 2006. An ESPN Documentary was produced about her rivalry with Chris Evert titled, Unmatched. Her rivalry and friendship with Evert is also detailed in the book, The Rivals by Johnette Howard and the children's book, Martina and Chrissie by Phil Bildner.

Sexuality and relationships

In 1981, shortly after becoming a United States citizen, Navratilova gave an interview to New York Daily News sports reporter Steve Goldstein, coming out as bisexual and revealing that she had a sexual relationship with Rita Mae Brown, but asked him not to publish the article until she was ready to come out publicly. However, the New York Daily News published the article on July 30, 1981. Navratilova and Nancy Lieberman, her girlfriend at the time, gave an interview to Dallas Morning News columnist Skip Bayless, where Navratilova reiterated that she was bisexual and Lieberman identified herself as straight. Navratilova has since re-identified herself as a lesbian.

From 1984 to 1991, Navratilova had a long-term relationship with Judy Nelson, whom she met at a tournament in Fort Worth in 1982. Their split in 1991 resulted in a televised palimony lawsuit which was settled out of court.

On September 6, 2014, Navratilova proposed to her long-time girlfriend Julia Lemigova at the US Open They married in New York on December 15, 2014.

Health problems

According to the New York Times' Jane E. Brody, in September 1982, an acute attack of toxoplasmosis "contributed to Martina Navratilova's defeat during the United States Open tennis tournament", in which No. 1 seed Navratilova unexpectedly lost to No. 7 seed Pam Shriver in the quarterfinal round. (Shriver—Navratilova's doubles partner in the same tournament—subsequently lost to No. 5 seed Hana Mandlíková in the semifinal. Mandlíková was then defeated in the final by Navratilova's longtime rival, No. 2 seed Chris Evert.) By late October, Navratilova had "apparently recovered".

Navratilova began to wear glasses in 1985 and recalled that her vision had begun to deteriorate in 1984. She continued to wear glasses for tennis for many years. Few tennis players wear sunglasses regularly for tennis and Navratilova is one of them. Although she achieved so much prior to using glasses, her glasses have become iconic. Some sports writers have said that they made her, as with other top athletes who had imperfect health, seem more vulnerable and human.

On April 7, 2010, Navratilova announced that she was being treated for breast cancer. A routine mammogram in January 2010 revealed that she had a ductal carcinoma in situ in her left breast, which she was informed of on February 24, and in March she had the tumour surgically removed; she received radiation therapy in May.

In December 2010, Navratilova was hospitalized after developing high altitude pulmonary edema while attempting a climb of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Activism and opinions

Navratilova is involved with various charities that benefit animal rights, underprivileged children, and gay rights.

Navratilova has described herself as a vegetarian. In an April 2006 interview, however, she said she had recently begun eating fish again because she found it hard to get enough protein while on the road.

Navratilova is a Democrat, and has donated more than $25,000 to Democratic campaigns.

Gay rights

Navratilova participated in a lawsuit against Amendment 2, a successful 1992 ballot proposition in Colorado designed to prevent sexual orientation from being a protected class.

In 1993, Navratilova spoke before the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. Navratilova serves as the Health and Fitness Ambassador for AARP in an alliance created to help AARP's millions of members lead active, healthy lives.

In 2000, she was the recipient of National Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay and lesbian activist/lobbying group.

Navratilova in September 2011

Communism and Republicans

She has spoken out on a number of volatile political issues, including tort/litigation reform, but perhaps her most consistent theme—aside from gay and lesbian rights—has been her unstinting opposition to Communism, and unrelenting opposition to the former Eastern Bloc power structure that compelled her to flee her native Czechoslovakia. She has denounced the Soviet Union's control over Czechoslovakia, maintaining that she refuses to speak Russian to this day because of the Soviet Union's former hegemony over Eastern Europe.

Whenever people go into politics and they try to say that Communism was a good thing, I say, 'Go ahead and live in a Communist country then, if you think it's so great.' "

Navratilova was a guest on CNN's Connie Chung Tonight show on July 17, 2002. During the show, Chung quoted a German newspaper which quoted Navratilova as saying:

The most absurd part of my escape from the unjust system is that I have exchanged one system that suppresses free opinion for another. The Republicans in the U.S. manipulate public opinion and sweep controversial issues under the table. It's depressing. Decisions in America are based solely on the question of how much money will come out of it and not on the questions of how much health, morals or environment suffer as a result.

Navratilova said that the remarks referred to what she perceived as a trend of centralization of government power and a loss of personal freedom. In the discussion that followed, Chung stated:

Can I be honest with you? I can tell you that when I read this, I have to tell you that I thought it was un-American, unpatriotic. I wanted to say, go back to Czechoslovakia. You know, if you don't like it here, this a country that gave you so much, gave you the freedom to do what you want.

Navratilova responded,

And I'm giving it back. This is why I speak out. When I see something that I don't like, I'm going to speak out because you can do that here. And again, I feel there are too many things happening that are taking our rights away.

Navratilova was quoted in 2007 as being ashamed of the US under President George W. Bush because unlike the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, Bush was democratically elected.

Transgender athletes

Navratilova is critical of allowing trans women to compete in women's sports. She rejects accusations of transphobia, and says she deplores "a growing tendency among transgender activists to denounce anyone who argues against them and to label them all as 'transphobes.'" Following an article on the subject that Navratilova wrote for The Times in February 2019, Athlete Ally, an LGBTQ athlete advocacy group, removed Navratilova from their advisory board, stating her comments "are transphobic [and] based on a false understanding of science and data".

In March 2019, Navratilova apologized for using the term "cheating" when discussing whether transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in women's sport. She also called for "a debate, a conversation that includes everyone and is based, as I have said, not on feeling or emotion but science."

In an April 2019 article for The Washington Post, she opined that the Equality Act, in its current form, "would make it unlawful to differentiate among girls and women in sports on the basis of sex for any purpose".

In June 2019, the BBC broadcast "The Trans Women Athlete Dispute with Martina Navratilova", where she interviewed people including trans women athletes and sports researchers, presenting evidence on both sides of the debate of whether trans women have any advantage in elite sports. Her closing remarks were

"The way I started this journey, I just wanted to see if there are any big surprises, any misconceptions that I had.

And what I think I have come to realise, the biggest thing for me, is just that the level of difficulty that trans people go through cannot be underestimated. The fight for equality and recognition is just huge. That being said, still, for me, the most important thing in sports... and you have to remember, trans rights and elite sports are two different things, although of course they are connected. What's the right way to set rules so that everybody feels like they have a fighting chance? It feels to me that it is impossible to come to any real conclusions or write any meaningful rules until more research is done.

"But for now, I think we need to include as many transgender athletes as possible within elite sports, while keeping it as level a playing field as possible. Look, society has changed so much. Things evolve, things change and maybe I need to evolve, I need to change. The rules certainly need to evolve. If you don't adapt, you've got problems. And so we'll just keep adapting and try to find a happy way forward."

In August 2020, Navratilova along with 300+ women signed a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association in support of an Idaho law that bans trans women student athletes from competing in female sports.

In 2021, Navratilova became a leader of the Women's Sports Policy Working Group, formed in response to President Joe Biden's executive order that mandates blanket inclusion for all trans women athletes, whose goal is protecting the girls’ and women's competitive categories, while crafting accommodations for trans athletes into sport wherever possible.
Mariappa Kempaiah
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mariappa KempaiahPersonal information
Full name Mariappa Kempaiah
Date of birth 4 March 1932
Place of birth Bangalore, now Bengaluru, India
Date of death 2 July 2008
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Mariappa Kempaiah (Kannada: ಮರಿಯಪ್ಪ ಕೆಂಪಯ್ಯ) (4 March 1932) is commonly known by his nickname Kempiah Da (Bengali) as an Indian international footballer and athlete. He was born in Bangalore. As a wing half, represented the country in the 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome Olympics. He had also played for the country in the International Quadrangle Football tournament, played in the now Bangladesh in 1955 and in Asian Games held in Japan in 1958.
At club level he played for Bangalore Muslims before periods with the Calcutta clubs. He also played for Mysore in the inter-provincial Santosh Trophy. In 1956, he moved to Calcutta and played till 1964 with distinction for East Bengal and Mohun Bagan two of the giants of Indian soccer. He played alongside great players like Jarnail Singh, Arun Ghosh, Chuni Goswami, P.K. Banerjee, Balaram, Kannan, Abdul Rehman and Syed Azizuddin.

Individual honours and appreciations

Kempaiah won numerous awards during his playing career as well as after retirement for his contribution towards Indian football.
The major awards won by him are
1962 Best Wing half Award
1968 Facilitated by the Karnataka chief minister for his achievement in sports.
1983 Award from the Karnataka Football association
2000 Sportsman of the Millennium

Other activities

Kempaiah was a very versatile person. He was a boxer before choosing football as a career. He had a lot of long distance runs to his calibre before his passion for football arose.

Publish Date:Wed, 02 Oct 2019 03:46 PM (IST)Author: Sujeet Kumar Suman
Michael Jordan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Jordan
Jordan in 2014
Charlotte Hornets
Position Owner
League NBA
Personal information
Born February 17, 1963
Nationality American

Men's basketball
Representing the  United States

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American former professional basketball player and businessman. He is the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and of 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. He played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." He was integral in helping to popularize the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s becoming a global cultural icon in the process.

Jordan played college basketball for three seasons under coach Dean Smith with the North Carolina Tar Heels. As a freshman, he was a member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982. Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 as the third overall draft pick, and quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring while gaining a reputation as one of the game's best defensive players. His leaping ability, demonstrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in Slam Dunk Contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". Jordan won his first NBA championship with the Bulls in 1991, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Jordan abruptly retired from basketball before the 1993–94 NBA season to play Minor League Baseball but returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and led them to three more championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998, as well as a then-record 72 regular season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. He retired for a second time in January 1999 but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards.

Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include six NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, ten scoring titles (both all-time records), five MVP Awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors (joint record), fourteen NBA All-Star Game selections, three All-Star Game MVP Awards, three steals titles, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA records for career regular season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was named the 20th century's greatest North American athlete by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press' list of athletes of the century. Jordan was twice inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, once in 2009 for his individual career and again in 2010 as part of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team"). He became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015.

One of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation, Jordan is also known for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1984 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred as himself in the 1996 live-action animated film Space Jam, and is the central focus of the Emmy Award-winning documentary miniseries The Last Dance (2020). He became part-owner and head of basketball operations for the Charlotte Bobcats (now named the Hornets) in 2006, and bought a controlling interest in 2010. In 2014, Jordan became the first billionaire player in NBA history. With a net worth of $1.6 billion, he is the fifth-richest African American, behind Robert F. Smith, David Steward, Oprah Winfrey, and Kanye West.

Early life

Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born at Cumberland Hospital in the Fort Greene neighborhood of New York City's Brooklyn borough on February 17, 1963 the son of bank employee Deloris (née Peoples) and equipment supervisor James R. Jordan Sr. In 1968, he moved with his family to Wilmington, North Carolina. Jordan attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, where he highlighted his athletic career by playing basketball, baseball, and football. He tried out for the varsity basketball team during his sophomore year; at 5'11" (1.80 m), he was deemed too short to play at that level. His taller friend Harvest Leroy Smith was the only sophomore to make the team.

Motivated to prove his worth, Jordan became the star of Laney's junior varsity team, and tallied several 40-point games. The following summer, he grew four inches (10 cm) and trained rigorously. Upon earning a spot on the varsity roster, Jordan averaged more than 25 points per game (ppg) over his final two seasons of high school play. As a senior, he was selected to play in the 1981 McDonald's All-American Game and scored 30 points, after averaging 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists per game for the season. Jordan was recruited by numerous college basketball programs, including Duke, North Carolina, South Carolina, Syracuse, and Virginia. In 1981, he accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in cultural geography.

College career
Jordan going in for a slam dunk for the Laney High School varsity basketball team, 1979–80
Jordan's No. 23 jersey among others in the rafters of the Dean Smith Center, pictured in May 2005

As a freshman in coach Dean Smith's team-oriented system, Jordan was named ACC Freshman of the Year after he averaged 13.4 ppg on 53.4% shooting (field goal percentage). He made the game-winning jump shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown, which was led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing. Jordan later described this shot as the major turning point in his basketball career. During his three seasons with the Tar Heels, he averaged 17.7 ppg on 54.0% shooting, and added 5.0 rpg.

Jordan was selected by consensus to the NCAA All-American First Team in both his sophomore (1983) and junior (1984) seasons. After winning the Naismith and the Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984, Jordan left North Carolina one year before his scheduled graduation to enter the 1984 NBA draft. Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986, when he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography. In 2002, Jordan was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team honoring the 50 greatest players in ACC history.

Professional career
Early NBA years (1984–1987)

The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third overall pick of the 1984 NBA draft after Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets) and Sam Bowie (Portland Trail Blazers). One of the primary reasons why Jordan was not drafted sooner was because the first two teams were in need of a center. Trail Blazers general manager Stu Inman contended that it was not a matter of drafting a center but more a matter of taking Sam Bowie over Jordan, in part because Portland already had Clyde Drexler, who was a guard with similar skills to Jordan. Citing Bowie's injury-laden college career, ESPN, named the Blazers' choice of Bowie as the worst draft pick in North American professional sports history.

During his rookie season with the Bulls, Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting, and helped make a team that had won 35% of games in the previous three seasons playoff contenders. He quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas. Roy S. Johnson of The New York Times described him as "the phenomenal rookie of the Bulls" in November, and Jordan appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the heading "A Star Is Born" in December. The fans also voted in Jordan as an All-Star starter during his rookie season Controversy arose before the All-Star game when word surfaced that several veteran players, led by Isiah Thomas, were upset by the amount of attention Jordan was receiving This led to a so-called "freeze-out" on Jordan, where players refused to pass the ball to him throughout the game The controversy left Jordan relatively unaffected when he returned to regular season play, and he would go on to be voted the NBA Rookie of the Year. The Bulls finished the season 38–44, and lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in four games in the First Round of the playoffs.

An often-cited moment was on August 26, 1985, when Jordan shook the arena during a Nike exhibition game in Trieste, Italy, by shattering the glass of the backboard with a dunk.The moment was filmed and is often referred to worldwide as an important milestone in Jordan's rise. The shoes Jordan wore during the game were auctioned in August 2020 and sold for $615,000, a record for a pair of sneakers. Jordan's second season was cut short when he broke his foot in the third game of the year, causing him to miss 64 games The Bulls made the playoffs despite Jordan's injury and a 30–52 record, at the time the fifth-worst record of any team to qualify for the playoffs in NBA history. Jordan recovered in time to participate in the postseason and performed well upon his return. Against a 1985–86 Boston Celtics team that is often considered one of the greatest in NBA history, Jordan set the still-unbroken record for points in a playoff game with 63 in Game 2; however, the Celtics managed to sweep the series

Jordan completely recovered in time for the 1986–87 season, and had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in NBA history; he became the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to score 3,000 points in a season, averaging a league-high 37.1 points on 48.2% shooting. In addition, Jordan demonstrated his defensive prowess, as he became the first player in NBA history to record 200 steals and 100 blocked shots in a season. Despite Jordan's success, Magic Johnson won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. The Bulls reached 40 wins, and advanced to the playoffs for the third consecutive year but were again swept by the Celtics.

Pistons roadblock (1987–1990)
Jordan (center) with the Bud Light Daredevils in 1987

Jordan again led the league in scoring during the 1987–88 season, averaging 35.0 ppg on 53.5% shooting and won his first league MVP Award. He was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, as he averaged 1.6 blocks and a league-high 3.1 steals per game. The Bulls finished 50–32, and made it out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in Jordan's career, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. However, the Bulls lost in five games to the more experienced Detroit Pistons, who were led by Isiah Thomas and a group of physical players known as the "Bad Boys".

In the 1988–89 season, Jordan again led the league in scoring, averaging 32.5 ppg on 53.8% shooting from the field, along with 8 rpg and 8 apg. During the season, Sam Vincent, Chicago's point guard, was having trouble running the offense, and Jordan expressed his frustration with head coach Doug Collins, who would put Jordan at point guard; in his time as a point guard, Jordan averaged 10 triple-doubles in eleven games, with 33.6 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 10.8 apg, 2.9 spg, and 0.8 bps on 51% shooting.

The Bulls finished with a 47–35 record, and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating the Cavaliers and New York Knicks along the way. The Cavaliers series included a career highlight for Jordan when he hit "The Shot" over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer in the fifth and final game of the series. However, the Pistons again defeated the Bulls, this time in six games, by utilizing their "Jordan Rules" method of guarding Jordan, which consisted of double and triple teaming him every time he touched the ball.

The Bulls entered the 1989–90 season as a team on the rise, with their core group of Jordan and young improving players like Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, and under the guidance of new coach Phil Jackson. On March 28, 1990, Jordan scored a career-high 69 points in a 117–113 road win over the Cavaliers. He averaged a league-leading 33.6 ppg on 52.6% shooting, to go with 6.9 rpg and 6.3 apg, in leading the Bulls to a 55–27 record. They again advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers; despite pushing the series to seven games, the Bulls lost to the Pistons for the third consecutive season.

First three-peat (1991–1993)

In the 1990–91 season, Jordan won his second MVP award after averaging 31.5 ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0 rpg, and 5.5 apg for the regular season. The Bulls finished in first place in their division for the first time in sixteen years and set a franchise record with 61 wins in the regular season. With Scottie Pippen developing into an All-Star, the Bulls had elevated their play. The Bulls defeated the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening two rounds of the playoffs. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where their rival, the Detroit Pistons, awaited them this time, the Bulls beat the Pistons in a four-game sweep.

The Bulls advanced to the Finals for the first time in franchise history to face the Los Angeles Lakers, who had Magic Johnson and James Worthy, two formidable opponents. The Bulls won the series four games to one, and compiled a 15–2 playoff record along the way. Perhaps the best-known moment of the series came in Game 2 when, attempting a dunk, Jordan avoided a potential Sam Perkins block by switching the ball from his right hand to his left in mid-air to lay the shot into the basket. In his first Finals appearance, Jordan posted per game averages of 31.2 points on 56% shooting from the field, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks. Jordan won his first NBA Finals MVP award and he cried while holding the Finals trophy.

Jordan and the Bulls continued their dominance in the 1991–92 season, establishing a 67–15 record, topping their franchise record from 1990 to 1991. Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with averages of 30.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game on 52% shooting After winning a physical seven-game series over the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs and finishing off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals in six games, the Bulls met Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in the Finals. The media, hoping to recreate a Magic–Bird rivalry, highlighted the similarities between "Air" Jordan and Clyde "The Glide" during the pre-Finals hype.

In the first game, Jordan scored a Finals-record 35 points in the first half, including a record-setting six three-point field goals. After the sixth three-pointer, he jogged down the court shrugging as he looked courtside. Marv Albert, who broadcast the game, later stated that it was as if Jordan was saying: "I can't believe I'm doing this." The Bulls went on to win Game 1 and defeat the Blazers in six games. Jordan was named Finals MVP for the second year in a row and finished the series averaging 35.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.5 apg, while shooting 52.6% from the floor.
Jordan in 1992

In the 1992–93 season, despite a 32.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, and 5.5 apg campaign, including a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting, Jordan's streak of consecutive MVP seasons ended, as he lost the award to his friend Charles Barkley. Coincidentally, Jordan and the Bulls met Barkley and his Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. The Bulls won their third NBA championship on a game-winning shot by John Paxson and a last-second block by Horace Grant, but Jordan was once again Chicago's leader. He averaged a Finals-record 41.0 ppg during the six-game series, and became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Finals MVP awards. He scored more than 30 points in every game of the series, including 40 or more points in four consecutive games. With his third Finals triumph, Jordan capped off a seven-year run where he attained seven scoring titles and three championships, but there were signs that Jordan was tiring of his massive celebrity and all of the non-basketball hassles in his life.

Gambling

During the Bulls' 1993 NBA playoffs, Jordan was seen gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the night before a game against the New York Knicks. The previous year, he admitted that he had to cover $57,000 in gambling losses, and author Richard Esquinas wrote a book in 1993 claiming he had won $1.25 million from Jordan on the golf course. NBA commissioner David Stern denied in 1995 and 2006 that Jordan's 1993 retirement was a secret suspension by the league for gambling, but the rumor spread widely.

In 2005, Jordan discussed his gambling with Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes and admitted that he made reckless decisions. Jordan stated: "Yeah, I've gotten myself into situations where I would not walk away and I've pushed the envelope. Is that compulsive? Yeah, it depends on how you look at it. If you're willing to jeopardize your livelihood and your family, then yeah." When Bradley asked him if his gambling ever got to the level where it jeopardized his livelihood or family, Jordan replied: "No." In 2010, Ron Shelton, director of Jordan Rides the Bus, said that he began working on the documentary believing that the NBA had suspended him, but that research "convinced [him it] was nonsense."
​
First retirement and stint in Minor League Baseball (1993–1994)
Michael Jordan
Jordan in training with the Scottsdale Scorpions in 1994
Birmingham Barons – No. 45, 35

Batted: Right Threw: Right

Professional debut
Southern League: April 8, 1994, for the Birmingham Barons
Arizona Fall League: 1994, for the Scottsdale Scorpions
Last Southern League appearance
March 10, 1995, for the Birmingham Barons
Southern League statistics
(through 1994)
Arizona Fall League statistics
Batting average .252
Runs batted in 8
Teams

Birmingham Barons (1994–1995)

On October 6, 1993, Jordan announced his retirement, saying that he lost his desire to play basketball. Jordan later said that the death of his father three months earlier helped shape his decision. James Jordan was murdered on July 23, 1993, at a highway rest area in Lumberton, North Carolina, by two teenagers, Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery, who carjacked his Lexus bearing the license plate "UNC 0023". His body, dumped in a South Carolina swamp, was not discovered until August 3. Green and Demery were found after they made calls on James Jordan's cell phone, convicted at a trial, and sentenced to life in prison.

Jordan was close to his father; as a child, he imitated the way his father stuck out his tongue while absorbed in work. He later adopted it as his own signature, often displaying it as he drove to the basket. In 1996, he founded a Chicago-area Boys & Girls Club and dedicated it to his father. In his 1998 autobiography For the Love of the Game, Jordan wrote that he was preparing for retirement as early as the summer of 1992. The added exhaustion due to the Dream Team run in the 1992 Olympics solidified Jordan's feelings about the game and his ever-growing celebrity status. Jordan's announcement sent shock waves throughout the NBA and appeared on the front pages of newspapers around the world.

Jordan further surprised the sports world by signing a Minor League Baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox on February 7, 1994. He reported to spring training in Sarasota, Florida, and was assigned to the team's minor league system on March 31, 1994. Jordan said that this decision was made to pursue the dream of his late father, who always envisioned his son as a Major League Baseball player. The White Sox were owned by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who continued to honor Jordan's basketball contract during the years he played baseball.

In 1994, Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, batting .202 with three home runs, 51 runs batted in, 30 stolen bases, 114 strikeouts, 51 bases on balls, and 11 errors. He also appeared for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 1994 Arizona Fall League, batting .252 against the top prospects in baseball. On November 1, 1994, his No. 23 was retired by the Bulls in a ceremony that included the erection of a permanent sculpture known as The Spirit outside the new United Center.

"I'm back": Return to the NBA (1995)

In the 1993–94 season, the Bulls achieved a 55–27 record without Jordan in the lineup, and lost to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. The 1994–95 Bulls were a shell of the championship team of just two years earlier. Struggling at mid-season to ensure a spot in the playoffs, Chicago was 31–31 at one point in mid-March; however, the team received help when Jordan decided to return to the Bulls

In March 1995, Jordan decided to quit baseball because he feared he might become a replacement player during the Major League Baseball strike. On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA through a two-word press release: "I'm back." The next day, Jordan took to the court with the Bulls to face the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, scoring 19 points. The game had the highest Nielsen rating of any regular season NBA game since 1975. Although he could have worn his original number even though the Bulls retired it, Jordan wore No. 45, his baseball number.

Despite his eighteen-month hiatus from the NBA, Jordan played well, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back. He scored 55 points in his next game, against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 1995. Boosted by Jordan's comeback, the Bulls went 13–4 to make the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Orlando Magic. At the end of Game 1, Orlando's Nick Anderson stripped Jordan from behind, leading to the game-winning basket for the Magic; he would later comment that Jordan "didn't look like the old Michael Jordan" and that "No. 45 doesn't explode like No. 23 used to."

Jordan responded by scoring 38 points in the next game, which Chicago won. Before the game, Jordan decided that he would immediately resume wearing his former No. 23. The Bulls were fined $25,000 for failing to report the impromptu number change to the NBA. Jordan was fined an additional $5,000 for opting to wear white sneakers when the rest of the Bulls wore black. He averaged 31 points per game in the playoffs, but Orlando won the series in six games.

Second three-peat (1995–1998)

Jordan was freshly motivated by the playoff defeat, and he trained aggressively for the 1995–96 season. The Bulls were strengthened by the addition of rebound specialist Dennis Rodman, and the team dominated the league, starting the season at 41–3. The Bulls eventually finished with the best regular season record in NBA history, 72–10, a mark broken two decades later by the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors. Jordan led the league in scoring with 30.4 ppg, and he won the league's regular season and All-Star Game MVP awards.

In the playoffs, the Bulls lost only three games in four series (Miami Heat 3–0, New York Knicks 4–1, and Orlando Magic 4–0), as they defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 4–2 in the NBA Finals to win their fourth championship. Jordan was named Finals MVP for a record fourth time, surpassing Magic Johnson's three Finals MVP awards; he also achieved only the second sweep of the MVP awards in the All-Star Game, regular season, and NBA Finals after Willis Reed in the 1969–70 season. Upon winning the championship, his first since his father's murder, Jordan reacted emotionally, clutching the game ball and crying on the locker room floor.

In the 1996–97 season, the Bulls started out 69–11 but missed out on a second consecutive 70-win season by losing their final two games to finish 69–13. The Bulls again advanced to the Finals, where they faced Karl Malone's Utah Jazz who had beaten Jordan for the NBA MVP award in a tight race (986–957)[ The series against the Jazz featured two of the more memorable clutch moments of Jordan's career. He won Game 1 for the Bulls with a buzzer-beating jump shot. In Game 5, with the series tied at 2, Jordan played despite being feverish and dehydrated from a stomach virus. In what is known as the "Flu Game", Jordan scored 38 points, including the game-deciding 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining. The Bulls won 90–88 and went on to win the series in six games. For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Jordan received the Finals MVP award. During the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, Jordan posted the first triple double in All-Star Game history in a victorious effort; however, he did not receive the MVP award.
Jordan with coach Phil Jackson in 1997

Jordan and the Bulls compiled a 62–20 record in the 1997–98 season. Jordan led the league with 28.7 points per game, securing his fifth regular season MVP award, plus honors for All-NBA First Team, First Defensive Team, and the All-Star Game MVP. The Bulls won the Eastern Conference Championship for a third straight season, including surviving a seven-game series with the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals; it was the first time Jordan had played in a Game 7 since the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals with the Knicks. After winning, they moved on for a rematch with the Jazz in the Finals.

The Bulls returned to the Delta Center for Game 6 on June 14, 1998, leading the series 3–2. Jordan executed a series of plays, considered to be one of the greatest clutch performances in NBA Finals history. With 41.9 seconds remaining and the Bulls trailing 86–83, Phil Jackson called a timeout. When play resumed, Jordan received the inbound pass, drove to the basket, and sank a shot over several Jazz defenders, cutting Utah's lead to 86–85. The Jazz brought the ball upcourt and passed the ball to Malone, who was set up in the low post and was being guarded by Rodman. Malone jostled with Rodman and caught the pass, but Jordan cut behind him and stole the ball out of his hands.

Jordan then dribbled down the court and paused, eyeing his defender, Jazz guard Bryon Russell. With 10 seconds remaining, Jordan started to dribble right, then crossed over to his left, possibly pushing off Russell, although the officials did not call a foul. With 5.2 seconds left, Jordan made the climactic shot of his Bulls career, giving Chicago an 87–86 lead with a jumper over Russell. Afterwards, the Jazz' John Stockton narrowly missed a game-winning three-pointer, and the buzzer sounded as Jordan and the Bulls won their sixth NBA championship, achieving a second three-peat in the decade. Once again, Jordan was voted Finals MVP, having led all scorers by averaging 33.5 points per game, including 45 in the deciding Game 6. Jordan's six Finals MVPs is a record; LeBron James is in second place with four. The 1998 Finals holds the highest television rating of any Finals series in history; Game 6 also holds the highest television rating of any game in NBA history.

Second retirement (1999–2001)
Plaque at the United Center that chronicles Jordan's career achievements

With Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the pending departures of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman looming, and being in the latter stages of an owner-induced lockout of NBA players, Jordan retired for the second time on January 13, 1999. On January 19, 2000, Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player but as part owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards. Jordan's responsibilities with the Wizards were comprehensive, as he controlled all aspects of the Wizards' basketball operations, and had the final say in all personnel matters; opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed. He managed to purge the team of several highly paid, unpopular players (such as forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland) but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA draft to select high schooler Kwame Brown, who did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons.

Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% certain" that he would never play another NBA game, in the summer of 2001 Jordan expressed interest in making another comeback, this time with his new team. Inspired by the NHL comeback of his friend Mario Lemieux the previous winter, Jordan spent much of the spring and summer of 2001 in training, holding several invitation-only camps for NBA players in Chicago. In addition, Jordan hired his old Chicago Bulls head coach, Doug Collins, as Washington's coach for the upcoming season, a decision that many saw as foreshadowing another Jordan return.

Washington Wizards comeback (2001–2003)
Jordan as a member of the Washington Wizards, April 14, 2003

On September 25, 2001, Jordan announced his return to the NBA to play for the Washington Wizards, indicating his intention to donate his salary as a player to a relief effort for the victims of the September 11 attacks. In an injury-plagued 2001–02 season, Jordan led the team in scoring (22.9 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), and steals (1.42 spg), and was an MVP candidate, as he led the Wizards to a winning record and playoff contention; he would eventually finish 13th in the MVP ballot. After suffering a torn cartilage in his right knee, and subsequent knee soreness, the Wizards missed the playoffs, and Jordan's season ended after only 60 games, the fewest he had played in a regular season since playing 17 games after returning from his first retirement during the 1994–95 season. Jordan started 53 of his 60 games for the season, averaging 24.3 points, 5.4 assists, and 6.0 rebounds, and shooting 41.9% from the field in his 53 starts. His last seven appearances were in a reserve role, in which he averaged just over 20 minutes per game. The Wizards finished the season with a 37–45 record, an 18-game improvement.

Playing in his 14th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2003, Jordan passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star Game history, a record since broken by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. That year, Jordan was the only Washington player to play in all 82 games, starting in 67 of them, and coming from off the bench in 15. He averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He also shot 45% from the field, and 82% from the free-throw line. Even though he turned 40 during the season, he scored 20 or more points 42 times, 30 or more points nine times, and 40 or more points three times. On February 21, 2003, Jordan became the first 40-year-old to tally 43 points in an NBA game. During his stint with the Wizards, all of Jordan's home games at the MCI Center were sold out, and the Wizards were the second most-watched team in the NBA, averaging 20,172 fans a game at home and 19,311 on the road. However, neither of Jordan's final two seasons resulted in a playoff appearance for the Wizards, and Jordan was often unsatisfied with the play of those around him. At several points, he openly criticized his teammates to the media, citing their lack of focus and intensity, notably that of Kwame Brown, the number-one draft pick in the 2001 NBA draft.

With the recognition that 2002–03 would be Jordan's final season, tributes were paid to him throughout the NBA. In his final game at the United Center in Chicago, which was his old home court, Jordan received a four-minute standing ovation The Miami Heat retired the No. 23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though Jordan never played for the team. At the 2003 All-Star Game, Jordan was offered a starting spot from Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson but refused both; in the end, he accepted the spot of Vince Carter. Jordan played in his final NBA game on April 16, 2003, in Philadelphia. After scoring 13 points in the game, Jordan went to the bench with 4 minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter and his team trailing the Philadelphia 76ers 75–56. Just after the start of the fourth quarter, the First Union Center crowd began chanting "We want Mike!" After much encouragement from coach Doug Collins, Jordan finally rose from the bench and re-entered the game, replacing Larry Hughes with 2:35 remaining. At 1:45, Jordan was intentionally fouled by the 76ers' Eric Snow, and stepped to the line to make both free throws. After the second foul shot, the 76ers in-bounded the ball to rookie John Salmons, who in turn was intentionally fouled by Bobby Simmons one second later, stopping time so that Jordan could return to the bench. Jordan received a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, his opponents, the officials, and the crowd of 21,257 fans.

National team career
Jordan on the "Dream Team" in 1992

Jordan made his debut for the United States national team at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela. He led the team in scoring with 17.3 ppg as the U.S., coached by Jack Hartman, won the gold medal in the competition. A year later, he won another gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics. The team was coached by Bob Knight and featured players such as Patrick Ewing, Sam Perkins, Chris Mullin, Steve Alford, and Wayman Tisdale. Jordan led the team in scoring, averaging 17.1 ppg for the tournament.

In 1992, he was a member of the star-studded squad that was dubbed the "Dream Team", which included Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The team went on to win two gold medals: the first one in the 1992 Tournament of the Americas, and the second one in the 1992 Summer Olympics. Jordan was the only player to start all eight games in the Olympics and averaged 14.9 ppg, finishing second on the team in scoring. Team USA never lost a single game in the four tournaments in which Jordan played.

Player profile
Jordan dunking the ball, 1987–88

Jordan was a shooting guard who could also play as a small forward (the position he would primarily play during his second return to professional basketball with the Washington Wizards), and as a point guard. Jordan was known throughout his career as a strong clutch performer. With the Bulls, he decided 25 games with field goals or free throws in the last 30 seconds, including two NBA Finals games and five other playoff contests. His competitiveness was visible in his prolific trash-talk and well-known work ethic. Jordan often used perceived slights to fuel his performances. Sportswriter Wright Thompson described him as "a killer, in the Darwinian sense of the word, immediately sensing and attacking someone's weakest spot." As the Bulls organization built the franchise around Jordan, management had to trade away players who were not "tough enough" to compete with him in practice. To help improve his defense, he spent extra hours studying film of opponents. On offense, he relied more upon instinct and improvization at game time.

Noted as a durable player, Jordan did not miss four or more games while active for a full season from 1986–87 to 2001–02, when he injured his right knee. Of the 15 seasons Jordan was in the NBA, he played all 82 regular season games nine times. Jordan has frequently cited David Thompson, Walter Davis, and Jerry West as influences. Confirmed at the start of his career, and possibly later on, Jordan had a special "Love of the Game Clause" written into his contract, which was unusual at the time, and allowed him to play basketball against anyone at any time, anywhere.

Jordan had a versatile offensive game and was capable of aggressively driving to the basket as well as drawing fouls from his opponents at a high rate; his 8,772 free throw attempts are the 11th-highest total in NBA history. As his career progressed, Jordan also developed the ability to post up his opponents and score with his trademark fadeaway jump shot, using his leaping ability to "fade away" from block attempts. According to Hubie Brown, this move alone made him nearly unstoppable. Despite media criticism as a "selfish" player early in his career, Jordan was willing to defer to this teammates, with a career average of 5.3 assists per game and a season-high of 8 assists per game. For a guard, Jordan was also a good rebounder, finishing with 6.2 rebounds per game. Defensively, he averaged 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks.

Three-point field goal was not Jordan's strength, especially in his early years; his 16% shooting record (5-for-30) in the 1990 Three-Point Contest gave him the worst percentage of points ever in that competition. He improved his three-point shooting over time, and finished his career with a respectable 32% success rate. After shooting under 30% from three-point range in his first five seasons in the NBA, including a career-low 13% in the 1987–88 season, Jordan improved to a career-high 50% in the 1994–95 season. The three-point shot became more of a focus of his game from 1994–95 to 1996–97, when the NBA shortened its three-point line from 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m) to 22 ft (6.7 m). His three-point field-goal percentages ranged from 35% to 43% in seasons in which he attempted at least 230 three-pointers between 1989–90 and 1996–97. Jordan's effective field goal percentage was 50%, and he had six seasons with at least 50% shooting, five of which consecutively (1988–1992); he also shot 51% and 50%, and 30% and 33% from the three-point range, throughout his first and second retirements, respectively, finishing his career with 49% shooting.

Unlike NBA players such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, often compared to Jordan and who had a similar three-point percentage, he did not shoot as much as they did, as he did not need it in order to be effective on offense; three-point shooting was only introduced in 1979 and would not be a more fundamental aspect of the game until the first decades of the 21st century, with the NBA having to briefly shorten the line to incentivize more shots. Jordan's three-point shooting was better selected, resulting in three-point field goals made in important games during the playoffs and the Finals, such as hitting six consecutive three-point shots in Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals. Jordan shot 37%, 35%, 42%, and 37% in all the seasons he shot over 200 three-pointers, and also shot 38.5%, 38.6%, 38.9%, 40.3%, 19.4%, and 30.2% in the playoffs during his championship runs, improving his shooting even after the three-point line was reverted to the original line.

In 1988, Jordan was honored with the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and became the first NBA player to win both the Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in a career. In addition, he set both seasonal and career records for blocked shots by a guard, and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player. He ranks third in NBA history in total steals with 2,514, trailing John Stockton and Jason Kidd. Jerry West often stated that he was more impressed with Jordan's defensive contributions than his offensive ones. Doc Rivers declared Jordan "the best superstar defender in the history of the game."

Jordan was known to have strong eyesight; broadcaster Al Michaels said that he was able to read baseball box scores on a 27-inch (69 cm) television clearly from about 50 feet (15 m) away. During the 2001 NBA Finals, Phil Jackson compared Jordan's dominance to Shaquille O'Neal, stating that "Michael would get fouled on every play and still have to play through it and just clear himself for shots instead and would rise to that occasion."

Legacy

 This article is part of a series about
Michael Jordan

Jordan's talent was clear from his first NBA season; by November 1984, he was being compared to Julius Erving. Larry Bird said that rookie Jordan was the best player he ever saw, and that he was "one of a kind", and comparable to Wayne Gretzky as an athlete. In his first game in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, Jordan received a near minute-long standing ovation. After establishing the single game playoff record of 63 points against the Boston Celtics on April 20, 1986, Bird described him as "God disguised as Michael Jordan."

Jordan led the NBA in scoring in 10 seasons (NBA record) and tied Wilt Chamberlain's record of seven consecutive scoring titles. He was also a fixture of the NBA All-Defensive First Team, making the roster nine times (NBA record shared with Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant). Jordan also holds the top career regular season and playoff scoring averages of 30.1 and 33.4 points per game, respectively. By 1998, the season of his Finals-winning shot against the Jazz, he was well known throughout the league as a clutch performer. In the regular season, Jordan was the Bulls' primary threat in the final seconds of a close game and in the playoffs; he would always ask for the ball at crunch time. Jordan's total of 5,987 points in the playoffs is the second-highest in NBA history.[208] He retired with 32,292 points in regular season play, placing him fifth on the NBA's all-time scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant.

With five regular season MVPs (tied for second place with Bill Russell—only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won more, with six), six Finals MVPs (NBA record), and three All-Star Game MVPs, Jordan is the most decorated player in NBA history. Jordan finished among the top three in regular season MVP voting 10 times, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. He is one of only seven players in history to win an NCAA championship, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal (doing so twice with the 1984 and 1992 U.S. men's basketball teams). Since 1976, the year of the NBA's merger with the American Basketball Association, Jordan and Pippen are the only two players to win six NBA Finals playing for one team. In the All-Star Game fan ballot, Jordan received the most votes nine times, more than any other player.

"There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us."


Many of Jordan's contemporaries have said that Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. In 1999, an ESPN survey of journalists, athletes and other sports figures ranked Jordan the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century, above Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali. Jordan placed second to Babe Ruth in the Associated Press' December 1999 list of 20th century athletes. In addition, the Associated Press voted him the greatest basketball player of the 20th century. Jordan has also appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated a record 50 times. In the September 1996 issue of Sport, which was the publication's 50th-anniversary issue, Jordan was named the greatest athlete of the past 50 years.
Statue of Michael Jordan inside the United Center

Jordan's athletic leaping ability, highlighted in his back-to-back Slam Dunk Contest championships in 1987 and 1988, is credited by many people with having influenced a generation of young players. Several NBA players, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, have stated that they considered Jordan their role model while they were growing up. In addition, commentators have dubbed a number of next-generation players "the next Michael Jordan" upon their entry to the NBA, including Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Bryant, Vince Carter, James, and Wade. Some analyists, such as The Ringer's Dan Devine, drew parallels between Jordan's experiment at point guard in the 1988–89 season and modern NBA; for Devine, it "inadvertently foreshadowed the modern game's stylistic shift toward monster-usage primary playmakers", such as Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Luka Dončić, and LeBron James. Don Nelson stated: "I would've been playing him at point guard the day he showed up as a rookie."

Although Jordan was a well-rounded player, his "Air Jordan" image is also often credited with inadvertently decreasing the jump shooting skills, defense, and fundamentals of young players, a fact Jordan himself has lamented: "I think it was the exposure of Michael Jordan; the marketing of Michael Jordan. Everything was marketed towards the things that people wanted to see, which was scoring and dunking. That Michael Jordan still played defense and an all-around game, but it was never really publicized." During his heyday, Jordan did much to increase the status of the game; television ratings increased only during his time in the league. The popularity of the NBA in the U.S. declined after his last title. As late as 2020, Finals ratings had not returned to the level reached during his last championship-winning season.

In August 2009, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, opened a Michael Jordan exhibit that contained items from his college and NBA careers as well as from the 1992 "Dream Team"; the exhibit also has a batting glove to signify Jordan's short career in Minor League Baseball. After Jordan received word of his acceptance into the Hall of Fame, he selected Class of 1996 member David Thompson to present him. As Jordan would later explain during his induction speech in September 2009, when he was growing up in North Carolina, he was not a fan of the Tar Heels and greatly admired Thompson, who played at rival North Carolina State. In September, he was inducted into the Hall with several former Bulls teammates in attendance, including Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, and Toni Kukoč. Two of Jordan's former coaches, Dean Smith and Doug Collins, were also among those present. His emotional reaction during his speech—when he began to cry—was captured by Associated Press photographer Stephan Savoia and would later go viral on social media as the Crying Jordan Internet meme. In 2016, President Barack Obama honored Jordan with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
NBA career statistics
Legend GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
FG% Field goal percentage 3P% 3-point field goal percentage FT% Free throw percentage
RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game
BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
† Won an NBA championship * Led the league  NBA record


Awards and honors
Further information: 

Post-retirement
Jordan on a golf course in 2007

After his third retirement, Jordan assumed that he would be able to return to his front office position as Director of Basketball Operations with the Wizards. However, his previous tenure in the Wizards' front office had produced mixed results and may have also influenced the trade of Richard "Rip" Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse, although Jordan was not technically Director of Basketball Operations in 2002. On May 7, 2003, Wizards owner Abe Pollin fired Jordan as the team's president of basketball operations. Jordan later stated that he felt betrayed, and that if he had known he would be fired upon retiring, he never would have come back to play for the Wizards.

Jordan kept busy over the next few years. He stayed in shape, played golf in celebrity charity tournaments, and spent time with his family in Chicago. He also promoted his Jordan Brand clothing line and rode motorcycles. Since 2004, Jordan has owned Michael Jordan Motorsports, a professional closed-course motorcycle road racing team that competed with two Suzukis in the premier Superbike championship sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) until the end of the 2013 season.
Charlotte Bobcats / Hornets

On June 15, 2006, Jordan bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats (now known as the Hornets), becoming the team's second-largest shareholder behind majority owner Robert L. Johnson. As part of the deal, Jordan took full control over the basketball side of the operation, with the title Managing Member of Basketball Operations. Despite Jordan's previous success as an endorser, he has made an effort not to be included in Charlotte's marketing campaigns. A decade earlier, Jordan had made a bid to become part-owner of Charlotte's original NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets, but talks collapsed when owner George Shinn refused to give Jordan complete control of basketball operations.

In February 2010, it was reported that Jordan was seeking majority ownership of the Bobcats. As February wore on, it became apparent that Jordan and former Houston Rockets president George Postolos were the leading contenders for ownership of the team. On February 27, the Bobcats announced that Johnson had reached an agreement with Jordan and his group, MJ Basketball Holdings, to buy the team from Johnson pending NBA approval. On March 17, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved Jordan's purchase, making him the first former player to become the majority owner of an NBA team. It also made him the league's only African-American majority owner.

During the 2011 NBA lockout, The New York Times wrote that Jordan led a group of 10 to 14 hardline owners who wanted to cap the players' share of basketball-related income at 50 percent and as low as 47. Journalists observed that, during the labor dispute in 1998, Jordan had told Washington Wizards then-owner Abe Pollin: "If you can't make a profit, you should sell your team." Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com called Jordan a "sellout" for wanting "current players to pay for his incompetence." He cited Jordan's executive decisions to draft disappointing players Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison.

During the 2011–12 NBA season that was shortened to 66 games by the lockout, the Bobcats posted a 7–59 record. The team closed out the season with a 23-game losing streak; their .106 winning percentage was the worst in NBA history. Before the next season, Jordan said: "I'm not real happy about the record book scenario last year. It's very, very frustrating."

During the 2019 NBA offseason, Jordan sold a minority piece of the Hornets to Gabe Plotkin and Daniel Sundheim, retaining the majority of the team for himself as well as the role of chairman.

23XI Racing

On September 21, 2020, Jordan and NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin announced they would be fielding a NASCAR team with Bubba Wallace driving, beginning competition in the 2021 season. On October 22, the team's name was confirmed to be 23XI Racing (pronounced twenty-three eleven) and the team's entry would bear No. 23.

Personal life
Jordan receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama at the White House

Jordan is the fourth of five children. He has two older brothers, Larry Jordan and James R. Jordan Jr., one older sister, Deloris, and one younger sister, Roslyn. James retired in 2006 as the Command Sergeant Major of the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U.S. Army. Jordan's nephew through Larry, Justin Jordan, played Division I basketball at UNC Greensboro and is a scout for the Charlotte Hornets.

Jordan married Juanita Vanoy in September 1989. They had two sons, Jeffrey and Marcus, and a daughter, Jasmine. The Jordans filed for divorce on January 4, 2002, citing irreconcilable differences, but reconciled shortly thereafter. They again filed for divorce and were granted a final decree of dissolution of marriage on December 29, 2006, commenting that the decision was made "mutually and amicably". It is reported that Juanita received a $168 million settlement (equivalent to $216 million in 2020), making it the largest celebrity divorce settlement on public record at the time.

In 1991, Jordan purchased a lot in Highland Park, Illinois, on which he planned to build a 56,000 square-foot (5,200 m2) mansion. It was completed in 1995. He listed the mansion for sale in 2012. His two sons attended Loyola Academy, a private Catholic school in Wilmette, Illinois. Jeffrey graduated in 2007 and played his first collegiate basketball game for the University of Illinois on November 11, 2007. After two seasons, he left the Illinois basketball team in 2009. He later rejoined the team for a third season,then received a release to transfer to the University of Central Florida, where Marcus was attending. Marcus transferred to Whitney Young High School after his sophomore year at Loyola Academy and graduated in 2009. He began attending UCF in the fall of 2009, and played three seasons of basketball for the school.

On July 21, 2006, a judge in Cook County, Illinois, determined that Jordan did not owe his alleged former lover Karla Knafel $5 million in a breach of contract claim. Jordan had allegedly paid Knafel $250,000 to keep their relationship a secret. Knafel claimed Jordan promised her $5 million for remaining silent and agreeing not to file a paternity suit after Knafel learned she was pregnant in 1991; a DNA test showed Jordan was not the father of the child.

Jordan proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto, on Christmas 2011, and they were married on April 27, 2013, at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. It was announced on November 30, 2013, that the two were expecting their first child together. On February 11, 2014, Prieto gave birth to identical twin daughters named Victoria and Ysabel. In 2019, Jordan became a grandfather when his daughter Jasmine gave birth to a son, whose father is professional basketball player Rakeem Christmas.

Media figure and business interests
Endorsements
Jordan in 2008

Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, McDonald's, Ball Park Franks, Rayovac, Wheaties, Hanes, and MCI. Jordan has had a long relationship with Gatorade, appearing in over 20 commercials for the company since 1991, including the "Be Like Mike" commercials in which a song was sung by children wishing to be like Jordan.

Nike created a signature shoe for Jordan, called the Air Jordan, in 1984. One of Jordan's more popular commercials for the shoe involved Spike Lee playing the part of Mars Blackmon. In the commercials, Lee, as Blackmon, attempted to find the source of Jordan's abilities and became convinced that "it's gotta be the shoes". The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spate of "shoe-jackings" where people were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. Subsequently, Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own division named the "Jordan Brand". The company features an impressive list of athletes and celebrities as endorsers. The brand has also sponsored college sports programs such as those of North Carolina, California, Georgetown, and Marquette.

Jordan also has been associated with the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. A Nike commercial shown during 1992's Super Bowl XXVI featured Jordan and Bugs Bunny playing basketball. The Super Bowl commercial inspired the 1996 live action/animated film Space Jam, which starred Jordan and Bugs in a fictional story set during the former's first retirement from basketball. They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI. Jordan also made an appearance in the music video for Michael Jackson's "Jam" (1992).

Jordan's yearly income from the endorsements is estimated to be over $40 million. In addition, when Jordan's power at the ticket gates was at its highest point, the Bulls regularly sold out both their home and road games. Due to this, Jordan set records in player salary by signing annual contracts worth in excess of US$30 million per season. An academic study found that Jordan's first NBA comeback resulted in an increase in the market capitalization of his client firms of more than $1 billion.

Most of Jordan's endorsement deals, including his first deal with Nike, were engineered by his agent, David Falk. Jordan has described Falk as "the best at what he does" and that "marketing-wise, he's great. He's the one who came up with the concept of 'Air Jordan.'"
Business ventures

In June 2010, Jordan was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 20th-most powerful celebrity in the world with $55 million earned between June 2009 and June 2010. According to the Forbes article, Jordan Brand generates $1 billion in sales for Nike. In June 2014, Jordan was named the first NBA player to become a billionaire, after he increased his stake in the Charlotte Hornets from 80% to 89.5%. On January 20, 2015, Jordan was honored with the Charlotte Business Journal's Business Person of the Year for 2014. In 2017, he became a part owner of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball.

Forbes designated Jordan as the athlete with the highest career earnings in 2017. From his Jordan Brand income and endorsements, Jordan's 2015 income was an estimated $110 million, the most of any retired athlete. As of 2021, his net worth is estimated at $1.6 billion by Forbes, making him the fifth-richest African-American, behind Robert F. Smith, David Steward, Oprah Winfrey, and Kanye West.

Jordan co-owns an automotive group which bears his name. The company has a Nissan dealership in Durham, North Carolina, acquired in 1990, and formerly had a Lincoln–Mercury dealership from 1995 until its closure in June 2009. The company also owned a Nissan franchise in Glen Burnie, Maryland. The restaurant industry is another business interest of Jordan's. Restaurants he has owned include a steakhouse in New York City's Grand Central Terminal, among others; that restaurant closed in 2018. Jordan is the majority investor in a golf course, Grove XXIII, under construction in Hobe Sound, Florida.

In September 2020, Jordan became an investor and advisor for DraftKings.
Philanthropy

From 2001 to 2014, Jordan hosted an annual golf tournament, the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, that raised money for various charities. In 2006, Jordan and his wife Juanita pledged $5 million to Chicago's Hales Franciscan High School. The Jordan Brand has made donations to Habitat for Humanity and a Louisiana branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation named Jordan its Chief Wish Ambassador in 2008. In 2013, he granted his 200th wish for the organization. As of 2019, he has raised more than $5 million for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

In 2015, Jordan donated a settlement of undisclosed size from a lawsuit against supermarkets that had used his name without permission to 23 different Chicago charities. In 2017, Jordan funded two Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte, North Carolina, by giving $7 million, the biggest donation he had made at the time. In 2018, after Hurricane Florence damaged parts of North Carolina, including his former hometown of Wilmington, Jordan donated $2 million to relief efforts. He gave $1 million to aid the Bahamas' recovery following Hurricane Dorian in 2019.

On June 5, 2020, in the wake of the protests following the murder of George Floyd, Jordan and his brand announced in a joint statement that they would be donating $100 million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to "ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education."

Film and television

Jordan played himself in the 1996 comedy film Space Jam. The film received mixed reviews, but it was a box office success, making $230 million worldwide, and earned more than $1 billion through merchandise sales.

In 2000, Jordan was the subject of an IMAX documentary about his career with the Chicago Bulls, especially the 1998 championship season, entitled Michael Jordan to the Max. Two decades later, the same period of Jordan's life was covered in much greater and more personal detail by the Emmy Award-winning The Last Dance, a 10-part TV documentary which debuted on ESPN in April and May 2020. The Last Dance relied heavily on about 500 hours of candid film of Jordan's and his teammates' off-court activities which an NBA Entertainment crew had shot over the course of the 1997–98 NBA season for use in a documentary. The project was delayed for many years because Jordan had not yet given his permission for the footage to be used. He was interviewed at three homes associated with the production and did not want cameras in his home or on his plane as "there are certain aspects of his life that he wants to keep private", according to director Jason Hehir. Jordon granted rapper Travis Scott permission to film a music video for his single "Franchise" at his home in Highland Park, Illinois, "without hesitation."

Books

Jordan has authored several books focusing on his life, basketball career, and world view.
Rare Air: Michael on Michael, with Mark Vancil and Walter Iooss (Harper San Francisco, 1993).
I Can't Accept Not Trying: Michael Jordan on the Pursuit of Excellence, with Mark Vancil and Sandro Miller (Harper San Francisco, 1994).
For the Love of the Game: My Story, with Mark Vancil (Crown Publishers, 1998).
Driven from Within, with Mark Vancil (Atria Books, 2005).


Mohan Kumar Raja

Mohan Kumar Raja is an Indian sprinter specializing in the 400 meters and 4x400 meters relay. Born on December 14, 1996, in Ambattur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, he comes from a modest family—his father worked as a small contractor for the local municipal corporation.

Early Life and Inspiration

Growing up in a poorer neighborhood, Mohan showed little interest in academics from a young age (he even failed Class 1 due to illness and struggled thereafter). At age 11, watching Usain Bolt win gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics inspired him to pursue athletics seriously. His school PT teacher played a crucial role, convincing school authorities not to hold him back academically and training him early on. As an under-14 athlete, he ran the 400m in around 53 seconds, improving to 49 seconds by college.

Education and Support

He studied BA in Economics at DG Vaishnav College in Chennai, where he won several medals. Financial struggles were significant—his family often pawned jewelry for equipment and travel, and coaches helped with expenses like flights to competitions.

Career Highlights

Mohan qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of India's six-member 4x400m relay team, becoming the youngest Indian athlete at those Games (aged 19). His selection came after winning gold in the 4x400m relay at the 2015 National Games in Kerala (representing Tamil Nadu).

Personal Bests (from World Athletics profile):

  • 400m: 46.55 seconds (2017)
  • Contribution to 4x400m relay: Part of teams achieving times like 3:06.61

He is listed as a former Asian champion in relay events. His story highlights overcoming poverty and lack of early academic focus to represent India on the global stage.

No recent competitive updates appear post-2016/2017 in available sources, suggesting he may have retired or stepped away from elite competition.
मरियप्पन थंगावेलु (Mariyappan Thangavelu)

मरियप्पन थंगावेलु का जन्म 28 जून, 1995 को तमिलनाडु के सलेम ज़िले में हुआ था। महज पांच साल की उम्र में मरियप्पन थंगावेलु को अपनी एक टांग गंवानी पड़ी थी। वह अपने घर के बाहर खेल रहे थे, जब एक बस ने उन्हें टक्कर मार दी। इस हादसे में उनकी दायीं टांग घुटने से नीचे पूरी तरह कुचली गई। उनका पैर पूरी तरह बेकार हो चुका था। एक साक्षात्कार में मरियप्पन ने बताया कि बस का चालक नशे में था, लेकिन इस बात से आखिर क्या फर्क पड़ता है? मेरा पैर पूरी तरह बेकार हो चुका था। मेरी टांग फिर कभी ठीक नहीं हुई। उनका परिवार आज भी सरकारी ट्रांसपोर्ट कंपनी के खिलाफ कोर्ट में केस लड़ रहा है। लेकिन यह हादसा भी मरियप्पन को रोक नहीं पाया। वह अब 21 साल के हो चुके हैं। 9 सितम्बर, 2016 को उन्होंने पुरुषों की टी42 ऊँची कूद में स्वर्ण पदक जीतकर इतिहास रच दिया। ब्राजील की राजधानी रियो डी जनेरो में हो रहे पैरालिंपिक खेलों में मरियप्पन ने सोने की छलांग लगाई।
एक बस ने पांच-वर्षीय मरियप्पन को टक्कर मार दी। इस दुर्घटना में उनका एक पैर कट गया। 17 वर्ष तक अदालत के कई चक्कर काटने के बाद मरियप्पन के परिवार को 2 लाख रुपए मुआवज़ा मिला। पर इसमें से 1 लाख रुपए वकीलों की फीस में चले गए। बाके के 1 लाख रुपए सरोज अम्मा ने मरियप्पन के भविष्य के लिए एक बैंक खाते में जमा कर दिए। सरोजा देवी ने मरियप्पन के इलाज के लिए 3 लाख का ऋण लिया था जो 2016 तक चुकाया नहीं गया है।

गरीबी के वजह से मरियप्पन के बड़े भाई टी कुमार स्कूल के आगे नहीं पढ़ पाए। लेकिन मरियप्पन ने छात्रवृत्ति के बल पर ए.वी.एस. महाविद्यालय से बीबीए की डिग्री पूरी की। इसी महाविद्यालय के द्रविड़ शारीरिक शिक्षा निदेशक ने उनकी प्रतिभा को पहचाना और उन्हें प्रोत्साहन दिया। इसके बाद बैंगलुरू के द्रविड प्रशिक्षक सत्या नारायण ने मरियप्पन को दो साल तक हर महीने 10 हज़ार रुपए और प्रशिक्षण दिया।

खेल करियर
बचपन में मारियप्पन को वॉलीबॉल खेलना अच्छा लगता था और अपने एक पैरे के खराब हो जाने के बावजूद वे इसे खेलते रहे। एक बार इनके शिक्षक ने कहा कि वे ऊंची कूद में हाथ क्यों नहीं आजमाते। मारियप्पन को बात जंच गई और 14 साल की उम्र में इन्होंने पहली बार ऊंची कूद की प्रतिस्पर्धा में हिस्सा लिया, वो भी सामान्य एथलीटों के खिलाफ। उस प्रतिस्पर्धा में वे दूसरे स्थान पर रहे।

2016 पैरालंपिक
2016 में मरियप्पन के चयन पैरालम्पिक खेलों की भारतीय टीम में हो गया। वरुण सिंह भाटी ने इस स्पर्धा में कांस्य पदक ही जीत पाए। केंद्र सरकार ने मरियप्पन को 75 लाख रुपये दिए, वहीं तमिलनाडु की मुख्यमंत्री श्रीमती जयललिता ने उन्हें बतौर पुरस्कार 2 करोड़ रुपये देने की घोषणा की है।

पुष्ट कैरियर
Mariyappan एक छात्र के रूप में वॉलीबॉल खेल मज़ा आया; बाद में, उनके स्कूल के शारीरिक शिक्षा अध्यापक ने उन्हें उच्च कूदने का प्रयास करने के लिए प्रोत्साहित किया। 14 वर्ष की आयु की अपनी पहली प्रतियोगी स्पर्धा में, वह सक्षम शरीर के प्रतिद्वंद्वियों के क्षेत्र में दूसरे स्थान पर रहे, जिसके बाद उन्होंने सालेम जिले में अपने सहपाठियों और अन्य लोगों से मजबूत प्रोत्साहन प्राप्त किया। 2013 में, उनके वर्तमान कोच श्री। सतयानरायण, जो कि भारत के खेल अकादमी के लिए अलग-अलग तरीके से समर्थित थे, ने पहले भारतीय राष्ट्रीय पैरा-एथलेटिक्स चैंपियनशिप में अपना प्रदर्शन देखा और औपचारिक रूप से उन्हें 2015 में एक छात्र के रूप में ले लिया, उन्हें बेंगलुरु पहुंचा दिया आगे कोचिंग के लिए

मार्च 2016 में, मारियप्पा ने ट्यूनीशिया में आईपीसी ग्रांड प्रिक्स में पुरुषों की ऊंची छलांग टी 42 प्रतियोगिता में 1.78 मीटर (5 फुट 10 डिग्री) की दूरी तय कर रियो पैरालिंपिक्स के लिए क्वालीफाइंग किया। रियो पैरालिंपिक्स में, उन्होंने 1.8 9 मीटर (6 फीट 2 डिग्री) की छलांग के साथ पुरुषों की ऊंची छलांग टी 42 स्पर्धा में स्वर्ण पदक जीता।

व्यक्तिगत जीवन
2015 में, मारिआप्पन ने एवीएस कॉलेज ऑफ आर्ट्स एंड साइंस से बिजनेस एडमिनिस्ट्रेशन में स्नातक की डिग्री पूरी की। वह उसी संस्थान से एमबीए पूरा करने की योजना बना रहा है।
उनकी एक बड़ी बहन सुधा और दो छोटे भाई कुमार और गोपी हैं।

पुरस्कार
मार्च, 2016 में मरियप्पन थंगावेलु ने 1.78 मीटर की छलांग लगाकर रियो के लिए क्वॉलिफाइ किया था, जबकि क्वॉलिफिकेश मार्क 1.60 मीटर था। उनके प्रदर्शन से इस बात का अंदाजा लग गया था कि ओलिंपिक का पदक उनकी पहुंच से दूर नहीं है। मरियप्पन को भारत सरकार की ओर से पैरालिंपिक में स्वर्ण पदक जीतने पर 75 लाख रुपये की इनामी राशि तो मिली ही है, साथ ही तमिलनाडु सरकार ने भी उन्हें दो करोड़ रुपये का पुरस्कार देने का ऐलान किया है

पुरस्कार और मान्यता
पद्म श्री (2017) - भारत का चौथा उच्चतम राष्ट्रीय सम्मान
तमिलनाडु सरकार की ओर से à 2 ¤ 2 à à à à ¡¤ ¼ (यूएस $ 3,10,000)
युवा मामलों और खेलों के मंत्रालय से 75% से अधिक (यूएस $ 120,000)
सामाजिक न्याय और अधिकारिता मंत्रालय से 30% से अधिक राशि (यूएस $ 47,000)
सचिन तेंदुलकर द्वारा स्थापित निधि से 15,000,000 डॉलर (23,000 अमेरिकी डॉलर) विभिन्न निगमों
यशराज फिल्म्स से 10 लाख रुपये से अधिक (यूएस $ 16,000)
दिल्ली गोल्फ क्लब से 10 लाख रुपये से अधिक (यूएस $ 16,000)अनिवासी भारतीय व्यापारी Mukkattu सेबस्टियन से 5 साल की अवधि में 7,800 डॉलर


Michael Phelps
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Phelps
Phelps at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full name Michael Fred Phelps II
Nickname(s) "The Baltimore Bullet"
"Flying Fish"
National team  United States
Born June 30, 1985 
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight 194 lb (88 kg)
Spouse(s) Nicole Johnson
Sport
Sport Swimming
Coach Bob Bowman

Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (23), Olympic gold medals in individual events (13), and Olympic medals in individual events (16). When Phelps won eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, he broke fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Phelps already tied the record of eight medals of any color at a single Games by winning six gold and two bronze medals. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps won four gold and two silver medals, and at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he won five gold medals and one silver. This made him the most successful athlete of the Games for the fourth Olympics in a row.

Phelps is the long course world record holder in the men's 400-meter individual medley as well as the former long course world record holder in the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, and 200-meter individual medley. He has won 82 medals in major international long course competitions, of which 65 were gold, 14 silver, and three bronze, spanning the Olympics, the World Championships, and the Pan Pacific Championships. Phelps's international titles and record-breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award eight times and American Swimmer of the Year Award eleven times, as well as the FINA Swimmer of the Year Award in 2012 and 2016. Phelps earned Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year award due to his unprecedented Olympic success in the 2008 Games.

After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Phelps started the Michael Phelps Foundation, which focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles. Phelps retired following the 2012 Olympics, but he made a comeback in April 2014. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro his fifth Olympics, he was selected by his team to be the flag bearer of the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations. He announced his second retirement on August 12, 2016, having won more medals than 161 countries. He is widely regarded as the greatest swimmer of all time and is often considered to be one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Early life

Phelps was born in Baltimore, Maryland,[6] and raised in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood of nearby Towson. He attended Rodgers Forge Elementary, Dumbarton Middle School, and Towson High School. Phelps is the youngest of three children. His mother, Deborah Sue "Debbie" Phelps (née Davisson), is a middle school principal. His father, Michael Fred Phelps, is a retired Maryland State Trooper who played football in high school and college and tried out for the Washington Football Team in the 1970s. Phels is of English, German, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh descent His parents divorced in 1994 when he was nine years old, and his father remarried in 2000. Phelps later revealed that the divorce had a severe negative impact on him and his siblings, and his relationship with his father was distant for a few years after the divorce. He graduated from Towson High School in 2003.

Phelps began swimming at the age of seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his energy. After retirement in 2016, he stated "The only reason I ever got in the water was my mom wanted me to just learn how to swim. My sisters and myself fell in love with the sport, and we decided to swim." When Phelps was in the sixth grade, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). By the age of 10, he held a national record for his age group (in the 100-meter butterfly) and began to train at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under coach Bob Bowman. More age group records followed, and as of August 21, 2018, Phelps still held 11 age group records, eight in long course, and three in short course.

Career
2000 Summer Olympics

Phelps's rapid improvement culminated when he qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15, as he became the youngest male (since Ralph Flanagan in 1932) to make a U.S. Olympic swim team in 68 years. While he did not win a medal, he did make the finals and finished fifth in the 200-meter butterfly.

2001 World championships
 200 m butterfly 1:54.58 (WR)

At the World Championship Trials for the 2001 World Aquatics Championships, on March 30, Phelps broke the world record in the 200-meter butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest male ever to set a world record in swimming. Previously the youngest male had been Ian Thorpe, who captured the 400-meter freestyle world record at 16 years, 10 months. At the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Phelps broke his own world record in the 200-meter butterfly while en route to become a world champion for the first time.

2002 Pan Pacific championships
Phelps in 2002
 200 m medley 1:59.70
 400 m medley 4:12.48
 4×100 m medley 3:33.48 (WR)
 200 m butterfly 1.55.41


At Nationals, the selection meet for the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Phelps set an American record in the 200-meter individual medley and was just off the world record in the 200-meter butterfly. In the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps bettered the world record held by Tom Dolan with a time of 4:11.09, just ahead of Erik Vendt, who finished second with a time of 4:11.27, also below the old world record. In the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps was barely beaten by Klete Keller and in the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps beat Ian Crocker.

At the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Yokohama, Japan, Phelps won three gold medals and two silvers. In his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps won gold ahead of Erik Vendt with a time of 4:12.48. In the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps lost to Tom Malchow, finishing behind him 1:55.41 to 1:55.21. Phelps said he lost because he did not take butterfly training seriously after he broke the world record. In the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps won with a time of 1:59.70. In the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Nate Dusing, Klete Keller, and Chad Carvin, won the silver medal with a time 7:11.81 finishing behind Australia. The U.S. 4×100-meter medley relay team consisted of Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Phelps, and Ian Crocker. In the final for the medley relay, Phelps swam a 51.1 split, at the time the fastest split in history. The final time of 3:33.48 was a world record.

2003 World championships
 200 m butterfly 1:54.35
 200 m medley 1:56.04 (WR)
 400 m medley 4:09.09 (WR)
 4×100 m medley 3:31.54 (WR) (Phelps swam in heats only)

At Nationals, Phelps won the 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter backstroke, and the 100-meter butterfly. He became the first American swimmer to win three different races in three different strokes at a national championship. At the 2003 Duel in the Pool, a meet that pits swimming stars from Australia and the United States, Phelps broke the world record in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:10.73 and almost broke the world record in the 100-meter butterfly, just missing the record by 0.03 seconds. At a meet in Santa Clara County, California, Phelps broke the world record in the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 1:57.94. Phelps said he broke the 200-meter individual medley world record after Don Talbot said Phelps was unproven, using his words as motivation.

At the 2003 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won four gold medals, two silver medals, and broke five world records. Phelps broke his first world record on July 22 in the semi-finals for the 200-meter butterfly. Phelps swam a 1:53.93 to break his own world record of 1:54.58 set in 2001 and became the first man to swim under 1:54.00. In the final of the 200-meter butterfly, on July 23, Phelps easily won the gold medal, but did not come close to his world record with a time of 1:54.35. Less than an hour later, Phelps swam the lead-off leg for the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Phelps put up a solid time of 1:46.60 (an American record) but the Americans could not match the depth of the Australians and ultimately finished second 7:10.26 to 7:08.58. In the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps dominated. On July 24, in the semi-finals of the 200-meter individual medley, he broke his own world record with a time of 1:57.52. On July 25, in the final of the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps smashed his own record with a time of 1:56.04 to win the gold medal and finished almost 3 seconds ahead of Ian Thorpe. About an hour before the final of the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps swam in the semi-finals of the 100-meter butterfly. Phelps dominated again, finishing in the top seed position with a world record time of 51.47. However, in the final of the 100-meter butterfly, on July 26, Ian Crocker erased Phelps's world record with a time of 50.98, to become the first man under 51 seconds. Phelps swam a 51.10 (also under his former world record), but had to settle for silver. In the final of the 400-meter individual medley, on July 27, Phelps broke his own world record with a time of 4:09.09 to easily claim the gold medal. About half an hour later, Phelps earned his final gold medal when the United States team won the 4×100-meter medley relay. Phelps did not swim in the finals, but still earned a medal because he swam in the heats.

2004 Summer Olympics
Trials

At the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Phelps competed in six events; the 200- and 400-meter individual medley, the 100- and 200-meter butterfly, the 200-meter freestyle, and the 200-meter backstroke. In his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps easily won with a world record time of 4:08.41. Two days later, in the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:46.27, finishing sixth-tenths of a second ahead of Klete Keller. Phelps, however, was not pleased with the result and wanted to be in the 1:45s and was uncertain if he would swim the event in Athens. The following day, Phelps won in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 1:54.31, three seconds ahead of second-place finisher Tom Malchow. After two days off, Phelps was back in the pool and finished second to Aaron Peirsol (who broke the world record) in the 200-meter backstroke. Less than half an hour later, Phelps won the 200-meter individual medley title ahead of Ryan Lochte by 2.70 seconds. The following day, Phelps finished second to Ian Crocker in the 100-meter butterfly. Crocker won in a time of 50.76, a world record and 0.39 seconds ahead of Phelps. When the Trials were over, Phelps became the first person to qualify in six individual events for a U.S. Olympic team. However, Phelps dropped the 200-meter backstroke to focus on the 200-meter freestyle because he wanted to race Ian Thorpe. Even though Phelps did not compete in the 100-meter freestyle at the Trials, he was still selected for the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Gary Hall, Jr. thought this was unfair and said Phelps did not deserve a spot on the relay. Phelps argued his program was too crowded to compete in 100-meter freestyle and was at least among the top four swimmers because he had beaten the top-seeded Jason Lezak the last time he had swum against him.

 100 m butterfly 51.25 (OR)
 200 m butterfly 1:54.04 (OR)
 200 m medley 1:57.14 (OR)
 400 m medley 4:08.26 (WR)
 4×200 m freestyle 7:07.33 (NR)
 4×100 m medley 3:30.68 (WR) (Phelps swam in heats only)
 200 m freestyle 1:45.32 (NR)

Athens

In his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps won his first Olympic gold medal in the world record time of 4:08.26. The following day, Phelps, along with Ian Crocker, Neil Walker, and Jason Lezak, finished in third place in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay with a time of 3:14.62. Crocker's lead-off time of 50.05 was the worst among the field and was blamed on sickness. In the event many were calling The Race of the Century, the 200-meter freestyle that was held the following day, Phelps finished in third place behind Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband. Although this race ended the chance to match Spitz's record, Phelps had savored the challenge even though it was not his strongest event, saying "How can I be disappointed? I swam in a field with the two fastest freestylers of all time". In his fourth event, the 200-meter butterfly, held the following day, Phelps won a gold medal with a time of 1:54.04, breaking Tom Malchow's Olympic record. About an hour later, in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay, and Klete Keller, finished in first place with a time of 7:07.33. Two days later, in the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps finished first with a time of 1:57.14, an Olympic record In the 100-meter butterfly final, held the following day, Phelps defeated American teammate Ian Crocker (who held the world record in the event at the time) by just 0.04 seconds with a time of 51.25. Traditionally, the American who places highest in an individual event will be automatically given the corresponding leg in the 4×100-meter medley relay final. This gave Phelps an automatic entry into the medley relay, but he deferred and Crocker swam instead. Phelps's gesture gave Crocker a chance to make amends (for a mistake at the start of a previous race) as well, getting his final shot at a gold medal. The American medley team went on to win the event in world-record time, and, since Phelps had raced in a preliminary heat of the medley relay, he was also awarded a gold medal along with the team members who competed in the final. In winning six gold and two bronze medals, Phelps, still a teenager, had the second-best performance ever at a single Olympics, behind Mark Spitz's seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Also, he became the second male swimmer ever to win more than two individual titles at a single Games with four, tying Spitz's four from 1972.
2005 World championships
Victory lap of the 100 m butterfly during the 2005 FINA World Championships in Montréal. Phelps is far right.

 200 m freestyle 1:45.20 (NR)
 200 m medley 1:56.68
 4×100 m freestyle 3:13.77 (CR)
 4×100 m medley 3:31.85 (Phelps swam in heats only)

At the 2005 World Championship Trials, Phelps decided to drop his specialty events, the 400-meter individual medley and the 200-meter butterfly, and experiment with the 400-meter freestyle and the 100-meter freestyle. Phelps went on to win the 400-meter freestyle, the 200-meter freestyle, the 100-meter butterfly, the 100-meter freestyle, and the 200-meter individual medley at the Trials.

At the 2005 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won a total of six medals, five golds and one silver. In the 400-meter freestyle, Phelps did not make it past the preliminary heats and finished 18th overall with a time of 3:50.53. Later that day, in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps won his first gold in the Championships. Two days later, on July 26, Phelps won his second gold in the 200-meter freestyle with a new American national record (NR) time of 1:45.20, finishing ahead of Grant Hackett.Two days later, on July 28, Phelps finished seventh in the 100-meter freestyle final. Later that day, Phelps won his third gold in the 200-meter individual medley. On July 29, Phelps, along with Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay and Klete Keller, won the gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay with a time of 7:06.58. This was the fourth gold medal for Phelps. On July 30, Phelps swam in his last individual event, the 100-meter butterfly. In the final, Phelps could not match the speed of Ian Crocker and had to settle for silver, finishing 51.65 to 50.40, a new world record for Crocker. On July 31, Phelps earned his final gold medal when the United States team won the 4×100-meter medley relay. Phelps did not swim in the finals but still earned a medal because he swam in the heats.

2006 Pan Pacific championships

 200 m butterfly 1:53.80 (WR)
 200 m medley 1:55.84 (WR)
 400 m medley 4:10.47 (CR)
 4×100 m freestyle 3:12.46 (WR)
 4×200 m freestyle 7:05.28 (CR)
 200 m backstroke 1:56.81


At the 2006 National Championships, Phelps won three events. In his first event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won with a championship record of 1:54.32. In his second event, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps just edged out Ian Crocker 51.51 (another championship record) to 51.73. In his third event, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps won with a time of 1:56.50, just ahead of Ryan Lochte's time of 1:56.78.

At the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Victoria, British Columbia, Phelps won five gold medals and one silver. In his first event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won in a world record time of 1:53.80, his first world record in two years. In his second event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps easily won with a time of 4:10.47, 3.38 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Robert Margalis. In his third event, the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay, and Klete Keller, won the gold medal with a time of 7:05.28. In his fourth event, the 200-meter backstroke, Phelps won the silver medal, finishing behind Aaron Peirsol 1:56.81 to 1:54.44 (a new world record). In his fifth event, the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Neil Walker, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak, won the gold medal with a world-record time 3:12.46. In his sixth event, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps won with a world record time of 1:55.84, breaking his record of 1:55.94 set in 2003.

2007 World championships

At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won seven gold medals, tying the record for a global long-course championship held by Mark Spitz since the 1972 Summer Olympics, and broke five world records.Ph elps first gold medal came in the 4×100-meter freestyle. Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 48.42 seconds and Neil Walker, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak each expanded the lead to win in a Championship record of 3:12.72, just missing the world record of 3:12.46 set the previous year. His lead-off time was faster than the winning time in the individual 100-meter freestyle final later in the meet. Phelps set his first world record in the Championships in the 200-meter freestyle, his second race. Phelps won the gold ahead of Pieter van den Hoogenband and broke Ian Thorpe's six-year-old world record with a time of 1:43.86. For his third race, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won the gold and bettered his own world record of 1:53.71 with a time of 1:52.09. For his fourth race, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps set his third world record with a time of 1:54.98, bettering his own world-record time of 1:55.84 For his fifth race, the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 1:45.36 as the American team of Ryan Lochte, Klete Keller, and Peter Vanderkaay went on to win the gold medal and beat the previous world record set by Australia in 2001 with a time 7:03.24. For his sixth race, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps edged out Ian Crocker 50.77 to 50.82 to win his sixth gold medal. For his seventh event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps won the gold medal in a world-record time of 4:06.22, more than 3.5 seconds ahead of Ryan Lochte. By winning seven gold medals, Phelps broke the record of six set by Ian Thorpe at the 2001 World Championships. The 4×100-meter medley relay team received a disqualification for a false start during a changeover in the heats, ending Phelps's chance of eight gold medals.

Even though Phelps competed in the backstroke in international competition only once (at the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships), he was among the best backstroke swimmers in the world. This is illustrated by his personal best times set in 2007, four months after the World Championships. At the US Nationals in Indianapolis on August 1, 2007, Phelps swam a 1:54.65 in the 200-meter backstroke, which was the third fastest of all time in the event, 0.33 of a second off the world record of 1:54.32 held by Ryan Lochte. Two days later Phelps swam a time of 53.01 sec in the 100-meter backstroke, 0.03 of a second short of the world record of 52.98 held by Aaron Peirsol and the second-fastest performance of all time. In 2007 Phelps swam into the all-time top three performances in seven individual events, four of these being world records.

2008 Summer Olympics

 200 m freestyle 1:42.96 (WR)
 100 m butterfly 50.58 (OR)
 200 m butterfly 1:52.03 (WR)
 200 m medley 1:54.23 (WR)
 400 m medley 4:03.84 (WR)
 4×100 m freestyle 3:08.24 (WR)
 4×200 m freestyle 6:58.56 (WR)
 4×100 m medley 3:29.34 (WR)

Trials

At the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Phelps competed in six individual events. In his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps broke his own world record of 4:06.22 with a time of 4:05.25. In his second event, the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:44.10, ahead of Peter Vanderkaay's time 1:45.85. In his third event, the 100-meter freestyle, Phelps placed second in his heat with a time of 47.92, ensuring him a spot on the relay. In his fourth event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won with a time of 1:52.20. In his fifth event, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps broke his own world record of 1:54.98 with a time of 1:54.80. In his sixth and final event, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won with a time of 50.89. When asked about his chances of winning eight gold medals in Beijing, Phelps said, "I am going to prepare for that meet just like I do every other meet ... There is only so much I can do in a month and then I am going to prepare myself the best that I can."
Beijing

Phelps set an Olympic record in the preliminary heats of the 400-meter individual medley. He followed that up in the final by winning the gold medal, as well as breaking his previous world record by nearly two seconds.

Phelps swam the first leg of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay in a time of 47.51 seconds (an American record for the 100-meter freestyle), and won his second gold medal of the 2008 Olympics, as well as setting his second world record of the Olympics (3:08.24). Teammate Jason Lezak, after beginning the anchor leg more than half a body length behind Alain Bernard, managed to finish ahead of the favored French swimmer by eight hundredths of a second. The top five teams in the final finished ahead of the world record of 3:12.23 set the previous day by the American B team in a preliminary heat. Phelps remarked that Bernard's pre-race comments of "smashing the Americans" had "fired me up more than anything else". Le Nouvel Observateur noted "Phelps taking the time to applaud and console Bernard" and wrote that this sportsmanship was "proof that the person who swims in the wake of Mark Spitz is also a great gentleman."

For his third race, Phelps broke his previous world record in the 200-meter freestyle by nearly a second and won his third gold medal. He also set his third world record at the Olympics, 1:42.96, winning by nearly two seconds over silver medalist Park Tae-hwan. In this race, Phelps became the fifth Olympic athlete in modern history to win nine gold medals, joining Mark Spitz, Larisa Latynina, Paavo Nurmi, and Carl Lewis.
Phelps holds his gold medal on the podium on August 10, 2008. Pictured with Ryan Lochte and László Cseh.

The next day, Phelps participated in two finals. In his first event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps made it four gold medals and world records in four events by swimming the final in 1:52.03, defeating silver medalist László Cseh by almost seven-tenths of a second despite his goggles' having filled up with water and being unable to "see anything for the last 100 meters. This fourth gold medal was his tenth, and made him the all-time leader for most Olympic gold medals won by an individual in the modern Olympic era. Moreover, Phelps became the first swimmer, male or female, to win three Olympic butterfly titles, after his two titles in the Athens 2004 Olympics. He also became the first swimmer to successfully defend an Olympic butterfly title.

Less than one hour after his gold medal victory in the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps swam the lead-off leg of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. With Lochte, Ricky Berens, and Peter Vanderkaay, he won his fifth gold and set his fifth world record as the American team finished first with a time of 6:58.56. The Americans were the first team to break the seven-minute mark in the relay, and broke the previous record, set in Melbourne, Australia, by more than four and a half seconds.

After taking a day off from finals (Phelps did swim in qualifying heats), Phelps won his sixth gold of the Beijing Games on August 15 by winning the 200-meter individual medley with a world record time of 1:54.23, finishing ahead of Cseh by over two seconds.
Seventh gold medal
Phelps (in black cap) starting the 4 x 100m relay at the Beijing Olympic Games, August 11, 2008

Before the final of the 100-meter butterfly, US born Serbian swimmer Milorad Čavić caused a minor stir when he said it would be "good" if Phelps lost. "It'd be good for him if he loses. It would be nice if historians talk about Michael Phelps winning seven gold medals and losing the eighth to 'some guy.' I'd like to be that guy", Čavić said. Phelps responded, "When people say things like that, it fires me up more than anything." On August 16, Phelps won his seventh gold medal of the Games in the men's 100-meter butterfly, setting an Olympic record for the event with a time of 50.58 seconds and edging out his nearest competitor Čavić, by one hundredth (0.01) of a second.

Unlike all six of his previous events in the 2008 Games, Phelps did not set a new world record, leaving intact Ian Crocker's world-record time of 50.40 seconds, set in 2005.

Phelps's finish 0.01 seconds ahead of Čavić prompted the Serbian delegation to file a protest. Subsequent analysis of the video by the FINA panel, which required analyzing frames shot 1/10,000th of a second apart, was used to officially confirm Phelps's victory, but the images were not immediately released to the press. The initial refusal by official timekeeper Omega to release underwater photos of the finish also raised questions due to Phelps's sponsorship relationship with Omega. Čavić later wrote in his blog, "People, this is the greatest moment of my life. If you ask me, it should be accepted and we should move on. I've accepted defeat, and there's nothing wrong with losing to the greatest swimmer there has ever been."

Epic. It goes to show you that not only is this guy the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he's maybe the greatest athlete of all time. He's the greatest racer who ever walked the planet. (2008)

—Mark Spitz (on Phelps winning his 7th gold medal)


Phelps's seventh gold medal of the Games tied Mark Spitz's record for gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, set in the 1972 Olympics. It was also his fifth individual gold medal in Beijing, tying the record for individual gold medals at a single Games originally set by Eric Heiden in the 1980 Winter Olympics and equaled by Vitaly Scherbo at the 1992 Summer Games. Said Phelps upon setting his seventh-straight Olympic record of the Games in as many events, "Dream as big as you can dream, and anything is possible ... I am sort of in a dream world. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it is real."
Michael Phelps celebrates with his teammates after winning his 8th gold medal.
All-time record

On August 17, Phelps won his eighth gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay, breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, which had stood since 1972. Phelps, along with teammates Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol, and Jason Lezak, set a new world record in the event with a time of 3 minutes and 29.34 seconds, 0.7 seconds ahead of second-place Australia and 1.34 seconds faster than the previous record set by the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. When Phelps dived in to swim the 100-meter butterfly leg, the third leg of the 400-meter medley, the United States had been trailing Australia and Japan. Phelps completed his split in 50.1 seconds, the fastest butterfly split ever for the event, giving teammate Jason Lezak a more than half-second lead for the final leg, which he held onto to clinch the event in world record time. Said Phelps, upon completing the event that awarded him his eighth gold medal and eighth Olympic record in as many events, "Records are always made to be broken no matter what they are ... Anybody can do anything that they set their mind to."

2009 World championships

 100 m butterfly 49.82 (WR)
 200 m butterfly 1:51.51 (WR)
 4×100 m freestyle 3:09.21 (CR)
 4×200 m freestyle 6:58.55 (WR)
 4×100 m medley 3:27.28 (WR)
 200 m freestyle 1:43.22

At the 2009 National Championships, Phelps drastically shortened his program, swimming in only three individual events. In his first event, the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:44.23. In his second event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps easily won with a time of 1:52.76, 0.88 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. In his third event, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won with a world-record time of 50.22.
Phelps (center) before the start of the 200-meter butterfly semi-final during 2009 FINA World Championships

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won a total of 6 medals, 5 golds and 1 silver. In his first event, the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 47.78, well off his 47.51 performance in Beijing, but the American team was able to edge out Russia and France for the gold. For his second race, the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps lost his first race in four years to Germany's Paul Biedermann. Phelps touched second in 1:43.22, but Biedermann smashed Phelps's record of 1:42.96 set in Beijing a year ago with a time of 1:42.00. Phelps took the silver graciously, but coach Bob Bowman threatened to withdraw Phelps from international competition because Bowman claimed Biedermann had an unfair advantage because he was wearing a full polyurethane swimsuit, specifically an Arena X-Glide. Bowman said, "It took me five years to get Michael from 1:46 to 1:42 and this guy has done it in 11 months. That's an amazing training performance. I'd like to know how to do that."Phelps rebounded from this loss and for his third race, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won the gold and broke his own world record of 1:52.03 with a time of 1:51.51. For his fourth race, the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 1:44.49 as the team went on to win the gold medal and break the world record set the previous year. After his loss in the 200-meter freestyle, many thought Phelps was vulnerable coming into the final for the 100-meter butterfly. His closest competitor, Milorad Čavić, who wore an Arena X-Glide (the same suit Biedermann beat Phelps with), thought people were making excuses for Phelps because he was wearing an LZR Racer. Čavić even offered to buy Phelps a new suit. For his fifth race, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won the gold and became the first man to complete it in under 50 seconds, beating Čavić 49.82 to 49.95. The victory prompted a fierce celebration from Phelps. For his final event, the 4×100-meter medley relay, Phelps won his fifth gold medal. Phelps, along with teammates Aaron Peirsol, Eric Shanteau, and David Walters, set a new world record in the event with a time of 3 minutes, 27.28 seconds.

2010 Pan Pacific championships

 200 m butterfly 1:54.11
 4×100 m medley 3:32.48

At the 2010 National Championships, Phelps competed in five individual events. In the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won ahead of Ryan Lochte in a time of 1:45.61. About an hour later, Phelps returned to the pool to win the 200-meter butterfly. But Phelps was not happy with his performance and called it the "worst" 200-meter butterfly of his life. In the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won his 50th national title in 50.65. After the race, Phelps said he was "fairly pleased" with the result. In the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps finished second to Lochte 1:55.94 to 1:54.84. It was the first time Lochte had beat Phelps in a major national meet. In the 200-meter backstroke, Phelps finished in 4th place in 1:56.98.

On the first day of competition at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Phelps opted out swimming in the final of the 200-meter freestyle to focus on the 200-meter butterfly. In the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps led from start to finish, coming in first with a time of 1:54.11. Although it was much slower than his 1:51.51 time from the previous year, Phelps had not lost a 200-meter butterfly final since 2002. On day two of the competition, Phelps swam in the heats of the 400-meter individual medley and contributed in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. In the heats of the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps failed to make the A final, with Lochte and Tyler Clary taking the top two American positions. Phelps did not swim in the B final of the 400-meter individual medley. In the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, with Peter Vanderkaay, Ricky Berens, and Lochte, finished first ahead of Japan and Australia. On day three of the competition, Phelps competed in the 100-meter butterfly and contributed in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. In the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps finished first in a time of 50.86, a championship record.the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, with Lochte, Jason Lezak, and Nathan Adrian, finished first ahead of Australia and South Africa. As the lead-off leg in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps set the championship record in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 48.13.[ I his final event, Phelps swam in the 4×100-meter medley relay with Aaron Peirsol, Mark Gangloff, and Adrian and finished first ahead of Japan and Australia.

2011 World championships

 200 m butterfly 1:53.34
 4×100 m medley 3:32.06
 200 m freestyle 1:44.79
 200 m medley 1:54.16

In his first event at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, Phelps won bronze in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay with Garrett Weber-Gale, Jason Lezak, and Nathan Adrian. This was Phelps's first bronze in a World Aquatics Championships. Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 48.08, the second-best lead-off in the field behind James Magnussen's 47.49. In his second event, the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won silver for the second consecutive time at a World Aquatics Championships. This time he finished second to Ryan Lochte in the event with a time of 1:44.79, compared to Lochte's time of 1:44.44. In his third final, the 200-meter butterfly, he won his first gold medal with a time of 1:53.34 to become the first swimmer to win five gold medals in one discipline at the World Aquatics Championships. In his fourth event, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps again finished second to Lochte in a personal best of 1:54.16, which was 0.16 behind Lochte who swam a new world record. It was Phelps's 30th medal in the World Aquatics Championships. Shortly after completing the semi-finals of the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps competed in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay with Peter Vanderkaay, Ricky Berens, and Ryan Lochte. Phelps's team won the gold medal in a time of 7:02.67. Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 1:45.53, the third-best leg in the field. In the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won his third consecutive title (also winning in 2007 and 2009) and second individual title of the meet with a time of 50.71. In his last event, the 4×100-meter medley relay, Phelps teamed with Nick Thoman, Mark Gangloff, and Nathan Adrian to win gold in a time of 3:32.06. Phelps's butterfly leg of 50.57 was by far the fastest butterfly leg in the field.

2012 Summer Olympics

 200 m medley 1:54.27
 4×100 m medley 3:29.35
 200 m butterfly 1:53.01

Trials

For the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps originally stated he would never do eight events again, and would instead try new events. Phelps said, "I keep saying I want to go down and start sprinting, but Bob [Bowman, Phelps's coach] really isn't so keen on that ... I don't think that's going to happen ... Over the next four years, I'd like to try some different events, maybe not do some of the events I did here." However, at the 2012 United States Olympic Trials, the qualifying meet for the 2012 Summer Olympics, Phelps qualified in the same eight events that he swam in Beijing in 2008. He later dropped the 200-meter freestyle from his program, as he stated he wanted to focus on the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. During the trials, Phelps finished first in the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley, and second in the 400-meter individual medley. In making his fourth Olympic team, Phelps holds the record for men for the most Olympic appearances in swimming representing the United States.

London
In his 100m butterfly heat, Phelps (fourth from top) was 8th at the 50m split before winning his heat and qualifying for the semi-finals

On July 28, 2012, Phelps placed eighth in the morning prelims for the 400-meter individual medley. Phelps, the two-time defending Olympic champion, won his heat in 4 minutes, 13.33 seconds with a time that was well off his world record of 4:03.84 set four years earlier in Beijing, when Phelps won a record eight gold medals. He out-touched László Cseh by 0.07 seconds in his heat to qualify last for the final, locking out Cseh. In his first finals of the Summer Olympics, Phelps placed fourth behind fellow American Ryan Lochte, Thiago Pereira of Brazil, and Kosuke Hagino of Japan in the 400-meter individual medley. It was the first time Phelps failed to medal in an Olympic event since 2000. The next night, in his second event of the Games, he got a silver as a member of the 4×100-meter free relay. Phelps swam the fastest leg of the US relay team and the second-fastest of anyone in the race.

On July 31, 2012, Phelps won a silver medal in the 200-meter butterfly behind South African Chad le Clos by 5/100ths of a second, and a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, thereby equaling and then surpassing Larisa Latynina to become the all-time record holder for most Olympic medals won. Latynina was present at the race and asked to be the presenter of Phelps's medal, but was told that Olympic rules would not allow it. She called Phelps deserving of the record.

On August 2, 2012, Phelps won his 16th Olympic gold medal when he edged out Ryan Lochte to win the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 1:54.27, and by that victory also became the first male swimmer to win the same event in three consecutive Olympics. Rebecca Soni and Phelps (twice) are the only swimmers to successfully defend an individual title from the 2008 Games. This win also marked Phelps's fifth Olympic title in the individual medley, breaking the record of four shared by Hungarian Tamás Darnyi and Ukrainian Yana Klochkova.

He repeated the achievement of winning the same event at three Olympics the following evening, winning the Olympic gold medal in the 100 m butterfly, his last individual event. After two very close victories in the 100 m butterfly at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics (by 0.04 and 0.01 sec, respectively), in this race Phelps beat Le Clos and Yevgeny Korotyshkin, who tied for silver, by 0.23 sec.

Phelps's final event was the 4×100-meter medley relay in which he went on to win his 18th career gold medal and his 22nd overall. By winning 4 gold and 2 silver medals, Phelps concluded the 2012 Olympics as the most successful swimmer of the meet for the third Olympics in a row. After his last event, the international swimming federation FINA honored Phelps with an award commemorating his standing as the most decorated Olympian ever.

First retirement

After the 2012 Olympics, Phelps retired from swimming, stating: "I'm done. I'm finished. I'm retired. I'm done. No more," and that "I just wanted to be done with swimming and didn't want anything to do with the sport anymore."

2014 comeback from retirement

 4×100 m medley 3:29.94 (CR)
 200 m medley 1:56.04

In April 2014, Phelps announced he would come out of retirement, and would enter an event later that month. In May 2014, he won the 100-meter butterfly event at the Arena Grand Prix in Charlotte, North Carolina. Phelps was reportedly motivated by the national team's failure to win the men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay since their Beijing 2008 and Rome 2009 titles. The relationship between Phelps and coach Bob Bowman had deteriorated in the preparations for London 2012, so Phelps convinced a skeptical Bowman that he "wasn't training for history. He wasn't training for the medals. He wasn't even training for all the fans. This time Phelps wanted to swim for himself...and enjoy the journey". Since his returning from retirement in 2014, Phelps "scaled back his calorie intake" and "increased his postswim ice baths". By the 2016 Olympic Trials, despite his age Phelps "felt physically stronger in the water, perhaps because of drills Bowman added to his pool workouts, like multiple repeats of 40 seconds of dolphin kicking while hugging a 10-pound weight to his chest".

2015 US Nationals

After having been dropped from the team for the 2015 World Aquatics Championships for a DUI, Phelps instead competed in the US National Championships (long course) in San Antonio as his target meet of the summer. He won gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly (50.45 s), 200-meter butterfly (1:52.94), and the 200-meter individual medley (1:54.75). In each of these events he swam the fastest time in the world for 2015.

In December 2015 at the Winter Nationals in Federal Way, Phelps won titles in the same three events, again in long course, bringing his career total to 62 national titles.

2016 Summer Olympics

 200 m butterfly 1:53.36
 200 m medley 1:54.66
 4×100 m medley 3:27.95 (OR)

Trials

At the US trials in Omaha for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Phelps won the 200 m butterfly (1:54.84), the 200 m individual medley (1:55.91), and the 100 m butterfly (51.00 s) events. This made him the first American male swimmer, and the second American swimmer overall after Dara Torres, to qualify for a fifth Olympics. Phelps's 100 m freestyle times at the Trials were not impressive. However at a final training camp in Atlanta a week before heading to Rio, Phelps put out "the fourth-fastest flat-start time of the year" in a 100 free time trial, automatically securing one of the seven spots on the Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay for the Olympics.

Rio de Janeiro

Phelps was chosen to be the American flag bearer at the opening ceremony, which was the first Olympic opening ceremony that he would attend. Phelps was also voted by the U.S. Olympic swim team as one of six team captains for the US delegation to the Olympics. He displayed a relaxed sociable demeanor in the athletes' village and in press conferences; this pleasant behavior was in stark contrast to his isolation in previous Olympics.He was accompanied by fiancée Nicole Johnson and son Boomer.

In his first event on August 7, the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, he won his first gold medal of the 2016 Games and his 19th Olympic gold medal overall. Phelps swam the second leg with what his coach Bob Bowman described as "maybe the best turn that's ever been done", overtaking France's Fabien Gilot to give his American teammates a lead which they would not relinquish. Phelps's leg proved to be the decisive factor in the race, and Gilot later remarked "As fast as my teammates were, the extraterrestrial that is Phelps was faster". Phelps achieved a split time of 47.12, the fourth-fastest of the field (the three fastest times were posted by the team anchors), which was also faster than any of his relay splits at the last three Olympics.
Phelps carrying the flag on behalf of athletes from the United States during the parade of nation within the 2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony

In his second event on August 9, the 200-meter butterfly, he became the first swimmer in history to make five finals in the same event, after finishing 5th in 2000, 1st in 2004 and 2008, and 2nd in 2012.(Federica Pellegrini would be the second swimmer to do so at the 2020 Olympics.) At Rio, he won the title that he had lost to Chad le Clos four years earlier in London, edging Masato Sakai by 0.04 s. Phelps stated that winning back this title had been the main goal during his comeback.[ Thepreliminary and final of that event was heavily hyped as a rematch between Phelps and Le Clos. The relationship between Le Clos and Phelps had been cordial back in 2012–13 but it deteriorated in 2014 when Phelps came back from retirement and suggested that the current butterfly times were slow. In the ready room prior to the preliminary race, Le Clos's shadow boxing while Phelps "glowered in a corner" spawned the Internet meme with the hashtag #PhelpsFace. Le Clos's Wikipedia biography was even vandalized after the event final. At age 31, the victory made Phelps not only the oldest male champion, but also the oldest individual champion in Olympic swimming history, beating the records set by Duke Kahanamoku in 1920, and Inge de Bruijn in 2004 respectively. Phelps also became the first swimmer to win individual gold medals 12 years apart. Both these records were broken by Anthony Ervin three days later.

Also on August 9, Phelps won his 21st gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay together with Conor Dwyer, Townley Haas, and Ryan Lochte. For Phelps and Lochte, this was their 4th consecutive gold medal in this event, an all-time record in swimming for any event.
Phelps with Nathan Adrian, Ryan Held and Caeleb Dressel, after winning the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay

On August 11, Phelps won his 22nd gold medal in the 200 m individual medley. He beat Kosuke Hagino, the 400 m individual medley champion, by 1.95 seconds. This was Phelps's 4th consecutive gold medal in the event as well as his 4th in the Games. He became the first swimmer to win the same individual event four times, surpassing the previous record of three held by Dawn Fraser and Krisztina Egerszegi. He also became the third Olympian to win the same individual event four times, after athletes Al Oerter and Carl Lewis. With that 13th individual gold medal, Phelps broke an ancient Olympic record, set by Leonidas of Rhodes, who had held the most Olympic individual titles of all time, with twelve.

In the 100 m butterfly, Phelps was defeated in his last individual event of the Rio Olympics by Singaporean Joseph Schooling, when he earned joint silver along with Chad le Clos and László Cseh.

On August 13, in the 4 × 100-meter medley relay, Phelps ended his career with another gold medal, his 23rd at the Olympics and his 28th Olympic medal overall. Together with Ryan Murphy, Cody Miller, and Nathan Adrian, swimming as the butterfly leg of the medley, they broke the Olympic record, and won the United States' 1001st all time Olympic gold medal, in accordance with the USOC.[ helps retired from competitive swimming again following the Rio Olympics.

Phelps's performance in the Rio Olympics was unique in "winning multiple gold medals at 31 years old, well beyond the typical peak for male swimmers". Phelps is considered one of the greatest Olympians of all time.

Testing for performance-enhancing drugs

During the 2008 Olympics, Phelps was questioned by the press as to whether perhaps his feats were "too good to be true", a reference to unsupported rumors that Phelps might be taking performance-enhancing substances. In response, Phelps noted that he had signed up for Project Believe, a project by the United States Anti-Doping Agency in which U.S. Olympians can volunteer to be tested in excess of the World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines. During the Games, Phelps passed all nine tests that were administered to him.

Training

Phelps has trained under Bob Bowman since he was 11 years old. Bowman swam for Florida State University from 1983 to 1985. Phelps has said Bowman reminded him of a drill sergeant because of his disciplined and regimented ways. However, Phelps has said, "Training with Bob is the smartest thing I've ever done ... I'm not going to swim for anyone else." After the 2004 Summer Olympics, Bowman was hired as the head coach for the University of Michigan after Jon Urbanchek retired. Phelps joined Bowman at Michigan to train and attended classes, but did not pursue a degree. Phelps seved as a volunteer assistant coach at Michigan. After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Bowman returned to Baltimore as CEO at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Phelps also returned to Baltimore with Bowman. When Bowman was hired as the men's and women's swimming coach at Arizona State University in 2015, Phelps moved to Arizona to continue training under Bowman. There is a popular myth that Phelps ate 12,000 calories every day, but Phelps has stated it has been exaggerated and that he did not eat so much even in his growing days.

Personal life
Phelps with his wife, Nicole Johnson

Bob Bowman described Phelps as "a solitary man" with a "rigid focus" at the pool prior to a race, but afterward "a man incredibly invested in the success of the people he cares about". He states that "he's unbelievably kind-hearted", recounting Phelps's interaction with young children after practices.

Phelps is married to former Miss California USA Nicole Johnson. They secretly married on June 13, 2016, and the marriage was not publicly reported until four months later. They met in 2007 at the ESPYs, broke up in 2012, reconciled, and got engaged in February 2015. They have three sons, Boomer Robert Phelps, born on May 5, 2016, Beckett Richard Phelps, born on February 12, 2018, and Maverick Nicolas Phelps, born on September 9, 2019. The family lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona, an affluent town adjoined to Phoenix, where Phelps volunteers alongside Bowman as an assistant coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils swim team.

As a teenager, Phelps idolized Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe and modeled his public image after Thorpe. Thorpe initially said that it would be highly unlikely for Phelps to win eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Phelps used the remarks as motivation and taped the words to his locker during the Games. Thorpe was in the stands for the 4×100-meter medley relay, where Phelps was swimming for his eighth Olympic gold medal. When Phelps and his teammates captured the gold, Thorpe gave a congratulatory kiss to Phelps's mother, then gave a handshake and a hug to congratulate Phelps. Afterwards, Thorpe said "I'm really proud of him not just because he won eight golds. Rather, it's how much he has grown up and matured into a great human being. Never in my life have I been so happy to have been proved wrong."

Phelps has also cited Michael Jordan as a sporting idol of his, and stated that "he changed the sport of basketball". Phelps is also a fan of the Baltimore Ravens and stated that he found his life purpose and desire to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics after seeking Ray Lewis's advice.

In January 2018, Phelps revealed that he has struggled both with ADHD and depression, having contemplated suicide after the 2012 Olympics.

Legal issues

At age 19 in November 2004, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and was sentenced to serve 18 months of probation, fined $250, ordered to speak to high school students about drinking and driving, and to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) meeting. When Phelps was later asked about the incident by Matt Lauer on the Today Show, he said that he had "let a lot of people in the country down".

In February 2009, a photograph of Phelps using a bong went viral; this resulted in the loss of the Kellogg Company as a sponsor, as well as a three-month suspension by USA Swimming. Phelps admitted that the photo, which was taken at a party at the University of South Carolina, was authentic. He publicly apologized, saying his behavior was "inappropriate".

In September 2014, Phelps was arrested again, this time on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding in Baltimore. As a result, USA Swimming suspended him from all competitions for six months, and stated he would not be chosen to represent the United States at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in August. With Phelps off the team, the United States failed to qualify for the finals of the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay.

Philanthropy
Phelps with im program participants (left), Phelps Foundation's im logo (right).

After the 2008 Olympics, Phelps used his $1 million Speedo bonus to set up the Michael Phelps Foundation. His foundation focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles.

In 2010, the Michael Phelps Foundation, the Michael Phelps Swim School and KidsHealth.org developed and nationally piloted the "im" program for Boys & Girls Club members. The im program teaches children the importance of being active and healthy, with a focus on the sport of swimming. It also promotes the value of planning and goal-setting. im is offered through the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and through Special Olympics International. The Foundation has since developed two other programs, Level Field Fund-Swimming and Caps-for-a-Cause.

The Foundation's largest event is its annual fundraiser, the Michael Phelps Foundation Golf Classic. Phelps stated he hoped to work with his Foundation more after retirement from competition following the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

In 2017, Phelps joined the board of Medibio, a company focused on diagnosis of mental health disorders.

Honors and awards
Phelps and Maryland House Speaker Mike Busch in April 2009. Both houses of the Maryland General Assembly honored Phelps that day.

Phelps was a USA Olympic team member in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, and holds the records for most Olympic gold medals (23), most such medals in individual events (13), and most such medals at a single games (8, in Beijing 2008). A street in his hometown of Baltimore was renamed The Michael Phelps Way in 2004. On April 9, 2009, Phelps was invited to appear before the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate, to be honored for his Olympic accomplishments.

Phelps has also received the following awards:
Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year Award: 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016
Swimming World American Swimmer of the Year Award: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016
Golden Goggle Male Performance of the Year (since 2004): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016
Golden Goggle Relay Performance of the Year (since 2004): 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016
Golden Goggle Male Athlete of the Year (since 2004): 2004, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016
Golden Goggle Impact award: 2016
SwimSwam Swammy Award for Male Swimmer of the Year: 
SportsMan of the Year Award: 2004, 2008, 2011–12, 2016
Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award (nominated): 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013
Marca Leyenda award: 2008
Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion, 2019, to recognize his advocacy for people with disabilities and his own journey with mental health.
Results in international long-course competition
Meet100 free200 free400 free200 back100 fly200 fly200 IM400 IM4×100 free4×200 free4×100 medleyOG 2000 5th
PPC 2002     
WC 2003      
OG 2004        
WC 2005 7th  18th     
PPC 2006      
WC 2007       
OG 2008        
WC 2009      
PPC 2010   heats   
WC 2011       
OG 2012    4th   
PPC 2014 4th     
OG 2016      

 Phelps swam only in the heats. Swimmers who participated in the heats only received medals as well.
Phelps finished fourth in the heats, but he was the third American, hence he did not qualify for the final

Career best times

Long course (50-meter pool)
EventTimeVenueDateNotes
100 m freestyle 47.51 (r) Beijing August 11, 2008 Former NR
200 m freestyle 1:42.96 Beijing August 12, 2008 AM, Former WR
400 m freestyle 3:46.73 College Park August 8, 2003 Former NR
100 m backstroke 53.01 Indianapolis August 3, 2007
200 m backstroke 1:54.65 Indianapolis August 1, 2007
100 m breaststroke 1:02.57 Columbia February 17, 2008
200 m breaststroke 2:11.30 San Antonio August 10, 2015
100 m butterfly 49.82 Rome August 1, 2009 Former WR
200 m butterfly 1:51.51 Rome July 29, 2009 AM, Former WR
200 m IM 1:54.16 Shanghai July 28, 2011 Former WR*
400 m IM 4:03.84 Beijing August 10, 2008 WR

r = relay lead-off

*Phelps is a former WR holder in this event, however, his personal best came in a 2nd-place finish to Ryan Lochte's new WR at the 2011 World Championships.
Short course meters (25-meter pool)
EventTimeVenueDateNotes
100 m freestyle 46.99 Manchester December 18, 2009
200 m freestyle 1:42.78 East Meadow February 4, 2006
200 m backstroke 1:50.34 Berlin October 22, 2011
100 m butterfly 50.46 Manchester December 18, 2009
200 m butterfly 1:52.27 Melbourne November 28, 2003
100 m IM 51.65 Berlin October 22, 2011
200 m IM 1:51.89 Berlin October 23, 2011
400 m IM 4:01.49 Berlin October 22, 2011

World records

Phelps has set 39 world records (29 individual, 10 relay), which is more records than any other swimmer that is recognized by FINA; this achievement surpassed Mark Spitz's previous record of 33 world records (26 individual, 7 relay). Howver, Johnny Weissmuller is reported to have broken 67 official world records.
Mercy Kuttan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mercy Kuttan
Mercy Kuttan
Personal information
Full name Mercy Matthews-Kuttan
Nationality Indian
Born 1 January 1960
Sport
Country India
Event(s) 400 metres, Long jump

Women's Athletics
Representing  India
 1982 New Delhi Long jump
 1981 Tokyo Long jump
 1981 Tokyo 4×400 m relay

Mercy Kuttan (born 1 January 1960) is a former Indian track and field athlete. She was the first Indian woman long jumper to cross six meters. In 1989, Mercy received Arjuna Award for her contribution to the Indian athletics. She is currently the President of the Kerala State Sports Council.

Career

Mercy was born in Kerala; her first international success came in 1981 Asian Championships in Athletics when she won the double bronze in the long jump and 4 x 400 metres relay. In the next year at 1982 Asian Games when she won a silver medal in the long jump. She represented India in long jump at 1983 World Championships in Athletics, but did not qualify for the final round. Mercy has the distinction of being the first woman from Kerala to win a medal in the Asian Track and Field meet. Her personal best in long jump is 6.29 m. In the latter stage of her career she switched to sprint and started competing in 400 metres. She competed in 400 metres at 1988 Seoul Olympics and managed to reach the second round.

Personal life

Mercy is married to Murali Kuttan, a former 400 metres national champion and is the mother of two sons, Suraj Kuttan and Sujith Kuttan. Mercy and Murali were the first Indian athletic couple to be national champions and win Asian medals.[7] Murlai took the role of the coach and had influenced Mercy to shift from long jump to 400 metres. Both Mercy and Murali worked for Tata Steel, Jamshedpur. They are currently[when?] running the "Mercy Kuttan Athletics Academy" in Kochi.

National Level
1976 – 78—National School games champion in long jump
1979 – 80—All India Inter-University champion in 100 m, 200 m, and long jump
1979 – 87—National Champion in long jump
1988—National Champion in 400 metersInternational Level
1980—Won Gold medal in long jump, 4 x 400 m and 4 x 100 m relay in Pakistan National Games at Lahore
1981—Represented India in World Spartakyad in Moscow in 1981
1981—Won Bronze Medal in long jump and 4 x 400 m relay in Asian track and field meet in Tokyo
1982—Won Silver Medal in long jump in the 9th Asian Games in New Delhi
1982—Represented India in Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia
1983—Represented India in long jump in the First World Athletic Meet at Helsinki
1983—Represented India in Asian track and field meet in Kuwait
1986—Represented India in long jump in the 10th Asian Games at Seoul
1987—Won Gold Medal in long jump in the SAF Games in Calcutta
1988—Represented India in 400 m and 4 x 400 m relay in Seoul Olympics
1989—Won Gold Medal in 4 × 400 m relay in the Asian track and field at New DelhiOther distinctions
Captain of the Indian Team at the First World Athletic Championship.
First Woman from India to participate in World Athletic Championship.
First Indian Woman to cross 6 meters in long jump in India.
National Record holder in long jump for seven years from 1980 – 87.
National School record holder for 19 years.
National University record holder for 27 years.
1st Indian woman athlete to win medals at national and international level in both track and field events.
First Couple (Murali Kuttan) from India to win Asian Games individual medals.
Mary Ann Gomes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mary Ann Gomes
Dresden, 2008
Country India
Born 19 September 1989
Kolkata, India
Title Woman Grandmaster (2008)
Peak rating 2423 (July 2013)

Mary Ann Gomes (born 19 September 1989) is an Indian chess player. She was awarded the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) by FIDE in 2008.

Gomes was born in Kolkata. She won the Girls Under 10 title at the 1999 Asian Youth Chess Championships in Ahmedabad. In 2005, she won the Asian Under 16 Girls Championship in Namangan, Uzbekistan. She won the Asian Junior (Under 20) Girls Championship in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Gomes also won three times the Women's Indian Chess Championship, in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps
Phelps at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full name Michael Fred Phelps II
Nickname(s) "The Baltimore Bullet"
"Flying Fish"
National team  United States
Born June 30, 1985 
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m
Weight 194 lb (88 kg)
Spouse(s) Nicole Johnson
Sport
Sport Swimming
Coach Bob Bowman

Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (23), Olympic gold medals in individual events , and Olympic medals in individual events (16). When Phelps won eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, he broke fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Phelps already tied the record of eight medals of any color at a single Games by winning six gold and two bronze medals. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps won four gold and two silver medals, and at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he won five gold medals and one silver. This made him the most successful athlete of the Games for the fourth Olympics in a row.

Phelps is the long course world record holder in the men's 400-meter individual medley as well as the former long course world record holder in the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, and 200-meter individual medley. He has won 82 medals in major international long course competitions, of which 65 were gold, 14 silver, and three bronze, spanning the Olympics, the World Championships, and the Pan Pacific Championships. Phelps's international titles and record-breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award eight times and American Swimmer of the Year Award eleven times, as well as the FINA Swimmer of the Year Award in 2012 and 2016. Phelps earned Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year award due to his unprecedented Olympic success in the 2008 Games.

After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Phelps started the Michael Phelps Foundation, which focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles. Phelps retired following the 2012 Olympics, but he made a comeback in April 2014. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, his fifth Olympics, he was selected by his team to be the flag bearer of the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations. He announced his second retirement on August 12, 2016, having won more medals than 161 countries. He is widely regarded as the greatest swimmer of all time and is often considered to be one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Early life

Phelps was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood of nearby Towson. He attended Rodgers Forge Elementary, Dumbarton Middle School, and Towson High School. Phelps is the youngest of three children. His mother, Deborah Sue "Debbie" Phelps (née Davisson), is a middle school principal. His father, Michael Fred Phelps, is a retired Maryland State Trooper who played football in high school and college and tried out for the Washington Football Team in the 1970s.Phelps is of English, German, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh descent. His parents divorced in 1994 when he was nine years old, and his father remarried in 2000. Phelps later revealed that the divorce had a severe negative impact on him and his siblings, and his relationship with his father was distant for a few years after the divorce. He graduated from Towson High School in 2003.

Phelps began swimming at the age of seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his energy. After retirement in 2016, he stated "The only reason I ever got in the water was my mom wanted me to just learn how to swim. My sisters and myself fell in love with the sport, and we decided to swim." When Phelps was in the sixth grade, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). By the age of 10, he held a national record for his age group (in the 100-meter butterfly) and began to train at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under coach Bob Bowman. More age group records followed, and as of August 21, 2018, Phelps still held 11 age group records, eight in long course, and three in short course.

Career

2000 Summer Olympics

Phelps's rapid improvement culminated when he qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15, as he became the youngest male (since Ralph Flanagan in 1932) to make a U.S. Olympic swim team in 68 years. While he did not win a medal, he did make the finals and finished fifth in the 200-meter butterfly.

2001 World championships

At the World Championship Trials for the 2001 World Aquatics Championships, on March 30, Phelps broke the world record in the 200-meter butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest male ever to set a world record in swimming. Previously the youngest male had been Ian Thorpe, who captured the 400-meter freestyle world record at 16 years, 10 months.[34] At the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Phelps broke his own world record in the 200-meter butterfly while en route to become a world champion for the first time.

2002 Pan Pacific championships
Phelps in 2002

 200 m medley 1:59.70
 400 m medley 4:12.48
 4×100 m medley 3:33.48 (WR)
 200 m butterfly 1.55.41


At Nationals, the selection meet for the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Phelps set an American record in the 200-meter individual medley and was just off the world record in the 200-meter butterfly. In the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps bettered the world record held by Tom Dolan with a time of 4:11.09, just ahead of Erik Vendt, who finished second with a time of 4:11.27, also below the old world record. In the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps was barely beaten by Klete Keller and in the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps beat Ian Crocker.

At the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Yokohama, Japan, Phelps won three gold medals and two silvers. In his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps won gold ahead of Erik Vendt with a time of 4:12.48. In the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps lost to Tom Malchow, finishing behind him 1:55.41 to 1:55.21. Phelps said he lost because he did not take butterfly training seriously after he broke the world record. In the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps won with a time of 1:59.70. In the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Nate Dusing, Klete Keller, and Chad Carvin, won the silver medal with a time 7:11.81 finishing behind Australia. The U.S. 4×100-meter medley relay team consisted of Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Phelps, and Ian Crocker. In the final for the medley relay, Phelps swam a 51.1 split, at the time the fastest split in history. The final time of 3:33.48 was a world record.
2003 World championships


 200 m butterfly 1:54.35
 200 m medley 1:56.04 (WR)
 400 m medley 4:09.09 (WR)
 4×100 m medley 3:31.54 (WR) (Phelps swam in heats only)

At Nationals, Phelps won the 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter backstroke, and the 100-meter butterfly. He became the first American swimmer to win three different races in three different strokes at a national championship. At the 2003 Duel in the Pool, a meet that pits swimming stars from Australia and the United States, Phelps broke the world record in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:10.73 and almost broke the world record in the 100-meter butterfly, just missing the record by 0.03 seconds. At a meet in Santa Clara County, California, Phelps broke the world record in the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 1:57.94. Phelps said he broke the 200-meter individual medley world record after Don Talbot said Phelps was unproven, using his words as motivation.

At the 2003 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won four gold medals, two silver medals, and broke five world records. Phelps broke his first world record on July 22 in the semi-finals for the 200-meter butterfly. Phelps swam a 1:53.93 to break his own world record of 1:54.58 set in 2001 and became the first man to swim under 1:54.00. In the final of the 200-meter butterfly, on July 23, Phelps easily won the gold medal, but did not come close to his world record with a time of 1:54.35. Less than an hour later, Phelps swam the lead-off leg for the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Phelps put up a solid time of 1:46.60 (an American record) but the Americans could not match the depth of the Australians and ultimately finished second 7:10.26 to 7:08.58. In the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps dominated. On July 24, in the semi-finals of the 200-meter individual medley, he broke his own world record with a time of 1:57.52. On July 25, in the final of the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps smashed his own record with a time of 1:56.04 to win the gold medal and finished almost 3 seconds ahead of Ian Thorpe. About an hour before the final of the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps swam in the semi-finals of the 100-meter butterfly. Phelps dominated again, finishing in the top seed position with a world record time of 51.47. However, in the final of the 100-meter butterfly, on July 26, Ian Crocker erased Phelps's world record with a time of 50.98, to become the first man under 51 seconds. Phelps swam a 51.10 (also under his former world record), but had to settle for silver In the final of the 400-meter individual medley, on July 27, Phelps broke his own world record with a time of 4:09.09 to easily claim the gold medal. About half an hour later, Phelps earned his final gold medal when the United States team won the 4×100-meter medley relay. Phelps did not swim in the finals, but still earned a medal because he swam in the heats.

2004 Summer Olympics

Trials

At the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Phelps competed in six events; the 200- and 400-meter individual medley, the 100- and 200-meter butterfly, the 200-meter freestyle, and the 200-meter backstroke In his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps easily won with a world record time of 4:08.41. Two days later, in the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:46.27, finishing sixth-tenths of a second ahead of Klete Keller. Phelps, however, was not pleased with the result and wanted to be in the 1:45s and was uncertain if he would swim the event in Athens. The following day, Phelps won in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 1:54.31, three seconds ahead of second-place finisher Tom Malchow. After two days off, Phelps was back in the pool and finished second to Aaron Peirsol (who broke the world record) in the 200-meter backstroke. Less than half an hour later, Phelps won the 200-meter individual medley title ahead of Ryan Lochte by 2.70 seconds. The following day, Phelps finished second to Ian Crocker in the 100-meter butterfly. Crocker won in a time of 50.76, a world record and 0.39 seconds ahead of Phelps. When the Trials were over, Phelps became the first person to qualify in six individual events for a U.S. Olympic team. However, Phelps dropped the 200-meter backstroke to focus on the 200-meter freestyle because he wanted to race Ian Thorpe. Even though Phelps did not compete in the 100-meter freestyle at the Trials, he was still selected for the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Gary Hall, Jr. thought this was unfair and said Phelps did not deserve a spot on the relay. Phelps argued his program was too crowded to compete in 100-meter freestyle and was at least among the top four swimmers because he had beaten the top-seeded Jason Lezak the last time he had swum against him.


 100 m butterfly 51.25 (OR)
 200 m butterfly 1:54.04 (OR)
 200 m medley 1:57.14 (OR)
 400 m medley 4:08.26 (WR)
 4×200 m freestyle 7:07.33 (NR)
 4×100 m medley 3:30.68 (WR) (Phelps swam in heats only)
 200 m freestyle 1:45.32 (NR)

Athens

In his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps won his first Olympic gold medal in the world record time of 4:08.26 The following day, Phelps, along with Ian Crocker, Neil Walker, and Jason Lezak, finished in third place in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay with a time of 3:14.62. Crocker's lead-off time of 50.05 was the worst among the field and was blamed on sickness. In the event many were calling The Race of the Century, the 200-meter freestyle that was held the following day, Phelps finished in third place behind Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband. Although this race ended the chance to match Spitz's record, Phelps had savored the challenge even though it was not his strongest event, saying "How can I be disappointed? I swam in a field with the two fastest freestylers of all time". In his fourth event, the 200-meter butterfly, held the following day, Phelps won a gold medal with a time of 1:54.04, breaking Tom Malchow's Olympic record. About an hour later, in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay, and Klete Keller, finished in first place with a time of 7:07.33. Two days later, in the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps finished first with a time of 1:57.14, an Olympic record In the 100-meter butterfly final, held the following day, Phelps defeated American teammate Ian Crocker (who held the world record in the event at the time) by just 0.04 seconds with a time of 51.25. Traditionally, the American who places highest in an individual event will be automatically given the corresponding leg in the 4×100-meter medley relay final. This gave Phelps an automatic entry into the medley relay, but he deferred and Crocker swam instead. Phelps's gesture gave Crocker a chance to make amends (for a mistake at the start of a previous race) as well, getting his final shot at a gold medal. The American medley team went on to win the event in world-record time, and, since Phelps had raced in a preliminary heat of the medley relay, he was also awarded a gold medal along with the team members who competed in the final. In winning six gold and two bronze medals, Phelps, still a teenager, had the second-best performance ever at a single Olympics, behind Mark Spitz's seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Also, he became the second male swimmer ever to win more than two individual titles at a single Games with four, tying Spitz's four from 1972.

2005 World championships
Victory lap of the 100 m butterfly during the 2005 FINA World Championships in Montréal. Phelps is far right.


 200 m freestyle 1:45.20 (NR)
 200 m medley 1:56.68
 4×100 m freestyle 3:13.77 (CR)
 4×100 m medley 3:31.85 (Phelps swam in heats only)

At the 2005 World Championship Trials, Phelps decided to drop his specialty events, the 400-meter individual medley and the 200-meter butterfly, and experiment with the 400-meter freestyle and the 100-meter freestyle. Phelps went on to win the 400-meter freestyle, the 200-meter freestyle, the 100-meter butterfly, the 100-meter freestyle, and the 200-meter individual medley at the Trials.

At the 2005 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won a total of six medals, five golds and one silver. In the 400-meter freestyle, Phelps did not make it past the preliminary heats and finished 18th overall with a time of 3:50.53. Later that day, in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps won his first gold in the Championships. Two days later, on July 26, Phelps won his second gold in the 200-meter freestyle with a new American national record (NR) time of 1:45.20, finishing ahead of Grant Hackett. Two days later, on July 28, Phelps finished seventh in the 100-meter freestyle final. Later that day, Phelps won his third gold in the 200-meter individual medley On July 29, Phelps, along with Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay and Klete Keller, won the gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay with a time of 7:06.58. This was the fourth gold medal for Phelps. On July 30, Phelps swam in his last individual event, the 100-meter butterfly. In the final, Phelps could not match the speed of Ian Crocker and had to settle for silver, finishing 51.65 to 50.40, a new world record for Crocker. On July 31, Phelps earned his final gold medal when the United States team won the 4×100-meter medley relay. Phelps did not swim in the finals but still earned a medal because he swam in the heats.
2006 Pan Pacific championships


 200 m butterfly 1:53.80 (WR)
 200 m medley 1:55.84 (WR)
 400 m medley 4:10.47 (CR)
 4×100 m freestyle 3:12.46 (WR)
 4×200 m freestyle 7:05.28 (CR)
 200 m backstroke 1:56.81


At the 2006 National Championships, Phelps won three events. In his first event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won with a championship record of 1:54.32. In his second event, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps just edged out Ian Crocker 51.51 (another championship record) to 51.73. In his third event, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps won with a time of 1:56.50, just ahead of Ryan Lochte's time of 1:56.78.

At the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Victoria, British Columbia, Phelps won five gold medals and one silver. In his first event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won in a world record time of 1:53.80, his first world record in two years. In his second event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps easily won with a time of 4:10.47, 3.38 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Robert Margalis. In his third event, the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay, and Klete Keller, won the gold medal with a time of 7:05.28. In his fourth event, the 200-meter backstroke, Phelps won the silver medal, finishing behind Aaron Peirsol 1:56.81 to 1:54.44 (a new world record). In his fifth event, the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Neil Walker, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak, won the gold medal with a world-record time 3:12.46. In his sixth event, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps won with a world record time of 1:55.84, breaking his record of 1:55.94 set in 2003.
2007 World championships


 200 m freestyle 1:43.86 (WR)
 200 m butterfly 1:52.09 (WR)
 200 m medley 1:54.98 (WR)
 400 m medley 4:06.22 (WR)
 4×100 m freestyle 3:12.72 (CR)
 4×200 m freestyle 7:03.24 (WR)

At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won seven gold medals, tying the record for a global long-course championship held by Mark Spitz since the 1972 Summer Olympics, and broke five world records. Phelps first gold medal came in the 4×100-meter freestyle. Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 48.42 seconds and Neil Walker, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak each expanded the lead to win in a Championship record of 3:12.72, just missing the world record of 3:12.46 set the previous year. His lead-off time was faster than the winning time in the individual 100-meter freestyle final later in the meet. Phelps set his first world record in the Championships in the 200-meter freestyle, his second race. Phelps won the gold ahead of Pieter van den Hoogenband and broke Ian Thorpe's six-year-old world record with a time of 1:43.86. For his third race, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won the gold and bettered his own world record of 1:53.71 with a time of 1:52.09 For his fourth race, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps set his third world record with a time of 1:54.98, bettering his own world-record time of 1:55.84 For his fifth race, the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 1:45.36 as the American team of Ryan Lochte, Klete Keller, and Peter Vanderkaay went on to win the gold medal and beat the previous world record set by Australia in 2001 with a time 7:03.24. For his sixth race, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps edged out Ian Crocker 50.77 to 50.82 to win his sixth gold medal. For his seventh event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps won the gold medal in a world-record time of 4:06.22, more than 3.5 seconds ahead of Ryan Lochte. By winning seven gold medals, Phelps broke the record of six set by Ian Thorpe at the 2001 World Championships. The 4×100-meter medley relay team received a disqualification for a false start during a changeover in the heats, ending Phelps's chance of eight gold medals.

Even though Phelps competed in the backstroke in international competition only once (at the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships), he was among the best backstroke swimmers in the world. This is illustrated by his personal best times set in 2007, four months after the World Championships. At the US Nationals in Indianapolis on August 1, 2007, Phelps swam a 1:54.65 in the 200-meter backstroke, which was the third fastest of all time in the event, 0.33 of a second off the world record of 1:54.32 held by Ryan Lochte.[119] Two days later Phelps swam a time of 53.01 sec in the 100-meter backstroke, 0.03 of a second short of the world record of 52.98 held by Aaron Peirsol and the second-fastest performance of all time. In 2007 Phelps swam into the all-time top three performances in seven individual events, four of these being world records.

2008 Summer Olympics

 200 m freestyle 1:42.96 (WR)
 100 m butterfly 50.58 (OR)
 200 m butterfly 1:52.03 (WR)
 200 m medley 1:54.23 (WR)
 400 m medley 4:03.84 (WR)
 4×100 m freestyle 3:08.24 (WR)
 4×200 m freestyle 6:58.56 (WR)
 4×100 m medley 3:29.34 (WR)

Trials

At the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Phelps competed in six individual events. In his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps broke his own world record of 4:06.22 with a time of 4:05.25. In his second event, the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:44.10, ahead of Peter Vanderkaay's time 1:45.85 In his third event, the 100-meter freestyle, Phelps placed second in his heat with a time of 47.92, ensuring him a spot on the relay. In his fourth event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won with a time of 1:52.20. In his fifth event, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps broke his own world record of 1:54.98 with a time of 1:54.80. In his sixth and final event, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won with a time of 50.89. When asked about his chances of winning eight gold medals in Beijing, Phelps said, "I am going to prepare for that meet just like I do every other meet ... There is only so much I can do in a month and then I am going to prepare myself the best that I can."

Beijing

Phelps set an Olympic record in the preliminary heats of the 400-meter individual medley. He followed that up in the final by winning the gold medal, as well as breaking his previous world record by nearly two seconds.

Phelps swam the first leg of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay in a time of 47.51 seconds (an American record for the 100-meter freestyle), and won his second gold medal of the 2008 Olympics, as well as setting his second world record of the Olympics (3:08.24). Teammate Jason Lezak, after beginning the anchor leg more than half a body length behind Alain Bernard, managed to finish ahead of the favored French swimmer by eight hundredths of a second. The top five teams in the final finished ahead of the world record of 3:12.23 set the previous day by the American B team in a preliminary heat. Phelps remarked that Bernard's pre-race comments of "smashing the Americans" had "fired me up more than anything else". Le Nouvel Observateur noted "Phelps taking the time to applaud and console Bernard" and wrote that this sportsmanship was "proof that the person who swims in the wake of Mark Spitz is also a great gentleman."

For his third race, Phelps broke his previous world record in the 200-meter freestyle by nearly a second and won his third gold medal. He also set his third world record at the Olympics, 1:42.96, winning by nearly two seconds over silver medalist Park Tae-hwan. In this race, Phelps became the fifth Olympic athlete in modern history to win nine gold medals, joining Mark Spitz, Larisa Latynina, Paavo Nurmi, and Carl Lewis.
Phelps holds his gold medal on the podium on August 10, 2008. Pictured with Ryan Lochte and László Cseh.

The next day, Phelps participated in two finals. In his first event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps made it four gold medals and world records in four events by swimming the final in 1:52.03, defeating silver medalist László Cseh by almost seven-tenths of a second despite his goggles' having filled up with water and being unable to "see anything for the last 100 meters. This fourth gold medal was his tenth, and made him the all-time leader for most Olympic gold medals won by an individual in the modern Olympic era. Moreover, Phelps became the first swimmer, male or female, to win three Olympic butterfly titles, after his two titles in the Athens 2004 Olympics. He also became the first swimmer to successfully defend an Olympic butterfly title.

Less than one hour after his gold medal victory in the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps swam the lead-off leg of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. With Lochte, Ricky Berens, and Peter Vanderkaay, he won his fifth gold and set his fifth world record as the American team finished first with a time of 6:58.56. The Americans were the first team to break the seven-minute mark in the relay, and broke the previous record, set in Melbourne, Australia, by more than four and a half seconds.

After taking a day off from finals (Phelps did swim in qualifying heats), Phelps won his sixth gold of the Beijing Games on August 15 by winning the 200-meter individual medley with a world record time of 1:54.23, finishing ahead of Cseh by over two seconds.

Seventh gold medal
Phelps (in black cap) starting the 4 x 100m relay at the Beijing Olympic Games, August 11, 2008

Before the final of the 100-meter butterfly, US born Serbian swimmer Milorad Čavić caused a minor stir when he said it would be "good" if Phelps lost. "It'd be good for him if he loses. It would be nice if historians talk about Michael Phelps winning seven gold medals and losing the eighth to 'some guy.' I'd like to be that guy", Čavić said. Phelps responded, "When people say things like that, it fires me up more than anything." On August 16, Phelps won his seventh gold medal of the Games in the men's 100-meter butterfly, setting an Olympic record for the event with a time of 50.58 seconds and edging out his nearest competitor Čavić, by one hundredth (0.01) of a second.

Unlike all six of his previous events in the 2008 Games, Phelps did not set a new world record, leaving intact Ian Crocker's world-record time of 50.40 seconds, set in 2005.

Phelps's finish 0.01 seconds ahead of Čavić prompted the Serbian delegation to file a protest. Subsequent analysis of the video by the FINA panel, which required analyzing frames shot 1/10,000th of a second apart, was used to officially confirm Phelps's victory, but the images were not immediately released to the press. The initial refusal by official timekeeper Omega to release underwater photos of the finish also raised questions due to Phelps's sponsorship relationship with Omega. Čavić later wrote in his blog, "People, this is the greatest moment of my life. If you ask me, it should be accepted and we should move on. I've accepted defeat, and there's nothing wrong with losing to the greatest swimmer there has ever been."

Epic. It goes to show you that not only is this guy the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he's maybe the greatest athlete of all time. He's the greatest racer who ever walked the planet. (2008)

—Mark Spitz (on Phelps winning his 7th gold medal)

Phelps's seventh gold medal of the Games tied Mark Spitz's record for gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, set in the 1972 Olympics. It was also his fifth individual gold medal in Beijing, tying the record for individual gold medals at a single Games originally set by Eric Heiden in the 1980 Winter Olympics and equaled by Vitaly Scherbo at the 1992 Summer Games. Said Phelps upon setting his seventh-straight Olympic record of the Games in as many events, "Dream as big as you can dream, and anything is possible ... I am sort of in a dream world. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it is real."
Michael Phelps celebrates with his teammates after winning his 8th gold medal.
All-time record


On August 17, Phelps won his eighth gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay, breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, which had stood since 1972. Phelps, along with teammates Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol, and Jason Lezak, set a new world record in the event with a time of 3 minutes and 29.34 seconds, 0.7 seconds ahead of second-place Australia and 1.34 seconds faster than the previous record set by the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. When Phelps dived in to swim the 100-meter butterfly leg, the third leg of the 400-meter medley, the United States had been trailing Australia and Japan. Phelps completed his split in 50.1 seconds, the fastest butterfly split ever for the event, giving teammate Jason Lezak a more than half-second lead for the final leg, which he held onto to clinch the event in world record time. Said Phelps, upon completing the event that awarded him his eighth gold medal and eighth Olympic record in as many events, "Records are always made to be broken no matter what they are ... Anybody can do anything that they set their mind to."

2009 World championships

 100 m butterfly 49.82 (WR)
 200 m butterfly 1:51.51 (WR)
 4×100 m freestyle 3:09.21 (CR)
 4×200 m freestyle 6:58.55 (WR)
 4×100 m medley 3:27.28 (WR)
 200 m freestyle 1:43.22

At the 2009 National Championships, Phelps drastically shortened his program, swimming in only three individual events. In his first event, the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:44.23. In his second event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps easily won with a time of 1:52.76, 0.88 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. In his third event, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won with a world-record time of 50.22.
Phelps (center) before the start of the 200-meter butterfly semi-final during 2009 FINA World Championships

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won a total of 6 medals, 5 golds and 1 silver. In his first event, the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 47.78, well off his 47.51 performance in Beijing, but the American team was able to edge out Russia and France for the gold. For his second race, the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps lost his first race in four years to Germany's Paul Biedermann. Phelps touched second in 1:43.22, but Biedermann smashed Phelps's record of 1:42.96 set in Beijing a year ago with a time of 1:42.00. Phelps took the silver graciously, but coach Bob Bowman threatened to withdraw Phelps from international competition because Bowman claimed Biedermann had an unfair advantage because he was wearing a full polyurethane swimsuit, specifically an Arena X-Glide. Bowman said, "It took me five years to get Michael from 1:46 to 1:42 and this guy has done it in 11 months. That's an amazing training performance. I'd like to know how to do that." Phelps rebounded from this loss and for his third race, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won the gold and broke his own world record of 1:52.03 with a time of 1:51.51. For his fourth race, the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 1:44.49 as the team went on to win the gold medal and break the world record set the previous year. After his loss in the 200-meter freestyle, many thought Phelps was vulnerable coming into the final for the 100-meter butterfly. His closest competitor, Milorad Čavić, who wore an Arena X-Glide (the same suit Biedermann beat Phelps with), thought people were making excuses for Phelps because he was wearing an LZR Racer. Čavić even offered to buy Phelps a new suit. For his fifth race, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won the gold and became the first man to complete it in under 50 seconds, beating Čavić 49.82 to 49.95. The victory prompted a fierce celebration from Phelps. For his final event, the 4×100-meter medley relay, Phelps won his fifth gold medal. Phelps, along with teammates Aaron Peirsol, Eric Shanteau, and David Walters, set a new world record in the event with a time of 3 minutes, 27.28 seconds.
2010 Pan Pacific championships


 200 m butterfly 1:54.11
 4×100 m medley 3:32.48

At the 2010 National Championships, Phelps competed in five individual events. In the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won ahead of Ryan Lochte in a time of 1:45.61. About an hour later, Phelps returned to the pool to win the 200-meter butterfly. But Phelps was not happy with his performance and called it the "worst" 200-meter butterfly of his life. In the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won his 50th national title in 50.65. After the race, Phelps said he was "fairly pleased" with the result. In the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps finished second to Lochte 1:55.94 to 1:54.84. It was the first time Lochte had beat Phelps in a major national meet. In the 200-meter backstroke, Phelps finished in 4th place in 1:56.98.

On the first day of competition at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Phelps opted out swimming in the final of the 200-meter freestyle to focus on the 200-meter butterfly. In the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps led from start to finish, coming in first with a time of 1:54.11. Although it was much slower than his 1:51.51 time from the previous year, Phelps had not lost a 200-meter butterfly final since 2002. On day two of the competition, Phelps swam in the heats of the 400-meter individual medley and contributed in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. In the heats of the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps failed to make the A final, with Lochte and Tyler Clary taking the top two American positions. Phelps did not swim in the B final of the 400-meter individual medley. In the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, with Peter Vanderkaay, Ricky Berens, and Lochte, finished first ahead of Japan and Australia. On day three of the competition, Phelps competed in the 100-meter butterfly and contributed in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. In the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps finished first in a time of 50.86, a championship record. In the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, with Lochte, Jason Lezak, and Nathan Adrian, finished first ahead of Australia and South Africa. As the lead-off leg in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps set the championship record in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 48.13. In his final event, Phelps swam in the 4×100-meter medley relay with Aaron Peirsol, Mark Gangloff, and Adrian and finished first ahead of Japan and Australia.

2011 World championships

 200 m butterfly 1:53.34
 4×100 m medley 3:32.06
 200 m freestyle 1:44.79
 200 m medley 1:54.16

In his first event at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, Phelps won bronze in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay with Garrett Weber-Gale, Jason Lezak, and Nathan Adrian. This was Phelps's first bronze in a World Aquatics Championships. Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 48.08, the second-best lead-off in the field behind James Magnussen's 47.49. In his second event, the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won silver for the second consecutive time at a World Aquatics Championships. This time he finished second to Ryan Lochte in the event with a time of 1:44.79, compared to Lochte's time of 1:44.44. In his third final, the 200-meter butterfly, he won his first gold medal with a time of 1:53.34 to become the first swimmer to win five gold medals in one discipline at the World Aquatics Championships. In his fourth event, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps again finished second to Lochte in a personal best of 1:54.16, which was 0.16 behind Lochte who swam a new world record. It was Phelps's 30th medal in the World Aquatics Championships. Shortly after completing the semi-finals of the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps competed in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay with Peter Vanderkaay, Ricky Berens, and Ryan Lochte. Phelps's team won the gold medal in a time of 7:02.67. Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 1:45.53, the third-best leg in the field. In the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won his third consecutive title (also winning in 2007 and 2009) and second individual title of the meet with a time of 50.71. In his last event, the 4×100-meter medley relay, Phelps teamed with Nick Thoman, Mark Gangloff, and Nathan Adrian to win gold in a time of 3:32.06. Phelps's butterfly leg of 50.57 was by far the fastest butterfly leg in the field.

2012 Summer Olympics

 200 m medley 1:54.27
 4×100 m medley 3:29.35
 200 m butterfly 1:53.01

Trials

For the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps originally stated he would never do eight events again, and would instead try new events. Phelps said, "I keep saying I want to go down and start sprinting, but Bob [Bowman, Phelps's coach] really isn't so keen on that ... I don't think that's going to happen ... Over the next four years, I'd like to try some different events, maybe not do some of the events I did here." However, at the 2012 United States Olympic Trials, the qualifying meet for the 2012 Summer Olympics, Phelps qualified in the same eight events that he swam in Beijing in 2008. He later dropped the 200-meter freestyle from his program, as he stated he wanted to focus on the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. During the trials, Phelps finished first in the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley, and second in the 400-meter individual medley. In making his fourth Olympic team, Phelps holds the record for men for the most Olympic appearances in swimming representing the United States.

London
In his 100m butterfly heat, Phelps (fourth from top) was 8th at the 50m split before winning his heat and qualifying for the semi-finals

On July 28, 2012, Phelps placed eighth in the morning prelims for the 400-meter individual medley. Phelps, the two-time defending Olympic champion, won his heat in 4 minutes, 13.33 seconds with a time that was well off his world record of 4:03.84 set four years earlier in Beijing, when Phelps won a record eight gold medals. He out-touched László Cseh by 0.07 seconds in his heat to qualify last for the final, locking out Cseh. In his first finals of the Summer Olympics, Phelps placed fourth behind fellow American Ryan Lochte, Thiago Pereira of Brazil, and Kosuke Hagino of Japan in the 400-meter individual medley. It was the first time Phelps failed to medal in an Olympic event since 2000. The next night, in his second event of the Games, he got a silver as a member of the 4×100-meter free relay. Phelps swam the fastest leg of the US relay team and the second-fastest of anyone in the race.

On July 31, 2012, Phelps won a silver medal in the 200-meter butterfly behind South African Chad le Clos by 5/100ths of a second, and a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, thereby equaling and then surpassing Larisa Latynina to become the all-time record holder for most Olympic medals won Latynina was present at the race and asked to be the presenter of Phelps's medal, but was told that Olympic rules would not allow it. She called Phelps deserving of the record.

On August 2, 2012, Phelps won his 16th Olympic gold medal when he edged out Ryan Lochte to win the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 1:54.27, and by that victory also became the first male swimmer to win the same event in three consecutive Olympics. Rebecca Soni and Phelps (twice) are the only swimmers to successfully defend an individual title from the 2008 Games. This win also marked Phelps's fifth Olympic title in the individual medley, breaking the record of four shared by Hungarian Tamás Darnyi and Ukrainian Yana Klochkova.

He repeated the achievement of winning the same event at three Olympics the following evening, winning the Olympic gold medal in the 100 m butterfly, his last individual event After two very close victories in the 100 m butterfly at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics (by 0.04 and 0.01 sec, respectively), in this race Phelps beat Le Clos and Yevgeny Korotyshkin, who tied for silver, by 0.23 sec.

Phelps's final event was the 4×100-meter medley relay in which he went on to win his 18th career gold medal and his 22nd overall. By winning 4 gold and 2 silver medals, Phelps concluded the 2012 Olympics as the most successful swimmer of the meet for the third Olympics in a row. After his last event, the international swimming federation FINA honored Phelps with an award commemorating his standing as the most decorated Olympian ever.

First retirement

After the 2012 Olympics, Phelps retired from swimming, stating: "I'm done. I'm finished. I'm retired. I'm done. No more," and that "I just wanted to be done with swimming and didn't want anything to do with the sport anymore."

2014 comeback from retirement


 4×100 m medley 3:29.94 (CR)
 200 m medley 1:56.04

In April 2014, Phelps announced he would come out of retirement, and would enter an event later that month. In May 2014, he won the 100-meter butterfly event at the Arena Grand Prix in Charlotte, North Carolina. Phelps was reportedly motivated by the national team's failure to win the men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay since their Beijing 2008 and Rome 2009 titles The relationship between Phelps and coach Bob Bowman had deteriorated in the preparations for London 2012, so Phelps convinced a skeptical Bowman that he "wasn't training for history. He wasn't training for the medals. He wasn't even training for all the fans. This time Phelps wanted to swim for himself...and enjoy the journey". Since his returning from retirement in 2014, Phelps "scaled back his calorie intake" and "increased his postswim ice baths". By the 2016 Olympic Trials, despite his age Phelps "felt physically stronger in the water, perhaps because of drills Bowman added to his pool workouts, like multiple repeats of 40 seconds of dolphin kicking while hugging a 10-pound weight to his chest".

2015 US Nationals

After having been dropped from the team for the 2015 World Aquatics Championships for a DUI, Phelps instead competed in the US National Championships (long course) in San Antonio as his target meet of the summer. He won gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly (50.45 s), 200-meter butterfly (1:52.94), and the 200-meter individual medley (1:54.75) In each of these events he swam the fastest time in the world for 2015.

In December 2015 at the Winter Nationals in Federal Way, Phelps won titles in the same three events, again in long course, bringing his career total to 62 national titles.
2016 Summer Olympics


 200 m butterfly 1:53.36
 200 m medley 1:54.66
 4×100 m medley 3:27.95 (OR)

Trials

At the US trials in Omaha for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Phelps won the 200 m butterfly (1:54.84), the 200 m individual medley (1:55.91), and the 100 m butterfly (51.00 s) events. This made him the first American male swimmer, and the second American swimmer overall after Dara Torres, to qualify for a fifth Olympics. Phelps's 100 m freestyle times at the Trials were not impressive. However at a final training camp in Atlanta a week before heading to Rio, Phelps put out "the fourth-fastest flat-start time of the year" in a 100 free time trial, automatically securing one of the seven spots on the Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay for the Olympics.

Rio de Janeiro

Phelps was chosen to be the American flag bearer at the opening ceremony, which was the first Olympic opening ceremony that he would attend. Phelps was also voted by the U.S. Olympic swim team as one of six team captains for the US delegation to the Olympics. He displayed a relaxed sociable demeanor in the athletes' village and in press conferences; this pleasant behavior was in stark contrast to his isolation in previous Olympics. He was accompanied by fiancée Nicole Johnson and son Boomer.

In his first event on August 7, the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, he won his first gold medal of the 2016 Games and his 19th Olympic gold medal overall. Phelps swam the second leg with what his coach Bob Bowman described as "maybe the best turn that's ever been done", overtaking France's Fabien Gilot to give his American teammates a lead which they would not relinquish. Phelps's leg proved to be the decisive factor in the race, and Gilot later remarked "As fast as my teammates were, the extraterrestrial that is Phelps was faster" Phelps achieved a split time of 47.12, the fourth-fastest of the field (the three fastest times were posted by the team anchors), which was also faster than any of his relay splits at the last three Olympics.
Phelps carrying the flag on behalf of athletes from the United States during the parade of nation within the 2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony

In his second event on August 9, the 200-meter butterfly, he became the first swimmer in history to make five finals in the same event, after finishing 5th in 2000, 1st in 2004 and 2008, and 2nd in 2012. (Federica Pellegrini would be the second swimmer to do so at the 2020 Olympics.) At Rio, he won the title that he had lost to Chad le Clos four years earlier in London, edging Masato Sakai by 0.04 s. Phelps stated that winning back this title had been the main goal during his comeback. The preliminary and final of that event was heavily hyped as a rematch between Phelps and Le Clos. The relationship between Le Clos and Phelps had been cordial back in 2012–13 but it deteriorated in 2014 when Phelps came back from retirement and suggested that the current butterfly times were slow. In the ready room prior to the preliminary race, Le Clos's shadow boxing while Phelps "glowered in a corner" spawned the Internet meme with the hashtag #PhelpsFace. Le Clos's Wikipedia biography was even vandalized after the event final. At age 31, the victory made Phelps not only the oldest male champion, but also the oldest individual champion in Olympic swimming history, beating the records set by Duke Kahanamoku in 1920, and Inge de Bruijn in 2004 respectively. Phelps also became the first swimmer to win individual gold medals 12 years apart. Both these records were broken by Anthony Ervin three days later.

Also on August 9, Phelps won his 21st gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay together with Conor Dwyer, Townley Haas, and Ryan Lochte. For Phelps and Lochte, this was their 4th consecutive gold medal in this event,[ an all-time record in swimming for any event.
Phelps with Nathan Adrian, Ryan Held and Caeleb Dressel, after winning the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay

On August 11, Phelps won his 22nd gold medal in the 200 m individual medley. He beat Kosuke Hagino, the 400 m individual medley champion, by 1.95 seconds. This was Phelps's 4th consecutive gold medal in the event as well as his 4th in the Games. He became the first swimmer to win the same individual event four times, surpassing the previous record of three held by Dawn Fraser and Krisztina Egerszegi. He also became the third Olympian to win the same individual event four times, after athletes Al Oerter and Carl Lewis. With that 13th individual gold medal, Phelps broke an ancient Olympic record, set by Leonidas of Rhodes, who had held the most Olympic individual titles of all time, with twelve

In the 100 m butterfly, Phelps was defeated in his last individual event of the Rio Olympics by Singaporean Joseph Schooling, when he earned joint silver along with Chad le Clos and László Cseh.

On August 13, in the 4 × 100-meter medley relay, Phelps ended his career with another gold medal, his 23rd at the Olympics and his 28th Olympic medal overall. Together with Ryan Murphy, Cody Miller, and Nathan Adrian, swimming as the butterfly leg of the medley, they broke the Olympic record, and won the United States' 1001st all time Olympic gold medal, in accordance with the USOC. Phelps retired from competitive swimming again following the Rio Olympics.

Phelps's performance in the Rio Olympics was unique in "winning multiple gold medals at 31 years old, well beyond the typical peak for male swimmers". Phelps is considered one of the greatest Olympians of all time.

Testing for performance-enhancing drugs

During the 2008 Olympics, Phelps was questioned by the press as to whether perhaps his feats were "too good to be true", a reference to unsupported rumors that Phelps might be taking performance-enhancing substances. In response, Phelps noted that he had signed up for Project Believe, a project by the United States Anti-Doping Agency in which U.S. Olympians can volunteer to be tested in excess of the World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines. During the Games, Phelps passed all nine tests that were administered to him.

Training

Phelps has trained under Bob Bowman since he was 11 years old. Bowman swam for Florida State University from 1983 to 1985. Phelps has said Bowman reminded him of a drill sergeant because of his disciplined and regimented ways However, Phelps has said, "Training with Bob is the smartest thing I've ever done ... I'm not going to swim for anyone else." After the 2004 Summer Olympics, Bowman was hired as the head coach for the University of Michigan after Jon Urbanchek retired. Phelps joined Bowman at Michigan to train and attended classes, but did not pursue a degree. Phelps served as a volunteer assistant coach at Michigan. After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Bowman returned to Baltimore as CEO at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Phelps also returned to Baltimore with Bowman. When Bowman was hired as the men's and women's swimming coach at Arizona State University in 2015, Phelps moved to Arizona to continue training under Bowman. There is a popular myth that Phelps ate 12,000 calories every day, but Phelps has stated it has been exaggerated and that he did not eat so much even in his growing days.

Personal life
Phelps with his wife, Nicole Johnson

Bob Bowman described Phelps as "a solitary man" with a "rigid focus" at the pool prior to a race, but afterward "a man incredibly invested in the success of the people he cares about". He states that "he's unbelievably kind-hearted", recounting Phelps's interaction with young children after practices.

Phelps is married to former Miss California USA Nicole Johnson. They secretly married on June 13, 2016, and the marriage was not publicly reported until four months later. They met in 2007 at the ESPYs, broke up in 2012, reconciled, and got engaged in February 2015.They have three sons, Boomer Robert Phelps, born on May 5, 2016, Beckett Richard Phelps, born on February 12, 2018,[268] and Maverick Nicolas Phelps, born on September 9, 2019. The family lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona, an affluent town adjoined to Phoenix, where Phelps volunteers alongside Bowman as an assistant coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils swim team.

As a teenager, Phelps idolized Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe and modeled his public image after Thorpe.Thorpe initially said that it would be highly unlikely for Phelps to win eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Phelps used the remarks as motivation and taped the words to his locker during the Games. Thorpe was in the stands for the 4×100-meter medley relay, where Phelps was swimming for his eighth Olympic gold medal. When Phelps and his teammates captured the gold, Thorpe gave a congratulatory kiss to Phelps's mother, then gave a handshake and a hug to congratulate Phelps. Afterwards, Thorpe said "I'm really proud of him not just because he won eight golds. Rather, it's how much he has grown up and matured into a great human being. Never in my life have I been so happy to have been proved wrong."

Phelps has also cited Michael Jordan as a sporting idol of his, and stated that "he changed the sport of basketball". Phelps is also a fan of the Baltimore Ravens and stated that he found his life purpose and desire to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics after seeking Ray Lewis's advice.

In January 2018, Phelps revealed that he has struggled both with ADHD and depression, having contemplated suicide after the 2012 Olympics.

Legal issues

At age 19 in November 2004, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and was sentenced to serve 18 months of probation, fined $250, ordered to speak to high school students about drinking and driving, and to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) meeting When Phelps was later asked about the incident by Matt Lauer on the Today Show, he said that he had "let a lot of people in the country down".

In February 2009, a photograph of Phelps using a bong went viral; this resulted in the loss of the Kellogg Company as a sponsor, as well as a three-month suspension by USA Swimming. Phelps admitted that the photo, which was taken at a party at the University of South Carolina, was authentic. He publicly apologized, saying his behavior was "inappropriate".

In September 2014, Phelps was arrested again, this time on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding in Baltimore. As a result, USA Swimming suspended him from all competitions for six months, and stated he would not be chosen to represent the United States at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in August. With Phelps off the team, the United States failed to qualify for the finals of the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay.

Philanthropy

After the 2008 Olympics, Phelps used his $1 million Speedo bonus to set up the Michael Phelps Foundation. His foundation focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles.

In 2010, the Michael Phelps Foundation, the Michael Phelps Swim School and KidsHealth.org developed and nationally piloted the "im" program for Boys & Girls Club members. The im program teaches children the importance of being active and healthy, with a focus on the sport of swimming. It also promotes the value of planning and goal-setting. im is offered through the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and through Special Olympics International. The Foundation has since developed two other programs, Level Field Fund-Swimming and Caps-for-a-Cause.

The Foundation's largest event is its annual fundraiser, the Michael Phelps Foundation Golf Classic. Phelps stated he hoped to work with his Foundation more after retirement from competition following the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

In 2017, Phelps joined the board of Medibio, a company focused on diagnosis of mental health disorders.

Honors and awards
Phelps and Maryland House Speaker Mike Busch in April 2009. Both houses of the Maryland General Assembly honored Phelps that day.

Phelps was a USA Olympic team member in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, and holds the records for most Olympic gold medals (23), most such medals in individual events (13), and most such medals at a single games (8, in Beijing 2008). A street in his hometown of Baltimore was renamed The Michael Phelps Way in 2004. On April 9, 2009, Phelps was invited to appear before the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate, to be honored for his Olympic accomplishments.

Long course (50-meter pool)

EventTimeVenueDateNotes
100 m freestyle 47.51 (r) Beijing August 11, 2008 Former NR
200 m freestyle 1:42.96 Beijing August 12, 2008 AM, Former WR
400 m freestyle 3:46.73 College Park August 8, 2003 Former NR
100 m backstroke 53.01 Indianapolis August 3, 2007
200 m backstroke 1:54.65 Indianapolis August 1, 2007
100 m breaststroke 1:02.57 Columbia February 17, 2008
200 m breaststroke 2:11.30 San Antonio August 10, 2015
100 m butterfly 49.82 Rome August 1, 2009 Former WR
200 m butterfly 1:51.51 Rome July 29, 2009 AM, Former WR
200 m IM 1:54.16 Shanghai July 28, 2011 Former WR*
400 m IM 4:03.84 Beijing August 10, 2008 WR

r = relay lead-off
*Phelps is a former WR holder in this event, however, his personal best came in a 2nd-place finish to Ryan Lochte's new WR at the 2011 World Championships.

Short course meters (25-meter pool)

EventTimeVenueDateNotes

100 m freestyle 46.99 Manchester December 18, 2009
200 m freestyle 1:42.78 East Meadow February 4, 2006
200 m backstroke 1:50.34 Berlin October 22, 2011
100 m butterfly 50.46 Manchester December 18, 2009
200 m butterfly 1:52.27 Melbourne November 28, 2003
100 m IM 51.65 Berlin October 22, 2011
200 m IM 1:51.89 Berlin October 23, 2011
400 m IM 4:01.49 Berlin October 22, 2011

World records

Phelps has set 39 world records (29 individual, 10 relay), which is more records than any other swimmer that is recognized by FINA; this achievement surpassed Mark Spitz's previous record of 33 world records (26 individual, 7 relay).[citation needed] However, Johnny Weissmuller is reported to have broken 67 official world records.

All but two of the records were set in a long-course (50-meter) pool. As of August 1, 2021, he holds world records in three events (indicated in bold).
No.DistanceEventTimeLocationDateRef1 200 m Butterfly 1:54.92 Austin, Texas, US March 30, 2001 
2 200 m Butterfly (2) 1:54.58 Fukuoka, Japan July 24, 2001 
3 400 m Individual medley 4:11.09 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, US August 15, 2002 
4 4 × 100 m Medley relay[a] 3:33.48 Yokohama, Japan August 29, 2002 
5 400 m Individual medley (2) 4:10.73 Indianapolis, Indiana, US April 6, 2003 
6 200 m Individual medley 1:57.94 Santa Clara, California, US June 29, 2003 
7 200 m Butterfly (3) 1:53.93 Barcelona, Spain July 22, 2003
8 200 m Individual medley (2) 1:57.52 Barcelona, Spain July 24, 2003 
9 100 m Butterfly 0:51.47 Barcelona, Spain July 25, 2003 
10 200 m Individual medley (3) 1:56.04 Barcelona, Spain July 25, 2003 
11 400 m Individual medley (3) 4:09.09 Barcelona, Spain July 27, 2003 
12 200 m Individual medley (4) 1:55.94 College Park, Maryland, US August 9, 2003 
13 400 m Individual medley (4) 4:08.41 Long Beach, California, US July 7, 2004 
14 400 m Individual medley (5) 4:08.26 Athens, Greece August 14, 2004 
15 200 m Butterfly (4) 1:53.80 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada August 17, 2006 
16 4 × 100 m Freestyle relay[b] 3:12.46 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada August 19, 2006 
17 200 m Individual medley (5) 1:55.84 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada August 20, 2006 
18 200 m Butterfly (5) 1:53.71 Columbia, Missouri, US February 17, 2007 
19 200 m Freestyle 1:43.86 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia March 27, 2007 
20 200 m Butterfly (6) 1:52.09 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia March 28, 2007 
21 200 m Individual medley (6) 1:54.98 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia March 29, 2007 
22 4 × 200 m Freestyle relay[c] 7:03.24 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia March 30, 2007 
23 400 m Individual medley (6) 4:06.22 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia April 1, 2007 
24 400 m Individual medley (7) 4:05.25 Omaha, Nebraska, US June 29, 2008 
25 200 m Individual medley (7) 1:54.80 Omaha, Nebraska, US July 4, 2008 
26 400 m Individual medley (8) 4:03.84 Beijing, China August 10, 2008 
27 4 × 100 m Freestyle relay (2) 3:08.24 Beijing, China August 11, 2008 
28 200 m Freestyle (2) 1:42.96 Beijing, China August 12, 2008 
29 200 m Butterfly (7) 1:52.03 Beijing, China August 13, 2008 
30 4 × 200 m Freestyle relay (2) 6:58.56 Beijing, China August 13, 2008 
31 200 m Individual medley (8) 1:54.23 Beijing, China August 15, 2008 
32 4 × 100 m Medley relay (2) 3:29.34 Beijing, China August 17, 2008 
33 100 m Butterfly (2) 0:50.22 Indianapolis, Indiana, US July 9, 2009 
34 200 m Butterfly (8) 1:51.51 Rome, Italy July 29, 2009 
35 4 × 200 m Freestyle relay (3) 6:58.55 Rome, Italy July 31, 2009 
36 100 m Butterfly (3) 0:49.82 Rome, Italy August 1, 2009 
37 4 × 100 m Medley relay (3) 3:27.28 Rome, Italy August 2, 2009 
38 4 × 100 m Medley relay (sc) 3:20.71 Manchester, United Kingdom December 18, 2009 
39 4 × 100 m Freestyle relay (sc)[i] 3:03.30 Manchester, United Kingdom December 19, 2009 
a with Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, and Jason Lezakb with Neil Walker, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezakc with Ryan Lochte, Klete Keller, and Peter Vanderkaayd with Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezake with Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens, and Peter Vanderkaayf with Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens, and David Waltersg with Aaron Peirsol, Eric Shanteau and David Waltersh short course record with Nick Thoman, Mark Gangloff and Nathan Adriani short course record with Nathan Adrian, Matt Grevers and Garrett Weber-Gale

Guinness World Records

Phelps holds 20 Guinness World Records which predominantly consist of accumulative Guinness World Records ("Guinness mosts", records formulated starting with "most") for total number of accomplishments and victories in swimming such as: most medals, consecutive number of medals, most medals within one tournament, most records in swimming etc. It is the highest number of accumulative Guinness World Records held by an athlete.
Most world records set for swimming (male)
Most individual swimming Olympic gold medals
Most medals won at the FINA Swimming World Championships
Most Olympic gold medals in team swimming
Most medals won at the Olympics for swimming (male)
Most Men's World Swimmer of the Year Awards
Most Olympic golds at one Games (male)
Most gold medals won at the Olympics for an individual event (male)
Most FINA world records held by an individual
Most Olympic medals won, Men
Most consecutive Olympic swimming gold medals in the same event (male)
Fastest swim long course 400 metres medley (male)
Most gold medals won at the Olympics (male)
Most individual Olympic medals (male)
Most swimming Olympic medals won, men (single games)
Most Olympic medals won (single games), men
Most gold medals won at a single FINA World Championships (individual). He also won most gold medals in FINA world championship's history.
Most silver medals awarded in a single Olympic swimming race
Fastest swim short course relay 4 x 100 metres freestyle (male)
Fastest swim long course relay 4 x 200 metres freestyle (male)
(Wikipedia)
Manjeet Kaur

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the Punjab Police, Manjeet competed for India in 4 x 400 metres relay at 2004 Athens Olympics where her team set the current National record with a time of 3:26.89. The team finished third in their heats. In the next Beijing Olympics also she represented India in 4 x 400 metres relay where her team composed of Sathi Geetha, Chitra K. Soman, and Mandeep Kaur clocked a time of 3:28.83 and finished seventh in their heats.Manjeet Kaur (born 4 April 1982) is an Indian sprint athlete from Punjab who specializes in 400 metres. She held the 400 m National record of 51.05 seconds set at the National Circuit Athletic Meet held in Chennai on 16 June 2004. She broke the previous record held by K. M. Beenamol since November 2001. In doing so, she passed the qualifying mark for the 2004 Athens Olympics. She along with Chitra K. Soman, Rajwinder Kaur and K. M. Beenamol form the team that holds the current National record in 4 x 400 metres relay. Born 4 April 1982.

In Doha Asian Games in 2006, Manjeet led India to a 4 x 400 metres relay gold Earlier at the same event, she had also won a silver medal in Women's 400 metres race behind eventual winner Olga Tereshkova from Kazakhstan. In 2005, she was conferred the Arjuna Award for her contribution to the Indian athletics.

Manjeet Kaur won the Gold Medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in 4x400 m relay event with Mandeep Kaur, Sini Jose and Ashwini Akkunji.

Manpreet Kaur
personal information
the nationality Indian
sport
Country India
The competition +45 kg
Achievements and titles
National finals

2013 National Weightlifting Championship : +75 kg - Gold
Michael Kindo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Kindo (born 20 June 1947) is a former Indian field hockey player, from Jharkhand state in India. He represented India in 1972 Summer Olympics and won the bronze medal. He was a member of the team that won the World Cup in 1975. He played at full back position. He was awarded an Arjuna Award for his achievements.
Hockey World Cup 2018: An afternoon with Michael Kindo, India's world-beating defender who dazzled with his skills and smarts

Shantanu SrivastavaDec 09, 2018

Rourkela: Peter Tirkey, Odisha's veteran hockey coach, points towards left goalpost at the SAIL Academy in Rourkela and goes, "He stays just there." The question posed to him was: Where does Michael Kindo live? Tirkey, obviously, meant a general direction, but he couldn't have been more accurate. Michael Kindo indeed hovered around India's goalpost for much of his playing career, fending off forwards with consummate ease.
Former India defender Michael Kindo at his Rourkela residence. Image: Firstpost/Shantanu Srivastava

Now 71, Kindo is leading a retired life in his Rourkela home, accompanied by his wife and his son's family. The years have taken their toll. His voice fades in a blur of incomprehensible sound, his memory is shaky, and his hearing is suspect. It's as if his brain processes sentences as certain keywords, for Kindo picks some words and elaborates.

One such word eventually registers. 1975.

"Oh, 1975! It was a memorable win of my career," he says in Sadri, an Odia dialect spoken chiefly by the Oran tribe that abounds the region.

"We were a good team. The team spirit was very good, and we played as a unit."

Kindo follows the ongoing Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar on television, and was invited at the event's opening ceremony last month. However, he didn't travel due to health reasons.

"I watch the matches on TV, but I don't recognise many players. I think Birendra Lakra is good. He is a very hardworking player. Dipsan Tirkey is also a good player.

"It's good that the World Cup is being held in Bhubaneswar. The home advantage will be with us," he says.

That's pretty much all he would say the entire afternoon until his memory is put to a further test with an archival photograph of the world-beating batch of 1975. Kindo tries his luck and identifies himself, Ashok Kumar and Aslam Sher Khan with a child-like chuckle.

"These were some very good players. Surjit Singh was our other full-back. (VJ) Phillips was the right-out, Ashok Kumar was right-in, Shivaji Pawar was centre-forward, (Leslie) Fernandez was the goalkeeper, Ajitpal Singh was our captain.

"Winning that World Cup was magical. The celebrations went on forever, and I remember a grand reception in Chandigarh."

When informed about the medical condition of Balbir Singh Senior, the team's then manager, Kindo's shock and sadness comes through in the form of an abrupt end to his speech. He sinks back in his seat and goes, "He is a nice man. He was a strict manager, but always wanted the welfare of Indian hockey. I wish he recovers soon."

Kindo's colleagues, Ashok Kumar and Aslam Sher Khan, remember him as a committed and honest player who was fun to be with.

"He had a clean heart and was very disciplined, something that he had inherited from the fauj. Kindo was among our most loved teammate, and always cracked jokes to keep the environment light. But once he stepped on the field, he meant business," says Ashok.

"Game-wise, he was very good with tackles and dodges. I would say he was among the best defenders of his time, and the team depended a lot on him. We knew if the ball is with Kindo, he won't let it pass.

"Another feature of Kindo's hockey was his accuracy. He couldn't hit long passes, but while taking the 16-yard hit, he would just glance at an unmarked teammate and look elsewhere. He wouldn't even look at that person, but the pass would land there with pin-point precision. That is something that I have not seen in any player and even today, I tell kids to practice that art," the three-time World Cup medallist says.

Khan, who memorably replaced Kindo in the semi-final of the 1975 World Cup against Malaysia when India trailed 1-2 with few minutes to go, recalls the maturity with which Kindo accepted the decision.

"Our coach thought that replacing Surjit — who was missing a lot of penalty corners — will break his confidence. Eventually, they decided to replace Kindo, even though he was not a drag-flicker. But he took it very sportingly. He said he knew I deserved to be played," recalls Khan.

Khan went on to score the crucial equaliser in the 65th minute, and India beat Malaysia in the extra time. Khan's sizzling form ensured his place in the final against Pakistan, which meant Kindo missed that game completely.

"He never had any hard feelings. He had a very clean heart. He was very happy to win the World Cup," Khan recalls.

"He was a very good player; a very intelligent player. As a defender, he always knew where the ball would come from. His sense of positioning, tackle, and interception were all top of the line. His only limitation was that he didn't have a penalty corner shot, but overall, he was world class."

Far from such platitudes though, Kindo is leading an unhurried life in his quaint retreat where, apart from some local hockey enthusiasts, not many drop by. Among the first tribals to play for independent India and certainly the only one to win a World Cup, Kindo's legacy quietly lives on the region, just the way the unassuming armyman would have liked.

Manjusha Kanwar
Wikipedia


Manjusha Kanwar
Personal information
Country India
Born 20 March 1971 
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Residence Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Handedness Right

Representing  India
Women's badminton
 1998 Kuala Lumpur Women's team
South Asian Games
 2004 Islamabad Women's team
 2004 Islamabad Women's doubles
 2004 Islamabad Mixed doubles


Manjusha Kanwar (born March 20, 1971, née Manjusha Pavangadkar) is a female badminton player. She was born in Pune, Maharashtra, India. Presently works as Deputy General Manager in Sports Department Indian Oil Corporation, New Delhi. She was part of Indian Badminton League in 2018–20 as a Coach of Delhi Team. She was honored with the FICCI Life Time Achievement Award in 2020 for her achievements both as a player and her work for the promotion of sports.

Career

Manjusha Kanwar won the National Championships in India for the first time in 1991. Nine more titles followed until 2002. Bronze Medalist in Commonwealth Games in 1998 (Teams) wherein she played both singles and doubles. Gold Medalist in South Asian Games 2004 in teams and Silver Medalist in Womens Doubles and Mixed Doubles . She represented India for 12 years.

Achievements
South Asian Games

Women's doublesYearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult2004 Rodham Hall, Islamabad, Pakistan  Fathima Nazneen  Shruti Kurien
 Jwala Gutta 6–15, 3–15  Silver

Mixed doublesYearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult2004 Rodham Hall, Islamabad, Pakistan  Marcos Bristow  Jaseel P. Ismail
 Jwala Gutta 6–15, 3–15  Silver

IBF International[edit]
Women's singlesYearTournamentOpponentScoreResult1999 Wellington International  Rhona Robertson 3–11, 3–11  Runner-up

Women's doublesYearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult1998 India International  Archana Deodhar  Madhumita Bisht
 P. V. V. Lakshmi 15–6, 13–15, 9–15  Runner-up

Mixed doublesYearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult2002 India Satellite  Jaseel P. Ismail  Marcos Bristow
 B. R. Meenakshi 11–5, 11–3  Winner

Masira Surin

Full Name: Masira Surin
Date of Birth: 18 November 1981 (age 44 in 2025)Place of Birth: Village near Khunti, Jharkhand (then Bihar)Community / Tribe: Munda (Scheduled Tribe – one of the largest Adivasi groups in Jharkhand)Position: Forward / Midfielder (Penalty corner specialist)International Caps: 100+ (1998–2005)Biggest Achievement: Gold Medal – 2002 Commonwealth Games, Manchester (India’s first-ever women’s hockey gold in CWG history)

Early Life & Roots

Masira was born into a poor Munda tribal family in the forested Khunti district of Jharkhand. The surname “Surin” is distinctly Munda (meaning “swan” in the Mundari language). Like most tribal children in the 1980s–90s, she grew up without electricity, playing hockey barefoot on mud grounds with bamboo sticks.

At age 12, she was spotted by a local coach during a tribal sports meet in Ranchi. She walked 25 km daily to train at the Astroturf in 1995–96. The Jharkhand Sports Department (then under Bihar) gave her a scholarship and hostel seat – a life-changing opportunity for a tribal girl from a remote village.

Awards & Honours

  • Arjuna Award – 2002 (youngest tribal woman from Jharkhand to receive it at that time)
  • Vikram Award – Highest sports honour of Jharkhand Government (2003)
  • Eklavya Award – Government of India tribal sports scholarship
  • Adivasi Ratna – Conferred by Jharkhand Government in 2024
  • Included in Hockey India’s “Legends Wall of Fame” (2020)

Post-Retirement Life (2005–2025)

After retiring in 2005, Masira returned to Jharkhand and dedicated herself to grassroots coaching:

  • 2006–2015: SAI Coach at Khunti & Simdega tribal hockey nurseries
  • Trained hundreds of tribal girls who later represented India (e.g., Salima Tete, Sangita Kumari, Beauty Dungdung)
  • 2018–present: National Selector – Women’s Hockey India
  • Regularly conducts free hockey camps in Munda, Oraon, and Ho villages
  • Vocal supporter of separate “Sarna Dharma Code” for tribals in Census

Personal Life

  • Marital Status: Unmarried (chose career and coaching over marriage)
  • Residence: Lives in a modest 2BHK flat in Ranchi provided by Jharkhand Government under sports quota
  • Daily Routine: Still wakes at 5 AM, runs 5 km, and visits tribal hostels to mentor young girls
  • Net Worth: Approx ₹30–40 lakh (government pension, coaching salary, awards cash) – lives very simply

Legacy in 2025

  • The Khunti Astroturf stadium has a pavilion named “Masira Surin Block”.
  • She is regarded as the “Birsa Munda of Women’s Hockey” in Jharkhand tribal circles.
  • On her 44th birthday (18 Nov 2025), Hockey Jharkhand and tribal organizations organized a grand felicitation in Ranchi, where current India captain Salima Tete called her “our first tribal role model”.

Masira Surin proved that a girl from a forgotten Munda village could bring Olympic-level glory to India – and then return to lift hundreds more tribal girls onto the same stage. She remains the most celebrated tribal woman hockey player in Indian history.

Muhammad Ali
(1942–2016)
UPDATED:JAN 7, 2021ORIGINAL:APR 27, 2017


Who Was Muhammad Ali?

Muhammad Ali was a boxer, philanthropist and social activist who is universally regarded as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. Ali became an Olympic gold medalist in 1960 and the world heavyweight boxing champion in 1964.

Following his suspension for refusing military service, Ali reclaimed the heavyweight title two more times during the 1970s, winning famed bouts against Joe Frazier and George Foreman along the way. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy, earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.

Early Life

Ali was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. His birth name was Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.

At an early age, young Clay showed that he wasn't afraid of any bout — inside or outside of the ring. Growing up in the segregated South, he experienced racial prejudice and discrimination firsthand.

At the age of 12, Clay discovered his talent for boxing through an odd twist of fate. After his bike was stolen, Clay told a police officer, Joe Martin, that he wanted to beat up the thief.

"Well, you better learn how to fight before you start challenging people," Martin reportedly told him at the time. In addition to being a police officer, Martin also trained young boxers at a local gym.

Clay started working with Martin to learn how to spar and soon began his boxing career. In his first amateur bout in 1954, he won the fight by split decision.

Clay went on to win the 1956 Golden Gloves tournament for novices in the light heavyweight class. Three years later, he won the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, as well as the Amateur Athletic Union's national title for the light heavyweight division.

In 1960, Clay won a spot on the U.S. Olympic boxing team, and traveled to Rome, Italy, to compete. At six feet, three inches tall, Clay was an imposing figure in the ring, but he also became known for his lightning speed and fancy footwork. After winning his first three bouts, Clay defeated Zbigniew Pietrzkowski of Poland to win the light heavyweight Olympic gold medal.

After his Olympic victory, Clay was heralded as an American hero. He soon turned professional with the backing of the Louisville Sponsoring Group and continued overwhelming all opponents in the ring.

Conversion to Islam

Clay joined the Black Muslim group Nation of Islam in 1964. At first, he called himself Cassius X before settling on the name Muhammad Ali. The boxer eventually converted to orthodox Islam during the 1970s.
Vietnam and Supreme Court Case


Ali started a different kind of fight with his outspoken views against the Vietnam War.

Drafted into the military in April 1967, he refused to serve on the grounds that he was a practicing Muslim minister with religious beliefs that prevented him from fighting. He was arrested for committing a felony and almost immediately stripped of his world title and boxing license.

The U.S. Department of Justice pursued a legal case against Ali, denying his claim for conscientious objector status. He was found guilty of violating Selective Service laws and sentenced to five years in prison in June 1967 but remained free while appealing his conviction.

Unable to compete professionally in the meantime, Ali missed more than three prime years of his athletic career. Ali returned to the ring in 1970 with a win over Jerry Quarry, and the U.S. Supreme Court eventually overturned the conviction in June 1971.
Muhammad Ali: Record

Ali had a career record of 56 wins, five losses and 37 knockouts before his retirement from boxing in 1981 at the age of 39.

Fights

Often referring to himself as "The Greatest," Ali was not afraid to sing his own praises. He was known for boasting about his skills before a fight and for his colorful descriptions and phrases.

In one of his more famously quoted descriptions, Ali told reporters that he could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" in the boxing ring. A few of his more well-known matches include the following:

Sonny Liston

After winning gold at the 1960 Olympics, Ali took out British heavyweight champion Henry Cooper in 1963. He then knocked out Sonny Liston in 1964 to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

Joe Frazier

In 1971, Ali took on Joe Frazier in what has been called the "Fight of the Century." Frazier and Ali went toe-to-toe for 14 rounds before Frazier dropped Ali with a vicious left hook in the 15th. Ali recovered quickly, but the judges awarded the decision to Frazier, handing Ali his first professional loss after 31 wins.

After suffering a loss to Ken Norton, Ali beat Frazier in a 1974 rematch.

In 1975, Ali and Frazier locked horns again for their grudge match in Quezon City, Philippines. Dubbed the "Thrilla in Manila," the bout nearly went the distance, with both men delivering and absorbing tremendous punishment. However, Frazier's trainer threw in the towel after the 14th round, giving the hard-fought victory to Ali.
George Foreman

Another legendary Ali fight took place in 1974 against undefeated heavyweight champion George Foreman. Billed as the "Rumble in the Jungle," the bout was organized by promoter Don King and held in Kinshasa, Zaire.

For once, Ali was seen as the underdog to the younger, massive Foreman, but he silenced his critics with a masterful performance. He baited Foreman into throwing wild punches with his "rope-a-dope" technique, before stunning his opponent with an eighth-round knockout to reclaim the heavyweight title.

Leon Spinks

After losing his title to Leon Spinks in February 1978, Ali defeated him in a September 1978 rematch, becoming the first boxer to win the heavyweight championship three times.

Larry Holmes

Following a brief retirement, Ali returned to the ring to face Larry Holmes in 1980 but was overmatched against the younger champion.

Following one final loss in 1981, to Trevor Berbick, the boxing great retired from the sport at age 39.

Spouse and Children

Ali was married four times and had nine children, including two children he fathered outside of marriage.

Ali married his first wife, Sonji Roi, in 1964; they divorced after one year when she refused to adopt the Nation of Islam dress and customs.

(1879–195ALI MARRIED HIS SECOND WIFE, 17-YEAR-OLD BELINDA BOYD, IN 1967. BOYD AND ALI HAD FOUR CHILDREN TOGETHER: MARYUM, BORN IN 1969; JAMILLAH AND LIBAN, BOTH BORN IN 1970; AND MUHAMMAD ALI JR.; BORN IN 1972. BOYD AND ALI DIVORCED IN 1976.

At the same time Ali was married to Boyd, he traveled openly with Veronica Porche, who became his third wife in 1977. The pair had two daughters together, including Laila Ali, who followed in Ali’s footsteps by becoming a champion boxer. Porche and Ali divorced in 1986.

Ali married his fourth and final wife Yolanda ("Lonnie") in 1986. The pair had known each other since Lonnie was just six and Ali was 21; their mothers were best friends and raised their families on the same street. Ali and Lonnie couple remained married until his death and had one son together, Asaad.

Parkinson's Diagnosis

In 1984, Ali announced that he had Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurological condition.

Despite the progression of Parkinson's and the onset of spinal stenosis, he remained active in public life. Ali raised funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona. And he was on hand to celebrate the inauguration of the first African American president in January 2009, when Barack Obama was sworn into office.

A few years before his death, Ali underwent surgery for spinal stenosis, a condition causing the narrowing of the spine, which limited his mobility and ability to communicate.

Philanthropy

In his retirement, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy. Over the years, Ali supported the Special Olympics and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, among other organizations. In 1996, he lit the Olympic cauldron at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, an emotional moment in sports history.

Ali traveled to numerous countries, including Mexico and Morocco, to help out those in need. In 1998, he was chosen to be a United Nations Messenger of Peace because of his work in developing nations.

Awards

In 2005, Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush.

Soon after Obama’s 2009 inauguration, Ali received the President's Award from the NAACP for his public service efforts.

Muhammad Ali Center

Ali opened the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, in 2005.

"I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given," he said. "Many fans wanted to build a museum to acknowledge my achievements. I wanted more than a building to house my memorabilia. I wanted a place that would inspire people to be the best that they could be at whatever they chose to do, and to encourage them to be respectful of one another."
Movie

Actor Will Smith played Ali in the biopic film Ali, released in 2001.


Muhammad Ali holds the torch before lighting the Olympic Flame during the opening ceremony of the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia on July 19, 1996

Photo: Michael Cooper/Getty Images

Death

Ali died on June 3, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona, after being hospitalized for what was reportedly a respiratory issue. He was 74 years old.

The boxing legend had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease and spinal stenosis. In early 2015, the athlete battled pneumonia and was hospitalized for a severe urinary tract infection.

Funeral and Memorial Service

Years before his passing, Ali had planned his own memorial services, saying he wanted to be “inclusive of everyone, where we give as many people an opportunity that want to pay their respects to me,” according to a family spokesman.

The three-day event, which took place in Ali’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, included an “I Am Ali” festival of public arts, entertainment and educational offerings sponsored by the city, an Islamic prayer program and a memorial service.

Prior to the memorial service, a funeral procession traveled 20 miles through Louisville, past Ali’s childhood home, his high school, the first boxing gym where he trained and along Ali Boulevard as tens of thousands of fans tossed flowers on his hearse and cheered his name.

The champ’s memorial service was held at the KFC Yum Center arena with close to 20,000 people in attendance. Speakers included religious leaders from various faiths, Attallah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s eldest daughter, broadcaster Bryant Gumbel, former President Bill Clinton, comedian Billy Crystal, Ali’s daughters Maryum and Rasheda and his widow Lonnie.

"Muhammad indicated that when the end came for him, he wanted us to use his life and his death as a teaching moment for young people, for his country and for the world," Lonnie said. "In effect, he wanted us to remind people who are suffering that he had seen the face of injustice. That he grew up during segregation, and that during his early life he was not free to be who he wanted to be. But he never became embittered enough to quit or to engage in violence."

Former President Clinton spoke about how Ali found self-empowerment: "I think he decided, before he could possibly have worked it all out, and before fate and time could work their will on him, he decided he would not ever be disempowered. He decided that not his race nor his place, the expectations of others, positive, negative or otherwise would strip from him the power to write his own story. "

Crystal, who was a struggling comedian when he became friends with Ali, said of the boxing legend: “Ultimately, he became a silent messenger for peace, who taught us that life is best when you build bridges between people, not walls.”

"You have inspired us and the world to be the best version of ourselves,' Rasheda Ali spoke to her father. 'May you live in paradise free from suffering. You shook up the world in life now you're shaking up the world in death. Now you are free to be with your creator. We love you so much Daddy. Until we meet again, fly butterfly, fly."

Pallbearers included Will Smith and former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. Ali was buried at the Cave Hill National Cemetery in Louisville.

Ali's stature as a legend continues to grow even after his death. He is celebrated not only for his remarkable athletic skills but for his willingness to speak his mind and his courage to challenge the status quo.

Mary Kom

Mary Kom is an Indian boxer from the northeast state of Manipur, born on 1st March 1983, Mangte Chungneijang. She is also known as MC Mary Kom or Magnificent Mary. Mary Kom is famed as a five-time World Boxing Champion and the only boxer to win a medal in every one of the six world championships. In the 2012 Olympics, she became the first Indian women boxer to qualify and win a bronze medal in the 51 kg flyweight category of Boxing. She is currently ranked as Number. 4 in the Flyweight category of AIBA World Women’s Ranking.
Mary was born in Kangathei, Manipur. She did her schooling from Loktak Christian Model High School, Moirang till class VI and studied in St. Xavier Catholic School, Moirang till class VIII. She then completed her schooling from NIOS, Imphal and did her graduation from Churachandpur College. Mary Kom is a mother of twin sons, Rechungvar and Khupneivar; and is married to K Onler Kom. She had an eager interest in athletics since childhood and the success of Dingko Singh is what really inspired her to become a boxer.

Career

Mary Kom’s career started in 2000 after her victory in the Manipur state women’s boxing championship and the regional championship in West Bengal. In 2001, she started competing at international level. She was only 18 years old when she made her international debut at the first AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship in United States, winning a silver medal in the 48 kg weight category. In 2002, she won a gold medal in the 45 kg weight class at the second AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship in Turkey. She also won a gold medal in the 45 kg weight category at the Witch Cup in Hungary in the same year.

In 2003, Mary Kom won a gold medal in the 46 kg weight class at the Asian Women’s Boxing Championship in India and in 2004 she won a gold medal at the Women’s Boxing World Cup in Norway. In 2005, she again won a gold medal at the Asian Women’s Boxing Championship in Taiwan and the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship in Russia both in the 46 kg weight class. In 2006, she won a gold medal at the Venus Women’s Box Cup in Denmark and won gold again at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship in India.

After a one year break, Mary Kom returned in 2008 to win a silver medal at the Asian Women’s Boxing Championship held in India and won a fourth successive gold medal at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship in China, both were in the 46 weigh category. In 2009 she won a gold medal at the Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam.

In 2010, Mary Kom won a gold medal at the Asian Women’s Boxing Championship in Kazakhstan and her fifth consecutive gold medal in the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship in Barbados. She competed in the 48 kg weight class because AIBA had discontinued using the 46 kg class. She also participated in the 51 kg weight class at the Asian Games and won a bronze medal.

In the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi, India. She had the honor of holding the Queen’s Baton along with Vijender Singh for the opening ceremony run in the stadium. However, she did not compete as women’s boxing event was not included in the Games. In 2011, she won a gold medal in the 48 kg weight class at the Asian Women’s Cup in China. In 2012, she won a gold medal in the 51 kg weight class at the Asian Women’s Boxing Championship in Mongolia.

The 2012 London Olympics brought her more respect and honor as she became the first Indian women boxer to qualify and win a bronze medal at the Olympics. She took part in the 51 kg weight category and also became the third Indian woman to win an individual medal at the Olympics.

In 2014 Asian Games, she won a gold medal and created history for India. She won the gold in the women’s flyweight (48-52 kg) division which was her first gold medal in the Asian Games.

Awards and recognitions:

Arjuna Award (Boxing) in 2003
Padma Shree (Sports) in 2006
Contender for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2007
People of the Year – Limca Book of Records in 2007
CNN-IBN & Reliance Industries’ Real Heroes Award in 2008
Pepsi MTV Youth Icon in 2008
‘Magnificent Mary’, AIBA in 2008
Felicitation by Zomi Students’ Federation (ZSF) at New Lamka YPA Hall in 2008
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2009
International Boxing Association’s Ambassador for Women’s Boxing in 2009
Sportswoman of the year, Sahara Sports Award in 2010

Maruti Mane
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maruti Mane
Born August 10, 1938

Died 27 July 2010 (aged 71)

Nationality BHARTIYA
Occupation Olympic wrestler

Maruti Mane (10 August 1938 – 27 July 2010) was an Indian former wrestler who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Mane had a glorious run as a wrestler between 1962 and 1972 and did exceedingly well for the country in major championships. In the 1970 Commonwealth Games, he won silver in the unlimited freestyle event. In the 1962 Asian Games, he won gold in the 97 kg freestyle and the silver in the 97 kg Greco-Roman events.

Mane was crowned Hind Kesari in 1964 after defeating Rajasthan wrestler Mahiruddin. He was at one time listed among the best wrestlers in the world. He was also presented with the prestigious Dhyan Chand award by the Union government.

In his wrestling days, Mane used to work out for almost 10 to 12 hours daily. His fitness was said to be the reason for him lasting a good 11 minutes against the then all-conquering Russian wrestler Alexander Medved in 1967.

International tournaments

MedalYearChampionshipVenueStyleEventOpponentOutcome
Gold 1962 Asian Games Jakarta, Indonesia Freestyle Light heavyweight
 Japan Winner
Silver 1962 Asian Games Jakarta, Indonesia Greco-Roman Light heavyweight
 Japan Shared Silver
Mouma Das
From Wikipedia
Mouma Das
Das in 2010

Personal information
Nationality Indian
Born 24 February 1984
Narkeldanga, Kolkata, India
Height 1.49 m (4 ft 10 in)

Medal record

Women's table tennis
Representing  India

Mouma Das (born 24 February 1984) is an Indian table tennis player. Born and brought up in Kolkata, West Bengal, she has represented India in international events since the early 2000s. Das has won multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games including a gold in the Women's Team Competition in 2018. She was awarded the Arjuna Award, India's second highest sporting honour in 2013 for her contributions to the sport.

Das participated in the 2004 Olympic Games where she competed in the singles table tennis competition; she made her second appearance at the event in the 2016 edition after a gap of 12 years. Das reached the quarterfinals of the women's doubles event at the 2017 World Table Tennis Championships partnering Manika Batra; the duo became the first Indian pair (and the first Indians in over 61 years) to do so.[The pair also won the silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.She was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2021.

Career

Das made her first World Table Tennis Championship appearance in the year 1997, at Manchester, and went on to reach the third round before bowing out. She did not participate the following year, because of an injury. In the subsequent world meets, Das either represented India as a singles player or as the team member: Kuala Lumpur (2000), Osaka (2001), Paris (2003), Doha (2004), Bremen (2006), Zagreb (2007), Guangzhou (2008), Yokohama (2009), Moscow (2010), Rotterdam (2011), Dortmund (2012), Paris (2013), Suzhou (2015), Kuala Lumpur (2016), Düsseldorf (2017), Halmstad (2018) without missing any championships. She registered the highest caps at the Championships, with 17 appearances. Das and Thailand's Komwon Nanthana have both represented their country 17 times each, the maximum by any Asian in both sections.

Das won her 1st International Gold medal in 2nd Children of Asia International Sports Games'2000 in Yakutsk.

Mouma Das played more than 400 International Matches against 75 different countries.

At the December 2015 Commonwealth Championships, Das claimed a silver in the singles event along with team medal and became the maximum Commonwealth medal winning Indian Table Tennis player.

Das qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics at the Asian Qualification Tournament held in Hong Kong in April 2015. However, her appearance at the 2016 Olympics short-lived, as she lost to higher seeded Daniela Dodean of Romania in the first round of the women's individual event.

For the Indian table tennis fraternity, ITTF World Tours have never been easy. But things were very different this time in Olomouc, a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. Mouma Das and Manika Batra, the new and heroic women's doubles pair of India, lifted their game by several notches to reach the semi-finals for the first time at an ITTF World Tour (Major).

Indian star table tennis duo of Mouma Das and Manika Batra reached a world ranking of 12 in the latest ITTF rankings which is the best among 28 Commonwealth countries that play the sport on the big stages.

In 2017 ITTF Challenge Spanish Open Indian pair of Manika Batra and Mouma Das, seeded second, went down to the top-seed Korean duo of Jihee Jeon and Haeun Yang 11–9, 6-11, 11–9, 9-11, 9–11 in a thrilling women doubles final.it was a creditable performance by the Indians who forced the issue to the last two points to become the first Indian women's pair to finish with the silver medal in an ITTF Challenge series. Later that year, Das made her 50th Final in Annual Inter State & Senior National Table Tennis Championship in Ranchi; she also won gold medal in the team event, where she represented PSPB.

Das was a part of the Women's team that won the gold medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games; the Indian team defeated Singapore in the final with a score of 3–1 to secure the first gold medal for the country in the event. Das won the women's doubles match partnering Madhurika Patkar to give India the lead in the tie. En route to the gold medal, the first by any nation other Singapore, India defeated the top seeded English team in semi-finals.Presently she is an employee of OIL (Oil India Ltd.).

Mahesh Gawli
(Wikipedia)

Date of birth 23 January 1980
Place of birth Goa, India

Mahesh Gawli (born 23 January 1980) is a former Indian football centre-back who represented India national football team on 96 occasions between 2000 and 2011.

Club career

Gawli was born in Goa and began playing football at 8. Gawli’s talent was immediately spotted by the coaches at all age groups. He was a member of the Goa U-12 team that lost against Japan U-12 in 1991–92. He then joined the famed Tata Football Academy.

Gawli started his career at FC Kochin where he joined in 1998 after graduating from Tata Football Academy and won the Kerala League with them before moving on to Churchill Brothers.

He stayed there at Churchill for three consecutive seasons from 2000–2002 and won the Goa Professional League thrice with them. He also helped them secure the Runners-up medals in the 2001–02 season of National Football League (India) before moving on to Kolkata biggies East Bengal.

Gawli first tasted the National League success in 2003–04 season after moving into the East Bengal. He was also a member of the East Bengal team that won the prestigious 2003 ASEAN Club Championship in where he also scored a goal against Philippine Army F.C.. East Bengal completed a treble that season by winning the Kolkata League crown as well.

After a successful three-year stint with the East Bengal, it was time for Mahesh to find his place in Mahindra United team. It was under Mahindra Coach David Booth that Gawli displayed his finest brand of football. He helped Mahindra win the NFL, Indian Federation Cup, Mumbai Football League and the IFA Shield and was part of the team that participated in the 2007 AFC Cup and went on to reach the last eight stage. Gawli won the best defender award in the 10th NFL for his stellar performances in Mahindra United colors.

Then it was like a homecoming for Mahesh as he moved from Mahindra to Dempo S.C. in 2007 and has become a pillar of strength in Dempo’s defense. Gawli has won two I-League titles with Dempo and is a regular starter for the club and forms a formidable partnership with another India international Samir Naik. He helped Dempo reach the semi-finals of 2008 AFC Cup and the pre-quarters in 2011 AFC Cup.

International career

He represented India in the AFC U-16 Championship in 1996 held in Thailand and was included in the Asian All Star U-16 team. Gawli soon made his international debut in the pre-Olympic qualifier against Thailand in 1999 and cemented his place in the Indian team.

Mahesh has been representing India since 2001. With India, he won the LG Cup and several SAFF Cups. He was part of the historical Nehru Cup 2007 win in which he was the man of the match in the final against Syria. He was also an important part of the victorious India team at the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup.

He announced his retirement on 26 December 2011, almost 2 weeks after winning the 2011 SAFF Championship with India.
Munmun Lugun

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Personal information

Full name Munmum Timothy Lugun

Date of birth 5 May 1993, Delhi, India

Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)

Playing position Left back

Club information
Current team - Delhi Dynamos
Number 33

Career

Born in Delhi, Lugun started his football career with Simla Youngs in the I-League 2nd Division. He also captained his state youth team during the B.C. Roy Trophy in 2010. In 2012 Lugun signed with United Sikkim for their 2nd Division campaign and helped the club earn promotion to the I-League. He made his professional debut for the club in the I-League in their opening match against Salgaocar on 6 October 2012. Lugun started and played the full match as United Sikkim won 3–2. By the end of the season, despite the club being relegated, Lugun himself started and played 24 of United Sikkim's 26 matches.

After United Sikkim were relegated, Lugun signed with another I-League side, Rangdajied United. He made his debut for the club on 22 September 2013 against Prayag United. He started and played the full match as Rangdajied United lost 2–0. Then, after the 2013–14 I-League season, Lugun was selected by the Delhi Dynamos in the Indian Super Leaguedomestic draft for the inaugural season. Lugun only made one appearance for the Delhi side during the season, on 28 November 2014 against Mumbai City. He started and played the full match as Delhi Dynamos won 4–1.

On 22 December 2014, after the ISL season, Lugun signed with Pune for the 2014–15 I-League. He made his debut for the side on 14 February 2015 against Dempo. Lugun came on as a 72nd minute substitute for Yumnam Raju as Pune and Dempo drew the match 0–0.

On 25 March 2016 it was announced that Lugun would be part of the Minerva Academysquad in the I-League 2nd Division. After the 2nd Division season, in September 2016 it was revealed that Lugun had signed with Indian Super League side Mumbai City.

Club United Sikkim
I-League 2nd Division: 2012

Ngangbam Soniya Chanu
Wikipedia


Born 15 February 1980
Sport
Country  India
Sport Weightlifting
Event(s) 48kg
Coached by Hansa Sharma
Updated on 25 July 2012.

Ngangbam Soniya Chanu (born 15 February 1980) is an Indian Woman Weightlifter. She won the silver medal in the Women's 48 kg category at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

She is from Imphal West district of Manipur state of India.

2012 Summer Olympics

She represented India, in 2012 Summer Olympics in Women's 48 kg. She finished with 7th position.

Nallappan Mohanraj
Wikipedia
Nallappan Mohanraj


Full name Nallappan Mohanraj
Date of birth 23 February 1989 
Place of birth Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Left back
Club information

Current team Churchill Brothers
Number 48
Youth career
2006–2007 HAL
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2012 Mohun Bagan 126 (??)
2012–2013 Pune 3 (0)
2013–2014 Mumbai Tigers ?? (??)
2014 → Sporting Goa 10 (0)
2015 Atletico de Kolkata 5 (1)
2015 →Bharat FC (loan) 11 (1)
2016 Chennaiyin 2 (0)
2017 ATK 0 (0)
2018– Churchill Brothers 14 (0)
National team‡
2007–2008 India U19
2011–2012 India U23 1 (0)
2011– India 12 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 February 2018
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 6 February 2014

Nallappan Mohanraj (நல்லப்பன் மோகன்ராஜ், Nallappan Mohanraj; born 23 February 1989 in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu) is an Indian footballer. He is currently playing for Churchill Brothers in the l-League as a left back

Early career

Born in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, Mohanraj started Playing for Sports Authority of India in Chennai. He went for the under-16 and under-19 state selections, and didn't get selected for either. After that, he went for a trial at the Tata Football Academy, and didn't get through. But Carlton Chapman, the assistant coach there, told me he had a good left foot, and sent him for a trial at (I-League 2nd Division side) HAL, Bangalore. Finally, the HAL coach Krishnaji Rao gave him chance.

Career

After his stint at HAL, Mohanraj signed for Mohun Bagan at the beginning of the 2007-08 season. He enjoyed a very successful stint with Mohun Bagan where he won the Indian Federation Cup in 2008, followed up with the ONGC Super Cup and runner-up in the I-League in 2009. In 2012-13 with Pune F.C. he picked up yet another I-League runner up medal.

Sporting Goa

On 5 February 2014 Mohanraj signed for Sporting Clube de Goa on loan from Mumbai Tigers as their club was disbanded. He made his debut for Sporting Goa on 16 February 2014 in the I-League match against Pune F.C. at the Balewadi Sports Complex in which he started and played the whole match and also earned a yellow card in the 66th minute as Sporting Goa drew the match 1-1.

International

Mohanraj won the 2009 Nehru Cup with the Indian national team. He was also the captain of the India U-18 team that toured Germany and played against the Academy teams of VfB Stuttgart, FC Augsburg and Munich 1860, before participating in the 2008 AFC U-19 Championship tournament in Iran. On 23 February 2011 Mohanraj played his first game for the Indian U23 team against Myanmar.

Honours

Atlético de Kolkata

Narayan Das
(footballer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Narayan DasPersonal information
Date of birth 25 September 1993
Place of birth Tribeni, West Bengal, India
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing positionLeft back

Narayan Das
(born 25 September 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a left back for Delhi Dynamos in the Indian Super League.

Early career

Born in Tribeni, West Bengal, Das graduated from the Tata Football Academy in 2012 and signed with Pailan Arrows, the All India Football Federation's development team in the I-League on 24 October 2012. He made his professional debut for the club four days later on 28 October 2012 against Salgaocar. He came on as a halftime substitute for Pritam Kotal and earned a yellow card in the 72nd minute as Pailan Arrows drew the match 0–0. Das then scored the first goal of his career on 18 November 2012 against Prayag United. His 84th-minute goal managed to equalize the score at 1–1 but four minutes later Lalkamal Bhowmick found the winner for Prayag United and saw Pailan Arrows fall 2–1. The next match saw Das on the scoresheet again, this time against Sporting Goa. His 54th-minute strike was the only goal in a 1–0 victory for Pailan Arrows.

Dempo

After the 2012–13 season, Pailan Arrows disbanded and on 26 October 2013 it was announced that Das, along with Arrows teammates Alwyn George, Holicharan Narzary, and Pronay Halder, would sign with three-time I-League champions, Dempo. Dempo were also coached at the time by former Pailan Arrows head coach Arthur Papas. Das made his debut for the club on 1 November 2013 in the eighth round of the I-League against Mohun Bagan. Das started the match and played the whole ninety minutes as the match ended in a 0–0 draw.

After suffering from a knee injury during the 2014 Indian Super League with Goa, Das missed the entire 2014–15 I-League season as Dempo were relegated from the first division league.
Goa (loans)

On 23 July 2014, Das was part of the 2014 ISL Inaugural Domestic Draft in which he was selected by Goa, who were allowed to exclusively sign Dempo players. He made his debut for the team on 15 October 2014 against Chennaiyin. He started and played the full match as Goa lost 2–1. He continued to play as a regular for Goa as a left-back and formed a good partnership on the left side of the pitch with left winger Mandar Rao Desai. At the end of the season Das, along with teammates Rao Desai and Romeo Fernandes, were praised by Goa marquee player Robert Pires. The former France and Arsenal midfielder said that he was "really impressed with players like Romeo Fernandes, Mandar Rao Dessai, Narayan Das who have a great future". However, before the season ended, Das suffered a knee injury during Goa's semi-final match against Atlético de Kolkata. Goa head coach, Zico, blamed the artificial turf at the Salt Lake Stadium for Das's injury.

Despite missing the entire 2014–15 season due to injury, Das was retained by Goa for the 2015 season.

East Bengal

On 19 June 2015 it was revealed that Das, along with Dempo teammates Pronay Halder and Prabir Das, requested to be released by the Goan club in order to sign for other I-League clubs, after Dempo were relegated to the I-League 2nd Division. A few days later it was reported that the club had agreed to allow the players a release from their hefty contracts but that Dempo would also demand a transfer fee for the players. After the 2015 ISL season, it was announced that Das had signed with East Bengal on 13 January 2016. During the 2015–16 season with the club, coming back from injury, Das found himself as second choice left back behind club captain Robert Lalthlamuana.

Pune City

On 12 July 2016 it was announced that Das had signed with Pune City of the Indian Super League along with Augustin Fernandes. He made his debut for the club on 3 October 2015 against Mumbai City. He started the match and played the full 90 as Pune City lost 1–0.

International

Das was first called up to the India set up at the under-19 level during the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers. He made his debut for the side on 1 November 2011 against Turkmenistan. He started and played the full match as India won 3–1. Das was then called up to the under-23 side for the 2013 AFC U-22 Championship qualifiers. He made his debut for the side on 23 June 2012 against Lebanon. He started the match as India won 5–2.

On 19 November 2013 Das made his debut for the India senior side against Nepal. He started the match as India won 2–0. He scored his first goal for India on 3 September 2016 in a friendly against Puerto Rico. His 17th-minute goal was the equalizer for India who then went on to win the match 4–1

Nirupama Mankad
Wikipedia

Nirupama MankadCountry (sports)  Pakistan
Born January 17, 1947
Karachi, Pakistan
Turned pro 1964
Retired 1979
Singles
Career titles 9 ITF
Doubles
Career titles 17 ITF
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results

Nirupama Mankad née Vasant (born 17 January 1947 in Karachi, now in Pakistan) is a former Indian tennis player.

Nirupama Mankad is the daughter of G. Vasant, a leading tennis player in India in his time. She survives her husband, the late Ashok Mankad, a former Indian Test cricketer. Their son Harsh Mankad is an Indian Davis Cup player.

Mankad won the Asian women's tennis championship in 1965 at the age of 17. She played Wimbledon junior event in 1965 and partnered Anand Amritraj in the mixed doubles event in 1971, reaching the second round. She was India's top ranked tennis player between 1965 and 1978, winning the national championship seven times during this time. She won the Indian government's Arjuna award in 1980.

Her best ranking was No 1, and was also a two-time Asian champion and a Fed Cup player.

Singles (9–9)

OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Winner 1. 3 January 1965 Kolkata, India Hard  Lakshmi Mahadevan 6-2, 6-4
Runner-up 2. 16 January 1965 New Delhi, India Hard  Marion Law 2-6, 4-6
Runner-up 3. 9 January 1966 Allahabad, India Grass  Tiiu Kivi 9-11, 2-6
Runner-up 4. 30 January 1966 Mumbai, India Hard  Carol Ann Prosen 3-6, 6-3, 4-6
Runner-up 5. 28 January 1968 New Delhi, India Clay  Alexandra Ivanova 3-6, 6-2, 4-6
Winner 6. 29 December 1968 Kolkata, India Hard  Alice Tym 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Winner 7. 23 December 1969 New Delhi, India Hard  Alice Tym 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
Runner-up 8. 5 January 1971 Amritsar, India Hard  Alexandra Ivanova 2-6, 5-7
Runner-up 9. 11 January 1971 Amaravati, India Hard  Tiiu Kivi 2-6, 5-7
Winner 10. 7 February 1971 Kolkata, India Hard  Kiran Peshawaria 4–6, 6–1, 6–1
Winner 11. 1 March 1971 Nairobi, Kenya Clay  Jenny Paterson 6-0, 6-0
Runner-up 12. 7 February 1972 Pune, India Hard  Marilyn Tesch 4-6, 2-6
Runner-up 13. 14 February 1972 Chennai, India Hard  Alexandra Ivanova 2-6, 1-6
Runner-up 14. 14 February 1974 Chennai, India Hard  Susan Das 4-6, 2-6
Winner 15. 6 January 1975 Amritsar, India Hard  Susan Das 7–5, 6–4
Winner 16. 18 January 1976 New Delhi, India Hard  Susan Das 6–4, 6–3
Winner 17. 2 February 1977 Chennai, India Hard  Susan Das 6–4, 6–3
Winner 18. 15 February 1978 New Delhi, India Hard  Amreeta Ahluwalia 3–6, 6–1, 8–6

Nikki Pradhan 

Nikki Pradhan (born On 8 December 1993) is an Indian professional field hockey player renowned for her defensive skills and midfield contributions to the Indian women's national team. She is a defender by primary position but has often played as a midfielder, earning 197 international caps and scoring 2 goals as of 2024. Hailing from the tribal heartland of Jharkhand, Pradhan made history as the first female hockey player from her state to represent India at the Olympics in 2016. At 31 years old (as of December 2025), she stands at 1.53 m (5 ft 0 in) and weighs 49 kg (108 lb). Her journey from a rural village to international stardom exemplifies resilience, having overcome limited resources and injuries to become a key pillar in India's rising women's hockey program.

Early Life and Background

Pradhan was born in Hesel (also spelled Hesal) village, located in the tribal-dominated Khunti district of Jharkhand (then part of Bihar until 2000), approximately 60 km from Ranchi. She grew up in a modest, rural household in a Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, where access to sports facilities was scarce. Her father, Soma Pradhan, worked as a police constable in the Bihar Police, providing the family with some stability, while her mother, Jitan Devi, was a homemaker managing the household. As the third daughter in the family, Pradhan has credited her parents' support for her pursuits, though the family faced typical challenges of tribal and agrarian life, including financial constraints.

She attended Pilaul Middle School in her village, where her passion for hockey ignited around age 6–7. Inspired by Pushpa Pradhan—a former Indian national player from the same village who visited the school in 1999 and shared stories of her international career—young Nikki crafted a makeshift bamboo hockey stick and began practicing on makeshift fields. This early spark, combined with the influence of local games, fueled her determination. By age 10–12, she was honing her skills under the guidance of childhood coach Dasrath Mahto, who recognized her talent and raw athleticism.

Entry into Hockey and Training

Pradhan's formal entry into organized hockey came in 2005 when she enrolled at the prestigious Bariatu Girls' Hockey Center (also known as the Bariatu Residential Hockey Hostel) in Ranchi, a renowned academy that has produced stars like former Indian captain Asunta Lakra. The center provided structured training, boarding, and exposure to competitive play, transforming her from a village enthusiast to a state-level prospect. She balanced academics and sports, completing her schooling up to the 12th grade in 2010.

Post-12th, financial pressures threatened her stay at the hostel, but after a personal request, she was allowed to continue training on campus. In 2011, she represented Jharkhand at the National Games, which led to her selection for the national camp in 2012. That year, she joined the South Eastern Railways through the sports quota, securing a job as a graduate-level officer with the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB). This employment provided financial security and access to elite training facilities, allowing her to focus fully on hockey. In 2025, she further aligned with the Soorma Hockey Club, enhancing her professional network.

International Career

Pradhan's international breakthrough came early but was marked by perseverance. She debuted for India at the U-17 Asia Cup in Bangkok in 2011, showcasing her defensive tenacity. Despite missing the 2011–2012 Junior National Hockey Camp, she earned a spot in the U-21 team, winning silver at the Asia Cup (location unspecified, around 2013–2014). An injury sidelined her until early 2015, but she roared back, joining the senior national camp in August 2015.

Her senior debut for India occurred during the 2016 South Africa Tour. That same year, she was selected for the 16-member Rio Olympics squad—the first Indian women's hockey team at the Games in 36 years, following a strong 2015 Hockey World League Semifinals performance. As a midfielder, she contributed to defensive efforts in pool-stage draws (e.g., 2-2 vs. Japan), though the team finished 12th after quarterfinal elimination. This made her the sixth overall hockey player from Jharkhand at the Olympics (first woman), joining legends like Jaipal Singh Munda (1928) and Sylvanus Dungdung (1980).

Since then, Pradhan has been a mainstay, logging consistent appearances across tours (e.g., South Korea 2018, USA Olympic Qualifiers 2019). Her reliability in high-pressure scenarios has been pivotal in India's resurgence, blending physicality with tactical awareness.

Playing Style and Positions

Pradhan is celebrated for her robust defending, quick recovery tackles, and aerial duels, making her a "backline rock" in India's fluid 5-3-2 or 5-4-1 formations. While listed as a defender, she transitions seamlessly into midfield, offering long passes and penalty corner assists. Her low center of gravity (due to her compact build) aids in one-on-one battles, and she's known for her work ethic—often logging 80+ minutes per match. Teammates praise her leadership in mentoring juniors like Salima Tete.

Personal Life

Pradhan maintains a low-profile personal life, focusing on family and faith. A devout Hindu from the Kharwar Bhogta tribal community (an indigenous agrarian ST group), she draws strength from her roots. Her sisters remain in Jharkhand, and she often visits Hesel village, where locals initially learned of her fame via media. Unmarried as of 2025, she has no public relationships disclosed. Off-field, she's an advocate for rural girls in sports, inspiring through stories of her bamboo-stick origins. She enjoys simple pleasures like home-cooked meals and tribal festivals. Her railway job provides stability, but hockey remains her passion—she's stated, "Hockey gave me wings; Jharkhand gave me the ground to fly."

Recent Updates (as of December 2025)

In 2025, Pradhan joined the Soorma Hockey Club, bolstering her domestic commitments while preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics cycle. She featured prominently in the Women's Asia Cup in Hangzhou, contributing to India's campaign amid a competitive field. No major injuries or controversies have marked her career; instead, she's focused on legacy-building, aiming for a third Olympic appearance. Her story continues to motivate tribal youth, with Jharkhand investing in hockey academies partly due to her influence. As of now, she remains an active member of the national squad, with eyes on the FIH Pro League and Asian qualifiers.

Neha Rathi
Wikipedia

Neha Rathi
Neha Rathi
Born : 16-8-1983
Personal information
Nationality India
Weight 51 kg (112 lb)
Sport
Sport Wrestling

Arjuna award (2013)
Bhim Award (2005)
Bharat Kumari
Bharat kaiseni
Haryana Kumari

Neha Rathi is an Indian wrestler. She was born in Bhapruda village near Rohtak in Haryana. She is the daughter of Arjuna award-winner Jagroop Singh Rathi. She participated in 10 senior National championships and represented India on the international circuit at various levels more than 35 times. She competed in the 51 kilograms (112 lb) weight category. Her achievements include:

Bronze medal in Asian Championship 2008 (South Korea) 
2013 Arjuna award.


Naman Tanwar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Naman Tanwar

Personal information
Born 25 September 1998 

Sport Boxing
Coached by Sanjay Sheoran

Representing  India

Naman Tanwar (born 25 September 1998) is an Indian boxer. Who started Boxing Under Vishnu Bhagwan COACH in Bhim Stadium Bhiwani, Haryana.He Done his Schooling from Bhiwani Public School, Bhiwani.


Nadong Bhutia

Nadong Bhutia (born November 25, 1993) is a retired Indian professional footballer from the hill town of Kalimpong in West Bengal, known for his versatility as a striker and winger. Standing at 180 cm (5'11") and weighing around 68 kg (150 lbs), he was a right-footed forward with a reputation for speed, dribbling, and clinical finishing. Bhutia represented India at the international youth level, including in AFC tournaments, and had a notable club career in India's top leagues like the I-League and Indian Super League (ISL). His journey from serving in the Indian Army to becoming a professional athlete highlights his determination, often summed up in his own words: "The comeback is always greater than the setback." As of November 25, 2025—his 32nd birthday—Bhutia has transitioned into coaching and academy ownership, focusing on nurturing young talents in the Northeast and Bengal regions.

Early Life and Background

Nadong Bhutia was born and raised in Kalimpong, a picturesque town in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, nestled in the Eastern Himalayas. Coming from a modest family in this culturally rich area—home to Nepali, Lepcha, and Bhutia communities—he developed a passion for football amid the town's vibrant local leagues and scenic grounds. Little is publicly detailed about his family, but Bhutia has shared that his early influences included community games and army sports programs. He initially served in the Indian Army, where football served as a recreational outlet, but the sport's pull led him to pursue it professionally.

His breakthrough came through talent scouting in Sikkim and West Bengal, regions known for producing agile, high-altitude footballers. Bhutia left his army job in 2012 to chase his dream, crediting legendary Indian footballer Bhaichung Bhutia (no relation, despite the shared surname common among Bhutia ethnic groups) as a pivotal influence. "I left my job in Indian Army only because of Baichung Bhutia and my passion for football," he recounted in a 2019 interview. This decision marked the start of his full-time career, blending military discipline with football's flair.

Career in Football

Bhutia's professional journey spanned over a decade, from the I-League's competitive pitches to the glitzy ISL spotlight. He debuted in the 2012-13 season, quickly establishing himself as a dynamic attacker capable of playing on the wings or up top. His career was marked by loans, drafts, and stints with ambitious clubs, often under high-profile coaches.

Key Clubs and Achievements

Bhutia's career highlights include international exposure and domestic consistency. Below is a chronological summary of his major club affiliations and milestones:

Year(s)Club/TeamLeague/TournamentKey Highlights
2012-13United Sikkim FCI-LeagueProfessional debut on Jan 19, 2013 vs. Dempo SC (substitute in 7-0 loss); Started as a promising talent under Bhaichung Bhutia's ownership.
2013-14Eagles FC (loan)I-LeagueSigned on Dec 5, 2013; Part of IMG-Reliance's ISL development squad; Gained experience in Kerala's football ecosystem.
2014Mumbai City FCIndian Super League (ISL)11 appearances; Won "Swift Moment of the Match Award" for a standout performance; Praised by teammate Nicolas Anelka as "a big player to watch in the future."
2015Atlético de Kolkata (now ATK Mohun Bagan)ISLDrafted in July 2015; Contributed to the team's playoff push in a star-studded squad.
2015-16Royal Wahingdoh FCI-LeagueKey winger role; Helped the Shillong-based club challenge for promotion.
2017Minerva Punjab FCI-LeagueJoined in November 2017; Part of the squad that won the 2017-18 I-League title, earning promotion to ISL—the club's historic first major trophy.
2018-19Real Kashmir FCI-LeagueFinal competitive season; Played in the high-altitude league, leveraging his hill-town roots for strong performances.
2020Retired-Announced retirement on July 1, 2020, at age 26, shifting focus to coaching.

Internationally, Bhutia represented India in AFC (Asian Football Confederation) youth tournaments, showcasing his speed against regional rivals. Domestically, his stats include contributions in goals and assists, though exact career totals (e.g., ~20-25 goals across leagues) are not comprehensively tracked in public databases like FBref or Transfermarkt. Challenges like injuries and the ISL's short seasons limited his caps, but his 2017 I-League triumph with Minerva Punjab stands as his pinnacle achievement. Post-retirement, he briefly coached winter camps, including a 2023 session with Kalimpong Police.

Legacy and Impact

Nadong Bhutia's career, though brief, embodies the grit of Northeast Indian footballers breaking into mainstream leagues. His association with icons like Anelka and Bhaichung Bhutia elevated his profile, inspiring a generation in Kalimpong and Sikkim—regions often underrepresented in Indian football. By retiring young, he pivoted to grassroots development, founding the Nadong Bhutia Football Academy (NBFA) in 2020 with centers in Kalimpong and Siliguri. The academy, boasting AIFF- and AFC-licensed coaches, emphasizes modern techniques, fitness, and holistic training to prepare underprivileged kids for professional pathways.

Bhutia's story resonates in tribal and hill communities, where football offers social mobility. He has advocated for better infrastructure in West Bengal and Sikkim, participating in police-led camps to promote youth engagement. While not a household name like Bhaichung, Nadong's journey—from army barracks to ISL pitches—highlights the untapped potential in India's diverse talent pool.

Personal Life and Current Status

Bhutia keeps a low profile regarding his family, with no public details on marital status or siblings, prioritizing privacy amid his public career. Based in Kalimpong, he is active on social media (e.g., his official Facebook page with updates on academy events). As a retiree at 32, his focus is entrepreneurial: running NBFA, which has enrolled hundreds of trainees since inception. He occasionally mentors at local leagues and expresses interest in AIFF coaching roles. Financially stable through past club earnings and academy fees, Bhutia embodies quiet resilience, often sharing motivational insights on setbacks and perseverance.

Nadong Bhutia's legacy is one of quiet impact—proving that from Himalayan hills, one can score on national stages and build futures for the next generation. Happy Birthday, Nadong—your field's still calling for more like you!

Nisha Millet
Wikipedia,


Nisha Millet (born 20 March 1982) is a swimmer from Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. An Arjuna Award winner, she was the only woman in the 2000 Sydney Olympics swim team for India.

Career

Millet had a near-drowning experience at the age of 5 years, following which her father insisted she overcame her fear and learn how to swim. In 1991, Millet learned how to swim under the guidance of her father, Aubrey at Shenoynagar Club, Chennai. By 1992, Millet had won her first state-level medal in 50m freestyle, in Chennai.

Her parents moved to Bangalore to further her swimming training and career. She attended Sophia High School in Bangalore.

In 1994, while still a sub-junior, Millet won all five freestyle gold medals at the Senior National Level and beat India's top swimmers. The same year, she also won her first international medal at the Asian Age Group Championships in Hong Kong.

Millet represented India at the 1998 Asian Games (Thailand), World Championships (Perth 1999, Indianapolis 2004) and won medals for the country at both the Afro-Asian Games and SAF Games. She was the only Indian athlete to win 14 gold medals at the National Games in 1999. At the peak of her career, Millet represented India at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 200m freestyle, where she won her heat, but failed to qualify for the semi-finals. She was the first Indian woman to meet the B Qualification timings for the Olympics. After undergoing back surgery in 2002, she narrowly missed out on the 2004 Olympic qualification and decided to retire from competitive swimming due to the heavy financial burden on her parents.

She credits a large part of her success to Pradeep Kumar at the Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre.

Millet held the national record/Best Indian performance in the 200m and 400m freestyle for 15 years, ending in 2015. She also holds the distinction of being the first female Indian swimmer to break the one-minute barrier in the 100m freestyle.

Awards

Prime Minister's award for best sportswoman of the national games - 1997 and 1999.
Highest Gold medals (14) in sports in the Manipur National Games - 1999
Arjuna Award given to highest sports person in India - 2000
Rajyotsava Award - 2001
Karnataka State Ekalavya Award - 2002
Afro-Asian games, women's backstroke Silver medal - 2003
Narender Grewal
Narender Grewal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the Indian basketball player, see Narender Kumar Grewal.

Narender Grewal (born 11 July 1994) is an Indian wushu competitor. He was born in Hisar, Haryana, India. He won a bronze medal in the men's 60-kg sanda at the 2014 Asian Games.He also won a bronze medal in the men's 65-kg sanda at the 2018 Asian Games. He has won bronze medal in world championship 2012. He is one of the best mma athlete in India having 7 win - 1 loss.

FIGHT HISTORY - PRO

RESULTFIGHTEREVENTMETHOD/REFEREERTIME
WINM.T. DhareppaSFL 2017: Wreck Thy Neighbor - Delhi Heroes vs. Haryana Sultans
Jan / 20 / 2017		TKO (Punches)
Samuel Lalrozama		11:38
WINAmr Abdel MalekSFL 26-27 - Super Fight League 26-27
Sep / 14 / 2013		Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
Ryan Thorpe		13:25
WINTiran ThakshalaSFL 20-21 - Super Fight League 20-21
Aug / 03 / 2013		TKO (Punches)
Ryan Thorpe		10:48
WINAbdul Azim BadakhshiSFL 19 - Super Fight League 19
Jun / 07 / 2013		Decision (Unanimous)
Ryan Thorpe		35:00
WINAadil BashirSFL 15 - Super Fight League 15
Apr / 12 / 2013		Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)
Ryan Thorpe		11:14
LOSSBharat KhandareSFL 13 - Night of Champions
Dec / 14 / 2012		Submission (Guillotine Choke)
Yuji Shimada		11:31
Narender Grewal
 – Indian Wushu (Sanda) Practitioner
Early Life 
Born on 11 July 1994 in Satrod Khas, Hisar, Haryana, India Wikipedia.

His early years were marked by a natural inclination toward fighting—often tussling with local kids and wrestling in neighborhood akharas The Indian Express+1.

Entry into Wushu

Initially trained in kickboxing at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Delhi.

Later switched to Wushu, since it was recognized by the Indian Olympic Association and offered greater international exposure The Indian Express.

Quick success followed:

Won a bronze at the World Junior Championship in 2012 (in Macau) The Indian ExpressBusiness Standard.

In 2013, claimed gold in the senior nationals (60 kg category) in Kolkata The Indian Express.
Major Achievements

Asian Games

2014 Incheon Asian Games – won bronze in men’s Sanda 60 kg. He reached the semifinals before being defeated by Jean Claude Saclag of the Philippines (0–2) The Indian ExpressWikipedia+1.

2018 Jakarta Asian Games – secured another bronze in men’s Sanda 65 kg, losing in the semifinals to Foroud Zafari of Iran (0–2) Outlook IndiaWikipedia+1Firstpost.
World Championships

Earned a bronze medal in the 2012 Junior World Wushu Championship Business StandardWikipedia.

Style & Impact

Competes in Sanda, the full-contact fighting discipline of Wushu—a dynamic blend of boxing, wrestling, and kickboxing Outlook IndiaGKTodayThe Indian Express.

Known for his grit and aggressive style; he once performed remarkable throws during a semifinal match but controversially lost, leading to an official appeal alleging judging bias Firstpost.

Represented India in Super Fight League (SFL) to support his training and finances—winning six bouts and losing just one The Indian Express.

Opened up about battling injuries—including a fractured foot in 2014 and multiple past injuries—yet his passion and resilience helped him continue competing at top levels The Indian Express+1.

Uses YouTube extensively for training, studying fight techniques, and honing his game The Indian Express (image shows Mint Lounge article highlighting his training routine).
Legacy & Recognition

By 2018, his second Asian Games bronze contributed to India’s best-ever Wushu performance at the Games—four bronzes in total Outlook IndiaFirstpostGKTodayThe Times of India.

His journey—from a street-fighting kid to an international martial arts icon—inspired many aspiring fighters.

Advocates for making Wushu an Olympic sport, which would elevate recognition for athletes like him

Nikhil Kadam
 Wikipedia
Nikhil Kadam (@nikhilkadam23) | Twitter
Nikhil KadamPersonal information
Date of birth 23 June 1994
Place of birth Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Club information

Current team Mohammedan SC
Number 19
Youth career
2008–2009 Krida Prabodhini
2009–2012 Pune
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 Pune 28 (2)
2016 DSK Shivajians 0 (0)
2016–2017 Mumbai 8 (0)
2017–2018 Mohun Bagan A.C. 16 (2)
2018–2020 Northeast United FC 22 (0)
2021– Mohammedan SC 8 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 January 2020

Nikhil Kadam (born 23 June 1994) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as Attacking midfielder/Winger for I-League club Mohammedan SC. He used to play for NorthEast United FC.

Career
Early career

Born in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Kadam was selected to join the Pune F.C. Academy in 2011 as part of their first batch of players. He made his name known for the club during the 2012 I-League U20 season when he scored three goals for the academy in the final round of the league as the academy went on to win the league. Kadam then played for the academy in the Pune Super Division during the 2012 season. He scored one goal that season against Deccan XI on 7 June 2012.

He is also a devotee of Tamil God Aiyanar as shown in his interview in 2003
Pune
2012–13 season

Going into the 2012–13 I-League season Kadam was selected into the Pune senior team for the 2012 Durand Cup. He made his senior debut in this tournament on 23 August 2012 against Central Reserve Police when he came on in the 56th minute for Karma Tsewang as Pune drew the match 1–1. He then made his professional debut for the club during the Federation Cup on 24 September 2012 against Salgaocar. He came on as a 69th-minute substitute for Mumtaz Akhtar as Pune lost the match 2–1.

Kadam then made his debut in the I-League on 9 November 2012 against Pailan Arrows. He came on as an 89th-minute substitute for Daisuke Nishiguchi as Pune won the match 2–0. He then scored his first ever professional goal on 20 April 2013 against Air India. He came off the bench in the 76th minute for Anas Edathodika and scored the sixth goal for Pune in a 6–0 victory in the 86th minute.

2013–14 season

Kadam went into the 2013–14 I-League season as a starter for new head coach Mike Snoei when he started against Mohammedan in Pune's first match of the season on 21 September 2013. He stayed on till the 70th minute as Pune won 3–1. He then scored his first goal of the season on 1 December 2013 against United SC at the Balewadi Sports Complex when he found the net in the 77th minute as Pune drew the match 1–1. However, that turned out to be the last major contribution from Kadam that season as he was reported injured before the I-League resumed in February 2014 and out for the rest of the season.

Mohammedan SC

Mohammedan SC (Kolkata) signed Nikhil Kadam on January 5th 2021, for the I-League season 2020-2021
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
(Wikipedia)
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Ekman-Larsson with the Vancouver Canucks in 2021
Born 17 July 1991 
Karlskrona, Sweden

Position Defence
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams Vancouver Canucks
National team  Sweden
NHL Draft 6th overall, 2009
Playing career 2010–present

Representing  Sweden

Oliver Oscar Emanuel Ekman-Larsson (pronounced [ˈɔ̌lːɪvɛr ˈěːkman ˈlɑ̌ːʂɔn]; born 17 July 1991) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Known by his initials "OEL", Ekman-Larsson was originally selected sixth overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Previously seen by many as one of the NHL's top offensive defenceman, Ekman-Larsson led the Coyotes in scoring in both the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons.

Playing career

Ekman-Larsson began his career at the Tingsryds AIF hockey club of the HockeyAllsvenskan during the 2007–08 season, recording 8 points in 27 games. He continued his career with Leksands IF, where he scored 44 points in two seasons in 2008–09 and 2009–10 in a total of 81 games. This season would be his last, as he would he drafted by the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes.

Phoenix / Arizona Coyotes (2010–2021)
Ekman-Larsson with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2014

Ekman-Larsson was selected sixth overall by Phoenix in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. On 24 May 2010, it was announced the Coyotes had signed Ekman-Larsson to an entry-level contract. In the season following his draft selection, Ekman-Larsson produced the second-most points among junior players in the Allsvenskan,[3] despite missing several games while competing in the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships for Sweden.

Ekman-Larsson recorded his first career NHL point through an assist on a Kyle Turris goal on 23 October 2010. He scored his first career NHL goal on 17 January 2011, against goaltender Antti Niemi of the San Jose Sharks.
Ekman-Larsson (right foreground) during a game against the Vancouver Canucks, February 2012

For the duration of the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Ekman-Larsson (on the last year of his entry-level contract) was assigned to Phoenix's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Portland Pirates.

On 6 March 2014, Ekman-Larsson scored his 100th NHL career point in a 5–2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. With Ekman-Larsson's contribution, it was the first time since 9 December 1998 the Coyotes had defeated Montreal At the conclusion of the 2013–14 season, Ekman-Larsson finished seventh in balloting for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's top defenceman during the regular season. His votes included three first-place votes, one second-place vote and two third-place votes On 16 December 2014, during the 2014–15 season, Ekman-Larsson tied the Coyotes' franchise record for overtime-winning goals by a player in a single season after scoring his third of the season with 0.03 seconds left in overtime in a 2–1 win over the Edmonton Oilers Ekman-Larsson represented Arizona in the 2015 NHL All-Star Game, assisting on a goal by Bobby Ryan Ekman-Larsson finished the 2014–15 season with 23 goals and 20 assists. With this career milestone, Ekman-Larsson broke Nicklas Lidström's NHL record, becoming the first Swedish-born defenceman in NHL history to score more than 20 goals in one season. Ekman-Larsson's 23 goals were the most scored by an NHL defenceman that season and tied Phil Housley's franchise record for most goals scored by a defenceman in a season.

On 29 January 2015, during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ekman-Larsson scored the fastest shorthanded goal to start a period in NHL history, against Jonathan Bernier five seconds into the third period. On 19 December 2015, during a game against the New York Islanders, Ekman-Larsson scored the lone goal of the game, which proved to be the game-winning goal. With this goal, Ekman-Larsson surpassed Teppo Numminen's franchise record for the most game-winning goals by a defenceman with the 20th in his career. On 12 January 2016, Ekman-Larsson assisted on all three goals of rookie Max Domi's first career hat-trick, and would later go on to set a career-high four-point night by scoring the overtime-winning goal against the Edmonton Oilers. On 24 March, Ekman-Larsson inadvertently scored the game-winning goal in a 3–1 win over the Dallas Stars. Initially credited to teammate Martin Hanzal, after further review the goal was shown to bounce off a Dallas player and into the net. With this game-winning goal, Ekman-Larsson set an NHL record for the most game-winning goals by a defenceman in a single season with eight, surpassing Tim Horton, Al MacInnis, Ray Bourque, Derek Morris and Dion Phaneuf. He became just the second defenceman in franchise history to record 20 or more goals in consecutive seasons, after Phil Housley. Ekman-Larsson finished the 2015–16 season ninth in balloting for the James Norris Memorial Trophy.


In the 2016–17 season, on 18 March 2017, during a game against the Nashville Predators, Ekman-Larsson scored his 40th career powerplay goal (against Pekka Rinne), tying Fredrik Olausson for the most by a defenceman in Arizona Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets history. On 3 April 2017, with the Coyotes out of playoff contention, Ekman-Larsson was granted a leave of absence for the remaining three regular seasons games in order to return to his native Sweden due to the death of his mother, following a prolonged battle with cancer.

On 14 October 2017, in a game against the Boston Bruins, Ekman-Larsson scored his first powerplay goal of the season against Anton Khudobin and moved ahead of Fredrik Olausson for the franchise record for powerplay goals scored by a defenceman with his 41st. On 10 January 2018, Ekman-Larsson was selected as the lone Coyotes representative at the 2018 NHL All-Star Game. On 10 March, Ekman-Larsson was fined $5,000 for slashing Sven Andrighetto. After the regular season concluded and the Coyotes again failed to make the playoffs, Ekman-Larsson was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and gives back to his community. On 1 July 2018, Ekman-Larsson signed an eight-year, $66 million contract extension with the Coyotes; he was set to become a free agent the following season. He was later named captain of the Coyotes.

Vancouver Canucks (2021–present)

On 23 July 2021, Ekman-Larsson was traded, along with Conor Garland, to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, Antoine Roussel, a 2021 first-round pick (Dylan Guenther), a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 seventh-round pick. Arizona retained twelve percent of Ekman-Larsson's salary as part of the transaction.

International play
Oliver Ekman-Larsson accepts his player of the game award after a game against Austria during the 2010 World Junior Championships.

Ekman-Larsson represented Sweden at the 2010 World Junior Championships, where he was the highest-scoring defenceman on the team, scoring five points in six games.

At the 2010 World Championships, Ekman-Larsson played in nine games for the bronze medalists and was deemed to be Sweden's best player in the game against Norway.

In 2019, at the 2019 World Championships, Ekman-Larsson was named captain of Sweden's international team.

Personal life

Ekman-Larsson's maternal grandfather, Kenneth Ekman,[30] also a defenceman, was selected to represent Sweden at the 1972 Winter Olympics. Swedish international footballer Amanda Ilestedt is Ekman-Larsson's cousin. Ekman-Larsson's younger brother, Kevin, was previously signed with the Coyotes' AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. He now plays in Sweden with second-tier club BIK Karlskoga.

In 2013, Ekman-Larsson founded OEL, a luxury clothing line based in Sweden. Ekman-Larsson donates a lot of his free time as well as free tickets to Arizona Coyote games to various charities like Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Arizona Burn Foundation, the Wounded Warrior Project and Best Buddies.  In 2017 Ekman-Larsson lost his mom to cancer mid-season. In 2019 Ekman-Larsson and fellow Arizona Coyotes welcomed a terminal cancer patient Leighton Arcardo into the organization, with Ekman-Larsson insisting she do the team's face-off. 

Records

Most game-winning goals by a defenceman in a single NHL season – 8 goals
First Swedish-born defenceman in NHL history to score more than 20 goals in a single season – 23 goals
Fastest shorthanded goal to begin a period in NHL history – 5 seconds
Most powerplay goals by a defenceman in Arizona Coyotes franchise history – 41 goals
Most goals by a defenceman in Arizona Coyotes franchise history – 128 goals

Awards and honours

AwardYear
World Championship All-Star Team 2015
OP Jaisha

OP Jaisha overcame adversities in times of utmost despair.

OP Jaisha is one of the bright hopes for the Indian athletic contingent at this year’s Rio Olympics. Born in the tribal region of north Kerala’s Wayanad district, the marathoner had to struggle a lot while growing up.

Unable to bear the acute hunger, there were days when she had to eat mud and her mother silently watched the horror with tears rolling down her eyes. No matter how difficult life got, Jaisha did not give up and put her heart and soul into her training.

Soon she became a two-time Asian Games medallist in the middle distance events and broke a two-decade old women’s marathon record not once but twice. She qualified for the Olympic Games after crossing the finish line in 2:34:43 in the World Athletics Championships.

Peter Thangaraj



Peter Thangaraj was an iconic Indian footballer, widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in Indian football history. Born on December 24, 1935, in Hyderabad, Telangana (then Hyderabad State, British India), and passing away on November 24, 2008, in Bokaro, Jharkhand, Thangaraj had an illustrious career spanning the 1950s and 1960s, often referred to as the "Golden Era" of Indian football. He played for the Indian national team, represented prestigious Kolkata clubs, and earned accolades such as the Arjuna Award and the title of Asia’s Best Goalkeeper in 1958. Below is a comprehensive overview of his life, career, achievements, and legacy, based on available information.

Personal Information

  • Full Name: Peter Ramaswamy Thangaraj
  • Date of Birth: December 24, 1935
  • Place of Birth: Hyderabad, Telangana, British India
  • Date of Death: November 24, 2008 (aged 72)
  • Place of Death: Bokaro, Jharkhand, India
  • Height: 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
  • Position: Goalkeeper (initially played as a centre forward)
  • Citizenship: Indian
  • Family: Married to Alphoncia Raj; limited information is available about his children or other family members.
  • Military Service: Non-commissioned officer in the Indian Army (Havildar rank), joined in 1953.

Early Life and Background

  • Early Years: Born in a large family in Secunderabad, Thangaraj was a naturally gifted sportsman. His height (6 ft 3 in), sturdy physique, and long arms were significant assets in his goalkeeping career.
  • Introduction to Football: He began playing football with local clubs, starting with Morning Star Club and later moving to Friends Union Club in Secunderabad.
  • Military Career: In 1953, Thangaraj joined the Indian Army and began representing the Madras Regimental Centre (MRC) in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. Initially, he played as a centre forward but transitioned to goalkeeping, a move that proved highly successful.

Football Career

Thangaraj’s career is marked by his contributions to both domestic and international football, with a reputation for acrobatic saves, long kicks, and aerial dominance. His transition to goalkeeping revolutionized the role in Indian football, drawing inspiration from Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin.

Domestic Career

  • Madras Regimental Centre (1953–1960):
    • Represented MRC in national tournaments, helping them win the prestigious Durand Cup in 1955 and 1958, India’s oldest football tournament.
    • Initially played as a centre forward before becoming a goalkeeper, where his height and reflexes made him exceptional.
    • Captained the Services team to its first-ever Santosh Trophy triumph in 1960, a major domestic achievement.
  • Kolkata Clubs:
    • Mohammedan Sporting (1960–1963, 1971–1972): Joined the Kolkata giant, where he was paid significantly for his services, reflecting his growing stature.
    • Mohun Bagan (1963–1965): Played for the iconic club, winning the Durand Cup and Calcutta Football League titles in 1963 and 1964.
    • East Bengal (1965–1971): Spent his most famous years with the "red and gold brigade," captaining the team in 1969–70. He was the first-choice goalkeeper and a massive fan favorite, known for his long kicks that set up counter-attacks for strikers like Chuni Goswami and P.K. Banerjee.
  • Santosh Trophy Success:
    • Represented Bengal in 1963, leading them to the Santosh Trophy title.
    • Captained Railways in 1965, securing another Santosh Trophy victory.

International Career

Thangaraj’s international career spanned from 1953 to 1968, during which he was India’s first-choice goalkeeper under legendary coach Syed Abdul Rahim. His performances were instrumental in India’s success during the "Golden Era."

  • Debut: Made his international debut at the 1953 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament in Rangoon, helping India defeat teams like Pakistan, Burma, and Ceylon.
  • Olympics:
    • 1956 Melbourne Olympics: Played a pivotal role in India’s historic fourth-place finish, their best-ever Olympic football performance. He made a string of key saves in a 4–2 quarterfinal win over Australia.
    • 1960 Rome Olympics: Faced tough opposition from France and Hungary, producing memorable saves despite India’s inability to advance (drew 1–1 with France, lost 2–1 to Hungary).
  • Asian Games:
    • 1958 Tokyo Asian Games: Represented India.
    • 1962 Jakarta Asian Games: Played a key role in India’s gold medal victory, keeping a clean sheet against Japan and making crucial saves in the final against South Korea.
    • 1966 Bangkok Asian Games: Participated as part of the Indian squad.
  • Asian Cup:
    • 1964 Israel Asian Cup: Helped India finish as runners-up, keeping a clean sheet against Japan and conceding only one goal against Hong Kong.
    • 1966 Burma Asian Cup: Represented India.
  • Merdeka Cup (1958–1966): A regular participant in the prestigious tournament held in Kuala Lumpur, showcasing his skills against top Asian teams.
  • Asian All-Star Team: Played for the Asian All-Star team twice and was adjudged the Best Goalkeeper in 1967.

Playing Style and Strengths

  • Aerial Dominance: Thangaraj was exceptional in the air, plucking balls from attacks and corner kicks with ease, as noted by football historian Gautam Roy.
  • Long Kicks and Throws: His long kicks were a weapon, often setting up counter-attacks. Legendary strikers Chuni Goswami and P.K. Banerjee credited his distribution for some of their best goals.
  • Reflex Saves: Known for dramatic reflex-action saves, even at point-blank range, including penalties.
  • Weakness: Had a slight vulnerability to ground shots, but his overall skill set made him nearly unbeatable.
  • Inspiration: Thangaraj was a devoted follower of Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin, adopting some of his techniques after watching him during the USSR’s 1955 tour of India.

Post-Playing Career

  • Retirement: Thangaraj retired from active football in 1971.
  • Coaching Career:
    • 1973: Served as head coach of the Aligarh Muslim University football team for six months.
    • 1973–1975: Managed Vasco SC in the Goa Professional League, leading them to victories in the Bordoloi Trophy, KFA Shield, and Chakola Gold Trophy in 1973.
    • 1976–1995: Coached the football team at Bokaro Steel Plant, later becoming an advisor to their football department.
  • Later Life: Settled in Bokaro, Jharkhand, after his coaching tenure. He expressed regret in an interview about moving from Kolkata, believing he would have been in a better financial situation had he stayed. His popularity in Kolkata remained immense, with coolies at the railway station refusing to take money from him even decades after his retirement.

Achievements and Honors

  • Arjuna Award (1967): India’s second-highest sporting honor, recognizing his contributions to Indian football.
  • Asia’s Best Goalkeeper (1958): Voted the best goalkeeper in Asia, a testament to his international stature.
  • Asian All-Star Team: Selected twice, with the Best Goalkeeper award in 1967.
  • 1962 Asian Games Gold Medal: Key member of the Indian team that won gold in Jakarta.
  • Santosh Trophy Titles:
    • 1960 (Services, as captain)
    • 1963 (Bengal)
    • 1965 (Railways, as captain)
  • Durand Cup Titles: 1955, 1958 (Madras Regimental Centre), 1963 (Mohun Bagan).
  • Calcutta Football League Titles: 1963, 1964 (Mohun Bagan).
  • Named Among Top Indian Goalkeepers: Ranked as India’s greatest-ever goalkeeper by experts like Novy Kapadia and Gautam Roy, followed by others like Sanath Sett and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Legacy and Impact

  • Pioneering Goalkeeper: Thangaraj revolutionized goalkeeping in India with his long throws, acrobatic saves, and ability to intimidate opposing forwards. His style was compared to modern goalkeepers like Germany’s Manuel Neuer.
  • Fan Following: A massive fan favorite, particularly in Kolkata, where he played for all three major clubs (Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Mohammedan Sporting). His charisma and skill drew thousands to matches during India’s football golden era.
  • Secunderabad’s Pride: As one of Secunderabad’s greatest footballers, alongside others like K.P. Dhanraj and Victor Amalraj, Thangaraj contributed to the region’s rich footballing culture.
  • Posthumous Recognition: After his death, the Madras Regimental Centre named their stadium in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, as Thangaraj Stadium in his honor.
  • Financial Struggles: Despite his fame, Thangaraj’s family faced financial difficulties after his death. His wife, Alphoncia Raj, received Rs 1.5 lakh twice (2009–2010 and 2011–2012) from the Indian government under the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons.

Challenges and Low Points

  • Financial Hardships: Thangaraj and his family struggled financially after his retirement, a common issue for athletes of his era. His move to Bokaro from Kolkata was a decision he later regretted.
  • Health and Death: Thangaraj suffered bouts of vomiting and was admitted to Bokaro General Hospital, where he died of a massive heart attack on November 24, 2008, at age 72.

Sources

  • Wikipedia: Peter Thangaraj
  • Transfermarkt: Peter Thangaraj Profile
  • Olympedia: Peter Thangaraj
  • StarsUnfolded: Peter Thangaraj Biography
  • The Sports Legends: Peter Thangaraj Biography
  • Firstpost: Past Masters of Indian Sports
  • Khel Now: Why is Peter Thangaraj India’s Greatest Goalkeeper?
  • Times of India: Olympian Peter Thangaraj Passes Away
  • Siasat: Secunderabad Gave Legendary Goalkeeper Thangaraj to India

Conclusion

Peter Thangaraj remains an enduring legend in Indian football, celebrated for his unmatched goalkeeping skills, international accolades, and contributions to the sport during its golden era. His performances in the Olympics, Asian Games, and domestic leagues, coupled with his Arjuna Award and recognition as Asia’s Best Goalkeeper, cement his legacy as India’s finest custodian. Despite financial struggles post-retirement, his impact on Indian football, particularly in Kolkata and Secunderabad, continues to inspire fans and players alike. For further insights, exploring archives of the Indian Football Association or Bokaro Steel Plant’s sports records could provide additional details on his coaching and later contributions.


Prabodh Tirkey
From Wikipedia

Prabodh TirkeyPersonal information
Born 6 October 1984 
Lulkidihi, Sundergarh
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
India 161 (2)

Men’s Field Hockey
Representing  India
 2010 Delhi Team Competition
 2007 Chennai Team Competition
 2007 Malaysia Team Competition
 2007 Belgium Team Competition

Prabodh Tirkey (born 6 October 1984) is an Indian hockey midfielder. He is a former captain of the Indian hockey team.

Personal life

Prabodh is the younger brother of the Indian hockey player Ignace Tirkey, who also has captained the Indian Senior Team. His idol is another Indian ex-captain and one of the best defenders in world hockey, Dilip Tirkey, who comes from the same town of Sundergarh. He married Sweta Tirkey at Ranchi on 28 January 2011.

Career

In his early career he was the national captain of sub-junior, junior and India-A team and finally became the India senior team captain. He was in the Indian team which won the 2007 Asia Cup in Chennai.

Awards

Pardeep Narwal
From Wikipedia
Pardeep Narwal
Pardeep Narwal in the Patna Pirates jersey
Personal information
Full name Pardeep Narwal
Nickname(s) Dubki King, Record Breaker
Nationality Indian
Citizenship Indian
Born 16 February 1996 (age 25)
Rindhana, Sonepat, Haryana
Occupation Kabaddi player
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 80 kg (176 lb)
Spouse(s) Swati Beniwal
Sport
Country India
Sport Kabaddi
Turned pro 2015

Winner 2017 Gorgan Team
Winner 2018 Dubai Team

Updated on 20 August 2018.

Pardeep Narwal (born 16 February 1996) is an Indian kabaddi player who currently plays for the UP Yoddha in VIVO Pro Kabaddi League and the Indian National Kabaddi team. He led the Patna Pirates to three straight VIVO Pro Kabaddi titles and holds a multitude of the league's raiding records.

Early life

Pardeep Narwal was born in Rindhana village of Haryana's Sonipat district, where he started playing kabaddi.

Kabaddi career

Narwal made his debut in VIVO Pro Kabaddi with the Bengaluru Bulls against Patna Pirates in Season 2 and featured six times that campaign, scoring a total of nine raid points.

Narwal moved to the Patna Pirates in Season 3 and blossomed into one of the best raiders in the league. He scored his first career Super 10 in the Pirates' 29-25 victory over Puneri Paltan in Kolkata, where he led both sides in scoring with 11 points on the night Alongside Rohit Kumar, Narwal formed the league's most potent raiding duo as the two combined to score 194 raid points in the league stage of the campaign, with Kumar scoring 102 of those in 12 matches and Narwal scoring 92 raid points in 14 matches Narwal scored his fifth Super 10 of the season against Puneri Paltan in the semi-final but missed on the final through injury. The Pirates, however, triumphed over defending U Mumba by a scoreline of 31-28 and won their maiden VIVO Pro Kabaddi title.

Following Rohit Kumar moves to the Bengaluru Bulls, Pardeep took over the responsibility of being the Pirates' lead raider and enjoyed another sensational campaign, scoring 107 raid points in 14 league stage matches with four Super 10s, the first of which came in narrow 36-34 win over U Mumba in Jaipur, where the raider scored, a match-high, 18 points. Narwal continued to carry the brunt of the raiding load in the playoffs and scored eight points in the Pirates' narrow 37-33 victory over Puneri Paltan in the semi-final, taking them to their second-straight VIVO Pro Kabaddi final. In the final against Jaipur Pink Panthers, Narwal unleashed a mammoth 16-point performance leading the Pirates to their second VIVO Pro Kabaddi title with a 37-29 victory and won their second VIVO Pro Kabaddi title in a row.

Narwal's third season with the Pirates was arguably the best ever by a player VIVO Pro Kabaddi history, as the raider notched up 369 raid points and led the league in every raiding category. Narwal scored a Super 10 in 19 off the 26 matches that he played in that campaign, managing one in each of Patna Pirates' first three matches. He followed it up with just one in the subsequent four matches but after that relatively lean patch, he embarked on a run of eight straight matches with a Super 10 that eventually ended against the Tamil Thalaivas where he fell just one point short of 10 raid points.

After finishing second in the Zone B standing, Narwal and the Pirates battled Haryana Steelers in the Playoffs, where the raider scored, a VIVO Pro Kabaddi record, 34 raid points which included an eight-point raid, as the Pirates routed the Steelers 69-30. In Eliminator 3, Narwal yet again led by example, scoring 19 raid points in his team's 42-32 win over Puneri Paltan. In Qualifier 2, Narwal scored 23 raid points against the Bengal Warriors in his team's narrow 47-44 victory, helping the Pirates reach their third straight VIVO Pro Kabaddi final. Narwal continued his unbelievable form in the final, scoring 19 raid points against Gujarat Fortunegiants to lead the Pirates to a 55-38 victory and capture their third straight VIVO Pro Kabaddi title.

Narwal scored a Super 10 in each of his team's first three matches in Season 6 before falling short against the Telugu Titans. The next four matches also saw a similar trend for Narwal, as he scored three straight Super 10s before failing to do so against the same opponent in Patna. Narwal continued to string along quality performances but the Pirates struggled for form towards the latter end of the season and needed a big finish to their campaign to stand a chance to qualify for the Playoffs. Narwal scored three Super 10s in the Pirates final five matches of the season but the team failed to register a single win and crashed out in the league stage of the campaign for the first time in franchise history. This Season was also a very Interesting Season for him as he was battling against other raiders for the most Raid Points but came 2nd with 222 raid points, The third was Siddharth Desai (214) and The First Was Pawan Sehrawat (262) who was astounding for his Pro season.

In season 7, Narwal started slowly, but still became the first player to reach 1,000 points in the PKL.

International

Pardeep Narwal has featured regularly for the Indian kabaddi team since 2016 and has won gold in three of the four tournaments that he has played in.

Records and achievements
VIVO Pro Kabaddi (2016, 2016, 2017)
Kabaddi World Cup (2016)
Asian kabaddi championship (2017)
Kabaddi Masters Dubai (2018)
VIVO Pro Kabaddi Most Valuable Player (2016, 2017)
Best Raider Award (2017, 2018)
Most super raids in a season
Most touch point in a single raid(6)

First player to score 1300 raid points in PKL history it was against Gujarat Giants VS UP Yoddha Match 115 PKL season 8

Panchratna Kumari 


Buxar’s Panchratna Kumari Shines at South Asian Wrestling Championship September 4, 2024


Buxar: Panchratna Kumari, a resident of Buxar district in Bihar, has brought honor to her village and district by clinching a gold medal at the South Asian Wrestling Championship. Held in Kathmandu, Nepal from August 30 to September 1, the competition saw participants from eight countries, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, China, Bhutan, among others.

Competing in the 75 kg weight category, Panchratna Kumari defeated wrestlers from Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan to secure the top spot. Her victory is not just a personal achievement but a significant triumph for Indian wrestling on an international stage.

Panchratna Kumari, who also serves as a traffic police officer in Patna, has earned widespread acclaim for her accomplishments. Dr. Manoj Yadav, General Secretary of the Mazdoor Union and former Zila Parishad member, praised Panchratna’s dedication and hard work. He highlighted the challenging journey of Panchratna, the daughter of Radheshyam Prasad Ram, a laborer from Tiara village in the Rajpur police station area.

Despite financial constraints, Panchratna’s father ensured that poverty did not hinder her passion for wrestling. His unwavering support and Panchratna’s relentless efforts have culminated in this remarkable success.

In recognition of her achievements, a felicitation ceremony will be organized to honor Panchratna Kumari. Although currently on duty, the ceremony will take place once she returns on leave. This event aims to celebrate her accomplishments and inspire others in the district and beyond.


Pooja Kadian
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pooja Kadian
The President Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Arjuna Award, 2018 to Pooja Kadian for Wushu.
Personal information
Nationality Indian
Born 1 October 1991 
Women's Sanda
Representing  India
 2011 Ankara 60 kg
 2015 Jakarta 75 kg
 2017 Kazan 75 kg

Pooja Kadian (born 1 October 1991 is an Indian Wushu player. She won Silver Medal in invitational sports of Wushu at the 9th World Games at Cali in Colombia, in Women's Sanda 60 kg.

Kadian previously won gold in the 12th South Asian Games and alsobagged silver medals in the World Games 2013 and the World Championship in 2013 and 2015. She also won gold medals in the National Games in 2014 and 2017.

Pooja won the first ever gold medal for India at 2017 World Wushu Championships.

Awards

She was awarded by the Government of India , the prestigious Arjuna Award in (2018) for her performance in 2017 World Wushu Championships.
Pronay Halder


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pronay HalderPersonal information
Date of birth 25 February 1993
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Club information

Current team ATK Mohun Bagan
Number 17
Youth career
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 Pailan Arrows 24 (1)
2013–2016 Dempo 20 (0)
2015 → Goa (loan) 8 (0)
2016–2017 Mohun Bagan 20 (0)
2016 → Mumbai City (loan) 5 (0)
2017–2018 Goa 13 (0)
2018–2020 ATK 22 (1)
2020– ATK Mohun Bagan 4 (0)
National team‡
2011–2012 India U19 4 (1)
2012–2016 India U23 5 (0)
2015– India 20 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13:30, 17 December 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21:10, 19 November 2019 (UTC)

Pronay Halder (born 25 February 1993 in Barrackpore, West Bengal) is an Indian footballer who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Indian Super League club ATK Mohun Bagan and India national football team.

Career

Born in Barrackpore, West Bengal, Halder started his youth career with Tata Football Academy in 2007 and got graduated in 2010.

Pailan Arrows

Halder signed for Pailan Arrows in the I-League for the 2011-12 season in the summer of 2011. He then played in Pailan's second victory of the season in a Round 23 match against HAL.

Dempo

On 26 October 2013, Halder signed for Dempo with three other players Alwyn George, Holicharan Narzary and Narayan Das.[3] He made his debut for Dempo in the I-League on 1 November 2013 against Mohun Bagan at the Duler Stadium and played the whole match as Dempo drew the match 0–0.

FC Goa (loan)

Halder represented FC Goa during the 2014 Indian Super League but did not feature in any game, due to an injury, which kept him out of most of the 2014-15 I-League season. Halder was signed up by FC Goa again on loan from Dempo for the 2015 ISL

Mohun Bagan

On 30 December 2015, Halder signed two year contract with Mohun Bagan.[citation needed] Coach Sanjoy Sen said in a press conference later in the week that Halder was an "inspirational young talent"

2015-16 season

On 16 January 2016, Halder made his debut for Mohun Bagan against Salgaocar which Bagan won 4-2. Halder has made total 10 appearance in I-League season and was awarded Man of the Match twice. He was the first choice defensive midfielder in Bagan but due to knee injury it kept him sidelined for 2 weeks. On 24 February 2016, Halder started for Bagan in AFC Cup against Maldives club Maziya S&RC.

2016-2017 season

On 8 January 2017, Halder played against Churchill Brothers in first game of the season.[He has also played in AFC Cup for Bagan in most of the group stage matches.

Mumbai City (loan)

Halder signed for Mumbai City for 2016 ISL season

FC Goa

On 23 July 2017, Halder got picked by Goa in ISL Draft for 2017-18 season
ATK

In June 2018, ATK has signed Halder on a two year deal. He became the number one choice for coach Steve Coppell in midfield.

International
Youth

Halder played for India U19, and was involved in three matches and scored against Uzbekistan U19.

He was the part of India U23 for 2013 AFC U-22 Asian Cup qualification which was held in Oman from 23 June 2012. Halder played 4 matches during the tournament.

Senior

Halder became the 496th player to earn a senior cap for India on 31 August 2015 against Nepal in an International friendly. Halder scored a stunning long ranger on his debut for India against Chinese Taipei in Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai.

Career statistics
Club

ClubSeasonLeagueFederation Cup/Super CupDurand CupAFCTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Pailan Arrows 2011–12 I-League 3 0 0 0 0 0 — — 3 0
2012–13 21 1 2 0 2 0 — — 25 1
Palian Arrows total241202000281
Dempo 2013–14 I-League 17 0 0 0 4 0 — — 21 0
2014–15 3 0 0 0 0 0 — — 3 0
Dempo total200004000240
Mohun Bagan 2015–16 I-League 11 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 18 0
2016–17 9 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 0
Mohun Bagan total200000080280
Goa (loan) 2015 Indian Super League 8 0 — — — — — — 8 0
Goa total8000000080
Mumbai City (loan) 2016 Indian Super League 5 0 — — — — — — 5 0
Mumbai City total5000000050
Goa 2017–18 Indian Super League 13 0 3 0 — — 0 0 16 0
Goa total130300000160
ATK 2018–19 Indian Super League 14 0 3 0 — — 0 0 17 0
2019–20 6 1 0 0 — — 0 0 6 1
ATK total201300000231
Career total11028060801322

International

As of 19 November 2019
National teamYearAppsGoals
India 2015 5 0
2016 5 0
2017 0 0
2018 4 1
2019 6 0
Total201
Scores and results list India's goal tally first.
GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetitionRef.1. 1 June 2018 Mumbai Football Arena, Mumbai, India  Chinese Taipei 5–0 5–0 2018 Intercontinental Cup
Prakashi Tomar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prakashi Tomar
Born 01 January 1937 

Nationality  India
Other names Revolver Dadi (Revolver Grandmother)
Citizenship Indian
Occupation Sharpshooter

Prakashi TomarSport
Country  India
Updated on 30 December 2018.

Prakashi Tomar (born 01 January 1937)[1] is an Indian sharpshooter from Johri village of Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district is one of the oldest sharpshooters in the world. She is an icon in the world of shooting.

Personal life

Prakashi Tomar was married to Jai Singh, and their daughter, Seema Tomar, is an international shooter. She is the sister of Chandro Tomar. Her granddaughter, Ruby, is deputed as an inspector in Punjab Police, while her second daughter, Rekha, retired as a shooter. She lives in Johri village with her family, and has eight children and twenty grandchildren.

Career

Her career begun in year 1999 when she was well past her prime. Her daughter, Seema Tomar, joined the Johri Rifle Club but was hesitant to go alone. Tomar decided to accompany her to the academy as an encouragement.At the academy, coach Farooq Pathan and others were shocked when she shot the target skillfully while trying to show Seema how to hold the gun. Pathan advised her to join the academy, and has since won over 25 national and international championships.

After two years of training, she entered a competition in which she had to compete against the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Delhi Police, Dheeraj Singh. Tomar won the competition but the DIG refused to be photographed with her, and commented: "What photograph, I have been humiliated by a woman."

Achievements

During her career, she received many awards, medal and trophies, besides social honours and the Stree Shakti Puraskar award conferred by then President of India Pranab Mukherjee. Tomar was selected in the #100Women_Achievers in India campaign launched in collaboration with Facebook about women who have contributed to their community and nation building. As such, Tomar was felicitated by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 22 January 2016. She was also felicitated with the Icon Lady award by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2017.

In popular culture

Saand Ki Aankh (2019) — a biopic movie starring Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar
Purnima Hembram
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Purnima Hembram
Hembram at the 2017 Asian Championships
Personal information
Born 10 July 1993
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight 64 kg (141 lb)
Sport
Sport Athletics
Event(s) Heptathlon
Coached by Sushanta Roy
Santosh Kumar Mahanta
Sanjay Garanayak

Purnima Hembram (born 10 July 1993) is an Indian track and field athlete. She won bronze medals in the heptathlon at the 2015 and 2017 Asian Championships and placed fourth at the 2018 Asian Games.

Life

Hembram is from the Santhal tribe from Mayurbhanj, Odisha. She was born in 1993 to Dukhia and Dhania Hembram, and has two brothers, Durga and Doman and one sister Singo.

Career

Hembram was declared Biju Patnaik Sportsman of the Year in 2015 and she was given a prize of 200,000 rupees.

In 2017 she was given a grant of 300,000 rupees on 1 July just before the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships by Orissa Chief minister Naveen Patnaik. Her colleague Swapna Barman collapsed during the final event of the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's heptathlon which was the 800 metres. However Barman still took the gold. Meg Hemphill of Japan took the silver and Hembram took the bronze medal. Later that month Hembram took the 100m gold medal at the 57th National Senior Inter-State Athletic Championships in Guntur.

Hembram won a gold medal at the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on 17 September 2017.
Poorvisha S. Ram
Wikipedia


Poorvisha S Ram

Born 24 January 1995 
Years active 2008–present
Handedness Right
Women's & mixed doubles
Highest ranking 30 (WD 15 January 2019)

Women's badminton
Representing  India
 2011 Lucknow Mixed team


Poorvisha S. Ram (born 24 January 1995) is an Indian badminton player who specializes in doubles and mixed doubles. As of February 2020, she is ranked 48 in doubles. She had attained career best ranking of 30 in November 2018. She was previously ranked 3 in doubles at national level.

Biography

Poorvisha was born in 1995, in Bangalore, Karnataka. She completed her early education at Sishu Griha Montessori and High School, in Bangalore. Poorvisha started playing badminton in 2005 and represented Karnataka at national level in 2007. She won her first competitive tournament at the age of 13 in 2008 when she won a national level inter-school tournament.

In 2009, Poorvisha won silver medal at the 35th National Sports Festival for Women at Margao, Goa. She has won the national championship in junior circuit consecutively for three years in 2010, 2011 and 2012. In December 2012, Poorvisha represented India at Li-Ning Singapore Youth International Series and won silver medal in the women's double event.

Initially, Poorvisha trained at B. N. Sudhakar Academy in Bangalore but moved to Hyderabad in 2013 where she trained under Pullela Gopichand at Gopichand Badminton Academy, Hyderabad. Currently, she trains under Arun Vishnu and Pradnya Gadre along with Gopichand.

Poorvisha won her first senior title in 2015 at Uganda International double event with N. Sikki Reddy. Later that year, she won Bahrain International with Arathi Sara Sunil. In late 2015, Poorvisha was out for sixteen weeks due to career ending lateral and medical epicondylitis, however, she recovered and made a come back in early 2016.

In 2016, Poorvisha partnered with Meghana Jakkampudi and won Nepal International in Kathmandu. Since 2016, Poorvisha has spent her double career in partnership with Jakkampudi whereas in mixed doubles, she partners with Krishna Prasad Ganga. In 2017, Poorvisha and Jakkampudi appeared in various international competitions including 2017 Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold and 2017 All England Super Series Premier. They reached the finals of Tata Open India International in 2018. In 2019, the pair appeared in Russian Open semifinals where they lost to Japanese pair of Miki Kashihara and Miyuki Kato.
Para-swimmer Suyash Jadhav


Suyash Jadhav. (TOI Photo)

PUNE: Para-swimmer Suyash Jadhav’s story can be divided into two parts. And demarcations are clearly embossed on the Solapur boy’s soul. The first part is about a tragedy and the other tells a story of grit, conviction and dedication.

Suyash, 26, who started swimming at the age of three, lost both his palms and wrists because of an accident when he was 11. Now, he is a world-class swimmer, Asian Games and World Games gold medallist. And most recently, he won an Arjuna award.

Suyash was one of the 27 athletes selected for the honour this year. He received it from the President via a virtual ceremony last week.

“My father was a state-level swimmer and he wanted me to become a swimmer too. But he lost hopes when I got electrocuted during a cousin’s wedding and lost my hands,” said Suyash.
Prakash Amritraj
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prakash AmritrajCountry (sports)  India
Born October 2, 1983 
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Turned pro 2003
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Last updated on: 19 May 2014.

Prakash Amritraj (born October 2, 1983) is an Indian former professional tennis player and the son of former Indian tennis player Vijay Amritraj.

Background

Prakash Amritraj is the son of Indian tennis player Vijay Amritraj and Shyamala, a Sri Lankan Tamil.

Prakash is the paternal cousin of fellow tour pro Stephen Amritraj, whose father Anand and paternal uncle Ashok were former professional tennis players representing India. Prakash has one brother, Vikram, who was born in 1987.

He played 2 years of college tennis for the University of Southern California.

Professional career

In 2007, Amritraj won three straight ITF Pro Circuit tournaments in India, beating Karan Rastogi in all three finals.

On July 14, 2008 Amritraj played in his first ATP Tour final, losing to Fabrice Santoro from France in straight sets.

From August 2010 to August 2012, Amritraj was inactive on the tour. However, he returned to the court for the first time in just over two years when he competed as a wildcard in a qualifier at the 2012 Comerica Bank Challenger in Aptos, California.

Prakash Amritraj joined the staff of the Tennis Channel in 2016 as one of the network’s primary travel reporters and also as an in-match analyst and a host both in studio and at worldwide events. In February 2021, his contract was renewed for an additional three years through 2023. 
P. R. Sreejesh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Sreejesh (left) receiving the Arjuna Award from President Pranab Mukherjee (right), 2015

Personal information

Full name : Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh

Born : 8 May 1986 , Kochi, Kerala, India

Height : 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) (2016)

Weight : 80 kg (176 lb) (2016)

Playing position : Goalkeeper , Field
Indian Overseas Bank

Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh is an Indian professional field hockey player who plays as a goalkeeper while captaining the Indian national team. In the Hockey India League, he plays for Uttar Pradesh Wizards.

Early life

Sreejesh was born 8 May 1988, in Kizhakkambalam village, in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, to P. V. Raveendran and Usha, a family of farmers. He completed his primary education in St. Antony's Lower Primary School in Kizhakkambalam and he studied until sixth standard in St. Joseph High School in Kizhakkambalam. As a kid, he trained as a sprinter, before moving on to long jump and volleyball. At 12, he joined the GV Raja Sports School in Thiruvananthapuram. This was where his coach suggested that he take up goalkeeping. He became a professional after he was picked by hockey coach Jayakumar at the school, following which he played at the school before playing at the Nehru Cup. He completed his graduation in History from Sree Narayana College, Kollam, Kerala.

Career
International career

Sreejesh made the Junior national team in 2004, in a match against Australia in Perth, in 2004. He made his debut in the senior national team in 2006, at the South Asian Games in Colombo. Following India's win at the 2008 Junior Asia Cup, he was awarded the 'Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament'. Having been a part of the Indian team for six years, though often losing his place to senior goalkeepers, Adrian D'Souza and Bharat Chettri, he has been a regular member since 2011, after saving two penalty stroke in the Asian Champions Trophy Final in Ordos City, China, against Pakistan, a match-winning performance. His second 'Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament' award came at the 2013 Asia Cup, with India finishing second in the tournament. He was a part of the team that won silver medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Sreejesh had earlier played for India at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and then World Cup in 2014. At the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, he starred in Indian's gold medal win, when he saved two penalty strokes against Pakistan in the final. At the 2014 Champions Trophy and 2018 Champions Trophy, he was adjudged "Goalkeeper of the Tournament". Following impressive performances in 2014, he was nominated for the award of Best Male Goalkeeper; he eventually lost to Jaap Stockmann of the Netherlands. He was the captain of the team that won the silver medal at the 2016 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy held at London.

On 13 Jul 2016, Sreejesh was given the responsibilities of the Captain of the Indian hockey team, taking over from Sardar Singh.

At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Sreejesh led the Indian hockey team to the quarterfinals of the tournament .

Club career

At the auction of the inaugural season of the Hockey India League, Sreejesh was bought by the Mumbai franchise for US$38,000. He played two seasons for their team, Mumbai Magicians. In 2014, he was bought by Uttar Pradesh Wizards for US$69,000 and since the 2015 season, has been playing for them.

Personal life

Sreejesh is married to Aneeshya, a former long jumper and an Ayurveda doctor. They have a daughter (b. 2014) Anusree. His son, Sreeansh was born in 2017. He is currently employed as Chief Sports Organiser with the Kerala government's education department .
Parul Parmar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Parul Dalsukhbhai Parmar

Parul Parmar presented with the Arjuna Award by the President of India Pratibha Patil on 29 August 2009
Personal information
Country  India
Born 20 March 1973

Parul Dalsukhbhai Parmar is an Indian para-badminton player from Gujarat. She had been ranked world number one in para-badminton women's singles SL3.

Career

Parmar was afflicted by Poliomyelitis at young age

She won the golds in women's singles and doubles at the 2017 BWF Para-Badminton World Championships. She defeated Wannaphatdee Kamtam of Thailand in singles' final. Along with Japan's Akiko Sugino, she defeated China's Cheng Hefang and Ma Huihui in doubles' final.

She has won golds in women's single SL3 at the 2014 and 2018 Asian Para Games. She also won gold in women’s singles SL3 category, at the 2018 Thailand Para-Badminton International. She had previously won the silver in 2014 Asian Para Games and the bronze in 2010 Asian Para Games. She also won the gold in the mixed doubles in SL3-SU5 category with Raj Kumar at the 2015 BWF Para-Badminton World Championships.

She is a three time world champion and she won gold and silver medals in 2014, Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea. She played against Kamtam Wannaphatdee and Panyachaem Paramee, both hailing from Thailand, to win the medals. She also won two golds in Women's Singles and Doubles by defeating Wannaphatdee Kamtam, a Thai player, in the Singles Final and she paired with Japan's Akiko Sugino in Doubles, to defeat the Chinese duo of Cheng Hefang and Ma Huihui, in the Para Badminton World Championships, held in Ulsan, Korea in 2019.

She works as a coach with the Sports Authority of India and lives in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Awards

Parmar was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2009 by the Government of India and Eklavya Award by the Government of Gujarat.
P.T. USHA

The first Indian woman (and the fifth Indian) to reach the final of an Olympic event by

winning her 400 m hurdles Semi-final. She was born in Kerala in 1964. When she was just 12, she joined a Sports school at Cannanore where she received guidance and training from O.P. Nambiar, the noted athlete coach. Her full name is Pilavulakandi Thekkeparambil Usha.

In the 10th Asian Games held at Seoul in 1986, P.T.Usha kept the flag of India flying high by winning 4 gold and 1 silver medal in the track and field events. Here she created new Asian Games records in all the events she participated. P.T.Usha also won the most medals at a single championship -six at Jakartha in 1985. Her five gold at the 6th Asian Track and Field Championship is also a record for the most number of gold medals by a single athlete in a single international meet.

Usha's success story begins from the 1982 Asiad in which she won two gold medals in 100 meters and 200 meters respectively. At the Los Angels Olympics held in 1984, Usha missed a medal and she had to remain content with 4th place. Yet, she was the first Indian woman runner to have the honour of coming at the 4th place in the history of Olympics missing a bronze medal by 1/100 of a second. She won 17 medals -13 gold , 3 silver and a bronze in four Asian Track and Field Championship during the period from 1983-89.

Usha has won 101 international medals . At present she is employed as an officer in the Southern Railway.

The queen of Indian track and field for two decades, the woman who was nicknamed 'Payyoli Express'’,udanpari’, and “Golden Girl” because of her speed on the race-track, Pilavullakandi Thekke parampil Usha (P.T. Usha) needs no introduction. Since 1979, P.T. Usha, has been associated with Indian athletics.

The sporting legend of India, the symbol of perseverance in Indian sports has been through several trials and tribulations in life. She was born as the daughter of E.P.M. Paithal and T.V. Lakshmi in the Kerala village of Koothali near Perambra in Kozhikode district. She was brought up in” Thrikottur” in Thikkodi panchayath and later on habituated in Payyoli one kilometer away. She was afflicted by ill health in her early childhood. Right from her primary school days Usha showed the spark of athletic talent and was the star of many a sports meet.

In 1976 the Kerala State Government started a Sports division for women in Kannur, and Usha started practising under the guidance of coach O.M Nambiar as one among the forty girls athletes in sports division Kannur. In 1979 she participated in the National School Games, where she won the individual championship and came into the lime light. Her first international performance came in the 1980 Pakistan Open National Meet at Karachi where she won 4 gold medals for the country. In 1982 she won gold medal in 200m.race and bronze medal in 100 m .race in the world junior invitation meet( currently called world junior athletic championship) at seoul. By 1984, the Los Angeles Olympics, she had improved tremendously; she won the 400 m heats, and missed getting India's first track-and-field bronze medal in the 400m finals by 1/100 sec, in a dramatic photo finish. She put her faith in her natural talent and trusted in God almighty, with the strength from the people of India. She emerged a winner becoming the first Indian sports women to enter the Olympics final at the age of twenty.

She had set an Asian best, 55.42 seconds, for the event which still stands today as Indian national record. In 1985 she won 5 gold medals and 1 bronze medal in the Asian track and field championship at Jakartha Indonesia. This track record of Usha in the world of athletics has not been matched or surpassed till date by any athlete, man or woman in the world. In the Seoul Asian Games: Usha won gold medals in the 200 m, 400 m, 400 m hurdles and 4x400m relay. The Seoul Olympics in 1988 proved a disappointment. In spite of the heel injury and she forced herself to run for the country, however, Usha was unable to make the finals in her best events.

However, she was determined not to be disheartened, and won four golds and two silvers at the Asian Track Federation meet in Delhi, 1989. Having proved her mettle, she decided to retire from athletics, but was lured back to participate in the Beijing Asian Games, where she won 3 silver medals in spite of her limited time schedule for preparation. In 1991, she married V. Srinivasan, and their son Ujjwal was born the following year. Although she enjoyed domesticity and motherhood, she was drawn back to athletics, and astonished the country by winning bronze medals in the 200 m and 400 m at the Asian Track Federation meet at Fukkowakka in Japan, 1998. And, silencing her critics, at the age of 34 she set a new national record for the 200m, improving on her own previous record. P.T. Usha was named sportsperson of the century and the sports woman of the Millennium by the Indian Olympic Association, and is still the Indian with most international track and field medals.

She retired in the year 2000, with a promise to groom bright young talents in her sports School in Kerala. She was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1983 and the Padma Shree in 1985.

Interview with swimmer Rohit Imoliya: I want to win an Olympic medal for India
P. V. V. Lakshmi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
P. V. V. Lakshmi
Personal information
Country India
Born 8 November 1974 
Residence Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Height 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in)
Handedness Right

Representing  India
Women's badminton
 1998 Kuala Lumpur Women's team

Pandimukkala Venkata Vara Lakshmi, better known as P. V. V. Lakshmi, is an eight-time Indian national champion in badminton and represented India in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She is also the wife of Pullela Gopichand.She was the bronze medalist in badminton at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in the Women's Team event.

Gopichand Badminton Academy

P. V. V. Lakshmi, was very supportive of Gopichand during the formation of Gopichand Badminton Academy and even contributed to the effort of securing monetary support. Despite other donations, Gopichand could only gather US$1.75 million. It was then they decided to mortgage his family home and raise the remaining money for the already delayed project. In 2008, the facility was eventually completed at the cost of $2.5 million. Immediately after the construction, the Government of India sent the Commonwealth Games team to train at this facility. The government increased the daily rate they pay per player to $20 for this special Games camp. This was a big jump from the $5 daily fee per player that the government had previously paid for other training camps.

In 2008, they appealed to Bollywood, the Hindi cinema industry to become badminton's brand ambassador. They felt that by having a popular cinema icon supporting the sport will help popularize it.

Despite Saina Nehwal's success in international tournaments, Gopichand and Lakshmi found it hard to run the Academy. To run it at an optimal level, it requires $300,000 a year. As of 2010, he was making do with $100,000 to pay the training cost for 60 players and was holding off hiring more coaches.

Achievements
IBF International
Women's singlesYearTournamentOpponentScoreResult1999 India International  B. R. Meenakshi 11–7, 4–11, 10–13  Runner-up

Women's doublesYearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult1998 India International  Madhumita Bisht  Archana Deodhar
 Manjusha Kanwar 6–15, 15–13, 15–9  Winner
1999 India International  Archana Deodhar  Trupti Murgunde
 Ketaki Thakkar 9–15, 15–3, 15–3  Winner

Mixed doublesYearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult1998 India International  Vincent Lobo  Vinod Kumar
 Madhumita Bisht 12–15, 14–17  Runner-up
1999 India International  J. B. S. Vidyadhar  Vinod Kumar
 B. R. Meenakshi 17–14, 15–6  Winner

Personal life

P. V. V. Lakshmi married fellow badminton player Gopichand on 5 June 2002. They have two children, a daughter named Gayathri and a son named Vishnu. Her daughter Gayathri, who is the elder of the two siblings, won the 2015 U-13 National Badminton Champion. Her son Vishnu is currently training at Gopichand academy. After marriage, Gopichand concentrated on badminton academy and Lakshmi helped him. 
Purna Malavath and Anand Kumar

Dalit boy from Khammam, who in a historic feat for Indian mountaineering became two of the youngest climbers to scale Mount Everest.

13-year old Purna, along with 16-year old Anand, reached the world’s highest peak after an exhausting 52-day expedition up the Tibetan side of the mountain, known to be the most difficult route. On reaching the peak, Purna and Anand unfurled not just India’s flag, but a picture of our leader Dr. B.R Ambedkar. At a time when Dalit children in India are systematically marginalized, excluded, and deprived of educational opportunities, Purna’s and Anand’s victories are truly epic. Their achievement is testament to the potential every Dalit child possesses, and if provided with resources, will accomplish what they aspire to.

On their victory, Purna said, “The aim of my expedition was to inspire young people and students from my kind of background. For a tribal like me, opportunities are very rare and I was looking for one opportunity where I could prove my caliber”. During tough times of the expedition, Purna narrates that she kept herself motivated, by thinking of her parents, whose words, “you can change your life if you put your mind to it” kept her going.

Purna’s parents are agricultural laborers from Telangana; her co-climber Anand’s father is a cycle mechanic. “My father is my hero. He never once complained about his work at the cycle shop and always encouraged me to work hard, no matter how big or small the task,” says Anand.

The journey for both of them began at the Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions. Purna and Anand was selected from a group of more than 100 students who were sent for training to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. In preparation for the Everest climb, they trained in the mountains of Darjeeling and Ladakh.

In June 2014, Purna and Anand were recognized for their achievement by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights in association with the All India Dalit Rights Federation, the Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion, AP Bhavan Employees’ Welfare & Cultural Association, and AP Bhavan SC/ST Welfare Association.

“We believe that if Dalit children are given equal opportunities, they can excel anywhere. They only need support to utilize these opportunities effectively”, said Beena Pallical, National Coordinator for Campaigns, NCDHR. “We dream of an India where every child’s potential is realised so that they can be where Poorna is today. At the top”, added Annie Namala of the Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion.
P. K. Subban
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
P. K. Subban
Subban with the Nashville Predators in 2017
Born May 13, 1989 
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Position Defence
Shoots Right
NHL team
Former teams New Jersey Devils
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 43rd overall, 2007
Playing career 2009–present

Pernell-Karl Sylvester Subban MSC[1] (/ˈsubæn/ SOO-ban; born May 13, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). Subban was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round, 43rd overall, of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. In 2013, he won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenceman, and tied with Kris Letang as the leading scorer among defencemen. In the summer of 2014, he signed an eight-year, $72 million contract with the Canadiens, running through the 2021–22 season. After the 2015–16 season, Subban was traded to the Nashville Predators, where he spent three seasons before being traded to New Jersey in 2019.

Playing career

Junior

Subban spent his junior career with the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). In 2005–06, he recorded 12 points in a 52-game rookie campaign. In 2006–07, he improved to 56 points in 68 games, where he was later drafted by the Canadiens in the off-season at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Subban then recorded 46 points in just 58 games during the 2007–08 campaign, before adding 23 points and matching his regular season goals total of eight in the post-season. He helped Belleville to the J. Ross Robertson Cup Finals against the Kitchener Rangers, where they lost the OHL title in seven games. Subban finished his four-year junior career with 76 points in 56 games in the 2008–09 regular season, with the Bulls advancing to the league playoffs, losing in the OHL semi-finals.

Professional
Montreal Canadiens
Subban at the 2010 AHL All-Star Game. He began the 2009–10 season with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs.

In May 2009, two weeks after his last junior game, Subban was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract by the Canadiens. He began the 2009–10 season with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Montreal's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. Later in the season, he was then selected to play in the 2010 AHL All-Star Game in Portland. Shortly thereafter, he earned his first call-up to the Canadiens on February 11, 2010, and, on the following day, registered his first career NHL point, an assist, in his debut against the Philadelphia Flyers on February 12.

On April 26, 2010, Subban was recalled from Hamilton during the Canadiens' first round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Washington Capitals. He recorded his first NHL playoff point, an assist, in his first career NHL playoff game, on April 26. His first goal came in Game 1 of the Canadiens' second round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 30, 2010. In Game 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals, Subban became the third rookie defenceman in Canadiens history to register three assists in one game. In all, Subban recorded one goal and eight points in 14 playoff games for the Canadiens, who ultimately fell to Philadelphia.

After the Canadiens were eliminated by the Flyers, Subban was returned to the Bulldogs, who were still in contention in the Calder Cup playoffs. At the end of the AHL season, Subban was awarded the AHL President's Award in recognition of his accomplishments for the year.

On March 20, 2011, Subban became the first Canadiens rookie defenceman to score a hat-trick in a game, which came in an 8–1 victory over the Minnesota Wild.
Subban with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2011–12 season.

Playing in 81 games in the 2011–12 season, Subban recorded seven goals and 29 assists. A restricted free agent after the season, Subban sat out the first four games of the 2012–13 season, which was postponed until January 2013 due to a labour lock-out, while the two sides negotiated a contract. On January 28, 2013, however, Subban eventually signed a two-year, $5.75 million deal with Montreal. He scored 11 goals and 27 assists, matching his career-high 38 points despite playing in only 42 games due to the lock-out. At the end of the season, he was awarded with the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's defenceman of the year, edging-out Kris Letang and Ryan Suter for the honour. On July 3, 2013, Subban was named to the NHL First All-Star Team.

Subban then played all 82 games during the 2013–14 regular season, in which he registered a total of 53 points, ten of which were goals. During the 2014 playoffs, he was one of Montreal's most important assets, registering 14 points in 17 games as the Canadiens ultimately reached the Eastern Conference Finals, falling to the New York Rangers.

Subban became a restricted free agent at the close of the 2013–14 season when his contract expired. According to the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), Subban earned the right to salary arbitration, having signed his first Standard Player Contract between the ages of 18 and 20 and having accrued four years of professional experience or more. He subsequently filed for arbitration before the deadline of July 5. The hearing took place on August 1, 2014, with Subban's camp asking for a one-year deal worth $8.5 million, while the Canadiens offered a one-year deal worth $5.5 million.
Subban with the Canadiens during the 2014–15 season. Subban signed an eight-year extension with the Canadiens the summer prior to the start of the season.

Under NHL CBA rules, the parties could continue to negotiate and reach an agreement until the arbitrator announced her decision, given in the 48 hours following the hearing. As arbitration was player-elected, once the arbitrator released her decision, the team would have had 48 hours to agree to the terms or walk away from the player, thereby making Subban an unrestricted free agent. The day after the hearing, on August 2, it was announced that Subban and the Habs had agreed to terms on an eight-year, $72 million contract, running through the 2021–22 season. The contract made him the highest-paid defenceman in the NHL and third-highest-paid League player overall at the time. It included a no-trade clause that would take effect July 1, 2016.

On September 15, 2014, Subban was named an alternate captain of the Canadiens along with Max Pacioretty, Tomáš Plekanec, and Andrei Markov as Montreal head coach Michel Therrien elected not to name a captain following Brian Gionta's departure in off-season.

Nashville Predators

On June 29, 2016, Subban, in a blockbuster move, was traded to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenceman Shea Weber.[ In his first season with the club, Subban recorded 10 goals and 40 points in 66 games. The Predators qualified for the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs in the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. The team advanced to the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but were defeated in six games. Subban finished the postseason with 12 points in 22 games.

On May 2, 2018, Subban was named one of three finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy as a player who best exemplifies leadership qualities and gives back to his community. The award eventually went to Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

New Jersey Devils

On June 22, 2019, the second day of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Subban was traded to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Steven Santini, prospect Jérémy Davies, and two second-round draft picks. Subban faced one of his former clubs, the Montreal Canadiens, for the first time on November 16, 2019, a 4–3 Devils' victory. Subban faced another one of his former clubs, the Nashville Predators on December 7, a 6–4 Predators' victory. In that game, Subban was given a tribute video and a standing ovation from Predators fans.

Subban's debut season in New Jersey was statistically the worst season of his career, recording just 18 points in 68 games and a career worst plus–minus of –21. At season's end, Subban was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

International play
Subban with Team Canada during an exhibition game against Switzerland in 2012
Medal record
Representing  Canada

Subban was selected to play for Canada at the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in the Czech Republic. He saw limited ice time as Canada's seventh defenceman, but was able to help the team capture their fourth consecutive gold medal at the tournament, defeating Sweden in overtime in the final. Subban again represented Canada at the 2009 World Juniors in Ottawa, taking on a more central role with the team. He scored three goals and nine points and a differential of +12 in the tournament, helping Canada to its fifth consecutive gold medal as they once again defeated Sweden in the final. Subban was named to the Tournament All-Star Team, along with Cody Hodgson and tournament MVP John Tavares.

Subban was invited to participate in the 2012 IIHF World Championship, but was injured during pre-tournament play. In the next season, Subban was a late addition to the Canadian team at the 2013 edition of the tournament; he joined them in the elimination round for one game, which Canada lost. On January 7, 2014, Subban was named to Canada's 2014 Winter Olympic team for participation in the Games in Sochi in defence of their 2010 gold medal. They won gold, prevailing 3–0 over Sweden in the tournament final.

Personal life

Subban's parents both immigrated to Ontario from the Caribbean in the 1970s. His father, Karl, moved from Jamaica to Sudbury, and his mother, Maria, came from Montserrat to Hamilton. Karl is a retired school principal. Subban was born in Toronto and raised in the city's Rexdale neighbourhood. He has four siblings: Nastassia, Natasha, Jordan and Malcolm. Malcolm is a goaltender who was selected by the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, and currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks. During the Vegas Golden Knights' inaugural season (2017-2018), Malcolm and P.K. faced each other in the NHL regular season for the first time in a December 8, 2017 game on the elder Subban's home ice (Nashville's Bridgestone Arena). Malcolm, starting in net for the injured Marc-Andre Fleury, earned the win. Jordan was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the fourth round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

P. K., Malcolm, and Jordan all played for the Belleville Bulls during their junior career. Growing up, Subban was good friends with Toronto Maple Leafs player John Tavares.[36] He also played and won a Triple-A Novice title with Tampa Bay Lightning captain and star Steven Stamkos.

Although he was raised in Toronto, Subban did not grow up as a fan of the hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. He revealed on the Montreal talk show Tout le monde en parle that he always wanted to play for Montreal ever since he was a kid. He also said that Canadiens' legend Jean Béliveau was one of his biggest idols growing up as a hockey player.

During the 2018 NHL Awards, Subban was revealed as the cover athlete for the NHL 19 video game.

In June 2018, Subban began a relationship with American skier Lindsey Vonn. On August 23, 2019, they announced their engagement and on Christmas day 2019 Vonn proposed to Subban. On December 29, 2020, they both announced their breakup on Instagram. Vonn announced that the two had parted ways and remained friends.

On October 21, 2020, Subban and Vonn were announced as members of the ownership group of Angel City FC, a Los Angeles-based team that will start play in the National Women's Soccer League in 2022.

Endorsements
Subban signing autographs in 2013

In addition to the RW-CO deal, Subban's marketing company, P.K.S.S., has landed him several business partnerships including ones with Adidas, Bridgestone, Gatorade and Air Canada.

Personality and style

Subban is known for his exciting and hard-hitting style of play as well as having a colourful personality that has been criticized by some as brash and self-absorbed. In an interview with ESPN.com, he addressed it:


A lot of things are said about me. And maybe if I didn't play in Montreal to start my career, a lot of those things would not have made news. But when you're in Montreal, everything gets kind of blown up and everything becomes news, which is fine. None of that stuff ever really bothered me. I'm not that self-absorbed where I think everybody on the planet is going to love me or love everything about me. They're all not going to love the way I play the game or think I'm the best-looking guy in the world. It's just not going to happen. You're going to have people disagree. They may not think how I play the game is the right way. Or they may not think everything I do is truly authentic and real, but that's just life. What are you going to do? All you do is continue to work on yourself every day as a player and as a person, and that's it. I try to get better every day and continue to do good things, not just for myself, but for the people around me, and just create good energy around me wherever I go, because that's the only way to live, in my opinion.

Off the ice, Subban has a well-known, stylish sense of fashion. He often is seen in designer suits and unique accessories. That appreciation of style has been parlayed into being the spokesman for a RW-CO line of suits. Subban was ranked in the top 50 of Best Dressed athletes by Sports Illustrated and made their alternate cover page in July 2018. In May 2019, P.K Subban showcased his hatmaker Gunner Foxx and bespoke tailor and shoemaker Sartorialto for GQ Magazine.

Philanthropy

On September 16, 2015, Subban announced a commitment to raise $10 million for the Montreal Children's Hospital by 2022. The hospital called it "the biggest philanthropic commitment by a sports figure in Canadian history". After his donation, Subban continued his commitment as spokesman and organized the "Winter Wonderland" with Air Canada at the hospital before the holidays. In 2017, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross (Civil Division) in recognition of how his "generous gift stands as an example of how professional athletes can positively change lives in their communities". He was also added to the Google.org Impact Challenge judge panel in Canada, to help choose which organizations should receive money to help Canada. After his trade to Nashville, Subban continued his philanthropy. The "P.K.'s Blue Line Buddies" focused on building better relations between law enforcement and inner-city youths, by treating a police officer, a youth and their guests to a Predators home game with perks like autographs and dinner in Bridgestone Arena's Patron Platinum Club. After being traded to the New Jersey Devils, Subban continued his Blue Line Buddies initiative in New Jersey. Subban wanted to make sure that his program reached out to somewhere other than Nashville. In January 2018, Subban appeared on The Daily Show to discuss his philanthropy efforts with the children's hospital and his Blue Line Buddies program.

In June 2020, Subban donated US$50,000 to the GoFundMe effort to raise money for Gianna Floyd, the daughter of the late George Floyd.

Pooja Jatyan
Pooja Jatyan, one of India’s prominent para-archers, captured during her performance at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

Pooja Jatyan – Para-Archer

Personal & Early Life

Born around 1998 in Gurugram, Haryana, Pooja was affected by polio at a young age, resulting in impairment in her left leg WikipediaNDTV Sports.

After marriage, she relocated to Rohtak, Haryana, where she also pursued postgraduate studies in Library Sciences at Baba Mastnath University and trains at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium WikipediaWorld Archery.

She’s the eldest among four siblings WikipediaWorld Archery.
Archery Journey & Career Highlights

Early Beginnings

Began her archery journey in 2011, competing initially among able-bodied athletes nationally, unaware of para-archery World ArcheryParalympic Committee of India.

After taking a break post-marriage (around 2011–2018), she returned to the sport with renewed focus and determination World ArcherySportskeeda.

International Debut 

Made her international debut at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Indonesia; though she narrowly missed out on a medal, the experience fueled her ambitions World Archery49-ers.net.

Won silver in the individual recurve open event at the 2022 World Archery Para Championships in Dubai — making her the first Indian woman para-archer to win an individual medal at the Worlds World ArcheryThe Times of IndiaParalympic Committee of India.

Performances

At the 2023 Asian Para Archery Championships, she secured a silver medal in the Women’s Team event NDTV Sports.

In 2024, she continued her success with:

Silver at the 8th Fazza Para-Archery World Ranking Tournament in Dubai

Gold medals in both the Women's Team and Mixed Team events at the Para Archery European Cup (2nd Leg) NDTV Sports.

At the Paris 2024 Paralympics, she advanced to the quarterfinals in the Women’s Recurve Open individual event but was edged out 4–6 by China’s Wu Chunyan NDTV SportsWikipedia.

Rankings & Recognition

As of April 2025, Pooja Jatyan holds the 4th rank globally in the Women’s Individual Recurve Open category, demonstrating her elite status in para-archery Wikipedia.

Pooja’s odyssey from returning to archery after a long hiatus to becoming a world-class athlete speaks volumes about her resilience. Her historic silver in 2022 served not just as a personal triumph but as a beacon of inspiration for aspiring para-athletes across India.

Summary Table

Origin & Training Gurugram-born; trains in Rohtak; holds a postgrad in Library Sciences
Major Achievement First Indian woman to win an individual medal (silver) at the Para Worlds (2022)
Other Medals Asian Para Champs (2023) – Team silver;
2024 Fazza – Individual silver;
European Cup ’24 – Team golds
Paralympic Appearances Rio 2016 (qualified); Paris 2024 quarterfinalist

Global Rank 4th in Women’s Recurve Open (April 2025)

Preeja Sreedharan
Wikipedia
Preeja Sreedharan
Sreedharan in 2011
Personal information
Nationality India
Born 13 March 1982 
Spouse(s) Deepak Gopinath
Parent(s) Sreedharan, Remani
Sport
Sport Running

Representing  India
Women's athletics

Preeja Sreedharan (born 13 March 1982 at Mullakkanam, Idukki, Kerala) is an Indian long-distance runner. She holds the national records in both the 10,000 metres and 5000 metres disciplines, which she set en route to the gold and silver medals at 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Sreedharan was conferred with the Arjuna Award, India's second highest sporting honour by the central government in 2011.

Sreedharan's breakthrough came in 2007, when she won the silver medal in both the disciplines at the Asian Athletics Championships. She bettered her personal bests and the Indian national records in both the 10000 and 5000 meters at 2010 Asian Games; she won the gold in the 10000 meters and the silver in 5000 meters. She announced her retirement from international circuit in February 2015.

Personal life

Preeja was born to Sreedharan and Remani in Idukki, Kerala.She belonged to a middle class family. Her father was a manual labourer and passed away when she was 8 years old. She has an elder brother Pradeep and an elder sister Preethy. After her father's demise her brother had to leave school at 6th standard and take up job in order to meet household expenses. She graduated from Alphonsa College, Pala. She married Dr.Deepak Gopinath on 11 November 2012 at Palakkad, Kerala. Preeja Sreedharan has been employed as a Superintendent by the Southern Railway. The couple have two children, Darshan (born on 2016) and Dhyan (born on 2018).

Career

At the 2006 Asian Games, Sreedharan finished fifth in both the 5000 and the 10,000 metres. At the 2007 Asian Championships at Amman she won the silver medals in the two events. She qualified for the Beijing Olympics in June 2008 after achieving a B qualifying mark for the Games and then finished twenty-fifth in the Olympic 10,000 metres.

Sreedharan achieved her personal best of 31:50:28 minutes in the 10,000 metres en route to the gold medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games; she also broke the Indian national record with the performance. Sreedharan also won the silver medal in 5000 metres at the event. With the time of 15:15.89 minutes, she also bettered the national record in 5000 meters.

Sreedharan was selected as Manorama Newsmaker of the year 2010. The selection was done through an online SMS voting from public. The finalists with Preeja were, Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, Njhanpeedam winner and famous Malayalam poet ONV Kurup and famous politician, and financial minister K. M. Mani.

Sreedharan was the fastest Indian woman at the 2014 Delhi Half Marathon. She also participated at the 2014 Asian Games, but was unable to win any medal. Sreedharan announced her retirement from international competitions in February 2015. She said that she would participate in her last competition at the 2015 National Athletics Championships: "With the next national games, I would leave the track for ever. The decision was taken to focus on family life, I would continue to strive for promoting athletics."

Most Important landmarks in career

• She is the Indian athlete to represent India in 10000m in Olympics. She qualified for the Beijing Olympics in June 2008 after achieving a B qualifying mark for the Games and then finished twenty-fifth in the Olympic 10,000 metres.

• She won Gold medal in the 10,000 metres event and Silver medal in 5000 metres at the Guangzhou Asian Games 2010.

• She holds Indian national record for both 5000 and 10,000 metres as on 18.10.2020.

• At the 2007 Asian Championships at Amman, she won the silver medal in the 10,000 metres and 5000 Meters.

• Her personal best for the 10,000 metres is 31:50:28 minutes in Guangzhou Asian Games. This is the current Indian national record .

• Her personal best for the 5000 metres is 15:15 minutes in Guangzhou Asian Games. This is the current Indian national record.

• She was selected as Manorama Newsmaker of the year 2010( Kerala State ).

International Acievements

Beijing Olympics 2008 10000m Participation

Asian Games – Guangzhau 2010 10000m Gold Medal (Current National Record )

Asian Games – Guangzhau 2010 5000m Silver Medal (current National record )

Asian Athletics Championship 2007 10000m Silver Medal

Asian Aathletic Championship 2007 5000m Silver Medal

2nd Asian Indoor Games Macao – 2007 3000m Silver Medal

3rd Asian Indoor Championship – Doha 2008 3000m Gold Medal

10th South Asian Games Columbo 2006 10000m Gold medal

19th Asian Athletic Championship Kobai 2011 10000m Bronze Medal

6th Asian Cross Country Kadmandu 2001 4KM Silver Medal

NATIONAL LEVEL

9th National Athletic Championship Thrissur-2001 10000m Gold Medal

9th National Athletic Championship Thrissur 2001 5000m Gold Medal

10th National athletic championship – Chandigarh 2002 1500m Gold Medal

10th National athletic championship – Chandigarh 2002 5000m Silver Medal

37th National Cross Country Championship Goa 4 km Gold Medal

7th Federation Cup Cross country 2002 8 km Bronze Medal

44th National Open Athletics Championship – Mumbai 2004 5000m Gold Medal

44th National Interstate Senior Athletic Championship 2004 5000m Silver Medal

44th National Interstate Senior Athletic Championship 2004 1500m Bronze Medal

38th National Cross country Championship Shimla 2004 4 km race Gold Medal

45th National Interstate Senior athletics championship – Bangalore 2005 5000m Bronze Medal

11th Federation cup National Senior Athletics championship Delhi 5000m Silver Medal

45th National Open Athletic Championship Hyderabad 2005 5000m Silver Medal

45th National Open Athletic Championship Hyderabad 2005 1500m Bronze Medal

46th National Open Athletic Championship Delhi 2006 10000m Gold Medal

46th National Interstate Senior Athletic Championship Chennai 2006 10000m Gold Medal

46th National Interstate Senior Athletic Championship Chennai 2006 5000m Gold Medal

1st National Endurance Athletic Competition Delhi 2006 1500m Silver Medal

33rd National Games Guwahati 2007 10000 Gold Medal

33rd National Games Guwahati 2007 5000m Gold Medal

33rd National Games Guwahati 2007 1500 m Gold Medal

47th National Open Athletic Championship Jamshedpur 2007 10000m Gold Medal

47th National Open Athletic Championship Jamshedpur 2007 5000m Gold Medal

47th National Interstate Senior Athletic Championship Bhopal 2007 10000m Silver Medal

47th National Interstate Senior Athletic Championship Bhopal 5000m Silver Medal

48th National Open Athletic Championship Kochi 2008 10000m Gold Medal

48th National Open Athletic Championship Kochi 2008 5000m Gold Medal

14th Federation Cup National Senior Athletic Championship 2008 Bhopal 5000m Silver Medal

50th National Interstate Senior Athletic Championship Patiala 2010 10000m Gold Medal

15th Federation Cup National Senior Athletic Championship Ranchi 2010 10000m Gold Medal

50th National Open Athletic Championship – Kochi 2010 10000m Silver Medal

15th Federation Cup National Senior Athletic Championship Ranchi 2010 5000m Silver Medal

51st National Open Athletic Championship – Kolkata 2011 10000m Gold Medal

34th National Games, Jharkhand 2011 10000m Silver Medal

34th National Games, Jharkhand 2011 5000m Silver Medal

53rd National Open Athletic Championship – Ranchi 2013 10000m Bronze medal

53rd National Open Athletic Championship – Ranchi 2013 5000m Silver Medal

53rd National Interstate Senior Athletic Championship Chennai 2013 10000m Gold Medal

53rd National Interstate Senior Athletic Championship Chennai 2013 5000m Silver Medal

48th National Cross country championships Jalpaiguri 2013 8 KM Gold Medal

54th National Open Athletic Championship – Delhi 2014 10000m Silver Medal

35th National games Kerala 2015 10000m Silver Medal

Awards

Following her performance at the 2010 Asian Games, Sreedharan was conferred with the Arjuna Award in 2011 by the Government of India.

G V Raja Award ( Kerala State ) – 2001

Manorama Newsmaker of the Year ( Kerala State ) – 2011

Jimmy Gorge Award- 2012

Purna Malavath and Anand Kumar

Dalit boy from Khammam, who in a historic feat for Indian mountaineering became two of the youngest climbers to scale Mount Everest.

13-year old Purna, along with 16-year old Anand, reached the world’s highest peak after an exhausting 52-day expedition up the Tibetan side of the mountain, known to be the most difficult route. On reaching the peak, Purna and Anand unfurled not just India’s flag, but a picture of our leader Dr. B.R Ambedkar. At a time when Dalit children in India are systematically marginalized, excluded, and deprived of educational opportunities, Purna’s and Anand’s victories are truly epic. Their achievement is testament to the potential every Dalit child possesses, and if provided with resources, will accomplish what they aspire to.

On their victory, Purna said, “The aim of my expedition was to inspire young people and students from my kind of background. For a tribal like me, opportunities are very rare and I was looking for one opportunity where I could prove my caliber”. During tough times of the expedition, Purna narrates that she kept herself motivated, by thinking of her parents, whose words, “you can change your life if you put your mind to it” kept her going.

Purna’s parents are agricultural laborers from Telangana; her co-climber Anand’s father is a cycle mechanic. “My father is my hero. He never once complained about his work at the cycle shop and always encouraged me to work hard, no matter how big or small the task,” says Anand.

The journey for both of them began at the Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions. Purna and Anand was selected from a group of more than 100 students who were sent for training to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. In preparation for the Everest climb, they trained in the mountains of Darjeeling and Ladakh.

In June 2014, Purna and Anand were recognized for their achievement by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights in association with the All India Dalit Rights Federation, the Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion, AP Bhavan Employees’ Welfare & Cultural Association, and AP Bhavan SC/ST Welfare Association.

“We believe that if Dalit children are given equal opportunities, they can excel anywhere. They only need support to utilize these opportunities effectively”, said Beena Pallical, National Coordinator for Campaigns, NCDHR. “We dream of an India where every child’s potential is realised so that they can be where Poorna is today. At the top”, added Annie Namala of the Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion.

Prabir Das

Prabir Das (Bengali: প্রবীর দাস) is a prominent Indian professional footballer, widely recognized for his tenacity as a right-back in the Indian Super League (ISL). Born on December 20, 1993, in Sodepur, West Bengal, he has carved out a resilient career spanning over a decade, overcoming humble beginnings and family sacrifices to become a two-time ISL champion. At 32 years old (as of December 2025), Das stands at 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) tall, weighs 66 kg, and is right-footed. Known for his defensive solidity, overlapping runs, and crossing ability, he has made 180 club appearances with 2 goals as of October 2025. Currently, he plays for Inter Kashi FC in the ISL on an 8-month contract until May 31, 2026.

Early Life and Background

Prabir Das grew up in a modest family in Sodepur, a suburb of Kolkata. His father, Mona Das, worked as a rickshaw puller, while his mother, Sandhya Das, was a homemaker and occasional househelp. Football was an escape from financial hardships, but early on, the family couldn't afford to support two aspiring players. Das's older brother, Rovin (also known as Rabin) Das, was a talented goalkeeper with a promising career ahead. However, Rovin made the ultimate sacrifice: he gave up his own football dreams to take on family responsibilities, allowing Prabir to train and pursue his passion. In interviews, Das has called his brother his "biggest inspiration," stating, "I am sitting here because of him. He was a very good goalkeeper—if he had continued, he could have made it big." This sibling bond remains a cornerstone of Das's story, fueling his drive in a sport where rejection was common during his youth trials.

Das joined the Tata Football Academy (TFA) as a trainee, honing his skills before breaking into senior football. His breakthrough came with Pailan Arrows in 2012, where he debuted at 18.

Club Career

Das's professional journey began in the I-League and evolved into the ISL era, marked by stints at top clubs and loans that showcased his versatility. He started as a promising defender with Pailan Arrows, scoring on debut in the 2012 Federation Cup. After the club's disbandment, he moved to Dempo SC, followed by loans to ISL sides like Delhi Dynamos and ATK (now ATK Mohun Bagan). His peak came with ATK, where he contributed to back-to-back ISL titles and recorded a career-high 3 assists in 2019-20.

Career Statistics

Das is primarily a defensive contributor, with modest attacking returns focused on assists from crosses (208 career). In domestic leagues alone (9 seasons across 6 clubs), he has 132 matches, 1 goal, and 5 assists. His per-90-minute rates are low offensively (0.01 goals, 0.06 assists) but highlight reliability: 98 interceptions, 70 tackles won, and only 14 yellow cards (1 red).

International Career

Das represented India at youth levels but has not earned senior caps. He debuted for the U19 side in the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers against Turkmenistan, scoring the winner in a 3-1 victory. With the U23 team, he played twice in the 2015 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers against Syria.

Honours and Achievements

  • Indian Super League (ISL): Winner (2) – 2016 (ATK), 2019-20 (ATK)
  • I-League: Winner (1) – 2014-15 (Mohun Bagan)
  • Federation Cup: Winner (1) – 2015-16 (Mohun Bagan)
  • Durand Cup: Winner (1) – 2022 (Bengaluru FC)

In 2019-20, Das tied for the most assists by a defender in ISL history (5 total across career).

Personal Life and Off-Field Impact

Beyond the pitch, Das is family-oriented and philanthropic. He credits his brother's sacrifice for his success and often shares motivational stories in interviews, like overcoming early rejections: "I faced a lot of rejection, but football was my way out." He maintains a YouTube channel, Prabir Das Lifestyle, with over 161,000 subscribers and 11 million views, featuring vlogs on training, family, and daily life. In December 2019, he donated for a young East Bengal fan's medical treatment, earning praise for his humility.

Das has been in a relationship with Bengali actress Geetashree Roy since around 2020, and they've appeared together in media. A July 2025 podcast interview addressed his "controversial" transfers, including lingering affection for Mohun Bagan despite fan backlash during his Kerala and Mumbai moves. As of late 2025, he's adapting to Inter Kashi, focusing on consistency amid the ISL's competitiveness.

Prabir Das embodies the grit of Indian football— from Sodepur streets to ISL stardom—proving that sacrifice and perseverance can turn dreams into legacy.
Purav Raja
Purav Raja (pronounced POOR-av RAH-jə) is a retired Indian professional tennis player renowned for his doubles expertise. Born on December 7, 1985, in Mumbai, India, he turned professional in 2005 and became one of India's most accomplished doubles specialists, winning two ATP Tour titles and representing the country in the Davis Cup. Standing at 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) tall and playing right-handed, Raja amassed over US$598,677 in career prize money. His career spanned nearly two decades, marked by consistent Challenger-level success (21 titles) and notable Grand Slam appearances. Off the court, he is deeply involved in philanthropy and has transitioned into pickleball and media ventures post-retirement. As of December 2025, Raja remains active in tennis commentary and emerging sports, with his last competitive tennis matches dating back to early 2024.

Early Life and Background

Raja grew up in a middle-class family in Mumbai, where he discovered tennis at the age of seven. His father, Mukul Raja, worked as a printer, while his mother, Kiran, supported the family; he has a brother named Mikhil. Fluent in English and Hindi, Raja attended Millfield School in Somerset, England, for his education, which helped nurture his international outlook.
From a young age, Raja showed promise in racket sports, citing indoor carpet as his favorite surface and the drop shot as his signature move. His idols included tennis legend Stefan Edberg and Liverpool footballer Steven Gerrard. Hobbies like snooker, cricket, and table tennis kept him grounded, and he once humorously remarked that if not a tennis player, he would have pursued a career in politics. Raja's Mumbai roots instilled a strong sense of community service; he has long been involved with the Ananda Ashram orphanage and the Fellowship of the Physically Handicapped, often hosting events and mentoring underprivileged youth.

He splits his training between Mumbai and Bromley (on the outskirts of London), balancing rigorous practice with family life. Raja married Amisha in a private ceremony, though he keeps much of his personal life out of the spotlight.

Tennis Career

Raja's professional journey began on the ITF Futures circuit but quickly shifted to doubles, where he thrived as a steady, tactical player. He debuted in the Davis Cup in February 2013, partnering Leander Paes to secure a crucial win against South Korea. Over 18 years, he competed in 20 Grand Slams, often qualifying through Challengers, and faced top pairs while building a reputation for resilience on varied surfaces.

Key Milestones

2005–2009: Building Foundations
Turned pro in 2005 with modest singles results (career-high No. 813 in 2007; 0–1 ATP record). Excelled in doubles, winning eight ITF Futures titles. Reached his first ATP Challenger final in New Delhi (2008) and claimed his inaugural Challenger crown in Karshi, Uzbekistan (2009, with Sadik Kadir).

2010–2012: Challenger Consistency
Partnered frequently with Treat Huey, winning the 2010 Dunlop World Challenge (Tokyo) and reaching multiple finals. In 2011, he lifted the Trofeo Paolo Corazzi title. A slight dip in 2012 saw two finals without a win, but he ended the year ranked No. 117 in doubles.
2013: Breakthrough Year
Teamed with childhood friend Divij Sharan for a stellar run, including the Kyoto Challenger win. They captured Raja's first ATP title at the Claro Open Colombia (Bogotá, hard courts), defeating Édouard Roger-Vasselin and Igor Sijsling 7–6(4), 7–6(3). Qualified for Wimbledon main draw (lost 1R). Entered top 100 for the first time (year-end No. 90).
2014: Mixed Results
Defended Kyoto with Sharan but struggled at ATP level (semifinal at Zagreb Indoors). Dropped to No. 130 year-end.
2015: Resurgence
Reached Zagreb final (lost to Kontinen/Draganja) and won Portorož Challenger. Semifinals at Chennai Open; year-end No. 93.
2016: Second ATP Crown
Dominant with Sharan: Won four Challengers (Manchester, Surbiton, Castilla y León, Pune). Clinched second ATP title at Los Cabos Open, edging Jonathan Erlich/Ken Skupski 7–6(4), 7–6(3). Debuted at the French Open main draw (1R loss with Ivo Karlović).
2017: Career Peak
All-Indian Chennai final loss to Bopanna/Nedunchezhiyan. Won three Challengers, including back-to-back with Paes (Knoxville, Champaign). First full Grand Slam season: 1R Australian Open, 3R French Open, 2R Wimbledon/US Open. Davis Cup loss to Canada with Bopanna. Peaked at No. 52 (July 17); year-end No. 60.
2018: Solid but Fading
Career-best Australian Open 3R with Paes. Four Challenger finals (wins in Istanbul, Wolffkran Open). Limited ATP success; year-end No. 90.
2019–2023: Later Years
Continued Challenger dominance, adding titles in Kobe/Pune (2019, with Ramkumar Ramanathan), Bengaluru (2020), Lisboa Belém (2021, with Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan), and Istanbul/HPP Open (2022, with Sharan). Played sporadically at ATP level, focusing on qualifiers. Notable upsets included wins over pairs featuring Stefanos Tsitsipas, Stan Wawrinka, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, and Cameron Norrie across events.
2024: Retirement from Tennis
Last competitive matches in early 2024; retired mid-year to pursue new ventures. Current doubles ranking: No. 214 (as of January 2024, inactive since).

Career Statistics

Australian Open: 3R (2018, with Paes)
French Open: 3R (2017, with Sharan)
Wimbledon: 2R (2017, with Sharan)
US Open: 2R (2017, with Paes)

ATP Titles
Raja's two ATP wins came with long-time partner Divij Sharan:

Post-Retirement and Other Ventures

In 2024, Raja pivoted to pickleball, debuting professionally and leveraging his doubles acumen for quick success in the growing sport. He coaches young players, emphasizing fundamentals, and created Chai with Raja, a TV show interviewing elite athletes, which aired nationally.
Raja has been vocal about Indian tennis governance. In September 2024, he and Somdev Devvarman petitioned the Delhi High Court against the All India Tennis Association (AITA) elections, alleging 18 violations of the National Sports Code, including conflicts of interest and lack of transparency. The court issued notices, highlighting systemic issues in funding and administration. In January 2025, Raja suggested reformed AITA leadership including himself, Leander Paes, Sania Mirza, and others to foster world-class talent. He serves as an expert commentator for Sony Sports Network, notably covering the 2024 Australian Open.
Recent X (formerly Twitter) mentions (as of late 2025) include light-hearted jabs at his pickleball transition and calls for his involvement in AITA reforms. A May 2025 post humorously urged him to "stick to tennis," reflecting his enduring fanbase.

Legacy

Purav Raja's career exemplifies perseverance, with 23 total doubles titles (2 ATP, 21 Challenger) elevating Indian doubles on the global stage. His partnerships, especially with Sharan (over 20 titles together), inspired a generation amid limited resources. Beyond stats, Raja's charity work and advocacy for better sports administration cement his role as a statesman of Indian tennis. At 40 in 2025, he continues influencing the sport through mentoring, media, and pickleball, proving his passion for racket sports endures.
Padmini Rout
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Padmini Rout
Padmini Rout, Vlissingen 2009
Country India
Born 5 January 1994 
Barambagarh, Odisha, India
Title International Master (2015)
FIDE rating 2345 (December 2021)
Peak rating 2454 (March 2015)

Padmini Rout (born 5 January 1994) is an Indian chess player. She holds the titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (GM) She is a four-time National Women's Premier title holder consecutively from 2014-2017 and was the Asian women's champion of 2018.

Rout was honoured with the Biju Patnaik Sports Award for the year 2007 and the Ekalavya Award in 2009.

Career

In 2005 Rout won her first national title, under-11 girls at Nagpur. In 2006, she was both the Indian under-13 girls champion and the Asian under-12 girls champion. Rout won the U14 girls' section of both Asian and World Youth Chess Championships in 2008. The following year she finished first in the Asian Junior (Under-20) Girls Championship. In 2010, she won the Indian junior (U19) girls championship and took the bronze medal at both Asian and World Junior Girls Championships.

In the Asian Individual Women's Championship 2011 she tied for 2nd–6th places and won it in 2018. Rout won the Indian Women's Championship in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. In 2015, she also became the Commonwealth women's champion.

Rout played for the Indian national team at Women's Chess Olympiad, Women's World Team Chess Championship and Women's Asian Team Chess Championship. She won an individual gold medal playing on the reserve board at the 2014 Women's Chess Olympiad in Tromsø, Norway. She has been part of the Indian women's team in the subsequent Chess Olympiads in 2016 at Baku, Azerbaijan and 2018 at Batumi, Georgia.

Personal life

Born in Barambagarh, Odisha, Padmini started playing chess at the age of 9 (2003) because of her father Dr. Ashok Kumar Rout's passion for the game. She did her schooling from D.A.V. Public School, Chandrasekharpur and graduated in Commerce from BJB College in Bhubaneswar.

Achievements

Won her first National under-11 girls in 2005 at Nagpur and also won National under-13 girls in Kolkata.
Individual Gold medal for reserve board in Women's in Tromso Olympiad 2014
Gold medal in Asian Continental Women 2018
Four-times consecutive National Women's Premier Champion (2014-2017)
Gold in Blitz, Silver in both Rapid and Classical format in Asian Nations Cup 2014 for Team India
Gold in Blitz, Silver in Rapid and Bronze in Classical format in Asian Nations Cup 2018 for Team India
Gold in Asian under-12 girls and under-14 girls in 2006 and 2008 respectively.
Gold in Asian Junior (under-20) girls in 2009 and Bronze in 2010.
Gold in Commonwealth Women's in 2015.
Gold in World Youth under-14 in 2008.
Bronze in World Junior 2010.
Bronze in Asian Continental Women's Blitz in 2017.
Bronze in Asian Indoor Games in Rapid for Team India in 2017.
Won National Junior girls in 2010.
Biju Patnaik Sports Award for the year 2007.
Winner of Eklavya Award in 2009.

Prakash Thorat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prakash Thorat

Date of birth 11 May 1985 
Place of birth Pune, Maharashtra, India
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Deccan XI
Maharashtra Police
Central Railways
2012–2013 Air India 27 (5)
2013–2015 Pune 18 (0)
2016 DSK Shivajians 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 May 2015

Prakash Thorat (born 11 March 1985) is an Indian professional footballer who played as a forward.

Career
Early career

Born in Pune, Maharashtra, Thorat started his footballing career as a semi-professional, playing for various Maharashtra state clubs like Deccan XI, Maharashtra Police, and Central Railways. He was also twice the top scorer in the Nagpur Premier League in both the 2010 and 2011 seasons in which he scored seven goals in each season. His best moment as a semi-professional came when he played in the inaugural Aurangabad Premier League where he scored an amazing 13 goals in only five matches.

After impressing as a semi-professional Thorat was signed by I-League side Air India for the rest of the 2011–12 season. He made his debut for Air India on 14 April 2012 against Pailan Arrows at the Salt Lake Stadium. He managed to score a brace in that match as Air India won 2–0. Overall, Thorat played in seven matches that season and then in the 2012–13 I-League season he made 20 appearances while scoring only three goals While with Air India Thorat was played mainly as a winger.

Pune

On 7 June 2013 it was announced that Thorat had signed for hometown club Pune F.C. in the I-League on a two-year deal. He made his debut for the club during the 2013 Durand Cup on 9 September 2013 against Army Red in which he started and played only 24 minutes as Pune lost the match 2–0. He then made his league debut for Pune on 11 December 2013 against Rangdajied United when he came on as an 88th-minute substitute for Thongkhosiem Haokip as Pune lost 3–2.
Pele

Pelé, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil, is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Known as "O Rei" (The King), his career spanned over two decades, leaving an indelible mark on football with his skill, charisma, and global impact. Below is a comprehensive overview of Pelé’s life, career, and legacy, covering his background, achievements, playing style, and influence.

Early Life and Background

  • Family and Upbringing: Pelé was born into a poor family in a small town in Brazil. His father, João Ramos do Nascimento (Dondinho), was a footballer who played for local clubs but faced financial struggles due to injuries and limited opportunities. His mother, Celeste Arantes, worked as a maid to support the family. Pelé grew up in Bauru, São Paulo, in a modest home with no electricity or running water, reflecting his working-class, disadvantaged roots.
  • Early Passion for Football: As a child, Pelé couldn’t afford a proper football, so he played with a ball made of socks stuffed with newspaper or rags. He worked odd jobs, including shining shoes, to help his family. His nickname "Pelé" reportedly came from his mispronunciation of a local goalkeeper, Bilé, though its exact origin remains debated.
  • Discovery: At age 11, Pelé was spotted by Waldemar de Brito, a former Brazilian footballer, who recognized his talent and brought him to Santos FC for a trial in 1956.

Football Career

Pelé’s professional career began at Santos FC and extended to the New York Cosmos, with significant contributions to the Brazilian national team.

Club Career

  1. Santos FC (1956–1974):
    • Pelé joined Santos at age 15 and debuted in a professional match in 1956, scoring in a 7–1 victory.
    • He became a global sensation, leading Santos to numerous titles:
      • Campeonato Paulista: 10 titles (1958, 1960–62, 1964–65, 1967–69, 1973).
      • Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (Taça Brasil): 6 titles (1961–65, 1968).
      • Copa Libertadores: 2 titles (1962, 1963).
      • Intercontinental Cup: 2 titles (1962, 1963), defeating European champions like Benfica and AC Milan.
    • Pelé’s flair, speed, and goal-scoring ability made Santos a powerhouse, and he became the club’s all-time top scorer with 643 official goals (some sources claim over 1,000 including friendlies).
    • His performances in international club tours helped globalize football, introducing the sport to new audiences.
  2. New York Cosmos (1975–1977):
    • At age 34, Pelé came out of semi-retirement to join the North American Soccer League (NASL) with the New York Cosmos, lured by a lucrative contract.
    • His presence boosted football’s popularity in the United States, drawing massive crowds.
    • He led the Cosmos to the NASL Soccer Bowl title in 1977, his final competitive season.
    • Pelé scored 37 goals in 64 NASL matches, retiring after a farewell match on October 1, 1977.

International Career (Brazil National Team)

  • Debut and Early Impact: Pelé debuted for Brazil at age 16 in 1957 against Argentina, scoring in a 2–1 loss.
  • World Cup Achievements:
    • 1958 World Cup (Sweden): At 17, Pelé became the youngest player to win a World Cup, scoring 6 goals, including a hat-trick against France and two in the final against Sweden (5–2 win). His performances earned global acclaim.
    • 1962 World Cup (Chile): Pelé was injured early but Brazil still won, with teammate Garrincha leading the team.
    • 1966 World Cup (England): Pelé faced brutal tackling, and Brazil exited in the group stage.
    • 1970 World Cup (Mexico): Pelé’s crowning achievement, leading Brazil to a 4–1 victory over Italy in the final. He scored 4 goals and provided key assists, playing alongside stars like Jairzinho, Rivelino, and Tostão in what is considered one of the greatest teams ever.
  • Stats and Legacy: Pelé played 92 matches for Brazil, scoring 77 goals (a record at the time). He remains the only player to win three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970).

Playing Style and Skills

Pelé was a complete footballer, combining physical attributes with technical brilliance:

  • Versatility: Played as a forward, attacking midfielder, or second striker, excelling in multiple roles.
  • Technical Skills: Known for his dribbling, precise passing, and two-footed finishing. His signature "bicycle kick" and "dummy" moves (like the one against Uruguay in 1970) were iconic.
  • Athleticism: Exceptional speed, balance, and agility, despite being 5’8” (1.73m).
  • Goal-Scoring: Renowned for his clinical finishing, often scoring from difficult angles or long range.
  • Vision and Creativity: His playmaking ability set up teammates, making him a team-oriented star.
  • Mental Strength: Pelé performed under pressure, often shining in big matches despite heavy marking and physical challenges.

Records and Achievements

  • Goals: Officially credited with 757 goals in 831 competitive matches (some sources include friendlies, claiming over 1,281 goals). He holds the record for most goals for a single club (Santos).
  • World Cup Records:
    • Youngest World Cup goal-scorer (17 years, 239 days in 1958).
    • Youngest World Cup winner (1958).
    • Only player with three World Cup titles.
  • Individual Honors:
    • FIFA Player of the Century (shared with Diego Maradona, 2000).
    • Ballon d’Or Dream Team (2020).
    • Numerous national and international accolades, including Brazil’s Athlete of the Century.
  • Team Honors:
    • 3 World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970).
    • 2 Copa Libertadores (1962, 1963).
    • 2 Intercontinental Cups (1962, 1963).
    • 6 Brazilian Championships.
    • 10 São Paulo State Championships.
    • 1 NASL Soccer Bowl (1977).

Life After Football

  • Retirement: Pelé retired in 1977 after a farewell match between Santos and the New York Cosmos, playing one half for each team.
  • Post-Football Career:
    • Ambassador: Pelé became a global ambassador for football, working with FIFA and the United Nations to promote the sport and humanitarian causes.
    • Media and Acting: Appeared in films like Escape to Victory (1981) and starred in documentaries, including Pelé (2021). He also wrote autobiographies, such as My Life and the Beautiful Game.
    • Business Ventures: Endorsed brands like Puma, Pepsi, and Visa, becoming one of the first athletes to build a global commercial brand.
    • Politics: Served as Brazil’s Minister of Sports (1995–1998), advocating for sports development and anti-corruption measures in football.
  • Controversies:
    • Criticized for not speaking out strongly against Brazil’s military dictatorship (1964–1985).
    • Faced scrutiny over business dealings and paternity disputes (he acknowledged a daughter, Sandra Machado, after a legal battle).
    • Some modern fans debate his goal tallies due to the inclusion of friendly matches, though his competitive record remains undisputed.

Personal Life

  • Family: Pelé married three times:
    • Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi (1966–1982): Three children, including Edinho, a former footballer.
    • Assíria Lemos Seixas (1994–2008): Two children.
    • Marcia Aoki (2016–2022): No children.
    • He had at least seven children, including one acknowledged after a paternity lawsuit.
  • Health: Pelé faced health issues later in life, including hip surgeries, kidney problems, and colon cancer. He passed away on December 29, 2022, at age 82, due to complications from cancer.
  • Cultural Impact: Pelé’s rags-to-riches story inspired millions, particularly in Brazil, where he symbolized hope and national pride. His global fame transcended football, making him a cultural icon.

Legacy and Impact

  • Globalizing Football: Pelé’s tours with Santos and his Cosmos stint helped popularize football in regions like the U.S., Asia, and Africa.
  • Inspiration: His journey from poverty to stardom inspired generations, particularly in developing nations. Players like Neymar, Ronaldinho, and Lionel Messi cite him as an influence.
  • Debate on "Greatest Ever": Pelé is often compared to Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo. His three World Cups and versatility give him a strong case, though differences in eras spark debate.
  • Cultural Symbol: In Brazil, Pelé is a national hero, with stadiums, streets, and awards named after him. Globally, he’s synonymous with the "beautiful game."
  • Recognition: In 1999, the International Olympic Committee named him Athlete of the Century. FIFA and other bodies consistently honor his contributions.

Interesting Facts

  • Pelé was declared a "national treasure" by Brazil’s government in the 1960s, preventing him from signing with European clubs like Manchester United or Real Madrid.
  • He scored in every year of his career (1956–1977), a remarkable consistency.
  • His 1970 World Cup goal attempt from the halfway line against Czechoslovakia, though a miss, is one of football’s most iconic moments.
  • Pelé’s charisma made him a global celebrity, meeting figures like Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela, and U.S. presidents.

Pelé in Numbers

  • Club Goals: 680 in 702 competitive matches (Santos: 643, Cosmos: 37).
  • International Goals: 77 in 92 matches for Brazil.
  • Total Career Goals: 757 in 831 competitive games (over 1,200 including friendlies, per some counts).
  • Major Trophies: 21 (3 World Cups, 2 Libertadores, 2 Intercontinental Cups, 6 Brazilian titles, 10 Paulista titles, 1 NASL).
  • World Cup Appearances: 4 (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970), with 12 goals in 14 matches.

Death and Tributes

Pelé passed away on December 29, 2022, in São Paulo, Brazil, after a battle with colon cancer. His death prompted worldwide tributes:

  • FIFA called him "the king who enchanted the world."
  • Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared three days of national mourning.
  • Footballers like Neymar, Messi, and Ronaldo honored him, with Neymar stating, “Pelé changed everything.”
  • Santos FC lowered their flag to half-mast, and fans gathered at his statue outside the Vila Belmiro stadium.

Pelé’s life is a testament to talent, resilience, and global impact. From a shoeshine boy in Bauru to a three-time World Cup champion, he not only dominated football but also shaped its cultural and commercial landscape. His legacy endures as a symbol of excellence and inspiration.

Pushpa Pradhan

Pushpa Pradhan is a pioneering Indian former field hockey player, recognized for her contributions to the women's national team during a transformative era for Indian women's hockey. Born on November 25, 1981, in Hesel village, Khunti district, Jharkhand—a region renowned as a tribal heartland—she emerged from humble beginnings to represent India on the international stage. Her career highlights include being part of the team that clinched gold at the 2004 Women's Hockey Asia Cup, marking a significant milestone for Indian women's hockey. As of November 25, 2025—her 44th birthday—Pradhan continues to inspire through mentorship and community involvement, particularly in promoting the sport among young girls in her native Jharkhand.

Early Life and Background

Pushpa Pradhan hails from Hesel (also spelled Hesal), a remote village approximately 60 km from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. Growing up in a modest tribal family, she was immersed in a community where field hockey is more than a sport—it's a pathway to empowerment and social mobility. Khunti district has one of India's highest concentrations of Scheduled Tribes (ST), with over 70% of its population belonging to indigenous communities such as the Munda, Oraon, Santhal, and Ho tribes, as per census data. Pradhan's family background aligns with this ST classification, which entitles her community to affirmative action benefits like reservations in education and sports quotas. Specific tribal affiliations for athletes like her are rarely publicized to prevent stereotyping, but her roots in this "tribal heartland" underscore her journey from rural poverty to national glory.

Educationally, Pradhan's early schooling was in local institutions, where access to formal training was limited. She honed her skills through community games and local coaching, often using improvised equipment—a testament to her resilience. Her entry into structured hockey came via talent scouting programs in Jharkhand, a state that has produced numerous national players despite infrastructural challenges. This tribal-ST heritage not only shaped her identity but also positioned her as a role model for indigenous youth, emphasizing hockey's role in breaking cycles of marginalization.

Career in Field Hockey

Pradhan's professional journey began in the late 1990s when she was selected for state-level camps in Jharkhand. Her breakthrough came in the early 2000s, as Indian women's hockey was rebuilding post a lean period. Known for her defensive prowess and midfield tenacity, she debuted for the senior national team around 2003–2004, quickly becoming a reliable squad member.

Key Achievements and Tournaments

Pradhan's career peaked with the Indian women's team's resurgence. Here's a summary of her notable participations and accomplishments:

YearTournament/EventRole/TeamAchievement
2004Women's Hockey Asia Cup (Lahore, Pakistan)Midfielder/DefenderGold Medal (India's first in the event; defeated China 1-0 in final)
2006Asian Games (Doha, Qatar)National Team MemberParticipated; Team finished 5th
2000s (various)National Championships & Federations CupJharkhand RepresentativeMultiple medals; helped establish Jharkhand as a women's hockey hub
2010s (post-retirement)Coaching/Mentorship RolesLocal Academies, Ranchi LeagueGuided emerging talents; inaugurated events like Hockey Ranchi League (2024)

The 2004 Asia Cup gold was a landmark, ending a 16-year drought for major titles in women's hockey and boosting the sport's visibility. Pradhan played crucial matches, contributing to India's unbeaten run. At the 2006 Asian Games, she featured in a competitive pool, facing powerhouses like South Korea and China. Domestically, she represented Jharkhand in nationals, where her performances earned her employment with Indian Railways via sports quota—a common support mechanism for athletes.

She retired in the late 2000s, likely around 2008–2010, after a decade of service. Her stats, like exact goals or caps, are not comprehensively documented in public records, but her inclusion in core squads speaks to her consistency. Pradhan's era overlapped with pioneers like Suraj Lata Devi, and she helped lay the groundwork for future successes, such as the 2017 Asia Cup win.

Legacy and Impact

Pradhan's influence extends far beyond her playing days. From the same village, Nikki Pradhan—India's first female Olympian from Jharkhand (Rio 2016)—credits Pushpa as her idol. In 1999, a young Nikki watched Pradhan visit her school, sharing stories of national glory, which inspired her to craft a bamboo hockey stick and pursue the sport. This mentorship chain has produced a "hockey legacy" in Hesel, with facilities like the Bariatu Girls' Hockey Hostel in Ranchi nurturing talents from tribal backgrounds.

In 2024, Pradhan actively participated in the Hockey Ranchi League's inauguration alongside stars like Asunta Lakra and Deep Grace Ekka, interacting with young players and promoting grassroots development. Her story embodies tribal empowerment: as an ST athlete, she leveraged reservations to access opportunities, now paying it forward. Jharkhand's tribal players, including Pradhan, have diversified Indian hockey, with over 20% of the women's national team hailing from ST communities in recent years.

Challenges she faced—rural isolation, gender biases, and limited funding—highlight systemic issues, but her perseverance has inspired initiatives like Hockey India's tribal outreach programs.

Personal Life and Current Status

Little is publicly known about Pradhan's family or marital status, respecting her privacy as a low-profile figure. Post-retirement, she has focused on coaching in Jharkhand, possibly with Railways or local academies. As of 2025, she remains involved in sports promotion, attending events and advocating for women's hockey infrastructure. Her net worth is not disclosed, but as a retired national athlete, she likely benefits from government pensions and endorsements.

On a broader note, while "Pradhan" is a common surname/title meaning "chief" or "leader" across castes (e.g., OBC in Odisha, forward in some regions), in Jharkhand's tribal context like Khunti, it aligns with ST identities rather than Hindu caste hierarchies.

The "Game" Connection

Interpreting "Game" as field hockey—her lifelong passion—Pradhan's story is intrinsically tied to it. If referring to the 2021 Telugu film Pushpa: The Rise (or its 2024 sequel), there's no direct link; the movie's protagonist is fictional. However, her name evokes themes of resilience akin to the film's underdog narrative, and both hail from eastern India. Hockey remains her true "game," symbolizing triumph over adversity.

Pushpa Pradhan's journey—from a tribal village to Asia Cup glory—remains a beacon for aspiring athletes, proving that talent and grit can transcend origins. Happy Birthday, Pushpa! Your legacy endures.

Phoolchand Hembram

Phoolchand Hembram is a retired Indian professional footballer known for his tenure as a versatile defender, primarily playing as a full-back on either flank (D/R L). Born into the Santal (Santhal) indigenous community—a Scheduled Tribe in eastern India—he represented resilience and talent from tribal backgrounds in Indian football. Over a career spanning more than a decade, he was a key figure for Kolkata-based clubs, particularly Mohammedan Sporting Club, where he served as captain and contributed to memorable victories. Hembram retired on June 1, 2023, at the age of 33, after stints in the I-League and lower divisions. His playing style was characterized by defensive solidity, versatility with both feet, and leadership on the pitch.

Personal Details

AttributeDetails
Full NamePhoolchand Hembram
Date of BirthDecember 15, 1989 (age 35)
Place of BirthIndia (likely West Bengal region)
Height174 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight68 kg (150 lbs)
Preferred FootBoth
Jersey Number22 (during time at Mohammedan)
EthnicitySantal (Adivasi/Scheduled Tribe)

Hembram's Santal heritage ties him to the cultural traditions of Jharkhand and West Bengal, where football often serves as a pathway for tribal youth to gain recognition.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Details on Hembram's pre-professional life are sparse, but he hails from a tribal background in eastern India, where access to organized sports can be limited. He likely developed his skills through local academies or community leagues in West Bengal. His early exposure came in the competitive Calcutta Football League (CFL), a historic tournament known as the "second oldest football league in the world."

  • Techno Aryan F.C. (Pre-2011): Hembram began his notable club career with Techno Aryan F.C., a Kolkata-based side in the CFL. This period honed his defensive skills in a high-intensity, local environment dominated by rivalries between clubs like East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.

In 2009, at age 19, he made an early mark in national-level play by joining ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) F.C., an I-League 2nd Division side. On September 8, 2009, he scored a crucial goal in the 89th minute to secure a 2-1 win for ONGC against a competitive opponent, helping the team advance toward qualification for higher tiers. This performance highlighted his goal-scoring threat from set pieces, unusual for a defender.

Club Career

Hembram's career was centered in Kolkata's vibrant football scene, with multiple stints at Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC), one of India's oldest clubs founded in 1886. He was valued for his reliability in defense and leadership, often anchoring the backline during promotion pushes and cup runs.

  • Mohammedan Sporting Club (First Stint, 2011–2015): Hembram joined MSC in 2011, transitioning from CFL to the national I-League. His I-League debut came on October 20, 2013, against Rangdajied United F.C., where he started and played the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 victory. As captain in the 2014/15 CFL season, he led MSC to historic wins over arch-rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan—the first such double victory since 2008—reviving the club's competitive edge in local derbies.
  • Tollygunge Agragami (2015–2016): After leaving MSC, he spent two seasons with this CFL powerhouse, focusing on consistency in a promotion-chasing side.
  • Return to Mohammedan (2017): Re-signed on January 15, 2017, to bolster the defense for the I-League 2nd Division campaign. This reunion brought stability, though MSC's promotion efforts fluctuated.
  • Later Years (2019–2023): A brief move to Peerless S.C. in January 2019 followed a period without a club. He ended his career at Diamond Harbour F.C., a newer club in West Bengal's lower divisions, retiring in 2023 as Indian football underwent reforms with the introduction of the I-League 3.

International Career

Hembram did not earn senior caps for the India national team. His tribal background and club-focused career limited opportunities for international exposure, though he may have featured in age-group or regional selections during his youth.

Statistics and Achievements

Hembram's stats reflect a journeyman defender: steady appearances with occasional contributions. Comprehensive records are limited due to the fragmented nature of Indian lower leagues, but aggregated data from reliable sources shows:

  • Key Achievements
  • Captaincy and Leadership: Led Mohammedan S.C. to landmark CFL victories over East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in 2014/15, ending a six-year drought.
  • Goal-Scoring Moment: Scored the winner for ONGC in a 2-1 victory on September 8, 2009, aiding promotion push.
  • I-League Debut Milestone: Full-match performance in a clean-sheet win on October 20, 2013.
  • No major national titles, but contributed to MSC's consistent mid-table finishes and cup participations.

Retirement and Legacy

Hembram announced his retirement on June 1, 2023, after a farewell with Diamond Harbour F.C., citing a desire to transition to coaching or community roles. Post-retirement, he has remained low-profile, with no major public announcements as of December 2025. His legacy lies in uplifting tribal representation in football—a rarity in India's star-dominated scene—and inspiring young Santal athletes through sheer perseverance. As one of the few Adivasi players to reach professional levels, Hembram symbolizes the untapped potential in India's indigenous communities.

For the latest updates, profiles on sites like Transfermarkt or Soccer Wiki remain active, though activity has dwindled since retirement.

Prakash Thorat
Wikipedia

An Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for DSK Shivajians in the I-League.
Early careerBorn in Pune, Maharashtra, Thorat started his footballing career as a semi-professional, playing for various Maharashtra state clubs like Deccan XI, Maharashtra Police, and Central Railways. He was also twice the top scorer in the Nagpur Premier League in both the 2010 and 2011 seasons in which he scored seven goals in each season. His best moment as a semi-professional came when he played in the inaugural Aurangabad Premier League where he scored an amazing 13 goals in only five matches.

After impressing as a semi-professional Thorat was signed by I-League side Air India for the rest of the 2011–12 season. He made his debut for Air India on 14 April 2012 against Pailan Arrows at the Salt Lake Stadium. He managed to score a brace in that match as Air India won 2–0. Overall, Thorat played in seven matches that season and then in the 2012–13 I-League season he made 20 appearances while scoring only three goals. While with Air India Thorat was played mainly as a winger.

Pune

On 7 June 2013 it was announced that Thorat had signed for hometown club Pune F.C. in the I-League on a two-year deal. He made his debut for the club during the 2013 Durand Cup on 9 September 2013 against Army Red in which he started and played only 24 minutes as Pune lost the match 2–0. He then made his league debut for Pune on 11 December 2013 against Rangdajied United when he came on as an 88th-minute substitute for Thongkhosiem Haokip as Pune lost 3–2.

Renu Bala Chanu
 Wikipedia
President Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Arjuna Award for 2014 to Yumanam Renu Bala Chanu

Yumnam Renu Bala Chanu (born 2 October 1986) is an Indian woman weightlifter, hailing from Kyamgei Mayai Leikai village located near Imphal, Manipur. She secured a gold medal in the Women's 58 kg category at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Career

Renu Bala's career kicked off when she was selected for training during a 'talent hunt' camp of Sports Authority of India, at Imphal in the year 2000, when after winning a silver in the state championship, she was recommended to the SAI. She received training at Lucknow under Hansa Sharma and GP Sharma.

Renubala hails from Manipur but represents Assam, and was the third athlete from the former to have won a medal, after Soniya Chanu (silver in women's 48 kg) and Sandhaya Rani Devi (bronze in women's 48 kg). She represented Assam in the 2007 Guwahati National Games and won four gold medals for the State.

She succeeded in defending her gold medal again at the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi. The Northeast Frontier Railway employee set a new Games snatch record with a lift of 90 kg in her final attempt. Renu added 107 kg to her snatch record to total 197 to win the gold medal for the second successive time. She heaved 88 kg and broke the prior record held by Maryse Turcotte from Canada during the 2002 Games, and improved it in her next attempt to bring it up to 90 kg. Her national record is 93 for snatch, 119 for clean jerk and 209 for total. She dedicated her gold medal to the people of India and to the Indian Weightlifting Federation, saying that her win would help the Federation to recover from their recent setbacks. She expressed her pride and the significance of her achievements for someone hailing from a financially troubled background, and described her medal as a token of acknowledgement for the efforts her family, and coaches put in for her training.

In 2014, she was felicitated jointly by the Assam Weightlifting Association (AWA) and the Assam Olympic Association (AOA). She won the Arjuna Award in 2014.

She was unable to participate in the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010 and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to health related issues.
Ranjeet Virali-Murugesan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ranjeet Virali-MurugesanCountry (sports)  India
Residence Chennai, India
Born 30 September 1985 
Coimbatore, India
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money $78,967
Singles
Career record 0–2 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles 1 ITF
Highest ranking No. 417 (24 May 2010)
Current ranking No. 1044 (2 July 2018)
Doubles
Career record 0–0 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles 18 ITF
Highest ranking No. 268 (11 August 2014)
Current ranking No. 1603 (2 July 2018)
Team competitions
Davis Cup 0–2
Last updated on: 5 July 2018.

Ranjeet Virali-Murugesan (born 30 September 1985) is an Indian tennis player.

Virali-Murugesan has a career high ATP singles ranking of 417 achieved on 24 May 2010 and a career high ATP doubles ranking of 268, achieved on 11 August 2014. Virali-Murugesan has won one ITF singles title and eighteen ITF doubles titles.

Virali-Murugesan has represented India at the Davis Cup, where he has a win-loss record of 0–2.
Rutuja Bhosale
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bhosale in ITF Nonthaburi (THA), 2019
Full name Rutuja Sampatrao Bhosale
Country (sports)  India
Born 27 March 1996
Prize money $38,647
Singles
Career record 80–59
Career titles 2 ITF
Highest ranking No. 344 (17 December 2018)
Current ranking No. 370 (6 May 2019)
Doubles
Career record 78–41
Career titles 14 ITF
Highest ranking No. 204 (8 April 2019)
Current ranking No. 208 (6 May 2019)
Last updated on: 6 May 2019.

Rutuja Sampatrao Bhosale (born 27 March 1996) is an Indian tennis player, and the former Indian no.1 in the doubles rankings.
She made her debut for the India Fed Cup team in 2012. In 2012, she also achieved her highest junior ranking of world No. 55
.
Bhosale attended Texas A&M University, and graduated with a degree in business studies in 2017.
Note: If anybody know her real caste intimate me with proof
Rajesh Narwal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Rajesh NarwalPersonal information
Nationality Indian
Citizenship Indian
Born 8 July 1990
Haryana, India
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 81.7 kg (180 lb)
Sport
Country India
Sport Kabaddi
Position All-rounder
Coached by J. Udaya Singh

Rajesh Narwal is an Indian Kabaddi athlete.
Career
Pro Kabbadi League

Rajesh Narwal played four seasons with Jaipur Pink Panthers and a title in the first season of Pro Kabaddi League. He was an essential part of their title-winning season where he played 60 games for the club. One of the top all-rounders in the league, he averages 4.43 raid points and 1.40 tackle points per match. A great asset defensively, Rajesh has converted 77 of his 183 tackles attempted. In the recent auction, he was sold to Team UP Yoddha for Rs. 69 lakhs. he scored 277 raid points and 100 tackel points he is third best all-rounder in pkl history.He currently is in the Dabangg Delhi K.C team.

In the 60 games he has played in the Pro Kabaddi League, he has got zero yellow cards and red cards till date. A quality not often seen in a completely physical sport like Kabaddi. Rajesh just does not rely on his Kabaddi skills and fame to sustain his family. He also works at ONGC in Sonepat.

Rachita Mistry
Wikipedia
Rachita Mistry


Birth name Rachita Panda
Nationality  India
Born 4 March 1974
Rourkela, Odisha, India
Sport
Country India
Sport Running
Retired Yes
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 100 m: 11.26 (Thiruvananthapuram 2000)
200 m: 23.10


 1998 Championships 100 metres
All-India Inter State Championships
 1998 Championships 100 metres
 2000 Championships 100 metres
 2000 Championships 200 metres
Indian National Games
 1997 Games 100 metres

Rachita Mistry née Panda (born 4 March 1974) is an Indian professional sprinter from Odisha. She held the 100 metres national record of 11.38 seconds set at the National Circuit Athletic Meet held in Thiruvananthapuram on 12 August 2000 for 13 years until it was bettered in 2013 by Merlin K. Joseph. Rachita set her personal best time of 11.26 s for 100 metres in Bangalore on 5 July 2001 and in the process she broke P. T. Usha's long standing mark of 11.39 s set during the 1985 Asian Championships in Athletics in Jakarta. However, following some controversies, the Amateur Athletic Federation of India (AAFI) did not ratify the national record on the ground that no dope tests had been carried out during the meet. AAIF, however, clarified that the performances of the athletes who set the National record during the 2000 National Circuit Meet would be allowed to stand as their personal bests.

Rachita represented India in 4 x 100 metres relay together with P. T. Usha, E. B. Shyla, and Saraswati Saha at the 1998 Asian Championships in Athletics where her team won the gold medal on way to setting the current national record of 44.43 s. Later in the 4 x 100 metres relay at 2000 Sydney Olympics her team - consisting of V. Jayalakshmi, Vinita Tripathi, and Saraswati Saha - clocked a time of 45.20 s in the first round. The team finished last in their heats.

Rachita is also a former National record holder in the 200 metre sprint. She set the 200 m record on 31 July 2000, at Chennai, with a run of 23.10 seconds.[16] In doing so, she broke the previous record held by P. T. Usha. Rachita's 200 metres record was later replaced by Saraswati Saha in August 2002. In 1998, she was conferred the Arjuna Award for her contribution to the Indian athletics.

Achievements

Representing  India1998 Asian Championships Fukuoka, Japan 1st 4 x 100 m NR

Rajib Boro
Wikipedia
Rajib Boro


Date of birth 10 March 1994 
Place of birth Assam, India
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information

Current team NF Railway
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 ONGC 4 (0)
2014– NF Railway
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Rajib Boro (born 10 March 1994) is an Indian footballer who plays as a midfielder for NF Railway's football team.

Career
ONGC

Boro made his debut for ONGC F.C. of the I-League on 23 September 2012 during the 2012 Indian Federation Cup against East Bengal F.C. in which ONGC lost 2–1.

Post ONGC

After ONGC were relegated from the I-League, Boro went to Assam where he represented Railways in the 2014 Santosh Trophy. With Railways, Boro made it to the final against Mizoram. He did not get to play in the match due to suspension and Mizoram eventually came out on top 3–0. He also joined the Northeast Frontier Railway (NF Railway) football team and participated with the side in various competitions.

Ranganathan Francis

Ranganathan Francis was a notable Indian field hockey player, best known for being the goalkeeper in India's gold medal-winning teams during the 1948, 1952, and 1956 Olympic Games. He was part of an era when India dominated international field hockey.

Key Facts about Ranganathan Francis:

  • Full Name: Ranganathan Francis

  • Born: 1920 (exact date is not well-documented)

  • Died: 1975

  • Position: Goalkeeper

  • Olympic Participation:

    • 1948 London Olympics – Gold

    • 1952 Helsinki Olympics – Gold

    • 1956 Melbourne Olympics – Gold

Background:

  • Ranganathan Francis was originally named Ranganathan, but after converting to Christianity, he took the name Francis.

  • He played alongside legendary players like Dhyan Chand and Balbir Singh Sr.

  • Known for his quick reflexes and composure, Francis was a pivotal part of India’s defense during the golden age of Indian hockey.

  • He served in the Madras Police and later played for the Services team in national competitions.

Legacy:

  • While he hasn't received as much public recognition as some of his contemporaries, he remains one of the only Indian players to win three Olympic gold medals in hockey.

  • His contributions are part of India's proud hockey history, especially in the post-independence era.

Roger Federer
Wikipedia
Roger Federer
Federer serving at 2009 Wimbledon
Country (sports)  Switzerland
Residence Valbella, Switzerland
Born 8 August 1981
Basel, Switzerland
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro 1998
Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money US$130,594,339
Official website rogerfederer.com
Singles
Career record 1251–275 (82.0%)
Career titles 103 (2nd in the Open Era)
Highest ranking No. 1 (2 February 2004)
Current ranking No. 9 (12 July 2021)
Grand Slam Singles results
US Open W (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Other tournaments
Doubles
Career record 131–92 (58.7%)
Career titles 8
Highest ranking No. 24 (9 June 2003)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Other doubles tournaments
Team competitions

Signature



Last updated on: 12 July 2021.

Roger Federer (German: [ˈrɔdʒər ˈfeːdərər]; born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss professional tennis player. He is ranked No. 9 in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has won 20 Grand Slam men's singles titles, an all-time record shared with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Federer has been world No. 1 in the ATP rankings a total of 310 weeks – including a record 237 consecutive weeks – and has finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. Federer has won 103 ATP singles titles, the second-most of all-time behind Jimmy Connors and including a record six ATP Finals.

Federer has played in an era where he dominated men's tennis together with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who have been collectively referred to as the Big Three and are widely considered three of the greatest tennis players of all-time. A Wimbledon junior champion in 1998, Federer won his first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon in 2003 at age 21. In 2004, he won three out of the four major singles titles and the ATP Finals, a feat he repeated in 2006 and 2007. From 2005 to 2010, Federer made 18 out of 19 major singles finals. During this span, he won his fifth consecutive titles at both Wimbledon and the US Open. He completed the career Grand Slam at the 2009 French Open after three previous runner-ups to Nadal, his main rival up until 2010. At age 27, he also surpassed Pete Sampras's then-record of 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles at Wimbledon in 2009.

Although Federer remained in the top 3 through most of the 2010s, the success of Djokovic and Nadal in particular ended his dominance over grass and hard courts. From mid-2010 through the end of 2016, he only won one major title. During this period, Federer and Stan Wawrinka led the Switzerland Davis Cup team to their first title in 2014, adding to the gold medal they won together in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Federer also has a silver medal in singles from the 2012 London Olympics, where he finished runner-up to Andy Murray. After taking half a year off in late 2016 to recover from knee surgery, Federer had a renaissance at the majors. He won three more Grand Slam singles titles over the next two years, including the 2017 Australian Open over Nadal and a men's singles record eighth Wimbledon title later in 2017. He also became the oldest ATP world No. 1 in 2018 at age 36.

A versatile all-court player, Federer's perceived effortlessness has made him highly popular among tennis fans. Originally lacking self-control as a junior, Federer transformed his on-court demeanor to become well-liked for his general graciousness, winning the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award 13 times. He has also won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award a record five times. Outside of competing, he played an instrumental role in the creation of the Laver Cup team competition. Federer is also an active philanthropist. He established the Roger Federer Foundation, which targets impoverished children in southern Africa, and has raised funds in part through the Match for Africa exhibition series. Federer is routinely one of the top ten highest-paid athletes in any sport, and ranked first among all athletes with $100 million in endorsement income in 2020.

Childhood and early life

Roger Federer was born on 8 August 1981 in Basel, Switzerland. His Swiss father, Robert Federer, is from Berneck in the Canton of St. Gallen, and his Afrikaner mother, Lynette Federer (née Durand), is from Kempton Park, Gauteng, in South Africa. He has one sibling, his older sister, Diana, who is the mother of a set of twins. Since Federer’s mother is South African, he holds both Swiss and South African citizenship. He grew up in nearby Birsfelden, Riehen, and then Münchenstein, close to the French and German borders, and he speaks Swiss German, Standard German, English, and French fluently, as well as functional Italian and Swedish; Swiss German is his native language. Federer served as a ball boy at his hometown Basel tournament, the Swiss Indoors, in 1992 and 1993.

Like all male Swiss citizens, Federer was subject to compulsory military service in the Swiss Armed Forces. However, in 2003 he was ruled "unsuitable" and was subsequently not required to fulfill his military obligation. Instead, he served in the civil protection force and was required to pay 3% of his taxable income as an alternative. He grew up supporting FC Basel and the Swiss national football team. Federer also credits his hand-eye coordination to the wide range of sports he played as a child, including badminton and basketball.

Family

Federer is married to former Women's Tennis Association player Miroslava Federer (née Vavrinec), whom he met while they were both competing for Switzerland at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Usually called Mirka, she retired from the tour in 2002 because of a foot injury. They were married at Wenkenhof Villa in Riehen near Basel on 11 April 2009, surrounded by a small group of close friends and family. In 2009, Mirka gave birth to identical twin girls. The Federers had another pair of identical twins in 2014, this time boys.

Tennis career

1993–1998: Junior years

Federer played his first junior match in 1996 at the age of 14 at a grade 2 tournament in Switzerland. His main accomplishments as a junior player came at Wimbledon in 1998, where he won both the boys' singles final over Irakli Labadze, and in doubles teamed with Olivier Rochus, defeating the team of Michaël Llodra and Andy Ram. In addition, he reached the US Open Junior final in 1998, losing to David Nalbandian. Federer won four ITF junior singles tournaments in his career, including the prestigious Orange Bowl, where he defeated Guillermo Coria in the final. He ended 1998 with the No. 1 junior world ranking and was awarded ITF junior World Champion. He ended his junior career at the end of 1998 with a high-ranking of No. 1 in singles and No. 7 in doubles (both attained on December 31, 1998) and a win-loss record of 78–20 in singles and 36–21 in doubles.

Junior Grand Slam results - Singles:

Australian Open: SF (1998)
French Open: 1R (1998)
Wimbledon: W (1998)
US Open: F (1998)

Junior Grand Slam results - Doubles:

Australian Open: SF (1998)
French Open: 1R (1998)
Wimbledon: W (1998)
US Open: 1R (1998)

1998–2002: Early professional career

Federer made his ATP debut at the 1998 Swiss Open Gstaad in his home country of Switzerland where he lost to Lucas Arnold Ker in the first round. Later that year, he won his first ATP match in Toulouse against Guillaume Raoux. He then got a wildcard into the 1998 Swiss Indoors where he lost in the first round to 4th seed and former world number 1 Andre Agassi. As of 2021, he is a 10-time champion of the tournament.

Federer entered the top 100 ranking for the first time on 20 September 1999 and started at the 1999 Marseille Open defeating the reigning champion of the 1998 French Open, Spaniard Carlos Moyá. His first final came at the Marseille Open in 2000, where he lost to fellow Swiss Marc Rosset. Federer won the 2001 Hopman Cup representing Switzerland, along with world No. 1 Martina Hingis. The duo defeated the American pair of Monica Seles and Jan-Michael Gambill in the finals. Federer later said that his experience with Hingis "definitely helped me to become the player I am today."

Federer's first singles win was at the 2001 Milan Indoor tournament, where he defeated Julien Boutter in the final. Although he won his first title already in 1999 on the Challenger tour, winning the doubles event in Segovia, Spain with Dutchman Sander Groen, the final was played on Federer's 18th birthday. In 2001, Federer made his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the French Open, losing to former world No. 2 and eventual finalist Alex Corretja. His run to the French quarterfinals launched him into the top 15 for the first time in his career.

His international breakthrough came at the 2001 Wimbledon Championships, where the 19-year-old Federer faced the four-time defending champion and all-time Grand Slam leader Pete Sampras. Federer beat the No. 1 seed in a five-set match to reach the quarterfinals. In the quarters he faced Englishman Tim Henman, eventually losing in a fourth-set tiebreaker.

The first final he reached at the Masters level came at the 2002 Miami Masters event, where he lost to former and future No. 1 Andre Agassi on hard court. Federer won his first Master Series event at the 2002 Hamburg Masters on clay, over Marat Safin; the victory put him in top 10 for the first time. Federer made 10 singles finals between 1998 and 2002, of which he won four and lost six. He also made six finals in doubles. He finished 2001 with an ATP ranking of No. 13, and 2002 was the first year he was ranked within the top 10, finishing at No. 6.

2003: Grand Slam breakthrough at Wimbledon

In 2003, Federer won his first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon, beating Andy Roddick in the semifinals and Mark Philippoussis in the final. In August he had a chance to take over the No. 1 ranking for the first time from Andre Agassi if he made it to the Montreal final. However, he fell in the semifinals to Roddick, in a final-set tiebreaker, leaving him 120 points behind Agassi. This, coupled with early losses to David Nalbandian at Cincinnati and the US Open, denied Federer the chance to become No. 1 for the duration of the season.

Federer won his first and to date only doubles Masters event in Miami with Max Mirnyi and made it to one singles Masters event in Rome on clay, which he lost. Federer made it to nine finals on the ATP Tour and won seven of them, including the 500 series events at Dubai and Vienna. Lastly, Federer won the year-end championships over Andre Agassi, finishing the year as world No. 2, narrowly behind Andy Roddick by only 160 points.

2004: Imposing dominance

During 2004, Federer won three Grand Slam singles titles for the first time in his career and became the first person to do so since Mats Wilander in 1988. His first major hard-court title came at the Australian Open over Marat Safin, thereby becoming the world No. 1 for the first time. He then won his second Wimbledon crown over Andy Roddick. Federer defeated the 2001 US Open champion, Lleyton Hewitt, at the US Open for his first title there.

Federer won three ATP Masters events, one was on clay in Hamburg, and the other two were on hard surfaces at Indian Wells and in Canada. Federer took the ATP 500 series event at Dubai and wrapped up the year by winning the year-end championships for the second time. He also won his first tournament on home soil by capturing the Swiss Open in Gstaad. His 11 singles titles were the most of any player in two decades, and his record of 74–6 was the best since Ivan Lendl in 1986. He reached the year-end No. 1 ranking for the first time.

2005: Consolidating dominance

In 2005, Federer failed to reach the finals of the first two Grand Slam tournaments, losing the Australian Open semifinal to eventual champion Safin after holding match points, and the French Open semifinal to eventual champion Rafael Nadal. However, Federer quickly reestablished his dominance on grass, winning the Wimbledon Championships over Andy Roddick. At the US Open, Federer defeated Andre Agassi in the latter's last major final.

Federer also took four Masters wins: Indian Wells, Miami and Cincinnati on hard court, and Hamburg on clay. The win in Miami was particularly noteworthy as it was the first final contested between Federer and Nadal. Federer recovered from two sets and a break down to take the final in five sets. Furthermore, Federer won two ATP 500 series events at Rotterdam and Dubai. Federer lost the year-end championships to David Nalbandian in five sets while playing through a foot injury that sidelined him for almost the rest of the season after September. He maintained his position as No. 1 for the entire season.

Federer won 11 singles titles, which ties his 2004 season. Federer's 81 match victories were the most since Pete Sampras in 1993, and his record of 81–4 (95.2%) remains the third-best winning percentage in the Open Era behind John McEnroe's 1984 and Jimmy Connors's 1974.

2006: Career-best season

The 2006 season was statistically the best season of Federer's career. In November 2011, Stephen Tignor, chief editorial writer for Tennis.com, ranked Federer's 2006 season as statistically the second-best season 
Federer hits a forehand at the 2006 US Open, where he became the first man in history to achieve the Wimbledon-US Open double for three consecutive seasons.

Federer won 12 singles titles (the most of any player since Thomas Muster in 1995 and John McEnroe in 1984) and had a match record of 92–5 (the most wins since Ivan Lendl in 1982). Federer reached the finals in an astounding 16 of the 17 tournaments he entered during the season.

In 2006, Federer won three Grand Slam singles titles and reached the final of the other, with the only loss coming against Nadal in the French Open. was Federer and Nadal's first meeting in a Grand Slam final. He was the first man to reach all four finals in a calendar year since Rod Laver in 1969. Federer defeated Nadal in the Wimbledon Championships final. In the Australian Open, Federer defeated Marcos Baghdatis, and at the US Open, Federer defeated Roddick (2003 champion). In addition, Federer made it to six Masters finals, winning four on hard surfaces and losing two on clay to Nadal. Federer, however, consistently pushed Nadal to the limit on clay throughout the season taking him to fourth-set tiebreakers in Monte-Carlo and Paris, and a thrilling match in Rome that went to a deciding fifth-set tiebreaker.

Federer won one ATP 500 series event in Tokyo and captured the year-end championships for the third time in his career, again finishing the year as world No. 1. Federer only lost to two players during 2006, to Nadal four times in finals, and to 19-year-old Andy Murray in the second round of the 2006 Cincinnati Masters, in what was Federer's only defeat before reaching the final of a tournament that year. Federer finished the season on a 29-match winning streak, as well as winning 48 of his last 49 matches after the French Open.

Near the end of the season he won his hometown tournament, the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Switzerland for the first time, having finished runner up in 2000 and 2001, and missing the tournament in 2004 and 2005 due to injuries.

2007: Holding off young rivals

In 2007, Federer reached all four Grand Slam singles finals, winning three of them again. He won the Australian Open without dropping a set, beating Fernando González in the final. This made him the first man in the 21st century to accomplish the feat, as Björn Borg at the 1980 French Open was the last to win a Grand Slam tournament without the loss of a set. Federer had entered the year on a huge winning streak and after capturing his fourth Dubai crown Federer's winning streak stood at 41 matches, the longest of his career and only five shy of the record. Federer entered Indian Wells as the three-time defending champion, but his streak ended in controversy. He was defeated by an Argentine, Guillermo Cañas, who had failed a drug test for illegal doping.
Federer was called "Darth Federer" by fans and commentators at the 2007 US Open.

This surprising first-round defeat marked the first time since August 2006 he suffered defeat, a period spanning over seven months.

During the clay season, Federer's victory in the Hamburg Masters final was particularly impressive, as it snapped Nadal's 81-match winning streak on clay, an Open-era record. Federer turned the match around from a set down to sweep 12 of the final 14 games, including a final set bagel. At the French Open, some anticipated that Federer could become the first man in almost 40 years to hold all four majors simultaneously, having just resoundingly defeated young rival Nadal on clay entering the tournament. However, in a repeat of the previous year Federer played a tough four-set final against Nadal, but was undone by going 1/17 on break-point chances.

At Wimbledon, Federer entered the tournament not only as the four-time defending champion, but also riding a 48-match winning streak on grass. Once again, he defeated Rafael Nadal for a second consecutive year in the final, this time in a thrilling five-set encounter that many analysts hailed as the greatest Wimbledon final since 1980. Victory at Wimbledon equaled him with Björn Borg for the record of five consecutive championships at the All England Club.

Federer reached the final in Montreal before playing a young and relatively unknown Serbian named Novak Djokovic. Djokovic proved his potential by beating the world No. 1 in a final-set tiebreaker upset. Federer rebounded in Cincinnati to capture his fifth title of the year. Federer entered the US Open as the three-time defending champion and faced Djokovic in the final. This time, Federer prevailed in a close straight-set match. Victory in New York moved him ahead of Laver and Borg for third on the all-time list of major championship victories. Throughout the tournament, the American press labelled him Darth Federer for his all-black attire (which included tuxedo-striped shorts) and the tournament played The Imperial March from Star Wars when he was announced onto the court for each of his matches. He closed out the year with victories in Basel and the Year End Championships in Shanghai.

He finished the season as the year-end No. 1 for the fourth year in a row, demonstrating his dominance, and during these four years he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. After his phenomenal triple Grand Slam season yet again, Federer became the only player in history to win three majors in a year for three years (2004, 2006, 2007). It was the third consecutive season that Federer held the No. 1 ranking for all 52 weeks of the year.

2008: Illness, Olympic Gold and fifth US Open

Federer's success in 2008 was severely hampered by a lingering bout of mononucleosis, which he suffered during the first half of the year. At the end of the year he suffered a back injury.

In 2008, Federer captured one Grand Slam, a singles title at the US Open over Andy Murray.Federer was defeated by Nadal in two Grand Slam finals, the French Open and Wimbledon, which was regarded as the best match of tennis history by many, when he was going for six straight wins to break Björn Borg's record. He came back from two sets down to force a fifth set, where he fell just two points from the title. At the Australian Open, Federer lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Djokovic, which ended his record of 10 consecutive finals. He lost twice in Masters finals on clay to Nadal, at Monte Carlo and Hamburg. Federer captured three titles in 250-level events at Estoril, Halle, and Basel.

At the Olympic Games, Federer and Stan Wawrinka won the gold medal in doubles, after beating the Bryan brothers American team in the semifinals and the Swedish duo of Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson in the final. However, Federer could reach only the quarterfinals in the singles draw, bowing out to then No. 8 James Blake, ceding his No. 1 ranking to Nadal after being at the top for a record 237 consecutive weeks.He ended the year ranked No. 2.

2009: Career Grand Slam and major title record

Federer entered the 2009 season with 13 Grand Slams, only one behind Pete Sampras' all-time record. The season began with a loss to Nadal in the final of the Australian Open in a hotly contested five-set match.Federer struggled following the defeat in Melbourne and entered the clay season without a title.
Federer winning the 2009 French Open, and completing the career Grand Slam

Federer's season turned around in the final Masters event of the clay season when he defeated Nadal on clay for only the second time to capture the Madrid Masters. Federer entered the French Open with few predicting him to win the elusive Parisian title having lost to Nadal in the final weekend for the past four seasons. After Nadal's unexpected defeat to Robin Söderling, Federer became the overwhelming favorite. In his next match, he came from two sets and break point down in the third set to defeat Tommy Haas in five sets. He also fought back from a two-sets-to-one deficit against a young Juan Martín del Potro to win a five setter in the semifinals. In the final, he faced Söderling, and with straight sets victory, he finally captured the Coupe des Mousquetaires and career Grand Slam. This victory also tied him with Pete Sampras for the most Grand Slam singles titles.

Federer turned his sights to the grass courts of Wimbledon, where he breezed his way up to the final. In the championship match he faced long-time rival Andy Roddick in what was their eighth and final meeting at a Grand Slam. Roddick pushed Federer into a record-setting fifth set, which Federer claimed 16–14 to win his 15th Grand Slam singles title, breaking the all-time record of Pete Sampras.

Federer continued his summer run by winning his third title on the lightning-fast courts of the Cincinnati Masters, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. At the US Open he defeated Söderling in the quarters and Djokovic, for the third consecutive year, in the semifinals. On the penultimate point of the Djokovic match he hit what many consider to be the greatest shot of his career, a tweener winner, to set up match points. Federer was defeated by del Potro in the final despite leading two sets to one and falling just two points from the title in the fourth set.

The 2009 season was perhaps the most historically relevant of Federer's career as he completed a career Grand Slam by winning his first French Open title and won a men's record fifteenth Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon, surpassing Pete Sampras's mark of fourteen. The Wimbledon final was also historic for being the longest Grand Slam final in terms of games played with Federer prevailing 16–14 in the fifth set.

Federer finished the season as the year-end No. 1 for the fifth time in his career.

2010: Fourth Australian Open

Federer won a record 16th major at the 2010 Australian Open.

Federer started the year with a win at the Australian Open, where he defeated Andy Murray in the final, extending the Grand Slam singles record to sixteen titles and matching Andre Agassi's record of four Australian Open titles. Since Wimbledon 2005 Federer had made 18 out of 19 finals in Grand Slam tournaments, a period of sustained excellence unparalleled in the Open Era. This tournament, however, marked the end of his dominance at the majors.

At the French Open, Federer won his 700th tour match and 150th tour match on clay. However, he failed to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time since the 2004 French Open, losing to Söderling in the last 8 and relinquishing his No. 1 ranking, having been just one week away from equalling Pete Sampras's record of 286 weeks as world No. 1. In a huge upset at Wimbledon, Federer lost in the last 8 again to Tomáš Berdych and fell to No. 3 in the rankings for the first time in 6 years and 8 months.

Towards the middle of July, Federer hired Pete Sampras' old coach Paul Annacone on a trial basis to put his tennis game and career back on track. At the 2010 US Open, Federer reached the semifinals, where he lost a five-set match to Novak Djokovic after holding two match points. Federer made it to four Masters finals, prevailing at the Cincinnati Masters against Mardy Fish.

Federer finished the year in strong form, winning indoor titles at the Stockholm Open, Swiss Indoors, and the ATP Finals in London, which brought his tally to 66 career titles. Federer won the year-end championships in London by beating rival Rafael Nadal for his fifth title at the event. He beat all contenders except Nadal in straight sets. It remains the only tournament in his career where Federer defeated all fellow members of the Big Four. In 2010 Federer finished in the top two for the eighth consecutive season.

2011: Tour Finals title record 
The year 2011 was a lean year for Federer, although great by most player's standards. He was defeated in straight sets in the semifinals of the 2011 Australian Open by eventual champion Novak Djokovic, marking the first time since July 2003 that he did not hold any of the four major titles. In the French Open semifinals, Federer ended Djokovic's undefeated streak of 43 consecutive wins with a four-set victory. Federer then lost in the final to Rafael Nadal. At Wimbledon, Federer advanced to his 29th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. It marked the first time in his career that he had lost a Grand Slam tournament match after winning the first two sets.

At the US Open, Federer lost in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic in five sets. In a repeat of previous year's semifinal event, Federer again squandered two match points on his own serve before losing after winning first two sets for second consecutive time in the year. The loss meant that it was the first time since 2002 that Federer had not won any of the four grand slam titles.

In September 2011, in a South African poll, Federer was voted the second most trusted and respected person in the world, next to Nelson Mandela.

Federer finished the season successfully in the indoor season, winning his last three tournaments of the year at the Swiss Indoors, Paris Masters, and ATP Finals, forming a 16 match winning streak. Federer finished the year ranked No. 3.

2012: Wimbledon title, return to No. 1 and Olympic silver

The 2012 season for Federer had his most match wins since 2006 and his highest winning percentage and number of titles won since 2007.

Federer reached the semifinal of the 2012 Australian Open, setting up a 27th career meeting with Nadal, a match he lost in four sets. He then won the Rotterdam Open for the first time since 2005, defeating Juan Martín del Potro. Federer played in the 2012 Dubai Tennis Championships, where he defeated Andy Murray in the final and won the championship title for the fifth time in his career. Federer then moved on to the Indian Wells Masters, where he defeated Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, and John Isner in the final. Federer won the title for a record fourth time, and, in doing so, equalled Nadal's record of 19 ATP Masters titles.
Federer won a record 17th major, a record-equaling 7th Wimbledon, and returned to No. 1.

Federer went on to compete at the Madrid Masters on the new blue clay surface, where he beat Tomáš Berdych in the final, thus regaining the No. 2 ranking from Rafael Nadal. In the French Open, Federer made the semifinals before losing to Djokovic in straight sets, in a rematch of previous year's semifinal.

At Wimbledon, Federer had a five-set match in the third round against Julien Benneteau on his way to the winning the tournament. Federer defeated Andy Murray in four sets in the 2012 Wimbledon final, regaining the No. 1 ranking in the process. "It's amazing. It equals me with Pete Sampras, who's my hero. It just feels amazing", Federer said of winning his seventh Wimbledon championship, tying Sampras' Open Era record. By defeating top-ranked Djokovic in the semifinals and winning in the finals, Federer returned to the top spot in the world rankings and, in doing so, broke Sampras' record of 286 weeks atop the list.

In the 2012 Summer Olympics, Federer played a 4-hour 26-minute semifinal against del Potro where Federer won 19–17 in the third and final set. In a lopsided match, he lost to Murray in straight sets in the final, winning a silver medal for his country.

Federer won the Cincinnati open in August, beating Novak Djokovic in the final. In the US Open, five-time champ Federer was defeated by Tomáš Berdych in the quarterfinals. At the Shanghai Masters, after defeating Wawrinka in the third round, Federer confirmed his 300th week at No. 1. Federer made it to the finals of the ATP Finals, where he lost to Djokovic in two sets.

2013: Injury struggles, fall in rankings

Federer developed back injuries in March and July and his ranking dropped from No. 2 to No. 6. Federer's first and only title of 2013 came at the Gerry Weber Open (defeating Mikhail Youzhny), where he also played doubles with good friend Tommy Haas. With the victory in Halle, he tied John McEnroe for the third-most ATP titles won by a male player in the Open Era. Federer, however, was unable to maintain his form into Wimbledon, suffering his worst Grand Slam tournament defeat since 2003 in the second round against Sergiy Stakhovsky. Not only did the loss end Federer's record streak of 36 consecutive quarterfinals at Grand Slam tournaments, it meant he would drop out of the top 4 for the first time since July 2003.

During the summer, he experimented with various different racquets and played the German Open with a blacked-out 98-inch Wilson racquet, instead of his regular Pro Staff 6.1 90 BLX racquet with the smaller 90-inch hitting area. He returned to his regular racquet for the second half of the season. After Wimbledon, Federer continued to be upset early in tournaments in Hamburg and Gstaad because of a serious back injury through October, when he announced that he was parting ways with Paul Annacone, his coach for the last three years. Federer made the final in Basel, succumbing to Juan Martín del Potro in three sets, and indicated it was a mistake to have played certain tournaments while suffering from a back injury.

On 27 December 2013, Federer announced that Stefan Edberg was joining his team as co-coach with Severin Lüthi.

2014: Davis Cup glory

Federer began the season by changing rackets for the first time in his career, from his longtime frame of 90 square inches to one measured at 97 square inches. He had long been at a comparative disadvantage in equipment as almost the entire tour, including his top rivals Nadal and Djokovic, used more powerful frames of between 95 and 100 square inches. At the Australian Open, Federer defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray to reach his 11th consecutive semifinal in Melbourne, before losing to Rafael Nadal in straight sets.

At the Dubai Tennis Championships, he defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, and then defeated Tomáš Berdych in the final to win his sixth Dubai crown and his first title since Halle in 2013. Federer made the final at the Indian Wells Masters, but lost to Novak Djokovic in a final-set tiebreaker. At the Davis Cup quarterfinals, Federer won both of his singles rubbers against Kazakhstan, the second of which was the first live deciding rubber of his Davis Cup career. Federer then took a wild card into the Monte-Carlo Masters defeating Novak Djokovic on his way to the finals, but lost to compatriot Stan Wawrinka in a tight final.

In June, Federer announced that after the end of his third term, he would resign as President of the ATP Players Council, a position he had held since 2008. At the Halle Open, Federer reached both the singles and the doubles finals and won his seventh Halle singles title, beating Alejandro Falla in the final. At Wimbledon, Federer reached a record ninth final, but he was defeated by Djokovic in an epic five-set match.
Federer receiving serve against Richard Gasquet in the title-clinching match for Switzerland at the 2014 Davis Cup

Federer made the final of the Canadian Open but was defeated by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Federer defeated Spain's David Ferrer in three sets to capture his sixth Cincinnati crown and 22nd ATP Masters title, his first in Cincinnati since 2012. He then reached the semifinals at the US Open but lost in straight sets to eventual champion Marin Čilić. At the Davis Cup semifinals, Federer won both his singles matches against Italy in straight sets and led Switzerland to the final for the first time since 1992.

Federer then played in the Shanghai Masters. He beat Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, ending the Serb's 28-match unbeaten run on Chinese soil. He battled Frenchman Gilles Simon in his second Shanghai final, defeating him in two tiebreak sets and collected the 23rd Masters title of his career. The victory saw Federer return to the No. 2 ranking for the first time since May 2013. Federer then played the Swiss Indoors in October, where he won a record sixth title and his 82nd ATP men's singles title overall. Federer also reached the finals of the 2014 ATP Finals to face Djokovic again, but withdrew from the final because of another back injury from his semifinal match against Stan Wawrinka.

Despite his injury, Federer finished the season on a high by defeating Richard Gasquet to clinch the Davis Cup for Switzerland for the first time in its history. The final was held at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, France attracting over 27,000 spectators per match; this broke attendance record for the highest ever officially sanctioned competition tennis match.

2015: 1,000th victory, Wimbledon & US Open finals

Federer started his season at the Brisbane International. He defeated Milos Raonic in the final, thereby becoming only the third man in the Open Era to have 1,000 or more wins, joining Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl, as well as the first man in the Open Era to win at least one title in each of 15 consecutive years. In Dubai, Federer successfully defended his title with a straight-set victory over Novak Djokovic in the final, marking his seventh title at the tournament and, after Wimbledon and Halle, was the third time he had won seven or more titles in a tournament. Additionally, Federer became the fourth person since 1991 to surpass 9,000 career aces. In March, he reached the final of the Indian Wells, but lost in three sets to defending champion Djokovic.

Federer won his third title of the season at the inaugural Istanbul Open clay-court tournament, ending a title drought on red clay since the 2009 French Open. Federer made it to the final of the Italian Open in May, but was unable to win his first title there, losing to Djokovic in the final. In the French Open he made it through the first rounds losing just one set, to Gaël Monfils in the 4th. In the quarterfinals, he was eventually beaten in straight sets by the later champion Stan Wawrinka.

As the new expanded grass season began, Federer won his record eighth Gerry Weber Open and become only the third man in the Open Era to win a title eight times. Federer entered Wimbledon as the second seed. He played a flawless match to defeat Andy Murray in straight sets in the semifinals and advance to his 10th Wimbledon final in a repeat against Novak Djokovic. Federer lost the match in four sets.

He defeated Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win the Cincinnati Masters for the seventh time. This marked the first time that Federer had beaten the top two players in the world at the same tournament. At the US Open, he advanced to his first final there since 2009 without dropping a set, including a win over Stan Wawrinka in the semifinals. In the final, he was once again defeated by top seed Djokovic in four sets. At the Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel, Federer won his sixth singles title of the year, and his 88th ATP title, defeating his old rival Rafael Nadal in the final. It was the seventh time he had captured his hometown tournament.

In December, Federer announced that he would enter the 2016 ATP Tour season with a new-look coaching team, having additionally announced that Stefan Edberg would not be travelling with him next year. While countryman Severin Lüthi remained Federer's head coach, joining the team in 2016 was Croatian former world No. 3 player Ivan Ljubicic. Federer revealed that Edberg originally signed on to the coaching team for one season only in 2014, but agreed to stay on in 2015.

2016: Knee surgery, back injury & long recovery hiatus

Federer started his season in the Brisbane International as the defending champion, despite having a virus when the tournament started. However, in a rematch of the previous year's final, he lost in the final to Milos Raonic in straight sets. Federer then participated at the 2016 Australian Open and rebounded from his third round defeat by Andreas Seppi in 2015 by reaching the semifinals but lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in four sets. The day after his loss to Djokovic, Federer sustained a knee injury and in early February, he underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee and missed the tournaments in Rotterdam, Dubai and Indian Wells in February and March. He was scheduled to return to action in Miami. Due to a stomach virus he had to withdraw from Miami thus prolonging his time on the sidelines.

Federer made his comeback at the Monte-Carlo Masters, losing in the quarterfinals to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in three sets. In Madrid, he suffered a back injury during practice and withdrew shortly after arriving. He then participated in the Internazionali BNL d'Italia where he lost in the third round to Dominic Thiem. His withdrawal from the French Open broke a record run of 65 consecutive participations in the main draw of Grand Slam tournaments, stretching back to the 2000 Australian Open.

Still suffering from recurring knee pain during the grass season he lost in the semifinals of Stuttgart and Halle. On 6 July, he came back from two sets down to defeat Marin Čilić in five sets in the 2016 Wimbledon quarterfinals, equalling Jimmy Connors' all-time records of eleven Wimbledon semifinals and 84 match wins. He suffered his first defeat in a Wimbledon semifinal two days later in a five-set loss to Raonic, re-injuring his knee in the fifth set.

On 26 July, Federer announced that he would miss the 2016 Summer Olympics and the remainder of the 2016 season to fully recover from his knee injury. The sudden withdrawal not only implied that 2016 was his first season since 2000 that Federer failed to win a title, but it also meant that he would have to drop out of top ten for the first time in fourteen years. This, combined with a grand slam drought spanning over four years, led to many analysts believing that his outstanding career was finally coming to an end and he would never win any major titles again.

2017: Renaissance, Australian Open & Wimbledon titles

Federer's 2017 season marked a return to Grand Slam wins since 2012, the most titles since 2007, and the highest win percentage since 2006. Statistically, this season was his best since 2007. Federer played in the Hopman Cup and Australian Open in January 2017. His withdrawal from most of the injury affected 2016 season lead his ranking slip to No. 17 at the start of Australian Open, his lowest in over fifteen years. At the Australian Open, he beat top-10 players Tomáš Berdych and Kei Nishikori on his way to semifinals, making Federer the oldest man to compete in a grand slam semi-final since Jimmy Connors in 1991. In the semi-finals, he defeated Stanislas Wawrinka in five sets, making him the oldest player to compete in a Grand Slam final since Ken Rosewall in 1974. Coming back from a break down in the fifth set, Federer defeated Rafael Nadal to win the Australian Open, which also marked Federer's 100th match at the Australian Open; it was the first time Federer had won a match against Nadal in a Grand Slam event since the 2007 Wimbledon final, and also marked Federer's first ever Grand Slam victory over Nadal outside the grass courts of Wimbledon. With this victory, he re-entered the top ten.

In March, Federer won his 25th Masters title at Indian Wells, defeating Wawrinka in the final and gaining another victory over Nadal in the 4th round. This was also Federer's 90th career title and he climbed to No. 6 in the ATP rankings. Federer collected his 26th Masters title by defeating Nadal in the final of the Miami Masters in straight sets and climbed to No. 4 in the ATP rankings. This marked the third time Federer had won in Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back, colloquially referred to as the Sunshine Double (2005, 2006 and 2017).

Due to concerns about his longevity, Federer decided that he would skip the entire clay-court season. He returned to the tour at the beginning of the grass-court season in Stuttgart, where he suffered a shock defeat to Tommy Haas in the second round despite holding match points, the lowest-ranked player (No. 302) to beat him since No. 407 Bjoern Phau in 1999. He rebounded the following week by winning a record-extending ninth title at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, doing so without the loss of a set. In the 2017 Wimbledon Championships, Federer made it to the final without dropping a set, defeating Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals and Tomáš Berdych in the semifinals. In the final, Federer defeated a physically and mentally out of sorts Marin Čilić in straight sets to win a record-breaking eighth Wimbledon gentlemen's singles title and his record-extending 19th major title overall, becoming the oldest male player to win Wimbledon in the Open era. Federer became the second man in the Open era to win Wimbledon without dropping a set after Björn Borg in 1976. It marked the second time in his career that he had won a grand slam tournament without losing a set, matching his performance at the 2007 Australian Open.[208] Federer moved up to become No. 3 in the ATP Rankings after the event and qualified for the ATP Finals for a record 15th time.

At the opening of the summer hard court swing Federer was defeated in the final of the Montreal Masters by Alexander Zverev after injuring his back during the match. Due to the injury, he opted to withdraw from the Cincinnati Masters to be fit for the US Open. However, Federer lost to del Potro in the quarterfinals at the US Open, in a tournament characterized by inconsistent play from Federer, unlike the major portion of the season.

Federer's next participation was in September in the inaugural Laver Cup, representing team Europe. Federer won both his singles matches against Sam Querrey and Nick Kyrgios, with the latter win sealing the cup for Europe. The tournament was also notable for Federer playing doubles teaming with longtime rival Nadal for the first time. The two legends emerged victorious against world duo of Sam Querrey and Jack Sock.

At the Shanghai Masters, Federer captured his third Masters title of the season, defeating No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the final. This was Federer's fifth straight victory over Nadal in their rivalry and his 94th career title, drawing him level with 2nd-placed Ivan Lendl. During the indoor season, Federer defeated Juan Martin Del Potro in the final of his hometown tournament, the Swiss Indoors in Basel, earning a record eighth championship there and winning his 95th career title, surpassing Ivan Lendl in number of career titles. Federer qualified for the 2017 ATP Finals, but was beaten by David Goffin in the semifinals in three sets.

2018: 20th major title and 310 weeks at No. 1

Federer started his season winning the Hopman Cup partnering with Belinda Bencic. This was his second Hopman Cup title, having won previously in 2001 with Martina Hingis. At the 2018 Australian Open, Federer reached the final without dropping a set, and successfully defended his title beating Marin Čilić in a five-set final. This was Federer's sixth title at the Australian Open, equaling the then record held by Roy Emerson and Novak Djokovic, which was surpassed by Djokovic in 2019. He also became the first man to win twenty Grand Slam titles. It was also the first time since the 2008 US Open that Federer successfully defended a major title.

In mid-February, Federer won his third Rotterdam Open title to return to No. 1 in the ATP rankings, clinching the spot with a quarterfinal victory over Robin Haase. He beat Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets in the final. At 36 years and 195 days of age, he became the oldest ATP world No. 1 by more than three years. He also broke the ATP record for the longest span between a player's first and last weeks to attain the No. 1 ranking at 14 years and 17 days apart, as well as the most time between two successive reigns at No. 1 at 5 years and 106 days.

In March, Federer entered the Indian Wells Masters as the defending champion. He defeated Chung Hyeon in the quarterfinals, ensuring that he retained the world No. 1 ranking, and Borna Ćorić in the semifinals, solidifying a career-best start to a season at 17–0. His previous best season start had been 16–0 during the 2006 season. Despite holding three championship points, Federer was defeated by Juan Martin Del Potro in a close three-set final. At the Miami Open, Federer received a first-round bye, but lost in the second round to Thanasi Kokkinakis. With this early exit from the tournament, Federer lost his No. 1 ranking to Nadal on 2 April. He announced that he would miss the clay court season, including the French Open, for the second consecutive season. nevertheless, he regained the No. 1 ranking in May after Nadal failed to defend one of his Masters titles at the Madrid Open.] He then lost the top spot the following week after Nadal won the title at the Italian Open.

In June, Federer regained the No. 1 ranking after defeating Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals at the Stuttgart Open. He then won the tournament, defeating Milos Raonic in the final in straight sets. However, he lost his No.1 ranking the following week when he failed to defend his Halle Open title, losing in the final to Borna Ćorić in three sets. At Wimbledon, Federer was looking to defend his 2017 title and was seeded first at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2012 US Open but lost in the quarter finals against South African Kevin Anderson in five sets, despite winning the first two sets and having a match point in the third set.This was only his second Wimbledon defeat after winning the first two sets since his defeat to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships.

Federer next played in Cincinnati where he lost in the final to Novak Djokovic, who won a record Career Golden Masters, in straight sets. The loss ended Federer's run of 100 consecutive service holds and 14 match winning streak in Cincinnati. Federer entered the US Open as the second seed but was upset by John Millman in the 4th round, citing extreme conditions of heat and humidity that took a toll on his body. Federer then played at the Laver Cup where he successfully helped Team Europe defend their title, winning both his singles matches against Nick Kyrgios and John Isner. He also paired up with Djokovic for the first time in doubles, losing their match against Jack Sock and Kevin Anderson in three sets. Federer then played at the 2018 Shanghai Masters as the defending champion but lost in the semifinals to Borna Ćorić in straight sets.

At the Swiss Indoors in October, Federer shared that he had sustained a hand injury in training prior to the grass season that had caused severe pain up his forearm. He stated that this injury significantly hindered his play, particularly his forehand, since the Stuttgart Open. Federer went on to defend his title with a straight-sets win over Marius Copil in the final, winning his ninth title at the event and his 99th career singles title. Federer entered the Paris Masters, continuing his good run of form defeating Fabio Fognini and Kei Nishikori in straight sets. In the semi-finals, he played a very close match with Novak Djokovic, but ultimately lost to him in three sets. At the Nitto ATP Finals, Federer lost in straight sets to Alexander Zverev in the semifinal

2019: Hopman Cup record, 100 titles, 1200 match wins, 12th Wimbledon final

Federer opened his campaign by retaining the Hopman Cup alongside Belinda Bencic, becoming the first player to win the mixed-gender event three times.

Federer was seeded third at the 2019 Australian Open, entering as the two-time defending champion. He defeated Denis Istomin, Dan Evans, and Taylor Fritz to reach the fourth round, where he faced 14th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. In a stunning upset, Tsitsipas defeated Federer in four close sets. Critically, Federer was unable to convert any of the twelve break points he held throughout the match, including four set points in the second set. After the match Federer announced he would play the clay court season for the first time since 2016.

At the Dubai Tennis Championships, Federer won his 100th Career Singles Title, beating Tsitsipas in straight sets in the final. It was his eighth title in Dubai and he became only the second man after Jimmy Connors to reach the three figure mark in the Open Era. Federer then reached the final of the 2019 Indian Wells Masters where he lost to Dominic Thiem in three sets. On 31 March, Federer defeated John Isner at the 2019 Miami Open in straights sets to win his 4th Miami Open title and 28th Masters title Federer then played his first clay court tournament in three years at the 2019 Madrid Open and secured his 1200th career win, beating Gael Monfils in the third round. In the quarterfinals he lost to Dominic Thiem again in three sets, despite having two match points in the second set. Federer then played at the Italian Open and reached the quarterfinals but was forced to withdraw from his quarterfinal match against Stefanos Tsitsipas due to a right leg injury.

Federer next played at the French Open for the first time in 4 years and seeded 3rd in the draw. Federer achieved comfortable straight-set victories against Lorenzo Sonego, Oscar Otte, Casper Ruud and Leonardo Mayer to reach the quarterfinals, where he faced good friend and compatriot Stan Wawrinka. Federer managed to avenge his loss to Wawrinka at the same stage of the tournament 4 years ago, winning in 4 sets after 3 hours and 35 minutes. With the victory Federer returned to the semifinals of the French Open for the first time since 2012, where he lost to defending and 11-time champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets.

Federer then began his grass court season at the Halle Open where he won his tenth title at the event, defeating David Goffin in the final in straight sets. This marked the first time Federer had won a singles tournament ten times or more. At Wimbledon, Roger Federer reached his record 12th final at the tournament after ousting his nemesis Rafael Nadal in four sets in the semifinal, thus exacting revenge for his earlier defeat to him at the French Open. This was also the first time Federer played Nadal at Wimbledon since the 2008 Wimbledon final, a match regarded by some as the greatest match in the history of tennis. Federer then faced Novak Djokovic in the final, against whom he lost in a five set thriller lasting four hours and fifty seven minutes, despite having two championship points on serve in the fifth set. The match also marked the first time a fifth set tiebreaker was played at 12 games all in the men's singles and was the longest men's final in Wimbledon history.

Federer next played at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters and reached the third round where he lost in straight sets to Andrey Rublev. This was his quickest defeat in 16 years, taking just 62 minutes. At the 2019 US Open, he was seeded third. He dropped the first set against both Sumit Nagal and Damir Džumhur in the first two rounds, but pulled out convincing straight sets wins over Dan Evans and David Goffin in the third and fourth. In the quarterfinals, he faced Grigor Dimitrov, who was ranked No. 78 going into the tournament. Despite taking a two sets to one lead, Federer ultimately lost the match in five sets. At the 2019 Shanghai Masters, Federer defeated David Goffin in straight sets to reach the quarterfinal. However, he lost the quarterfinal to Alexander Zverev in three sets.

Federer advanced to the Swiss Indoors as the two-time defending champion. His first round match, against Peter Gojowczyk, was remarkable for being the 1500th match of his career. In the final, he defeated Alex de Minaur in straight sets for a record-extending tenth Swiss Indoors title. Federer then played in the Björn Borg group at the 2019 ATP Finals where in the round robin, he lost his opening match to Dominic Thiem in straight sets but beat Matteo Berrettini and Djokovic (his first win over Djokovic since 2015) in straight sets to qualify for the semifinals. He then lost the semifinal to Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets.
2020: Australian Open semis, right knee surgery

Federer began his 2020 season at the 2020 Australian Open. He reached the semifinals after straight sets wins over Steve Johnson and Filip Krajinović, a five-set win over John Millman and a four-set win over Márton Fucsovics. Federer saved seven match points in his five-set quarterfinal win over Tennys Sandgren. Federer then lost his semifinal match to Djokovic in straight sets, having sustained a groin injury earlier in the tournament. In February, Federer underwent arthroscopic surgery for a right knee injury and subsequently withdrew from Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami and the French Open to give time for his knee to recover, announcing that he would return in the grass season. On 10 June, due to a setback from his initial rehabilitation from the knee injury suffered earlier in the year, Federer announced that he had to have an additional arthroscopic procedure on his right knee. Therefore, he officially shut down his season to take the necessary time to recover, vowing to return in 2021. This is only the second year in Roger Federer's career since he won his first title that he finished without a title.

2021: Australian Open withdrawal, return to tour with mixed results, French Open retirement and Wimbledon quarterfinal

In January, Federer withdrew from the 2021 Australian Open due to still recovering from his knee surgery and strict COVID-19 quarantine measures in Australia. On 8 March, Novak Djokovic moved past him for the highest number of career weeks spent as the ATP number 1 ranked player. On 10 March, he made his return to the ATP Tour at the Qatar Open. He won his first ATP match in 14 months against Dan Evans, but lost to Nikoloz Basilashvili in the quarter-finals.

Federer then played at the Geneva Open where he lost his second round match Pablo Andujar in three sets. After defeating Dominik Koepfer of Germany in four sets in the third round, Federer advanced to the round of sixteen at the French Open. However he withdrew from the tournament before undertaking to play the fourth match citing knee problems and defaulted to Matteo Berrettini of Italy in a walkover.

In 2021 Halle Open where he was seeded 5th, he lost in the second round to Félix Auger-Aliassime. Federer was playing against the 20-year-old for the first time. Their 19 years age difference was the biggest in Federer's 1,521 career matches. This was the earliest exit at this tournament for Federer who was seeking his 70th match win in Halle, and his 18th quarterfinal at this event in as many appearances.

At Wimbledon, 39 year-old Federer advanced to the quarterfinals and thus became the oldest Wimbledon quarterfinalist in the Open Era, breaking the record held by Ken Rosewall, following wins over Adrian Mannarino by retirement, Richard Gasquet, 29th seed Cameron Norrie, and 23rd seed Lorenzo Sonego. However, he was then upset by 14th seed Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinal in straight sets 6-3, 7-6 (4) 6-0. This was the first time in 19 years at Wimbledon he lost in straight sets, and only the second time he lost a set 6-0 in the 21st century (the previous occasion was against Nadal in the 2008 French Open final).

On August 15, Federer announced that he underwent another knee surgery after further injury during the grass court season. He withdrew from the US Open and stated that he would be off the tour for "many months", but he also hopes to make a return to the tour in 2022.

National representation
Olympic Games

Federer made his Olympic debut at Sydney in 2000, where he entered the singles competition. He surprised many by reaching the semifinals but lost to Tommy Haas in the semifinals and then to Arnaud Di Pasquale in the bronze medal match, causing Federer to leave Sydney empty handed. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Federer was the clear favorite after claiming the world No. 1 ranking earlier in the year and capturing the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles. However, he lost in the second round to 18-year-old Tomáš Berdych. In doubles, he and compatriot Yves Allegro lost in the second round.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Federer was again the top seed and favorite, but lost in the quarterfinals to James Blake. He found more success in men's doubles, capturing the gold medal with compatriot Stan Wawrinka, defeating Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson of Sweden.[280] At both the Athens and Beijing Olympic Games, Federer was the flagbearer for Switzerland in the opening ceremony. At London 2012, Federer won his first singles medal, losing to Andy Murray in the final to claim the silver. He and Wawrinka failed to defend their gold medal in doubles, losing in the second round to Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram of Israel.

Federer did not compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics after taking the rest of the season off after Wimbledon to recover from a knee injury. Similarly, Federer chose not to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to a setback to recovering from a knee surgery.

Davis Cup

Federer made his Davis Cup for Switzerland debut in the World Group first round against Italy in 1999 at 17 years of age. In his first match he defeated Davide Sanguinetti in four sets and recorded a second singles victory in a dead rubber two days later for Switzerland to advance to the World Group quarterfinals. There, Federer suffered his first Davis Cup loss when he was defeated by Belgian Christophe Van Garsse in five sets. The Swiss team went on to lose the rubber 3–2. A year later, Federer competed in his first Davis Cup doubles rubber where he teamed with countryman Lorenzo Manta to defeat Australians Wayne Arthurs and Sandon Stolle in four sets. Despite the doubles victory, Federer lost both singles rubbers to Mark Philippoussis and Lleyton Hewitt which saw Switzerland sent to the World Group Playoffs for the first time in Federer's career. He returned for the playoffs in July 2000 and led Switzerland to a 5–0 win over Belarus by recording wins in singles and doubles.

His first Davis Cup highlight came in 2003 as the newly crowned Wimbledon champion led his country to an historic semifinal run. After recording five wins in ties against the Netherlands and France, the Swiss team traveled to Melbourne to play the highly rated Australians.[288] Federer once again defeated Wimbledon runner-up Mark Philippoussis in the second rubber but dropped the doubles rubber in five sets. Federer then played Lleyton Hewitt in a sudden death situation for Switzerland and despite leading two sets to love, lost in five sets. Australia went on to claim the Davis Cup title as Federer's interest in Davis Cup began to wane and his focus shifted to his personal career. He skipped many ties over the years but often competed in the World Group Playoffs in order for Switzerland to maintain their place in the top division.

The emergence of countryman Stanislas Wawrinka as a Grand Slam singles champion in 2014 renewed hope for Federer in his Davis Cup quest, and the pair both committed to playing each tie that year. Their commitment paid off as wins over Serbia, Kazakhstan and Italy allowed the Swiss team to advance to the 2014 Davis Cup Final. Leading up to the final, Federer was suffering from a back injury that threw serious doubt over Switzerland's chance to claim the title, and lost in straight sets to Gaël Monfils. However, a rejuvenated Federer returned the next day to help claim the doubles rubber, which set up a fourth rubber singles tie between Federer and Richard Gasquet. Federer defeated Gasquet in straight sets and in doing so won Switzerland its first (and only to date) Davis Cup title.

Federer holds many Davis Cup records for Switzerland that includes most total wins, most singles wins and most years played.
Hopman Cup

Federer won the Hopman Cup in 2001 representing Switzerland, along with Martina Hingis. The duo defeated the American pair of Monica Seles and Jan-Michael Gambill in the finals. He also played the next year along with his current wife Mirka Vavrinec, but they lost in the round robin stage.

Federer played again at the Hopman Cup in 2017, along with Belinda Bencic. They won all of their ties except the last one, and as a result did not make the final.

In 2018, Federer won his second Hopman Cup title and third overall for Switzerland, partnering Belinda Bencic again. The Swiss team won all its ties and Federer won every match he played. They defeated the German pair, Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber, in the final 2–1.

Federer won his third and second consecutive Hopman Cup title in 2019 alongside Belinda Bencic. They again defeated Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber of Germany in the final, and won the final tie 2–1 by a tiebreak in the decisive set (5–4). Federer again won all of his singles matches. The Swiss team only lost one tie to Greece (1–2).

Federer has won three Hopman Cup titles, more than any other player.

International representation
Laver Cup

Federer founded the Laver Cup, which pits Europe against the rest of the world. The tournament is named in honor of Rod Laver and the inaugural edition was played in 2017.

Europe won the inaugural Laver Cup in 2017. Federer played his first singles match on day two, when he dispatched Sam Querrey in straight sets. Later on day two, he partnered with his rival Nadal in doubles, where they defeated the Team World duo of Sam Querrey and Jack Sock in the match tie breaker, which took place at one set all. This was the first time Federer and Nadal competed on the same side of a doubles match. On day three, Federer competed in the final match of the tournament, where he sealed victory for Team Europe by defeating Nick Kyrgios in the champion's tiebreak (saving a match point). With three wins and seven points, Federer was the most accomplished player of the tournament.

The second edition was played in 2018. The European team led by Federer retained the title after defeating Team World, 13–8. Federer won both his singles matches, against Nick Kyrgios and John Isner, but lost both his doubles matches.

In 2019 the ATP announced that the Laver Cup would be an official event on the ATP Tour, with match wins and losses to be counted as official on every player's career record in singles and doubles.

The third edition was held in Geneva, Switzerland. Federer and the European team captured their third consecutive title. Team World was closer than ever to win their first title, losing 11–13 after having led during the final day. Like in 2018, Federer won singles matches against Kyrgios and Isner. He went 1–1 in doubles.

Rivalries

Federer vs. Nadal

Federer and Nadal at Wimbledon's Centre Court.

Federer and Rafael Nadal have played 40 times, with Federer trailing 16–24. Federer has a winning record on grass 3–1 and hard courts 11–9, while Nadal leads on clay 14–2. Because tournament seedings are based on rankings, 24 of their matches have been in tournament finals which have included an all-time record nine Grand Slam finals (tied with Nadal-Djokovic matches). Federer and Nadal have been playing each other since 2004, and their rivalry is a significant part of both men's careers. The latest encounter was at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, where Federer won to reach the final.

They held the top two rankings on the ATP Tour from July 2005 until 17 August 2009, when Nadal fell to No. 3 (Andy Murray became the new No. 2), and again from 11 September 2017 until 15 October 2018 (Novak Djokovic became the new No. 2). They are the only pair of men to have ever finished six consecutive calendar years at the top. Federer was ranked No. 1 for a record 237 consecutive weeks beginning in February 2004. Nadal, who is five years younger, ascended to No. 2 in July 2005 and held this spot for 160 consecutive weeks, before surpassing Federer in August 2008.

From 2006 to 2008, they played in every French Open and Wimbledon final. They then met in the 2009 Australian Open final, the 2011 French Open final, and the 2017 Australian Open final. Nadal won six of the nine, losing the first two Wimbledon finals and the second Australian Open final. Four of these finals were five set-matches (2007 and 2008 Wimbledon, 2009 and 2017 Australian Open), with the 2008 Wimbledon final being lauded as the greatest match ever by many long-time tennis analysts. Of their 40 meetings, 13 have reached a deciding set. They have also played in 12 Masters Series finals, including their lone five-hour match at the 2006 Rome Masters which Nadal won in a fifth-set tie-break, having saved two match points.

Federer vs. Djokovic

Federer and Djokovic at the Canadian Open in 2010.

Federer and Novak Djokovic have played 50 times, with Federer trailing 23–27. They are tied 4–4 on clay while Federer trails 18–20 on hard-courts and 1–3 on grass. The Federer–Djokovic rivalry is the largest rivalry in men's Grand Slam tournament history with a joint-record 17 matches played against each other (tied with Djokovic–Nadal). Djokovic is the only player besides Nadal to defeat Federer in consecutive Grand Slam tournaments (2010 US Open and 2011 Australian Open, also 2015 Wimbledon, US Open and 2016 Australian Open), and the only player besides Nadal and Murray who has double-figure career wins over Federer. Djokovic is one of two players (the other again being Nadal) on tour to have defeated Federer in straight sets at a Grand Slam event multiple times (2008 Australian Open, 2011 Australian Open, 2012 French Open, 2020 Australian Open), but Djokovic alone has done so four times.

Federer and Djokovic first played in a Grand Slam final at the 2007 US Open where the three-time reigning champion and No. 1 Federer emerged victorious in straight sets. Federer ended Djokovic's perfect 41–0 start to the 2011 season in the semifinals of the French Open, but Djokovic was able to avenge this loss at the 2011 US Open in five sets after saving two match points against Federer for the second straight year. In the semifinals of Wimbledon 2012, Federer beat defending champion and No. 1 Djokovic in four sets. The two met again during the finals of the 2014 Wimbledon Championships with Djokovic emerging victorious after five sets. Federer also ended Djokovic's 28 straight wins in China at 2014 Shanghai Open. Federer and Djokovic rematched in the 2015 Wimbledon Championships with Djokovic once again claiming victory in four sets. The pair met once more for the final major of the season, the 2015 US Open and once more Djokovic prevailed in four sets. At the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, Djokovic bested Federer in an almost 5 hour match whose final set went to a tiebreak. This was the fifth consecutive time that Djokovic defeated Federer in Grand Slam matches. Some experts have included the rivalry between Federer and Djokovic as one of the best rivalries in the Open Era.

Federer vs. Murray

Federer and Andy Murray have played 25 times, with Federer leading 14–11. Federer leads 12–10 on hard courts, and 2–1 on grass. They have never met on clay. After Federer won the first professional match they played, Murray dominated the first half of the rivalry, leading 8–5 in 2010, while the second half of the rivalry has been dominated by Federer, who leads 9–3 since 2011. The two have met six times at the Grand Slam tournament level, with Federer leading 5–1. Their first three Grand Slam matches were finals, with Federer winning all three of these matches; at the 2008 US Open and the 2010 Australian Open, both of which he won in straight sets, and at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships in which Murray took the opening set, but went on to lose in four sets. However, Murray won their encounter in the semifinals of the 2013 Australian Open, defeating Federer for the first time at a Grand slam tournament in five sets. At the 2014 Australian Open, Federer reversed that result, defeating Murray in four sets in the quarterfinals. The most recent meeting between the two in a major was in the semifinals of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships, where a dominant Federer triumphed in straight sets.

They met in the final of the 2012 Summer Olympics, in which Murray defeated Federer in straight sets, denying Federer a career Golden Slam. Murray also leads 6–3 in ATP 1000 tournaments, 2–0 in finals. They have also met five times at the ATP Finals, with Murray winning in Shanghai in 2008, and Federer in London in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2014. Murray is one of only three players to have recorded ten or more victories over Federer (the other two being Nadal and Novak Djokovic).

Federer vs. Roddick


Federer and Andy Roddick played 24 times, and Federer leads their head-to-head 21–3. Roddick lost his No. 1 ranking to Federer after Federer won his first Australian Open in 2004. Their rivalry includes four Grand Slam event finals, three at Wimbledon and one at the US Open, all won by Federer. Roddick himself said it was not much of a rivalry, being so one-sided.

In the 2009 Wimbledon final, Roddick lost to Federer in five sets. The match included a 30-game fifth set (a Grand Slam final record) and lasted over four hours. In the final game of the deciding set, Roddick's serve was broken for the first time in the match. With that victory, Federer broke Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles, and Roddick apologised to Sampras (who was in attendance) for not being able to stop Federer.
Federer vs. Hewitt

Federer and Lleyton Hewitt played 27 times, with Federer leading 18–9. Early in their careers, Hewitt dominated Federer, winning seven of their first nine meetings, including a victory from two sets down in the 2003 Davis Cup semifinal which allowed Australia to defeat Switzerland. This marked a turning point in the rivalry, as Federer won 16 of the next 18 meetings from 2004 onwards. This is Hewitt's longest rivalry as these two first played each other as juniors in 1996. They met in one Grand Slam tournament final, the 2004 US Open final, where Federer won his first US Open title in a lopsided encounter in which Federer scored a bagel on both sides of a second-set tiebreak. Federer met Hewitt at six of the Grand Slam tournaments in which he lifted the trophy, including all five of his triumphs between 2004 and 2005. Their last meeting was at the 2014 Brisbane International, where Hewitt triumphed over Federer in three sets for his first title since 2010, when he also beat Federer to the Halle title.

Hewitt and Federer teamed up in the men's doubles at Wimbledon in 1999. They lost in the third round to Jonas Björkman and Pat Rafter.

Federer vs. Nalbandian

Federer and David Nalbandian played 19 times, with Federer leading 11–8. David Nalbandian was Federer's biggest rival in his early career. Nalbandian dominated early on, winning their first five matches from 2002 to 2003. Federer reversed this trend at the 2003 Masters Cup, where he recorded his first victory, and went on to win 11 of their last 14 meetings. Federer leads 6–5 on hard courts, 1–0 on grass, and 3–1 on clay courts, while Nalbandian leads 2–1 on carpet. Notable meetings include Nalbandian's win in a fifth-set tiebreaker to win the 2005 Masters Cup, and Federer's win in the 2006 French Open semifinals. They met each other six times in Grand Slam tournaments, with Federer leading 4–2.

Federer vs. Safin

Marat Safin and Federer played 12 times, with Federer leading 10–2. Federer and Safin turned pro within one year of each other, with Safin turning pro in 1997 and Federer in 1998. Federer leads 4–1 on hard courts, 3–0 on grass, and 3–0 on clay courts, while Safin leads 1–0 on carpet. Notable meetings include Federer's defeating Safin at the 2002 Hamburg Masters to win the first Masters title of his career, as well as Federer's emerging victorious in the semifinals of the 2004 Tennis Masters Cup, after winning a tiebreak 20–18 on his eighth match point. Federer also defeated Safin in the finals of the 2004 Australian Open to capture his first Australian Open and second Grand Slam tournament title. However, Safin defeated Federer in the 2005 Australian Open semifinals, having saved one match point in the fourth-set tiebreak, to end a 26-match winning streak by Federer. They met each other five times in Grand Slam tournaments, with Federer leading 4–1.

Federer vs. Agassi

Federer and Andre Agassi played 11 times, and Federer leads their head-to-head 8–3. This was Federer's most significant rivalry with a dominant player of the previous generation. They first met in only the third tournament of Federer's career at the 1998 Swiss Indoors in Federer's hometown, with Andre Agassi prevailing over the 17-year-old. Agassi also defeated Federer at the 2001 US Open and the finals of the Miami Masters in 2002. Federer began to turn the tide at the Masters Cup in 2003, when he defeated Agassi in both the round robin and the final. They played a memorable quarterfinal match at the 2004 US Open that spanned over two days, with Federer eventually prevailing in five sets. At the 2005 Dubai Championships, Federer and Agassi attracted worldwide headlines with a publicity stunt that saw the two men play on a helipad almost 220 meters above sea level at the hotel Burj al-Arab. Their final match was at one of the most prestigious platforms in the sport, when they played in the finals of the 2005 US Open. Federer was victorious in four sets, claiming the 6th Grand Slam tournament of his career and denying Agassi his 9th.

Federer vs. Wawrinka

Federer and his fellow Swiss player Stan Wawrinka have played each other 26 times, with Federer leading 23–3. Federer leads 7–1 in Grand Slam tournaments, 17–0 on hard courts, 1–0 on grass courts and 5–3 on clay courts. The pair are 1–1 in finals. Their first meeting in a final came at 2014 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters where Wawrinka defeated Federer in three sets to win his first Masters title before Federer avenged his loss at the 2017 BNP Paribas Open by beating him in the final. While the rivalry is one-sided in Federer's favour, the two have contested some close matches. Wawrinka defeated Federer in straight sets during the 2015 French Open quarterfinals en route to winning his first French Open title, although Federer then won a straight-sets victory in the 2015 US Open semifinals. Other close matches include the 2012 Shanghai Masters and the 2013 Indian Wells Masters, both of which Federer won in three sets, the 2014 Wimbledon quarterfinal, which Federer won in four sets, the 2014 ATP Finals semifinal, which Federer won in three sets after saving four match points, and the 2017 Australian Open semifinal, which Federer won in five sets. Despite their on-court rivalry, they are friends off court, and they have played doubles together on numerous occasions, most notably when they won the doubles Olympic Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and when winning the 2014 Davis Cup.

Federer vs. del Potro

Juan Martín del Potro and Roger Federer have played 25 times, with Federer leading 18–7.[345] They have met seven times in Grand Slam tournaments, with Federer leading 5–2. Their two most famous Grand Slam tournament meetings came in 2009. The first was in the French Open semifinals, when Federer survived a five-set clash when he was on his way to the only French title of his career. The second was in the final of the US Open, where del Potro beat five-time defending champion Federer in five sets, ending his 20-match winning streak at Grand Slams. Another high-profile match was in the semifinals of the 2012 London Olympics, where Federer prevailed 19–17 in the final set to secure the Olympic silver medal. They also met in the finals of the Swiss Indoors in 2012, 2013 and 2017, with del Potro prevailing on first two occasions, and Federer on last one of them in tight three-set matches.

In the 2017 U.S. Open quarterfinals, in a rematch of the 2009 US Open final, Del Potro again beat Federer in four sets to end his unbeaten streak in grand slams that year. With this win, Del Potro also denied the first Federer-Nadal match at US Open, as in 2009 where he beat Nadal in straight sets in the semifinals. Federer, however avenged this loss at the Shanghai Masters semifinals, where he beat del Potro in three sets after coming from a set down. In the final at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open del Potro beat Federer in three close sets, after facing match points in the third set. With this win del Potro won his first Masters title of his career.

Federer vs. Berdych

Tomáš Berdych and Federer played 26 times, with Federer leading 20–6. Federer leads 12–5 on hard courts, 3–1 on grass courts, 4–0 on clay courts, and 1–0 on carpet. Berdych won their first professional match, notably upsetting then-No. 1 Federer at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Federer then went on to win their next eight meetings, before Berdych ended the losing streak in 2010. Between 2010 and 2013, Berdych won 5 of 8 meetings. Federer again dominated the matchup after 2014, leading 9–0 since then. They met ten times in Grand Slam tournaments, with Federer leading 8–2, and Berdych is one of five players, along with Arnaud Clément, Álex Corretja, David Nalbandian, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, to defeat Federer multiple times in majors before the semifinal stage. Their most notable Grand Slam matches took place in the 2009 Australian Open, when Federer prevailed in five sets after dropping the first two sets, the 2010 Wimbledon Championships and the 2012 US Open, both of which Berdych won in four sets. Berdych went on to reach the only Grand Slam final of his career after the Wimbledon quarterfinal victory, ending Federer's run of seven consecutive finals at Wimbledon dating back to 2003.

Federer vs. Tsonga

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Federer have played 18 times, with Federer leading 12–6. Federer leads 5–3 on outdoor hard courts and 4–0 on indoor hard. They are 1–1 on grass and 2–2 on clay courts. The pair have met six times in Grand Slam tournaments, including their five-set matches in the quarterfinals of 2011 Wimbledon and 2013 Australian Open. They have also one Grand Slam semifinal meeting in the 2010 Australian Open, with Federer winning in straight sets. Federer and Tsonga have played in the 2011 ATP Finals final, with Federer winning his record-sixth Year-end championship in three sets. The pair have also met in two Masters finals. The first was in the 2011 BNP Paribas Masters, with Federer winning his first title in Bercy, and the second was in the 2014 Rogers Cup, with Tsonga winning his second Masters title.

Federer vs. Čilić

Federer and Marin Čilić have played 11 times, with Federer leading 10–1. Čilić's only victory came in the 2014 US Open semifinals, after which he went on to win the Grand Slam title. Their first encounter was in the 3rd round in the 2008 Paris Masters, which Federer won in straight sets. They have played six Grand Slam matches, two in Wimbledon, two in the US Open, one at the 2018 Australian Open and one at the 2021 French Open; Federer leads these matches 5–1. Two of these have been Grand Slam finals – the 2017 Wimbledon final, which Federer won in straight sets, and the 2018 Australian Open final, which Federer won in five sets.

Achievements

Roger Federer has spent a total of 310 weeks and a record 237 consecutive weeks at the top of the ATP rankings.

Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have won more Grand Slam tournament titles (20) than any other men's singles players. He is the first men's singles player to have reached ten consecutive Grand Slam tournament finals and a total of 31 Grand Slam finals. He has earned a men's doubles gold medal, and a men's single silver medal at the Olympics in 2008 and 2012, respectively. He has spent the second-most time at the top of the ATP Rankings (310 weeks). He also holds the record for the most titles (6) at the year-end tournament, where only the year-end eight highest-ranked players participate. Federer was ranked among the top eight players in the world continuously for 14 years and two weeks—from 14 October 2002 until 31 October 2016, when injuries forced him to skip much of the 2016 season.

Federer has won the ATP Player of the Year five times (2004–07, 2009), and has become ITF World Champion five times (2004–07, 2009). He has won the ATPWorldTour.com Fans' Favourite Award a record 18 times consecutively (2003–20), and has won the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award (voted for by the players) a record 13 times (2004–09, 2011–17), both being awards indicative of respect and popularity. He also won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award twice (2006, 2013), the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year five times (2005–08, 2018), and the Laureus World Comeback of the Year once, following his 2017 renaissance.

Federer is one of the founders, via his management company TEAM8, of the Laver Cup; the annual team tennis tournament which pits Europe against the rest of the world. He co-founded the tournament in honor of tennis legend Rod Laver and the inaugural edition was played in 2017.

Legacy and cultural impact

Roger Federer has huge popularity in the world of sport, and because of his achievements, Federer is widely considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, with many players and analysts in the period between 2009 and 2017 considering him to be the greatest player ever. He has also been called the greatest athlete of his generation.Tennis.com listed him as the greatest male player of the Open Era. Federer himself has downplayed these claims, stating in 2012 that it is impossible to compare tennis players from different eras and that past champions are needed to pave the way for future champions. In May 2020, the Tennis Channel ranked Federer as the greatest male tennis player of all time. In May 2021, Serena Williams described Federer as a "genius" and the "greatest". In July 2021, BBC Sport users picked Federer as the greatest male tennis player of all time. During an interview with L'Équipe in July 2021, Richard Gasquet said 'aesthetics and grace' are more important than the number of Grand Slam titles when it comes to deciding who is the greatest. He named Federer, Djokovic and Nadal as the three best players in history, but singled out Roger Federer as the greatest.

I see tennis differently, I've always said that for me it's not just the number of Grand Slam titles that matters. One at 21, the other at 22 or 23. I don't just see the Grand Slam winner, I look at the aesthetics, what you give off on the court. I often hear the race to the highest, it is a pointless subject. For me, Roger Federer is irreplaceable, he's the greatest player of all time when I see the aesthetics, the grace he has on the court.

Until 2020, no other male tennis player had won 20 major singles titles (the record has since been tied by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic). Federer has also been in a record 31 major finals, including a record 10 in a row. He has held the world No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings for the second-longest amount of time for a male player, behind Novak Djokovic. He was ranked No. 1 at the age of 36 and has won a record eight Wimbledon titles. He won five consecutive US Open titles, which is the most in the Open Era.

He has been voted by his peers to receive the tour Sportsmanship Award a record thirteen times and voted by tennis fans to receive the ATP Fans' Favorite award for seventeen consecutive years. Federer has been named the Swiss Sports Personality of the Year a record seven times. He has been named the ATP Player of the Year and ITF World Champion five times, and he has won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award a record five times, including four consecutive awards from 2005 to 2008. He is also the only individual to have won the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award four times.

Federer helped to lead a revival in tennis known by many as the Golden Age. This led to increased interest in the sport, which in turn led to higher revenues for many venues across tennis. During this period rising revenues led to exploding prize money; when Federer first won the Australian Open in 2004 he earned $985,000, compared to when he won in 2018 and the prize had increased to AUD 4 million.

Upon winning the 2009 French Open and completing the career Grand Slam, Federer became the first individual male tennis player to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated since Andre Agassi in 1999. He was also the first non-American player to appear on the cover of the magazine since Stefan Edberg in 1992. Federer again made the cover of Sports Illustrated following his record-breaking 8th Wimbledon title and second Grand Slam of 2017, becoming the first male tennis player to be featured on the cover since himself in 2009.

Federer has been nicknamed the "Federer Express" (shortened to "Fed Express" or "FedEx"), and the "Swiss Maestro." He has also been referred to as "King Roger" on occasion.

Philanthropy and outreach
Roger Federer Foundation

In 2003, he established the Roger Federer Foundation to help disadvantaged children and to promote their access to education and sport.

Since May 2004, citing his close ties with South Africa (his mother is South African) he has been supporting the South Africa-Swiss charity IMBEWU, which helps children better connect to sports as well as social and health awareness. In 2005, Federer visited South Africa to meet the children that had benefited from his support. Also in 2005, he auctioned his racquet from his US Open championship to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina.

At the 2005 Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, Federer arranged an exhibition involving several top players from the ATP and WTA tour called Rally for Relief. The proceeds went to the victims of the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. In December 2006, he visited Tamil Nadu, one of the areas in India most affected by the tsunami. He was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF in April 2006 and has appeared in UNICEF public messages to raise public awareness of AIDS.

In response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Federer arranged a collaboration with fellow top tennis players for a special charity event during the 2010 Australian Open called 'Hit for Haiti', in which proceeds went to Haiti earthquake victims. He participated in a follow-up charity exhibition during the 2010 Indian Wells Masters, which raised $1 million.

The Nadal vs. Federer "Match for Africa" in 2010 in Zurich and Madrid raised more than $4 million for the Roger Federer Foundation and Fundación Rafa Nadal. In January 2011, Federer took part in an exhibition, Rally for Relief, to raise money for the victims of the Queensland floods.In 2014, the "Match for Africa 2" between Federer and Stan Wawrinka, again in Zurich, raised £850,000 for education projects in Southern Africa.
Special edition stamps

In 2007, Swiss Post in Basel released a special edition stamp for Federer. Three years later, in 2010, Federer was awarded a special edition stamp by Austria's Postal Service.
World's most respected, admired and trusted personalities

In 2011, on the Reputation Institute's study of the World's most respected, admired and trusted personalities, Federer ranked No. 2 just behind Nelson Mandela but ahead of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey and Bono.

Roger Federer streets

In 2012, the city of Halle, in Germany, unveiled "Roger-Federer-Allee" in recognition of Federer's success on the grass at the Gerry Weber Open. In 2016, the city of Biel, Switzerland, location of the national centre for Swiss Tennis where Federer trained as a junior, named the street in his honour as "1 Allée Roger Federer".

Switzerland's most recognizable personalities

In July 2016, Roger Federer ranked No. 1 in the list for the most recognizable people in Switzerland, surpassing personalities such as Albert Einstein and William Tell. In a poll of more than 9,000 people from 15 countries, the Swiss legend topped the list of most recognizable Swiss with 600 more votes than the country's second national hero, William Tell, who came up second. Federer got 916 votes, Tell got 316 and Einstein ranked third with 204. The other three in the first six were Henry Dunant, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and novel character Heidi.

World's most marketable sports person

In January 2017, Federer named the Most Marketable Sports Person for 2016 by researchers of London School of Marketing. Federer earned £49.2 million in endorsements and sponsorships.

Honorary doctorate degree

On 24 November 2017, Federer received an honorary doctorate awarded to him by his home university, the University of Basel. He received the title in recognition for his role in increasing the international reputation of Basel and Switzerland, and also his engagement for children in Africa through his charitable foundation.

Swiss coin

In December 2019, Federer became the first living person to be celebrated on Swiss coins. His face will be on the 20-franc coin and in May 2020, Swissmint issued a Federer 50-franc gold coin featuring a different design.

Most stylish man of the decade

In December 2019 Roger Federer was voted by the readers as the Most Stylish Man of the Decade (2010–2019) in GQ. He was first in the list, ahead of Timothée Chalamet, LeBron James, Harry Styles, David Beckham, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Ryan Gosling and others.

World's highest paid athlete

On 29 May 2020 Federer topped Forbes' 2020 List of the World's Highest Paid Athletes with $106.3 million in total earnings from salary, winnings and endorsements. Federer appears every year on this list, inside the top-10 or top-5, but never on the top spot before. This year is the first time Roger Federer has ranked atop Forbes's annual list. He surpassed sports legends like, 2.Cristiano Ronaldo (football - $105m), 3. Lionel Messi (football - $104m), 4. Neymar (football - $95.5m), 5. LeBron James (basketball - $88.2m), 6. Stephen Curry (basketball - $74.4m), 7. Kevin Durant (basketball - $63.9m), 8. Tiger Woods (golf - $62.3m), 9. Kirk Cousins (american football - $60.5m), 10. Carson Wentz (american football - $59.1m), and many more great sports persons.

Commemorative piece of Swiss literature and history

On 20 July 2020 Federer was featured by Swiss National Museum in a 100-part chronicle of Swiss history and culture.

Playing style

Federer's versatility has been described by Jimmy Connors: "In an era of specialists, you're either a clay court specialist, a grass court specialist, or a hard court specialist... or you're Roger Federer."
Federer serving at the Australian Open in 2014

An elite athlete, Federer is an all-court, all-around player known for his speed, fluid style of play, and exceptional shot making. Federer mainly plays from the baseline but is also comfortable at the net, being one of the best volleyers in the game. He has a powerful, accurate smash and very effectively performs rare elements of professional tennis, such as the backhand smash and skyhook, half-volley, jump smash (slam dunk) and an aggressive serve return known affectionately as SABR (Sneak Attack By Roger, a half-volley attack on an opponent's second serve). David Foster Wallace compared the brute force of Federer's forehand motion with that of "a great liquid whip", while John McEnroe has referred to Federer's forehand as "the greatest shot in our sport." Federer is also known for his efficient, deceptively effortless movement around the court and excellent footwork, which enables him to run around shots directed to his backhand, usually considered his weaker wing, and instead hit a powerful and penetrating inside-out or inside-in forehand, one of his best shots. He also has great variety with his forehand, able to hit with topspin or pace (or both), thus opening up the court and going in to the forecourt for aggressive volleys.

Federer plays with a single-handed backhand, which gives him great variety. He employs the slice, occasionally using it to lure his opponent to the net and deliver a passing shot. Federer can also fire topspin winners and possesses a 'flick' backhand with which he can generate pace with his wrist; this is usually used to pass the opponent at the net. He has averaged 90% of service games won throughout his career, oftentimes coming up victorious in clutch or pressure service games. His serve is difficult to read because he always uses a similar ball toss, regardless of what type of serve he is going to hit and where he aims to hit it, and turns his back to his opponents during his motion. He is often able to produce big serves on key points during a match. His first serve is typically around 200 km/h (125 mph); however, he is capable of serving at 220 km/h (137 mph). Federer is also accomplished at serve and volleying, and employed this tactic frequently in his early career.

Later in his career, Federer added the drop shot to his arsenal and can perform a well-disguised one off both wings. He sometimes uses a between-the-legs shot, which is colloquially referred to as a "tweener" or "hotdog". His most notable use of the tweener was in the semifinals of the 2009 US Open against Novak Djokovic, bringing him triple match point. Federer is one of the top players who employ successfully the "squash shot", when he gets pushed deep and wide on his forehand wing. Since Stefan Edberg joined his coaching team at the start of the 2014 season, Federer has played a more offensive game, attacking the net more often, and improved his volley shots. In the lead-up to the 2015 US Open, Federer successfully added a new unique shot to his arsenal called SABR (Sneak Attack by Roger), in which he charges forward to receive the second serve and hits a return on the service line. The SABR is a unique shot that Federer owns, in the way that he manages to add enough power and placement into the shot, which makes it very difficult, or close to impossible for the opponent to reach it. With the switch to a bigger 97 inch racket from 90 inches, Federer has gained easy power while relinquishing some control on his shots. The bigger racket has enabled easier serving and better defense on both wings with fewer shanks. However this has diminished control and power on his forehand, slice backhand and dropshot. Since his comeback in 2017, Federer is noted for his improved backhand both down the line and cross court which was cited as the reason for his win against Nadal in the 2017 Australian Open Final and Indian Wells 4th round.

Federer is also noted for his cool demeanour and emotional control on the court. In contrast to his early career, most of his professional game has been characterised by lack of outbursts or emotional frustration at errors, which gives him an advantage over less controlled opponents.Federer declared:


I don't get the anxiety during a match so much anymore. You know, to throw racquets, to toss balls out of the court, scream and stuff. I almost laugh [on the inside] about it a little bit today when an opponent does it. But that's something for me that's not a problem any more.

Equipment and apparel
Equipment

Federer plays with his signature Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph racquet. It has a 97 square inch head, 16x19 string pattern, 366 gram strung weight, 340 gram swing weight, 68 RA stiffness, and 9 point head light balance. Federer strings his racquets using Wilson Natural Gut 16 gauge for his main strings and Luxilon ALU Power Rough 17 gauge (polyester) for his cross strings. In an interview in November 2017, Federer stated his favorite stringing tension is 26.5 kilograms (58.4 lb) mains & 25 kilograms (55.1 lb) crosses.

As a junior player, Federer played with a Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 85 square inch head racquet. He switched to a bigger custom-built Wilson 90 square inch head racquet in 2003. His grip size was 4+3⁄8 inches (L3). When asked about string tensions, Federer stated "this depends on how warm the days are and with what kind of balls I play and against who I play. So you can see – it depends on several factors and not just the surface; the feeling I have is most important."

Apparel

Federer first signed with Nike footwear and apparel in 1994. For the 2006 championships at Wimbledon, Nike designed a jacket emblazoned with a crest of three tennis racquets, symbolising the three Wimbledon Championships he had previously won, and which was updated the next year with four racquets after he won the Championship in 2006. At Wimbledon 2008, and again in 2009, Nike continued this trend by making him a personalised cardigan that also had his own logo, an R and an F joined together, which was originally designed by his wife, Mirka.

Federer's contract with Nike expired in March 2018, and he later signed a deal with Uniqlo. It was reported that Uniqlo signed Federer for roughly $300 million for 10 years ($30 million per year), as opposed to Nike's previous deal with Federer, which was for roughly $10 million per year. Federer was pictured at Wimbledon in 2021 wearing tennis shoes produced by On, a Swiss based athletic shoe and sports apparel manufacturer in which he became a shareholder in November 2019. A limited edition lifestyle shoe named “The Roger” was released by On in July 2020.

Endorsements

In May 2020 Federer became the first tennis player to reach the top of the Forbes "World's Highest Paid Athletes" list. He is endorsed by Japanese clothing company Uniqlo and Swiss companies Nationale Suisse [de; fr; nl], Credit Suisse, Rolex, Lindt, Sunrise, and Jura Elektroapparate. In 2010, his endorsement by Mercedes-Benz China was extended into a global partnership deal. His other sponsors include Gillette, Wilson, Barilla, and Moët & Chandon. Previously, he was an ambassador for Nike, NetJets, Emmi AG, and for Maurice Lacroix.

All-time tournament records

TournamentSinceRecord accomplishedPlayers matchedRefs
Grand Slam 1877 20 men's singles titles overall Rafael Nadal
6 seasons with 2+ men's singles titles (2004–07, 2009, 2017) Novak Djokovic
3 seasons with 3 men's singles titles (2004, 2006–07)
2 consecutive seasons with 3 men's singles titles (2006–07) Stands alone
4 consecutive seasons with 2+ men's singles titles (2004–07)
5 consecutive titles in 2 different tournaments (2003–2007 Wimbledon, 2004–2008 US Open) 
All 4 Grand Slam finals reached in three seasons (2006–2007, 2009)
31 men's singles finals overall 
46 men's singles semifinals overall 
58 men's singles quarterfinals overall 
81 men's singles tournament appearances overall
10 consecutive men's singles finals 
23 consecutive semifinals 
36 consecutive quarterfinals 
369 match wins overall 
100+ match wins at two different tournaments (Wimbledon, Australian Open)
105 match wins at one tournament (Wimbledon) Rafael Nadal
40 consecutive match wins at 2 different tournaments (Wimbledon, US Open) Stands alone
429 matches played
8+ titles on two different surfaces (hard & grass)
12+ finals on two different surfaces (hard & grass)
191 hard court match wins overall
6+ titles at 2 different tournaments (Australian Open, Wimbledon) Novak Djokovic
5+ titles at 3 different tournaments (Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open) Stands alone
7+ finals at 3 different tournaments (Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open) Novak Djokovic
4+ consecutive finals at 3 different tournaments (French Open, Wimbledon, US Open) Stands alone
6+ consecutive finals at 2 different tournaments (Wimbledon, US Open)
15 semifinals at a single tournament (Australian Open)
13+ semifinals at 2 different tournaments (Australian Open, Wimbledon)
10+ semifinals at 3 different tournaments (Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open) Novak Djokovic
12+ quarterfinals at all 4 tournaments Stands alone

Guinness World Records

As of 2019 Federer holds the third highest number of Guinness World Records within one discipline, a total of 30, which include 18 performance based records.
Rahi Sarnobat

Full Name: Rahi Jeevan Sarnobat Date of Birth: October 30, 1990 Place of Birth: Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India Event: 25m Pistol (Women's Air Pistol & Sport Pistol) Coach: Munkhbayar Dorjsuren (former Olympic medalist)

Rahi Sarnobat is one of India's most accomplished female shooters and a pioneer in pistol shooting. She made history as the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in shooting at the Asian Games (2018) and the first Indian pistol shooter to win an ISSF World Cup gold (2013).

Major Achievementsy

earEventAchievement
2008Commonwealth Youth Games, PuneGold – 25m Pistol
2013ISSF World Cup, Changwon (South Korea)Gold – 25m Pistol (First Indian pistol shooter to win World Cup gold)
2014Commonwealth Games, GlasgowGold – 25m Pistol
2014Asian Games, IncheonBronze – Team Event
2018Asian Games, Jakarta-PalembangGold – 25m Pistol (First Indian woman shooter to win Asian Games gold)
2019ISSF World Cup, MunichBronze – 25m Pistol
2023ISSF World Cup, CairoGold – 25m Pistol Team
OlympicsLondon 2012, Tokyo 2020Represented India (Qualified twice)Early Life & Journey
  • Family: Comes from a middle-class joint family in Kolhapur.
    • Father: Jeevan Sarnobat
    • Mother: Prabha Sarnobat
  • Introduction to Shooting: Started through NCC (National Cadet Corps) in school. Inspired by local shooter Tejaswini Sawant (also from Kolhapur).
  • Training: Trained at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune, under the guidance of top coaches.
  • Challenges: Overcame injuries, lack of advanced facilities, and financial constraints early in her career.

Awards & Recognition

  • Arjuna Award – 2018 (India's second-highest sporting honor)
  • Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar – State honor for excellence in sports
  • Brand Ambassador: Promotes shooting and women's empowerment in sports

Personal Life

  • Education: Completed B.A. from a college in Kolhapur.
  • Hobbies: Reading, yoga, and spending time with family.
  • Role Model: Credits her mother and coach for constant support.
  • Community: From Kolhapur, a city known for producing top shooters (Tejaswini Sawant, Anjali Bhagwat, etc.).

Legacy

Rahi Sarnobat has broken barriers for women in Indian shooting. Her 2018 Asian Games gold was a landmark moment, inspiring thousands of young girls in small towns to take up the sport. She continues to compete at the international level and mentors upcoming shooters.

Fun Fact: Rahi shares her birthday (October 30) with the query date — she turned 35 in 2025!

Latest Update (as of 2025): Rahi remains active in national camps and is preparing for future international events. She is also involved in grassroots shooting development in Maharashtra.

Inspiration Quote by Rahi:

"Shooting taught me patience and focus. Every shot is a new chance to prove yourself."
R Umadevi Nagaraj
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Revanna Umadevi Nagaraj
Revanna Umadevi on 8 March 2018
Born 11 February 1965 
Sport country  India

Revanna Umadevi Nagaraj (born 11 February 1965), is an Indian professional player of English billiards and snooker.[1] She is a World Women's Billiard champion (2012) and a six-time Indian national Billiards champion. She had defeated World No 13 Eva Palmius during the London 2012 Championship to become the World Champion.

Life

Umadevi was born in 1965. It was in the midst of her life, when Umadevi realised her potentials in Billiards. While working as a typist in Bangalore, she used to go to the Karnataka Government Secretariat Club to play table tennis. One day, while waiting for a long time for her turn for table tennis, she decided to move on to the Billiards table next to the table tennis room and gradually started loving the game. Post that, Umadevi never looked back but towards the path of glory with a cue stick on her hand, focussing only at the colourful balls on the green table top. Towards a successful sports career, she was mentored by prominent billiards players and coaches such as Shri. Arvind Savur, S. Jairaj, and M. G Jayaram. In 2012, Umadevi bagged the title of World Billiards Champion as well as the 8 Ball Pool National Champion. Umadevi is still giving her best efforts to top-notch the upcoming billiards events of international stage and planning to coach the burgeoning stars to shine in the respective sports niche after her retirement.

Awards

She was awarded Eklavaya Award in 2009 for her contribution to Billiards by the Government of Karnataka. She became the World Billiards Champion and 8 Ball Pool National Champion in 2012. She received Nari Shakti Puraskar from the President of India Ram Nath Kovind among the list of 30 great women achievers of 2017 in India.

Titles and achievements

OutcomeNo.YearChampionshipOpponentScoreRef.

Rupa Rani Tirkey

Rupa Rani Tirkey is an Indian lawn bowler, celebrated for her role as the skip (captain) of the Indian women’s fours team that won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Born on September 25, 1987, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, she hails from the Oraon (Kurukh) community, a Scheduled Tribe (ST) in Jharkhand, known for its Dravidian heritage. Her surname, Tirkey, is a prominent clan name among the Oraon, aligning with her ST status, which qualifies her for affirmative action benefits under India’s reservation system.

Career Highlights

  • 2022 Commonwealth Games: Rupa led the Indian women’s fours team—comprising Lovely Choubey, Pinki, and Nayanmoni Saikia—to a historic gold medal, defeating South Africa 17-10 in the final. This marked India’s first-ever lawn bowls medal at the Commonwealth Games, a significant achievement as the team was considered underdogs.
  • Other Achievements: She has competed in multiple international events, including the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, where the Indian team finished fourth in the women’s triples and fours events. Rupa also participated in the 2014 and 2010 Commonwealth Games, showcasing her consistency at the elite level.
  • National Success: She won a silver medal at the 2017 Indian National Lawn Bowls Championship and has been a key figure in promoting the sport in India.

Background and Personal Life

  • Early Life: Raised in Ranchi, Rupa initially pursued athletics before transitioning to lawn bowls in 2008, inspired by her coach, Madhukant Pathak. Her shift to lawn bowls came after facing challenges in athletics, and she quickly excelled in the precision-based sport.
  • Profession: Beyond her athletic career, Rupa is employed as a sports officer with the Jharkhand Government, reflecting her commitment to sports development.
  • Training and Challenges: Based at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur, she trains under coaches like Anupam Kumari. Lawn bowls, a niche sport in India, faces limited infrastructure and funding, making her achievements remarkable. The 2022 CWG success was fueled by intensive training in Delhi and abroad, overcoming initial skepticism about India’s prospects.

Impact and Recognition

Rupa’s leadership and skill have elevated lawn bowls’ visibility in India, a sport often overshadowed by cricket and other mainstream disciplines. Her team’s 2022 victory, where they outperformed higher-ranked teams like New Zealand and Australia, earned widespread acclaim. Posts on X celebrated her as a trailblazer, with users noting her calm demeanor and strategic prowess as skip. She has been vocal about the need for better facilities and hopes her success will inspire younger athletes, particularly from Jharkhand.

Additional Notes

  • Caste Context: As an Oraon, Rupa belongs to a community with a rich cultural heritage, including the Sarna religion, though some Oraons have adopted Christianity or Hinduism. Her ST status aligns with the socio-economic and historical context of Jharkhand’s tribal communities.
  • Sport Overview: Lawn bowls requires precision and strategy, akin to curling, where players aim to roll bowls closest to a target (jack). Rupa’s role as skip involves directing team strategy and delivering crucial shots.
  • Recent Activity: As of 2025, Rupa continues to compete and mentor, with mentions on X indicating her participation in national camps and preparations for future international events.
Raju Gaikwad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Full name : Raju Eknath Gaikwad

Date of birth : 25 September 1990

Place of birth : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Height : 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)

Playing position : Defender

Club information
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:19, 25 November 2018 (UTC)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16:18, 6 October 2014 (UTC)

Raju Eknath Gaikwad (born 25 September 1990 in Mumbai, Maharashtra) is an Indian footballer who plays as a defender for Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League. Gaikwad is very comfortable on the ball and can easily fill in as a full back even though he is right-footed, and is a long throw specialist.

Pailan Arrows

After spending time at Tata Football Academy Gaikwad signed for Pailan Arrows (then AIFF XI) in the I-League. He made his league debut for the club on 3 December 2010 against Prayag United at the Salt Lake Stadium which was also Pailan Arrows's first ever game in the I-League; Pailan lost 2–1.

East Bengal

In July 2011 Gaikwad signed for East Bengal after one season at Pailan and made his debut for the club on 4 February 2012 after missing the first few months of the season through injury.

Mohun Bagan A.C.

In June 2015 Gaikwad signed for Mohun Bagan from rival club East Bengal.

International

Gaikwad made his debut for the India U23 on 23 February 2011 against Myanmar's U23s in the 2012 Olympic Qualifiers; India U23 won 2–1. He then made his senior debut for India on 21 March 2011 in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers against Chinese Tapei at the MBPJ Stadium in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia; India won 3–0. Gaikwad then won his first championship with India on 11 December 2011 when he helped India beat Afghanistan in the 2011 SAFF Cup. Gaikwad then went on to lead India to win the 2012 Nehru Cup when India managed to beat Cameroon's B team on 2 September 2012 at the Nehru Stadium in the Indian capital, Delhi.

 

Suyash Narayan Jadhav

Full Name: Suyash Narayan Jadhav
Born: 28 November 1993 (age 32 as of November 2025), Solapur, Maharashtra, India
Classification: S7 (physical impairment, upper limb amputee – competes in events like 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle, 200m individual medley)
Height/Weight: Not publicly specified (focuses on core strength training; often shares gym workouts emphasizing resilience)Residence/Training: Pune, Maharashtra (trains at Balewadi Sports Complex; previously at Deccan Gymkhana)Coach/Support: Supported by GoSports Foundation (Para Champions Programme), IndusInd Bank For Sports, and family; primary motivation from father, a former national-level swimmerPersonal Life: Single (no public details on relationships or marriage); enjoys gym sessions, promoting fitness beyond swimming; advocates for para-sports inclusivityNet Worth (Estimated): Around ₹75 lakh–₹1 crore (from awards, sponsorships like GoSports, and endorsements; exact figures not disclosed)

Suyash Jadhav is one of India's most inspiring para-athletes, a double-arm amputee who transformed a life-altering accident into a podium of triumphs. As the first Indian para-swimmer to qualify for the Rio 2016 Paralympics with an 'A' mark, he has become a beacon for resilience, inclusivity, and para-sports advocacy. His journey embodies the mantra: "Out of your comfort zone, you get stronger."

Early Life and the Turning Point

Born into a modest family in Solapur, Maharashtra, Suyash was immersed in water from age three. His father, a state- and national-level swimmer, inspired him to take up the sport seriously, dreaming of seeing his son shine internationally. Suyash showed early promise, competing locally and honing skills in freestyle and butterfly strokes.

Tragedy struck in Class 6 (around age 11, circa 2004–2005) during a cousin's wedding preparations. While playing near a construction site, Suyash accidentally touched a live electrical wire, suffering severe electrocution and burns. He spent six months in the hospital, where both arms were amputated below the elbows to save his life. The incident shattered his family's hopes—his father, who had envisioned an Olympic path for him, initially lost faith.

Yet, Suyash refused to drown in despair. "My disability gave me the opportunity to compete at the highest level," he later reflected. Two years post-accident, during a family trip to a religious gathering in Nashik/Trimbakeshwar (near a pond), Suyash spontaneously swam again, rediscovering his passion. With his father's renewed encouragement, he adapted to prosthetics and began rigorous training, focusing on core strength and technique modifications for S7 events.

Rise to Fame and Training

Suyash's comeback was meteoric. Starting with domestic para-swimming meets, he joined Pune's Deccan Gymkhana (later shifting to Balewadi Stadium for advanced facilities). By 2015, he was training full-time, supported by organizations like GoSports Foundation, which provided coaching, nutrition, and international exposure.

A pivotal moment came when his teacher post-accident advised: "If I show fake sympathy today, you'll seek it forever." This fueled his merit-based mindset. Suyash's regimen includes daily pool sessions (up to 5–6 hours), gym work (core exercises with weighted plates), and mental conditioning. He credits family—especially his father's unwavering support—for his mental fortitude.

Major Achievements and Career Highlights

Suyash has amassed over 20 international medals, making him India's flagbearer in para-swimming. He was India's sole para-swimmer at Rio 2016 and a key contender at subsequent Games. Here's a timeline of his key milestones:

YearEventAchievementDetails
2015IWAS World Games (Sochi, Russia)Silver (50m Butterfly S7) + Bronze (200m IM S7)First Indian to achieve 'A' qualifying mark for Rio Paralympics; historic for Indian para-swimming.
2015Winter Open Polish Championship4 Medals (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze)Breakthrough in Europe, boosting confidence for global stage.
2016German Swimming Championships3 Silver MedalsSolidified top-tier status in S7 category.
2016Rio Paralympics9th (50m Butterfly), 9th (50m Freestyle), 10th (200m IM)India's lone para-swimmer; set personal bests in two events despite tough competition.
2018Asian Para Games (Jakarta, Indonesia)Gold (50m Butterfly S7) + 2 Bronze (50m Freestyle S7, 200m IM S7)First Asian Para Games gold for Indian swimming; hailed as a "game-changer."
2019World Para Swimming ChampionshipsCompeted in multiple eventsFocused on qualifying for Tokyo; improved timings.
2020Tokyo Paralympics (delayed to 2021)Competed in 3 eventsNarrowly missed podium but set national records; inspired nation's para-sports surge.
2022Asian Para Games (Hangzhou, China)Bronze (50m Butterfly S7)Sole Indian swimmer to medal; overcame tough field.
2023Asian Para Games (Hangzhou)Gold (50m Butterfly S7)Signed by PM Narendra Modi; only Indian swimming medal at the Games.
2024Paris ParalympicsCompeted in Men's 50m Butterfly S7Aimed for medal; finished competitively, contributing to India's record para haul.
2025Ongoing Nationals/PrepsTraining for LA 2028Active in domestic circuits; mentoring young para-athletes.
  • As of 2025, Suyash eyes the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics, aiming for his first Paralympic medal to "fulfill my father's unachieved international dream."

    Awards and Recognition

  • Arjuna Award (2020): Highest sports honor for para-athletes that year; received virtually from President Ram Nath Kovind.
  • PM's Signed Medal (2023): Gold from Asian Para Games autographed by Narendra Modi.
  • Other Honors: GoSports Athlete of the Year nominee; featured in campaigns by IndusInd Bank and Impact Guru for para-funding.
  • Advocacy: Promotes para-sports via social media (@SuyashNJadhav on X/Instagram); speaks on disability rights, urging "Don't sympathize—empower." He's broken barriers, showing how para-athletes can rival able-bodied in spirit.

Personal Philosophy and Legacy

Suyash's mantra: "Disability turned my life for the better—it's a platform, not a limitation." He balances training with family time, drawing strength from Solapur roots and Pune's sports ecosystem. No siblings or extended family details are public, but his story underscores familial bonds as his "strongest stroke."

Jadhav's impact transcends pools: He's mentored dozens of para-swimmers, advocated for better facilities, and inspired India's para-movement (e.g., record medals at Tokyo/Paris). In a nation where para-sports funding lagged, Suyash proved grit > circumstance. As he trains for 2028, his quote resonates: "My father's dream swims through me."

Swapna Barman

Swapna Barman: Full Profile – Heptathlete, Trailblazer, and Anti-Caste Activist

Full Name: Swapna Barman Date of Birth: October 29, 1996 Place of Birth: Ghoshpara village, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India Sport: Heptathlon (7 events: 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m, long jump, javelin throw, 800m) Coach: Subhas Sarkar (SAI, Kolkata) Current Status (2025): Active athlete, national record holder, planning political entry post-retirement

Early Life and Struggles
Family Background: Father: Panchanan Barman – a rickshaw puller (later worked as a van driver) Mother: Basana Barman – tea estate laborer Three siblings; Swapna is the eldest daughter Lived in a one-room mud house without electricity or sanitation until 2018.
Physical Challenge: Born with polydactyly – 12 fingers and 12 toes (6 toes per foot). Underwent surgery at age 8 to remove extra fingers, but toes remain uncorrected due to cost and fear of losing mobility. Wears customized spiked shoes (size 10–11), often buying two pairs to cut and stitch one functional pair – a financial burden.
Caste Identity: Rajbanshi (Rajbongshi) community – Scheduled Caste (SC) in West Bengal Faces subtle and overt caste discrimination in sports and society Surname “Barman” often mocked; denied equal facilities in camps

Athletic Career & Achievements

YearEventAchievementScore/Notes2013 Asian Youth Games (Nanjing) Silver (Pentathlon) First international medal
2014 Junior National Championships Gold (Heptathlon) 4,892 points
2016 South Asian Games (Guwahati) Gold (Heptathlon) 5,426 points
2017 Asian Athletics Championships (Bhubaneswar) Gold 5,942 points – National Record (stood until 2023)
2018 Asian Games (Jakarta) GOLD 6,022 points – Historic first for India in heptathlon
2019 Asian Championships (Doha) Silver 5,993 points
2023 National Games (Goa) Gold (Heptathlon) 5,705 points
2023 Indian Grand Prix Gold (High Jump) 1.80m

National Record: 6,022 points (2018) – broken by Nandini Agasara (5,989 pts) in 2023, but Swapna remains the highest-scoring Indian woman in Asian Games history.

Best Individual Events:
High Jump: 1.83m
Javelin: 47.36m
100m Hurdles: 14.01s
Major Challenges Faced

ChallengeDetailsFinancial Family income < ₹200/day; sold milk, father pulled rickshaw to fund travel
Equipment No proper shoes; used torn spikes; trained barefoot on muddy fields
Injury Chronic jaw pain (2018), ankle issues due to 6-toed feet
Caste Discrimination Denied hostel rooms, mocked for accent/surname, less media coverage
Gender Bias Heptathlon gets minimal funding vs. sprints or cricket

Quote (2023): “They laugh at my name, my feet, my village. But I run for every girl told she can’t.” – The Quint
Awards & Recognition


YearAward2019 Arjuna Award (India’s second-highest sporting honor)
2018 West Bengal Govt Cash Award: ₹10 lakh
2018 SAI Sponsorship & Job Offer (Income Tax Dept, Kolkata)
2023 Appointed Brand Ambassador – West Bengal SC/ST Welfare


Social Activism & Political Aspirations
Anti-Caste Advocacy: Publicly speaks against casteism in sports Supports reservation in sports quotas and equal facilities Mentors young SC/ST athletes in North Bengal
Political Plans (2023–2025): Announced intent to join politics post-retirement (target: 2026+) Likely to contest from Jalpaiguri or Cooch Behar (SC-reserved seats) Inspired by Mayawati, Kanshi Ram, and Ambedkarite ideology

“I want to enter politics to fight casteism. In sports, I faced it daily. Now I’ll fight it in Parliament.” – Interview with News18, 2023
Personal Life
Education: Graduate (B.A.) from Netaji Subhas Open University
Diet & Training: Eats 6–8 eggs daily, chicken, fish; trains 6 hours/day at SAI Kolkata Special focus on high jump and javelin – her strongest events
Role Model: Jessica Ennis-Hill (UK heptathlete)
Hobby: Teaching local girls athletics in Jalpaiguri
Legacy & Impact
First Indian woman to win Asian Games gold in heptathlon
Symbol of rural, Dalit, female resilience in Indian sports
Inspired Nandini Agasara (Telangana) and Poovamma Raju to take up multi-events
Her 6-toed feet became a global story of overcoming disability
Documentary: “Six Toes and a Dream” (2022, short film by Sportskeeda)
Recent Updates (2024–2025)
2024: Missed Asian Championships due to ankle injury
2025 Goal: Qualify for World Championships (Tokyo, Sept 2025)
Training with new coach Bedros Bedrosian (Armenian biomechanics expert)
Launched Swapna Barman Foundation – free coaching for SC/ST girls in North Bengal
Famous Quote


“My extra toe didn’t stop me. Caste won’t stop me. Nothing will.”

Sources:
Wikipedia (Swapna Barman)
Interviews: The Quint, News18, Times of India (2018–2023)
Asian Games Archives
SAI & AFI Records
Personal X posts (@SwapnaBarman96)

Swapna Barman is not just a champion athlete — she is a living movement against caste, poverty, and gender barriers in Indian sports.
Santhi Soundarajan
One of five children of brick kiln workers in Tamil Nadu, Santhi Soundarajan is a track and field athlete who has won more than 12 international medals for India. She holds the Indian national record for the women’s 3000 meters steeplechase.

In 2006, she was stripped of her silver medal in the women’s 800-meter race at the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, after failing a sex verification test. The humiliation she suffered from this unethical and unscientific test caused her to go into a depression, and she survived a suicide attempt. She has since supported other female athletes that have undergone similar cases, including Caster Semenya and Dutee Chand.

Soundarajan has claimed to have experienced caste-based discrimination in her work as a coach with the Sports Authority of India.

Santhi Soundarajan
From Wikipedia

Santhi soundarajanPersonal information
Nationality Indian
Born 17 April 1981
Alma mater NIS, Sports Authority of India(SAI), Bangalore
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight 64 kg (141 lb)
Sport
Sport Running
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 800m: 1:55.45
1500m: 4:11.66
National record 3000m: 10:44.65
World Peace Sports Festival Ambassador −2003, Korea,[1] All India Inter University Record Holder 800m: 2:07.68

Women's athletics
Representing  India
Disqualified 2006 Doha 800 m
 2006 Colombo 1500 m
 2006 Colombo 4×400 m relay
 2006 Colombo 800 m
 2005 Bangkok 4×400 m relay
 2005 Bangkok 800 m
 2005 Incheon 800 m
Asian Grand Prix
 2004 Asian Grand Prix, Bangalore 800 m
 2004 Asian Grand Prix, Pune 800 m
International Peace Sports Festival
 International Peace Sports Festival 2003 5000 m
 International Peace Sports Festival 2003 800 m
 International Peace Sports Festival 2003 400 m

Santhi Soundarajan (also spelled Shanthi Soundararajan,Tamil: சாந்தி சௌந்திரராஜன், born 17 April 1981) is an Indian track and field athlete. She is the winner of 12 international medals for India and around 50 medals for her home state of Tamil Nadu. Shanthi Soundarajan is the first Tamil woman to win a medal at the Asian Games.[2] She competes in middle distance track events. She was stripped of a silver medal won at the 2006 Asian Games after failing a sex verification test which disputed her eligibility to participate in the women's competition.

Early life and career

Santhi was born in 1981 in the village of Kathakkurichi in the Pudukkottai District of Tamil Nadu, India. Santhi grew up in a 20-by-5-foot hut across the road from the new home she lives in now. There was no bathroom or outhouse, nor was there running water or electricity. She is one of five children of brick-kiln labourers in a rural village in southern Tamil Nadu state; she overcame malnutrition as a child to become a middle-distance runner. Her family could not even afford a television and watched Santhi's Doha race at a neighbour's house. Her mother and father had to go to another town to work in a brickyard, where they earned the American equivalent of $4 a week. While they were gone, Santhi, the oldest, was in charge of taking care of her four siblings. Sometimes, Santhi's grandfather, an accomplished runner, helped while her parents were away. When she was 13, he taught her to run on an open stretch of dirt outside the hut and bought her a pair of shoes.

At her first competition, in eighth grade, Santhi won a tin cup trophy; she collected 13 more in interschool competitions. The sports coach at a nearby high school took note of her performances and recruited her. The school paid her tuition and provided her with a uniform and hot lunches. It was the first time Santhi had ever eaten three meals a day.

After high school, Santhi got a scholarship from an Arts college in Pudukkottai, the nearest town. and the following year, Santhi transferred to a college in Chennai, the state's capital, which was seven hours away. In 2005, she attended the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea, where she won a silver medal. In 2006, she was chosen to represent India at the Asian Games (run by the Olympic Council of Asia). In the 800 meters, Santhi took the silver in 2 minutes, 3.16 seconds, beating Viktoriya Yalovtseva of Kazakhstan by 0.03 seconds. This win led to Santhi becoming embroiled in an ongoing, unresolved debate over what makes an athlete eligible to compete in the women's division.

In 2004 Santhi was awarded 1 lakh cash from then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa

Santhi holds the national record for the women's 3000 metres steeplechase clocking 10:44.65 seconds. At a national meet in Bangalore in July 2005, she won the 800m, 1,500m and 3000m. She won the silver medal in 800 m at the 2005 Asian Championships in Incheon, South Korea.

Asian Games controversy

Santhi won a silver medal in the women's 800m race at the 2006 Asian Games held in Doha, Qatar clocking 2 minutes, 3.16 seconds.  However, she underwent a sex test shortly afterwards, and the results indicated that she "does not possess the sexual characteristics of a woman". While such sex tests are not compulsory for competitors, the International Association of Athletics Federations can request that contenders take such tests at any time, and include intensive evaluation by a gynecologist, a geneticist, an endocrinologist, a psychologist, and an internal medicine specialist. Reports initially suggested that her upbringing in impoverished rural India, where she reportedly only started eating proper meals in 2004, could be a factor behind the test result In a 2016 video petition, Santhi Soundarajan disclosed that she has been told she has androgen insensitivity syndrome.

Five days after the news report, Santhi says, she received a call from Lalit Bhanot, a former joint secretary of the Indian Olympic Association. Bhanot spoke to Santhi in English. "He told Santhi she can't do sports anymore,'. When she asked why, she was told: It's been confirmed, Santhi cannot compete in sports." Soon after the results of the sex test came out, she was stripped of her silver medal.

Santhi returned to her village in humiliation and promptly fell into serious depression. Months later, she tried to kill herself by ingesting a type of poison used by veterinarians. A friend found her vomiting uncontrollably and took her to a hospital.

Later life

In January 2007, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi awarded Santhi a television set and a cash prize of Rs. 1.5 million for her Doha Games effort, despite the fallout of Santhi failing a gender test. Santhi spent her reward money on her students; there are an average of 68 (trainees) and none of them is charged any fee.

Santhi's application to the state-run railways for a job before the games was turned down because the athlete failed a gender test.

In September 2007, Santhi was reported to have attempted suicide, reportedly by consuming a veterinary drug at her residence. The attempt was blamed on gender, economic, and sports pressure in India.

Two months later, Santhi took up coaching, starting a training academy at her home district of Pudukkottai, and became a temporary athletics coach with the regional government. By 2009, her academy had 68 students and her students had won the first and third positions in the Chennai marathon.

Santhi was admitted to the NIS athletic coach diploma course in Bangalore in 2013. Santhi was one of the 24 coaches in athletics, out of the 108 students who attended the course in eight disciplines. on 30 April 2014 she became a qualified athletics coach, being awarded the NIS diploma certificate at the Sports Authority of India graduation ceremony in Bangalore. Santhi doesn't have a permanent job at that time. Commenting on Santhi's situation, Olympic shooter Anjali Bhagwat, who termed the incident as "shameful," said "The athlete should be given at least a central or state government job for her financial stability, in lieu of what Santhi has done for the country".

In December 2014, with the help of gender activist Gopi Shankar Madurai, Santhi met Pon. Radhakrishnan, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of State for Information Technology and Broadcasting, and Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in New Delhi to present a request for assistance securing a permanent job as an athletics coach, and in restoring her 800m silver medal from the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

Radhakrishnan, a political heavyweight from Tamil Nadu, in turn, wrote to Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to release a cash award to Santhi, but the Ministry's response was unfavorable: she was informed through a letter that since the medal has not been restored to her, the Ministry cannot give a Rs 10 lakh cash award for the medal. Also, the Ministry does not provide or recommend jobs in central/state government offices.

"My legacy will remain not with my medals but with the determination and hope to overcome my past torment and my present struggles, I want to live my dream through my students."

— Santhi Soundarajan

Santhi told the BBC Tamil Service that the Indian authorities had not fought her case after she was stripped of her silver medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.

On 29 July 2015, the Madras High Court directed the State government to consider Santhi's plea for relaxation in educational qualifications and help her become a coach at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDATN). As per the notification issued by the Youth Welfare and Sports Development in April 2015, an applicant contesting for the post of the coach should have an education qualification of a bachelor's degree and Santhi did not have one. Justice D. Hariparanthaman directed the Secretary of the Youth Welfare and Sports Development to "consider her claim for the post of coach by granting requisite relaxation as a special case", in the light of the documents produced by her in the sports area and pass appropriate orders within six weeks.

On 27 September 2016 the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) served a notice on the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in response to a petition filed by Santhi. The NCSC investigated allegations of injustice and sought a response in the matter from the secretary of the Department of Sports within 30 days.

On 16 October 2016 Santhi was informed that the State government decided to appoint her as a permanent athletic coach under Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu Sports Minister K. Pandiarajan said the State will plead her case with the International Court of Arbitration for Sport. he also stated that the Tamil Nadu Government will write to SAI, Indian Olympic Association and Athletics Federation of India to take up Santhi's case in that forum.

Santhi received her appointment order for a permanent athletic coach under SDAT on 20 December 2016 from Tamil Nadu Sports Minister K. Pandiarajan at the Fort St. George, India

On 3 January 2017 Gopi Shankar Madurai who is closely working with Santhi said she will file a human rights violation case against Athletic Federation of India and Indian Olympic Association at Madras High Court or the Apex of India.

On 16 February 2017 The National Human Rights Commission of India rejected Santhi's complaint claims it's too late to accept it.

Achievements and honours

Santhi has won 12 international medals and 50 national medals, including:
Gold Medal – 2005 Asian Indoor Games – 4x400 relay
Gold Medal – 2005 Asian Indoor Games – 800 meters
Silver Medal – 2006 Asian Games- 800 meters
Gold Medal – 2006 South Asian Games – 1500 meters
Gold Medal – 2006 South Asian Games – 4x400 relay
Gold Medal – 2003 International Peace Sports Festival – 5000 meters
Silver Medal – 2006 South Asian Games – 800 meters
Silver Medal – 2005 Asian Athletics Championships – 800 meters
Silver Medal – 2004 Asian Grand Prix, Bangalore – 800 meters
Silver Medal – 2004 Asian Grand Prix, Pune – 800 meters
Silver Medal – 2003 International Peace Sports Festival – 800 meters
Bronze Medal – 2003 International Peace Sports Festival – 400 meters

YearAwardHonouring bodyNotes
2016 Young Inspirational Women Leader Award World Women Leadership Congress (WWLC) Awarded for her contributions towards increasing the participation of young Tamil girls in Athletics.

YearTitleHonouring bodyNotes
2017 Living Phoenix Kurukshetra (college festival) by College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University. Conferred on her for Santhi's remarkable contributions in the field of Athletics.

IAAF policy and support for other athletes

Santhi's case has been contrasted with that of Caster Semenya of South Africa, also a middle-distance runner, who nearly lost the gold she won at the 2009 Berlin World Championship after she failed a similar gender test. Semenya's nation rallied around her to safeguard her dignity, her rights and position in world sports. She was also her country's flag-bearer at the London Olympics 2012. Santhi supported Semenya, fearing that Semenya would face the same humiliation that she did.

Santhi also extended her support to Dutee Chand and said the youngster should not be victimized. She also expressed her dismay at the lack of sensitivity in the handling of the Dutee Chand issue, fearing that the young athlete's future may have now been jeopardized. Santhi demanded that all steps be taken to ensure the 18-year-old's return to the track.

Welcoming the Court of Arbitration for Sport's ruling in favour of Chand on 27 July 2015 for suspending gender test, the landmark ruling has also fuelled Santhi's hopes of regaining the silver medal and the Rs 10-lakh prize money from the central government which was withheld after the gender test row.

In this regard, it is notable that the IAAF policy, suspended as a result of Chand's case, did not prevent Santhi from competing. Kalra, Kulshreshtha and Unnikrishnan, writing in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2012, stated that "Chromosomal sex, used to disqualify Santhi in 2010, is not mentioned at all in the current guidelines." Immediately prior to the 2016 Olympic Games and in response to sex verification controversies, Genel, Simpson and de la Chapelle in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated "One of the fundamental recommendations published almost 25 years ago ... that athletes born with a disorder of sex development and raised as females be allowed to compete as women remains appropriate".

In popular culture

In 2006, Amitabh Bachchan raised a question on Santhi in the show Kaun Banega Crorepati 2 he hosted.

The character of Valli in the Tamil film Ethir Neechal is a tribute to Santhi

In August 2016 Thappad, an online platform and mobile application, made a video as part of an online campaign that is asking for Santhi's name to be included in the official records again and that the government should give her a permanent job to rebuild her life.

Put Chutney online comedy group under Culture Machine Media Pvt Ltd made a video in Tamil, to explain the significance of her struggle to residents of Tamil Nadu
Sumeet Passi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sumeet PassiPersonal information
Full name Sumeet Passi
Date of birth 12 September 1994
Place of birth Yamuna Nagar, Haryana, India
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position(s) Striker/Left Back
Club information

Current team Jamshedpur
Number 12
Youth career
Chandigarh FA
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013 Indian Arrows 3 (0)
2014–2016 Sporting Goa 9 (3)
2016–2017 Northeast United 4 (0)
2017 → DSK Shivajians (loan) 6 (0)
2017– Jamshedpur 28 (3)
National team‡
2011–2012 India U19 1 (1)
2015 India U23 1 (0)
2016– India 3 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 February 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 January 2020

Sumeet Passi (born 12 September 1994) is an Indian footballer who currently plays as a striker for both the Jamshedpur and the Indian national team.

Club career
Early career

Passi began playing the game at a very young age and thanks his father, Jai Prakash Passi who is a former Railways player, as the man who motivated him to become a dedicated footballer. Passi than began his footballing career as a training with Chandigarh Football Academy. In 2007 it was announced that Passi would be the captain of the Chandigarh football team at the under-14s level for the 53rd National School Games.

Senior career

Passi made his professional debut in football on 2 February 2013 against East Bengal in which he came on in the 77th minute for Dhanpal Ganesh as Pailan Arrows lost the match 2–1.
Jamshedpur

On 23 July 2017, Passi was selected in the 12th round of the 2017–18 ISL Players Draft by Jamshedpur for the 2017–18 Indian Super League season. He made his debut for the club on 18 February 2018 against Chennaiyin. He started the match and played 90 minutes as Jamshedpur drew 1–1.

International career

Passi made his debut for India against Laos on 2 June 2016. He scored his first international goal against Laos on 7 June 2016 with an assist from Jackichand Singh.

Shailaja Kumar
Wikipedia
Shailaja KumarAlpine skier
Disciplines Slalom
Full name Shailaja N Kumar

Born 17 January 1967 
Olympics
Teams 1 – (1988)
Medals 0

Women's alpine skiing
Representing  India

Shailaja Kumar (born 17 January 1967) is an Indian female Alpine Skier. She competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics. She is the first Indian woman to participate at the Winter Olympics.

Alpine skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Sonia Chahal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sonia Chahal in action | Special arrangement
Sonia ChahalPersonal information
Nationality Indian
Born 3-10-1997 ,
Nimri village, Bhiwani district, Haryana, India
Sport
Sport Boxing
Representing  India
 2019 Bangkok Featherweight
Sonia Chahal is an Indian amateur boxer. She is a silver medallist at the 2018 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships.

Early life and career

Chahal was born in Nimri village of Haryana state's Bhiwani district. She is the younger of two children of Mr. Jai Bhagwan, a farmer, and homemaker mother Neelam.
She started boxing in 2011 after taking inspiration from Kavita Chahal. And after six months of training at the Bhiwani Boxing Club under the coach Jagdish Singh, she won silver medal at the school-level national championships in the same year. She continued her training in Bhiwani for the next three years.

Chahal won silver medal in the featherweight division (54–57 kg) of the 2018 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships after losing in the final to Germany's Ornella Wahner.
Shyam Lal Meena



Shyam Lal Meena is one of the successful Celebrities. Shyam has ranked on the list of famous people who were born on May 4, 1965. Shyam Lal Meena is one of the Richest Celebrities who was born in Banswara, Rajasthan (IND).
Short ProfileFirst Name Shyam
Last Name Meena
Profession Celebrity
Age 54 years old
Birth Sign Taurus
Birth Date March 4, 1965
Birth Place Indian
Country Indian

Shyam Lal Meena Net Worth

Shyam Lal Meena estimated Net Worth, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. Let’s check, How Rich is Shyam Lal Meena in 2019-2020?
Shankarrao Ramrao Thorat

Shankarrao Ramrao Thorat was born on December 12, 1909, in Vadodara (then Baroda), Gujarat, India, during the British Raj. He hailed from a family deeply rooted in wrestling traditions, with his father, Ramrao Thorat, and brother, Marutirao Thorat, both being avid wrestlers. In 1930, the brothers established the Bal Vyayam Shala, a traditional wrestling gym (akharha) in the Baranpura area of Vadodara, fostering local talent and promoting the sport in the community. This gym became a hub for physical training, reflecting the family's commitment to kushti (Indian wrestling), a sport with ancient roots in the region influenced by Pehlwani styles blending local Malla-yuddha with Persian techniques.

Thorat belonged to the Maratha caste, a prominent warrior-peasant community in Maharashtra and Gujarat, often associated with the 96 Kuli Maratha clans and Suryavanshi lineages. The Thorat surname is distinctly linked to this group, though regional overlaps exist; no records connect him to Dalit or Scheduled Caste backgrounds.

While pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree at Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) in Vadodara, Thorat balanced academics with rigorous training, showcasing the era's emphasis on holistic development among Indian athletes.

Wrestling Career and Achievements

Thorat specialized in freestyle wrestling, competing in the bantamweight category (under 56 kg at the time). His breakthrough came in 1936 when he excelled at the Indian Olympic Games (IOG) in Lahore, a national qualifier for the Berlin Olympics. Despite the tournament's intensity, his "outstanding performance" secured his spot on India's Olympic team, marking a significant milestone for Vadodara-born athletes.

1936 Berlin Olympics

Thorat represented India at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany—the first modern Games hosted by Nazi Germany, attended by over 3,900 athletes from 49 nations. He competed in the men's freestyle bantamweight event on August 2, 1936, facing stiff international competition, including eventual gold medalist Ömer Ergin from Turkey and silver medalist Wolfgang Leithe from Germany. Specific match details are sparse in records, but Thorat did not advance to the medal rounds, finishing without a placing in a field dominated by European wrestlers. This participation made him one of only a handful of Indian wrestlers at the Olympics that year and Vadodara's first Olympian in any sport.

His Olympic journey highlighted the challenges faced by Indian athletes under colonial rule, including limited resources and travel hardships, yet it contributed to India's growing presence in global wrestling.

Other Achievements

Beyond the Olympics, Thorat's career focused on domestic and regional competitions, though detailed records are limited due to the era's sparse documentation. He was recognized as an amateur wrestler, emphasizing skill over professionalism. His role in promoting wrestling through Bal Vyayam Shala likely influenced younger athletes in Gujarat, where the sport was intertwined with cultural festivals and akharas. No international medals are recorded, but his qualification for the Olympics remains his pinnacle achievement, underscoring his technical prowess in freestyle techniques like takedowns and pins.

Later Life and Legacy

After his Olympic outing, Thorat returned to Vadodara, where he continued supporting local sports but largely faded from public view. He passed away in September 1983 at the age of 73, having lived a quiet life without the fame or financial security afforded to modern athletes.

Thorat's legacy is bittersweet. As Gujarat's inaugural Olympic representative in wrestling, he paved the way for future athletes from the state, including hockey player Govindrao Sawant (Rome 1960) and tennis star Ankita Raina (Tokyo 2020, the first female Olympian from Gujarat). However, like many pre-independence Olympians, he died in relative obscurity, unrecognized by government or sports bodies. In 2015, the Baroda District Amateur Athletic Association (BDAAA) honored him posthumously during an Olympic Day Run, acknowledging his contributions amid calls for better support for forgotten heroes.

A black-and-white portrait of Thorat, showing him in traditional wrestling attire, survives in Wikimedia Commons, symbolizing his enduring, if understated, impact on Indian sports history.

(Note: Shankarrao Thorat should not be confused with Lieutenant General Shankarrao Pandurang Patil Thorat (1906–1992), a distinguished Indian Army officer from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, who shares a similar name but had no connection to wrestling.)

SOROKHAIBAM RANJANA CHANU

One of the most versatile players in the National Team ranks, Ranjana Chanu is known for her exploits down the flanks, both as a winger and as a fullback. Possessing both speed and guile, Ranjana has been a key player for the team in recent times.


Date of Birth: 10 Mar 1999
Place of Birth: Manipur
Nationality:
INDIA

Position: Forward

State Association:
All Manipur Football Association

Current Club:Kangchup Road Young Physical & Sports Association-KRYHPSA was in class IV in the Corporation Government School in Jogpalya.
The talented youngster was forced to quit studies when in Class X but it got him more and more into football and the beautiful game showed him the way forward.
"After reading the news about the selection for the state U-16 side he went for the trials and got selected. In 2006, he was called for the national camp and then got selected to the Tata FA in 2007.

"He was the top-scorer when Karnataka finished runners-up in the South Zone and reached the semifinals of the U-16 nationals in 2007.

He emerged as the joint top-scorer for Jharkhand in the junior nationals in Mandya.

After passing out from Tata FA in 2010, Deepak played for Mumbai F.C.. In 2011-12 season was a homecoming of sorts for the talented Murphy Town boy when he signed for the Aircraftmen. However, he had a barren season for HAL as he was hardly seen playing in I-League.

Pailan Arrows

On 13 August 2012 it was officially confirmed that Prakash had signed for Pailan Arrows of the I-League after HAL S.C. were relegated from the I-League.
While with Arrows, Prakash was loaned out to I-League 2nd Division side DSK Shivajians for the 2013 I-League 2nd Division season.

Students Union

On 19 December 2014, it was revealed that Prakash had signed for local Bangalore Super Division side Students Union
Sanaa Bhambri

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Sanaa BhambriCountry (sports)  India
Residence New Delhi, India
Born 7 March 1988
New Delhi
Turned pro November 2002
Plays Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money $46,738
Singles
Career record 121–83
Career titles 0 WTA, 2 ITF
Highest ranking No. 434 (31 October 2005)
Doubles
Career record 129–65
Career titles 0 WTA, 12 ITF
Highest ranking No. 298 (31 October 2005)

Sanaa Bhambri (Hindi: सना भाम्बरी; born 7 March 1988) is a former professional tennis player from India. Her highest singles ranking is world No. 434, which she achieved in October 2005. She won one $25k doubles event at Lagos, Nigeria in 2005 and competed in three WTA Tour event main draws.
In her career, Bhambri won two singles titles and twelve doubles titles on the ITF circuit.

Career

A left-hander, Bhambri reached the semifinals of the 2003 French Open girls' doubles event, partnering compatriot Sania Mirza.
In October 2005, partnering Ankita Bhambri, Sanaa won the $25k Lagos 2 event. The sister tandem won both their semifinal and final matches by seeing their opponents withdraw before a point was played.
Her only WTA Tour main-draw appearances were at Kolkata at the Sunfeast Open, in each of the three years that the event was held – 2005, 2006 and 2007. Competing in doubles, Bhambri lost in the first round each time.
Active on tour from 2005 through 2010, competing primarily in events in India and Thailand, Bhambri won twelve $10k tournaments; two in singles (2006 in Ahmedabad and 2008 in Gurgaon) and ten in doubles.
Sanaa won a triple crown at the 2004 DSCL National Championships held in Delhi- in women's singles, women's doubles and girls' under-18s singles. She is the youngest Indian to achieve the feat.

Personal life

Bhambri's sister Ankita and brother Yuki all are or have been tour-level tennis players. She has cousins, Prerna Bhambri and Prateek Bhambri, who also play on the Indian circuit.
S. Ilavazhagi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

S. IlavazhagiPersonal information
Nationality Indian
Born 1984
Sport
Country  India
Sport Carrom

S. Ilavazhagi also known as S. Ilavazhaki (born 1984) is an Indian who has twice won the carrom world cup. She is considered as one of the finest carrom players to have represented India at international level from Tamil Nadu state after A. Maria Irudayam.

Biography

S. Ilavazhagi was born in 1984 to a poor family at Vyasarpadi, Chennai. His father A. Irudayaraj, a daily wage earning auto-rickshaw driver (motorished fish cart) and her mother, Selvi is an housewife. She is also the eldest of three sisters in her family.

Career

Ilavazhagi is a member of the Thiruvallur District Carrom Association and also represented India at the Carrom World Championships, Asian Championships. She won the 2008 Indian Indian National Carrom Championship which was held in Chennai beating a former world champion Rashmi Kumari in the final.

In the same year, she participated in the 2008 Carrom World Championships and became a world champion in the women's8.com/todays-paper/tp-sports/Ilavazhagi-is-World-champion/article15169357.ece|title=Ilavazhagi is World champion|date=2008-02-19|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Ilavazhagi also defeated Rashmi Kumari in the semifinals to qualify for the final. Prior to the 2008 Carrom World Cup she got financial assistance from K. Vijayal, a retired Reserve Bank of India officer.
She also competed at the 2012 Carrom World Championships and emerged as runners-up to Rashmi Kumari in the women's singles final and also won the women's doubles title along with Rashmi Kumari.


 Sunit Jadhav

Sunil Jadhav is a renowned Indian professional bodybuilder, coach, and fitness icon, widely considered one of the most successful and popular figures in the modern Indian bodybuilding scene. He is celebrated not only for his impressive physique but also for his humble background, inspiring journey, and significant role in promoting the sport in India.

Key Facts & Biography

  • Full Name: Sunil Suryakant Jadhav

  • Date of Birth: September 17, 1988

  • Place of Birth: A small village in Satara district, Maharashtra, India.

  • Nicknames: "The Pride of Maharashtra," "The Indian Beast."

  • Current Base: Pune, Maharashtra.

Background & Inspirational Journey

Sunil's story is one of remarkable perseverance:

  • Humble Beginnings: He hails from a modest farming family in rural Maharashtra. Financial constraints were a major challenge.

  • Initial Motivation: He started training to overcome a skinny physique and gain strength, initially using makeshift weights like concrete blocks and water jugs.

  • Turning Point: His dedication caught the eye of local gym owners and mentors who supported him. He moved to Pune to pursue bodybuilding more seriously, working odd jobs to fund his training and diet.

  • Self-Made Athlete: Unlike many professionals, he built his legendary physique largely through self-study, incredible discipline, and learning from experienced coaches in his early days.

Competitive Career & Major Achievements

Sunil Jadhav is a dominant force in national competitions and has made a mark internationally.

National Dominance:

  • He is a multiple-time Mr. India titleholder (winning in various federations like the Indian Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation - IBFF).

  • His most notable national achievement is winning the Sheru Classic India title, which is a premier national qualifier for the international Sheru Classic.

International Recognition:

  • Mr. Universe 2022: He won the prestigious WBPF Mr. Universe 2022 title in the professional bodybuilding category, held in South Korea. This is arguably his crowning achievement.

  • Sheru Classic: He has competed multiple times at the Sheru Classic (World Championship) in Dubai, often placing in the top 5 against world-class competition. His presence on this global stage has raised the profile of Indian bodybuilding.

  • Other International Shows: He has also competed in and placed highly at other international events like the Asian Championships.

Physical Statistics & Physique

  • Competition Weight: Around 95-100 kg (209-220 lbs).

  • Off-Season Weight: Can go up to 110-115 kg (242-253 lbs).

  • Height: Approximately 5'6" (168 cm).

  • Signature Features: Known for his exceptional muscle density, razor-sharp conditioning (extremely low body fat during contests), perfectly balanced proportions, and stunning back musculature (lats and traps). His physique is often praised for its classic aesthetics combined with modern size.

Training & Diet Philosophy

  • Training: Follows a structured, high-intensity bodybuilding split, typically training 5-6 days a week. His routines focus on heavy compound lifts complemented by isolation exercises. He is known for his intense work ethic in the gym.

  • Diet: Maintains a strict, clean diet centered on high protein (chicken, fish, eggs, supplements), complex carbohydrates (rice, oats, sweet potatoes), and healthy fats. His diet is meticulously planned, especially pre-contest, to achieve his characteristic shredded look.

Role as a Coach & Brand

  • Coach & Mentor: Through his venture "Team Jadhav," he coaches aspiring bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts across India and abroad. His coaching is highly sought after due to his proven track record.

  • Social Media Influence: He has a massive following on Instagram and YouTube, where he shares training tips, diet plans, vlogs, and motivational content, inspiring millions.

  • Brand Endorsements: He is associated with major Indian and international sports nutrition and fitness brands.

Personal Life

  • He is married and is a devoted family man. His wife is a strong pillar of support in his demanding career.

  • Despite his fame, he is known for his down-to-earth, humble, and respectful personality, which has greatly endeared him to fans.

Legacy & Impact

Sunil Jadhav's impact on Indian bodybuilding is profound:

  1. Inspiration: He embodies the "self-made" story, proving that with relentless hard work, one can rise from a village with no resources to become a world champion.

  2. Global Ambassador: His international success has shown that Indian bodybuilders can compete and win at the highest global levels.

  3. Growing the Sport: His popularity and visibility have attracted a new generation of young Indians to take up bodybuilding as a serious sport.

  4. Shifting Perceptions: He has helped change the perception of bodybuilding in India from a mere hobby to a respected professional sport.

In summary, Sunil Jadhav is more than just a bodybuilder; he is a icon of discipline, resilience, and success. He is the pride of Indian fitness, a world champion who carried his village on his shoulders to the global stage, and continues to inspire through his achievements and character.

Sena Ralte
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lalhmangaihsanga RaltePersonal information
Date of birth 6 July 1988
Place of birth Mizoram, India
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Left back
Club information

Current team Real Kashmir
Number 28
Youth career
Esthar F Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Royal Wahingdoh 15 (0)
2015 → Chennaiyin (loan) 6 (0)
2016 DSK Shivajians 14 (0)
2016–2017 Mumbai City 16 (0)
2017 → Bengaluru FC (loan) 7 (1)
2017–2018 Delhi Dynamos 2 (0)
2018–2019 ATK 2 (0)
2019– Real Kashmir 9 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4:06, 6 February 2020 (UTC)

Lalhmangaihsanga "Sena" Ralte (born 6 July 1988) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a left back for Real Kashmir in the I League.

Career

Born in Mizoram, Sena started his footballing career at the Esthar F Academy.
Royal Wahingdoh

He eventually joined the youth side of I-League 2nd Division side Royal Wahingdoh F.C. and was a part of the youth side that went on a trip to South Africa in March 2014. He then played a part in the senior Royal Wahingdoh side that participated in the 2014 I-League 2nd Division and gained promotion to the I-League.

He then made his professional debut for Royal Wahingdoh in the Federation Cup on 28 December 2014 against Mumbai. He started the match as Royal Wahingdoh won 2–1.

Chennaiyin (loan)

In July 2015 Lalhmangaihsanga was drafted to play for Chennaiyin FC in the 2015 Indian Super League.

DSK Shivajians

On 5 January 2016, Sena Ralte signed for new I-League club DSK Shivajians for 1 season. In whole season he was the instrumental player for the team and a regular starter of the team.

Mumbai City

In July 2016, Ralte signed on the dotted lines for Mumbai City FC for the third season of Hero ISL. He made his debut for Mumbai City In a match where Mumbai City beaten their Arch Rivals FC Pune City by 1-0.

Bengaluru FC (loan)

He was signed on loan from Mumbai City FC for 2016–17 I-League season. Ralte scored his debut goal for Bengaluru against Shillong Lajong from 35 yards.

Delhi Dynamos

ATK

Sena was signed by ATK for 2 years.

Career statistics

As of 26 November 2017
ClubSeasonLeagueFederation CupDurand CupAFCTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Royal Wahingdoh 2014–15 I-League 15 0 1 0 0 0 — — 16 0
Chennaiyin 2015 Indian Super League 6 0 0 0 0 0 — — 6 0
DSK Shivajians 2015–16 I-League 11 0 0 0 0 0 — — 11 0
Mumbai City 2015 Indian Super League 16 0 0 0 0 0 — — 16 0
Bengaluru 2016–17 I-League 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 1
ATK 2018–19 Indian Super League 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Career total581100010601
Honours
Club

Chennaiyin
Sumithra Kamaraj
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sumithra Kamaraj is an Indian women's footballer who plays as a midfielder for India women's national football team. She plays for Sethu FC in Indian Women's League.
Sumithra KamarajPersonal information
Full name Sumithra Kamaraj
Date of birth July 5, 1994
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information

Current team Sethu FC
Number 16
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–18

Jeppier InstituteIndira Gandhi AS&E 18 (4)
2019– Sethu FC 04 (04)
National team‡
2016– India 5 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 feb 2020 Season
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 April 2019

Sumithra Kamaraj is an Indian women’s footballer who was born on July 5, 1994.She was also member of 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Clubs

Sumithra played for Jeppier Institute in 2016–17 Indian Women's League later club renamed Indira Gandhi AS&E. She joined Sethu FC in 2018–19 Indian Women's League.
Sachin Nag
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sachin Nag
শচীন নাগ
Sachin Nag
Born 5 July 1920

Died 19 August 1987 (aged 67)

Nationality Indian
Occupation Swimmer
Height 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)

Sachin NagMedal record
Representing  India
Men's Swimming
 1951 Asian Games 100 m freestyle
 1951 Asian Games 4x100 m freestyle relay
 1951 Asian Games 3x100 m medley relay

Sachin Nag (5 July 1920 – 19 August 1987) was an Indian swimmer. He competed in the men's 100 metre freestyle at the 1948 Summer Olympics. He also competed in the water polo at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics. He won the first gold medal for India in the Asian Games when he won it in men's 100 metre freestyle swimming at the 1951 Asian Games in Delhi.

Supriya Mondal
Wikipedia
Birth name Supriya Mondal
Country  India
Born 12 January 1997 
Shahpur, West Bengal


Supriya Mondal, born on 12 January 1997 hails from a little fishing village in Shahpur, West Bengal. He is an Indian swimmer and trains at the Dolphin Academy, Bangalore under coach Nihar Ameen who has trained Olympians like Virdhawal Khade and Sandeep Sejwal. Srikanth is supported by the GoSports Foundation, Bangalore and has been part of their scholarship programme since 2012.

Career
Early career

Mondal won gold medal in the 100m and 200m butterfly events, and a silver medal in the 50m butterfly event at the Junior National Championships in Goa, 2009. In the 39th Junior National Aquatic Championship, Chennai 2012, Mondal took one gold and one silver in the 100m and 200m butterfly events respectively.

2013

Mondal represented India at the 2013 Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, China and finished 6th in the 200m butterfly event. In the 40th junior nationals in Hyderabad he won two gold and a silver, creating the national record in the 200m butterfly event along the way. At the senior nationals in Trivandrum, Mondal collected a silver in 200m butterfly and a bronze in the 100m of the same discipline.

2014

Mondal was awarded the best swimmer title in the 41st junior nationals in Bhopal. He finished the tournament with 5 gold and another national record He won 2 gold and 1 silver medal at the 1st Dubai International Aquatic Championships. The youngster clocked 2:03.93s in the 200m butterfly, achieving the ‘A’ qualification required to compete in the same event in the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, Nanjing, China.

Personal

Born in a very modest family, Mondal's father is a fisherman and his mother a home maker. Mondal started swimming in a small pond in Shahpur, West Bengal. His talent did not go unnoticed. Sanjib Chakraborty, his mentor and husband of famous Bengali swimmer, Bula Choudhury, taught him the rules of professional swimming and helped him hone his skills. Supriya's talent was soon discovered by the GoSports Foundation in 2012, who helped relocate him to Bangalore to train under Nihar Ameen. The Foundation has since been supporting him with training, equipment as well as gaining tournament exposure.


Sonia Chahal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sonia ChahalPersonal information
Nationality Indian
Born 3 October 1997 , Nimri village, Bhiwani district, Haryana, India
Sport
Sport Boxing

hide
Medal record


Representing  India
 2019 Bangkok Featherweight

Sonia Chahal is an Indian amateur boxer. She is a silver medallist at the 2018 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships.

Early life and career

Chahal born 3 October 1997, was born in Nimri village of Haryana state's Bhiwani district. She is the younger of two children of Mr. Jai Bhagwan, a farmer, and homemaker mother Neelam.

She started boxing in 2011 after taking inspiration from Kavita Chahal. And after six months of training at the Bhiwani Boxing Club under the coach Jagdish Singh, she won silver medal at the school-level national championships in the same year. She continued her training in Bhiwani for the next three years.

Chahal won silver medal in the featherweight division (54–57 kg) of the 2018 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships after losing in the final to Germany's Ornella Wahner.
Savita Punia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Savita Punia
Punia receiving the Arjuna Award, 2018
Personal information
Born 11 July 1990
Jodhkan, Sirsa district, Haryana, India
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight 60 kg (132 lb)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club Hockey Haryana
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Hockey Haryana
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008– India 202 (0)

Women's field hockey
Representing  India
 2017 Gifu Team

Savita Punia (born 11 July 1990) is an Indian field hockey player and is a member of the India national field hockey team. She hails from Haryana and plays as the goalkeeper.

Early life

Savita Punia was born on 11 July 1990 in Jodhkan village of Sirsa district in Haryana. She was sent to the district headquarters for better schooling. She was enrolled in the sports academy. She was encouraged by her grandfather Mahinder Singh to take up hockey and joined the Sports Authority of India (SAI) center at Hisar. She was coached by Sunder Singh Kharab during her early years. She was initially not too interested in the game, but later, when her father spent Twenty Thousand Rupees on her kit, she started to see the game in a new light and got serious about it. In 2007, Punia was picked for a maiden national camp in Lucknow, and she trained with a top goalkeeper.

Career

In 2008, Punia made her first international tour, a four-nation event in Netherlands and Germany. She made her senior international debut in the year 2011. She has featured in more than 100 games at the international level. She qualified for the national team in 2007 when she was barely 17. In 2009, she participated as a member of the team in the Junior Asia Cup. In 2013, she participated in the Eighth Women's Asia Cup held in Malaysia in which she saved two crucial potential goals in the penalty shoot-out and paved the way for India to win a Bronze medal. She was a part of the bronze-winning team at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

In the year 2016, she displayed excellent performance when she withstood a barrage of penalty corners against Japan in the last 1 minute to help India hold on to its 1–0 lead. She helped the team qualify for the Rio Olympics after 36 years. In the Asia Cup of 2018, she made an astonishing save against China in the final, earning herself the goalkeeper of the tournament award and for her team, a slot in the 2018 World Cup in London.

She performed effectively at the Hawke's Bay Cup in New Zealand and helped her team finish 6th in the tournament.

Her outstanding performance helped the women's Indian team to beat Chile in the final match of the Women's Hockey World League Round 2.

In an interview in 2016, Punia revealed that she had been promised a job under the Haryana Government's Medal Lao, Naukri Pao scheme, but hasn't got it. A year later too, she said that nothing had changed.

Accolades

She was awarded the Baljit Singh Goalkeeper of the Year award at the Hockey India Annual Awards in 2015, for having phenomenal performances for India in international contributions which proved her worth as the best goalkeeper in the country. She also received a cash reward of 1 lakh rupees for her contribution to the sports.

Saikat Saha Roy

Saikat Saha Roy was born on December 12, 1991, in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Growing up in the football-obsessed city of Kolkata, he developed a passion for the sport early on, honing his skills in local academies and youth setups. Standing at 176 cm (5'9") tall and weighing around 62 kg, Roy is right-footed and known for his defensive solidity, often playing as a right-back or center-back in a right-center (D-RC) role. His playing style emphasizes tactical awareness, aerial ability, and reliable tackling, making him a dependable presence in the backline during his prime years.

Roy hails from the Saha community, a Bengali group traditionally associated with trade and commerce. In West Bengal, the Saha (or Shunri) surname is predominantly classified as a Scheduled Caste (SC) under India's reservation system, reflecting historical socio-economic roles in money-lending and related occupations. While some Saha families claim Vaishya (general category) status due to mercantile heritage, the majority in Bengal, including those in sports like Roy, align with SC categorization, which has enabled access to affirmative action in education and athletics.

Youth and International Career

Roy's talent caught the eye at the youth level, leading to his call-up to the India U-19 national team. He represented the country in the 2010 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers, showcasing his potential against regional peers in Asia. This exposure marked him as a promising defender, though he did not progress to senior international caps, a common trajectory for many I-League talents during that era.

Professional Club Career

Roy turned professional in 2011, embarking on a career primarily in India's domestic leagues, where he became a journeyman defender known for his versatility and club loyalty. His journey reflects the competitive landscape of Indian football, transitioning from top-tier I-League to lower divisions amid league restructurings.

East Bengal FC (2011–2013)

Roy's breakthrough came with Kolkata giants East Bengal FC, one of India's most storied clubs with a massive fanbase. He joined ahead of the 2011–12 season and quickly integrated into the first team.

  • Debut and Early Matches: His professional bow was in the I-League on October 22, 2011, against Churchill Brothers SC, where East Bengal fell 1–0. He earned his first start on December 29, 2011, against Salgaocar FC, though the team lost 4–0.
  • Key Highlight: Earlier that year, Roy starred in the 2011 Indian Federation Cup, scoring the decisive penalty in a 9–8 shootout win over Mumbai FC in the final, securing the trophy for East Bengal. This remains his most notable achievement, etching his name in club lore.

During his stint, Roy appeared in limited first-team action (exact figures sparse, but under 10 I-League games), often as a squad player behind established defenders. East Bengal finished runners-up in the I-League in 2011–12, but Roy's role was peripheral.

Bhawanipore FC (2014–?)

In 2014, Roy transferred to Bhawanipore FC, a Kolkata-based club competing in the I-League 2nd Division (now I-League 3). The move was free, aligning with his mid-career shift to more consistent playing time in lower tiers. Bhawanipore, affiliated with the Cricket Association of Bengal, provided a platform for Roy to captain or lead the backline in regional competitions.

  • Performance: He contributed to promotion pushes and CFL Premier Division campaigns, though specific goals or assists are minimal (primarily a defender, with 0 goals recorded in major databases).

Post-2014 details taper off, with Transfermarkt listing his current club as "unknown," suggesting a possible retirement around age 30–33. As of 2025, at 33, he may have stepped away from professional play, potentially coaching or involved in grassroots football in Kolkata.

Achievements:

  • Federation Cup Winner (2011): Scored the decisive penalty for East Bengal vs. Mumbai FC.
  • India U-19 Caps (2010): Participated in AFC U-19 qualifiers.
  • No senior India caps or major individual awards, but contributed to East Bengal's domestic success.

His market value was never formally assessed (listed as €0), typical for lower-tier Indian players.

Later Life and Legacy

Little is publicly known about Roy's post-playing life, as he maintained a low profile outside the pitch—no major social media presence or interviews noted in recent searches. At 33 in 2025, he could be involved in coaching youth teams in Kolkata or pursuing non-football endeavors, common for retired I-League defenders.

Roy's legacy lies in his grassroots impact: As a product of Kolkata's football ecosystem, he embodied the resilience of club loyalists in a sport dominated by a few giants. His Federation Cup heroics remain a highlight for East Bengal fans, and his SC background highlights the role of affirmative policies in nurturing talents from underrepresented communities. Though not a household name, Roy's journey—from U-19 international to domestic stalwart—mirrors the challenges and joys of Indian football's lower echelons.

(Note: Roy is distinct from other "Saikat Saha" figures, such as academics or unrelated athletes; all details pertain to the footballer.)
Sumeet Passi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sumeet PassiPersonal information
Full name Sumeet Passi
Date of birth 12 September 1994
Place of birth Yamuna Nagar, Haryana, India
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker/Left Back
Club information

Current team Jamshedpur
Number 12
Youth career
Chandigarh FA
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013 Indian Arrows 3 (0)
2014–2016 Sporting Goa 9 (3)
2016–2017 Northeast United 4 (0)
2017 → DSK Shivajians (loan) 6 (0)
2017– 2020 Jamshedpur 28 (3)
2020– Punjab FC 5 (0)
National team‡
2011–2012 India U19 1 (1)
2015 India U23 1 (0)
2016– India 8 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 February 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 January 2020

Sumeet Passi (born 12 September 1994) is an Indian footballer who currently plays as a striker for I-League club Punjab FC and Indian national team.

Early career

Passi began playing the game at a very young age and thanks his father, Jai Prakash Passi who is a former Railways player, as the man who motivated him to become a dedicated footballer. Passi than began his footballing career as a training with Chandigarh Football Academy. In 2007 it was announced that Passi would be the captain of the Chandigarh football team at the under-14s level for the 53rd National School Games.

Senior career

Passi made his professional debut in football on 2 February 2013 against East Bengal in which he came on in the 77th minute for Dhanpal Ganesh as Pailan Arrows lost the match 2–1.

Jamshedpur

On 23 July 2017, Passi was selected in the 12th round of the 2017–18 ISL Players Draft by Jamshedpur for the 2017–18 Indian Super League season. He made his debut for the club on 18 February 2018 against Chennaiyin. He started the match and played 90 minutes as Jamshedpur drew 1–1.

International career

Passi made his debut for India against Laos on 2 June 2016. He scored his first international goal against Laos on 7 June 2016 with an assist from Jackichand Singh.


Sunil Chhetri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sunil Chhetri
Chhetri with India in 2009
Personal information
Full name Sunil Chhetri
Date of birth 3 August 1984
Place of birth Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, (present-day Telangana), India
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Striker, winger
Club information

Current team Bengaluru
Number 11
Youth career
2001–2002 City Football Club
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2005 Mohun Bagan 18 (8)
2005–2008 JCT 48 (21)
2008–2009 East Bengal 14 (9)
2009–2010 Dempo 13 (8)
2010 Kansas City Wizards 0 (0)
2011 Chirag United 7 (7)
2011–2012 Mohun Bagan 14 (8)
2012–2013 Sporting CP B 5 (0)
2013 → Churchill Brothers (loan) 8 (4)
2013–2015 Bengaluru 43 (16)
2015–2016 Mumbai City 11 (7)
2015–2016 → Bengaluru (loan) 14 (5)
2016– Bengaluru 93 (47)
2016 → Mumbai City (loan) 6 (0)
National team‡
2004 India U20 3 (2)
2005– India 118 (74)

Honours
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:44, 3rd January 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 04:00, 15 June 2021 (UTC)

Sunil Chhetri (born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a striker or winger and captains both Indian Super League side Bengaluru FC and the Indian national football team. Chhetri is the fourth-highest international goalscorer among active players, after Cristiano Ronaldo, Ali Mabkhout and Lionel Messi, and 13th-highest of all time, as of June 2021. He is both the most-capped player and the all-time top goalscorer for his national team.

Chhetri began his professional career at Mohun Bagan in 2002, moving to JCT where he scored 21 goals in 48 games.He signed for Major League Soccer side the Kansas City Wizards in 2010, becoming the third player from the subcontinent of note to go abroad. He returned to India's I-League where he played for Chirag United and Mohun Bagan before going back abroad, at Sporting Clube de Portugal of the Primeira Liga, where he played for the club's reserve side.

Chhetri helped India win the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup, as well as the 2011 SAFF Championship. He was also helped India win the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, which qualified them to their first AFC Asian Cup in 27 years, scoring twice in the final tournament in 2011. Chhetri has also been named AIFF Player of the Year a record six times in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018–19.

Mohun Bagan

Chhetri began his professional football journey with Mohun Bagan of the National Football League after playing with City FC of New Delhi. After his first season with the club, the 2002–03 season, Chhetri had scored four goals as Mohun Bagan finished in seventh place in the table. The next season, Chhetri scored only two goals. The first came against Sporting Goa while the second came against Indian Bank as Mohun Bagan once again finished in the bottom half of the table, in ninth place. Chhetri then once again scored only two goals during the 2004–05 season; this time Mohun Bagan finished eighth in the league and remained in the National Football League on goal difference.

JCT

In 2005, Chhetri signed for JCT for the 2005–06 season. During that season, Chhetri scored three goals. He scored twice against Salgaocar before the third came against Sporting Goa, as JCT finished the season that year in sixth place. Meanwhile, in the Santosh Trophy, Chhetri scored two hat-tricks for Delhi in the group stages of the 61st Santosh Trophy against both Orissa and Railways. However, despite Chhetri's best efforts, Delhi were eliminated in the pre-quarter final round after losing 1–0 to Tamil Nadu in extra time.

Then, during the 2006–07 season, Chhetri scored a total of eleven goals in the league for JCT as the club finished in second place, behind Dempo. Among his best games during that season were the matches against his former club Mohun Bagan and Dempo in which he scored braces in both matches as JCT won both games 2–0 and 3–2 respectively.

Then, during the very first season of the I-League, Chhetri scored seven goals as JCT finished the season in third place. His only brace that season came against Salgaocar during the final match of the season. Midway through that season though, in December 2007, Chhetri was awarded the AIFF Player of the Year award for 2007 for his excellent form and performances for his club and country.

Interest abroad

"Of course, I would love to play in Europe like [David] Villa and it all depends where I get an offer from. England would certainly be fine and I have had talks but the stumbling blocks are the work permit restrictions."

Sunil Chhetri, stating his desire to move abroad to play alongside Spanish striker David Villa.

In October 2008 it was rumored that Chhetri had sparked interest from foreign clubs. These clubs were Leeds United of the Football League One and Estoril Praia of the Liga de Honra, the second division of Portugal. During an interview Chhetri said that "Nothing has been confirmed as yet but yes, I think I am close to getting there." indicating that there was a chance of him signing in England. However, in the end, a move never materialized.

East Bengal

Before the 2008–09 season began, Chhetri signed with fellow I-League side East Bengal. He scored on his debut for East Bengal against Chirag United on 26 September 2008 in which he scored in the 28th minute as East Bengal won the match 3–1.

Chhetri then went on to score a crucial goal for East Bengal during the Federation Cup in which he scored the only goal against his former club, JCT, which led to East Bengal booking a place in the semi-finals. During the semi-final match, East Bengal took on arch-rivals and another of Sunil's former clubs, Mohun Bagan, in which he missed the decisive penalty in the penalty shootout as East Bengal were officially knocked-out of the tournament.

Midway through the season though, reports came out suggesting that two Major League Soccer teams were interesting in Chhetri, along with his international teammate Steven Dias. These two MLS sides were rumored to be the Los Angeles Galaxy and D.C. United. However, on 25 January 2009, Chhetri arrived in Coventry, England to begin a trial at Coventry City of the Football League Championship, thus rejecting MLS. Four days later though, Coventry City manager Chris Coleman said that they would not be following their interest in Chhetri. Four months later though, Chhetri said that he would go back to Coventry City in June 2009 for another extended trial.That never materialized however.

Dempo

Upon being released by East Bengal, Chhetri signed a two-year contract with another fellow I-League side, Dempo on 22 May 2009. In his contract was a clause which allowed him to leave for trials abroad in the future if he wanted to.

More foreign interest

On 7 August 2009 it was reported that Scottish Premier League side Celtic were linked with a move to sign Chhetri. The Scottish club had watched Chhetri during a pre-season friendly with Santboià, a Segunda División B side, in a pre-season fixture. Yogesh Joshee, Chhetri's agent, was quoted as saying, "I'm waiting to get feedback from Celtic, who saw him on Monday by head scout and then another scout came to watch game, I'll let you know the outcome when I know."

Then on 30 August 2009 it was announced by the Hindustan Times that Chhetri had signed a three-year contract with English Football League Championship side Queens Park Rangers but that he was denied a work permit by the British government. According to an article on the Football Players’ Association of India's official website, Chhetri was denied a work permit because India were not in the top 70 of the FIFA World Rankings. Chhetri, however, remained positive: "But it's not the end of the world. I will still continue to work hard for my country and my club Dempo, who have been very supportive."

Overseas career

In March 2010 it was announced that Chhetri was on trial with the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer and that he had played during their pre-season games. He then formally signed for the team on 24 March 2010, becoming just the third Indian to play outside of South Asia and the first Indian to play in MLS. Peter Vermes, the head coach of the Wizards, was quoted as saying "One thing we really like about Sunil is that he's a crafty player. Technically he's very sharp, and he's a guy that has good attacking tendencies."

On 14 April 2010 Chhetri made his debut for the Wizards in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualification play-in game against the Colorado Rapids in which he started but ended up with a yellow card and was substituted out of the game at half-time as Kansas City lost the match 1–2. Then, on 23 July 2010, it was announced that Chhetri would play in a mid-season friendly against Manchester United. However this caused controversy as he had not yet played a league match. On 25 July 2010, Chhetri made an appearance for the Wizards against United, coming on as a substitute for Teal Bunbury in the 69th minute as Kansas City won the match 2–1.

However, the next day, it was announced that Chhetri was to compete for the Indian national team until the end of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. Then on 5 February 2011 it was announced that Chhetri had officially left the team.

Chirag United

On 10 February 2011, it was announced that Chirag United had beaten United Sikkim to the signing of Sunil Chhetri for the rest of the 2010–11 I-League season. On 3 April 2011, Chhetri scored his first goal for Chirag United against Dempo, however, Dempo won the match 4–2. Chhetri then scored a brace on 29 April 2011 against ONGC to help salvage a 2–2 draw for Chirag.

Mohun Bagan

On 22 July 2011, it was announced by I-League club Mohun Bagan that Chhetri has signed a one-year deal with the club.

Sporting Clube de Portugal B

On 4 July 2012, it was reported that Chhetri had signed a two-year contract with Sporting CP and would play in their reserve team. He then made his debut for the side in a Segunda Liga match against S.C. Freamunde in which he came on in the 85th minute as Sporting CP B won the match 2–0.

Churchill Brothers (loan)

On 13 February 2013, it was announced that in order to get more playing time Chhetri would be loaned out to Churchill Brothers in the I-League for the remainder of the season. He made his debut for Churchill Brothers on 26 February 2013 against Kitchee in the AFC Cup in which Chhetri started as Churchill Brothers lost 0–3. He then scored his first goal for Churchill Brothers in their next match against Semen Padang on 12 March 2013 in which he started and scored in the 27th minute as Churchill Brothers drew the match 2–2 After the season ended, Chhetri had scored four goals in eight matches as he helped Churchill Brothers to their second ever I-League title.

Bengaluru FC
2013–14

On 19 July 2013, following his release from Sporting Lisbon, Chhetri signed with new direct-entry I-League side Bengaluru for the 2013–14 season. He made his debut for the club in their opening game on 22 September 2013 against Mohun Bagan in which he came on as a 46th-minute substitute for Beikhokhei Beingaichho as Bengaluru managed a 1–1 draw. Chhetri then scored his first goal for the side in the next game against Rangdajied United in which he found the net in the 67th minute as Bengaluru won 3–0.

He did not score again for Bengaluru till November when, on the 2nd against Mumbai, Chhetri scored from the penalty-spot in the 57th minute to help Bengaluru FC to a 2–2 draw. He then scored his first brace of the season against on 1 December 2013 against Shillong Lajong in which his 7th and 34th-minute strikes helped the team to a 2–1 victory. Then in the next match against former club Churchill Brothers Chhetri scored another brace as he led Bengaluru FC to a 3–1 victory. He then scored his third brace in a row in the very next match against Mohammedan as he led Bengaluru FC to a 3–2 win in Kolkata.

Chhetri then finished off an impressive first half of the season for Bengaluru with a goal from the penalty spot against Salgaocar, his ninth of the season, as he led the Bangalore side to a 2–1 victory. He then scored another goal in the teams very first Federation Cup match against Sporting Goa as Bengaluru FC won 5–3 on 15 January 2014. With 14 goals and 7 assist in 23 appearances in the season, Chhetri led Bengaluru FC to their first ever I-League title in its debut season.

2014–15

Chhetri began the season in the 2014 Durand Cup, playing and scoring three times but missed the penalty in the shoot-out in the semi-final against Salgaocar which turned out to be the decisive penalty miss as Bengaluru crashed out.

Chhetri scored a brace in his side's first match of 2014–15 Federation Cup against Salgaocar in a match which eventually ended 3–2 in his side's favor. Chettri scored another brace in the last group stage match of the cup against Pune, scoring one from open play and one from the penalty spot and thus leading his side to the semi final. He kept up his form in the semi final against Sporting Goa and assisted Sean Rooney for the first goal and scored the second goal in a match which ended 3–0 in his side's favor. Chhetri scored his 6th goal of the tournament in the final, thus helping them win the 2014–15 Federation Cup. Sunil scored his first goal of the 2014–15 season in the 7th round away to Mohun Bagan from a Eugeneson Lyngdoh cross but couldn't prevent his team from going down 4–1. The CEO of Bengaluru FC, Parth Jindal confirmed that Chhetri along with Robin Singh and Thoi Singh will become contracted to the Indian Super League at the end of the season, to join the ISL team that drafts them in, but an arrangement has been agreed that they will be loaned back to Bengaluru for the next I-League season.

Mumbai City

Chhetri was picked up by Mumbai City during the 2015 Indian Super League for Rs. 1.2 crores, making him the most expensive Indian player at the auctions. He missed his team's first and second round matches in the 2015 season through national team commitments, playing against Turkmenistan and Oman in Group D of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, but returned against Chennaiyin in a 2–0 loss. He scored twice in his second game of the season against Roberto Carlos lead Delhi Dynamos in a 2–0 win, the first for his team in the season before scoring again, from the penalty spot, in the very next game against then table toppers Goa managed by Zico. Chhetri made history, becoming the first Indian player to score a hat-trick, in his fourth game of the season, against NorthEast United and taking his total of the season to 6 goals in 4 games. he was the top scorer for Mumbai City for that season as he poached 7 Goals. fast forward to 2018 he was still the pole position of All-time top scorers for Mumbai City FC. he came back in Mumbai colors for 2016's ISL season, the team done well this time as they reached playoffs for first time, but national commitments & less game time with the likes of Diego Forlan & Sony Norde kept him away from score sheet. After two seasons with the islanders, he signed a three-year contract which made him the highest-paid Indian Player in 2017.

Bengaluru FC
2015–16

Chhetri was loaned out to Bengaluru for the 2015–16 I-League season, where he ended up scoring 5 times in the league, thus helping his team win the league title for the second time in three years. He also scored twice in a round of 16 match against Kitchee in the 2016 AFC Cup, helping his side to an unlikely 2–3 win away from home. This would be the first time Bengaluru had reached the quarter finals of the tournament.

2016–17

On 9 June 2016, Bengaluru announced that Chhetri had signed a one-year contract at the club, thus reverting his ownership rights to the club from Mumbai City. Chhetri scored twice as Bengaluru won the 2016 AFC Cup Semi Final tie by beating Johor Darul Ta'zim in Bengaluru. Chhetri's second goal was a 30-yard strike, where he received the ball from C.K. Vineeth, beat one defender and unleashed a screamer to give Bengaluru the lead.

2017–presen

He scored 14 goals for the club during the 2017–18 Indian Super League season and became the Indian top scorer of the league. He was also the second top scorer for Bengaluru in the league and won the Hero of the League. In 2018, Chhetri went on to win the Indian Super Cup with Bengaluru FC. With 9 goals, he was the topscorer for Bengaluru during their 2018–19 season in ISL and helped to win the 2018–19 Indian Super League title. Chhetri was Bengaluru's topscorer during their 2019–20 campaign. During the 2020–21 season, he scored eight goals and thus became the topscorer for Bengaluru in three consecutive seasons. On 15 February 2021, Chhetri became the first player to make 200 appearance for Bengaluru FC. He scored his 100th goal for Bengaluru FC in the final league match of the 2020–21 ISL season against Jamshedpur FC on 25 February 2021. On 20 June, it was announced that Chhetri had signed a two-year contract extension until 2023.

International career

On 30 March 2004, Chhetri played his first game for the Indian U-20 team in the 1–0 victory over Pakistan U-23 team in the 2004 SAF Games in Pakistan. On 3 April 2004, Chhetri scored twice for the Indian U-20 team against Bhutan U-23 team in their 4–1 victory. On 12 June 2005 Sunil scored his first goal for the senior India national football team against Pakistan.

On 15 October 2019, Chhetri became the only Indian to secure a place in the list of top 10 goalscorers in international football.

2007–2011
Chettri (in right) celebrating with teammates, after winning the Nehru Cup final against Syria in 2007.

Chhetri's first international tournament was the 2007 Nehru Cup. In the opening game, India defeated Cambodia 6–0 with Chhetri scoring two goals.He also scored a goal in the 2–3 defeat to Syria and another in the 3–0 win over Kyrgyzstan to take his goal tally to four. Chhetri was involved in the build-up to N.P. Pradeep's decisive goal as India beat Syria 1–0 in the final to become the first champions of the tournament since 1997. Later in 2007, India began their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. They were knocked out in the first round by Lebanon with Chhetri scoring once in the away leg (a 4–1 defeat) and once in the home leg (a 2–2 draw) resulting in a 6–3 aggregate defeat.

Chhetri celebrating after scoring in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup

The 2008 SAFF Championship started with three victories out of a possible three in the group stages. In the opening game, Chhetri scored a goal in a 4–0 victory over Nepal. He scored once more in the championship—in the 2–1 semi-final victory over Bhutan; this was an equaliser before Gouramangi Singh scored India's second goal to send India through to the final. India lost 1–0 to the Maldives in the final and Chhetri played for the full 90 minutes. Later that year, in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, Chhetri played in all of the matches and scored four goals. In the 1–0 win over Afghanistan, he was involved in the build-up to Climax Lawrence's goal. He also played for the full 90 minutes against Tajikistan (a 1–1 draw) and Turkmenistan (a 2–1 win). In the semi-final against Myanmar, Chhetri scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory after being assisted by Baichung Bhutia to see India through to the final. In the final against Tajikistan, Chhetri scored a hat-trick which enabled India to win the Cup. This automatically qualified India for the 2011 Asian Cup, the first time they had qualified for the tournament in 24 years. His first goal was originally disallowed for offside by Uzbek referee Valentin Kovalenko, who changed his mind after consulting his assistant.[99] Hundreds of fans waited outside the stadium to greet India's new "poster boy" and India manager Bob Houghton stated, "He is remarkable, brave and honest. He never gives up."

Initially, Goal.com stated that Chhetri would miss the 2009 Nehru Cup through injury. He played in the tournament, however, and he scored in the second match of the Nehru Cup, a penalty in a 2–1 win over Kyrgyzstan, this being first time he had completed a full match since getting injured before the pre-season tour of Spain with his club. He featured in the other three games in the round robin stage of the tournament, including the "dress rehearsal" for the final against Syria, but did not score. Chhetri was one of India's scorers in the penalty shootout victory over Syria in the final after the match had ended in a 1–1 draw. He showed flashes of brilliance and scored the second goal in a 5–2 defeat at the hands of Bahrain in the 2011 Asian Cup. He also scored a goal against South Korea at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

He was named the national team Captain for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification which took place in Malaysia. On 16 November 2011 Chhetri scored in the 39th and 53rd minute for India against Malaysia in a friendly match played at the Salt Lake Stadium. The match ended 3–2 in favour of India. On 11 December 2011 after scoring a goal in SAFF Cup's final he set a new record by scoring seven goals in a single edition of the SAFF Championship surpassing I.M.Vijayan's record of six goals in the 97 edition.

2012–2016

On 22 August 2012, Chhetri scored a goal with a header in the added time of the first half against Syria in the first match of 2012 Nehru Cup where India won the match 2–1. In the second match, which was on 25 August he scored two goals against Maldives, one goal coming from penalty where the team won 3–0. In the final against fancied opponents Cameroon, Chhetri scored from a well-taken penalty kick to equalize the score at 2–2. In the ensuing penalty shootout which India won 5–4, Chhetri went as the second kick-taker from India and scored.

2017–present
Chhetri in a 2019 AFC Asian Cup group match against Thailand

On 11 October 2017, Chhetri scored and assisted in a 4–1 home win against Macau in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, with this win they qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup after missing out in 2015. Chhetri captained India to a 13 match unbeaten run before losing the final match to Kyrgyzstan. Nonetheless, not only did India qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup but also managed to top their group. He was among four renowned Asian players including Ali Daei, Sun Jihai and Phil Younghusband to be chosen for the seeds for the upcoming Asian cup.

Chhetri at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup

In June 2018, Chhetri scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 win over Chinese Taipei in their first match of 2018 Intercontinental Cup. However, after this match, Chhetri was disappointed with the poor turnout at the stadium and he uploaded a video on Twitter requesting people to come to Mumbai Football Arena to support the Indian team. His video went viral and garnered widespread support from fans, celebrities and legendary cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. The stadium was packed with exuberant crowd for the rest of the matches. In the second match of the tournament, which was also Chhetri's 100th international appearance for India and also scored two goals including a goal from penalty spot in a 3–0 victory over Kenya. Chhetri scored a goal in the next match against New Zealand, but the match ended 2–1 loss for India though India qualified for the final On 10 June, Chhetri scored twice again in a 2–0 win over Kenya in the final to win the Intercontinental Cup title and also equalled Argentina's Lionel Messi's tally of 64 international goals, making him the joint-second active international goalscorer at that time behind Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo who had 81 goals.He finished as the top scorer of the tournament with eight goals. Chhetri's brace against Thailand on 6 January 2019 helped India to get a historic 4–1 win over them in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. On 7 June 2021, Chhetri scored twice in a 2–0 win over Bangladesh in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Personal life

Sunil Chhetri was born on 3 August 1984 to K. B. Chhetri, an officer in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers of the Indian Army, and Sushila Chhetri in Secunderabad, India. His father played football for the Indian Army's team while his mother and her twin sisters played for the Nepal women's national team. Chhetri started playing football from a young age taking part in various tournaments.

On 4 December 2017, Chhetri married his long time girlfriend Sonam Bhattacharya who is the daughter of the former Indian international and Mohun Bagan player Subrata Bhattacharya. Sunil Chhetri was named an 'Asian Icon' by AFC on his 34th birthday in 2018.He signed a 3-year deal with global sports giant PUMA India starting from 2020.

Honours

Dempo

Churchill Brothers
I-League: 2012–13

Bengaluru FC
I-League: 2013–14, 2015–16
AFC Cup: runner-up 2016

India

Individual
The then-president of India Pratibha Patil presenting the Arjuna Award to Sunil Chhetri in 2011
AIFF Player of the Year (6): 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018–19
AFC Challenge Cup Most Valuable Player: 2008
SAFF Championship Player of the Tournament: 2011
Hero of the I-League: 2016–17
Hero of the Intercontinental Cup: 2018
AFC Asian Icon: 3 August 2018
Football Ratna Award (first recipient) by Delhi Football Association: 18 February 2019

Awards and accolades

2011 − Arjuna Award, by the Government of India in recognition of his outstanding achievement in sports.
2019 − Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award.

Other
AFC Cup All-time XI (The Strikers): Inductee (2021)
Shilanand Lakra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shilanand LakraPersonal information
Born 5 May 1999
Playing position Forward
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–present India U21 18 (10)
2018–present India 12 (3)
Last updated on: 23 october 2019

Shilanand Lakra (born 5 May 1999) is an Indian field hockey player who plays as a forward for the Indian national team.

He made his national debut during the 2018 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. He had previously played for the national junior team which won the bronze medal at the 2017 Sultan of Johor Cup. He was the top goalscorer at the 2019 Sultan of Johor Cup with five goals
Sarita Mor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sarita MorPersonal information
Born 16 April 1995 
Weight 59 kg (130 lb)
Spouse(s) Rahul Mann
Sport
Country India
Event(s) 59 kg
Partner Rahul Mann
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking 2

Representing  India
 2021 Almaty 59 kg

Sarita Mor is an Indian freestyle wrestler. She won the silver medal at the 2017 Asian Wrestling Championships in the 58 kg weight class and the gold medal at the 2020 Asian Wrestling Championships in the 59 kg weight class.sa

In 2021, she won the silver medal in the 57 kg event at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series 2021 held in Rome, Italy. She also won the bronze medal at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships held in Oslo, Norway.
Sunita Lakra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Born : 11 June 1991
Rajgangpur, Odisha, India

Height 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)

Weight 57 kg (126 lb)

Playing position Forward

139, Medal record

Women's field hockey

Representing  India

Asian Games : 2018 Jakarta

Team : 2014 Incheon

Sunita Lakra (born 11 June 1991) is an Indian field hockey player. Lakra has represented her country by being capped in the India women's national field hockey team.

Early life

CareerLakra's father is a famer; she has elder brothers. She was sent to join Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Rourkela to learn hockey when she was six years old. In Lakra's community, most girls and boys take up football from an early age, but Lakra's father believed that football was a dangerous sport and trained his daughter in hockey.

Sunita Lakra made her international debut in 2009, and has since then, cited as the backbone of the team. She was the part of the team in the 17th Asian Games and the Women's Hockey World League Round 2. India's clash against New Zealand in the Hawke's Bay Cup of 2015 marked the 50th international appearance of Lakra.

She plays defense in the team. Lakra completed her 100th international match with a match also against New Zealand in 2017, in the third match of the five match series. Lakra climbed the ladder of ranks in Indian hockey with significant performances at the 17th Asian Games and the 2016 Rio Olympics. She was also the part of the winning Indian side in the Asian Champions Trophy, in which the team won the final match against China. In 2017 August, she was selected to be a part of the India women's national field hockey team's 15-day European tour starting 5 September 2017.

Lakra was handed the responsibility to head the team as a captain in the Asian Champions Trophy women's hockey, which began at Donghae City, Korea in May 2018, and led the team to a second position.

Lakra is a part of the 18 member squad which is playing in the 14th edition of the Women's Hockey World Cup.

Shilanand Lakra

A cadet of SAIL Hockey Academy (SHA), Rourkela has been selected for the Indian Men’s Senior Hockey Team. The cadet Shilanand Lakra has been selected to be a part of the 18-member team for the 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Tournament to be played at Ipoh, Malaysia from 3rd to 10th March 2018.



Shilanand, who plays in the forward line, was part of the Junior National Team that won the Bronze Medal at Sultan of Johor Cup held in Malaysia in October 2017. With Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Tournament, Shilanand will be making his debut in the senior national team. Alongside India, the tournament will feature World No.1 Australia, World No.2 Argentina, England, Ireland and hosts Malaysia.

It is worth mentioning that Shilanand, son of Mr Carlus Lakra and Mrs Mary Grace Lakra, natives of Kalijapathar village of Sundargarh district of Odisha, joined the SAIL Hockey Academy in August 2015. Since then he has been learning the nuances of hockey from veterans like former National Junior India Hockey player Peter Tirkey and NIS Coach Raju Kant Saini. Tirkey is the Hockey coach of Rourkela Steel Plant.

Recently, the SHA Team has brought laurels by winning Shri Nabagraha Trophy All India Invitation Hockey Tournament, Khargaon, Madhya Pradesh, from 18th to 21st January’2018. In the same month SHA team played outstanding hockey in the 8th Vinod Khandekar Under-21 All India Gold Cup Hockey Tournament (affiliated to Hockey India), Jhansi, U.P., from 23rd to 31st January’2018 and won the trophy against Railway Hockey Academy, Bhusawal, Maharastra.

SAIL Hockey Academy (SHA) was set up in 1992 by SAIL on 15 acres of land at Rourkela, which is known to the hockey heartland of India. Thereafter, in order to provide a centre dedicated to the promotion of the game, an exclusive Hockey Stadium was also built at Rourkela. In June 2005, the most modern facility of Synthetic Turf was installed in the hockey stadium.

Besides the hockey academy at Rourkela, SAIL has two football academies at Bokaro and Burnpur, an athletics academy for boys at Bhilai and one for girls at Durgapur. It also has an archery academy at Kiriburu. A number of SHA players have contributed for Indian Hockey.
शिवानी कटारिया

मुक्त ज्ञानकोश
कटारियाव्यक्तिगत जानकारी
पूरा नाम शिवानी कटारिया
राष्ट्रीयता भारतीय
जन्म 20 अगस्त 1999
हरियाणा , भारत
खेल
खेल तैराकी


शिवानी कटारिया (अंग्रेज़ी: Shivani Kataria) एक भारतीय हरियाणा राज्य की महिला फ्रीस्टाईल तैराक है। जो कि 2016 ग्रीष्मकालीन ओलम्पिक खेलों में हिस्सा लेने वाली सबसे छोटी तथा पहली महिला तैराक है। ये ओलम्पिक खेल ब्राजील के रियो डि जेनेरियो में आयोजित किया गया।

Sanjay Balmuchu


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Date of birth : 5 January 1992 (age 27)

Place of birth : West Singhbhum, Jharkhand , India

Playing position : Center-back, Defensive midfielder

Sanjay Balmuchu (born 5 January 1992) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League.

Career

Churchill Brothers

After graduating from the Tata Football Academy, Balmuchu was announced as a Churchill Brothers player on 13 July 2012 for their I-League campaign. He made his professional debut for the club on 4 January 2013 against Shillong Lajong. He started and played the whole match as Churchill Brothers won 6–0. While with the club, Balmuchu was a part of the 2012–13 I-League winning team, and the 2013–14 Indian Federation Cup sides.

After Churchill Brothers were expelled from the I-League, Balmuchu continued to play for the club in the Goa Professional League and Durand Cup. He eventually left Churchill Brothers to sign for Mohammedan of the I-League 2nd Division.

Mohun Bagan

After some time with Mohammedan, Balmuchu signed for reigning I-League champions, Mohun Bagan, on 24 June 2015.

International

Balmuchu was selected into the initial squad for the India U23 side in the 2014 Asian Games

Samir Subash Naik

From Wikipedia
Samir Naik



Xu Deshuai (left) and Samir Naik (right) in Hong Kong Stadium in 2009

Full name : Samir Subash Naik

Date of birth : 8 August 1979

Place of birth : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Height : 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)

Playing position : Defender

Samir Subash Naik (born 8 August 1979) is an Indian footballer who plays as a Defender for Dempo SC and India. Naik is part of successful Dempo SC squad which won 2 league titles and reached the semi final of the AFC Cup, he is also a regular for India. He also captained the Indian team in an international friendly against Oman in 2012.

National-Football-Teams.com
Suresh Babu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Suresh Babu (10 February 1953 – 19 February 2011) was an Indian long jumper from Kerala who had held the national titles in the long, triple, and high jump events, in addition to the decathlon. Suresh Babu dominated the scene between 1972 and 1979, winning national titles in the jumps and decathlon and at the same time picking his event for laurels on the international arena. He was one of the athletes to win medals in two events in successive Asian Games, the bronze in the decathlon in the Tehran Asian Games in 1974 and a gold in the long jump in the Bangkok Asian Games, 1978.

Babu died on 19 February 2011 in Ranchi while attending the 2011 National Games of India.

Early life

Born in Kollam in Kerala on 10 February 1953, Suresh Babu was a science graduate who was good in athletics. He excelled as an athlete in Infant Jesus High School and the Fatima Mata College in Kollam. His first appearance at the national level was as a junior at Jalandhar in 1969. Three years later he won the national championship in high jump, a title he was to claim for six more years. Switching from one pit to another, he won the national championship in long jump during the years 1974, 1977 and 1979 and the triple jump in 1974, 1976 and 1978. In between he strayed over to the ten card event of decathlon and imposed himself on the national scene in the championships held in 1974, 1975 and 1978.

International career

The Munich Olympics of 1972 he had his first exposure of international athletics, but it was in the Tehran Asian Games in 1974 he won his first medal. This was a Bronze in the decathlon. He won Gold medal in the Asian Championships at Seoul the following year. In between he was the captain of the Indian University's athletics team during the World Universities Games at Moscow in 1973.

Suresh Babu led the Indian athletics team to the 1978 Commonwealth Games at Edmonton in Canada and won a Bronze medal for long jump. He then went on to win the Gold medal at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok, His winning effort of 7.85 metres was far short of T. C. Yohannan's 8.07 metres of the earlier Games. His next target was the 1979 Asian Athletics Meet in Tokyo where he won a Silver medal, During his seven years as an active athlete Suresh Babu also won medals for India at competitions in Ceylon, Lahore and the Philippines and was the captain of the Indian team for the World Athletics Meet at Montreal in 1979.

In retirement from athletics

Suresh was employed as a Sports Officer with Kerala Sports Council, Suresh Babu had earlier served as Special Officer for Sports and Games, on the Kerala State Electricity Board. He was a member of the Technical Committee of the All India Electricity Sports Control Board and a coach at the Sports Authority of India (Southern Centre) in Bangalore. He was the State Supervisor of SAI for Kerala and Lakshadweep.

Awards and honors

Recipient of Arjuna Award, 1978–79

Sumithra Kamaraj

Mar 31, 2018

Indian Women's League: Ikwaput Fazila scores five goals as Gokulam Kerala rout IGASE to pick up first win
Born : 5 July 1994

Gokulam Kerala FC will now square off against Eastern Sporting Union on 2 April while Indira Gandhi ASE will take on Rising Student's Club on 4 April.

Supriya Jatav


  • Full Name: Supriya Jatav.
  • Birth: Born on October 20, 1991, in Dahod, Gujarat, India (some sources mention Ahmedabad as her birthplace or early residence).
  • Family: Daughter of Amar Singh Jatav (father, a retired Indian Army officer who played a pivotal role in introducing her to karate for self-defense and fitness) and Meena Jatav (mother). She credits her father as her biggest supporter throughout her career. No public information on siblings or extended family is available.
  • Residence: Currently based in Madhya Pradesh, where she is associated with the Madhya Pradesh Sports Authority. She maintains an active presence on social media, including Facebook (@KarateSupriya) with over 4,000 followers, where she shares fitness tips, karate updates, and motivational content.
  • Personal Traits: Known for her resilience, discipline, and strong mindset, often emphasizing that "strength is not just physical—it's a state of mind." She is also a fitness influencer, contemporary and hip-hop dancer, and advocates for self-defense training for girls. Her favorite sports movies include Enter the Dragon, Fist of Fury, and The Karate Kid. She listens to Punjabi songs to pump herself up before competitions.

Karate Journey

  • Introduction to Karate: Started training at age 11 (around 2002) as a "fauji kid" (army child), initially for fitness and self-defense, guided by her father's encouragement. She quickly showed natural talent and became a "shining star" in her academy.
  • Early Training: From 2002 to 2006, trained under the banner of the Sports Authority of India (SAI). She specializes in Kumite (sparring) in the -55kg category.
  • Current Coaching: Trained under Shihan Jaidev Sharma (her Sensei), whom she regards with utmost respect. Their bond is described as extremely strong—a single glance from him during training tells her if she's on the right track. She dedicates many achievements to him.
  • Style and Philosophy: As a Kumite athlete, she focuses on bare-hand combat, emphasizing power, strategy, and lifelong discipline. She views karate as essential for personal growth, warning of its risks like lifelong injuries that could impact both career and personal life. Supriya sets short-term goals to stay motivated and promotes balanced diets over crash diets for sustained energy and hydration.

Career Highlights

Supriya Jatav is a trailblazing figure in Indian karate, particularly as a Kumite specialist. She has dominated national and international circuits, overcoming challenges like injuries and the mental demands of martial arts.

  • National Achievements:
    • Won the National Karate Championship consecutively from 2010 to 2020 (11 years in a row), establishing her as a dominant force in Indian karate.
  • International Milestones:
    • US Open Karate Championship: First Indian woman to win gold in the elite division in 2019 (-55kg Kumite). Also secured gold and bronze in 2022.
    • Commonwealth Karate Championships: The first (and only) Indian Kumite athlete to win medals in three consecutive editions, holding the Commonwealth title for two years running. Specific medals include gold in multiple years.
    • Asian Karate Championships: Won gold in 2012 in Uzbekistan, defeating a player she idolized and who held the title Supriya dreamed of claiming.
    • Other notable wins: Multiple medals in Asian and international tournaments, contributing to India's karate legacy.
  • State Honors: Received the highest sports awards from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh governments for her contributions.
  • Other Ventures:
    • Conducts self-defense classes for girls, promoting empowerment and safety.
    • As a fitness influencer, she shares karate physics, workout routines, and body positivity content (e.g., #karategirl, #loveyourcurves).
    • Performs as a contemporary and hip-hop dancer, blending her athleticism with artistic expression.
  • Challenges Overcome: Faced potential career-ending injuries but persisted through mental fortitude. Her lowest moments include competing without her Sensei's presence.

Notable Achievements and Awards

Supriya's accolades highlight her as one of India's top female karatekas:

Achievement/AwardYear(s)Details
National Karate Championship2010–2020Consecutive wins (11 titles).
US Open Karate Championship (Gold)2019First Indian woman in elite division (-55kg Kumite).
US Open Karate Championship (Gold & Bronze)2022Continued dominance in the USA.
Commonwealth Karate Championships (Medals)Multiple (3 consecutive)First Indian Kumite athlete to medal three years in a row; held title for two years.
Asian Karate Championships (Gold)2012Defeated idolized opponent in Uzbekistan.
Highest State Sports AwardsVariousFrom Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh governments.

Legacy and Impact

  • Cultural Impact: As a Dalit karate champion from an army family, Supriya Jatav redefines grit and glory, inspiring underrepresented communities in sports. She has elevated Indian women's karate on the global stage, particularly in Kumite, and uses her platform to advocate for fitness, self-defense, and women's empowerment.
  • Philosophy: Believes in short-term goals as a "beacon in dark times" and credits karate for instilling graciousness and ideals. She aims to motivate young girls to prioritize self-care and strength.
  • Current Status (as of September 2025): Active in competitions, training, and influencer activities. She continues to represent India and Madhya Pradesh, with potential for Olympic or further international events. Her journey from a fitness-focused child to an international medalist symbolizes perseverance.
Suraj Lata Devi

Suraj Lata Devi – Profile

  • Full Name: Suraj Lata Devi Waikhom

  • Date of Birth: 3 January 1981

  • Birthplace: Manipur, India

  • Sport: Field Hockey

  • Playing Position: Midfielder / Forward

  • Specialty: Captaincy, leadership, and aggressive gameplay

  • Community: From Meitei (Manipuri) community

Early Life & Background

  • Born and raised in Manipur, a state with a strong sports culture, especially in women’s hockey.

  • She was introduced to hockey at a young age and honed her skills at local clubs before breaking into the national level.

  • Her natural leadership qualities helped her rise quickly in the Indian women’s hockey circuit.

Career Highlights

Captaincy & Major Achievements

Suraj Lata Devi is best remembered as the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team during one of its most successful periods:

  • 2002 Commonwealth Games (Manchester, UK):

    • Led India to a historic gold medal in women’s hockey.

    • This victory put Indian women’s hockey back in the spotlight after decades.

  • 2003 Afro-Asian Games (Hyderabad):

    • Again captained India to a gold medal.

  • 2004 Asia Cup (New Delhi):

    • Captained India to victory, winning the gold medal.

  • Other Tournaments:

    • Represented India at multiple international tournaments including the Asian Games, Champions Challenge, and international tours.

Style of Play

  • Known for her aggressive midfield control and the ability to inspire her teammates.

  • A fearless leader, she often pushed the team forward in crucial matches.

Recognition & Legacy

  • Suraj Lata Devi’s leadership and achievements were so impactful that her story partly inspired the Bollywood film “Chak De! India” (2007) starring Shah Rukh Khan, which depicted the struggles and triumphs of Indian women’s hockey.

  • She is celebrated as one of the pioneers of women’s hockey in India who brought glory to the nation.

  • Inspired a new generation of women players from the Northeast and across India.

Personal Life

  • Comes from Manipur, a state that has produced many hockey stars.

  • After her playing career, she has been involved in sports promotion and youth guidance in her home state.

✅ In short:
Suraj Lata Devi Waikhom is a legendary Indian women’s hockey player from Manipur who captained India to three historic gold medal wins — 2002 Commonwealth Games, 2003 Afro-Asian Games, and 2004 Asia Cup. A true leader, her journey inspired the film “Chak De! India”, and she remains an icon for women’s hockey in India.


Sanggai Chanu
Full Name: Sanggai Chanu Thokchom

Birth Year: 1980 (approx.)
Birthplace: Manipur, India
Sport: Field Hockey
Playing Position: Midfield / Forward
Community: Meitei (Manipuri)

Early Life 

Sanggai Chanu hails from Manipur, a state in Northeast India known for producing many top-class women hockey players.

Like many Manipuri athletes, she grew up in a sports-oriented culture where hockey was a popular discipline.

Her talent earned her a place in the Indian women’s hockey national setup in the late 1990s.

Career Highlights
2002 Commonwealth Games (Manchester, UK):

Member of the Indian women’s hockey team that created history by winning the gold medal under the captaincy of Suraj Lata Devi.

This was India’s first-ever gold in women’s hockey at the Commonwealth Games.

2003 Afro-Asian Games (Hyderabad):

Part of the Indian squad that bagged the gold medal.

2004 Women’s Hockey Asia Cup (New Delhi):

Represented India when the team won the Asia Cup gold.

Also represented India in several international test matches, Asian tournaments, and tours during her career.

Style of Play

Played a crucial role in the midfield, providing both defensive stability and attacking support.

Known for her work rate, stamina, and team coordination.

Recognition & Legacy

Sanggai Chanu was part of the golden era of Indian women’s hockey (2002–2004) when the team won three major international gold medals.

She is remembered alongside other stalwarts like Suraj Lata Devi, Tingonleima Chanu, and Mamata Kharab.

Her contribution has inspired more young girls from Manipur and the Northeast to take up hockey.

✅ In short:
Sanggai Chanu Thokchom is a former Indian women’s hockey player from Manipur who was part of the historic 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning team, as well as the 2003 Afro-Asian Games and 2004 Asia Cup victories. She played an important role as a midfielder and remains one of the unsung heroes of Indian women’s hockey’s golden era

Shaun White
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shaun White
White in 2018
Personal information
Full name Shaun Roger White
Born September 3, 1986 
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 154 lb (70 kg)
Sport
Country  United States

Shaun Roger White (born September 3, 1986) is an American professional snowboarder, skateboarder, and musician. He is a three-time Olympic gold medalist in half-pipe snowboarding (2006, 2010, and 2018), and holds the world record for the most X-Games gold medals and most Olympic gold medals by a snowboarder. He has also won 10 ESPY Awards throughout his career in various categories.

Early life

White was born in San Diego, California, to parents Cathy and Roger. When he was young his mother was a waitress and his father, who grew up surfing, worked for the San Clemente, California, water department. He is the youngest of four children. His ancestry includes Irish and Italian. He was born with a Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect for which he required two open-heart operations before the age of one. White spent his early years riding the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California with his family. They would stay in a van in resort parking lots.

Career
Skateboarding

At an early age White's skills drew admirers. Professional skateboarder Tony Hawk befriended the nine-year-old White at the Encinitas, California, YMCA skate park and mentored him, helping White turn pro in skateboarding at the age of 16. White has said that “Tony was my hero and I was too terrified to talk to him so every time I saw him at the skate park I would try to impress him with my skateboarding in the hopes that one day he would say something to me." White has won many titles on his skateboard, including the overall title of Action Sports Tour Champion, and was the first person to compete in and win both the Summer and Winter X Games in two different sports.
Snowboarding

Following in his older brother Jesse White's footsteps, White switched from skiing to snowboarding at age six, and by age seven, he received his first sponsorship. White has participated in four Winter Olympics in his career. At the 2006, 2010, and 2018 Winter Olympics, White won gold in the snowboard halfpipe event. White has also participated in the Winter X Games, where he has won a medal every year since 2002. Including all winter X Games competitions through 2013, his medal count stands at 18 (13 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze), among which is the first quadruple win streak by a male athlete in one discipline, the snowboard slopestyle. White's streak was snapped in 2007 when he lost to Andreas Wiig and Teddy Flandreau, with White taking the bronze. He won the Air & Style Contest in 2003 and 2004.

2006 Winter Olympics

At the 2006 Winter Olympics, White won gold in the half-pipe. After his first run in qualifications, White was almost out of competition, scoring only 37.7. On his second run, he recorded a score of 45.3. In the finals, White recorded a score of 46.8 (50 is the highest possible score) to win. Fellow American Danny Kass won the silver with a points total of 44.0.
2008

Executing a near-flawless second run, White captured his third consecutive snowboard halfpipe title at the 2008 U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships to go along with his third US Open slopestyle competition. This followed White's win at the 25th (2007) Burton US Open, where he placed third in slopestlyle and first in the halfpipe. At the 2007 Open, White was also crowned the first "Burton Global Open Champion". His take for the event was $100,000 (Global Open Champ), $20,000 (1st Place Halfpipe), $90,000 (3rd Place Slopestyle), and a new Corvette.

On November 16, 2008, White released his first video game Shaun White Snowboarding in North America (November 14, 2008, in Europe). Shaun White Snowboarding was the 20th best-selling game of December 2008 in the United States.

2009
White with Richard Branson in 2009

Controversy followed White's win on the 2009 SuperPipe at Winter X Games XIII[citation needed]. Kevin Pearce had five hits in the pipe, and all were the same tricks White did in his final run. White, on the other hand, had six hits and he started off his run with a big backside rodeo 540 where Pearce started his run off with a big grab. Although Pearce went bigger, he had fewer hits, and his first hit wasn't as technically difficult as White's first hit.[citation needed] Judges came to the conclusion that White deserved the better score because he started off with a more technical trick and he had one more hit than Pearce.[citation needed] With the win, White became the second competitor, after Tanner Hall, to win a gold medal in the SuperPipe in consecutive years at the Winter X Games. He also won a gold medal in Slopestyle, finally winning gold after two consecutive years of bronze.

On February 14, 2009, White won the FIS World Cup Men's Halfpipe event at Vancouver's Cypress Mountain. Out of the gate in his first qualifying run, he qualified immediately with the day's best score of 45.5. With a thumb sprained on an over-rotated backside 1080 in the second qualifying run, White clinched the event with the first of his two runs in the finals. His first finals run was awarded the highest score ever in FIS halfpipe, a 47.3.

2010 Winter Olympics

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, White again won gold in the halfpipe. In the finals, White recorded a score of 46.8 on his first run, which proved a high enough score to secure the gold medal without a second run. He performed his second run anyway, as a victory lap, ending his run with a well-anticipated Double McTwist 1260 which he named The Tomahawk. This second run resulted in a record score of 48.4 (50 is the highest possible score) enlarging his margin of victory. His nearest competitor won the silver with a points total of 45.0 -- 3.4 behind White.

2011

After a sub-par performance in the Slopestyle and failing to reach the finals, White "redeemed" himself in the SuperPipe. With an 89, he sat in second place going into his 2nd of three runs. He completed the run, landing his infamous Double McTwist 1260 and finishing with a score of 97.33 to take the lead and claim the historical 4th straight Gold in the Winter X Games, held in Aspen, Colorado. The score tied an X Games record, which was set by White one year before. His 3rd run was a simple victory run featuring mostly straight air.

2012

At Winter X, White became the first person in the history of the Winter X Games to score a perfect 100 in the men's Snowboard SuperPipe.

2013

White won his 6th consecutive SuperPipe victory, making him the second participant ever to achieve this, with SnoCross racer Tucker Hibbert achieving his 6th consecutive victory earlier in the same day.

In December 2013, he won the third place in the Pipe & Slope contest at the FIS Snowboard World Cup in Copper Mountain, Colorado.

2014 Winter Olympics

White finished fourth at the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Halfpipe event.

During the winter games, he was the most talked-about Olympic athlete on Facebook.

2018 Winter Olympics
White after medalling at the 2018 Winter Olympics

While in New Zealand, training for the 2018 Winter Olympics, White crashed into the edge of a superpipe; the resulting injuries to his face required 62 stitches. Despite the accident, White qualified for the 2018 US Olympic Team. On February 14, he won his third Olympic gold medal for the Men's Halfpipe event with a score of 97.75, with Ayumu Hirano of Japan taking the silver medal and Scott James of Australia taking the bronze. White was trailing Hirano by one full point coming into his last run with a score of 94.25. Despite this, White dramatically won the gold medal with back-to-back 1440s. His gold medal was also the 100th for the United States at the Winter Olympic Games.

Athletic achievements

White was the first to compete and medal in both the Summer and Winter X Games.

White is the first snowboarder ever to land back-to-back double corks, at the Red Bull superpipe.

He remains the only skater to land the frontside heelflip 540 body varial. (The Armadillo).
He was the first to land a Cab 7 Melon Grab in vert skateboarding.
He is the first snowboarder to win back-to-back gold medals in the Winter X-Games SuperPipe.
He is also the first athlete ever (on snowboard or skis) to win gold medals four years in a row in the Winter X-Games SuperPipe.
He is the first (and only) person to win both a Summer and Winter Dew Cup.
White was the first to "three-peat" in SuperPipe at the Winter X Games.
Shaun White holds the record for the highest score in the men's halfpipe at the Winter Olympics. In 2018, he scored 97.75 on his last run.
Non-competition awards and accolades
White was named the "Chairman of the Board" on the Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards on June 13, 2007 and again on June 19, 2010.
In the March 2009 issue of Snowboarder Magazine, he was named the ninth-best snowboarder in the World.
He won the Revolver Golden Gods Award for "Most Metal Athlete".
White has been named Transworld Snowboarding's Rider Of The Year twice.

Endorsements

White has had a sponsor since he was seven years old. White signed CAA Sports for representation after working with IMG for eight years. Corporate endorsement deals include or have included Burton Snowboards, Oakley, Inc., Birdhouse Skateboards, Park City Mountain Resort, Target Corporation, Red Bull, Ubisoft, Adio, Hewlett-Packard, and American Express. White also has his own character on the game Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder, as well as the video games ‘’Cool Boarders 4,’’ Shaun White Snowboarding and Shaun White Skateboarding. In 2009, Forbes magazine estimated that he had earned $9 million from his endorsements in 2008.

Acting career

White has made cameo appearances as himself in the 2011 film Friends with Benefits, the 2013 episode "Da Flippity Flop" of the animated TV series American Dad!, and the 2014 Disney Channel Original Movie Cloud 9.

In a 2007 interview with Outside magazine, White stated that he had turned down numerous film roles in which "the first lines [for his character] are always "What up, brah?'"

Music career

White plays guitar in the electronic rock band Bad Things, which also features former Augustana bassist Jared Palomar.[28] He got his first guitar as first prize in a snowboarding competition. The band played in one of the four Saturday headlining slots at the 2013 Lollapalooza festival, as a last-minute replacement for Death Grips. Their self-titled debut album was released in January 2014.

In October 2013, White appeared in the music video for "City of Angels" by Thirty Seconds to Mars.

Media appearances

He had his first published interview in TransWorld SNOWboarding Magazine in 2003.
White starred in the 2004 documentary The White Album and the 2005 snowboarding documentary First Descent.
In 2007, White appeared on the E! reality TV show The Girls Next Door as a snowboarding teacher for Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson.
White was one of the few pro snowboarders to be a guest editor of Snowboarder Magazine (February 2008 issue)
Shaun White has appeared in several video games and even had his own franchise
Appeared in 1999’s Cool Boarders 4
He appeared in Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder in 2001
Shaun White Snowboarding was released in 2008
A sequel, Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage, was released in 2009
A skateboarding game, Shaun White Skateboarding, was released in 2010
A film, Don't Look Down, has been released on DVD and ESPN. The film tracks his journey through the year following his Olympic success.
White was on the cover of The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: 2010 Edition.
White appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on March 2, 2010, recounting the story of how his mother had his first Olympic gold medal dry cleaned.
White appeared on the January 16, 2011, episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to help redesign a room for an eight-year-old boy.
White appeared in the Nickelodeon TV Series Henry Danger in 2018 in the episode Toon in for Danger. In the episode White and Captain Man were struggling for a seat while Watching the premiere of The Adventures of Kid Danger.
White has a chapter giving advice in Tim Ferriss' book Tools of Titans.

Personal life

White has had the longstanding nickname "The Flying Tomato", due to his red hair. In 2006, Rolling Stone wrote about the nickname, saying, "he used to embrace it, even wearing headbands with a flying-tomato logo, but he has grown tired of it." He has also been nicknamed "animal", a reference to a character from The Muppet Show.

In February 2009, Red Bull built White a halfpipe completely out of natural snow in the back country of Colorado on the backside of Silverton Mountain, coordinates (37.838801,-107.710299).

On September 17, 2012, White was arrested near a hotel in Nashville for public intoxication and vandalism after attending the wedding party of the drummer of The Black Keys, Patrick Carney.

He was in a relationship with Sarah Barthel of the band Phantogram from 2013 to 2019. He started dating actress Nina Dobrev in early 2020.

In 2016, Bad Things drummer Lena Zawaideh brought a lawsuit against White, claiming sexual harassment and breach of contract. White and Zawaideh reached an out-of-court settlement in May 2017; the terms of the settlement were not disclosed. At a press conference following White's win at the 2018 Winter Olympics, he was asked if he was concerned that the lawsuit and settlement would tarnish his image. In replying, he referred to the incident as gossip, a response that created widespread condemnation of White for minimizing sexual harassment. White later apologized for his choice of words.

In early 2016 he purchased a minority stake in Mammoth Resorts and is now a part-owner of the Mammoth Mountain, Snow Summit, June Mountain, and Bear Mountain ski areas where he got his start in snowboarding.

White, who underwent two open-heart surgeries as an infant, has granted 17 wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation since 2008.

White has helmed the Air + Style festival of music and snowboarding since 2014, when he took ownership and moved it from Austria to Los Angeles. It was cancelled in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic
Seema Punia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Seema Punia
Seema Antil (2010)
Personal information
Born 27 July 1983 
Sonipat, Haryana, India
Sport
Country  India
Sport Athletics
Event(s) Discus throw


Updated on 6 October 2014.

Seema Punia-Antil (born 27 July 1983) is an Indian discus thrower. Her personal best throw is 63.72 m (209.1 ft), achieved at the National Senior Inter-state Athletic Championships 2021.

Early life

Seema Antil was born in Khewda village of Sonipat district in Haryana. Her sporting career began at the age of 11 years as a hurdler and a long-jumper, but later took to discus throw. Her gold medal win at the World Junior Championships in 2000 in Santiago earned her the nickname: 'Millennium Child'. She studied in the Government College, Sonipat.

Career

Antil originally won a gold medal at the 2000 World Junior Championships, but she lost it due to a positive drugs' test for pseudoephedrine. As per the rules in force at that time for such an offence, her National Federation issued her a public warning after stripping her of the medal. She won a bronze medal at the next World Junior Championships in 2002.

She won a silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and was honoured with Bhim Award by the Haryana state government on 26 June 2006. Her absence from the 2006 Asian Games attracted considerable media attention. She had tested positive for a steroid (stanozolol) prior to the Games but was cleared to participate by her National Federation. She, however, opted out of the team for the Games.

She won a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. She finished 13th at the 2012 London Olympics. In 2014, she won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games and a gold at the Asian Games.

Personal life

Antil is married to Ankush Punia, her coach, and a former discus thrower who represented India at 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

International competitions

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing  India2002 World Junior Championships Santiago, Chile 3rd Discus throw 55.83 m
2010 Commonwealth Games Delhi, India 3rd Discus throw 58.46 m
Simone Biles
American gymnast
Simone Arianne Biles is an American artistic gymnast. With a combined total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, Biles is the most decorated gymnast in her generation. Biles' seven Olympic medals also ties Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals won by an American female gymnast. Wikipedia
Height: 1.42 m
Weight: 47 kg
Nationality: American, Belizean

Sakti Mazumdar

Sakti Mazumdar, often spelled as Shakti Mazumdar, was born on November 13, 1931, in Kolkata (then Calcutta), West Bengal, India. Growing up in a time when boxing was an emerging sport in India, particularly as an amateur discipline, Mazumdar discovered his talent early. He trained under the legendary coach Ajoy Sinha at the Ballygunge Institute in Kolkata, where he honed his skills in scientific boxing techniques. Known affectionately as "SM" in the Indian boxing circuit, Mazumdar was a flyweight (51kg category) boxer renowned for his explosive punching power and a record number of knockout victories during an era dominated by military personnel in the sport.

Boxing Career

Mazumdar's competitive journey began at the national level, where he quickly rose to prominence. He secured the Indian National Boxing Championship title in the flyweight division twice, establishing himself as one of the top amateurs in the country. His aggressive style and knockout prowess made him a standout, even as boxing struggled for popularity on the international stage in post-independence India.

International Debut: 1952 Helsinki Olympics

Mazumdar's crowning achievement—and the pinnacle of his competitive career—was representing India at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, as part of the nation's contingent in the men's flyweight event. This marked one of the early Olympic appearances for Indian boxers in the post-colonial era.

  • Round 1: He advanced automatically via a walkover against Nguyen Van Cua of Vietnam, who did not compete.
  • Round 2: Mazumdar faced Han Soo-ann (also spelled Han Su-ann) of South Korea and was eliminated after a points defeat.

Despite not medaling, his performance drew attention for its intensity and the knockouts he had amassed in prior bouts, showcasing India's potential in the lighter weight classes. Mazumdar retired from active competition shortly after the Olympics, but his Olympic participation remains a significant milestone in Indian boxing history.

No records indicate further major international appearances beyond the 1952 Games, though he continued to influence the sport domestically.

Post-Retirement and Coaching

After hanging up his gloves, Mazumdar transitioned seamlessly into coaching, dedicating his later years to nurturing young talent in Kolkata. He contributed to the Bengal Amateur Boxing Federation (BABF), helping sustain the sport in a region where it had deep roots. His emphasis on technique and power, learned from Ajoy Sinha, influenced generations of boxers. Mazumdar lived a relatively low-profile life in Ballygunge, Kolkata, focusing on community involvement in sports amid age-related health challenges.

Death and Legacy

Sakti Mazumdar passed away on May 21, 2021, at the age of 89 (some sources report 90), due to a sudden heart attack at his home in Ballygunge, Kolkata. The news was confirmed by Asit Banerjee, President of the BABF, who expressed profound grief over the loss of a pioneer.

Mazumdar's legacy endures as a symbol of resilience in Indian boxing's formative years. As one of the few Olympians from West Bengal in the sport, he inspired future stars and highlighted the knockout artistry possible in amateur ranks. Tributes poured in from sports bodies, underscoring his role in elevating flyweight boxing during an Army-dominated period. Today, he is remembered through records like his Olympic participation and national titles, though detailed personal anecdotes or family details remain scarce in public archives.

Key MilestonesDetails
BirthNovember 13, 1931, Kolkata, India
CoachAjoy Sinha (Ballygunge Institute)
National Titles2x Indian Champion (Flyweight)
Olympic Debut1952 Helsinki – Flyweight (Round 1: Walkover; Round 2: Loss)
Retirement FocusCoaching and mentoring in Kolkata
DeathMay 21, 2021 (Heart Attack, Age 89)
Serena Jameka Williams

Serena Jameka Williams, born September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan, is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Her unparalleled dominance, resilience, and impact on and off the court have made her a global icon. Below is a comprehensive overview of her life, career, and legacy, covering her background, achievements, playing style, personal life, and influence.

Early Life and Background

  • Family and Upbringing: Serena was the youngest of five daughters born to Richard Williams and Oracene Price. Her father, a former sharecropper from Louisiana, and her mother, a nurse, raised the family in modest circumstances. When Serena was a toddler, the family moved to Compton, California, a low-income, high-crime neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles. The Williams family faced economic hardship and systemic racism, which shaped Serena’s grit and determination.
  • Introduction to Tennis: Richard, inspired to teach his daughters tennis after watching a match on TV, coached Serena and her sister Venus on cracked public courts in Compton. With no formal tennis background, he used books, videos, and relentless determination to train them. Serena began playing at age four, hitting balls against a wall or with Venus under their father’s unorthodox but effective guidance.
  • Disadvantaged Roots: Growing up in Compton, Serena faced significant socioeconomic challenges. The family’s limited resources, combined with the racial and cultural barriers of entering the predominantly white, affluent world of tennis, made her journey extraordinary. Her parents’ sacrifices and vision were pivotal in her rise.

Tennis Career

Serena turned professional in 1995 at age 14 and quickly ascended to the top, redefining women’s tennis with her power, athleticism, and mental toughness. Her career spanned over two decades, marked by record-breaking achievements.

Major Achievements

  • Grand Slam Titles: Serena won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the Open Era and one shy of Margaret Court’s all-time record (24). Her titles include:
    • Australian Open: 9 titles (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017)
    • French Open: 3 titles (2002, 2013, 2015)
    • Wimbledon: 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016)
    • US Open: 6 titles (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014)
  • Career Golden Slam: Serena achieved a Career Golden Slam in singles (winning all four majors plus an Olympic gold medal) and doubles. Her 2012 Olympic singles gold in London completed the set.
  • Doubles and Mixed Doubles: With Venus, Serena won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles (undefeated in finals) and three Olympic gold medals in doubles (2000, 2008, 2012). She also won two mixed doubles Grand Slams (1998 Wimbledon, 1998 French Open).
  • Other Records:
    • Held the world No. 1 ranking for 319 weeks, including 186 consecutive weeks (tied for longest in WTA history).
    • Oldest woman to win a Grand Slam singles title (2017 Australian Open, age 35) and to hold No. 1 ranking (2017, age 35).
    • Won four Grand Slams after returning from pregnancy (2017 Australian Open, runner-up at 2018-2019 Wimbledon and US Open).
    • Most combined WTA singles and doubles titles in the Open Era (73 singles, 23 doubles).
  • Prize Money: Earned over $94 million in prize money, the most of any female athlete in history.

Playing Style

  • Power and Athleticism: Serena revolutionized women’s tennis with her explosive serve (regularly exceeding 120 mph), aggressive baseline play, and unparalleled athleticism. Her physicality, including speed and strength, set a new standard.
  • Mental Toughness: Known for her fierce competitiveness, Serena thrived under pressure, often staging dramatic comebacks. Her mental resilience was evident in clutch performances, like saving match points in key finals.
  • Versatility: She excelled on all surfaces—hard, clay, and grass—adapting her game to win multiple titles at each major. Her all-court game included powerful groundstrokes, effective volleys, and strategic shot-making.
  • Serve: Often called the greatest serve in women’s tennis, it combined speed, spin, and precision, making it a weapon that often decided matches.

Career Milestones

  • 1999: Won her first Grand Slam at the US Open, becoming the first Black woman to win a major singles title since Althea Gibson in 1958.
  • 2002-2003: Completed the “Serena Slam,” winning four consecutive majors (2002 French Open, 2002 Wimbledon, 2002 US Open, 2003 Australian Open).
  • 2009-2010: Dominated with four Grand Slam titles and a 50-2 record at majors during this period.
  • 2014-2015: Achieved a second “Serena Slam” by holding all four majors simultaneously (2014 US Open to 2015 Wimbledon).
  • 2017: Won the Australian Open while pregnant, her 23rd Grand Slam, breaking Steffi Graf’s Open Era record.
  • Post-Motherhood: Returned in 2018 after giving birth, reaching four Grand Slam finals (2018-2019 Wimbledon and US Open), showcasing remarkable resilience despite not winning another major.

Personal Life

  • Family: Serena married Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, in November 2017. They have two daughters: Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. (born September 2017) and Adira River Ohanian (born August 2023). Serena’s close bond with Venus, both as sisters and doubles partners, is a cornerstone of her life.
  • Health Challenges: Serena faced life-threatening health issues, including a pulmonary embolism in 2011 and severe complications (including a hematoma and another embolism) after giving birth in 2017. Her recovery from these setbacks highlighted her resilience.
  • Faith and Values: A practicing Jehovah’s Witness, Serena credits her faith for grounding her. She’s known for her discipline, humility, and gratitude despite her fame.

Off-Court Impact

  • Cultural Icon: Serena transcended tennis, becoming a global symbol of Black excellence, female empowerment, and breaking barriers. She challenged stereotypes about race, gender, and body image in a sport historically dominated by white, slender athletes.
  • Fashion and Business: Known for bold on-court outfits (e.g., catsuits, tutus), Serena launched her fashion line, S by Serena, and has been a trendsetter in sports fashion. She’s also an investor in over 60 startups through Serena Ventures, focusing on women and minority-led businesses.
  • Philanthropy: Through the Serena Williams Fund, she supports education, youth programs, and community initiatives, including building schools in Africa and aiding underprivileged youth in the U.S.
  • Advocacy: Serena has been vocal about racial and gender equality, maternal health, and body positivity. She’s addressed sexism in tennis (e.g., disparities in penalties) and racism faced during her career, such as derogatory comments at tournaments like Indian Wells in 2001.

Controversies

  • On-Court Incidents: Serena faced criticism for heated exchanges with officials, notably during the 2009 US Open (threatening a line judge, resulting in a fine) and the 2018 US Open final (clashing with umpire Carlos Ramos over coaching violations, sparking a sexism debate).
  • Racial and Gender Scrutiny: She endured racist remarks and unfair criticism about her physique and demeanor throughout her career, often highlighting double standards compared to male or non-Black players.

Retirement and Legacy

  • Retirement: Serena announced her “evolution” away from tennis in August 2022, playing her final match at the US Open that year, where she lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanovic. She left open the possibility of a return but has since focused on family and business.
  • Legacy: Serena redefined tennis with her power, longevity, and barrier-breaking achievements. She inspired generations of players, particularly Black and minority athletes, and elevated the sport’s global popularity. Her story—from Compton’s courts to 23 Grand Slams—remains a testament to perseverance.

Key Statistics

  • Singles Titles: 73 (WTA record for Open Era)
  • Win-Loss Record: 858-156 (84.6% win rate)
  • Weeks at No. 1: 319 (3rd all-time)
  • Olympic Medals: 4 golds (1 singles, 3 doubles)

Fun Facts

  • Serena and Venus are the only siblings to win Olympic gold in doubles together (three times).
  • She’s appeared in films, TV shows, and music videos, including Beyoncé’s “Sorry” (2016).
  • Her 2017 Australian Open win came while eight weeks pregnant, a feat unmatched in sports history.

Current Endeavors (as of September 26, 2025)

  • Serena continues to focus on Serena Ventures, her venture capital firm, and her fashion line.
  • She’s active in philanthropy and advocacy, particularly for maternal health and Black women’s empowerment.
  • She remains a cultural figure, with a documentary series, In the Arena: Serena Williams (2024), chronicling her career.
Sidney Crosby
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sidney Crosby
Crosby with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019
Born August 7, 1987
Position Centre
Shoots Left
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 1st overall, 2005

Playing career 2005–present

Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubbed "The Next One", Crosby was selected first overall by the Penguins in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Crosby is often considered to be one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time.

During his two-year major junior career with the Rimouski Océanic, he earned many awards and led his club to the 2005 Memorial Cup final. Océanic and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League retired Crosby's jersey number 87 in 2019. Crosby debuted in the NHL during the 2005–06 season, recording 102 points and finishing as runner-up for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year. At 18 years and 253 days, he is the youngest player to date to reach 100 points in an NHL season. By his second season, he led the NHL with 120 points to capture the Art Ross Trophy, becoming the youngest player and the only teenager to win a scoring title in any major North American sports league. That same season, Crosby won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player (MVP) and the Lester B. Pearson Award for most outstanding player as judged by his peers. He started the 2007–08 season with the team's captaincy and subsequently led them to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, where they were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings in six games. The Penguins returned to the Finals against Detroit the following year and won in seven games; Crosby became the youngest captain in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup.

In 2009–10, he received the Mark Messier Leadership Award and scored 51 goals, winning the Maurice Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer. In early 2011, Crosby sustained a concussion that left him sidelined for the rest of the season and for most of the 2011–12 campaign. In 2014, Crosby again won the Hart Memorial Trophy as well as his second Art Ross Trophy (104 points) and his third Ted Lindsay Award. Crosby led Pittsburgh to Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017, becoming the third player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) in consecutive years. In 2017, he won his second Richard Trophy and was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.

Internationally, Crosby has represented Canada on numerous occasions. He won gold at the 2005 World Junior Championships, and was later named to Team Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Playing against the United States in the gold medal game, he scored the game-winning goal in overtime. Crosby captained Team Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics, winning his second consecutive Olympic gold medal. A year later, he led his country to gold in the World Championship in Prague, thus becoming a member of the Triple Gold Club and the only player in the club to have captained all three winning teams. In 2016, Crosby captained Canada to gold in the World Cup of Hockey and was elected MVP by a unanimous vote.

Early life
A recreation of Crosby's childhood dryer that was behind the net, used as shooting target practice, at PPG Paints Arena

Crosby was born in the Grace Maternity Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia on August 7, 1987 to Troy and Trina (née Forbes) Crosby. Crosby's jersey number (87) and 2007 contract signing ($8.7 million per year) reflect his birthdate (8/7/87). Crosby grew up in nearby Cole Harbour and has a younger sister named Taylor. His father Troy was a goaltender who played for the Verdun Junior Canadiens in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He also played in the 1985 Memorial Cup and was drafted 240th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 1984, but never played at the NHL level. Growing up, Crosby admired Steve Yzerman and, like his father, was a Canadiens fan. Crosby began playing hockey by himself in his basement at the age of two, shooting pucks in a net that had the family dryer behind it, leading to a longstanding misconception that he was actually practising with the dryer; he learned to skate at age three.

From age 12 to 15, Crosby attended Astral Drive Junior High School. He was a straight-A student and, according to the vice-principal, "an amazing role model, who was really kind to students in the learning centre and to special needs kids". At age 15, Crosby transferred to Shattuck-Saint Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota to play with the school's hockey program. While playing for the Rimouski Océanic of the QMJHL, Crosby went to Harrison Trimble High School in Moncton, New Brunswick, where he graduated in 2005.

Playing career
Minor hockey

Early in his minor hockey years, Crosby began attracting media attention for his play and gave his first newspaper interview at age seven. When Crosby was 13, Nova Scotia's Minor Hockey Council refused to allow him to play midget, a level of minor hockey designated for 15- to 17-year-olds. His family sued but lost. The following year, he entered the midget level with the triple-A Dartmouth Subways and went on to score a combined 217 regular season and playoff points, leading Dartmouth to a second-place finish at the 2002 Air Canada Cup. He was named the MVP and Top Scorer awards at the national tournament at the tournament banquet held after the preliminary round and he finished the tournament with 24 points (11 goals and 13 assists) in 7 games. Crosby was called up as a 14-year-old to play two games with the Maritime Junior A Hockey League's Truro Bearcats that season. Crosby had been drafted by the Bearcats in the 2001 MJAHL Draft as a 13-year-old.

During his midget season, Crosby appeared on the CBC's Hockey Day in Canada telecast. He has recalled numerous instances in which opposing players intentionally attempted to injure him, as well as constant verbal abuse from parents on and off the ice. Parents taunted and threatened Crosby so harshly, he took to not wearing his jersey between tournament games while he waited to play so that he would not be recognized. Due to this treatment, he elected to play for the American hockey program at Shattuck-Saint Mary's Boarding School, Minnesota for the 2002–03 hockey season. In 57 games with the Sabres, he recorded 72 goals and 162 points, leading the team to a U18 AAA national championship.
Junior career

Rimouski Océanic (2003–2005)

Crosby was selected first overall in the 2003 Midget Draft by the Rimouski Océanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In his first exhibition game, he scored eight points, leading his teammates to nickname him "Darryl" (in reference to Darryl Sittler's ten-point NHL game in 1976). In his first regular season game in the QMJHL, he scored one goal and added two assists. He was named QMJHL Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks at the start of the season and won the honour four more times as the season progressed. He was named QMJHL Player of the Month and Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Player of the Week three times each. Crosby finished his rookie QMJHL season with 54 goals and 81 assists over 59 games to capture the Jean Béliveau Trophy as the league's leading point-scorer. He was further recognized with the RDS/JVC Trophy (overall rookie of the year) and Michel Brière Memorial Trophy (most valuable player), becoming the first QMJHL player to win all three major awards at once. Rounding out Crosby's accolades for the 2003–04 regular season were QMJHL All-Rookie and First All-Star Team honours, as well as Offensive Rookie, Offensive Player and Personality of the Year Awards. As a team, the Océanic led the Eastern Division with 34 wins and 76 points. After receiving a first-round bye in the 2003 QMJHL playoffs, they defeated the Shawinigan Cataractes in the quarterfinals, then were eliminated by the Moncton Wildcats in the semi-finals. Crosby recorded 16 points (7 goals and 9 assists) over 9 playoff games.

During the off-season, the World Hockey Association, a major professional league proposed to rival the NHL, held an Entry Draft on July 17, 2004. Holding the first overall selection, Toronto chose Crosby. The following month, it was reported that Crosby turned down a US$7.5 million contract over three years to play for Hamilton. Crosby told reporters that while "it took a lot to say no to that much money", he "work[ed] hard most of his life to play in the NHL". The contract would have paid him $2.5 million annually and an additional $2 million payout regardless of whether the WHA was realized as a legitimate league or not. However, it was not clarified how Hamilton could have signed Crosby, as Toronto held his WHA playing rights. Nevertheless, the WHA never materialized.

Returning to the Océanic for the 2004–05 season, Crosby continued dominating the league, leading the league with 66 goals, 102 assists and 168 points over 62 games to capture his second consecutive Beliveau Trophy. Joining Crosby on Rimouski's top line were wingers Dany Roussin and Marc-Antoine Pouliot, who finished second and third in league-scoring with 116 and 114 points respectively. In addition to his scoring title, Crosby was once again awarded Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player and Personality of the Year, while repeating as a QMJHL First All-Star. The Océanic finished with the regular season with the best record in the league, registering 45 wins and 98 points, including a league record-setting 28-game undefeated streak. They went on to capture the President's Cup as QMJHL playoff champions, defeating the Halifax Mooseheads in the finals. Crosby led the playoffs with 31 points (14 goals and 17 assists) over 13 games, earning him the Guy Lafleur Trophy as post-season MVP. With their QMJHL championship, the Océanic qualified for the 2005 Memorial Cup, Canada's national major junior tournament. Meeting the London Knights in the final, the Océanic were shut-out 4–0. Despite the loss, Crosby was named to the Tournament All-Star Team and captured the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as the competition's leading scorer with 11 points (6 goals and 5 assists) over 5 games. Knights forward Corey Perry was awarded the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the MVP. Soon after, he attended the NHL prospect combine in preparation for the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Rimouski Océanic retired jersey number 87 in Crosby's honor in 2019, and the QMJHL also retired the number for all of its teams.

Pittsburgh Penguins (2005–present)

Rise to superstardom (2005–2007)
Crosby in 2006, after being designated an alternate captain

Entering the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Crosby was listed first overall in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau and International Scouting Services' respective rankings of prospects. He also won the Mike Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL's best prospect. Crosby was selected first overall in the draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 30, 2005. Due to the labour lockout that suspended the entire 2004–05 NHL season, positioning for the 2005 draft was conducted via a weighted lottery based on each team's playoff appearances and draft lottery victories in the last four years. This lottery system led to the draft being popularly referred to as the "Sidney Crosby Lottery" or the "Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes".

"Sid the Kid", a nickname given to him by the media early in his career, made his NHL debut on October 5, 2005 against the New Jersey Devils, and registered an assist on the team's first goal of the season, scored by Mark Recchi in a 5–1 loss. He scored his first NHL goal in the Penguins' home opener on October 8 against goaltender Hannu Toivonen of the Boston Bruins. Despite having registered two assists for a three-point night, the Penguins were defeated 7–6 in overtime. Crosby began his rookie season playing alongside Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux. Unfortunately, Lemieux was forced to retire due to an irregular heartbeat after having played just 26 games of the season. Near the midway point of the season, Penguins head coach Ed Olczyk was fired and replaced by Michel Therrien on December 15, 2005. The following day, Therrien designated Crosby as an alternate captain for the Penguins. The move drew criticism from some hockey pundits, including Don Cherry, who claimed that Crosby did not have the experience for the position. Cherry said, "An 18-year-old kid says he's going to give us ideas. What, from the Quebec League, he's going to give them ideas? Come on. That's ridiculous." Although hopes were high in Pittsburgh for the club to succeed, largely in part to the beginning of Crosby's NHL career and bolstered by the acquisitions of Sergei Gonchar, Žigmund Pálffy, and Mark Recchi, the Penguins still finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

Nevertheless, Crosby's first NHL campaign was a personal success as he established franchise records in assists (63) and points (102) for a rookie, both of which were previously held by Mario Lemieux. He also became the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a single season, and only the seventh rookie ever to hit the benchmark. Overall, Crosby finished sixth in the NHL scoring race and seventh in the NHL in assists. Among Canadian NHL players, he trailed only Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley. Throughout the season, Crosby had battled with Washington Capitals forward and 2004 first-overall pick Alexander Ovechkin for the rookie scoring lead. He finished second to Ovechkin's 106 points and also lost to the Capitals forward for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. It marked the start of a rivalry that would help "define the league" for over a decade. Throughout his first season, Crosby was accused by opposing players and coaches of taking dives and complaining to officials, which was typically attributed to his youth. He became the first rookie to earn 100 penalty minutes and 100 points in the same season, which magnified his reputation for complaining to NHL officials. Hockey analyst Kelly Hrudey compared Crosby to Wayne Gretzky, who had a similar reputation as a "whiner" in his youth, and suggested that as Crosby matured, he would mellow out and his reputation would fade.
Crosby during the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs

In his second NHL season, Crosby built on his rookie success. On October 28, 2006, Crosby scored his first NHL hat-trick in an 8–2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. His success against the Flyers continued as just over six weeks later, on December 13, he recorded the first six-point game of his career (one goal and five assists). The multi-point effort vaulted Crosby into the NHL scoring lead, which he would retain for the remainder of the season. He finished the 2006–07 with 36 goals and 84 assists in 79 games to become the first teenager to lead the NHL in scoring since Wayne Gretzky in 1980. Being only 19 years old at the time, he became the youngest player in NHL history to win the Art Ross Trophy and the youngest scoring champion in any major North American professional sport.

Crosby's second NHL season also saw significant improvements for the Penguins franchise as a whole, as the emergence of Calder Trophy-winner Evgeni Malkin and runner-up Jordan Staal complemented the club's offence. As a result, the Penguins jumped from last place in the Eastern Conference the previous season to fifth for the club's first playoff appearance since 2001. Playing the Ottawa Senators in the opening round, Crosby scored a goal in his Stanley Cup playoff debut in a 6–3 loss. He finished the series with five points in five games as the Penguins were ousted by the eventual Stanley Cup runner-up. Following the Penguins defeat, Crosby was named Pittsburgh's team captain on May 31, 2007, making him (at 19 years, 9 months, and 24 days) the youngest team captain in NHL history. During the season, the Penguins offered him the captaincy, but he turned it down. In the press conference naming him the team captain, he explained:

"I just thought it wasn't right for me. As a team, we were playing great and you don't want to disrupt things like that. Individually, I was not ready to accept that responsibility quite yet. Going through the playoffs and having that experience has probably given me more confidence. I understand there is going to be a lot more responsibility on my shoulders with this, but it's something I'm ready for, I feel very comfortable with it and I'm just excited to get things going."

At the NHL's annual awards show later in June 2007, Crosby completed a rare off-season "hat-trick", winning the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award in addition to his previously-clinched Art Ross Trophy. He became the youngest player in NHL history to win the Lester B. Pearson, and only the second youngest player ever to win the Hart (after Gretzky). He became the youngest player ever to be named to the NHL's First All-Star Team.

Runner–up and first Stanley Cup title (2007–2009)
Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (left) became the cornerstone players of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the mid-2000s, earning the nickname "The Two-Headed Monster".

With Crosby's initial three-year, entry-level contract set to expire at the end of the following season, the Penguins signed him to a five-year, $43.5 million contract extension on July 10, 2007, ensuring his stay with the Penguins through the 2012–13 season. Midway through the subsequent season, Crosby recorded a Gordie Howe hat-trick on December 20, 2007 in a game against the Boston Bruins. His first assist came 55 seconds into the first period. At 8:26 of the same period, Crosby scored to give the Penguins a 2–0 lead. Then, five minutes and nine seconds into the second frame, Crosby fought ex-Penguin defenceman Andrew Ference to complete the hat-trick. This was Crosby's first NHL fight. In the NHL's first Winter Classic (with a record crowd of 71,217 fans in attendance), Crosby scored the shootout winner in heavy snowfall to defeat the Buffalo Sabres. However, two weeks later, on January 18, 2008, Crosby suffered a high ankle sprain crashing leg-first into the boards in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. As a result, he missed the 2008 All-Star Game, to which he was named a starter. After missing 21 games, he returned on March 4 against the Lightning and earned an assist. However, two games after his return, he felt his ankle was not up to shape and decided that he needed more time for it to heal. Crosby consequently sat out of the Penguins' next seven games and returned on March 27, 2008 to help the Penguins defeat the New York Islanders 3–1. Despite his injury-shortened campaign, Crosby still managed 72 points in just 53 games.

Crosby's absence from the Penguins' line-up served as a stepping stone for teammate Evgeni Malkin, who, now in his second season, was developing into a superstar in his own right. Picking up the offensive slack, Malkin finished second in league scoring to Alexander Ovechkin and was also a Hart Memorial Trophy nominee as MVP honours also went to Ovechkin. In addition to Crosby's return to the line-up late in the regular season, the Penguins acquired star winger Marián Hossa from the Atlanta Thrashers at the trade deadline, placing the club in a strong position to make a deep playoff run. Pittsburgh finished the regular season as Atlantic Division champions and just two points shy of the first-seeded Montreal Canadiens. In a rematch of the previous year's opening round, the Penguins began the 2008 playoffs facing the Ottawa Senators, whom they quickly swept in four games. After then defeating the New York Rangers and archrival Philadelphia Flyers, each in five games, the Penguins reached the final round for the first time since 1992, to face the Detroit Red Wings. After being shut-out as a team for the first two games of the series, Crosby scored the first two goals of game three as the series shifted to Pittsburgh to fuel a 3–2 win. The Penguins lost the next game and despite staving off defeat in game five, they were overcome by the Red Wings in six games. Crosby finished the playoffs with 27 points (6 goals and 21 assists in 20 games), tying Conn Smythe-winner Henrik Zetterberg (13 goals and 14 assists in 22 games) for the playoff scoring lead.
Crosby (centre) with Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin, 2009 Stanley Cup Finals Game 6

Early in the following season, on October 18, 2008, Crosby scored one goal and three assists to surpass benchmarks of 100 goals, 200 assists, and 300 points for his career. On the play in which Crosby scored, teammate Evgeni Malkin assisted to record his own 200th point. As a result, Crosby had a team trainer cut the puck in half so both players could commemorate the achievement. Minor injury troubles kept Crosby from five games early in the season as he was listed day-to-day, but he was, for the most part, able to bounce back from the previous injury-riddled season and stay healthy. He recorded 33 goals and 70 assists to finish third in league scoring, as Evgeni Malkin captured his first career Art Ross Trophy. Entering the 2009 playoffs as the defending Prince of Wales Trophy winners, the Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the opening round before meeting the Washington Capitals for a highly publicized second-round matchup. The series was heavily followed as it pitted Ovechkin of the Capitals against both Crosby and Malkin, who together finished as the league's top three scorers that season. In the second game, Crosby and Ovechkin recorded matching three-goal efforts for their first career playoff hat tricks in a 4–3 Capitals victory. Despite being down 2–0 in the series, Crosby and the Penguins won the next three games and eventually defeated the Capitals in a seventh and deciding game, in which Crosby added another two goals. Following a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, Crosby opted against recent NHL tradition and picked up the Prince of Wales Trophy, which he had left untouched the previous year. In explanation of the change of heart, Crosby said, "We didn't touch the trophy last year, and obviously we didn't have the result we wanted ... Although we haven't accomplished exactly what we want ... we can still enjoy it."
Crosby with Marc-André Fleury (left) and the Stanley Cup during the Penguins victory parade. By winning the Stanley Cup in 2009, Crosby became the youngest NHL captain to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

The Penguins met the Detroit Red Wings for the second straight year in the Finals, and this time Crosby won his first Stanley Cup title in seven games. At 21 years, 10 months, and 5 days, Crosby became the youngest NHL captain to win the Stanley Cup since 1895. (The youngest captain to lead his team to the Stanley Cup in the history of the trophy is Mike Grant of the 1895 Montreal Victorias, who was 21 years and 2 months at the time.) In the deciding Game 7, Crosby was forced to watch all but 32 seconds of the third period from the bench after suffering a knee injury less than halfway through the second period due to a hit from Johan Franzén. Following the game, Crosby was criticized by Detroit forward Kris Draper for neglecting to shake hands with some of Detroit's players, most notably captain Nicklas Lidström. An irate Draper was quoted as saying, "Nick was waiting and waiting, and Crosby didn't come over to shake his hand. That's ridiculous, especially as their captain." Crosby replied afterward, saying, "I just won the Stanley Cup. I think I have the right to celebrate with my teammates. I know it's not easy waiting around... I understand if they don't feel like waiting around. But you know what? It's the easiest thing to do in the world, to shake hands after you win. I had no intentions of trying to skip guys and not shake their hands. I think that was a pretty unreasonable comment."
Injury–plagued years (2010–2012)

In the 2009–10 NHL season, Crosby tied Tampa Bay Lightning centre Steven Stamkos for the lead in goals scored, with 51 goals, earning the Rocket Richard Trophy. He also garnered 58 assists for a total of 109 points, enough to tie with Alexander Ovechkin for second in league points, trailing only the Vancouver Canucks' Henrik Sedin's 112. Crosby was also named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. Crosby won the Mark Messier Leadership Award, getting recognized as a "superior leader within the sport, setting a positive example through on-ice performance, motivation of team members and a dedication to the community". This was the second time he had received this honour, the other being in January 2007, during the award's first year when it was presented monthly. He was also included on NHL's all-decade second team of 2000s.

Crosby's Penguins were defeated in the second round of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in seven games. Crosby had 19 points in 13 games in the playoffs, though through seven games against the Canadiens, he had only one goal and four assists. Game 7 was also the last game to be played at Mellon Arena, the Penguins' home rink since the start of the franchise. On July 27, 2010, Crosby joined his mentor Mario Lemieux to be the first to skate on the new ice at the Consol Energy Center. The two skated for about five minutes before being joined on the ice by a group of young hockey fans all wearing Lemieux's 66 or Crosby's 87 jerseys.
Crosby's 200th NHL goal, November 27, 2010

"When you get a typical injury you're given a time frame, you're gradually working towards getting back ... With concussions there is not generally a time frame or a span where you're feeling better. You feel like you're getting better and it can be one day and you're back to where you started. It's a frustrating injury and one that anyone has gone through can relate. It's a hard one to understand unless you've gone through it".

— Crosby on his concussions.

In the 2010–11 season, Crosby had a 25-game point streak, which began on November 5, 2010 against the Anaheim Ducks and ended on December 28, 2010 against the New York Islanders. During this streak, he had 27 goals (including three hat-tricks) and 24 assists for 51 points. This streak was tied for 11th-longest point streak in NHL history, and he was named First Star of the Month in both November and December. On January 3, 2011, Crosby was selected as a 2011 All-Star, along with teammates Evgeni Malkin, Marc-André Fleury and Kris Letang. However, neither Crosby nor Malkin were available to play in the All-Star Game due to injuries, and rookie Jeff Skinner (along with Paul Stastny) were named as replacements. In consecutive games – the 2011 NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2011, against the Washington Capitals and then January 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning – Crosby suffered hits to his head from Dave Steckel and Victor Hedman respectively. After experiencing several concussion symptoms, Crosby did not return for the rest of the regular season, and he missed the 2011 playoffs. The Penguins were further crippled when Evgeni Malkin suffered a torn ACL and MCL, taking him out for the rest of the season and leaving the Penguins without their two highest-scoring players. Despite Crosby's injury and subsequent absence for the final 41 games of the season, he finished as the Penguins' leading scorer. His 66 points in 41 games were 16 points ahead of the second-highest team scorer, defenceman Kris Letang. In so doing, Crosby set an NHL record for fewest games played by an NHL team's points leader.
Crosby was sidelined for most of the 2011–12 season after being diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms.

Crosby missed the first 20 games of the 2011–12 season due to the lingering effects of his concussion. He returned on November 21, 2011 in a game against the New York Islanders, scoring two goals and two assists in a 5–0 shutout for the Penguins. However, after playing another seven games – scoring a total of 12 points in 8 games – Crosby's concussion-like symptoms returned in December 2011, possibly following an elbow hit by David Krejčí in his eighth game of the season. Despite passing a successful ImPACT test, Crosby decided not to return on the ice until he felt perfectly fine, stating that he also must "listen to [his] body". Crosby returned to action on March 15, 2012, scoring an assist in a 5–2 win against the New York Rangers. Despite only playing 22 games, Crosby recorded 29 assists to go with 8 goals for 37 points, including his 600th career point. He later credited neurologists at UPMC and chiropractic neurologist Ted Carrick with helping him return to hockey.

Crosby's return in advance of the playoffs resulted in many experts predicting that the Penguins would win their second Stanley Cup title in four years, and though the Penguins were accordingly picked to oust the Philadelphia Flyers in their first-round series, it was acknowledged that it would be a tough series for both teams. The Flyers shocked the Penguins by winning the first three consecutive games, the third of which saw the teams combine for 158 penalty minutes. After the 8–4 loss in Game 3, Crosby was widely criticized for his conduct during the game, and for his testy post-game interview. When asked about an incident where Flyer forward Jakub Voráček had dropped his glove and Crosby swatted it away with his stick before Voráček could pick it up, Crosby replied, saying, "I don't like any guy on their team there, so his glove was near me, went to pick it up, and I pushed it, so yeah, that's... [...] I don't like them. Because I don't like them. I don't like... I don't like any guy on their team." When the interviewer suggested that he could have skated away, Crosby replied, "Skate away? Yeah, well, I didn't that time." The Penguins went on to win the next two games, but ultimately lost the series in Game 6. Crosby would finish with three goals and five assists in the six games. On June 28, 2012, the Penguins announced that Crosby agreed to a 12-year, $104.4 million contract extension set to keep Crosby in Pittsburgh through to the end of the 2024–25 NHL season.

Individual awards and playoff disappointments (2012–2015)
Crosby during the 2012–13 NHL season.

The start of the 2012–13 was postponed until January 2013 due to the owners locking out the players as negotiations took place to solidify a new collective agreement for the players. During this time, Crosby was a regular attendee of meetings taking place between National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) representatives and NHL owners. The lock-out began on September 15, 2012 and ended on January 6, 2013 with the NHL regular season beginning on January 19.During the 119-day lock-out, Crosby was often questioned about his future plans should the lockout persist, and said on more than one occasion that he was considering contract offers from various teams in European leagues (where many NHL players went so that they could continue playing in a professional capacity while waiting for the lock-out to end or for the NHL season to be officially cancelled). Crosby continued to practice and participated with other NHL players who did not go overseas in several exhibition games open to the public.

With the season finally underway in late January, Crosby set the pace for scoring, totalling 31 points (9 goals and 22 assists) through the first 21 games. He remained hot through March, scoring another 25 points (6 goals and 19 assists) in 15 games as the Penguins went unbeaten over this stretch. However, his regular season came to an abrupt end on March 30 in a home game against the New York Islanders. Crosby's teammate Brooks Orpik unleashed a slapshot which caught Crosby in the mouth, causing the centreman to lose several teeth. Crosby was down on the ice for several minutes before the medical staff was able to help him to the dressing room with Crosby holding a towel over his face. Initially, the prognosis was not severe, but it was discovered a short while later that Crosby had broken his jaw and would require several rounds of reconstructive dental surgery. He missed the final 12 games of the regular season and finished fourth in the scoring race, losing the title to Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis by four points.
Crosby shakes hands with Bruins captain Zdeno Chára following Pittsburgh's elimination from the 2013 playoffs.

Crosby returned to the ice May 5 for the Penguins' second game against their first-round playoff opponents, the New York Islanders, ironically, the team Pittsburgh had been playing when Crosby was injured. Despite two goals from Crosby, Pittsburgh lost the game 3–2, tying the series at one game apiece. The Penguins would ultimately prevail 4–2 in the series over the Isles with Crosby scoring nine points (three goals and six assists) in the five games in which he played. Crosby and the Penguins moved on to face the Ottawa Senators in the second round, with Crosby scoring a hat-trick in Game 2 of the series. Pittsburgh quickly defeated Ottawa four games to one in the series with a still-hot Crosby finishing the series with four goals and two assists. The Eastern Conference Finals came down to what many felt were the two best teams in the conference: Pittsburgh and Boston. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask put on an outstanding performance, shutting down Pittsburgh's potent offence with the help of a stifling defensive effort from his teammates. The Penguins were held to just two goals in the series, with Rask stopping 134 of 136 shots on goal (.985%). Crosby, who was strong for the Penguins in the regular season and through the first two rounds of the playoffs was held off the score sheet entirely, finishing the series with no goals and no assists on 13 shots. The Bruins swept the Penguins in four-straight games, ending Crosby's bid for a second Stanley Cup championship. In the off-season, Crosby was awarded his second Ted Lindsay Award and finished as runner-up to the Hart Memorial Trophy and Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Crosby put together a healthy and productive campaign in 2013–14, playing 80 games for the first time since the 2009–10 season. Crosby finished the season with 36 goals and a league-leading 68 assists, marking the first time in his career that he led the league in assists. He also finished with a league-high 104 points, winning the Art Ross Trophy for the second time in his career. He also went on to win the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award. Finishing first overall in the Metropolitan Division, the Penguins were matched-up with a new division rival, the Columbus Blue Jackets, in the first round of the 2014 playoffs. Despite a very back-and-forth series and not a single goal by Crosby, the Penguins defeated the Jackets in six games to advance to a second-round matchup with the New York Rangers. Going into their second-round series with the Rangers, Crosby looked to end a long playoff goal drought, which dated back to the 2013 Conference Finals against the Boston Bruins. After dropping Game 1 at home, Crosby broke his goal drought in Game 2 as the Pens tied the series at 1–1 heading back to Madison Square Garden. The Penguins would capitalize on their Game 2 win, taking the next two games and eliminating the Rangers home-ice advantage. However, the Rangers would quickly rebound, winning Game 5, 6 and 7, sending the Penguins home without a prize for the fifth straight season. The team's collapse prompted Penguins ownership to fire general manager Ray Shero, replacing him with Jim Rutherford, the former general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes. Rutherford's first action as GM was to fire Dan Bylsma as head coach, and on June 25, he announced that Mike Johnston was the new head coach.

Crosby finished the 2014–15 season with the highest point-per-game average and a total of 84 points, trailing only John Tavares (86 points) and Art Ross winner Jamie Benn (87 points). On November 26, 2014, Crosby scored his 800th career point, becoming the sixth-fastest player in NHL history to reach that milestone. On January 4, 2015, in a game against Philadelphia, Crosby scored his 300th career NHL goal. Despite a strong start to the season, the injury-plagued Penguins entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference's second wild card. Facing the New York Rangers, Crosby helped even the series with two goals in Game 2. Despite this, the Penguins were defeated in five games and was eliminated in the first round for the first time since the 2012 playoffs.

Back-to-back Stanley Cups (2015–2017)

Starting the 2015–16 season, the Penguins went through a major overhaul of their roster, adding a number of offensive players such as right winger Phil Kessel. Despite a line-up laced with some of the world's finest offensive talents, Crosby struggled to score points, as he and the team had for much of the Johnston era. By the time Johnston was fired on December 12, 2015, after posting a 15–10–3 record through 28 games, some media outlets began speculating that Crosby had aged out of his prime scoring years. On December 16, The Washington Post wrote, "Sidney Crosby has widely been regarded as the NHL's best player since he burst on the scene as a rookie in 2005 ... But Crosby just hasn't been himself this season, scoring just six goals in 29 games and sitting with a plus/minus of minus-seven. All players go through slumps, but it is clear that the Crosby we knew has been on the decline for some time." His slow start was capped off by not being selected as a starter for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game.
Crosby skating against the Capitals in the second round of the 2016 playoffs

However, under new head coach Mike Sullivan, the 28-year-old turned his season around, outscoring all NHL players from December 12 through the end of the season. On February 2, Crosby scored three-straight goals for his first natural hat-trick in more than five years. Four days later, Crosby scored his 900th, 901st and 902nd career NHL points to fuel a 3–2 overtime comeback victory over the Florida Panthers. He tallied at least 1 point in 15 of Pittsburgh's 16 games in March, including six multi-point efforts, and was subsequently named the NHL's First Star of the Month. On April 2, Crosby recorded his 600th NHL assist as the Penguins clinched their berth in the 2016 playoffs. Six days later, he scored in overtime against Washington Capitals to secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Crosby finished the season with 36 goals and 85 points in 80 games, including a career-high nine game-winning goals, and was voted team MVP for the sixth time in his career. His two-way game also received league-wide praise, with Hockey Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman stating that Crosby would be a good candidate for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward. Crosby's comeback also impressed Wayne Gretzky, who said, "He had a tough start, but the sign of an elite athlete is a guy that battles through it. He didn't point any fingers, he just battled through it, and I don't think there is any question the last 40 or so games, he made a case for the MVP. He was that good. He went to another level." On May 7, Crosby was named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy. He finished as the first runner-up with 800 points and 11 first-place votes.
Crosby with the Stanley Cup in 2016

After losing to New York in the past two playoffs, the Penguins eliminated the Rangers in the first round, winning four games to one, after losing to the Rangers by the same series margin in the first round the previous year. Crosby led the team in scoring with three goals and eight points. The Penguins then eliminated the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in six games, without much offensive production from either Crosby (two assists) or Malkin (one goal and one assist). Advancing to their first Conference Final since 2013, Crosby scored the overtime winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2. The goal was scored 40 seconds into overtime for a 3–2 win, the fastest overtime goal in Penguins' playoff history, and the first of his career in the playoffs. In the following game, he scored the game-winning goal in a 4–2 victory After dropping the next two games, Crosby scored his third game-winning goal of the series in Game 6, forcing a final game in Pittsburgh. Defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2–1 in Game 7, Crosby helped his team win the Eastern Conference championship, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final against the San Jose Sharks. In the series, the Penguins defeated the Sharks in six games to earn Crosby his second Stanley Cup title. He became the ninth player to win the Stanley Cup twice as well as two Olympic gold medals. Finishing the playoffs with 19 points (6 goals and 13 assists), including the primary helper on the Cup-winning goal scored by Kris Letang, Crosby was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.

Crosby missed the first six games of the 2016–17 season after being diagnosed with a concussion just a few days before the season opener against the Washington Capitals. Upon his return, he scored 30 goals in his first 45 games, and on February 16, 2017, he registered an assist on a Chris Kunitz goal against the Winnipeg Jets to reach 1,000 NHL points, doing so in just his 757th game to become the 12th-fastest (and 11th-youngest) player to reach that milestone. He also participated in his first NHL All-Star Game since 2007, winning the shooting accuracy segment of the Skills Competition. He was named team MVP and finished the season as the runner up for the Art Ross Trophy with 44 goals and 89 points in 75 games. It marked the eighth time he finished a season in the top-three in NHL scoring, tying Mario Lemieux, Stan Mikita and Phil Esposito for the third-most instances in history behind only Wayne Gretzky (15 times) and Gordie Howe (12 times). With his 44 goals, Crosby captured the Rocket Richard Trophy for the second time in his career. Crosby was also named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award.
Crosby won his second straight Conn Smythe Trophy in 2017.

Entering the 2017 playoffs as the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games before meeting the Washington Capitals in the second round. After winning the first two games on the road, Crosby sustained a concussion after suffering an injury from a slash and cross-check from Alexander Ovechkin and Matt Niskanen in Game 3. He missed Game 4 but returned to practice the next day and played in Game 5. The Penguins would eventually eliminate the Capitals in Game 7, with Crosby assisting on the series-winning goal. The Penguins then defeated the Ottawa Senators in a gruelling seven-game series to secure their second consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Crosby had the primary assist on the series-clinching goal, scored by Chris Kunitz in double overtime Facing the Nashville Predators in the Finals, Pittsburgh jumped out to a two-game lead, despite being outplayed for long stretches in both games. The Predators responded by tying up the series, winning Game 3 and 4 at home. In Game 5, the Penguins' captain delivered a dominant performance, adding three assists in a 6–0 win to pass Lemieux for most Stanley Cup Final points (20) in franchise history. After defeating the Predators 2–0 in Game 6, the Penguins became the first team to repeat as Stanley Cup champions since the 1997–98 Detroit Red Wings, and the first to do so in the salary cap era. Crosby won his second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs, only the third player to do so after Bernie Parent (1974, 1975) and Mario Lemieux (1991, 1992). He finished second in scoring behind Evgeni Malkin with 27 points (8 goals and 19 assists) in 24 games.

Recent years (2017–present)

In the 2017–18 season, Crosby appeared in all 82 of Pittsburgh's regular season games for the first time in his career, finishing with 29 goals and 60 assists for 89 points. On February 12, 2018, he scored his 400th NHL goal, becoming the 95th player to reach the milestone. On March 21, he recorded his 700th career NHL assist. The Penguins began their 2018 playoff campaign against the Philadelphia Flyers. In Game 1 of the Battle of Pennsylvania, Crosby recorded a natural hat-trick in a 7–0 win. On April 18, in Game 4, Crosby passed Mario Lemieux as the Penguins' all-time playoff points leader with 173. The Penguins ultimately defeated the Flyers in six games, with Crosby scoring 6 goals and 13 points. After the series, retired Hockey Hall of Fame centre Bryan Trottier said of Crosby, "Sid has a wonderful gift to maintain his composure and not get rattled. You like the emotion he shows, too. I think he fires his team up, and that's why he's wearing the 'C' [for captain]." The Penguins were eventually eliminated in Game 6 of the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, ending Penguins's bid for a three-peat. Crosby finished with 21 points (9 goals and 12 assists) in 12 games, pushing his career playoff total to 185, tied with Steve Yzerman for tenth-most all-time.

On January 3, 2019, Crosby was selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game for the eighth time in his career. He scored four goals and four assists, helping the Metropolitan Division to victory; his efforts won him his first All-Star MVP award, making him the sixth in NHL history to have won that award after having won the Conn Smythe Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy. During the 2018–19 season, Crosby passed Mario Lemieux to become the Penguins' all-time leader in games played (916), and moved into second place on the Pens' all-time scoring list with his 440th career goal in a 5–1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on March 3, 2019. Two days later, he became the 48th player in NHL history to score at least 1,200 career points. He finished the season with 100 points (35 goals and 65 assists), the first time he has reached the 100-point mark since scoring 104 points in 2013–14. Crosby finished 4th in voting for the Selke Trophy and became a Hart Trophy finalist for the seventh time in his career. He was also elected team-MVP. Crosby was selected to the NHL All-Decade First Team in January 2020. The Penguins finished fifth in the Eastern Conference in the COVID-19-shortened 2019–20 season, facing the 12th-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference qualifying round. The Canadiens upset the Penguins in four games, eliminating Pittsburgh on August 7, 2020, Crosby's 33rd birthday.

In the shortened 2020–21 season, Crosby led the team in scoring with 62 points (24 goals and 38 assists), and was the recipient of the team's MVP Award and the Players' Player Award He was also a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award On February 21, 2021, Crosby became the first player in Penguins history to play 1,000 games with the franchise. The team clinched a playoff berth for the 15th consecutive season under Crosby's captaincy, the longest active postseason streak among all teams in the North American professional sports leagues. However, the Penguins were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the New York Islanders for the second time in three seasons.

International play

Junior

Crosby debuted internationally for Canada at the 2003 U-18 Junior World Cup in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He was the youngest player on the under-18 team, having turned 16 shortly before the beginning of the tournament. After seven consecutive gold medals at the tournament, Team Canada lost in the bronze medal game to the Czech Republic 8–2. He scored four goals and six points over five tournament games.

Crosby went on to compete in two World Junior Championships with Team Canada's under-20 team. When he was named to the team in December 2003, he became the fifth 16-year-old to represent Canada at the tournament, following Jay Bouwmeester, Jason Spezza, Eric Lindros and Wayne Gretzky. Competing in the 2004 World Junior Championships in Helsinki, he then became the youngest player to score a goal in the history of the tournament at 16 years, 4 months, and 21 days when he scored against Switzerland in a 7–2 win. This record would last until the 2012 World Juniors when Aleksander Barkov of Finland scored a goal aged 16 years, 4 months. Crosby finished the tournament with two goals and three assists in six games, helping Canada to a silver medal finish. The following year, he returned for Canada at the 2005 World Junior Championships in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He improved to six goals and three assists as Canada earned gold. Crosby stated the following year that his most memorable hockey moment was winning his World Junior gold medal.
Men's

After completing his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Crosby competed in the 2006 IIHF World Championship as an alternate captain for Canada. Scoring a tournament-best eight goals and eight assists in nine games, he became the youngest player ever to win a World Championship scoring title. Despite his performance, Canada failed to medal, being shut-out by Finland 5–0 in the bronze medal game. Crosby was named the tournament's top forward and to the competition's all-star team.
Crosby (against glass) celebrates moments after scoring the gold medal-winning goal at the 2010 Winter Olympics over the United States

After omitted from Canada's Olympic team in 2006, Crosby was named to the Canadian roster on December 30, 2009 as an alternate captain for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He scored the game-winning shootout goal for Canada in the second game of the preliminary round against Switzerland. After going pointless in the quarter- and semi-final against Russia and Slovakia respectively, Crosby scored the winning goal 7 minutes and 40 seconds into overtime against the United States in the gold medal game. The goal has later become known as the "Golden Goal" due to it being scored in the gold medal game. It is also regarded by some as "Canada's most iconic sports moment".

Following the Penguins' second-round elimination in the 2010 playoffs, Crosby declined an invitation to join Canada midway through the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany. Crosby was selected to represent Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics and was later named team captain. Canada won gold, with Crosby contributing one goal and two assists in six games. He scored his only goal in the final against Sweden, further establishing his reputation as "a player who rises up in big games". In 2015, Crosby captained Canada to its first World Championship title since 2007, with the team winning all 10 games and scoring 66 goals. Crosby, scoring four goals and seven assists in nine games, became the 26th member of the Triple Gold Club. He is the first member of the club to captain all three championship teams, and the first member to be a first overall NHL draft pick.

In 2016, Hockey Canada named Crosby captain for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto. Crosby, who led the tournament in scoring with ten points, helped Team Canada win the championship, and was named the Most Valuable Player. He joined Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to win the Conn Smythe, Hart Memorial Trophy and World Cup MVP. Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock described Crosby as a serial winner, saying, "He's that high-end competitor. He's a good leader because he tries to do it right all the time. He demands a lot out of himself. In doing so, he demands a lot out of his teammates." In 2020, he was named to the IIHF All-Time Canadian Team and the Men's All-Decade Team.

On October 3, 2021, Crosby was one of the first three players named to the men's hockey roster for Canada's team for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, alongside Connor McDavid and Alex Pietrangelo.

Player profile
Style of play

His lower-body strength is probably unparalleled in the league. It's not just about his speed, but how he can use his lower body to protect the puck in the corner. When he takes the puck through the neutral zone, he's a nightmare to defend because he seems to explode and take it to another gear as soon as the puck touches his stick.

–Logan Couture of the San Jose Sharks on Crosby.

As captain and first-line centre for Canada, Crosby played with different line mates in almost every game as the coaching staff struggled to find players capable of keeping pace with the superstar centre at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, and again at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Crosby's fellow countryman and Olympic teammate, Rick Nash, was questioned by the media about this, at one point saying, "I think he's a tough guy to keep up with. He's so fast. The way he thinks about the game seems like it's far beyond everyone else's process. It's the same thing in the last Olympics, keep shuffling around until you found something that fit." Team Canada's assistant coach in Vancouver, Ken Hitchcock, recalled, "Sid thinks at a level, when the other team has the puck, that's above everyone else in the league [NHL]. His anticipation when the other team has the puck is so high, he knows where it's going ahead of time. He can pick off passes, make you make errors. And then he also knows where people are located on the ice, so he can turn that turnover into a scoring chance."

Other professional NHL players have particularly noted Crosby for his backhand shot. For example, in his column for The Players' Tribune, Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings praised Crosby for having "the best backhand shot" in the NHL. "His blade is almost completely flat, which combined with his ridiculous forearm strength gives him the ability to go forehand to your five hole instantly or turn it over to the backhand and roof it (a lot of guys can't do this with a flat blade)."

Reputation
Crosby during a game against the New York Islanders in 2018.

Noted for his on-ice vision, passing ability, leadership, work ethic and complete overall game, Crosby is considered to be one of the greatest players of all time. Bobby Orr named Crosby among the five best players in the history of NHL. Wayne Gretzky said of Crosby, "He's proven over and over that he's the best player in the game today. And it seems like the more important the game, the more impact that he makes on a game." Gordie Howe was also impressed by Crosby, "I met him and I've seen him play. Unless you put two guys on him, he'll kill you in a game." In 2016, Mario Lemieux praised his protégé for his ability to play both sides of the puck: "I think he's more of a complete player. Defensively, I think he's improved a lot over the last couple of years." In an article for The Washington Post, other players, teammates and coaches highlighted his work ethic and strive for greatness as a major factor to Crosby's lasting success. "While his natural ability – powerful skating, pistol-quick hands, uncommon feel – made him a phenom, his creative, distinct capacity for work has enabled him to stay atop the NHL." Current Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan described Crosby as "best 200-foot player in the game" and the "heartbeat" of the Penguins.

On January 27, 2017, in a ceremony during the All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, Crosby was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history. In that same year, Fox Sports ranked Crosby 15th on their "21 greatest athletes of the 21st century (so far)" list, and TSN named him the eighth-best NHL player of all-time. Four months before the 2022 Winter Olympics, Rob Rossi of The Athletic called him "arguably North America's most dominant team-sport Winter Olympian." In a survey conducted by Sportsnet in June 2017, Crosby was voted by Canadians to be the greatest athlete of the 21st century. A poll conducted by the NHLPA in 2018 of more than 500 players resulted in Crosby being voted the "most difficult to play against, best role model, best team player, the player you'd want to win one game, and the player who would be a great coach upon retirement". In 2018, Crosby was chosen as Nova Scotia's "Best athlete ever" by the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame. In 2019, an anonymous survey conducted by The Athletic showed that Crosby was regarded the best all-around NHL player by his peers.

Considered a generational talent and a franchise player, drafting Crosby changed the fortunes of a struggling Pittsburgh Penguins. It helped secure funding for a new arena and ended speculation that the franchise would relocate to another city. In 2005–06, his presence helped Pittsburgh's attendance increase by 33%. Crosby's arrival also aided in reinvigorating and expanding the roots of hockey in the Pittsburgh area. Penguins CEO and president David Morehouse said, "We were in last place, we were last in revenues, we were last in attendance, our TV ratings were minimal and we were in the oldest building in the NHL... We were able to draw attention to us as a franchise because of the drafting of Sidney Crosby and the subsequent success we had."

Jerseys

Crosby's number 87 Pittsburgh Penguins jersey was the top seller on the NHL's website from September 2005 to February 2008. It has continued to be among the top-selling jerseys since his rookie season. In January 2005, an Air Canada baggage handler in Montreal stole Crosby's red Canada jersey from the World Junior Hockey Championship. It was recovered later in a mailbox. His white jersey from the tournament was temporarily delisted from an auction while the red one was missing. It eventually sold for $22,100, which went to youth hockey charities and 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake relief.

Less than a year later, one of Crosby's game-worn sweaters disappeared. The jersey he wore in his first NHL game, played against the New Jersey Devils, disappeared from his father's luggage during a flight from Pittsburgh to Buffalo. The jersey was later found at the Pittsburgh International Airport between a piece of equipment and a stairwell. Crosby's jersey from his third NHL game was the highest-selling NHL jersey in an auction for Hurricane Katrina relief – it sold for $21,010. During an online auction held by the NHL and the NHL Players Association to benefit Hockey Fights Cancer, Crosby's game-worn jersey from the first period of the 2007 All-Star Game earned the most money. Crosby's sold for $47,520, more than eight times the next highest price—$5,681 for the jersey worn by Brendan Shanahan of the New York Rangers.

Following Crosby's Olympic gold medal victory with Canada in 2010, it was announced that his stick and glove were missing. It was initially suspected that they might have been stolen; Reebok Canada offered a reward of CAD$10,000 for their return, "no questions asked". On March 10, the items were found: Crosby's stick had been placed in a shipment bound for the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in Saint Petersburg, Russia, (the shipment was intercepted in Toronto) and his glove was found in a hockey bag belonging to Olympic teammate and Boston Bruins' centre Patrice Bergeron, whose stall was beside Crosby's in the locker room.

Personal life
"Home of Sidney Crosby" city sign in Cole Harbour.

Crosby rarely discusses his personal life and avoids social media. Andy O'Brien, Crosby's fitness trainer for over 15 years, has said: "He [Crosby] wants to be one of the guys and doesn't really seek to separate himself or get special treatment in any way... He takes a lot of enjoyment in the regular, simple things in life and having a normal, ordinary routine".Greg Powers described Crosby as essentially the brother of Lemieux's son Austin, as he lived with Lemieux's family in Sewickley, Pennsylvania from 2005 until 2010. In the spring of 2010, Crosby purchased his own home in the same area In June 2006, he bought his first house on Grand Lake in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

On May 29, 2010, it was announced that Crosby would sign the richest endorsement contract in NHL history with Reebok, expected to pay Crosby $1.4 million per year for five to seven years. In 2015, he signed a six-year endorsement contract with Adidas. Crosby also has endorsement deals with Bell, Tim Hortons, and Gatorade. Regarded as one of Canada's "legendary goal-scorers and storied leaders", Crosby was featured in Canada Post's NHL Great Canadian Forwards stamp collection, alongside Phil Esposito, Guy Lafleur, Darryl Sittler, Mark Messier, and Steve Yzerman. In 2016, he won an Emmy Award for his role in There's No Place Like Home With Sidney Crosby. He also won for his participation in the Merci Sidney video that followed his return to Rimouski for his QMJHL jersey retirement ceremony.

Crosby has a younger sister named Taylor who is a hockey goaltender. Like her brother, she went to high school at Shattuck-Saint Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota to play with the school's hockey program. In 2014, Taylor joined the Northeastern Huskies women's ice hockey team as a freshman at Northeastern University in Boston. In 2015, she transferred to Minnesota's St. Cloud State University and played with the St. Cloud State Huskies women's ice hockey team through to graduation at the end of the 2017–18 school year.

Crosby continues to be active in the community in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. He created the Sidney Crosby Foundation in 2009, an organization committed to helping charities benefiting children. In 2015, he started a hockey school in Cole Harbour. His "Little Penguins Program" has provided free equipment and lessons to more than ten thousand local youngsters in Pittsburgh.

On November 3, 2021, Crosby tested positive for COVID-19 with "mild symptoms".
Stephen Amritraj
From Wikipedia
Stephen AmritrajCountry (sports)  India
Residence Calabasas, California
Born March 28, 1984 
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money $39,589
Singles
Career record 0–0
Career titles 0
Highest ranking No. 973 (11 June 2007)
Doubles
Career record 4–11
Career titles 0
Highest ranking No. 192 (10 November 2008)

Stephen Amritraj (born March 28, 1984) is an Indian-American former professional tennis player who represented India. He is the nephew of Vijay Amritraj, and son of Anand Amritraj.

Amritraj is the son of former world tour player Anand Amritraj and paternal cousin of fellow former pro Prakash Amritraj, who also represented India. He played high school tennis at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California, and NCAA college tennis for Duke University.

Amritraj's career high singles ranking is world No. 973, which he reached in June 2007.

Amritraj is married to American professional tennis player Alison Riske.

Sonu Beniwal
Wikipedia


Date of birth 5 March 1993
Place of birth Haryana , India
Position(s) Defender
Club information
Current team Hindustan
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013 Pailan Arrows 3 (0)
2015– Hindustan
National team
2011 India U19 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Sonu Beniwal (born 5 March 1993) is an Indian footballer who plays as a defender for Hindustan F.C. in the I-League 2nd Division.

Career
Pailan Arrows

Beniwal made his debut for Pailan Arrows in the I-League against Churchill Brothers on 9 January 2013 in which he came on as a 93rd-minute substitute for Shouvik Ghosh as Pailan Arrows lost the match 3–1.

Hindustan

In March 2015, it was announced that Beniwal had signed for Hindustan F.C. of the I-League 2nd Division.

International

Beniwal made his debut for India at international level at the under-19s level on 31 October 2011 against Turkmenistan in the first match for India in the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers in which he played the whole 90 minutes as India's U19s won the match 3–1.
Satyadev Prasad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Satyadev Prasad receiving the Dhyan Chand Award in 2018 from the President Ram Nath Kovind.

Satyadev Prasad (born 19 September 1979) is an athlete from India. He competes in archery.

Prasad competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first match, advancing to the round of 32. In the second round of elimination, he was again victorious and advanced to the round of 16. The third match was Prasad's downfall, as he lost to 1st-ranked Im Dong-hyun of South Korea in a thrilling match that went down to the last round. Prasad placed 10th overall. Prasad got 2018-Dyanchand award in the Archery and he will receive the award on 25 September 2018.

Prasad was also a member of the 11th-place Indian men's archery team at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He won Bronze Medal in the Asian Team Championship held in Malaysia. Participated in the Rome World Championship 1999, Beijing World Championship 2001 and New York World Championship 2003. He has completed his graduation (B.P.Ed.) and Post-Graduation (M.P.Ed.) from Noida College of Physical Education, Dadri.

Personal life

Satyadev Prasad was born in Nizamabad, Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.[3] He began playing the game of Archery at quite an early age. Inspired by the success of Limba Ram, the celebrated Archer, he strived hard to rise in the sport.
Sujeet Maan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sujeet Maan
Full name Sujeet Maan
Nationality  India
Born 15 December 1978
New Delhi, India
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
Weight 74 kg (163 lb)
Sport
Sport Wrestling
Style Freestyle
Club Guru Hanuman Wrestling Club
Coach Maha Singh Rao

Representing  India
 2004 Tehran 74 kg
 1999 Tashkent 69 kg
 2000 Guilin 69 kg

Sujeet Maan (Hindi: सुजीत मान; born 15 December 1978 in New Delhi) is a retired amateur Indian freestyle wrestler, who competed in the men's middleweight category. He achieved top six finishes in the 74-kg division at the Asian Games (1998 and 2002), produced a stark tally of four medals (one silver and three bronze) at the Asian Wrestling Championships, and also represented his nation India at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Before his sporting career ended in 2006, Maan trained full-time for Guru Hanuman Wrestling Club in his native New Delhi, under his coach and mentor Maha Singhrao.

Maan made his senior sporting debut at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand, where he placed fourth in the men's welterweight class (69 kg), losing out to Japan's Ryusaburo Katsu by a tough 2–3 verdict. Determined to return to the sporting scene, Maan continued to blossom his wrestling career by collecting three bronze medals in the same class at the Asian Wrestling Championships since 1999, until he delivered his stellar performance with a silver in 2004. He also entered the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea as one of the heavy medal favorites in the middleweight category, but left empty-handed with a sixth-place finish.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Maan qualified for his first Indian squad in the men's 74 kg class. Earlier in the process, he clinched the eighth spot at the 2003 World Wrestling Championships in New York City, New York, and then confirmed his berth on the Indian team by placing third from the Asian Championships in Tehran, Iran. He lost two straight matches each to Japan's Kunihiko Obata (8–0) and Cuba's Iván Fundora (6–0) by an identical margin, leaving him on the bottom of the prelim pool and placing eighteenth in the final standings.

Sorokhaibam Ranjana Chanu
 Wikipedia
Ranjana Chanu


Full name Sorokhaibam Ranjana Chanu
Date of birth 10 March 1999 
Place of birth Manipur, India
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information

Current team Gokulam Kerala
Number 14
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018 Kryphsa 0 (0)
2019– Gokulam Kerala 0 (0)
National team‡
2018 India 12 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 2 December 2021

Sorokhaibam Ranjana Chanu (born 10 March 1999) is an Indian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Indian Women's League club Sethu FC and the India women's national team.

Career

Ranjana scored her first goal for national team against Vietnam in a friendly on 6 November 2019
Somdev
From Wikipedia


Somdev Devvarman

Somdev Devvarman at the 2013 French Open
Full name Somdev Kishore Devvarman
Residence Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Born 13 February 1985
Guwahati, Assam, India
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Turned pro 2008
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
College University of Virginia
Prize money $1,204,540
Singles
Career record 54–68
Career titles 0
Highest ranking No. 62 (25 July 2011)
Current ranking No. 102 (28 April 2014)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 2R (2013)
French Open 2R (2013)
Wimbledon 2R (2011)
US Open 2R (2009, 2013)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games 1R (2012)
Doubles
Career record 16–22
Career titles 0
Highest ranking No. 139 (31 October 2011)
Current ranking No. 255 (3 March 2014)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 2R (2010)
French Open 1R (2011)
Wimbledon 2R (2011)
US Open 3R (2011)
Team competitions
Davis Cup 1R (2010)
Last updated on: 3 March 2014.

Somdev DevvarmanMedal record
Competitor for  India
Men's Tennis
Commonwealth Games
Gold 2010 Delhi Singles
Asian Games
Gold 2010 Guangzhou Singles
Gold 2010 Guangzhou Doubles
Bronze 2010 Guangzhou Team

Somdev Kishore Devvarman is a professional Indian tennis player. He hit the headlines for being the only collegiate player to have made three consecutive finals at the NCAA, winning back-to-back finals in his junior and senior years. Only three other players have matched that record since 1950. His 44–1 win-loss record in 2008 at the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship is unprecedented.

His best achievement so far on the ATP World Tour has been reaching the final of the Chennai Open in 2009, as a wild card entry. In 2010, Somdev won the gold medal in themen's singles event of XIXth Commonwealth Games at the R.K. Khanna Tennis Stadium in New Delhi, and he followed it up with both men's singles and doubles gold in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. He is coached by Scott McCain.

In 2011, Devvarman received the Arjuna Award from the Indian government for his tennis successes.

Early life

Somdev was born into a Tripuri Hindu family in Guwahati, Assam to Ranjana and Pravanjan Dev Varman, a retired income tax commissioner. He belongs to the Indian state of Tripura. His family moved to Calcutta when he was 3 to 4 months old and stayed there until he was 8. His father's work took the family to Madras (Chennai) where Somdev grew up, beginning tennis at age 9, and studied at Asan Memorial School. Devvarman started competing in Futures tournaments in 2002 at the age of 17. His biggest achievement during this time was a victory in the Kolkata F2 championship in 2004, after which he rose to 666 in the world rankings. He moved to the USA later that year and competed less regularly while at the University of Virginia. Somdev, while at college, won the 2007NCAA Singles Championship by defeating Georgia Bulldog's senior, the top seed John Isnerin the final. A year later, he defeated Tennessee's J.P. Smith to win his second consecutive NCAA Singles National Championship. Devvarman becomes the 13th player in the 124-year history of the tournament to win consecutive titles, and just the fourth to do so in the past 50 years with an unprecedented 44–1 record in 2008. Somdev finished university with a degree in sociology and turned pro in the summer of 2008. He won his first career title that year at a Futures tournament in Rochester, New York. The University of Virginia retired Devvarman's jersey in 2009. At the end of 2010, he was felicitated by the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association in Chennai.

Early career

After graduating from the University of Virginia, Devvarman signed with Mamba International, a sports management company based in Charlottesville, and started his professional career at the Futures tournament in Rochester, New York, where he won the singles title. He and his former university partner, Treat Huey, won the doubles title. The next week at another Futures match in Pittsburgh, Devvarman and Huey won the doubles title, and Devvarman the singles.

Devvarman made the final of the Kennedy Funding Invitational in New York in July 2007. In a clay-court non-tour event which included several players ranked in the top 150, Devvarman defeated Ricardo Mello, Robert Kendrick, and Justin Gimelstob, before losing a three-set match to no. 69 Michael Russell in the final. He returned and won the tournament in 2008, beating Sam Querrey and Dudi Sela along the way.

On 27 July 2008, Devvarman won the Lexington Challenger, first coming through qualifying, and then beating players including Bobby Reynolds, Xavier Malisse, and Robert Kendrick to take the title. He received automatic entry into the Vancouver Open and reached the quarterfinals, before his first professional defeat, by Go Soeda.

In August 2008, Devvarman made the quarterfinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, first beating Sam Warburg, Jamie Baker, and Soeda to qualify, and then beating Taylor Dent and Robert Kendrick in the main draw, before losing to Russian Igor Kunitsyn.

At the BCR Bucharest Open, Devvarman lost to world no. 18 Nicolás Almagro after winning the first set in the first round, having beaten no. 93 Italian Filippo Volandri in the final round of qualifying. Devvarman ended 2008 ranked as world no. 204. He had started the year at no. 1033.

Davis Cup

Devvarman made his Davis Cup debut for India in 2008 against Uzbekistan at the age of 22. In the second rubber of the tie Devvarman faced Denis Istomin and fell in straight sets. With the tie locked at two matche victories each, Devvarman was substituted for countrymenPrakash Amritraj in the fifth rubber. Amritraj would be victorious in four sets. Devvarman would return to the team in the 2008 World Group Playoffs to face Romania. He would fall short in both his singles matches and keep India in the zonals for another year. India started 2009 by playing Chinese Taipei in the Asia Oceania Group 1 quarterfinal. India won 3–2 with a significant contribution from Devvarman who won both his ties against Ti Chen and Yen-Hsun Lu. The team later travelled to Johannesburg to face South Africa in the World Group Play-offs. Somdev won both his ties and India won the tie 4–1 to move back into the World Group. India faced Russia in the World Group round 1 at Moscow. India lost the tie 2–3 which included two losses from Somdev. India hosted Brazil at Chennai in the World Group Play-off tie. Somdev lost to Ricardo Mello on day 1 and India went down 0–2. India went to win the tie 3–2 in a come from behind fashion which included a win from Somdev as his opponentThomaz Bellucci retired whilst he was trailing 6–7(3), 0–4. This meant that India would once again be a part of the World Group. India drew defending champions Serbia for Round 1. The tie was played at Novi Sad. Somdev played Janko Tipsarević in the second rubber and won in straight sets 7–5, 7–5, 7–6(3) This was a major upset and gave India a realistic chance of reaching the round 2. Due to the absence of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, Somdev teamed up with Rohan Bopanna for the Doubles rubber on Saturday. The Indians lost 6–4, 3–6, 4–6, 6–7(10). Somdev played Viktor Troicki in a make-or-break match for India. However, he lost in straight sets 4–6, 2–6, 5–7. India eventually lost the tie 1–4 with the only win coming from Devvarman. India later travelled to Tokyo to play against Japan in the World Group Play-off. Somdev lost against Yuichi Sugita in the first rubber 3–6, 4–6, 5–7. He didn't play the reverse singles due to a shoulder problem which eventually would make him miss most of the tennis in 2012. India lost the tie 1–4 to Japan which resulted in relegation back to Asia-Oceania Group 1. India had to face South Korea at home in an Asia-Oceania Group 1 tie. 11 players including Somdev had boycotted this tie due to misunderstandings with the All India Tennis Association. India lost that tie to South Korea 1–4. India hosted Indonesia in a relegation play-off tie at Bangalore. Somdev won both his singles matches as India won the tie 5–0 to stay in the Asia-Oceania Group 1.

Olympics

Competing in his maiden Olympics at London 2012, Devvarman entered the Men's singles via a wildcard entry. He was defeated by Finland's Jarkko Nieminen.

Commonwealth Games

For the first time in Commonwealth Games history tennis was held at the 2010 Delhi games. Playing in front of a home crowd, Devvarman entered the Men's singles and Men's doubles. He would win the gold medal in singles.

Asian Games

Somdev represented India at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. He won the Gold Medal in the Men's Singles event where he defeated Denis Istomin 6–1, 6–2 in the final. He also won the Gold Medal in the Men's Doubles event with his partner Sanam Singh. They defeated Gong Maoxin and Li Zhe of China in the final 6–3, 6–7(4), 10–8. Somdev was also a part of the Men's Team which won the bronze medal.
Management

Devvarman is now professionally managed by Mahesh Bhupathi's company Globosport.
He is sponsored by Lacoste and Babolat.

Personal life

His parents are from the state of Tripura in India. Somdev belongs to Tripura's erstwhile royal family. He is the grandson of Tripura's late royal scion Bikramendra Kishore Debbarman, popularly known as Bidurkarta. He is a big fan of Roger Federer. He idolises the Krishnans, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. He likes watching cricket and idolises Sachin Tendulkar. His favourite film is Good Will Hunting and his favourite actress is Priyanka Chopra. Devvarman's favourite musician is Dave Matthew.

ATP career
Singles: 2 (0–2)

Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (0–0)
ATP World Tour 500 Series (0–0)
ATP World Tour 250 Series (0–2)

Titles by Surface
Hard (0–2)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)

OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScoreRunner-up 1. 5 January 2009 Chennai, India Hard  Marin Čilić 6–4, 7–6
Runner-up 2. 6 February 2011 Johannesburg, South Africa Hard  Kevin Anderson 4–6, 6–3, 6–2

Doubles: 1 (0–1)

Legend
Grand Slam Tournaments (0–0)
ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (0–0)
ATP World Tour 500 Series (0–0)
ATP World Tour 250 Series (0–1)

Finals by Surface
Hard (0–1)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)


OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreRunner-up 1. 31 July 2011 Los Angeles, US Hard  Treat Conrad Huey  Mark Knowles
 Xavier Malisse 7–6(7–3), 7–6(12–10)

Singles performance table
Key
W F SF QF #R RR LQ (Q#) A P Z# PO SF-B F S G NMS NH

Won tournament; or reached Final; Semifinal; Quarter-final; Round 4, 3, 2, 1; competed at a Round Robin stage; lost in Qualification Round; absent from tournament event; played in a Davis Cup Zonal Group (with its number indication) or Play-off; won a bronze, silver (F or S) or gold medal at the Olympics; a downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament (Not a Masters Series); or a tournament that was Not Held in a given year.

To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated either at the conclusion of a tournament, or when the player's participation in the tournament has ended

Tashi Lundup


Tashi Lundup (born 5 October 1984) is a pioneering Indian cross-country skier from Ladakh, recognized as one of the country's first Winter Olympians. As a member of the Indian Army's Ladakh Scouts regiment, he broke barriers for winter sports in India, competing internationally from 2005 to around 2010. His story highlights the challenges and triumphs of athletes from remote Himalayan regions, where extreme cold and high altitudes shape both life and training. At 41 years old as of October 5, 2025 (his birthday today), Lundup has transitioned from active competition, but his legacy endures in inspiring Ladakhi youth to pursue adventure sports amid Ladakh's growing tourism and military focus on high-altitude training.

Early Life and Family Background

  • Birth and Upbringing: Born on October 5, 1984, in Leh, the capital of Ladakh (then part of Jammu and Kashmir, now a Union Territory), Tashi grew up in a high-altitude desert environment averaging 3,500 meters above sea level. Ladakh's harsh winters—with temperatures dropping to -30°C—and vast snowy landscapes naturally introduced him to skiing as a mode of transport and survival rather than a sport. He developed his skills through local traditions of yak herding and army drills, training on frozen lakes and mountain trails.
  • Family and Socio-Economic Context: Details about his immediate family are not widely documented in public sources, but Lundup hails from a modest Ladakhi household typical of the region's agrarian and pastoral communities. Many families in Leh rely on subsistence farming, animal husbandry (e.g., yaks and pashmina goats), and seasonal tourism or military service for livelihood. His entry into the Indian Army provided structure, education, and access to sports facilities, a common pathway for Ladakhi youth facing limited opportunities in remote areas.
  • Education and Influences: Specific schooling details are unavailable, but as an army athlete, he likely received training at the High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg or similar facilities. Influences include Ladakh's monastic traditions and the resilience of its people, who view physical endurance as integral to Buddhist philosophy.

Career and Achievements

Lundup's career marked India's nascent foray into Winter Olympics, where he became a trailblazer despite minimal national infrastructure for cross-country skiing.

Military and Sports Integration

  • Joined the Ladakh Scouts, an infantry regiment of the Indian Army specializing in high-altitude warfare. The unit's rigorous training in snow and ice directly translated to his skiing prowess, blending military discipline with athletic pursuit.
  • Began competing internationally in 2005 under the Army Sports Institute, focusing on endurance events suited to his acclimatized physiology (Ladakhis have natural advantages in low-oxygen environments).

Key Competitions and Milestones

  • Best Career Finish: 3rd place in a 10 km cross-country event in Iran (2007), a bronze that showcased his potential on the global stage.
  • FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 (Liberec, Czech Republic): Finished 114th in the individual sprint, India's first participation in the event.
  • 2010 Winter Olympics (Vancouver, Canada): Competed in the 15 km classical event, finishing 83rd out of 95 participants with a time of 47:01.9. As one of only two Indian athletes (alongside luger Shiva Keshavan), he carried the nation's flag in spirit, enduring -20°C conditions far from home.
  • Other FIS World Cup appearances: Participated in U23 and senior events in Europe and Asia, often ranking in the 80–120 range due to limited team support and equipment.

Post-Competition

  • Status: Listed as "not active" by the International Ski Federation (FIS) since around 2011, likely shifting to coaching or army duties. No recent competitions noted in 2025.
  • Contributions: Advocated for winter sports development in Ladakh, including ski schools and youth programs. His Olympic journey highlighted the need for government investment, leading to initiatives like the Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg.

Community and Caste Background

  • Ethnicity and Community: Tashi Lundup belongs to the Ladakhi Buddhist community, an ethnic group of Tibetan origin predominant in Leh district (about 46% of Ladakh's population). Ladakhi Buddhists trace their roots to 7th-century Tibetan migrations, practicing Mahayana Buddhism with influences from Bon shamanism. Society is organized around monasteries (e.g., Hemis, Thiksey) and village councils, emphasizing communal harmony, polyandry in some areas, and environmental stewardship. As a Leh native, he likely comes from the urban-rural Buddhist demographic, distinct from nomadic Changpa herders or Muslim Bot communities.
  • Caste: Traditional Hindu caste (varna/jati) systems do not apply in Ladakh due to its Buddhist-majority culture, where social stratification is based on occupation, land ownership, or tribal affiliations rather than hereditary castes. Among Buddhists, historical divisions existed (e.g., Mon-pa artisans, Beda musicians as lower-status groups), but these are not rigid castes and have diminished. Lundup's army service and skiing career place him in a respected, merit-based stratum. In modern Indian classifications, Ladakhi Buddhists are often recognized as Scheduled Tribes (ST) for affirmative action, reflecting their indigenous status rather than caste.

This background underscores Ladakh's unique socio-cultural fabric, where identity is tied to ethnicity and religion over caste hierarchies.

Personal Life and Legacy

  • Personal Details: Lundup maintains a low public profile; no information on marital status, children, or current residence is available. He resides in Leh or nearby army postings, embodying the stoic Ladakhi ethos.
  • Challenges Faced: Competed with subpar gear (e.g., borrowed skis) and logistical hurdles like airlifting to international venues, symbolizing the "underdog" spirit of Indian winter sports.
  • Legacy: As India's first cross-country Olympian, Lundup paved the way for athletes like Jagdish Singh and Nodar Kumaritashvili-inspired resilience. In 2025, with Ladakh hosting events like the Asian Winter Games (bid in progress), his story motivates via army academies. Social media tributes on X occasionally recall his 2010 feat, though no birthday events are noted today.
Tanvi Lad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tanvi Lad
Personal information
Country  India
Born 30 January 1993 
Women's singles
Tournaments played 111 (55–59) (Singles)
Highest ranking 51 (16 October 2014)
Current ranking 196 (16 April 2019)

Women's badminton
Representing  India
 2016 Kunshan Women's team
 2014 New Delhi Women's team
 2011 Lucknow Mixed team


Tanvi Lad (born 30 January 1993) is an Indian badminton player who currently plays singles.

Achievements

BWF International Challenge/Series

Women's singles
YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult2019 Croatian International  Laura Sárosi 18–21, 13–21  Runner-up
2017 Welsh International  Marie Batomene 21–15, 21–8  Winner
2013 Bahrain International Challenge  Saili Rane 21–12, 21–18  Winner
2013 Swiss International  Beiwen Zhang 12–21, 12–21  Runner-up
2012 Bahrain International  Arundhati Pantawane 22–20, 12–21, 19–21  Runner-up


Thulasi Helen
India's Fierce Boxing Trailblazer

Early Life & Struggles

Born in 1986 in Chennai to a Dalit family, Thulasi Helen (birth name Ekanandam) began boxing at just 14, motivated by her sister’s involvement in the sport WikipediaEverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki.

Rejecting an arranged marriage and refusing to change her religion, she fled home and survived through odd jobs—delivering pizzas and driving an auto-rickshaw—while staying in hostels, at railway stations, and even on beaches WikipediaThe Times of IndiaEverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki.

Rising Through the Ranks

In 2000, she won her first gold medal in the 42–44 kg category at the 23rd YMCA Boxing Championship in New Delhi, earning special training from the Sports Authority of India WikipediaThe Times of India.

Achieved a top-3 national ranking, and famously defeated Olympian Mary Kom The News MinuteWikipediaThe Times of India.

Accumulated around 30 medals by 2016 The News MinuteEverybodyWiki Bios & WikiWikipedia.

Turning Point & Discrimination

In 2011, her conflict with the Tamil Nadu State Boxing Association escalated after she filed a sexual harassment complaint. She alleged that she was asked by a boxing official to provide "cash and sexual favors" in exchange for support, leading to the official’s arrest—but her club was shut down shortly thereafter WikipediaEverybodyWiki Bios & Wikithebridge.in.

These events, along with caste-based discrimination, derailed her boxing career WikipediaEverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki.

Comeback & MMA

By 2016, she was working as a fitness instructor and began training again with hopes of launching a professional boxing career WikipediaThe Times of India.

Later ventured into Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), fighting in Super Fight League between 2017–2018, though her record remained winless (0–4) Wikipedia.

Cinematic Recognition & Controversy

A Norwegian documentary titled Light Fly, Fly High chronicled her life and received several awards, including the Oxfam Global Justice Award, One World Media Award, and the Amanda Award for Best Documentary Wikipedia.

The Tamil film Irudhi Suttru (2016) is widely believed to be based on her life—though Thulasi was never credited. She publicly accused director Sudha Kongara of appropriating her story without consent or recognition Wikipedia+1The News Minutethebridge.in.

Her claim garnered social media and broader attention, with supporters calling out the exploitation of her life story thebridge.inReddit.

Awards & Recognition

Among her achievements: a World Tamil Chamber of Commerce Achiever Award and a Sadhanai Thamzhachi "Boxer" Award presented by the Governor of Tamil Nadu WikipediaEverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki.

Conclusion

Thulasi Helen's journey is a powerful story of resilience: rising from extreme hardship to excel in boxing, confronting systemic discrimination and injustice, and reclaiming her narrative through both sport and media. Despite facing formidable barriers—both financial and institutional—she continued fighting to define her own path, even as her story became fodder for others' success. Her strength went beyond the ring.

Tombi Devi


Khumujam Tombi Devi is a distinguished Indian judoka from Manipur, known for her significant contributions to Indian judo, including representing India at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Below is a detailed account of her life, career, and achievements based on available information.

Personal Information

  • Born: January 1, 1982 (age 43 as of August 2025).
  • Hometown: Manipur, India.
  • Occupation: Judoka and coach.

Judo Career

Tombi Devi had a prolific career spanning 15 years, retiring in 2013. She competed primarily in the 48 kg (extra-lightweight) category and achieved notable success in national and international competitions.

Olympic Participation

  • 2008 Beijing Olympics:
    • Represented India in the women’s 48 kg category.
    • Lost in the preliminary round to Portugal’s Ana Hormigo in a match that lasted two and a half minutes, ending her Olympic campaign early.

International Achievements

    • Won a gold medal, marking a significant highlight of her career.
  • International Bosporus Tournament, Istanbul, 2007:
    • Secured a gold medal in the 48 kg category.
  • Asian Championships:
    • 2007, Kuwait City: Bronze medal (48 kg).
    • 2009, Taipei: 5th place (48 kg).
    • 2011, Abu Dhabi: 7th place (48 kg).
  • Asian Games, Guangzhou, 2010:
    • Finished 7th in the 48 kg category.
  • Asian Junior Championships:
    • 2000, Hong Kong: Silver medal (45 kg).
    • 2001, Ho Chi Minh City: Bronze medal (45 kg).
  • World Championships:
    • Competed in various World Championships, though specific results are not detailed in the sources.

National Achievements

Tombi Devi was a multiple-time national champion, dominating the Indian judo scene:

  • India Championships:
    • 2007-2008, Kerala: Gold (48 kg).
    • 2008-2009, Lucknow: Gold (48 kg).
    • 2009-2010, Haridwar: Silver (48 kg).
    • 2012, Bhubaneshwar: Gold (48 kg).
    • 2014, Himachal Pradesh: Silver (48 kg).
  • National Games of India:
    • 2001: Gold (44 kg).
    • 2011, Ranchi: Bronze (48 kg).

Other Notable Competitions

  • Competed in various international tournaments, showcasing her consistency and skill against global opponents.
  • Her last recorded result was a gold medal at the India Championships in Bhubaneshwar in 2012.

Awards and Recognition

    • Conferred the prestigious Arjuna Award for her outstanding contributions to Indian judo, recognizing her achievements and her role in elevating the sport’s profile in India.
  • Pride of Manipur:
    • Celebrated as a leading sportswoman from Manipur, a region known for producing talented athletes, particularly in combat sports. Her Olympic participation and Arjuna Award added to Manipur’s sporting legacy.

Post-Retirement and Coaching

  • Retirement: Tombi Devi retired from competitive judo in 2013 after a 15-year career.
  • Coaching Career:
    • Transitioned into coaching, contributing to the development of judo in India.
    • In 2021, she was involved in coaching Indian judokas in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, during a training camp. She returned to India with a female judoka after two weeks, following challenges due to COVID-19 protocols affecting other team members.

Leadership and Representation

  • Asian Games, 2010:
    • Led an eight-member Indian judo team at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, highlighting her stature as a senior and respected athlete.
  • Olympic Qualification:
    • Secured her 2008 Olympic berth through points earned in Asian Judo competitions, alongside another Indian judoka, Divya Tewar (78 kg).

Significance and Legacy

  • Trailblazer for Indian Judo:
    • As one of the few Indian judokas to compete at the Olympics, Tombi Devi’s participation in Beijing 2008 was a milestone for Indian women’s judo, despite her early exit.
  • Representation of Manipur:
    • Hailing from Manipur, she contributed to the state’s reputation as a hub for combat sports, alongside other notable athletes like Mary Kom. Her achievements inspired younger athletes from the region.
  • Social Impact:
    • As a Scheduled Caste athlete (noted in some contexts, though not explicitly confirmed in all sources), her success in a high-profile sport and judiciary representation (if applicable) highlighted the potential for marginalized communities to excel in diverse fields.

Clarifications and Notes

  • Scheduled Caste Connection:
    • The query’s reference to Justice Rajaram Bhole as the first Scheduled Caste judge of the Bombay High Court suggests a possible conflation with Tombi Devi. There is no definitive evidence in the provided sources that Tombi Devi herself was from the Scheduled Caste community or had a direct connection to Bhole. Her achievements are primarily documented in the context of her sporting career and Manipur’s sporting legacy.
  • Olympic Performance:
    • Sources consistently note her loss to Ana Hormigo in the preliminary round of the 2008 Olympics, emphasizing the brevity of her Olympic campaign (two and a half minutes).
  • Data Gaps:
    • Specific details about her early life, training, or personal background are limited in the sources. Further information from JudoInside.com, Olympedia, or Manipur sports archives could provide additional context.

Conclusion

Khumujam Tombi Devi is a celebrated figure in Indian judo, known for her Olympic participation in 2008, multiple national championships, and international medals, including a gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Championships. Her Arjuna Award and leadership in the 2010 Asian Games underscore her impact on Indian sports. Post-retirement, she continued to contribute to judo as a coach, furthering her legacy. Her achievements, particularly as a woman from Manipur, highlight her role in breaking barriers and inspiring future generations of Indian athletes. For more detailed records, sources like JudoInside.com or the International Judo Federation (IJF) website could offer further insights.


Thulasi Helen

Thulasi Helen is a boxer from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, who has often been referred to as the ‘Lady Muhammed Ali of India,’ due to her fast footwork and punching style. She won her first gold medal in 2000 at the age of 14, at the 23rd YMCA Boxing Championship in New Delhi. At the height of her career, she defeated Mary Kom (who went on to become an Olympian).

Thulasi had 30 medals to her name when she retired from the sport after she lost the support of the State Boxing Association for speaking up against the sexual harassment she experienced at the hands of the association’s secretary. Thulasi has been very outspoken about her Dalit background and the discrimination she has faced because of it. She notes: “Because I was born Dalit, I’m expected to stay at the bottom. But I dream of a different life.”

Thulasi Helen
From Wikipedia

Thulasi Ekanandam (born 1986) also known as Thulasi Helen, is an Indian amateur boxer from Chennai who won her first gold medal at the 23rd YMCA Boxing Championship in New Delhi in 2000 in the 42 kg-44 kg weight category. She is sometimes known as “The Lady Muhammad Ali of India” because of her rapid footwork and stinging punches.

Early life

Helen was born in 1986 to a poor family in Chennai. She took up boxing classes at the age of 14 after watching her older sister Saraswathi participate in the sport. It was around the same time that she was forcibly asked to marry a man her father knew from church. She rejected him and ran away from home after disputes with her family Her parents had been unhappy that she refused to change her religion. She had dropped out of school and was living variously with her grandparents, friends, in hostels, at railway stations and on beaches. She earned money by doing odd jobs like delivering pizzas, driving an auto to survive.

Boxing career

After winning the gold medal in the 42–44 kg category at the 23rd YMCA Boxing Championships in 2000, Ekanandam was selected for special training by the Sports Authority of India. Thereafter, she beat Mary Kom but in 2011 her relationship with the Tamil Nadu state boxing association was soured after she filed a claim of sexual harassment and she was suffering financially. She left the state team at that time and was absent from the sport for some years. She believes that her successes were in spite of discrimination, including by the boxing association of Tamil Nadu, on the basis of her being a Dalit woman.

Helen was working as a fitness instructor in 2016, at which time she had resumed boxing training in the hope of launching a career in the professional ranks. By 2017, she was participating in mixed martial arts events.

Sexual harassment and discrimination

A.K. Karuna, secretary of the State Boxing Association in India, asked Helen for cash and sexual favours if she wanted to be considered for a government programme that would give her a stable job and she would still be able to pursue her boxing career. Helen realised she is not the only one who has been asked for sexual favours. She complained against Karun and he was arrested. But Helen's boxing club closed down and her chances of winning became slim.

Helen also claims to have experienced discrimination based on her caste. She also said that many girls belonging to lower castes choose boxing as their ticket to a better life.

Awards

23rd YMCA Boxing Championship, New Delhi, 2000
All India Invitation Boxing Championship, Akola, 2003
International Invitation Boxing Championship, 2002
Junior Women's National Championship, 2002
International Invitation Boxing Championship, 2005
Senior Women's National Championship, 2008:

Helen, who had won 30 medals in total up to 2016, was awarded a World Tamil Chamber of Commerce (WTCC) Achiever Award in 2016. She also received the Sadhanai Thamzhachi, boxer awards from the Governor.

Film

Light Fly, Fly High, a film directed by Susann Østigaard and Beate Hofseth, centres on Helen and depicts a young woman who literally fights for her independence and freedom from an unwanted marriage. The film also won the Oxfam Global Justice Award, the One World Media Awards and the Amanda Award for the Best Documentary. The film was well-received and Dilip Berman of Saathee Magazine said, "The filmmakers have picked a unique angle to discuss entrenched patriarchy and how misogyny can be battled, though perhaps at personal cost."

Helen also claims that the Tamil film Irudhi Suttru is based on her life, although she is not credited for it.

Personal life

After Helen's boxing club closed, she had to get married. However, she divorced her husband just after three months due to various restrictions that he had imposed on her like not working, having a Facebook account, making phone calls among others.

Tapan Maity

Tapan Maity is a retired Indian professional footballer known for his versatility as a midfielder. Born and raised in Kolkata, West Bengal, he had a solid career in domestic Indian football, spanning over a decade and featuring stints with several prominent clubs in the I-League and early Indian Super League (ISL). Primarily a left midfielder, he was valued for his utility—capable of playing centrally or on the flanks—and contributed to team defenses and attacks during his prime. At 41 years old as of November 2025, Maity has been without a club since 2016, marking the end of his playing days. His career highlights include representing Kolkata's football heritage through clubs like Mohun Bagan and contributing to the growth of Indian club football.

Personal Life

  • Full Name: Tapan Maity (Hindi: तपन माइति).
  • Date of Birth: September 12, 1984 (though some older sources list 1990, the consensus from reliable profiles like Transfermarkt confirms 1984).
  • Place of Birth: Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
  • Age: 41 (as of November 26, 2025).
  • Height: 171 cm (5 ft 7½ in).
  • Preferred Foot: Right.
  • Nationality: Indian.
  • Family: He has an elder brother named Buddhodev Maity, whom he has cited as a personal inspiration in interviews. Little public information exists about his immediate family or personal life beyond football, as Maity maintained a low media profile.
  • Caste/Background: From the Mahishya community, a prominent Bengali caste historically associated with agriculture and trade in West Bengal. This is inferred from his surname "Maity," common among Mahishya families, though not explicitly confirmed by Maity himself.
  • Interests: A cricket enthusiast and fan of Sachin Tendulkar, he also enjoys playing badminton. In music, he favors classic Bollywood tracks by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar. His favorite actor is Aamir Khan.

Early Career

Details on Maity's youth development are sparse, but as a Kolkata native, he likely honed his skills in the city's vibrant maidan (football grounds) scene. Kolkata is a hotbed for Indian football, and players like Maity often emerge from local academies or street football. He broke into professional ranks around the late 2000s, starting with established clubs that provided a platform for young talents from West Bengal.

Professional Career

Maity's club journey reflects the evolution of Indian football from the I-League era to the ISL's inception. He was a journeyman player, moving between Kolkata-based teams and others, often as a squad rotational option. His career peaked in the early 2010s with consistent appearances in top-tier leagues. Key clubs and stats (aggregated from available records; note that comprehensive goal/assist data is limited as he was more of a workhorse midfielder):

ClubYearsAppearancesGoalsNotes
Mohun BaganLate 2000s–Early 2010sNot fully documented0+Debuted with this historic Kolkata giant; gained experience in high-stakes derbies like the Kolkata Derby against East Bengal.
Air India FC~2009–2010Not documented0Solidified his reputation as a reliable midfielder in I-League.
ONGC FC2010–201140Brief stint; focused on defensive contributions.
Mohammedan Sporting2011–2012Limited (injury-affected?)0Returned to Kolkata roots; played in I-League but with fewer starts.
Prayag United2012–2013190Career highlight: Regular starter in I-League; helped the team avoid relegation.
FC Pune City (ISL)201410Early ISL exposure; cameo in India's nascent top flight.
Bharat FC201580Competed in I-League; part of a competitive squad.
Southern Samity201510Late-career move back to Kolkata; last documented appearance on May 24, 2015.

  • Total Career Stats (Approximate): Over 30+ appearances across major leagues, with minimal goals (under 5 career total). His market value peaked around €0.2–0.3 million in his mid-30s, per modern estimates.
  • Retirement: Last active in 2016; no records of play since, suggesting retirement due to age or opportunities. Post-retirement, he has not pursued high-profile coaching or media roles.

International Career

Maity did not earn senior caps for the India national team, which was common for midfielders of his era given the limited slots and competition from stars like Steven Dias or Climax Lawrence. No youth international appearances are documented either.

Playing Style and Strengths

Maity was a quintessential utility midfielder—tireless, tactically disciplined, and adaptable. He excelled in:

  • Defensive Duties: Breaking up opposition plays, with strong tackling and positioning.
  • Flank Support: Effective on the left wing, delivering crosses and overlapping runs.
  • Team Play: Low-ego player who prioritized squad balance over individual flair; often deployed in 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formations. Critics noted his lack of goal-scoring threat, but he was praised for consistency in a league where fitness was key. In a 2017 rapid-fire interview, he described himself as a "perfect utility man."

Achievements and Legacy

Maity's honors are modest, reflecting a solid but not star-studded career:

  • Contributed to Mohun Bagan's domestic successes (e.g., Federation Cup runs, though specifics unlisted).
  • Part of Prayag United's I-League survival campaigns.
  • Early ISL participant, aiding the league's 2014 launch.

No major individual awards. His legacy lies in representing Kolkata football's grit—embodying the passion of maidan players who sustain India's domestic scene. As of 2025, he remains a footnote in Indian football history, appreciated by fans of I-League clubs.

Recent Updates (as of November 2025)

No major news since his 2016 inactivity. Searches on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) yield no recent mentions, indicating a quiet post-career life. If he's involved in grassroots coaching or local leagues in Kolkata, it's unreported. For the latest, check Transfermarkt or ISL archives.
Tyler Seguin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tyler Seguin
Seguin with the Dallas Stars in 2013
Born January 31, 1992
Position Centre
Shoots Right
NHL team
Former teams Dallas Stars
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 2nd overall, 2010
Playing career 2010–present

Tyler Paul Seguin (/seɪɡɪn/ SAY-gihn; born January 31, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). Seguin was selected second overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins and went on to win the 2011 Stanley Cup in his rookie season. He finished the 2011–12 season in Boston with a plus-minus of +34, the second highest in the NHL.

During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Seguin played for EHC Biel of the Swiss National League A (NLA) and finished the season with 25 goals, the most on the team. In 2013, Seguin played in his second Stanley Cup Finals in three seasons, ultimately losing the series to the Chicago Blackhawks. On July 4, 2013, Seguin was traded by the Bruins to the Dallas Stars for a package of players including Loui Eriksson and Reilly Smith.

Early life

Seguin was born in Brampton, Ontario in 1992, but his family moved to Whitby when he was young to follow his father's career. His father Paul played college ice hockey for the University of Vermont, where he was roommates with future National Hockey League (NHL) star John LeClair, while his mother Jackie was a centre for the Brampton Canadettes Girls Hockey Association as a child. Tyler and his sisters Candace and Cassidy all played hockey growing up. All three played at centre like their mother, while Paul was a defenceman.

Seguin began playing hockey in a house league at the age of five or six, and developed a love for the sport from a young age. His minor ice hockey career began with the Wildcats of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, and after moving back to Brampton at the age of 10, Seguin played three seasons with the Toronto Nationals of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) alongside future Calder Trophy winner Jeff Skinner. Seguin also spent two years at St. Michael's College School in Toronto. He had his sights set on playing hockey at the University of Michigan, and believed that St. Michael's would be a good stepping stone towards that goal.

Playing career
Amateur

The Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) drafted Seguin in the first round, ninth overall, of the 2008 OHL Priority Selection Draft. He chose to join the Whalers rather than attend college as he had originally planned, and began skating on the fourth line in the 2008–09 season. He struggled in his rookie junior ice hockey year, scoring only one goal in the first 17 games of the season. After Mike Vellucci returned to coach the Whalers and moved Seguin to the top two lines, his performance improved, and Seguin finished the season with 67 points in 61 games.

2009–10 proved to be a breakout year for Seguin, who led the league with 14 goals and 25 points in the first 10 games of the season. Eleven of those points came from the first four games of the season, including a hat trick against the London Knights. He finished the season with 106 points (48 goals and 58 assists) in 63 games, and, although the Whalers were swept in the second round of the 2010 playoffs, Seguin became the first member of the team to win the Red Tilson Trophy for most outstanding player in the OHL since David Legwand in 1998. He also tied with Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires for that year's Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy, given to the top scorer in the OHL. At the 2010 CHL Top Prospects Game, Seguin was named the captain for Team Orr, which lost 4-2 to Team Cherry.

Professional
Draft

Going into the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Seguin and Hall were considered the top two available players, with no consensus which one would become the first overall draft pick. Both players were tied for points scoring in the OHL for the previous season, while draft reports tended to emphasize Seguin's speed and Hall's strength. Danny Flynn of Bleacher Report referred to Seguin as an "elite playmaker" who lacked "skill on the defensive end", whereas Hall had proven his "greatness on the big stage", but had "shown a tendency to be selfish at times". Preliminary rankings from the NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Seguin the top OHL prospect, and Hall second. Although their positions switched during the midterm rankings, Seguin was named the No. 1 prospect in the bureau's final April rankings. Seguin ended up being selected second overall by the Boston Bruins, while Hall was taken first by the Edmonton Oilers.

Boston Bruins
Seguin with the Bruins during his rookie season in the NHL, November 2010

Shortly after being drafted, Seguin signed a three-year, $3.75 million entry-level contract with the Bruins, the maximum allowed for a contract of that nature. He made his NHL debut on October 9, 2010, with four shots on goal in a 5-2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes. He scored his first professional goal the next day, receiving the puck on a pass from teammate Michael Ryder in the third period and scoring on a breakaway backhanded goal against goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov in a 3-0 shutout of the Coyotes.

Seguin participated in the 2011 All-Star festivities during the Rookie Skills Competition. Late in the 2010–11 season, Seguin was quoted as having a desire to model his NHL playing style on that of teammate Patrice Bergeron.

After being a healthy scratch for the first two rounds of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs, Seguin was included in the Boston lineup to start Round 3, the Eastern Conference Finals, against the Tampa Bay Lightning after centreman Patrice Bergeron sustained a mild concussion. Seguin scored a goal and added an assist in his first game played, then followed that up with two goals and two assists in his second game. He became the first teenager to score four points in a Stanley Cup playoff game since Trevor Linden did so for the Vancouver Canucks in 1989. On June 15, 2011, Boston won the Stanley Cup in the Finals, prevailing over Vancouver in a 4–3 series victory.

On November 5, 2011, Seguin scored his first career NHL hat trick against the team that traded the draft pick to the Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs. On November 14, Seguin was named NHL's First Star of the Week for his four goals and two assists that helped the Bruins to three wins in the week. On December 8, he played in his 100th career NHL game against the Florida Panthers. On April 22, 2012, Seguin scored in overtime of Game 6 of the Bruins' Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series against the Washington Capitals that sent the series to a Game 7. However, despite another goal from Seguin in Game 7, the Bruins would go on to lose the game in overtime and were thus eliminated from the playoffs. He finished the 2011–12 season as the Bruins' leading scorer.

EHC Biel

During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Seguin was one of many Bruins who signed European hockey contracts, striking a deal with the EHC Biel hockey club of the Swiss National League A on September 21, 2012. He made his Swiss League debut on September 30, centreing Ahren Spylo and Eric Beaudoin on the second line and scoring an assist in a 6-3 loss to the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers. Seguin's first goal with the team came three days later, in the first period of his second appearance, a 2-1 win over EV Zug. Less than one month later, on October 24, Seguin recorded his second professional hat trick, and his first NLA hat trick, in a 5-4 shootout win over HC Ambri-Piotta. By November 27, he had accumulated 20 goals in 20 games, the most of any NHL lockout export to the NLA.

On December 28, 2012, Seguin told NBC Sports Boston that, after representing Team Canada at the 2012 Spengler Cup, he would leave EHC Biel and return to the Bruins. In 29 NLA games that season, Seguin scored 25 goals and 15 assists. He also befriended his teammate Patrick Kane, who returned to the Chicago Blackhawks upon the conclusion of the lockout.

Second stint with the Bruins

After the lockout ended, the 2012–13 NHL season began, with 48 intra-conference games played beginning January 19, 2013. Seguin played all 48 regular-season games with the Bruins, scoring 16 goals and 16 assists while playing on a line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. His performance began to waver during the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, however, scoring only one goal and three assists in his first 12 postseason games, and he was moved from the second to the third line with Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly, with Jaromir Jagr taking his place on the second. The Bruins advanced to the 2013 Stanley Cup finals, but ultimately fell to the Blackhawks in six games.

Dallas Stars
Seguin signing autographs at the Galleria Dallas in 2014.

On July 4, 2013, shortly after the Stanley Cup finals, Seguin was part of a massive seven-player trade that sent him, Peverley, and defenceman Ryan Button to the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Loui Eriksson and prospects Joe Morrow, Reilly Smith, and Matt Fraser. Prior to the trade, rumors had begun to circulate that the Bruins were displeased with Seguin's supposed hard-partying lifestyle, particularly when his on-ice performance began to suffer during the playoffs. General manager Peter Chiarelli spoke in a press conference on July 4 to assert that, although the trade was "not a strict on-ice decision", but that concerns of Seguin's behavior were more related to "focus, just about little things, about preparing to play, it was nothing about extracurricular activities".

The 2013–14 NHL season proved a breakout for Seguin, who became fast friends with captain Jamie Benn. On November 14, 2013, Seguin had his first career four-point game, scoring two goals and two assists in a 7–3 rout of the Calgary Flames. After reaching 30 goals for the third straight season, Seguin sustained a cut to his Achilles tendon on March 17, 2014, and was expected to miss 3–4 weeks at the end of the season. He set career highs in goals, with 34, and assists, with 47, and his 84 season points were the fourth-highest in the NHL. At the conclusion of the season, Seguin came in sixth overall in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy, given to the "player judged most valuable to his team". He was also nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, given for leadership and humanitarianism; the award ultimately went to Andrew Ference of the Edmonton Oilers.

Seguin was named to the NHL All-Star Game for the fifth time on January 10, 2018. He was previously selected for the 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2017 NHL All-Star games. At the end of the 2017–18 season, Seguin was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for the second time.

On September 13, 2018, Seguin signed an eight-year, $78.8 million contract extension with the Stars.

After blocking a shot on March 12, 2020, one of the final games before the suspension of the regular NHL season, Seguin suffered two tears in his right vastus lateralis muscle. He chose to refrain from lower body workouts during the league pause in the hopes that the injury would resolve itself. On July 29, during a practice before the Stars' exhibition game against the Nashville Predators, Seguin felt a "pop" in his hip that also caused pain in his knee. After playing through the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring only two goals in 26 games, Seguin was told that he had completely torn his acetabular labrum. Due to restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Seguin's surgery was repeatedly delayed. Seguin received a right hip arthroscopy and labral repair on November 2, 2020. The expected timeline for his rehabilitation and recovery was subsequently adjusted from four to five months, due to the severity of the injury.

Seguin returned to play on May 3, 2021, scoring a goal in the Stars' 5-4 overtime loss against the Florida Panthers.

International play

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Representing  Ontario

Seguin's first international ice hockey tournament appearance was at the 2009 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, representing Canada Ontario. Seguin led the tournament with eight assists, and scored the first goal in Canada Ontario's 5-1 gold medal victory over Canada Pacific. That May, he received an invitation to the Canada U18 selection camp.

Seguin competed for Canada at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in the Czech Republic, where he led the team in scoring with ten points in four games as Canada won the gold medal. He then attended Hockey Canada's selection camp for the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in December 2009, but did not make the team. Previously, he won gold with Team Ontario in the 2009 World U-17 Hockey Challenge in Port Alberni, British Columbia, and finished second in tournament scoring with 11 points in six games. Seguin attended Canada's World Junior selection camp in Regina, Saskatchewan, for the World Junior Championships, the under-20 level, but again failed to make the team. In 2015, he was a member of Canada's gold medal-winning team at the World Hockey Championships.

Personal life

After wearing a No. 9 jersey in his childhood, Seguin chose to wear No. 19 when he reached the NHL, as a tribute to his favorite player, Steve Yzerman. When he was traded to Dallas, where No. 19 was retired in honor of Bill Masterton, he flipped the numbers, and wears No. 91. He is the second player to wear No. 91 in franchise history, following Brad Richards.

Seguin is sponsored by Dunkin Donuts,Adidas,[58] Bauer Hockey and BioSteel Sports Supplements. In 2014, Seguin bought Mike Modano's Dallas home.

In 2017, Seguin made a cameo appearance in the movie Goon: Last of the Enforcers.
Seguin's Stars logo

Philanthropy

As the result of one of his best friends suffering a severe spinal cord injury in December 2012, Seguin founded Seguin's Stars upon arriving in Dallas. At every Stars home game during the season, Seguin donated a luxury suite, along with food and beverage, for individuals with spinal cord injuries. Seguin's Stars, along with Dallas Stars Foundation also donated a luxury suite to the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization in 2015 and 2017. At the conclusion of every game, Seguin meets his special guests outside of the Stars' locker room for autographs and pictures, often with other members of the team.
Tejaswini Sawant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Tejaswini Sawant
Sawant, right, receiving the 2011 Arjuna Award in New Delhi
Personal information
Birth name Tejaswini Sawant
Nationality Indian
Born 12 September 1980 
Sport
Country  India
Sport Shooting
Event(s) Air rifle
Team Indian Team

Women's shooting
Representing  India
 2010 Munich 50 m rifle prone
 2009 Munich 50 m rifle 3 positions

Tejaswini Sawant (born 12 September 1980) is an Indian shooter from the Maharashtrian city of Kolhapur. Her father Ravindra Sawant was an officer in the Indian Navy.

Biography

Tejaswini born to father Ravindra and mother Sunita in Kolhapur. She has two younger sisters Anuradha Pitre and Vijaymala Gavali. Her father died in February 2010. She started her practice under the coaching of Jaisingh Kusale in Kolhapur. She is training under her personal coach Kuheli Gangulee. Tejaswini was also appointed as officer on special duty (OSD) in the sports department. Tejaswini received the Arjuna award on 29 August 2011. Tejasvini Savant got married on 11 Feb 2016 with Well known Social Figure and Builder by profession Sameer Darekar of Pune.

Career

She earned her Tokyo berth after finishing fifth in the qualifications with a score of 1171 in the final of Asian Championship. In 2010 in Munich, Sawant became the world champion in the 50m rifle prone event.

Sawant represented India at the 9th South Asian Sports Federation Games in 2004 in Islamabad where she helped India win gold medal.

2006 Commonwealth Games

She was selected to represent India at the 2006 Commonwealth Games ahead of Asian Games gold medallist Anjali Ved Pathak Bhagwat and world record holder Suma Shirur. In 2006, she won gold medals in Women's 10 m Air Rifle singles and Women's 10 m Air Rifle Pairs (with Avneet Kaur Sidhu) events at the Commonwealth Games at Melbourne.

ISSF World Cup and ISSF World Championships

Sawant won a bronze medal in 50 metre rifle three positions at the 2009 ISSF World Cup in Munich. On 8 August 2010 she became the World Champion in the 50m Rifle Prone event in Munich, Germany. She was the first Indian woman shooter to win a gold medal at the World Championships with a world-record equalling score in the 50 m Rifle Prone event.

2010 Commonwealth Games

In the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi, Sawant won silver in Women's 50 rifle prone singles and bronze in Women's 50 m rifle prone pairs (along with Meena Kumari). She also won silver in Women's 50 m rifle 3 positions event (along with Lajjakumari Goswami) in this competition.

2018 Commonwealth Games

On 12 April 2018, Tejaswini won Silver at Women's 50m Rifle Prone Finals with a cumulative score of 618.9.

On 13 April 2018, Tejaswini won gold at the Women's 50m Rifle 3 Position Finals. She set a Games Record (GR) with total points of 457.9.
Umesh Harijan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Umesh HarijanPersonal information
Date of birth 8 July 1992
Place of birth Goa, India
Position(s) Forward
Club information

Current team Goa
Number 12
Youth career
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015– Salgaocar 2 (0)
National team
2014 Goa
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 May 2015

Umesh Harijan (born 8 July 1992) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for South United F.C. in the I-League 2nd Division.

Career

Born in Goa, Harijan was a part of the SESA Football Academy.[2] He then joined I-League club Salgaocar before the 2014–15 season. He made his debut for the club on 24 May 2015 against Bharat FC. Harijan started the match and played 68 minutes as Salgaocar won 5–1.

International

Harijan represented Goa during the 2014 Lusophony Games. He scored the opening goal for Goa in their 2–1 victory over Mozambique.

Career statistics

As of 30 May 2015
ClubSeasonLeagueFederation CupDurand CupAFCTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Salgaocar 2014–15 I-League 2 0 0 0 — — — — 2 0
Career total2000000020

Honour
Goa lusophony


Usain Bolt
From Wikipedia

The Honourable
Usain Bolt
OJ CD

Bolt at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full name Usain St Leo Bolt
Nickname(s) Lightning Bolt
Nationality Jamaican
Born 21 August 1986 (age 31)
Sherwood Content, Jamaica
Residence Kingston, Jamaica
Height 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 94 kg (207 lb)
Sport
Sport Track and field
Event(s) Sprints
Club Racers Track Club
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)

100 m: 9.58 WR (Berlin 2009)
150 m straight: 14.35 WB[note 1](Manchester 2009)
200 m: 19.19 WR (Berlin 2009)
300 m: 30.97 (Ostrava 2010)
400 m: 45.28 (Kingston 2007)
800 m: 2:07 (Kingston 2016)

Usain St Leo Bolt OJ CD (/ˈjuːseɪn/; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter. He is the first person to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since fully automatic time became mandatory. He also holds the world record as a part of the 4 × 100 metres relay. He is the reigning Olympic champion in these three events. Due to his dominance and achievements in sprint competition, he is widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time.

An eight-time Olympic gold medalist, Bolt won the 100 m, 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay at three consecutive Olympic Games, although he subsequently forfeited one of the gold medals (as well as the world record set therein) nine years after the fact due to a teammate's disqualification for doping offences. He gained worldwide popularity for his double sprint victory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in world record times. Bolt is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016); this is a feat referred to as the "triple double" that will be very difficult for anyone to duplicate.

An eleven-time World Champion, he won consecutive World Championship 100 m, 200 m and 4 × 100 metres relay gold medals from 2009 to 2015, with the exception of a 100 m false start in 2011. He is the most successful athlete of the World Championships and was the first athlete to win three titles in both the 100 m and 200 m at the competition.

Bolt improved upon his second 100 m world record of 9.69 with 9.58 seconds in 2009 – the biggest improvement since the start of electronic timing. He has twice broken the 200 metres world record, setting 19.30 in 2008 and 19.19 in 2009. He has helped Jamaica to three 4 × 100 metres relay world records, with the current record being 36.84 seconds set in 2012. Bolt's most successful event is the 200 m, with three Olympic and four World titles. The 2008 Olympics was his international debut over 100 m; he had earlier won numerous 200 m medals (including 2007 World Championship silver) and holds the world under-20and world under-18 records for the event.

His achievements as a sprinter have earned him the media nickname "Lightning Bolt", and his awards include the IAAF World Athlete of the Year, Track & Field Athlete of the Year, and Laureus World Sportsman of the Year (four times). Bolt retired after the 2017 World Championships, when he finished third in his last solo 100m race.

Early years

Bolt was born on 21 August 1986 in Sherwood Content, a small town in Jamaica, the son of Wellesley and Jennifer Bolt. He has a brother named Sadiki and a sister named Sherine. His parents ran the local grocery store in the rural area, and Bolt spent his time playing cricket and football in the street with his brother, later saying, "When I was young, I didn't really think about anything other than sports." As a child, Bolt attended Waldensia Primary, where he began showing his sprint potential when he ran in his parish's annual national primary school meet. By the age of twelve, Bolt had become the school's fastest runner over the 100 metres distance.

Upon his entry to William Knibb Memorial High School, Bolt continued to focus on other sports, but his cricket coach noticed Bolt's speed on the pitch and urged him to try track and field events. Pablo McNeil, a former Olympic sprint athlete, and Dwayne Jarrett coached Bolt, encouraging him to focus his energy on improving his athletic abilities. The school had a history of success in athletics with past students, including sprinter Michael Green. Bolt won his first annual high school championships medal in 2001; he took the silver medal in the 200 metres with a time of 22.04 seconds. McNeil soon became his primary coach, and the two enjoyed a positive partnership, although McNeil was occasionally frustrated by Bolt's lack of dedication to his training and his penchant for practical jokes.

Early competitions

Performing for Jamaica in his first Caribbean regional event, Bolt clocked a personal best time of 48.28 s in the 400 metres in the 2001 CARIFTA Games, winning a silver medal. The 200 m also yielded a silver, as Bolt finished in 21.81 s.

He made his first appearance on the world stage at the 2001 IAAF World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary. Running in the 200 m event, he failed to qualify for the finals, but he still set a new personal best of 21.73 s. Bolt still did not take athletics or himself too seriously, however, and he took his mischievousness to new heights by hiding in the back of a van when he was supposed to be preparing for the 200 m finals at the CARIFTA Trials. He was detained by the police for his practical joke, and there was an outcry from the local community, which blamed coach McNeil for the incident. However, the controversy subsided, and both McNeil and Bolt went to the CARIFTA Games, where Bolt set championship records in the 200 m and 400 m with times of 21.12 s and 47.33 s, respectively. He continued to set records with 20.61 s and 47.12 s finishes at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships.

Bolt is one of only nine athletes (along with Valerie Adams, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jacques Freitag, Yelena Isinbayeva, Jana Pittman, Dani Samuels, David Storl, and Kirani James) to win world championships at the youth, junior, and senior level of an athletic event. Former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson recognised Bolt's talent and arranged for him to move to Kingston, along with Jermaine Gonzales, so he could train with the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) at the University of Technology, Jamaica.

Rise to prominence

The 2002 World Junior Championships were held in front of a home crowd in Kingston, Jamaica, and Bolt was given a chance to prove his credentials on a world stage. By the age of 15, he had grown to 1.96 metres (6 ft 5 in) tall, and he physically stood out among his peers.[1] He won the 200 m in a time of 20.61 s, which was 0.03 s slower than his personal best of 20.58 s, which he set in the 1st round. Bolt's 200 m win made him the youngest world-junior gold medallist ever. The expectation from the home crowd had made him so nervous that he had put his shoes on the wrong feet. However, it turned out to be a revelatory experience for Bolt, as he vowed never again to let himself be affected by pre-race nerves. As a member of the Jamaican sprint relay team, he also took two silver medals and set national junior records in the 4×100 metres and 4×400 metres relay, running times of 39.15 s and 3:04.06 minutes respectively.

The rush of medals continued as he won four golds at the 2003 CARIFTA Games and was awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy for the most outstanding athlete of the games.He won another gold at the 2003 World Youth Championships. He set a new championship record in the 200 m with a time of 20.40 s, despite a 1.1 m/s head wind. Michael Johnson, the 200 m world-record holder, took note of Bolt's potential but worried that the young sprinter might be over-pressured, stating, "It's all about what he does three, four, five years down the line". Bolt had also impressed the athletics hierarchy, and he received the IAAF Rising Star Award for 2002.

Bolt competed in his final Jamaican High School Championships in 2003. He broke the 200 m and 400 m records with times of 20.25 s and 45.35 s, respectively. Bolt's runs were a significant improvement upon the previous records, beating the 200 m best by more than half a second and the 400 m record by almost a second. While Bolt improved upon the 200 m time three months later, setting the still-standing World youth best at the 2003 Pan American Junior Championships. The 400 m time remains No. 6 on the all-time youth list, surpassed only once since, by future Olympic champion Kirani James.

Bolt turned his main focus to the 200 m and equalled Roy Martin's world junior record of 20.13 s at the Pan-American Junior Championships. This performance attracted interest from the press, and his times in the 200 m and 400 m led to him being touted as a possible successor to Johnson. Indeed, at sixteen years old, Bolt had reached times that Johnson did not register until he was twenty, and Bolt's 200 m time was superior to Maurice Greene's season's best that year.

Bolt was growing more popular in his homeland. Howard Hamilton, who was given the task of Public Defender by the government, urged the JAAA to nurture him and prevent burnout, calling Bolt "the most phenomenal sprinter ever produced by this island". His popularity and the attractions of the capital city were beginning to be a burden to the young sprinter. Bolt was increasingly unfocused on his athletic career and preferred to eat fast food, play basketball, and party in Kingston's club scene. In the absence of a disciplined lifestyle, he became ever-more reliant on his natural ability to beat his competitors on the track.

As the reigning 200 m champion at both the World Youth and World Junior championships, Bolt hoped to take a clean sweep of the world 200 m championships in the Senior World Championships in Paris. He beat all comers at the 200 m in the World Championship trials. Bolt was pragmatic about his chances and noted that, even if he did not make the final, he would consider setting a personal best a success.However, he suffered a bout of conjunctivitis before the event, and it ruined his training schedule. Realising that he would not be in peak condition, the JAAA refused to let him participate in the finals, on the grounds that he was too young and inexperienced. Bolt was dismayed at missing out on the opportunity, but focused on getting himself in shape to gain a place on the Jamaican Olympic team instead. Even though he missed the World Championships, Bolt was awarded the IAAF Rising Star Award for the 2003 season on the strength of his junior record-equalling run.

Professional athletics career
2004–2007 Early career


Bolt at the Crystal Palace Meeting in 2007
Under the guidance of new coach Fitz Coleman, Bolt turned professional in 2004, beginning with the CARIFTA Games in Bermuda He became the first junior sprinter to run the 200 m in under twenty seconds, taking the world junior record outright with a time of 19.93 s. For the second time in the role, he was awarded the Austin Sealy Trophy for the most outstanding athlete of the 2004 CARIFTA Games.A hamstring injury in May ruined Bolt's chances of competing in the 2004 World Junior Championships, but he was still chosen for the Jamaican Olympic squad. Bolt headed to the 2004 Athens Olympics with confidence and a new record on his side. However, he was hampered by a leg injury and was eliminated in the first round of the 200 metres with a disappointing time of 21.05 s. American colleges offered Bolt track scholarships on the strength of his performances, but the teenager from Trelawny refused them all, stating that he was content to stay in his homeland of Jamaica. Bolt instead chose the surroundings of the University of Technology, Jamaica, as his professional training ground, staying with the university's primitive track and weight room that had served him well in his amateur years.

The year 2005 signalled a fresh start for Bolt in the form of a new coach, Glen Mills, and a new attitude toward athletics. Mills recognised Bolt's potential and aimed to cease what he considered an unprofessional approach to the sport. Bolt began training with Mills in preparation for the upcoming athletics season, partnering with more seasoned sprinters such as Kim Collins and Dwain Chambers. The year began well, and in July, he knocked more than a third of a second off the 200 m CAC Championship record with a run of 20.03 s, then registered his 200 m season's best at London's Crystal Palace, running in 19.99 s



Bolt trailing behind Gay in the closing stages of the 200 m race, 2007

Misfortune awaited Bolt at the next major event, the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. Bolt felt that both his work ethic and athleticism had much improved since the 2004 Olympics, and he saw the World Championships as a way to live up to expectations, stating, "I really want to make up for what happened in Athens. Hopefully, everything will fall into place". Bolt qualified with runs under 21 s, but he suffered an injury in the final, finishing in last place with a time of 26.27 s. Injuries were preventing him from completing a full professional athletics season, and the eighteen-year-old Bolt still had not proven his mettle in the major world-athletics competitions. However, his appearance made him the youngest ever person to appear in a 200 m world final. Bolt was involved in a car accident in November, and although he suffered only minor facial lacerations, his training schedule was further upset.His manager, Norman Peart, made Bolt's training less intensive, and he had fully recuperated the following week Bolt had continued to improve his performances, and he reached the world top-5 rankings in 2005 and 2006. Peart and Mills stated their intentions to push Bolt to do longer sprinting distances with the aim of making the 400 m event his primary event by 2007 or 2008. Bolt was less enthusiastic, and demanded that he feel comfortable in his sprinting. He suffered another hamstring injury in March 2006, forcing him to withdraw from the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and he did not return to track events until May. After his recovery, Bolt was given new training exercises to improve flexibility, and the plans to move him up to the 400 m event were put on hold.

The 200 m remained Bolt's primary event when he returned to competition; he bested Justin Gatlin's meet record in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Bolt had aspired to run under twenty seconds to claim a season's best but, despite the fact that bad weather had impaired his run, he was happy to end the meeting with just the victory. However, a sub-20-second finish was soon his, as he set a new personal best of 19.88 s at the 2006 Athletissima Grand Prix in Lausanne, Switzerland, finishing behind Xavier Carter and Tyson Gay to earn a bronze medal. Bolt had focused his athletics aims, stating that 2006 was a year to gain experience. Also, he was more keen on competing over longer distances, setting his sights on running regularly in both 200 m and 400 m events within the next two years.

Mills complied with Bolt's demand to run in the 100 m, and he was entered to run the event at the 23rd Vardinoyiannia meeting in Rethymno, Crete. In his debut tournament run, he set a personal best of 10.03 s, winning the gold medal and feeding his enthusiasm for the event.Bolt claimed his first major world medal two months later at the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, Germany. He passed the finishing post with a time of 20.10 s, gaining a bronze medal in the process. The IAAF World Cup in Athens, Greece, yielded Bolt's first senior international silver medal. Wallace Spearmon from the United States won gold with a championship record time of 19.87 s, beating Bolt's respectable time of 19.96 s. Further 200 m honours on both the regional and international stages awaited Bolt in 2007. He yearned to run in the 100 metres but Mills was skeptical, believing that Bolt was better suited for middle distances. The coach cited the runner's difficulty in smoothly starting out of the blocks and poor habits such as looking back at opponents in sprints. Mills told Bolt that he could run the shorter distance if he broke the 200 m national record. In the Jamaican Championships, he ran 19.75 s in the 200 m, breaking the 36-year-old Jamaican record held by Don Quarrie by 0.11 s.

He built on this achievement at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, winning a silver medal. Bolt recorded 19.91 s with a headwind of 0.8 m/s. The race was won by Tyson Gay in 19.76 s, a new championship record.

Bolt was a member of the silver medal relay team with Asafa Powell, Marvin Anderson, and Nesta Carter in the 4×100 metres relay. Jamaica set a national record of 37.89 s. Bolt did not win any gold medals at the major tournaments in 2007, but Mills felt that Bolt's technique was much improved, pinpointing improvements in Bolt's balance at the turns over 200 m and an increase in his stride frequency, giving him more driving power on the track.

World-record breaker

The silver medals from the 2007 Osaka World Championships boosted Bolt's desire to sprint, and he took a more serious, more mature stance towards his career. Bolt continued to develop in the 100 m, and he decided to compete in the event at the Jamaica Invitational in Kingston. On 3 May 2008, Bolt ran a time of 9.76 s, with a 1.8 m/s tail wind, improving his personal best from 10.03 s. This was the second-fastest legal performance in the history of the event, second only to compatriot Asafa Powell's 9.74 s record set the previous year in Rieti, Italy. Rival Tyson Gay lauded the performance, especially praising Bolt's form and technique. Michael Johnson observed the race and said that he was shocked at how quickly Bolt had improved over the 100 m distance. The Jamaican surprised even himself with the time, but coach Glen Mills remained confident that there was more to come.

On 31 May 2008, Bolt set a new 100m world record at the Reebok Grand Prix in the Icahn Stadium in New York City. He ran 9.72s with a tail wind of 1.7 m/s. This race was Bolt's fifth senior 100 m. Gay again finished second and said of Bolt: "It looked like his knees were going past my face." Commentators noted that Bolt appeared to have gained a psychological advantage over fellow Olympic contender Gay.

In June 2008, Bolt responded to claims that he was a lazy athlete, saying that the comments were unjustified, and he trained hard to achieve his potential. However, he surmised that such comments stemmed from his lack of enthusiasm for the 400 metres event; he chose not to make an effort to train for that particular distance. Turning his efforts to the 200 m, Bolt proved that he could excel in two events—first setting the world-leading time in Ostrava, then breaking the national record for the second time with a 19.67 s finish in Athens, Greece. Although Mills still preferred that Bolt focus on the longer distances, the acceptance of Bolt's demand to run in the 100 m worked for both sprinter and trainer. Bolt was more focused in practice, and a training schedule to boost his top speed and his stamina, in preparation for the Olympics, had improved both his 100 m and 200 m times.

2008 Summer Olympics

Bolt announced that he would double-up with the 100 metres and 200 metres events at the Beijing Summer Olympics. As the new 100 m world-record holder, he was the favourite to win both races. Michael Johnson, the 200 m and 400 m record holder, personally backed the sprinter, saying that he did not believe that a lack of experience would work against him. Bolt qualified for the 100 m final with times of 9.92 s and 9.85 s in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.


Bolt holds a considerable lead over his rivals in the closing stages of the 2008 100 m final in Beijing.

"And a fair start, Asafa Powell, Usain Bolt is also out well. Here they come down the track. USAIN BOLT! SPRINTING AHEAD, WINNING BY DAYLIGHT!"—Tom Hammond, NBC Sports, with the call for the men's 100 metres final at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

In the Olympic 100 m final, Bolt broke new ground, winning in 9.69 s (unofficially 9.683 s) with a reaction time of 0.165 s. This was an improvement upon his own world record, and he was well ahead of second-place finisher Richard Thompson, who finished in 9.89 s. Not only was the record set without a favourable wind (+0.0 m/s), but he also visibly slowed down to celebrate before he finished and his shoelace was untied. Bolt's coach reported that, based upon the speed of Bolt's opening 60 m, he could have finished with a time of 9.52 s. After scientific analysis of Bolt's run by the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Oslo, Hans Eriksen and his colleagues also predicted a sub 9.60 s time. Considering factors such as Bolt's position, acceleration and velocity in comparison with second-place-finisher Thompson, the team estimated that Bolt could have finished in 9.55±0.04 s had he not slowed to celebrate before the finishing line.

Bolt stated that setting a world record was not a priority for him, and that his goal was just to win the gold medal, Jamaica's first of the 2008 Games. Olympic medallist Kriss Akabusi construed Bolt's chest slapping before the finish line as showboating, noting that the actions cost Bolt an even faster record time. IOC president Jacques Rogge also condemned the Jamaican's actions as disrespectful. Bolt denied that this was the purpose of his celebration by saying, "I wasn't bragging. When I saw I wasn't covered, I was just happy". Lamine Diack, president of the IAAF, supported Bolt and said that his celebration was appropriate given the circumstances of his victory. Jamaican government minister Edmund Bartlett also defended Bolt's actions, stating, "We have to see it in the glory of their moment and give it to them. We have to allow the personality of youth to express itself".



Bolt doing the "Lightning Bolt" just before breaking the 200 m world record in the Beijing National Stadium.

Bolt then focused on attaining a gold medal in the 200 m event, aiming to emulate Carl Lewis' double win in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Michael Johnson felt that Bolt would easily win gold but believed that his own world record of 19.32 s set at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta would remain intact at the Olympics. Bolt eased through the first and second rounds of the 200 m, jogging towards the end of his run both times. He won his semi-final and progressed to the final as the favourite to win. Retired Jamaican sprinter Don Quarrie praised Bolt, saying he was confident that Johnson's record could be beaten. The following day, at the final, he won Jamaica's fourth gold of the Games, setting a new world and Olympic record of 19.30 s. Johnson's record fell despite the fact that Bolt was impeded by a 0.9 m/s headwind. The feat made him the first sprinter since Quarrie to hold both 100 m and 200 m world records simultaneously and the first to hold both records since the introduction of electronic timing. Furthermore, Bolt became the first sprinter to break both records at the same Olympics. Unlike in the 100 m final, Bolt sprinted hard all the way to the finishing line in the 200 m race, even dipping his chest to improve his time. Following the race, "Happy Birthday" was played over the stadium's sound system as his 22nd birthday would begin at midnight.

Two days later, Bolt ran as the third leg in the Jamaican 4x100 metres relay team, increasing his gold medal total to three. Along with teammates Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, and Asafa Powell, Bolt broke another world and Olympic record, their 37.10 s finish breaking the previous record by three-tenths of a second. Powell, who anchored the team to the finishing line, lamented the loss of his 100 m record to Bolt but showed no animosity towards his Jamaican rival, stating that he was delighted to help him set his third world record. In January 2017 the Jamaican relay team were stripped of their gold medals after a blood sample taken from Nesta Carter - one of Bolt's teammates in the relay - after the race, was tested again nine years later and tested positive for a banned substance. Following his victories, Bolt donated US$50,000 to the children of Sichuan province in China to help those harmed by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.



Bolt poses and celebrates for press photographers after winning the 100 m final at the 2008 Olympics

Bolt's record-setting runs caused commentators not only to praise his achievements but also to speculate about his potential to become one of the most successful sprinters ever. Critics hailed his Olympic success as a new beginning for a sport that had long suffered through high-profile drug scandals. The previous six years had seen the BALCO scandal, Tim Montgomery and Justin Gatlin stripped of their 100 m world records, and Marion Jones returning three Olympic gold medals. All three sprinters were disqualified from athletics after drugs tests detected banned substances in their systems. Bolt's record-breaking performances caused suspicion among some commentators, including Victor Conte, and the lack of an independent Caribbean anti-doping federation raised more concerns. The accusations of drug use were vehemently rejected by Glen Mills (Bolt's coach) and Herb Elliott (the Jamaican athletics team doctor). Elliott, a member of the IAAF anti-doping commission, urged those concerned about the issue to "come down and see our programme, come down and see our testing, we have nothing to hide". Mills had been equally ardent that Bolt was a clean athlete, declaring to the Jamaica Gleaner: "We will test any time, any day, any part of the body...[he] doesn't even like to take vitamins". Bolt stated that he had been tested four times prior to the Olympics, and all had tested negative for banned substances. He also welcomed anti-doping authorities to test him to prove that he was clean, stating, "We work hard and we perform well and we know we're clean".
I was slowing down long before the finish and wasn't tired at all. I could have gone back to the start and done it all over again.

— Usain Bolt's thoughts on his 100m sprint at the 2008 Olympics, published in his autobiography Usain Bolt 9.58

After the 2008 Olympics

At the end of the 2008 athletics season, Bolt competed in the ÅF Golden League, beginning in Weltklasse Zürich. Despite having the slowest start among his competitors in the 100 m race, he still crossed the finishing line in 9.83 s.Even though the time was slower than both his newly set world record and Asafa Powell's track record, it was still among the top-fifteen 100 m finishes by any sprinter to that date. Bolt admitted that he was not running at full strength because he was suffering from a cold, but he concentrated on winning the race and finishing the season in good health. At the Super Grand Prix final in Lausanne, Bolt ran his second-fastest 200 m with a time of 19.63 s, equalling Xavier Carter's track record. However, it was the 100 m final, featuring Asafa Powell, that drew the most interest. Powell had moved closer to Bolt's world record after setting a new personal best of 9.72 s, reaffirming his status as Bolt's main contender. Bolt's final event of the season came three days later at the Golden League final in Brussels. This was the first 100 m race featuring both Bolt and Powell since the final in the Olympics. Both Jamaicans broke the track record, but Bolt came out on top with a time of 9.77 s, beating Powell by 0.06 s. Victory, however, did not come as smoothly as it had in Beijing. Bolt made the slowest start of the nine competitors and had to recover ground in cold conditions and against a 0.9 m/s headwind. Yet the results confirmed Jamaican dominance in the 100 m, with nine of the ten-fastest legal times in history being recorded by either Bolt or Powell.

On his return to Jamaica, Bolt was honoured in a homecoming celebration and received an Order of Distinction in recognition of his achievements at the Olympics. Additionally, Bolt was selected as the IAAF Male Athlete of the year, won a Special Olympic Award for his performances, and was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year. Bolt turned his attention to future events, suggesting that he could aim to break the 400 metres world record in 2010 as no major championships were scheduled that year.

2009 Berlin World Championships



Bolt (centre) in the starting blocks before surpassing the world record for 150 metres (14.35 seconds)

Bolt started the season competing in the 400 metres in order to improve his speed, winning two races and registering 45.54 s in Kingston, and windy conditions gave him his first sub-10 seconds finish of the season in the 100 m in March.In late April Bolt, suffered minor leg injuries in a car crash. However, he quickly recovered following minor surgery and (after cancelling a track meet in Jamaica) he stated that he was fit to compete in the 150 metres street race at the Manchester Great City Games. Bolt won the race in 14.35 s, the fastest time ever recorded for 150 m. Despite not being at full fitness, he took the 100 and 200 m titles at the Jamaican national championships, with runs of 9.86 s and 20.25 s respectively. This meant he had qualified for both events at the 2009 World Championships. Rival Tyson Gay suggested that Bolt's 100 m record was within his grasp, but Bolt dismissed the claim and instead noted that he was more interested in Asafa Powell's return from injury. Bolt defied unfavourable conditions at the Athletissima meet in July, running 19.59 seconds into a 0.9 m/s headwind and rain, to record the fourth fastest time ever over 200 m, one hundredth off Gay's best time.


Bolt beating Tyson Gay and setting a 100 m world record at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin.

The 2009 World Championships were held during August at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, which was coincidentally the same month and venue where Jesse Owens had achieved world-wide fame 73 years earlier. Bolt eased through the 100-m heats, clocking the fastest ever pre-final performance of 9.89 seconds. The final was the first time that Bolt and Gay had met during the season, and Bolt set a new world record—which stands to this day—with a time of 9.58s to win his first World Championship gold medal. Bolt took more than a tenth of a second off his previous best mark, and this was the largest-ever margin of improvement in the 100-m world record since the beginning of electronic timing. Gay finished with a time of 9.71 s, 0.02 s off Bolt's 9.69 s world-record run in Beijing.

Although Gay withdrew from the second race of the competition, Bolt once again produced world record-breaking time in the 200 metres final. He broke his own record by 0.11 seconds, finishing with a time of 19.19 seconds. He won the 200 m race by the largest margin in World Championships history, even though the race had three other athletes running under 19.90 seconds, the greatest number ever in the event. Bolt's pace impressed even the more experienced of his competitors; third-placed Wallace Spearmon complimented his speed, and the Olympic champion in Athens 2004 Shawn Crawford said "Just coming out there...I felt like I was in a video game, that guy was moving – fast". Bolt pointed out that an important factor in his performance at the World Championships was his improved start to the races: his reaction times in the 100 m (0.146) and 200 m (0.133) were significantly faster than those he had produced in his world record runs at the Beijing Olympics. However, he, together with other members of Jamaican 4x100 m relay team, fell short of their own world record of 37.10 s set at 2008 Summer Olympics by timing 37.31 s, which is, however, a championship record and the second fastest time in history at that date.



Michael Frater, Bolt, and Asafa Powellafter winning the 4 x 100 relay. Steve Mullings is missing from the picture.

On the last day of the Berlin Championships, the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, presented Bolt with a 12-foot high section of the Berlin Wall in a small ceremony, saying Bolt had shown that "one can tear down walls that had been considered as insurmountable." The nearly three-ton segment was delivered to the Jamaica Military Museum in Kingston.

Several days after Bolt broke the world records in 100 and 200 metres events, Mike Powell, the world record holder in long jump (8.95 metres set in 1991) argued that Bolt could become the first man to jump over 9 metres, the long jump event being "a perfect fit for his speed and height". At the end of the season, he was selected as the IAAF World Athlete of the Year for the second year running.

2010 Diamond League and broken streak

Early on in the 2010 outdoor season, Bolt ran 19.56 seconds in the 200 m in Kingston, Jamaica for the fourth-fastest run of all-time, although he stated that he had no record breaking ambitions for the forthcoming season. He took to the international circuit May with wins in East Asia at the Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting and then a comfortable win in his 2010 IAAF Diamond League debut at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix. Bolt made an attempt to break Michael Johnson's best time over the rarely competed 300 metres event at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava. He failed to match Johnson's ten-year-old record of 30.85 and suffered a setback in that his 30.97-second run in wet weather had left him with an Achilles tendon problem.

After his return from injury a month later, Bolt asserted himself with a 100 m win at the Athletissima meeting in Lausanne (9.82 seconds) and a victory over Asafa Powell at Meeting Areva in Paris (9.84 seconds). Despite this run of form, he suffered only the second loss of his career in a 100 m final at the DN Galan. Tyson Gay soundly defeated him with a run of 9.84 to Bolt's 9.97 seconds, and the Jamaican reflected that he had slacked off in training early in the season while Gay had been better prepared and in a better condition. This marked Bolt's first loss to Gay in the 100 m, which coincidentally occurred in the same stadium where Powell had beaten Bolt for the first time two years earlier.

2011 World Championships



Bolt during the 200 m final at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu.

Bolt went undefeated over 100 m and 200 m in the 2011 season. He began with wins in Rome and Ostrava in May.He ran his first 200 m in over a year in Oslo that June and his time of 19.86 seconds was a world-leading one. Two further 200 m wins came in Paris and Stockholm the following month, as did a 100 m in Monaco, though he was a tenth of a second slower than compatriot Asafa Powell before the world championships.

Considered the favourite to win in the 100 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, Bolt was eliminated from the final, breaking "ridiculously early" according to the starter in an interview for BBC Sport, and receiving a false start. This proved to be the highest profile disqualification for a false start since the IAAF changed the rules that previously allowed one false start per race. The disqualification caused some to question the new rule, with former world champion Kim Collins saying it was "a sad night for athletics". Usain Bolt's countryman, Yohan Blake, won in a comparatively slow 9.92 seconds.


Bolt celebrating his relay victory at the 2011 World Championships

In the World Championships 200 m, Bolt cruised through to the final which he won in a time of 19.40.Though this was short of his world record times of the two previous major tournaments, it was the fourth fastest run ever at that point, after his own records and Michael Johnson's former record, and left him three tenths of a second ahead of runner-up Walter Dix. This achievement made Bolt one of only two men to win consecutive 200 m world titles, alongside Calvin Smith. Bolt closed the championships with another gold with Jamaica in the 4 × 100 metres relay. Nesta Carter and Michael Frater joined world champions Bolt and Blake to set a world record time of 37.04.

Following the World Championships, Bolt ran 9.85 seconds for the 100 m to win in Zagreb before setting the year's best time of 9.76 seconds at the Memorial Van Damme. This run was overshadowed by Jamaican rival Blake's unexpected run of 19.26 seconds in the 200 m at the same meeting, which brought him within seven hundredths of Bolt's world record. Although Bolt failed to win the Diamond Race in a specific event, he was not beaten on the 2011 IAAF Diamond League circuit, taking three wins in each of his specialities that year.

2012 Summer Olympics



Bolt at the start of his record-breaking win during the 100 metres final at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Bolt began the 2012 season with a leading 100 m time of 9.82 seconds in May. He defeated Asafa Powell with runs of 9.76 seconds in Rome and 9.79 in Oslo. At the Jamaican Athletics Championships, he lost to Yohan Blake, first in the 200 m and then in the 100 m, with his younger rival setting leading times for the year.

However, at the 2012 London Olympics, he won the 100 metres gold medal with a time of 9.63 seconds, improving upon his own Olympic record and duplicating his gold medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Blake was the silver medallist with a time of 9.75 seconds.Following the race, seventh-place finisher Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago declared "There's no doubt he's the greatest sprinter of all time", while USA Today referred to Bolt as a Jamaican "national hero", noting that his victory came just hours before Jamaica was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its independence from the United Kingdom. With his 2012 win, Bolt became the first man to successfully defend an Olympic sprint title since Carl Lewis in 1988.
I'm now a legend. I'm also the greatest athlete to live.

— Usain Bolt, after winning his seventh straight title in the 100 and 200 m, 9 August 2012

Bolt followed this up with a successful defence of his Olympic 200 metres title with a time of 19.32 seconds, followed by Blake at 19.44 and Warren Weir at 19.84 to complete a Jamaican podium sweep. With this, Bolt became the first man in history to defend both the 100 m and 200 m Olympic sprint titles. He was dramatic in victory: in the final metres of the 200 m race, Bolt placed his fingers on his lips, gesturing to silence his critics, and after crossing the line he completed five push-ups – one for each of his Olympic gold medals.


Bolt at the start of the 2012 Olympic 200 m

On the final day of the 2012 Olympic athletics, Bolt participated in Jamaica's gold medal-winning 4×100 metres relay team along with Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Blake. With a time of 36.84 seconds, they knocked two tenths of a second from their previous world record from 2011. He celebrated by imitating the "Mobot" celebration of Mo Farah, who had claimed a long-distance track double for the host nation.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge initially stated that Bolt was not yet a "legend" and would not deserve such acclaim until the end of his career, but later called him the best sprinter of all time. Following the Olympics he was confirmed as the highest earning track and field athlete in history.

Bolt ended his season with wins on the 2012 IAAF Diamond League circuit; he had 200 m wins of 19.58 and 19.66 in Lausanne and Zürich before closing with a 100 m of 9.86 in Brussels. The latter run brought him his first Diamond League title in the 100 m.

2013 World Championships




Bolt celebrating at the 2013 London Anniversary Games.

Bolt failed to record below 10 seconds early season and had his first major 100 m race of 2013 at the Golden Gala in June. He was served an unexpected defeat by Justin Gatlin, with the American winning 9.94 to Bolt's 9.95. Bolt denied the loss was due a hamstring issue he had early that year and Gatlin responded: "I don't know how many people have beaten Bolt but it's an honour". With Yohan Blake injured, Bolt won the Jamaican 100 m title ahead of Kemar Bailey-Cole and skipped the 200 m, which was won by Warren Weir. Prior to the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, Bolt set world leading times in the sprints, with 9.85 for the 100 m at the London Anniversary Games and 19.73 for the 200 m in Paris.

Bolt regained the title as world's fastest man by winning the World Championships 100 metres in Moscow. In wet conditions, he edged Gatlin by eight hundredths of a second with 9.77, which was the fastest run that year. Gatlin was the sole non-Jamaican in the top five, with Nesta Carter, Nickel Ashmeade and Bailey-Cole finishing next.


Bolt running the 2013 World 100 m heats

Bolt was less challenged in the 200 m final. His closest rival was Jamaican champion Warren Weir but Bolt ran a time of 19.66 to finish over a tenth of a second clear. This performance made Bolt the first man in the history of the 200 metres at the World Championships in Athletics to win three gold medals over the distance.

Bolt won a third consecutive world relay gold medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay final, which made him the most successful athlete in the 30-year history of the world championships. The Jamaican team, featuring four of the top five from the 100 m final were comfortable winners with Bolt reaching the finish line on his anchor leg three tenths of a second ahead of the American team anchored by Gatlin. Bolt's performances were matched on the women's side by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, meaning Jamaica took a complete sweep of the sprint medals at the 2013 World Championships.

After the championships, Bolt took 100 m wins on the 2013 IAAF Diamond League circuit in Zürich and Brussels. He remained unbeaten in the 200 m and his only loss that year was to Gatlin over 100 m in Rome. For the fifth time in six years, Bolt was named IAAF World Male Athlete of the Year.

2014: Injury and Commonwealth Games

An injury to Bolt's hamstring in March 2014 caused him to miss nine weeks of training. Having recovered from surgery, Bolt competed in the 4 × 100 metres relay of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Not in peak form Bolt said that he was attending the Games for the fans and to show his progress since the injury. Bolt and his teammates won the 4 × 100 metres relay in 37.58 seconds – a Commonwealth Games record. This was the foremost competition of the year for Bolt, given no Olympics or World Championships in 2014.

In August 2014, Bolt set the indoor 100 m world record in Warsaw with a time of 9.98 seconds. This was his sole individual outing of the 2014 season. Soon afterwards he ended his season early in order to be fit for the 2015 season. In Bolt's absence, Justin Gatlin had dominated the sprints, holding the year's fastest times, including seven of the top ten 100 m runs that season.
2015 Beijing World Championships

At the start of 2015, he announced that he intended to make the 2017 World Championships in Athletics his last major competition before retirement.


Bolt after winning his fourth 200 m world title

Upon his return from injury, Bolt appeared a reduced figure at the start of the 2015 season. He ran only two 100 m and three 200 m before the major championship. He opened with 10.12 seconds for the 100 m and 20.20 for the 200 m. He won the 200 m in New York and Ostrava, but his season's best time of 20.13 seconds ranked him 20th in the world going into the championships. Two 100 m runs of 9.87 in July in London showed better form, but in comparison, Justin Gatlin was easily the top ranked sprinter – the American had times of 9.74 and 19.57 seconds, and had already run under 9.8 seconds on four occasions that season. Bolt entered the World Championships to defend his sprint titles but was not the comfortable favourite he had been since 2008.

In the World Championships 100 m, Bolt won his semi-final in 9.96, which lagged Gatlin's semi-final win in 9.77 seconds. However, Gatlin did not match that form in the final while Bolt improved through the rounds. In a narrow victory, Bolt leaned at the line to beat Gatlin 9.79 to 9.80 seconds. Bolt joined Carl Lewis and Maurice Greene on a record three 100 m world titles.


Bolt taking a close World 100 m win over Justin Gatlin

A similar outcome followed in the 200 m World finals. In the semi-final, Gatlin outpaced Bolt – the Jamaican at 19.95 and the American at 19.87. Despite such slow times prior to Beijing, Bolt delivered in the final with his fifth fastest run ever for the 200 m at 19.55 seconds. Gatlin failed to reach his early season form and finished almost two-tenths of a second behind Bolt. Bolt's four consecutive wins over 200 m at the World Championships was unprecedented and established him clearly as the best ever sprinter at the competition.

There was also a fourth straight win in the 4 × 100 metres relay with the Jamaica team (Nesta Carter, Asafa Powell, Nickel Ashmeade, Usain Bolt). The Americans initially had a lead, but a poor baton exchange saw them disqualified and Jamaica defend their title in 37.36 seconds – well clear of the Chinese team who took a surprise silver for the host nation

Conscious of his injuries at the start of the season, he did not compete after the World Championships, skipping the 2015 IAAF Diamond League final.

2016 Rio Olympics



Bolt and Andre De Grasse after running the 100 m final at the 2016 Olympics.

Bolt competed sparingly in the 200 m before the Olympics, with a run of 19.89 seconds to win at the London Grand Prix being his sole run of note over that distance. He had four races over 100 m, though only one was in Europe, and his best of 9.88 seconds in Kingston placed him fourth on the world seasonal rankings. As in the previous season, Gatlin appeared to be in better form, having seasonal bests of 9.80 and 19.75 seconds to rank first and second in the sprints. Doping in athletics was a prime topic before the 2016 Rio Olympics, given the banning of the Russian track and field team for state doping, and Bolt commented that he had no problem with doping controls: "I have no issue with being drug-tested...I remember in Beijing every other day they were drug-testing us". He also highlighted his dislike of rival Tyson Gay's reduced ban for cooperation, given their close rivalry since the start of Bolt's career, saying "it really bothered me – really, really bothered me".

I want to be among greats Muhammad Ali and Pelé.

— Usain Bolt on his sporting legacy prior to his final Olympics, 9 August 2016.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Bolt won the 100 metres gold medal with a time of 9.81 seconds. With this win, Bolt became the first athlete to win the event three times at the Olympic Games. Bolt followed up his 100 m win with a gold medal in the 200 m, which also makes him the first athlete to win the 200 m three times at the Olympic Games. Bolt ran the anchor leg for the finals of the 4 × 100 m relay and secured his third consecutive and last Olympic gold medal in the event. With that win, Bolt obtained the "triple-triple", three sprinting gold medals in three consecutive Olympics, and finished his Olympic career with a 100% win record in finals. However, in January 2017, Bolt was stripped of the 4 × 100 relay gold from the Beijing Games in 2008 because his teammate Nesta Carter was found guilty of a doping violation.

2017 season

Bolt in the men's 100m Final at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics

Bolt took a financial stake in a new Australia-based track and field meeting series – Nitro Athletics. He performed at the inaugural meet in February 2017 and led his team (Bolt All-Stars) to victory. The competition featured variations on traditional track and field events. He committed himself to three further editions.

In 2017, the Jamaican team was disqualified from the results of the 2008 Olympics 4 x 100 metre relay due to Nesta Carter's disqualification for doping offences. Bolt was quoted by the BBC saying that the prospect of having to return the gold was "heartbreaking". The banned substance in Carter's test was identified as methylhexanamine, a nasal decongestant sometimes used in dietary supplements.

At the 2017 World Athletics Championships, Bolt won his heat uncomfortably after a slow start in 10.07, in his semi-final he improved to 9.98 but was beaten by Christian Coleman by 0.01. In his final individual race, in the final, Bolt won the Bronze medal in 9.95, 0.01 behind Silver medalist Coleman and 0.03 behind World Champion Justin Gatlin. It was the first time Bolt had been beaten at a major championship since the 4x100m relay of the 2007 World Athletics Championships. Also at the 2017 World Athletics Championships, Bolt participated as the anchor runner for Jamaica's 4x100-metre relay team. In what many expected would be his final race, Bolt collapsed to the track after an apparent hamstring injury. He refused to get in a wheelchair and crossed the finish line with the assistance of his teammates.

Personal life



Bolt with the IAAF men's Athlete of the Year award in Monaco

Bolt expresses a love for dancing and his character is frequently described as laid-back and relaxed. His Jamaican track and field idols include Herb McKenley and former Jamaican 100m and 200m world record holder, Don Quarrie. Michael Johnson, the former 200 m world and Olympic record holder, is also held in high esteem by Bolt.

His first name is pronounced YOO-sane (/ˈjuːseɪn/). He has the nickname "Lightning Bolt" due to his name and speed. Bolt is Catholicand known for making the sign of the cross before racing competitively, and he wears a Miraculous Medal during his races. His middle name is St. Leo.

In 2010, Bolt also revealed his fondness of music, when he played a reggae DJ set to a crowd in Paris. He is also an avid fan of the Call of Duty video game series, saying, "I stay up late [playing the game online], I can't help it."

In his autobiography, Bolt reveals that he has suffered from scoliosis, a condition that has curved his spine to the right and has made his right leg half an inch shorter than his left.

Bolt is a well-known fan of Manchester United, after having been initially attracted to the club by player Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Other sports

The first sport to interest Bolt was cricket, and he said if he was not a sprinter, he would be a fast bowler instead As a child, he was a supporter of the Pakistani cricket team and admired the bowling of Waqar Younis. He is also a fan of Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, West Indian opener Chris Gayle, and Australian opener Matthew Hayden. During a charity cricket match, Bolt clean-bowled Gayle who was complimentary of Bolt's pace and swing. Bolt also struck a six off Gayle's bowling. Another bowler complimentary of Bolt's pace was former West Indies fast-bowling great Curtly Ambrose.

After talking with Australian cricketer Shane Warne, Bolt suggested that if he were able to get time off he would be interested in playing in the cricket Big Bash League. Melbourne Stars chief executive Clint Cooper said there were free spots on his team should be available. Bolt stated that he enjoyed the Twenty20 version of the game, admiring the aggressive and constant nature of the batting. On his own ability, he said "I don't know how good I am. I will probably have to get a lot of practice in."

Bolt is also a fan of Premier League football team Manchester United. He has declared he is a fan of Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. Bolt was a special guest of Manchester United at the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final in London, where he stated that he would like to play for them after his retirement.

In 2013, Bolt played basketball in the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game. He scored two points from a slam dunk but acknowledged his other basketball skills were lacking.

In an interview with Decca Aitkenhead of The Guardian in November 2016, Bolt said he wished to play as a professional footballer after retiring from athletics. He reiterated his desire to play for Manchester United if given a chance and added, "For me, if I could get to play for Manchester United, that would be like a dream come true. Yes, that would be epic".

Biographical film

A biographical film based on the athletic life of Bolt to win three Olympic gold medals, titled I Am Bolt, was released on 28 November 2016 in United Kingdom. The film was directed by Benjamin Turner and Gabe Turner.

Sponsorships and advertising work



Bolt wearing Puma shoes as part of a sponsorship deal.

After winning the 200 m title in the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Bolt signed a sponsorship deal with Puma. To promote Bolt's chase for Olympic glory in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Puma released a series of videos including Bolt's then-world-record-setting run in Icahn Stadium and his Olympic preparations. After his world record breaking run in New York City, which was preceded by a lightning storm, the press frequently made puns on the Jamaican's name, nicknaming him "Lightning Bolt" and the "Bolt from the blue". During the Beijing 2008 100 m final, Bolt wore golden Puma Complete Theseus spikes that had "Beijing 100 m Gold" emblazoned across them. Writing of Bolt's performance at the Olympics, The Associated Press said:

Almost single-handedly, Bolt has helped track transform itself from a dying sport to one with a singular, smiling, worldwide star.

— The Associated Press, 10 August 2012

In September 2010, Bolt travelled to Australia where his sponsor Gatorade was holding an event called the "Gatorade Bolt" to find Australia's fastest footballer. The event was held at the Sydney International Athletic Centre and featured football players from rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football, and soccer. Prior to the race Bolt gave the runners some private coaching and also participated in the 10th anniversary celebrations for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

In January 2012, Bolt impersonated Richard Branson in an advertising campaign for Virgin Media. The campaign was directed by Seth Gordon and features the Virgin founder Branson to promote its broadband service. In March 2012, Bolt starred in an advert for Visa and the 2012 Summer Olympics. In July 2012, Bolt and RockLive launched Bolt!, an Apple iOS game based on his exploits. Bolt! quickly became the No. 1 app in Jamaica and climbed the UK iTunes charts to reach No. 2 on the list of Top Free Apps.

Bolt's autobiography; My Story: 9.58: Being the World's Fastest Man, was released in 2010. Bolt had previously said that the book "...should be exciting, it's my life, and I'm a cool and exciting guy." His athletics agent is PACE Sports Management.

As part of his sponsorship deal with Puma, the manufacturer sends sporting equipment to his alma mater, William Knibb Memorial High School, every year. At Bolt's insistence, advertisements featuring him are filmed in Jamaica, by a Jamaican production crew, in an attempt to boost local enterprise and gain exposure for the country. In 2017, Bolt had the third highest earning social media income for sponsors among sportspeople (behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar), and he was the only non footballer in the top seven.

Recognition



Bolt and Sally Pearson with their IAAF Athlete of the Year awards in Monaco
IAAF World Athlete of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
Track & Field Athlete of the Year: 2008, 2009
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017
BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2012
L'Équipe Champion of Champions: 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015
Jamaica Sportsman of the year: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013
AIPS Male Athlete of the Year: 2015
Marca Leyenda (2009)
In October 2008, he was made a Commander of the Order of Distinction, which entitles him to use the post nominal letters CD.
In 2009, at age 23, Usain Bolt became the youngest member so far of the Order of Jamaica. The award was "for outstanding performance in the field of athletics at the international level". In the Jamaican honours system, this is considered the equivalent of a knighthood in the British honours system, and entitles him to be formally styled "The Honourable", and to use the post nominal letters OJ.
Personal appearances

Bolt made a cameo appearance in the opening sketch of 13 October 2012 broadcast of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Christina Applegate. The segment was a parody of the Vice Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan. In the sketch, Taran Killam mimicking Ryan had just lied about running a 2:50 marathon, a sub-4-minute mile on no training and winning the 100 metres in London when Bolt was introduced as his partner to confirm.

When Ryan asked Bolt "Who won the 100 metres?" the Jamaican gold-medallist answered simply. "I did." Ryan followed up by asking Bolt about his (Ryan's) finish. "You didn't finish. You weren't even there."

 Vijay Amritraj

Vijay Amritraj is a legendary Indian tennis player, sports commentator, actor, and philanthropist, widely regarded as one of Asia's greatest tennis icons. Born on December 14, 1953, in Chennai (then Madras), India, he rose from humble beginnings to become a global figure in tennis during the 1970s and 1980s.

Early Life and Family

Amritraj comes from a Tamil Christian Nadar family. His parents, Robert and Maggie Amritraj, encouraged him and his brothers to play tennis to improve his health, as he suffered from respiratory issues and stunted growth in childhood. His brothers, Anand Amritraj (older) and Ashok Amritraj (younger, now a Hollywood producer), were also international tennis players, making the Amritraj family a tennis dynasty in India. He is married to Shyamala (a Sri Lankan Tamil), and they have two sons: Prakash Amritraj (former ATP pro, now in acting/producing/commentary) and Vikram. The family resides primarily in Southern California.

Tennis Career

Amritraj turned professional in 1970 and played until around 1993. Known for his elegant serve-and-volley style and court craft, he was Asia's top player for 14 consecutive years.

Key Achievements:

  • Career-high singles ranking: World No. 16 (July 1980, some sources cite No. 18).
  • Won 16 ATP singles titles and 14 doubles titles (often partnering brother Anand).
  • Notable wins over legends like Björn Borg, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Rod Laver, and Ivan Lendl.
  • Reached quarterfinals at Grand Slams: Wimbledon (1973, 1981) and US Open (1973, 1974).
  • Led India to Davis Cup finals in 1974 (forfeited vs. South Africa due to apartheid protest) and 1987 (lost to Sweden).
  • Competed in the 1988 Seoul Olympics (singles and doubles).

He was awarded the Padma Shri (India's fourth-highest civilian honor) in 1983.

In July 2024, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in the Contributor category—for his global impact on the sport alongside Leander Paes (Player category), making them the first Asian men enshrined.

Acting Career

Amritraj transitioned into acting in the 1980s:

  • Most famous role: MI6 agent Vijay in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy (opposite Roger Moore).
  • Also appeared in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) as a starship captain.
  • Guest roles in TV shows like Hart to Hart, and regular parts in series like The Last Precinct.

A Vijay Amritraj Day: Filming with snakes, James Bond & Wimbledon ...

Post-Retirement and Other Contributions

  • Became a prominent tennis commentator for networks like Fox Sports, ESPN, and Tennis Channel.
  • Appointed United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2001, raising awareness on HIV/AIDS and drugs.
  • Founded the Vijay Amritraj Foundation (2006), supporting vulnerable women and children in India.
  • Established the Britannia Amritraj Tennis Academy in Chennai to nurture young talent.
  • A feature documentary on his life is in production by Time Studios (directed by Sami Khan).
Amritraj's legacy extends beyond wins—he pioneered tennis in India and Asia at a time when it was rare, inspiring generations and promoting the sport globally.
Vivek Prasad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vivek PrasadPersonal information
Full name Vivek Sagar Prasad
Born 25 February 2000 
Itarsi, Hoshangabad,
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Petroleum Sports Promotion Board
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–present India U21 6 (2)
2018–present India 62 (15)

Representing  India
Men's Hockey5s

Last updated on: 5 August 2021

Vivek Sagar Prasad (born 25 February 2000) is an Indian field hockey player who plays as a midfielder for the Indian national team.

In January 2018, he became the second-youngest player ever to debut for India at 17 years, 10 months and 22 days. At the 2019 Hockey Stars Awards, Vivek was named the FIH Rising Star of the Year.

International career

Vivek scored the equalizing goal for India in the 42nd minute in the final of the 2018 Champions Trophy against Australia, a match that India went on to lose in the penalties. At the 2019 FIH Series Finals in Bhubaneswar, Vivek was named the best young player at the tournament. In December 2019, he was nominated for the FIH Rising Star of the Year Award. He won the award by getting 34.5 per cent of the votes and he became the first Indian player to win a FIH Award
Virdhawal Khade
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Virdhawal Khade
Khade in 2008
Personal information
Full name Virdhawal Vikram Khade
Nickname(s) "Veer" (Brave)
National team  India
Born 29 August 1991
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight 187 lb (85 kg)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle, Butterfly

Virdhawal KhadeMedal record
Representing  India

Virdhawal Vikram Khade (born 29 August 1991) (Marathi: विरधवल खाडे) is an Indian swimmer. He competed in the men's 50, 100, and 200 meters Freestyle swimming events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, setting an Indian national record in 100 meters Freestyle. He failed to qualify for the semifinals in his events despite winning his qualification heat. Khade won a bronze medal in the 50 meters butterfly category at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou; it was India's first Asian Games medal in swimming in 24 years. He was conferred with the Arjuna Award in 2011 by the Government of India.

Career

Khade is the national record-holder in the 50m, 100m and 200m Freestyle events and in the 50m Butterfly. Khade is Senior National Champion, 2006 in 50m, 100m, 200m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly. He won six Gold Medals and broke three Games Records at the South Asian Games, 2006 and won six Gold medals and broke five Games Records at the 33rd National Games, Guwahati.

He is the youngest ever Indian swimmer to qualify for an Olympics. Although he did not qualify for the semifinals of the 100m freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he did finish first in his heat (Heat 3) and set a new personal best of 50.07 seconds, placing him 42nd overall. He came 48th in the 200 m freestyle and 32nd in the 50 m.

On 16 November 2010 Virdhawal Khade to win a medal at the Asian Games when he went on to capture the Bronze in the 50m Butterfly event at the 16th Asian Games. Sachin Nag was the first Indian to win a swimming gold medal in 1951 Asian games held in New Delhi. India had won five more medals (1 silver and 4 bronze in this game in Guangzhou, China. On 2019, Vijay Khade won gold medal at the 10th Asian Age Group Championship.

He endorses Nike. He is a supporter of Pratham Books and an active participant in their work on popularising reading among young Indians.

Virdhawal is coached by Nihar Ameen and trains in Bangalore. He is supported by GoSports Foundation, a sports non profit organisation that aims to promote sporting excellence in India.

Statistics

 few of his best timings are:
50m Freestyle: 22.43sec clocked at 2018 Asian Games, Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, August 2018
100m Freestyle: 49.47sec clocked at 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games, Pune, India, October 2008
200m Freestyle: 1:49.86sec clocked at 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games, Pune, India, October 2008
400m Freestyle: 4:01.87sec clocked at the 51st MILO/PRAM Malaysia Invitation Open, May 2008
50m Butterfly: 24.09sec clocked at 2018 Asian Games,Palembang,Indonesia,2018
100 Butterfly: 52.77sec clocked at Asian Age group swimming Championships , Japan , 2009

Awards

Virdhawal Khade was awarded with the Arjuna award 2011 in the swimming category.

Personal life

He is married to fellow swimmer Rujuta Khade.
Venus Williams
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. (July 2021)

Venus Williams
Williams in 2012
Country (sports)  United States
Born June 17, 1980 
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Turned pro October 31, 1994 (aged 14)
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
College Indiana University East (BSBA)

Coach

David Witt (2007–2018)
Eric Hechtman (2019–present)
Prize money US$42,173,992
Official website venuswilliams.com
Singles
Career record 815–264 (75.5%)
Career titles 49 WTA (11th in overall rankings)
Highest ranking No. 1 (February 25, 2002)
Current ranking No. 111 (Jun 28, 2021)
Grand Slam Singles results
Other tournaments

Doubles
Career record 185–37 (83.3%)
Career titles 22 WTA
Highest ranking No. 1 (June 7, 2010)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Other doubles tournaments
Mixed doubles
Career record 28–8 (77.8%)
Career titles 2
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Team competitions
Fed Cup W (1999), record 21–4

 2000 Sydney Doubles

Last updated on: June 30, 2021.


Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player. A former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles, Williams is widely regarded as one of the all-time greats of women's tennis. Along with younger sister Serena Williams, she is credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism on the women's professional tennis tour.

Williams has been ranked world No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association for a total of 19 weeks (11 in singles and 8 in doubles). She first reached the No. 1 ranking in singles on February 25, 2002, becoming the first African American woman to do so in the Open Era, and the second all time since Althea Gibson. She became the world No. 1 in doubles for the first time on June 7, 2010, alongside Serena, after the pair won their fourth consecutive Grand Slam doubles crown. Williams's seven Grand Slam singles titles are tied for 12th on the all-time list, and 8th on the Open Era list, more than any other active female player except her sister. She has reached 16 Grand Slam finals, most recently at Wimbledon in 2017. Her five Wimbledon singles titles tie her with two other women for eighth place on the all-time list. She is No. 4 on the Open Era List, behind the nine titles of Martina Navratilova and the seven of Serena Williams and Steffi Graf. From the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2001 US Open, Williams won four of the six Grand Slam singles tournaments. At the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, Williams extended her record as the all-time leader, male or female, in Grand Slams played, with 90. With her run to the 2017 Wimbledon singles final, she broke the record for longest time between first and most recent grand slam singles finals appearances. Williams was twice the season prize money leader in 2001 and 2017, and currently ranks second behind Serena in career prize money earned with over $41.8 million. She has also won 14 Grand Slam Women's doubles titles, all with Serena Williams; the pair is unbeaten in Grand Slam doubles finals. Williams also has two Mixed Doubles titles. Her combined total of 23 Grand Slam titles across all disciplines is tied with Steffi Graf for the fourth-most by a women's player in the Open Era behind Martina Navratilova, Serena, and Martina Hingis.

Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, one in singles and three in women's doubles with her sister, along with a silver medal in mixed doubles, tying her with Kathleen McKane Godfree for the most Olympic medals won by a male or female tennis player in history. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at one Olympic Games, after Helen Wills Moody at the 1924 Summer Olympics (she was followed by her sister in 2012). After winning silver in mixed doubles with Rajeev Ram at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Williams became the first tennis player to win a medal at four Olympic games, as well as the first player in the Open Era to win an Olympic medal in all three events (singles, doubles, mixed). She and Serena are also the only tennis players in history with four Olympic gold medals, as well as the only ones to win Olympic gold in the same event on three occasions. She along with her sister Serena are the only Open Era female tennis players to win Olympic Gold in both singles and doubles category.

With 49 WTA singles titles, Williams trails only her sister Serena Williams among active players on the WTA Tour with most singles titles. Along with her 22 WTA doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles, Venus' combined total of 73 WTA titles is also second among active players behind Serena. Her 35-match winning streak from the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2000 Generali Ladies Linz tournament final is the longest since January 1, 2000. She is also one of only two active WTA players to have reached the finals of all four Grand Slams, along with sister Serena.

Early life
Williams sisters at a Pam Shriver event in Baltimore, 1993

Williams was born in Lynwood, California, to Richard Williams and Oracene Price. Her talents were apparent at the age of seven when a professional local tennis player named Tony Chesta spotted Williams and quickly identified her potential in the sport.

The Williams family moved from Compton, California, to West Palm Beach, Florida, when she was ten, so that she and her sister Serena could attend the tennis academy of Rick Macci, who took notice of the sisters and who would provide additional coaching. He did not always agree with Williams's father but respected that "he treated his daughters like kids, allowed them to be little girls". Richard stopped sending his daughters to national junior tennis tournaments when Williams was eleven, since he wanted them to take it slowly and focus on schoolwork. Another motivation was racial, as he had allegedly heard parents of other players disparage the Williams sisters during tournaments. At that time, Williams held a 63–0 record on the United States Tennis Association junior tour and was ranked No. 1 among the under-12 players in Southern California. In 1995, Richard pulled his daughters out of Macci's academy, and from then on took over all coaching at their home.

Playing style

Williams is an aggressive player, with an all-court game. Due to her assertive playing style, she typically accumulates large numbers of both winners and unforced errors. She possesses powerful groundstrokes on both sides, and is capable of hitting both her forehand and backhand flat, and with topspin. She is also adept at hitting her backhand with slice, to slow down rallies and disrupt pace within rallies. Her serve is powerful, allowing her to serve numerous aces in any match. At the peak of her career, her first serve would average 113 mph (182 km/h), and would frequently peak at 124 mph (199 km/h); her serve has slowed since then, averaging 107 mph (172 km/h), and peaking at 117 mph (189 km/h). She possesses effective kick and slice serves, which she deploys as second serves, preventing opponents from scoring free points. Up to 2014, Williams held the record for the fastest serve on the WTA Tour, recorded at the 2007 US Open, at 129 mph (208 km/h). Williams likes to approach the net, and finish points quickly. Her height, at 1.85m, provides her with a long arm span, allowing her to reach any ball whilst positioned at the net. She has a complete repertoire of shots to perform at the net, allowing her to hit deft volleys with ease.

Due to her all-court game, Williams is able to hit winners from any position on the court. While being an exceptional tactical player who possesses remarkable problem-solving skills, Williams also plays with sheer power and aggression. Williams relies on defense infrequently, rarely hitting drop shots and lobs, as her exceptional speed and court coverage allow her to hit with assertive power and strength from frequently defensive positions. Further strengths include her detailed and intricate footwork, and supreme athleticism. Williams has been noted for her elegant style of play, and she prefers to play on fast grass, hard, and carpet courts.

Professional career

1994–96: Professional debut

Williams turned professional on October 31, 1994, at the age of fourteen. In the second round of her first professional tournament, the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, Williams was up a set and a service break against world No. 2 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario before losing the match. No. 2 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, went on to win the Title defeating Martina Navratilova. That was the only tournament Williams played in 1994.

In 1995, Williams played three more events as a wild card, falling in the first round of the tournament in Los Angeles and the tournament in Toronto but reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament in Oakland, defeating No. 18 Amy Frazier in the second round for her first win over a top 20 ranked player before losing to Magdalena Maleeva.

Williams played five events in 1996, falling in the first round four times but reaching the third round in Los Angeles, before losing to No. 1 Steffi Graf.

1997–99: Early success

1997: Debut Grand Slam singles final

Williams played 15 tour events in 1997, including five Tier I tournaments. She reached the quarterfinals in three of the Tier I events – the State Farm Evert Cup in Indian Wells, California, the European Indoor Championships in Zürich, and the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. In Indian Wells in March, Williams defeated No. 9 Iva Majoli in the third round for her first win over a player ranked in the top 10. She then lost in the quarterfinals to No. 8 Lindsay Davenport in a third set tiebreak. Her ranking broke into the top 100 on April 14, 1997. She made her debut in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament at the French Open, reaching the second round before losing to Nathalie Tauziat. She then lost in the first round of Wimbledon to Magdalena Grzybowska. During her debut at the US Open, she lost the final to Martina Hingis after defeating Irina Spîrlea in a semifinal which saw Spîrlea and Williams collide during a changeover when neither would yield as they passed the umpire's chair. Richard Williams, her father, later claimed that this incident was racially motivated. She was the first woman since Pam Shriver in 1978 to reach a US Open singles final on her first attempt and was the first unseeded US Open women's singles finalist since 1958. On September 8, 1997, her ranking broke into the top 50 for the first time. She ended the year ranked No. 22

1998: 1st WTA singles title, entering the top 10 and first Grand Slam doubles titles

In her debut at the Australian Open, Williams defeated younger sister Serena Williams in the second round, which was the sisters' first professional meeting. Williams eventually lost in the quarterfinals to No. 3 Davenport.

Three weeks later, Williams defeated No. 2 Davenport for the first time in the semifinals of the IGA Tennis Classic in Oklahoma City. Williams then defeated Joannette Kruger in the final to win the first singles title of her career. In her first Tier I event of the year, Williams lost in the semifinals of the State Farm Evert Cup in Indian Wells to No. 1 Hingis. The following week, Williams won the Tier I Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida, defeating No. 1 Hingis in the semifinals. On March 30, 1998, her ranking broke into the top 10 for the first time, at No. 10.

Williams played only one tournament on clay before the 1998 French Open. At the Italian Open in Rome, she defeated sister in the quarterfinals and No. 5 Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals before losing to No. 1 Hingis in the final. Williams lost again to Hingis in the quarterfinals of the French Open. Williams lost her first match at the Direct Line International Championships in Eastbourne on grass before losing to No. 3 and eventual champion Jana Novotná in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. On July 27, 1998, her ranking rose to No. 5.

Williams played three tournaments during the North American 1998 summer hard court season. She reached her fifth final of the year at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, defeating No. 6 Monica Seles in the semifinals before losing to No. 1 Davenport. Patellar tendonitis in her left knee caused her to retire from her quarterfinal match at the tournament in San Diego while trailing Mary Pierce 4–0 in the third set. At the US Open, Williams defeated fourth-seeded Sánchez Vicario in the quarterfinals before losing to second seeded and eventual champion Davenport in the semifinals. 1998 was the first year that Williams reached at least the quarterfinals of all slams.

Williams played four tournaments in the remainder of 1998. She won her third title of the year at the Grand Slam Cup in Munich in September, defeating No. 9 Patty Schnyder in the final. She lost in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Filderstadt before losing in the final of the Tier I Swisscom Challenge in Zürich to No. 1 Davenport and the semifinals of the Tier I Kremlin Cup in Moscow to Pierce. She had earned enough points during the year to participate in the year-ending Chase Championship but withdrew from the tournament because of tendonitis in her knee. She finished the year ranked No. 5.

In 1998, Williams teamed with Justin Gimelstob to win the mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open and the French Open. Her sister Serena Williams won the other two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles that year, completing a "Williams Family Mixed Doubles Grand Slam". Williams won the first two women's doubles titles of her career, in Oklahoma City and Zürich. Both titles came with her sister, becoming only the third pair of sisters to win a WTA tour doubles title.

1999: Three Tier I titles

Williams started the 1999 tour in Australia, where she lost to No. 10 Steffi Graf in the quarterfinals of the Medibank International in Sydney and No. 1 Davenport in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. However, she rebounded at the Faber Grand Prix in Hanover, defeating Graf for the first time in the semifinals before losing the final to No. 3 Novotná. Williams then successfully defended her titles in both Oklahoma City and Key Biscayne. She defeated Novotná and Graf to reach the final in Key Biscayne, where she defeated her sister in three sets in the first final on the WTA Tour to be contested by two sisters.

Williams played four clay court events during the spring. She lost her first match at the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida. Three weeks later, however, she won her first title on clay at the Betty Barclay Cup in Hamburg, defeating Mary Pierce in the final. Williams then won the Tier I Italian Open in Rome, defeating No. 1 Hingis in the semifinals and No. 8 Pierce in the final. At the French Open, she extended her winning streak to 22 matches before losing in the fourth round to No. 125 Barbara Schwartz. Williams teamed with Serena Williams to win the women's doubles title at this event, the first Grand Slam title the pair won together.

At the 1999 Wimbledon Championships, Williams defeated No. 17 Anna Kournikova in the fourth round to reach the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year, where she lost to eventual runner-up Graf.

Williams rebounded in the summer when she won two Fed Cup matches against Italy and lost in the final of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford to No. 1 Davenport. One week later, Williams defeated Davenport in the semifinals of the TIG Tennis Classic in San Diego before losing to No. 2 Hingis in the final. In her last tournament before the US Open, Williams won the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, Connecticut, defeating No. 5 Seles in the semifinals and Davenport in the final. On August 30, 1999, her world ranking reached third for the first time. Seeded third at the US Open, Williams lost in the semifinals to No. 1 Hingis in three sets. However, she teamed with singles champion Serena Williams at this event to win their second Grand Slam women's doubles title.

During the remainder of the year, Williams contributed to the USA's victory over Russia in the Fed Cup final, winning one singles rubber before joining her sister to win the doubles rubber. At the Grand Slam Cup in Munich, Williams defeated Hingis in the semifinals before losing to her sister Serena for the first time in the final. Williams won her sixth title of the year at the Tier I event in Zurich, defeating No. 1 Hingis in the final. Four weeks later, she lost to Davenport in the semifinals of the tournament in Philadelphia. Making her debut at the year-ending Chase Championships, Williams lost to Hingis in the semifinals. She finished the year ranked No. 3.

2000–02: Williams sisters domination

2000: Olympic gold medals and 1st & 2nd Grand Slam titles

In 2000, Williams missed the first five months of the year with tendinitis in both wrists. She returned to the tour during the European clay court season. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Betty Barclay Cup in Hamburg to Amanda Coetzer and in the third round of the Tier I Italian Open in Rome to Jelena Dokić. Although she had won only two of her four matches before the French Open, she was seeded fourth there. She won her first four matches in Paris without losing a set before losing in the quarterfinals to eighth-seeded and former champion Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in three sets.

Williams then won 35 consecutive singles matches and six tournaments. She won her first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon, defeating No. 1 Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals, sister Serena in the semifinal and defending champion Lindsay Davenport in the final. She also teamed with her sister Serena to win the women's doubles title at this event.

She won three Tier II events during the North American summer hard court season, defeating Davenport in the final of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford and Monica Seles in the finals of both the Acura Classic in San Diego and the Pilot Pen Tennis championships in New Haven.

At the US Open, Williams defeated No. 1 Hingis in the semifinals and No. 2 Davenport in the final. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, she defeated Sánchez Vicario in the quarterfinals, Seles in the semifinals, and Elena Dementieva in the final to win the gold medal. She also won the gold medal in women's doubles with her younger sister Serena. Davenport eventually snapped her winning streak in October in the final of the Linz Open. Williams did not play a tournament the rest of the year because of anemia. She finished the year ranked No. 3 and with six singles titles.

2001: 3rd & 4th Grand Slam titles
Williams in 2001

In 2001, Williams reached the semifinals of the Australian Open for the first time, where she lost to No. 1 Hingis. However, Williams teamed with her sister to win the doubles title at the event, completing a Career Golden Slam in women's doubles for the pair.

Williams also reached the semifinals of the Tier I Tennis Masters Series tournament in Indian Wells, California, where she controversially defaulted her match with her sister just before the match started. Williams had been suffering from knee tendinitis throughout the tournament and eventually this prevented her from playing. The following day, Williams and her father Richard were booed as they made their way to their seats to watch the final. Serena Williams was subsequently booed during the final with Kim Clijsters and during the trophy presentation. Due to this, neither Williams sister entered the tournament for 14 years with her sister Serena entering in 2015 after appeals for forgiveness from the event and the WTA Tour. Williams rebounded from the Indian Wells 'boycott' controversy to win the next tournament on the tour calendar, the Tier I Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida. She defeated Hingis in the semifinals and No. 4 Jennifer Capriati in the final, after saving eight championship points. Because of this victory, her ranking rose to a career high of No. 2.

During the European clay court season, Williams won the Tier II tournament in Hamburg but lost in the third round of the Tier I EUROCARD Ladies German Open to No. 18 Justine Henin and the first round of the French Open to Barbara Schett. This was only the second time that she had lost in the first round of a Grand Slam singles tournament. Williams then successfully defended her Wimbledon title, defeating third-seeded Davenport in the semifinals and eighth-seeded Henin in three sets in Henin's first Wimbledon final.

During the North American summer hard court season, Williams won for the second consecutive year the tournaments in San Diego, defeating Seles in the final, and in New Haven, defeating Davenport in the final. Williams also won the US Open singles title for the second consecutive year, without dropping a set. In the quarterfinals, she beat fifth-seeded Clijsters, followed by a semifinal victory over No. 2 Capriati. She played her sister Serena in the final, which was the first Grand Slam singles final contested by two sisters during the open era. Venus won the match and her fourth Grand Slam singles title. Williams also became only the sixth woman in history to win the singles titles at both Wimbledon and the US Open in consecutive years, the others being Martina Navratilova (twice), Steffi Graf (twice), Althea Gibson, Maureen Connolly Brinker, and Helen Wills Moody (twice).

2002: World No. 1 ranking and 4 consecutive Grand Slam singles finals

Williams began 2002 by winning the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts in Gold Coast, Australia, defeating Henin in the final. However, she then lost for the first time in her career to Seles in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Williams then went on to win the Open Gaz de France in Paris when Jelena Dokić withdrew from the final, and the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium, defeating Henin in the final. As a result of her strong start to the season, Williams assumed the world No. 1 position for the first time on February 25, dislodging Capriati. Williams was the first African-American woman ever to hold the ranking. She held it for just three weeks before surrendering it back to Capriati.

Williams failed to defend her title in Miami after losing in the semifinals to her sister Serena. However, she made a strong start to the clay-court season, winning the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida, defeating Henin in the final. A week after winning that tournament, she once again replaced Capriati as the No. 1, before losing it again to Capriati after three weeks. During those three weeks, Williams had made the final in Hamburg, defeating Hingis in the semifinals before losing to Clijsters in the final. Seeded second at the French Open, Williams defeated former champion Seles to reach the semifinals for the first time. There, she defeated Clarisa Fernández. In the final, Williams met her sister Serena Williams for a second time in a Grand Slam final, with her sister winning. Williams once again replaced Capriati as the No. 1 as a result of reaching the final.

As the top seed at Wimbledon, Williams defeated Henin in the semifinals to make the final for the third consecutive year. However, there, she lost to her sister Serena. This result meant Serena Williams replaced Venus as the No. 1. The Williams sisters teamed up to win the women's doubles title at the event, their fifth Grand Slam women's doubles title together.

Williams won the titles in San Diego and New Haven for the third consecutive year, defeating Davenport and Dokic to win the former and defeating Davenport in the final of the latter. At the US Open, Williams defeated Seles in the quarterfinals and Amélie Mauresmo in three sets to make the final. Playing her younger sister Serena for their third consecutive Grand Slam final, her sister won once again. After that, Williams played just four more matches during the season. She reached the semifinals at the year-ending Sanex Championships after defeating Seles in the quarterfinals, but she then was forced to retire against Clijsters due to injury. Williams finished the year ranked No. 2 having won seven titles, her best showing in both respects of her career.

2003–06: Injuries and losses

2003: Australian Open & Wimbledon finals, injuries

Williams started 2003 by defeating fifth seed Justine Henin to make the final of the Australian Open for the first time. In the final, however, she lost to her sister Serena. This marked the first time in the open era that the same two players had met in four consecutive Grand Slam finals. Venus and Serena Williams teamed to win the women's doubles title at the event, their sixth Grand Slam title in women's doubles.

In February, Williams won the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium for the second consecutive year, defeating Kim Clijsters in the final. However, shortly afterwards, she began to struggle with injury. She reached the final of the clay-court J&S Cup in Warsaw, before being forced to retire against Amélie Mauresmo. She then suffered her earliest exit at a Grand Slam tournament in two years when she lost in the fourth round of the French Open to Vera Zvonareva.

At Wimbledon, Williams was seeded fourth. Williams defeated former champion Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals and Kim Clijsters in the semifinals to advance to her fourth consecutive Wimbledon final, where she lost again to sister Serena.

Wimbledon was Williams's last event of the year as an abdominal injury that occurred during the Clijsters match prevented her from playing again. While she was recovering from the injury, her sister Yetunde Price was murdered. Williams finished the year ranked No. 11. It was the first time in nearly six years that she had dropped out of the top 10.

2004: Tough losses and further injuries

In 2004, Williams came back to the tour suffering inconsistent results. As the third seed because of a protected ranking, she reached the third round of the Australian Open, where she lost to Lisa Raymond. She then lost in the quarterfinals of her next three tournaments.

Williams began to find her form at the beginning of the clay-court season. At the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, Williams defeated Conchita Martínez in the final to win her first title in over a year and the second Tier I title on clay of her career. She then won in Warsaw, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final, before reaching the final of the Tier I German Open in Berlin. She then withdrew from that match against Mauresmo due to injury. Going into the French Open, Williams had the best clay-court record among the women and was among the favorites to win the title; however, after making the quarterfinals to extend her winning streak on the surface to 19 matches, she lost to eventual champion Anastasia Myskina. Despite her defeat, she re-entered the top 10.

In the Wimbledon Women's Singles, Williams lost a controversial second-round match to Croatian Karolina Šprem. The umpire of the match, Ted Watts, awarded Šprem an unearned point in the second-set tiebreak. Upon the conclusion of the match, he was relieved of his duties. This defeat marked the first time since 1997 that Williams had exited Wimbledon prior to the quarterfinals. After Wimbledon, Williams reached her fourth final of the year at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, where she was beaten by Lindsay Davenport for the first time since 2000.

As the defending champion at the Athens Olympics, Williams lost in the third round to Mary Pierce. She then won three very close matches against Petra Mandula, Shikha Uberoi and Chanda Rubin to make the fourth round of the US Open where she lost to Davenport, the first time she had ever lost at the US Open prior to the semifinals. Williams completed the year by losing in the quarterfinals of three indoor tournaments in the fall, a period that included defeat in her first meeting with 17-year-old Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova at the Zurich Open. Williams finished the year as No. 9 and did not qualify for the year-ending WTA Tour Championships.

2005: Third Wimbledon title

In 2005, Williams started the year by losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Alicia Molik. She then reached the final in Antwerp, defeating Clijsters and Myskina en route. In the final, Williams was a set and a service break up against Mauresmo before eventually losing.

In March, at the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami, Williams defeated sister and Australian Open champion Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, the first time she had defeated her sister Serena since 2001. Williams went on to lose in the semifinals to No. 3 Sharapova. In May, Williams won her first title in over a year at the clay-courts at the İstanbul Cup, defeating Nicole Vaidišová in the final. However, at the French Open, she lost in the third round to 15-year-old Sesil Karatantcheva, who subsequently tested positive for steroids and was suspended.

Williams was seeded 14th for the 2005 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Singles. In the quarterfinals of the tournament, she defeated French Open runner-up Pierce in a second-set tiebreak, winning it 12–10 to make the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in two years. There, she defeated defending champion and second-seeded Maria Sharapova to make the Wimbledon final for the fifth time in six years. Playing top-seeded Davenport in the final, Williams saved a match point with a backhand winner en route to winning. This was Williams's third Wimbledon singles title, her fifth Grand Slam singles title overall and her first since 2001. It was the first time in 70 years that a player had won after being down match point during the women's final at Wimbledon. In addition, Williams was the lowest-ranked (No. 16) and lowest-seeded (14th) champion in tournament history. Williams returned to the top 10 following the victory.

Following Wimbledon, Williams reached her fourth final of the year in Stanford, where she lost to Clijsters. At the US Open, Williams achieved her second consecutive win over her sister Serena in the fourth round, but then lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Kim Clijsters. Williams did not qualify for the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships because of an injury sustained during the tournament in Beijing. She finished the year ranked No. 10. It was the first year since 2001 that she had finished a year ranked higher than her sister Serena Williams.
Venus Williams prepares to serve during the 2006 J&S Cup in Warsaw

2006: Wrist injury and drop in the rankings

In 2006, Williams was upset in the first round of the Australian Open by Tsvetana Pironkova, which was her earliest loss ever at that tournament. After that loss, she did not play again for three months due to a wrist injury. She returned in late April on clay in Warsaw, where she defeated former No. 1 Martina Hingis in the second round, before losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals. Williams completed the clay-court season by reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open, where she lost to Nicole Vaidišová.

Williams was the defending champion and one of the favorites to win the singles title at Wimbledon. However, she lost in the third round to 26th-seeded Jelena Janković. After the loss, Williams said that she was having pain in her left wrist, although she admitted that the injury was not the cause of her loss. Williams did not play in the US Open series or the US Open itself due to the wrist injury. In October, during her first tournament in almost three months, she reinjured her wrist at the tournament in Luxembourg and lost in the second round to qualifier Agnieszka Radwańska. Williams finished the season as No. 46, her lowest finish since she began to play on the WTA Tour full-time in 1997. It was the second consecutive year she finished higher than her sister Serena, who finished the year at No. 95.

2007–10: Return to form and No. 2 ranking
2007: Fourth Wimbledon title

Williams withdrew from the 2007 Australian Open, the second consecutive Grand Slam that she had missed due to her recurring wrist injury. She returned in February at the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, USA, defeating top-seeded Shahar Pe'er in the final, her first singles title since her victory at Wimbledon in 2005.

At the beginning of the clay-court season, Williams reached the semifinals of the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, where she lost to Jelena Janković on a third set tiebreak. She also lost to fourth seed Janković in the third round of the French Open, her third consecutive loss to Janković. During her second round win over Ashley Harkleroad, Williams hit a 206 km/h (128 mph) serve, which was the second fastest woman's serve ever recorded and the fastest ever recorded during a main draw match at the time.
Venus competing in the World Tennis Team (WTT)

Williams was ranked No. 31 going into Wimbledon and was seeded 23rd at the tournament due to her previous results at Wimbledon. Williams was a game away from defeat in her first round match against Alla Kudryavtseva and in her third round match against Akiko Morigami she was two points away from defeat, but she eventually won both 7–5 in the third set. She then advanced to reach her sixth Wimbledon final, after beating Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ana Ivanovic in straight sets en route, where she defeated 18th seed Marion Bartoli also in straight sets. Williams thus became only the fourth woman in the open era to win Wimbledon at least four times, along with Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf. She also became the lowest-seeded Wimbledon champion in history, breaking the record she herself set in 2005. Williams returned to the top 20 as a result of the win.

At the US Open, after setting a Grand-Slam record 129 mph (208 km/h) serve in the opening round, Williams advanced to her first Grand Slam semifinal outside of Wimbledon since 2003. However she then lost to eventual champion Justine Henin. The tournament resulted in Williams's ranking moving up to No. 9. Williams then won her third title of the year at the Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships in Seoul, South Korea, defeating Maria Kirilenko in the final, before then losing in the final of the Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo to Virginie Razzano. Williams had earned enough points during the year to qualify for the year-ending WTA Tour Championships in Madrid; however, she withdrew because of continuing problems with anemia. Williams finished the year as No. 8 with three titles, her best performance in both respects since 2002, and a winning percentage of 83 percent.

2008: Fifth Wimbledon title, Tour Championships title and Olympic gold in doubles

In 2008, as the eighth seed at the Australian Open, Williams reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2003. However, she then lost to eventual runner-up Ana Ivanovic. Williams made her first semifinal of the year at the Bangalore Open in Bangalore, India, where she met sister Serena for the first time since 2005 with Serena Williams winning despite Venus Williams holding a match point in the third set tie break.

Williams missed two tournaments at the beginning of the clay-court season due to undisclosed medical problems. At the French Open, Williams was seeded eighth but was eliminated by 26th-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta in the third round.

Williams was the defending champion and seventh-seeded player at Wimbledon. Without dropping a set, she reached her seventh Wimbledon singles final. She then won her fifth Wimbledon singles title, and seventh Grand Slam singles title overall, by beating sister Serena in straight sets. This was the first time since 2003 that Venus and Serena Williams had played each other in a Grand Slam final and was the first time since 2001 that Venus had defeated her in a Grand Slam final. Venus and Serena Williams then teamed to win the women's doubles title, their first Grand Slam doubles title together since 2003.

Williams lost in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics to Li Na. She did, however, earn a gold medal along with her sister Serena in women's doubles, their second gold medal as a team, having won together at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. At the US Open, Williams was playing some of her best tennis since dominating the circuit in 2003, However, she was defeated in two tiebreaks by Serena Williams (the eventual tournament winner) in a close quarterfinal match, after Williams had led 5–3 in both sets.
Venus Williams at the 2008 WTA Tour Championships

At the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany in October, Williams defeated a player ranked in the top three for the first time that season by defeating No. 3 Dinara Safina to reach her third semifinal of the year. There, she lost to Janković. A fortnight later, Williams won the Zurich Open, defeating Ivanovic in the semifinals before defeating Pennetta in the final to claim her second title of the year and secure a position in the year-ending 2008 WTA Tour Championships in Doha, Qatar. There, Williams defeated No. 2 Safina, No. 3 Serena Williams and No. 5 Dementieva in the preliminary round-robin stage. In the semifinals, Williams defeated No. 1 Janković before winning the year-ending tournament for the first time by defeating Vera Zvonareva in the final. She ended the year ranked No. 6 with three titles and a winning percentage of 78 percent.

2009: Wimbledon runner-up and 4 consecutive Grand Slam doubles titles

As the sixth seed at the 2009 Australian Open, Williams lost in the second round to Carla Suárez Navarro after holding a match point in the third set. However, she teamed up with her sister Serena to win the women's doubles title at the event, their eighth Grand Slam doubles title together. Williams rebounded in singles play in February at the Premier 5 (formerly Tier I) Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating defending champion and No. 4 Dementieva in the quarterfinals and No. 1 Serena Williams in the semifinals on a third set tiebreak. The latter win meant that Williams led the head-to-head in career matches with her sister for the first time since 2002. Williams went on to defeat Virginie Razzano in the final. This win meant Williams was ranked in the top five for the first time since 2003, while it also marked her 40th professional singles title, only the twelfth player in the open era to achieve the feat. Williams won another title the following week at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico, defeating Pennetta in the final. This was her first title on clay since 2005.

On European clay, Williams reached the semifinals in Rome before losing to No. 1 Safina. This run meant Williams was ranked in the top three for the first time since 2003. Seeded third at the French Open, Williams lost to Ágnes Szávay in the third round, the third consecutive year she had exited at that stage.

Williams was seeded third at Wimbledon. She advanced to her eighth Wimbledon final, at which point she had won 34 straight sets (held since Wimbledon 2007). In the final, however, she lost the first set tie-break, and from then on lost in two sets to sister Serena. The Williams sisters teamed up to win the doubles title at the tournament for the fourth time.

In Stanford, Williams defeated Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva to advance to the finals, where she would lose to Marion Bartoli. Teaming with her sister, she played doubles and won the title, defeating Monica Niculescu and Yung-Jan Chan.
Williams lost to the eventual champion, Kim Clijsters, at the US Open.

At the 2009 US Open, as the third seed, Williams made it to the fourth round before losing to Kim Clijsters in three sets. Williams then teamed up with Serena Williams to play doubles at the open, where they won the title over defending champions and No. 1s in doubles, Cara Black and Liezel Huber, claiming their third grand slam doubles title in 2009.

Williams's last tournament in 2009 was the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships, where she was the defending champion in singles. She was in the maroon group which includes her sister Serena Williams, along with Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova. She lost her first match against Dementieva, and her second match against her sister Serena- both in straight sets, after taking the first set. In her third and final RR match, Williams defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova. Because of Dementieva's loss to Kuznetsova in their round robin match, Williams advanced to the semifinal of the championships. In her semifinal match, she defeated Jelena Janković of Serbia to advance to her second consecutive final in the tournament. In the final, she lost to her sister Serena. In doubles, Williams teamed with her sister as the second seeds. However, they lost to Nuria Llagostera Vives and María José Martínez Sánchez in the semifinal. Their doubles record at the end of the year stood at 24–2.

Williams finished 2009 ranked No. 6 in singles (with a winning percentage of 70 percent) and No. 3 in doubles with Serena Williams, in spite of them playing only six events together that year.

2010: No. 2 singles ranking and No. 1 doubles ranking

Williams played at the Australian Open as the sixth seed. She defeated 17th-seeded Francesca Schiavone in the fourth round. She was two points from defeating 16th-seeded Li Na in the quarterfinals before losing in three sets. In doubles, she teamed with her sister Serena to successfully defend their title, defeating the top-ranked team of Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the final. She went onto the clay at the Abierto Mexico Telcel in Acapulco, where she was the defending champion. She reached the semifinals after recovering from a 1–5 third set deficit to Laura Pous Tió in the quarterfinals. In the final, she defeated first-time finalist Polona Hercog from Slovenia. This was her 43rd career title, the most among active female players.

Her next tournament was the Premier Mandatory Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, where she was seeded third. She defeated No. 9 Agnieszka Radwańska in the quarterfinals and No. 13 Marion Bartoli in the semifinals to reach her third straight WTA tour final and fourth Sony Ericsson Open final. She was defeated by Kim Clijsters in the final in just 58 minutes, ending her 15-match winning streak. By reaching the final, her ranking improved to No. 4 and she crossed the $26 million mark in career prize money, the only player besides Serena Williams to do so.

The knee injury that hampered her during the final of the Sony Ericsson Open forced her to skip the Fed Cup tie against Russia and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Williams returned to the tour at the Premier 5 Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. She suffered the worst defeat of her career in the quarterfinals, losing to No. 4 Jelena Janković 6–0, 6–1. Despite this loss, Williams's ranking improved to No. 3 on May 10.
Williams at the 2010 Madrid Open

Her next tournament was the Madrid Open, a Premier Mandatory tournament. She lost to Aravane Rezaï in the final. In doubles, she teamed with her sister Serena to win the title.

On May 17, her ranking improved to No. 2, behind only Serena. This was the fourth time that the Williams sisters have occupied the top two spots, and the first time since May 2003.

Her next tournament was the French Open, where she played both singles and doubles despite her knee injury. Seeded second in singles, she advanced past the third round at this tournament for the first time since 2006 before losing to Nadia Petrova in the round of 16. She also played doubles with Serena as the top seeds. Their defeat of Huber and Anabel Medina Garrigues in the semifinals increased their doubles ranking to No. 1. They then defeated 12th seeded Květa Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik in the final to win their fourth consecutive Grand Slam women's doubles title. By virtue of reaching the No. 1-ranking in doubles on June 7, 2010, Venus and Serena became just the 6th and 7th women to reach the No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles following in the footsteps of Martina Navratilova, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, and Kim Clijsters.

Her next tournament was the Wimbledon Championships, where she had reached the final the previous three years. Despite her knee injury, she made it to the quarterfinals, where she lost to Tsvetana Pironkova. Pironkova was ranked No. 82 and had never gone past the second round of a Grand Slam event. As a result, Williams dropped to No. 4. She was the defending champion in doubles with her sister Serena, having won the tournament in the previous two years. However, they lost this time in the quarterfinals to Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonareva.

Williams then missed all tournaments in the US Open Series because of a left knee injury but still participated at the US Open as the third seed. She won three matches to move into the fourth round. Williams became one of only two women in 2010 (along with Caroline Wozniacki) to reach at least the fourth round at all four Grand Slam singles tournaments. Williams then defeated Pe'er and French Open champion Schiavone en route to her eighth US Open semifinal, against defending champion Clijsters. Williams won the first set of their match and recovered from 5–2 down in the second set but ultimately double-faulted on a key point near the end of the match and lost in three sets. Because of Serena's withdrawal from the US Open, Williams did not participate at the doubles event, where she was the defending champion.

The recovery of her left knee took longer than expected and it forced her to miss the rest of 2010, including the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships and Fed Cup final. Williams ended the year ranked fifth in singles, the first time she ended a year in the top five since 2002, while playing only nine tournaments. She finished the year ranked eleventh in doubles.

2011–13: Injuries and illness
2011: Sjögrens Syndrome diagnosis
Williams during her first round match at the 2011 US Open

Williams began the year at the final edition of Hong Kong Tennis Classic exhibition event. She lost both her singles matches against Vera Zvonareva and Li Na, but she helped Team America to win the silver group. At the Australian Open, Williams retired in the second game of her third round match against Andrea Petkovic after sustaining a hip muscle injury in her second round. This was Williams's first retirement during a match in a Grand Slam tournament since 1994 and thus ended her record of most Grand Slam matches without ever retiring, with 250 consecutive matches. This was also her first retirement from a match since LA Women's Tennis Championships in Los Angeles in 2004, ending her 294 consecutive matches without retiring. The injury forced Williams to pull out of the Fed Cup quarterfinal against Belgium, the Dubai Tennis Championships, and the Mexican Open, where she was the two-time defending champion in both tournaments. She subsequently withdrew from the Miami Open causing her ranking to drop to number fifteen. She also missed the clay court season which caused her ranking to drop to number twenty-nine. Her absence from the French Open marked the first Grand Slam tournament since the 2003 US Open where neither of the Williams sisters were competing.

Williams then made her first appearance since the Australian Open in Eastbourne. Unseeded, she lost for the first time in eleven meetings to Daniela Hantuchová in the quarterfinals. She was seeded 23rd at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. She played for nearly three hours in her second round match against Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm, winning in three tough sets. She then defeated Spaniard María José Martínez Sánchez in the third round, but was defeated by Bulgarian 32nd seed Tsvetana Pironkova in the fourth round.

Originally scheduled to participate in the 2011 Rogers Cup in Toronto and the 2011 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Williams withdrew due to viral illness. Her next scheduled tournament was the US Open. Unseeded at the US Open, Williams defeated Vesna Dolonts in the first round. She was scheduled to meet 22nd seed Sabine Lisicki in the second round, but withdrew before the match began after being diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease which causes fatigue and muscle and joint pain. This was the first time in her career that she did not reach the quarterfinals or better in any of the Grand Slam tournaments in a season. As a result, her ranking dropped to one-hundred and five.

Williams did not play for the rest of the year at a competitive level; she appeared in three exhibitions tournaments in November and early December. She played against sister Serena in Colombia, which she won in straight sets. The week later, the sisters appeared in Milan, Italy to play exhibition against Italian duo Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta. Williams lost both her singles tie-break matches but won the doubles pairing with her sister. Williams played her third exhibition tournament in Barbados where she lost to Victoria Azarenka. She ended the year ranked No. 102. This was her first year-end finish ranked outside of the top 50 since 1997.

2012: Comeback and Olympic gold record

Williams was scheduled to play in Auckland in preparation for the Australian Open but withdrew from both tournaments due to health problems, announcing that she would return to the WTA tour in Februar This dropped her ranking to No. 135. In February, Williams returned to competition in the doubles match of the Fed Cup World Group II tie between USA and Belaru Playing with Liezel Huber, she won the dead-rubber in straight sets.

Williams was granted wildcards to participate in the Miami[48] and Charleston tournaments. In the first round of Miami — her first singles match since the 2011 US Open — Williams defeated Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm in straight sets. In the second round, she defeated No. 3 Petra Kvitová, her first top-3 victory since beating Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2009. In the third round, she saved a match point and defeated Aleksandra Wozniak in a three-set tiebreaker that ended a nearly three-hour match. In the round of 16, she bested No. 15 Ana Ivanovic in three sets to reach the quarterfinals, where she lost to the eventual champion, Agnieszka Radwańska in straight sets. Her run improved her ranking to number 87. A week later in Charleston, she reached her second consecutive quarterfinal, where she lost in three sets to Samantha Stosur.
Williams at the 2012 French Open

Williams was granted wildcards to participate in Madrid and Rome. In Madrid, she lost in the second round to Angelique Kerber, but still improved her ranking to No. 63. A week later in Rome, she reached her third quarterfinal of the four tournaments she had participated in with a straight-sets victory against Samantha Stosur in the third round. She lost in the quarterfinals in straight sets to the No. 2, defending and eventual champion Maria Sharapova.[50] Her appearance in Rome increased her ranking to No. 52, placing her as the third-ranked American. She lost in the second round of the French Open to Agnieszka Radwańska in straight sets.

At Wimbledon, Williams was unseeded for the first time since 1997. She lost to Elena Vesnina in the first round in straight sets. This was the first time Williams lost in the first round of a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open, and her first opening round loss at Wimbledon since her debut in 1997. Williams fared better in her return to doubles competition where she played alongside her sister, Serena. In just the pair's first tournament since 2010 Wimbledon, the unseeded sisters advanced to the final with victories over fourth-seeds Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova in the second round and top-seeds Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond in the semifinals. The Williams sisters claimed their fifth Wimbledon doubles title after defeating sixth-seeds Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká in straight sets in the final, on the same day Serena Williams won her fifth Wimbledon singles title.

Williams's next stop was the 2012 London Summer Olympics which was held at the All England Club, Wimbledon. She entered the women's singles and women's doubles events, partnering with sister Serena in doubles. In singles, Williams defeated Sara Errani and Aleksandra Wozniak in convincing fashion to reach the third round where she faced Angelique Kerber. She lost to Kerber in two tiebreaks despite having three set points and leading 5–1 in the tiebreak in the first set. In doubles, the unseeded Williams sisters advanced to the final, which was a repeat of their final at Wimbledon against Hlaváčková and Hradecká. The sisters won their third gold medal in doubles after defeating the Czech pair in straight sets. With the win (and her sister Serena's win in the singles event), the Williams sisters claimed the most Olympic gold medals of any other tennis player, male or female.

Next, Williams played at Cincinnati where she received a singles wild card entry. She defeated her first two opponents, Maria Kirilenko and Chanelle Scheepers, in three tight sets before crushing 8th seed Sara Errani in the third round. In the quarterfinal, she defeated her second top 10 opponent in a row Samantha Stosur in three sets to advance to her first semifinal since the 2010 US Open. In the semifinal Williams played through a back injury, eventually losing in three sets to Li Na in a match where her average first serve was between 80 and 90 miles per hour.[citation needed] Her semifinal run brought her ranking back within the top 50 for the first time in almost a year. At the US Open Williams lost in a second-round match against Angelique Kerber in three sets, despite having a 4–2 lead in the third set.

Williams won her 44th WTA career title and her first title in over two and half years at the 2012 BGL Luxembourg Open, where she defeated Monica Niculescu in straight sets. Williams also qualified for the WTA Tournament of Champions in Sofia, but withdrew as the tournament clashed with her and her sister Serena's 'Breaking the Mould' tour in Africa. With her title in Luxembourg, her ranking rose to number 24. She ended the year with this ranking.

2013: Back injury

At the 2013 Hopman Cup, and playing for USA (with John Isner), the first rubber was against South Africa. Williams beat Chanelle Scheepers and, with John Isner, they comfortably defeated the South African pair Chanelle Scheepers and Kevin Anderson. In USA's second rubber against France, she won both her singles and in mixed doubles defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Mathilde Johansson. Next she faced Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain and won in two sets.

From there Williams went onto the Australian Open, seeded 25, after missing it the previous year due to injury. She beat Galina Voskoboeva and Alizé Cornet before losing to the second seed, Maria Sharapova. Her next tournament was Brasil Tennis Cup. She participated the tournament as the 1st seed. She defeated Mirjana Lučić-Baroni in the first round, Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round and Magdaléna Rybáriková during the quarterfinals. Reaching her first semifinal of the year, she was then defeated by Olga Puchkova in three sets. This tournament allowed Williams to strengthen her position in the Top 20. She retired from the 2013 Sony Open Tennis in the third round due to a lower back injury.
Williams stretches for a volley at the 2013 US Open

One week after Miami, Williams participated in Charleston as the fifth seed. She reached the semifinals, after playing both her third round and quarterfinals matches on the same day, where she lost to her sister, Serena, in two sets in the sisters' first meeting since the 2009 WTA Tour Championships.A few weeks later she participated in Fed Cup, in a tie between the United States and Sweden. After Sloane Stephens lost the opening match, Williams stepped into her spot, winning a match against Johanna Larsson, after converting on her eighth match point. This was the first time in Williams's career that she clinched the winning match in a Fed Cup tie, leading the United States to a 3–2 victory over Sweden. Williams's next event was the Mutua Madrid Open where she withdrew just before playing her first round match, her next tournament was the Italian Open in Rome where she lost in the first round to Laura Robson. Williams then played at the 2013 French Open where she lost to Urszula Radwanska in the first round. She was also entered in Doubles with her sister Serena but pulled out just before their 1st Round match. Williams pulled out of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships due to a back injury. It was the first time she has missed Wimbledon in her career.

At the Roger's Cup, she lost in the first round to 13th seed Kirsten Flipkens in three sets. At the 2013 Western and Southern Open, she defeated qualifier Jana Cepelova in straight sets, before losing in the second round to Elena Vesnina in three sets. Her next tournament was the 2013 US Open. She pulled an upset in the first round by defeating 12th seed Kirsten Flipkens in a rematch of the Roger's Cup first round. She was defeated by Zheng Jie in three sets. She entered the doubles with Serena Williams. They beat Carla Suarez Navarro and Silvia Soler Espinosa in the first round. In the second round, the duo beat the 7th seeded team of Abigail Spears and Raquel Kops-Jones, and defeated the 11th seeded team of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Lucie Safarova in the third round. In the quarterfinals, they defeated the 1st seeded team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in a rematch of the Australian Open quarterfinals. Their run ended in the semifinals against the 5th seeded team and eventual champions Lucie Hradecka and Andrea Hlavackova. Her next tournament was the Toray Pan Pacific Open. She defeated Mona Barthel in the first round, and upset the 1st-seeded and No. 2-ranked Victoria Azarenka in the second round. In the third round, she came back from a set down to beat the 13th seed Simona Halep in three sets to make it to the quarterfinals of the Premier 5 event. In the quarterfinals she defeated Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in three sets, but fell in the semifinals to Petra Kvitova in another three set match. Williams subsequently played at the 2013 China Open in Beijing where she played singles and doubles. Williams lost her second round match in singles losing to Sabine Lisicki and she also lost her first round match in doubles despite having two match points. Williams's last tournament of the season was the 2013 Kremlin Cup in Moscow, but she withdrew due to injury, bringing an end to her 2013 season.

2014–17: Resurgence and first Grand Slam finals since 2009
2014: Ending title drought

Williams started her official tennis season as No. 47 at the 2014 ASB Classic in Auckland, where she finished runner-up to Ana Ivanovic. She next participated, unseeded, at the 2014 Australian Open where she lost in the first round to No. 23 Ekaterina Makarova in three sets. Moving on to Doha, Williams lost to No. 6 Petra Kvitová in the second round at the 2014 Qatar Total Open after failing to put away match point in the third set tie-break. Williams then entered the Dubai Tennis Championships where she defeated five top-40 players to win her biggest title since the Mutua Madrid Open in 2010 and, at 33 years and 8 months of age, became the seventh-oldest woman to win a WTA singles title. En route, she avenged her loss to Ana Ivanovic in Auckland 6–2, 6–1 and her sister Serena's loss to Alizé Cornet in the semifinals, then won the title match the 6–3, 6–0, keeping her head-to-head record perfect against Caroline Wozniacki. Williams then competed in Miami at the 2014 Sony Open Tennis and in Charleston at the 2014 Family Circle Cup where she lost to Dominika Cibulková on hard and Eugenie Bouchard on clay, respectively – both in the round of 16 and both in three sets. At the 2014 Internazionali BNL d'Italia, Williams failed to force three sets in a loss for the first time that year, falling 4–6, 2–6 to Carla Suárez Navarro. At the 2014 French Open, Williams was upset by No. 56 Anna Karolína Schmiedlová in three sets. Williams then lost in the third round of the 2014 Wimbledon Championships, 7–5, 6–7, 5–7 to eventual champion Petra Kvitová in a classic and much-praised encounter that saw 34 holds of serve and only two breaks. Williams was the only player to take a set against Kvitová in the tournament.

Williams played her first tournament of the 2014 US Open Series at the 2014 Bank of the West Classic, where she is a two-time former champion. In the second round, she scored her first Top-10 victory of the year and improved her head-to-head record against Victoria Azarenka to 4–0. In the quarterfinals, Williams lost to No. 18 Andrea Petkovic in three sets. At the 2014 Rogers Cup, Williams defeated No. 24 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets, scoring her first victory at that tournament on her fifth attempt. She defeated No. 7 Angelique Kerber in the third round in a three-set thriller described by one of the commentators as "quite simply one of the matches of the 2014 season so far on the WTA". Williams produced yet another upset in three sets against Carla Suárez Navarro to advance to the semifinals, where she defeated younger sister and No. 1 Serena Williams in the pair's 25th meeting. It was her 14th victory over a reigning No. 1 and her first since the 2009 Wimbledon Championships, when she defeated Dinara Safina 6–1, 6–0 in the semifinals. It was also the first time since 2009 that Williams had beaten her younger sister Serena. She lost the championship match 4–6, 2–6 to No. 5 Agnieszka Radwańska. At her final tournament before the 2014 US Open, Williams lost in a tight three-setter to No. 17 Lucie Šafářová in the first round at the 2014 Western & Southern Open. At the US Open Williams made it to the third round for the first time since 2010 and was two points away (multiple times) from moving into the Round of 16 before ultimately going down to 13th-seeded Sara Errani for the first time in four meetings.

Williams's next tournament was at the 2014 Coupe Banque Nationale in Quebec, where she received a wildcard as the No. 1 seed. She advanced to the quarterfinals in straight-set first- and second-round victories and was set to play Czech player, Lucie Hradecká. She defeated Hradecká in a 2-hour, 13-minute match, winning 6–3, 4–6, 7–6(3). In the semifinal, Williams beat fellow countrywomen Shelby Rogers in straight sets to progress to her fourth final of the year, where she lost to a resurgent Mirjana Lučić-Baroni in straight sets. Williams then played at the 2014 Wuhan Open, where she lost in the first round to Caroline Garcia despite having held a match point. Her final tournament of the year was at the 2014 China Open, where she won her first two matches before withdrawing before the third round. Williams ended the year ranked No. 19 in singles, the first finish since 2010 inside the top 20. Williams joined the Bangalore Raptors team in 2014 for the first edition of Champions Tennis League India.

2015: Improvement at the Grand Slams and re-entering the top 10

Williams started off her season at the 2015 ASB Classic, where she won her 46th career singles title by defeating Caroline Wozniacki in three sets in the final. Then, at the Australian Open, Williams made it to the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2010 US Open. She defeated Camila Giorgi in the third round having to recover from 4–6, 2–4 and 0–40 down to reach the second week of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the 2011 Wimbledon Championships and then overturned a three-match losing streak to Agnieszka Radwańska before losing to Madison Keys after being up a break in the deciding set. Williams had her 16-match winning streak at the Dubai Tennis Championships ended by Lucie Šafářová in the third round. Her next tournament was at the Qatar Total Open where she saved a match point in a heated encounter versus Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová in the second round before defeating Agnieszka Radwańska for a second time in 2015 to advance to the semifinals. She ended up losing in three sets to Victoria Azarenka. Williams competed at the Miami Open, where she won against Samantha Stosur in the third round and Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round (scoring her fourth top-10 win of the season and improving her head-to-head record against Wozniacki to a perfect 7–0). In the quarterfinals, she was defeated by Carla Suárez Navarro in three sets.

Williams began her clay court season at the Madrid Open where she lost in the first round to Victoria Azarenka in straight sets. She made it to the third round of the Italian Open before losing to Simona Halep. Williams failed to win her opening match at the 2015 French Open, where she lost in straight sets to American Sloane Stephens. She did not attend her mandatory post-match press conference and was subsequently fined $3000 Williams then played at Wimbledon, winning her first three rounds in straight sets. She then lost to her sister, Serena, in the fourth round in straight sets (4–6, 3–6). Williams then played at the Istanbul Cup where she lost in the first round to qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko.

Williams began her US Open series at the Rogers Cup, where she was a finalist last year. She lost in the first round, 6–0, 6–3 to Sabine Lisicki. Her loss pushed her outside of the top 20. Her next tournament was at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati. She made it to the second round and was set to play Ana Ivanovic, before she withdrew due to a virus. She was seeded 23rd for the US Open and played Monica Puig in the first round. She led 6–4, 5–3 and held three match points, but lost the second set. She won the match 6–4, 6–7(7–9), 6–3. In the second round, she overcame 2 costly double faults in the second set to defeat fellow American Irina Falconi 6–3, 6–7(2–7), 6–2. She defeated 12th seed Belinda Bencic and qualifier Anett Kontaveit in straight sets in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. Williams played her sister, Serena Williams, in the quarterfinals in their 5th meeting at the US Open and their 27th meeting overall. Williams lost the match in three sets (2–6, 6–1, 3–6).

Williams scored her fifth top 10 win of the season by defeating No. 7 Agnieszka Radwańska in the first round of the Wuhan Open. She then beat qualifier Julia Görges in the second round for her 700th career win (becoming only the ninth woman in the Open Era to achieve this feat). She landed another top 10 victory by winning against No. 10 Carla Suárez Navarro in the third round. Williams defeated both Johanna Konta and Roberta Vinci (saving match point) in three sets to move into the championship match where she won her biggest title in more than 5 years when her opponent, No. 8 Garbiñe Muguruza, retired while trailing a set and a double break. The next week Williams lost to Ana Ivanovic in the second round of the China Open. She made it to the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open where she lost in a tight two-setter to eventual champion Jelena Janković.

With her results throughout the season, Williams became an Alternate for the WTA Finals in Singapore. Additionally, she qualified for the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai where she is the number one seed. She defeated Madison Keys in her first round-robin match in three sets, 3–6, 7–6(7–5), 6–1. In her second round-robin match she defeated wildcard Zheng Saisai 4–6, 6–1, 6–1 to advance to the semifinals, where she defeated Roberta Vinci for a fifth consecutive time. Williams captured the first WTA Elite Trophy, her third WTA title of the season and 48th title of her career by defeating Karolína Plíšková, 7–5, 7–6(8–6) in the final. She re-entered the top ten for the first time since 2011 and ended the year at No. 7 in the WTA rankings. Williams was the 10th most popular player of the year according to the WTA's website and received the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award.
2016: Wimbledon semifinal, highest ranking since 2011 and record Olympic medal tally[edit]

Williams began 2016 by playing at the World Tennis Thailand Championship – an exhibition event in Thailand – where she lost to Sara Errani and Angelique Kerber. She then entered the ASB Classic, where she was the No. 1 seed and defending champion, and lost in the first round to 18-year-old Daria Kasatkina. (This was also Williams's first tournament since the 2011 Australian Open as a top-10 player.) At the Australian Open, Williams, seeded 8th, lost to Johanna Konta in the first round. Afterwards, she helped the USA Fed Cup Team to a 4–0 victory over Poland, winning both of her singles matches. Williams's next tournament was at the Taiwan Open, where she was the No. 1 seed. She defeated Misaki Doi in the final, earning her 49th career title.

Williams returned to Indian Wells for the first time in 15 years after boycotting the tournament in 2001, but lost in the second round to Kurumi Nara. The following week, she was knocked out in the second round of the Miami Open by qualifier Elena Vesnina. Both results marked her worst exits at Indian Wells and Miami in her 23-year career. She began the clay-court season with a win over Alison Riske at the Charleston Open, before losing to Yulia Putintseva in the third round in three tight sets. Williams was scheduled to begin her clay-court season at the Madrid Open but withdrew due to a hamstring injury. The following week, she lost in the second round in Rome. Seeded 9th at the French Open, Williams won her first two rounds in straight sets to set up a third-round clash with Alize Cornet, whom she defeated in three sets to reach the fourth round for the first time since 2010. She recorded the 200th loss of her career against 8th-seeded Timea Bacsinszky, who won in straight sets. However, her result pushed her back into the top 10 for the first time since her loss at the Australian Open. She also won her first Grand Slam doubles match with sister Serena Williams since the 2014 US Open.

At the Wimbledon Championships, Williams reached the third round of the championships where she overcame the 29th seed, Daria Kasatkina, in a 2-hour, 42-minute marathon. She defeated 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro in the fourth round, and now leads 4–3 in their head-to-head meetings. Williams advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in six years, where she defeated Yaroslava Shvedova. In her first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2010 US Open and her first Wimbledon semifinal since 2009, she lost to 4th seed Angelique Kerber in straight sets. In the doubles tournament, Venus and Serena Williams advanced to their first Grand Slam Doubles final since 2012. They then won their 14th major title together and sixth at Wimbledon.

Williams began her US Open series at the Stanford Classic, where she was the No. 1 seed. She defeated Magda Linette in the second round and compatriots Catherine Bellis and Alison Riske in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively to reach her eighth final in Stanford. She lost to Johanna Konta, 5–7, 7–5, 2–6. By virtue of her result, Williams ascended to No. 6 in the rankings, her highest position since being diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome in 2011. Williams then entered the Rogers Cup. Having received a bye in the first round, Williams won her second-round match against Barbora Strycova in straight sets. She fell to Madison Keys in the third round in three sets.

Williams failed to medal in her singles and doubles events at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, falling in the first round in both events, marking her worst exits of her Olympic career. She entered the mixed doubles event with Rajeev Ram, defeating the Netherlands in the first round after saving match point. The pair then defeated Italy in the quarterfinals and India in the semifinals to set up a clash with the United States team of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock in the gold medal match. The duo lost to Mattek-Sands and Sock 7–6(7–3), 1–6, [7–10]. By winning a silver medal, Williams became the only female player (besides Kathleen McKane Godfree) to win a medal in all three events (singles, doubles and mixed); her five medals mean she now shares the record for most Olympic medals won in tennis with Godfree.

At the US Open, Williams broke the record for the most Grand Slam appearances, surpassing Amy Frazier's record of 71. This is also the first time that she's been seeded in the top ten at all four Grand Slam tournaments this year, having last achieved this in 2010. She won her first three-round matches respectively against Kateryna Kozlova, Julia Görges and the 26th seed Laura Siegemund. She lost in the fourth round to 10th seed Karolína Plíšková after failing to convert match point.

In September 2016, in response to WADA database leak, Williams confirmed the usage of banned substances classified by WADA as Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), stating: "The applications for TUEs under the Tennis Anti-Doping program require a strict process for approval which I have adhered to when serious medical conditions have occurred".

Williams failed to defend her title in Wuhan, falling in the third round to 9th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. This pushed her outside of the top ten for a second time this year. The following week she was bundled out of the China Open in the first round by No. 223-ranked Peng Shuai. Williams qualified for the WTA Elite Trophy, where she was the defending champion, however she decided not to participate. She finished the year ranked No. 17.

2017: Australian Open, Wimbledon & Tour Championships finalist, return to the top 5

Williams began her 2017 season at the ASB Classic, winning her opening match against local wildcard Jade Lewis before withdrawing due to a right arm pain. Seeded 13th at the Australian Open, Williams defeated Kateryna Kozlova, qualifier Stefanie Vögele, Duan Yingying and qualifier Mona Barthel in the opening four rounds respectively in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals. She defeated 24th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for her 50th win at the Australian Open, the first time Williams won a quarterfinal match in Melbourne since defeating Daniela Hantuchová in 2003. Coming back from a set down in her semifinal match, Williams defeated rising American star Coco Vandeweghe 6–7(3–7), 6–2, 6–3 to advance to her first Grand Slam final since Wimbledon 2009 and her first Australian Open final since 2003. In doing so, she set the Open Era record for the longest span (20 years) between grand slam singles final appearances, having first reached a grand slam singles final at the 1997 US Open. In a closely fought final, she lost 6–4, 6–4 to her younger sister Serena Williams, who made history by winning her 23rd Grand Slam singles title, surpassing the mark set by Steffi Graf. The following week, Williams competed in the St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy, but lost in the second round to eventual champion Kristina Mladenovic. At the Indian Wells Masters, Williams came back from 1–6, 1–4 down and saved three match points in the second round to defeat Jelena Jankovic, tying their head-to-head record at seven-all. This was her first win at Indian Wells since 2001. She defeated Lucie Safarova and qualifier Peng Shuai in the third and fourth rounds respectively, avenging her previous losses to both players. She lost to the eventual champion, Elena Vesnina, in the quarterfinals. The following week, Williams scored her first top-ten win since 2015, against Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round of the Miami Open. She defeated No. 1 Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals, becoming the oldest player to beat a current No. 1. She lost for a third consecutive time to eventual champion Johanna Konta in straight sets in her first semifinal in Miami since 2010. This marked her fourth consecutive loss to eventual champions.

The following week, after receiving a bye, Williams lost to eventual semi-finalist Laura Siegemund in the Volvo Car Open. Having saved match point in the second set, Williams forced two match points in the third set, but Siegemund saved both. After the match, Williams said, "This could be the best match she'll ever play in her life. I basically won the match but still lost." Williams withdrew from the Madrid Open after an injury to her right arm. She made her European clay-court debut at the Italian Open where she defeated Yaroslava Shvedova and Lesia Tsurenko in straight sets. She defeated No. 6 Johanna Konta in the third round, but lost in her first quarterfinal in Rome since 2012 to Garbiñe Muguruza in three sets. During this match, Williams hit a reactionary lob off an attacking forehand that was voted WTA shot of the month. Williams defeated Qiang Wang, Kurumi Nara and Elise Mertens in the first three rounds of the French Open before again losing to Bacsinszky in the fourth round, this time in three sets.

Williams entered Wimbledon as the number 10 seed. She defeated Elise Mertens, Qiang Wang, Naomi Osaka and Ana Konjuh to reach the quarterfinals for the 13th time in her career, where she defeated the 2017 French Open Champion Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets. This was also her 100th career match at Wimbledon. She advanced to her ninth Wimbledon final by defeating Johanna Konta in straight sets in the semifinals. This marked her 87th win at Wimbledon, the third most on the all-time list. This also marked the first season since 2003 that Williams reached two slam finals. Williams lost the final in straight sets to Garbiñe Muguruza. She gained the No. 9 ranking by reaching the final, her second appearance in the top 10 in 2017; she had briefly returned to the top 10 in 2017 by virtue of beating Angelique Kerber in Miami.

Williams began her play in the US Open Series at the Canadian Open. She defeated qualifier Irina-Camelia Begu in three sets and Kateřina Siniaková in straight sets before losing to fifth seed and eventual champion Elina Svitolina in the third round. The next week Williams competed in the Cincinnati Masters tournament. She defeated Alison Riske in the first round before losing to Ashleigh Barty in the second round. Barty was the first person to have defeated Williams and fail to reach at least the semifinals of the event in which they had defeated her in 2017. At the 2017 US Open, Williams defeated Viktória Kužmová, Océane Dodin, and Maria Sakkari to reach the fourth round. Williams reached the second week of all grand slams in a single season for the first time since 2010, and reached the second week of seven consecutive grand slams, the longest streak among WTA players at that time. In the fourth round, Williams beat Carla Suárez Navarro in three sets to reach her twelfth US Open quarterfinal, where she defeated Petra Kvitová in a third set tiebreak during the two-hour, thirty-five minute match. She also guaranteed her return to the top five in the WTA Rankings at the conclusion of the tournament for the first time since January 2011. Williams then lost in three sets to fellow American and eventual champion Sloane Stephens in her first US Open semifinal since 2010.

On September 26, Williams qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time since 2010. In her first tournament after the U.S. Open, Williams defeated Risa Ozaki in the first round of the Hong Kong Open, before falling to Naomi Osaka. At the WTA Finals, Williams was placed in the White Group with Karolína Plíšková, Garbiñe Muguruza and Jelena Ostapenko. After losing her first match to Pliskova in straight sets, Williams defeated Ostapenko in a marathon match lasting almost three and a half hours. She defeated Muguruza in straight sets to progress to the semifinals, avenging her loss to the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final. Williams then defeated Caroline Garcia in three sets to advance to her first final at the year-end championships since 2009, where she finished runner-up to sister Serena Williams. She met Caroline Wozniacki in the final, where she found herself down a set and 0–5. Despite winning the next four games, she lost the match, 4–6, 4–6. She finished the year ranked number 5 and topped the prize money list for this year.

2018–present: Dip in rankings, struggles
2018: 1000th match, struggle with form

Williams began her 2018 season at the Sydney International, where she was the second seed and received a first-round bye. In the second round she lost to German woman Angelique Kerber, who went on to win the tournament. As the fifth seed and defending finalist at the Australian Open, Williams lost in straight sets to Belinda Bencic in the first round, ending her streak of seven consecutive appearances in the second week of the Grand Slams, and as a result dropping considerably in the rankings as well.

Williams competed in the Fed Cup quarter-finals against the Netherlands. She won both her singles matches in straight sets against Arantxa Rus and Richèl Hogenkamp to send the United States into the semifinals. She also played her career 1000th match and earned her 20th Fed Cup singles win.

After receiving a first round bye at the Indian Wells Masters, Williams defeated Sorana Cirstea to set up a match with her sister, Serena, in the third round. She defeated her for the 12th time in her career – her first straight sets victory against her since the 2008 Wimbledon Championships final almost a decade earlier. She then defeated Anastasija Sevastova in the fourth round and Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarterfinals, both in straight sets. She then fell to Daria Kasatkina in a close three set match in the semifinals. The following week at the Miami Open, Williams saved three match points in her third round match against Dutch woman Kiki Bertens. She subsequently knocked out defending champion English woman Johanna Konta in the fourth round, before falling rather unexpectedly to her compatriot and qualifier Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals.

Williams began her clay court season at the Madrid Open where she lost to Anett Kontaveit in the first round. Seeded eighth at the Italian Open, she received a first round bye, before defeating Elena Vesnina in three sets. She lost to Kontaveit again in the third round. Williams also played doubles with compatriot Madison Keys, but the team withdrew after winning their first round match with Keys sustaining an injury. Williams lost to Qiang Wang in the first round of the French Open, marking the first time she has lost in the first round of consecutive Grand Slam events. Williams also reached the third round in doubles with Serena, losing to third seeds Klepac and Martinez Sanchez.

The defending finalist at the Wimbledon, Williams defeated Johanna Larsson and Alexandra Dulgheru in the first and second rounds respectively, before losing to Kiki Bertens in the third round. As a result, she dropped out of the top ten rankings.

Williams began her US Open series at the Silicon Valley Classic after accepting a wildcard, defeating Heather Watson in the second round, before losing in the quarterfinals to eventual finalist Maria Sakkari. She won her opening two rounds at the Rogers Cup before losing 6–2, 6–2 to the then world number one, Romanian woman Simona Halep, hampered by a right knee injury. She withdrew from the Western & Southern Open the following week with the same injury.

At the US Open, Williams defeated 2004 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and Camila Giorgi en route to a third round encounter – and 30th career match overall, with Serena, where she was handed her most-lopsided loss against her in five years. Following the US Open, Venus withdrew from the Wuhan Open and China Open, citing "she was not physically ready to compete".She was scheduled to finish her season at the Luxembourg Open, but pulled out due to a knee injury. She finished the season ranked no. 40, the first time since 2013 she failed to finish the season inside the top 20.

Williams parted ways with her long-time coach David Witt at the end of the 2018 season.

2019: Continued struggles, Out of top 50

Williams began her 2019 season with an exhibition match against Serena at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, which she won 10–8 in the match tiebreak. Williams then played in the ASB Classic in Auckland, where she was seeded sixth. She defeated Victoria Azarenka and Lauren Davis, before losing in the quarterfinals to Bianca Andreescu in three sets. Unseeded at the Australian Open, Williams defeated Mihaela Buzarnescu and French woman Alizé Cornet, both in three sets, to set up a meeting with the topseeded Simona Halep in the third round. Williams lost to Halep 2–6, 3–6.

Ranked 36th and unseeded at the Indian Wells, Williams started with a win over Andrea Petkovic, before coming back from a set and a double break down to beat the third seed Petra Kvitová in the second round. This was Williams's first top five win since the 2017 WTA Finals. She then defeated Christina McHale and Mona Barthel to advance to her third straight Indian Wells quarterfinal, where she lost to the 8th seed and eventual runner-up Angelique Kerber.

Ranked 43rd as she entered the Miami Open, Williams beat Dalila Jakupović, Spanish woman Carla Suarez Navarro and Daria Kasatkina, all in straight sets, before falling again to third ranked Simona Halep in the fourth round.

Williams started her clay court season as a wildcard at the Italian Open. She defeated Belgian woman Elise Mertens in a third set tiebreak (after three hours of play) to set up a second round match with her sister Serena. Due to a left knee injury, however, Serena was forced to withdraw from the match. Williams then fell to eventual runner-up Johanna Konta in the third round in straight sets. She subsequently fell to the ninth seed, Elina Svitolina, in the French Open first round, her second year in a row failing to win a match at the French Open.

For the first time since 2011 and fourth time in her career, Williams played a Wimbledon warmup event after accepting a wildcard into the Nature Valley Classic. She defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first round to set up a meeting with Wang Qiang, which Williams also won to reach the quarterfinals, where she lost to eventual champion and new world number one Australian Ashleigh Barty. However, thanks to this run, Williams returned to the top fifty in the rankings. She also accepted a wildcard to play doubles with Harriet Dart, losing in the first round in a match tiebreak. At Wimbledon, Williams, whilst unseeded, faced compatriot Coco Gauff, a fifteen-year-old qualifier, the youngest qualifier in the history of the event. Gauff stunned Williams in a tight two-set match: 6–4, 6–4. The loss matched 2012 as her earliest Wimbledon exit. Williams also entered the mixed doubles with Frances Tiafoe and they lost in the second round.

Williams fell in the first round of the Silicon Valley Classic and the Rogers Cup to Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Carla Suarez Navarro, respectively. At the Western & Southern Open, Williams ended her four-match losing streak with a straight sets victory over compatriot Lauren Davis before defeating defending champion and fifth seed Kiki Bertens in a third set tiebreak. Williams then came back from a set down against Donna Vekic to advance to her fourth quarterfinal of 2019, where she fell to eventual champion Madison Keys. Williams next played at the US Open where she lost just one game against Zheng Saisai before falling to eventual semi-finalist Elina Svitolina in the second round.

Williams accepted a wild card to play the Wuhan Open, where she lost in the first round to Danielle Collins. Next, Williams defeated Barbora Strycova in the first round of the China Open before losing to Belinda Bencic after having two match points. Williams's season ended with a first round loss to eventual champion Rebecca Peterson at the Tianjin Open.

2020: Dismal results, Three Grand Slam first round exits, One match win, out of top 75

Williams was scheduled to start her 2020 season at the Brisbane International but withdrew before the tournament began. She also had to withdraw from the Adelaide International.

At the Australian Open, Williams was beaten by Coco Gauff in the first round. At the Mexican Open, where she was the fifth seed, Williams was beaten by qualifier Kaja Juvan.

After a four-month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams returned to competition by playing World TeamTennis.

Her first official tournament back was the 2020 Top Seed Open, where she defeated Victoria Azarenka in the first round, then took on sister Serena for the 31st time in the second round, losing to her in a tight three-set match. Williams then fell to Dayana Yastremska in the first round of the Western & Southern Open. Following the tournament, Williams dropped to no. 67 in the WTA 31 August 2020 rankings.

At the 2020 US Open, Williams lost in straight sets against WTA no. 26 Karolina Muchova in the first round.

Williams travelled to 2020 Italian Open (tennis) in Rome the week after the US Open to join the rescheduled clay court swing. In the first round, she drew Azarenka for the second time in five weeks; on this occasion, Williams lost in straight sets, taking their career head-to-head record to 6–2 in Williams's favor. At the 2020 French Open, Williams crashed out in straight-sets to Anna Karolína Schmiedlová. She finished the year with one match win and a 1–8 tour record. Williams's ranking fell to 78 in the world by the end of the season.

2021: Out of the top 100, lowest ranking in 10 years, 90th Grand Slam appearance

Williams started the 2021 season at the Yarra Valley Classic, where she defeated Arantxa Rus in straight sets before losing in straight sets to number four seed Petra Kvitova. She also reached the second round of the 2021 Australian Open. Since then Williams was on a 5-match losing streak and dropped out of the top 100 in May, before the 2021 French Open, to her lowest ranking since 2011. At the French Open, she lost in the first round to 32nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova. She received a wildcard for the main draw of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships but she was later upgraded to the main draw as direct entry due to Naomi Osaka's withdrawal. She won her first round match against Mihaela Buzarnescu. This was Venus Williams's record breaking 90th Grand Slam appearance and also her 90th match win at Wimbledon.

Rivalries
Venus vs. Serena Williams

Williams has played younger sister Serena in 31 professional matches since 1998. Overall, Venus has won 12 of those matches and Serena Williams has won 19. They have met in 15 Grand Slam tournaments, with Venus Williams winning five matches to her sister Serena's ten. They have met in nine Grand Slam tournament finals, with Venus winning twice. Of the six occasions where they met in an earlier round, the victor has gone on to win the championship four times (Venus once, in the 2000 Wimbledon Championships).

Beginning with the 2002 French Open, they played each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, which was the first time in the open era that the same two players had contested four consecutive major finals.

Williams vs. Hingis

Williams and Hingis met 21 times during their careers. The overall head-to-head series is 11–10, in Hingis' favor. Their rivalry is one of the best in women's sports and has been called a "rivalry for the ages". The pair met in the 1997 US Open final during Williams's debut, Hingis won the match in straight sets.

Williams vs. Davenport

Davenport leads the rivalry 14–13 in their 27 professional matches. Williams leads 3–0 in Grand Slam Finals. The most noteworthy match they played was the 2005 Wimbledon championships which broke the record for the longest Wimbledon women's final. Williams won the match and also saved a match point, which makes her only the second woman in the Open Era to save a match point and go on to win a Major final.

Fight for equal prize money

Despite years of protesting by tennis pioneer Billie Jean King and others, in 2005 the French Open and Wimbledon still refused to pay women's and men's players equally through all rounds. In 2005, Williams met with officials from both tournaments, arguing that female tennis players should be paid as much as male tennis players. Although WTA tour President Larry Scott commented that she left "a very meaningful impression", Williams's demands were rejected.

The turning point was an essay published in The Times on the eve of Wimbledon in 2006. In it, Williams accused Wimbledon of being on the "wrong side of history". In response, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and members of Parliament publicly endorsed Williams's arguments. Later that year, the Women's Tennis Association and UNESCO teamed for a campaign to promote gender equality in sports, asking Williams to lead the campaign. Under enormous pressure, Wimbledon announced in February 2007 that it would award equal prize money to all competitors in all rounds, and the French Open followed suit a day later. In the aftermath, the Chicago Sun-Times cited Williams as "the single factor" that "changed the minds of the boys" and a leader whose "willingness to take a public stand separates her not only from most of her female peers, but also from our most celebrated male athletes". Williams herself commented, "Somewhere in the world a little girl is dreaming of holding a giant trophy in her hands and being viewed as an equal to boys who have similar dreams."

Williams herself became the first woman to benefit from the equalization of prize money at Wimbledon, as she won the 2007 tournament and was awarded the same amount as the male winner Roger Federer. Williams's fight for equality was documented in Nine for IX, Venus Vs. It premiered on July 2, 2013.

Other on court activities
1998: Karsten Braasch vs. the Williams sisters

Williams competed in a "Battle of the Sexes", along with her sister Serena Williams, against Karsten Braasch at the 1998 Australian Open, who at the time was ranked 203rd. A decade and a half younger than Braasch, who was described by one journalist as "a man whose training regime centered around a pack of cigarettes and more than a couple bottles of ice cold lager." He nonetheless defeated both sisters, playing a single set against each, beating Serena Williams 6–1 and Venus Williams 6–2. Braasch said afterwards, "500 and above, no chance." He added that he had played like someone ranked 600th in order to keep the game "fun".

Personal life
Williams for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's "National Wear Red Day"

In 2003, at age 31, Yetunde Price, Venus and Serena Williams's older sister, was shot dead in Compton, California, near the courts on which the sisters once practiced. Price was the Williams sisters' personal assistant. The Williams family issued this statement shortly after the death: "We are extremely shocked, saddened and devastated by the shooting death of our beloved Yetunde. She was our nucleus and our rock. She was a personal assistant, confidante, and adviser to her sisters, and her death leaves a void that can never be filled. Our grief is overwhelming, and this is the saddest day of our lives."

On December 13, 2007, Williams received her associate degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.

In 2011, Williams was forced to withdraw from the US Open before her second-round match, following a Sjögren's syndrome diagnosis. After the diagnosis, she adopted a vegan diet, as well as reducing her intake of calories and sugars, which helped get her back to match winning fitness.

In 2015, Williams received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Indiana University East. Starting in 2011, she completed the degree through a reciprocal agreement between the university and the Women's Tennis Association which allows athletes to play tennis professionally while studying online. Her ultimate goal is to get an MBA in the near future.

Williams is a Jehovah's Witness.
Relationships

Williams dated golfer Hank Kuehne, and was a visible presence from the time of Wimbledon 2007 until 2010. In 2012, Williams met Cuban model Elio Pis when he was hired as an underwear model for her clothing line and started dating until 2015. Williams dated publishing heir Nicholas Hammond for two years until 2019.

2017 car accident

On June 9, 2017, Williams was driving in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, when another car collided with her SUV before she cleared the intersection, an accident that killed a 78-year-old man and injured another person in the second vehicle. Police originally said she was "at fault" for the accident, but after reviewing surveillance video, they determined on July 7 that she had not caused it.

On December 21, 2017, authorities determined that the accident occurred after Williams's vehicle was unlawfully cut off by an unidentified driver of a third vehicle, making a left turn in front of Williams. A nearby surveillance camera had recorded Williams lawfully entering the intersection. Authorities determined the accident was caused by the unidentified third driver, not Williams.

Business ventures

Williams is the chief executive officer of her interior design firm V Starr Interiors located in Jupiter, Florida. Her company designed the set of the Tavis Smiley Show on the Public Broadcasting Service, the Olympic athletes' apartments as part of New York City's failed bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, and residences and businesses in the Palm Beach, Florida, area.

In 2001, Williams was named one of the 30 most powerful women in America by the Ladies Home Journal.

In 2007, Williams teamed with retailer Steve & Barry's to launch her own fashion line, EleVen. "I love fashion and the idea that I am using my design education to actually create clothing and footwear that I will wear on and off the tennis court is a dream come true for me. The vision has been to create a collection that will allow women to enjoy an active lifestyle while remaining fashionable at the same time. I'm thrilled with everything we've created to launch EleVen." Williams's line, EleVen, made its debut at the 2012 New York fashion week. It was modeled by athletes as opposed to models, a choice made by Williams herself to feature the sort of people the line was designed for. She flaunts her vibrant outfits each time she steps on the court.

In June 2009, Williams was named 77th in the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities compiled by Forbes magazine.

In August 2009, Venus Williams and her sister Serena Williams became part-owners of the Miami Dolphins. The announcement was made during a press conference overlooking the practice field. This made the sisters the first African-American women to obtain ownership in an NFL franchise. Stephen M. Ross, the majority owner of the Dolphins, said "We are thrilled to have Venus and Serena Williams join the Dolphins as limited partners. They are among the most admired athletes in the world and have become global ambassadors for the game of tennis. Their addition to our ownership group further reflects our commitment to connect with aggressively and embrace the great diversity that makes South Florida a multicultural gem."

In late June 2010, Williams released her first book, Come to Win; on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession, which she co-wrote with Kelly E. Carter. In promotion of the book she embarked on a tour around America in support of the release, whilst also appearing on several talk shows, including The Early Show and Good Morning America. This gave her a place in the Top 5 of The New York Times Best Seller List.

Recognition

In 2005, Tennis Magazine ranked her as the 25th-best player in 40 years.

In June 2011, she was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time.

In March 2012, Tennis Channel aired a television series "100 greatest tennis players of all time", where she was ranked as 22nd. During the programme Williams was complimented by rival Lindsay Davenport, with Davenport saying 'Venus had more power than any other player on tour'.

In 2018, Tennis Magazine ranked her as the 8th-best female tennis player of the Open Era.

In May 2020, the Tennis Channel ranked Williams as the 8th greatest female tennis player of all time.

In September 2020, Newsday, ranked Venus as the 8th greatest female tennis player of all time.

Equipment
Williams sisters with Oracene Price
Coach: Richard Williams, Oracene Price
Racket: Wilson Blade 104
Clothing: EleVen
Shoes: Nike

In 1995, when Williams was 14 years old, she signed an endorsement deal with Reebok and wore the company's apparel and shoes. She used a Wilson Hammer 6.2 Stretch racket.

Career statistics

Grand Slam tournament performance timeline[
KeyW F SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH

(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)

To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

World TeamTennis

Williams has played 14 seasons of World TeamTennis, making her debut in 2000 with the St. Louis Aces, playing a season with the Delaware Smash in 2005, three seasons with the Philadelphia Freedoms from 2006 to 2008, and eight seasons with the Washington Kastles in 2010–2015, 2017–2019. She has five King Trophies, claiming her first with the Freedoms in 2006 and four trophies with the Kastles in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015. She was also named the 2012 WTT Final MVP for her efforts. It was announced she will be joining the Washington Kastles during the 2020 WTT season set to begin July 12 at The Greenbrier.

Records and achievements

These records were attained in Open Era of tennis.
Records in bold indicate peer-less achievements.
Records in italics are currently active streaks.
Championship Years Record accomplished Player tied
1999 French Open – 2016 Wimbledon 1999–2016 First 14 Grand Slam doubles finals won (with Serena Williams) Serena Williams
2002 French Open – 2003 Australian Open 2002–2003 Four consecutive runner-up finishes Stands alone
2002 French Open – 2003 Australian Open 2002–2003 Four consecutive runner-up finishes to the same player (Serena Williams) Stands alone
2003 Australian Open – 2017 Australian Open 2003–2017 14 years between first and last final Chris Evert
2000 Wimbledon – 2017 Wimbledon 2000–2017 17 years between first and last final Serena Williams
Wimbledon 2005 Longest women's singles final Lindsay Davenport
Wimbledon 2007 Lowest-ranked champion (31st) Stands alone
Wimbledon 2007 Lowest-seeded champion (23rd) Stands alone
Wimbledon 2008 Fastest serve by a woman (129 mph) Stands alone
US Open 2007 Fastest serve by a woman (129 mph) Stands alone
Summer Olympics 2000–2012 4 Olympic gold medals Serena Williams
Summer Olympics 2000–2016 5 Olympic finals Stands alone
Summer Olympics 2000–2012 3 doubles Olympic gold medals (with Serena Williams) Serena Williams
Summer Olympics 2000–2016 Most Olympic medals won by a male or female player (5) Kathleen McKane Godfree
Summer Olympics 2000–2016 Has won an Olympic medal in all three events (singles, doubles & mixed) Kathleen McKane Godfree
Summer Olympics 2000–2016 Has won an Olympic medal at four Olympic Games Stands alone
Miami Open 1998–2002 22 consecutive singles matches won at this tournament Steffi Graf
Dubai Tennis Championships 2009–2015 16 consecutive singles matches won at this tournament Stands alone
Dubai Tennis Championships 2010–2014 2 consecutive singles titles without dropping a set Justine Henin
Dubai Tennis Championships 2014 Only unseeded player to have won in singles and as a wildcard Stands alone
Connecticut Open 1999–2002 4 consecutive singles titles Caroline Wozniacki
Connecticut Open 1999–2000 2 consecutive singles titles without dropping a set Stands alone
U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships 1998–2007 Most singles titles won at this tournament (3) Stands alone
Southern California Open 1999–2002 4 consecutive singles finals Tracy Austin
Mexican Open 2009–2010 2 consecutive singles titles Sara Errani
Year-end championships 1998-2008–2015 Won all three title Grand Slam Cup, WTA Finals and WTA Elite Trophy in singles

Awards

See also: WTA Awards

1995
Sports Image Foundation Award for conducting tennis clinics in low-income areas1997
WTA Newcomer of the Year
September's Olympic Committee Female Athlete1998
Tennis Magazine's Most Improved Player2000
WTA Player of the Year
WTA Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
Sports Illustrated for Women's Sportswoman of the Year
Teen Choice Awards – Extraordinary Achievement Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No. 62)
Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year for team sports (with Serena Williams)2001
Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award
EMMA Best Sport Personality Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No. 57)2002
Best Female Athlete ESPY Award
Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No. 60)2003
The President's Award of the 34th NAACP Image Awards
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No. 65)2004
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No. 1)
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No. 77)2005
Glamour Magazine's Women of the Year Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No. 81)
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No. 3)2006
Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award
BET's Best Female Athlete of the Year
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No. 1)
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No. 90)2007
Gitanjali Diamond Award
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No. 3)
Vogue Magazine Top 10 Best Dressed List for 20072008
Whirlpool 6th Sense Player of the Year Award
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No. 3)
Anti-Defamation League Americanism Award
Whirlpool 6th Sense Player of the Year Award
ITF Women's Doubles World Champion (with Serena Williams)
WTA Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
WTA Fan Favorite Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
Doha 21st Century Leaders Awards – Outstanding Leadership
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No. 77)
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No. 2)

2009
WTA doubles team of the year (with Serena Williams)
WTA Fan Favorite Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)2010
Caesars Tennis Classic Achievement Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No. 83)
YWCA GLA Phenomenal Woman of the Year Award
WTA Fan Favorite Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
Forbes 30 Utterly Inspiring Role Models
Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women in the World (No. 60)
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No. 2)
Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Professional Sports2011
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No. 86)
TIME Magazine 30 Legends of Women's Tennis
Forbes Most Powerful Black Women In The U.S. (No. 10)
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No. 2)2012
World TeamTennis Finals Most Valuable Player
WTA Player Service Award
WTA Fan Favorite Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)2013
BET Black Girls Rock! Star Power Award
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No. 3)
WTA Player Service Award2014
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No. 3)
WTA Fan Favorite Dress (2014 Wimbledon)
Tennis Magazine Top 10 Matches of 2014 No. 3 (2014 Wimbledon 3rd Round)
ESPN Tennis Top 10 Women's Matches of 2014 No. 3 (2014 Wimbledon 3rd Round)2015
US Open Sportsmanship Award
WTA February Best Dressed Player
WTA Roland Garros Best Dressed Player
WTA October Best Dressed Player
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No. 3)
Harris Poll Top 10 Greatest Tennis Player (No. 5)
WTA Comeback Player of the Year
WTA Social Fan Favorite – #TBT of the Year2016
Sports Illustrated Fashionable 50 Athletes
Nielsen Most Marketable Athletes in the U.S. (No. 6)2017
ESPN WTA Player of the Year
Nielsen Most Marketable Athletes in the U.S. (No. 2)2019
Sports Illustrated Fashionable 50 Athletes

Filmography
Television

YearTitleRoleNetworkNotes2020 Game On! Self CBS Also executive producer

V. J. Philips

Full Name: Victor John Philips

Born: September 1, 1950, in Chennai (formerly Madras) WikipediaVeethi
Position: Right Outfielder (Right Winger) Wikipediastick2hockey.com
Club: Indian Railways Wikipediastick2hockey.com

Early Journey

Philips began his career playing for his school and local club (Mount Star), before enrolling at Madras Christian College. His breakthrough came during the junior nationals in Jamshedpur, leading to a job with Indian Railways in 1967, and entry into the national camp the following year. stick2hockey.com

Olympics & World Cups

1972 Munich Olympics: Member of the Indian squad that secured a bronze medal. Wikipediathebridge.in

1973 World Cup (Amsterdam): Won silver with the Indian team. thebridge.inhockeyindia.org

1975 World Cup (Kuala Lumpur): Part of the gold-medal-winning squad; Philips delivered a brace of goals against England to launch India’s campaign and emerged as one of the top scorers with seven goals, including critical contributions in the semifinal and final. bharatiyahockey.orgVeethihockeyindia.org

1978 World Cup (Buenos Aires): Served as the team captain. WikipediaKhel Now
Playing Style & Recognition

Known for blistering speed, expert dribbling, and accurate “defense-splitting” crosses—Philips had a signature penalty stroke style, taking a step back before powering through. Mir Ranjan Negi praised him as “one of the best outside rights India ever produced.” WikipediaVeethi

Despite his on-field brilliance, formal recognition was limited. His only government acknowledgment was a ₹1,000 gift from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister post-1975 victory. Later, he worked as a sports officer in Railways and, as of 2000, spent Sundays teaching kids hockey in Chennai. bharatiyahockey.org

Awarded the Arjuna Award (Lifetime Achievement) in 2000. WikipediaVeethi

In 2017, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tamil Nadu Sports Journalists’ Association. dtnext

Legacy & Family Ties

Elder Brother: V. J. Peter (Victor John Peter) — A legendary halfback and three-time Olympian (1960–1968), Peter won silver (1960), gold (1964), and bronze (1968) Olympic medals. Philips followed in his brother’s footsteps, marking them as one of the rare sibling duos to represent India in both Olympics and World Cups. Wikipediathebridge.in

Their duo is particularly unique in Indian hockey history—not only did both brothers compete internationally, but Philips pioneered leadership roles by captaining India at the World Cup, an honor not shared with other sibling pairs. stick2hockey.com

Noteworthy Memories & Anecdotes

In the 1975 World Cup, Philips remembers a tough group stage loss to Argentina that galvanized the team ahead of the knockout rounds. hockeyindia.org

A charming anecdote from the team's hotel before the Pakistan final: Philips gave a thumbs up predicting victory, only for the manager to gesture thumbs down. India won, and the manager threw them a celebratory party declaring, “India has proven they’re one of the best teams in the world.” hockeyindia.org

Philips also reflected on the team's unity, describing how players across faiths (temple, mosque, gurudwara) prayed together before matches: “We had only one thing in our minds... we have to win the World Cup.” thebridge.inhockeyindia.org

Conclusion

AspectDetailRole and Style Right winger known for speed, dribbling, and incisive crosses
Major Achievements 1972 Olympic bronze; 1973 World Cup silver; 1975 World Cup gold; 1978 captain
Recognition Arjuna Award (2000), TNSJA Lifetime Achievement (2017)
Post-Career Work Sports officer with Railways; youth coach; hockey umpire
Family Legacy Younger brother of Olympian V. J. Peter; one of India's most distinguished hockey sibling pairs

V. J. Philips stands out not just for his on-field excellence, but also for his enduring love for hockey and relentless contributions—from inspiring the national team in golden eras to nurturing future generations in Chennai.

Vandana Katariya
Wikipedia

Vandana Katariya
Born 15 April 1992
Roshnabad, Uttar Pradesh
(now Uttarakhand, India)
Height 1.59 m (5 ft 3 in)
Weight 50 kg (110 lb)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current club Railways
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010– India 218 (58)

Women's field hockey
Representing  India
 2017 Gifu Team

Vandana Katariya (born 15 April 1992) is an Indian field hockey player. She plays as a forward in the Indian national team. Vandana rose to prominence in 2013, being India's top goal-scorer in the 2013 Women's Hockey Junior World Cup, where India won a bronze medal; she scored five goals in the tournament, the third by any player.

Kataria has played for the senior national team in more than 200 international matches. She was a part of the Indian team that won a bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games and represented India at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She has cited Argentine Luciana Aymar as her favorite player.

Early life

Katariya was born on 15 April 1992, in Roshnabad - Haridwar, Uttar Pradesh (now in Uttarakhand). Her father Nahar Singh works as a master technician in BHEL, Haridwar. Hailing from Roshnabad in Haridwar district, Vandana is one of the most improved players upfront for India in the last couple of years. The youngster first made her junior international debut in 2006 before going on to make her senior international debut four years later.

Career

Katariya was picked in the Indian junior team in 2006 and she made it to the senior national team in 2010. She was a part of the team that won bronze at the 2013 Junior World Cup in Mönchengladbach, Germany. She was India's top scorer in the tournament, having scored 5 goals in 4 games. In an interview she called the bronze medal her favorite moment, "It has to be when we won the bronze medal at the World Cup in Germany. My father was called by the media and he had tears in his eyes. So, making my father proud is the best moment of my hockey career." She won her 100th cap while playing against Canada in 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. "We clearly missed Vandana during the Hawke's Bay Cup. Her being back in the team strengthens our attack as she is good with speed and skill, to break the defence chain, which at times leaves the opponents on the back foot," said Kataria's 21-year-old teammate Poonam Rani. Katariya was honored with Hockey India's Player of the Year Award in 2014. At the Round 2 of the 2014–15 FIH Hockey World League, she finished with 11 goals top-scorer, with India winning the tournament. "In my book, Vandana is one of the top forwards in world hockey. She is quick, can score goals, can defend and is improving all the time," Indian women’s hockey team’s stop-gap coach Roelant Oltmans said after her performance in Round 2 League. In November 2016, Katariya was retained as the skipper of the Indian women's hockey team for the Test Series against Australia and led the team in Melbourne from 23 to 30 November

After qualifying for 2016 Summer Olympics Katariya said :

Our morale is high. Our performance in Antwerp gave us a lot of confidence. We beat a lot of teams that we'll be facing in Rio.

The Indian team won a silver at the Asian Champion Trophy, 2018, losing to Korea. Vandana Katariya won the player of the tournament award. Katariya played her 200th match in the third of the five-match series in India's tour of Spain in June 2018 ahead of the World Cup. She was named in the 16-member squad for the World Cup.

In the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Vandana became first Indian woman to score an Olympic hat-trick in hockey. Her family was subjected to casteist slurs after India lost to Argentina in the semifinals.  Certain upper-caste men hurled abuses at Katariya's family saying that the team lost the Olympic semifinal as it had too many Dalit players.

Wayne Gretzky
Wikipedia
Wayne Gretzky
Gretzky in 2006
Born January 26, 1961
Brantford, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
National team  Canada
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 1978–1999
Website Official website

Wayne Douglas Gretzky CC (/ˈɡrɛtski/; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One", he has been called the greatest hockey player ever by many sportswriters, players, the NHL itself, and by The Hockey News, based on extensive surveys of hockey writers, ex-players, general managers and coaches. Gretzky is the leading goal scorer, assist producer and point scorer in NHL history, and has more assists in his career than any other player scored total points. He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, Gretzky tallied over 100 points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 All-Star records.

Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, Gretzky honed his skills at a backyard rink and regularly played minor hockey at a level far above his peers. Despite his unimpressive size and strength, Gretzky's intelligence, stamina, and reading of the game were unrivaled. He was adept at dodging checks from opposing players, and consistently anticipated where the puck was going to be and executed the right move at the right time. Gretzky became known for setting up behind his opponent's net, an area that was nicknamed "Gretzky's office".

Gretzky was the top scorer in the 1978 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. In June 1978, he signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA), where he briefly played before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers. When the WHA folded, the Oilers joined the NHL, where he established many scoring records and led his team to four Stanley Cup championships. Gretzky's trade to the Los Angeles Kings on August 9, 1988, had an immediate impact on the team's performance, ultimately leading them to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, and he is credited with popularizing hockey in California. Gretzky played briefly for the St. Louis Blues before finishing his career with the New York Rangers. Gretzky captured nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player, 10 Art Ross Trophies for most points in a season, two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP and five Lester B. Pearson Awards (now called the Ted Lindsay Award) for most outstanding player as judged by his peers. He led the league in goal-scoring five times and assists 16 times. He also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship and performance five times, and often spoke out against fighting in hockey.

After his retirement in 1999, Gretzky was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, making him the most recent player to have the waiting period waived. The NHL retired his jersey number 99 league-wide, making him the only player to receive such an honour. Gretzky was one of six players voted to the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) Centennial All-Star Team. Gretzky became executive director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics, in which the team won a gold medal. In 2000, he became part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, and following the 2004–05 NHL lock-out, he became the team's head coach. In 2004, Gretzky was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. In September 2009, following the Phoenix Coyotes' bankruptcy, Gretzky resigned as head coach and relinquished his ownership share. In October 2016, he became partner and vice-chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group.

Early years

Wayne Douglas Gretzky was born on January 26, 1961 in Brantford, Ontario, the son of Phyllis Leone (Hockin) and Walter Gretzky. The couple married in 1960, and lived in an apartment in Brantford, where Walter worked for Bell Telephone Canada. The family moved into a house on Varadi Avenue in Brantford seven months after Wayne was born, chosen partly because its yard was flat enough to make an ice rink in winter. Wayne was joined by a sister, Kim (born 1963), and brothers Keith, Glen and Brent. The family would regularly visit the farm of Wayne's grandparents, Tony and Mary, and watch Hockey Night in Canada together. By age two, Wayne was trying to score goals against Mary using a souvenir stick. The farm was where Wayne skated on ice for the first time, aged two years, 10 months.
Gretzky's first pair of skates at the Hockey Hall of Fame, worn when he was three years old

Walter taught Wayne, Keith, Brent, Glen and their friends hockey on a rink he made in the back yard of the family home, nicknamed the "Wally Coliseum". Drills included skating around Javex bleach bottles and tin cans, and flipping pucks over scattered hockey sticks to be able to pick up the puck again in full flight. Additionally, Walter gave the advice to "skate where the puck's going, not where it's been". Wayne was a classic prodigy whose extraordinary skills made him the target of jealous parents.

The team Gretzky played on at age six was otherwise composed of 10-year-olds. His first coach, Dick Martin, remarked that he handled the puck better than the 10-year-olds. According to Martin, "Wayne was so good that you could have a boy of your own who was a tremendous hockey player, and he'd get overlooked because of what the Gretzky kid was doing." The sweaters for 10-year-olds were far too large for Gretzky, who coped by tucking the sweater into his pants on the right side. Gretzky continued doing this throughout his NHL career.

By age 10, Gretzky had scored an astonishing 378 goals and 139 assists in just one season with the Brantford Nadrofsky Steelers. His play attracted media attention beyond his hometown of Brantford, including a profile by John Iaboni in the Toronto Telegram in October 1971. In the 1974 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, Gretzky scored 26 points playing for Brantford. By age 13, he had scored over 1,000 goals. His play attracted considerable negative attention from other players' parents, including those of his teammates, and he was often booed. According to Walter, the "capper" was being booed on "Brantford Day" at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens in February 1975.

When Gretzky was 14, his family arranged for him to move to and play hockey in Toronto, partly to further his career, and partly to remove him from the uncomfortable pressure he faced in his hometown. The Gretzkys had to legally challenge the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to win Wayne the right to play in a different area, which was disallowed at the time.The Gretzkys won, and Wayne played Junior B hockey with the Toronto Nationals, in a league that included 20-year-olds. He earned Rookie of the Year honours in the Metro Junior B Hockey League in 1975–76, with 60 points in 28 games. The following year, as a 15–16-year-old, he had 72 points in 32 games with the same team, renamed the Seneca Nationals.

Despite his offensive statistics – scoring 132 points in 60 games in Junior B – two teams bypassed him in the 1977 Ontario Major Junior Hockey League draft of 16-year-olds. The Oshawa Generals picked Tom McCarthy first, and the Niagara Falls Flyers picked Steve Peters second overall. With the third pick, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds selected Gretzky, even though Walter Gretzky had told the team Wayne would not move to Sault Ste. Marie, a northern Ontario city that inflicts a heavy travelling schedule on its junior team. The Gretzkys made an arrangement with a local family they knew and Wayne played for the Greyhounds, at age 16. It was with the Greyhounds that Gretzky first wore the number 99 on his jersey. He originally wanted to wear number 9—for his hockey hero Gordie Howe—but it was already being worn by teammate Brian Gualazzi. At coach Muzz MacPherson's suggestion, Gretzky settled on 99.

World Hockey Association

In 1978, the World Hockey Association (WHA) league was in competition with the established NHL. The NHL did not allow the signing of players under age 20, but the WHA had no rules regarding such signings. Several WHA teams courted Gretzky, notably the Indianapolis Racers and the Birmingham Bulls. Birmingham Bulls owner John F. Bassett wanted to confront the NHL by signing as many young and promising superstars as possible and saw Gretzky as the most promising young prospect. However, it was Racers owner Nelson Skalbania who, on June 12, 1978, signed 17-year-old Gretzky to a seven-year personal services contract worth US$1.75 million. Gretzky scored his first professional goal against Dave Dryden of the Edmonton Oilers in his fifth game, and his second goal four seconds later. Skalbania opted to have Gretzky sign a personal-services contract rather than a standard player contract in part because he knew a deal to take some WHA teams into the NHL was in the works. He also knew that the Racers could not hope to be included among those teams, and hoped to keep the Racers alive long enough to collect compensation from the surviving teams when the WHA dissolved, as well as any funds earned from selling the young star.

Gretzky played only eight games for Indianapolis. The Racers were losing $40,000 per game. Skalbania told Gretzky he would be moved, offering him a choice between the Edmonton Oilers and the Winnipeg Jets. On the advice of his agent, Gretzky picked the Oilers, but the move was not that simple. On November 2, Gretzky, goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll were put on a private plane, not knowing where they would land and what team they would be joining. While in the air, Skalbania worked on the deal. Skalbania offered to play a game of backgammon with Winnipeg owner Michael Gobuty, the stakes being if Gobuty won, he would get Gretzky and if he lost, he had to give Skalbania a share of the Jets. Gobuty turned down the proposal and the players landed in Edmonton. Mio paid the $4,000 bill for the flight with his credit card. Skalbania sold Gretzky, Mio and Driscoll to his former partner, and then-owner of the Edmonton Oilers, Peter Pocklington. Although the announced price was $850,000, Pocklington actually paid $700,000. The money was not enough to keep the Racers alive; they folded that December.

One of the highlights of Gretzky's season was his appearance in the 1979 WHA All-Star Game. The format was a three-game series between the WHA All-Stars and Dynamo Moscow played at Edmonton's Northlands Coliseum. The WHA All-Stars were coached by Jacques Demers, who put Gretzky on a line with his boyhood idol Gordie Howe and Howe's son, Mark. In game one, the line scored seven points, and the WHA All-Stars won by a score of 4–2. In game two, Gretzky and Mark Howe each scored a goal and Gordie Howe picked up an assist as the WHA won 4–2.The line did not score in the final game, but the WHA won by a score of 4–3

On Gretzky's 18th birthday, January 26, 1979, Pocklington signed him to a 10-year personal services contract (the longest in hockey history at the time) worth C$3 million, with options for 10 more years. Gretzky finished third in the league in scoring at 110 points, behind Robbie Ftorek and Réal Cloutier. Gretzky captured the Lou Kaplan Trophy as rookie of the year and helped the Oilers to first place in the league. The Oilers reached the Avco World Trophy finals, where they lost to the Winnipeg Jets in six games. It was Gretzky's only year in the WHA, as the league folded following the season.

NHL career
Edmonton Oilers (1979–1988)

After the World Hockey Association folded in 1979, the Edmonton Oilers and three other teams joined the NHL. Under the merger agreement the Oilers, like the other surviving WHA teams, were to be allowed to protect two goaltenders and two skaters from being reclaimed by the established NHL teams in the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft. The Oilers kept Gretzky on their roster, making him a "priority selection".

Gretzky's success in the WHA carried over into the NHL, despite some critics suggesting he would struggle in what was considered the bigger, tougher and more talented league.
A statue, located outside Rogers Place in Edmonton, of Gretzky hoisting the Stanley Cup, which the Oilers won four times with him. Sculpted by John Weaver.

In his first NHL season, 1979–80, Gretzky was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player (the first of eight in a row) and tied for the scoring lead with Marcel Dionne with 137 points. Although Gretzky played 79 games to Dionne's 80, Dionne was awarded the Art Ross Trophy because he had scored more goals (53 to 51). The season still stands as the highest point total by a first-year player in NHL history. Gretzky became the youngest player to score 50 goals, but was not eligible for the Calder Memorial Trophy, given to the top NHL rookie, because of his previous year of WHA experience. The Calder was instead awarded to Boston Bruins defenceman Ray Bourque.

In his second season, Gretzky won the Art Ross (the first of seven consecutive) with a then-record 164 points, breaking both Bobby Orr's record for assists in a season (102) and Phil Esposito's record for points in a season (152). He won his second straight Hart Trophy. In the first game of the 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs, against the Montreal Canadiens, Gretzky had five assists, a single game playoff record.

During the 1981–82 season, Gretzky surpassed a record that had stood for 35 years: 50 goals in 50 games, first set by Maurice "Rocket" Richard during the 1944–45 NHL season and tied by Mike Bossy during the 1980–81 NHL season. Gretzky accomplished the feat in only 39 games. His 50th goal of the season came on December 30, 1981, in the final seconds of a 7–5 win against the Philadelphia Flyers and was his fifth of the game. Later that season, Gretzky broke Esposito's record for most goals in a season (76) on February 24, 1982, scoring three to help defeat the Buffalo Sabres 6–3. He ended the 1981–82 season with records of 92 goals, 120 assists, and 212 points in 80 games, becoming the only player in NHL history to break the two hundred-point mark. That year, Gretzky became the first hockey player and first Canadian to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. He was also named 1982 "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated. The Canadian Press also named Gretzky Newsmaker of the Year in 1982.

The following seasons saw Gretzky break his own assists record three more times (125 in 1982–83, 135 in 1984–85 and 163 in 1985–86); he also bettered that mark (120 assists) in 1986–87 with 121 and 1990–91 with 122, and his point record one more time (215, in 1985–86). By the time he finished playing in Edmonton, he held or shared 49 NHL records.

The Edmonton Oilers finished first overall in their last WHA regular season. The same success was not immediate when they joined the NHL, but within four seasons, the Oilers were competing for the Stanley Cup. The Oilers were a young, strong team featuring, in addition to Gretzky, future Hall of Famers including forwards Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson and Jari Kurri; defenceman Paul Coffey; and goaltender Grant Fuhr. Gretzky was its captain from 1983 to 1988. In 1983, they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, only to be swept by the three-time defending champion New York Islanders. The following season, the Oilers met the Islanders in the Finals again, this time winning the Stanley Cup, their first of five in seven years.

Gretzky was named an officer of the Order of Canada on June 25, 1984, for outstanding contribution to the sport of hockey. Since the Order ceremonies are always held during the hockey season, it took 13 years and 7 months—and two Governors General—before he could accept the honour. He was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada in 2009 "for his continued contributions to the world of hockey, notably as one of the best players of all time, as well as for his social engagement as a philanthropist, volunteer and role model for countless young people". Five times between 1981–82 and 1986–87, Gretzky led the NHL in goals scored. The Oilers also won the Stanley Cup with Gretzky in 1985, 1987 and 1988.

When the Oilers joined the NHL, Gretzky continued to play under his personal services contract with Oilers owner Peter Pocklington. This arrangement came under increased scrutiny by the mid-1980s, especially following reports that Pocklington had used the contract as collateral to help secure a $31 million loan with the Alberta government-owned Alberta Treasury Branches.Amid growing concern around the NHL that a financial institution might be able to lay claim to Gretzky's rights in the event the heavily leveraged Pocklington were to declare bankruptcy, as well as growing dissatisfaction on the part of Gretzky and his advisers, in 1987, Gretzky and Pocklington agreed to replace the personal services contract with a standard NHL contract.

The Gretzky rule

In June 1985, as part of a package of five rule changes to be implemented for the 1985–86 season, the NHL Board of Governors decided to introduce offsetting penalties, where neither team lost a man when coincidental penalties were called. The effect of calling offsetting penalties was felt immediately in the NHL, because during the early 1980s, when the Gretzky-era Oilers entered a four-on-four or three-on-three situation with an opponent, they frequently used the space on the ice to score one or more goals. Gretzky held a press conference one day after being awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy, criticizing the NHL for punishing teams and players who previously benefited. The rule change became known as "the Gretzky rule." The rule was reversed for the 1992–93 season.

Strategy and effect on NHL play

Gretzky had a major influence on the style of play of the Edmonton Oilers and in the NHL as a whole, helping to inspire a more team-based strategy. Using this approach, the Oilers, led by Gretzky, became the highest-scoring team in NHL history.

"He was, I think, the first Canadian forward to play a true team game", said hockey writer and former NHL goaltender Ken Dryden. The focus of the game prior to Gretzky's arrival, he said, especially among the Canadian teams, was on the player with the puck—in getting the puck to a star player who would make the big play. "Gretzky reversed that. He knew he wasn't big enough, strong enough, or even fast enough to do what he wanted to do if others focused on him. Like a magician, he had to direct attention elsewhere, to his four teammates on the ice with him, to create the momentary distraction in order to move unnoticed into the open ice where size and strength didn't matter. . . . Gretzky made his opponents compete with five players, not one, and he made his teammates full partners to the game. He made them skate to his level and pass and finish up to his level or they would be embarrassed."

Between 1982 and 1985, the Edmonton Oilers averaged 423 goals a season, when no previous team had scored 400, and Gretzky on his own had averaged 207 points, when no player before had scored more than 152 in one year. Dryden wrote in his book The Game, "In the past, defenders and teams had learned to devise strategies to stop opponents with the puck. To stop them without it, that was interference. But now, if players without the puck skated just as hard as those with it, but faster, and dodged and darted to open ice just as determinedly, but more effectively, how did you shut them down?"

In this, Gretzky added his considerable influence as the preeminent NHL star of his day to that of the Soviets, who had also developed a more team-style of play, and had successfully used it against the best NHL teams, beginning in the 1972 Summit Series. "The Soviets and Gretzky changed the NHL game", says Dryden. "Gretzky, the kid from Brantford with the Belarusian name, was the acceptable face of Soviet hockey. No Canadian kid wanted to play like Makarov or Larionov. They all wanted to play like Gretzky."

At the same time, Gretzky recognized the contributions of their coach in the success of the Oilers: "Under the guidance of Glen Sather, our Oiler teams became adept at generating speed, developing finesse, and learning a transition game with strong European influences."

Gretzky explains his style of play further:

People think that to be a good player you have to pick the puck up, deke around ninety-three guys and take this ungodly slap shot. No. Let the puck do all the moving and you get yourself in the right place. I don't care if you're Carl Lewis, you can't outskate that little black thing. Just move the puck: give it up, get it back, give it up. It's like Larry Bird. The hardest work he does is getting open. The jumpshot is cake. That's all hockey is: open ice. That's my whole strategy: Find Open Ice. Chicago coach Mike Keenan said it best: "There's a spot on the ice that's no-man's land, and all the good goal scorers find it." It's a piece of frozen real estate that's just in between the defense and the forward

"The Trade"

Two hours after the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1988, Gretzky learned from his father that the Oilers were planning to deal him to another team. Walter Gretzky had known for months after having been tipped off by Skalbania, but kept the news from Wayne so as not to upset him. According to Walter, Wayne was being "shopped" to Los Angeles, Detroit, and Vancouver, and Pocklington needed money as his other business ventures were not doing well. At first, Gretzky did not want to leave Edmonton, but he later received a call while on his honeymoon from Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall, who asked permission to meet and discuss the deal. Gretzky informed McNall that his prerequisites for a deal to take place were that Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski join him as teammates in Los Angeles. Both McNall and Pocklington quickly agreed. After the details of the trade were finalized by the two owners, one final condition had to be met: Gretzky had to call Pocklington and request a trade. When Pocklington told Oilers general manager and head coach Sather about his plans to trade Gretzky to Los Angeles, Sather tried to stop the deal, but when he found out that Gretzky had been involved in the negotiations, he changed his attitude and requested Luc Robitaille in exchange. The Kings refused, instead offering Jimmy Carson.

On August 9, 1988, in a move that heralded significant change in the NHL, the Oilers traded Gretzky (along with McSorley and Krushelnyski) to the Kings for Carson, Martin Gélinas, $15 million in cash, and the Kings' first-round draft picks in 1989 (later traded to the New Jersey Devils, who used it to select Jason Miller), 1991, (used to select Martin Ručínský), and 1993, (used to select Nick Stajduhar). "The Trade", as it came to be known, upset Canadians to the extent that New Democratic Party House Leader Nelson Riis demanded the government block it, and Pocklington was burned in effigy outside Northlands Coliseum. Gretzky himself was considered a "traitor" by some Canadians for turning his back on his adopted hometown and his home country. His motivation was widely rumoured to be the furtherance of his wife's acting career.

In Gretzky's first appearance in Edmonton after the trade, a game nationally televised in Canada, he received a four-minute standing ovation. The arena was sold out, and the attendance of 17,503 was the Oilers' biggest crowd ever to that date. Large cheers erupted for his first shift, his first touch of the puck, his two assists, and Mark Messier's body check of Gretzky into the boards. After the game, Gretzky took the opportunity to confirm his patriotism: "I'm still proud to be a Canadian. I didn't desert my country. I moved because I was traded and that's where my job is. But I'm Canadian to the core. I hope Canadians understand that." After the 1988–89 season, a life-sized bronze statue of Gretzky was erected outside Northlands Coliseum, holding the Stanley Cup over his head.

Los Angeles Kings (1988–1996)
Statue of Gretzky outside the Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Kings. Gretzky played with the Kings from 1988 to 1996.

The Kings named Gretzky their alternate captain. He made an immediate impact on the ice, scoring on his first shot on goal in the first regular season game. The Kings got off to their best start ever, winning four straight en route to qualifying for the playoffs. For only the second time in his NHL career, Gretzky finished second in scoring, but narrowly edged the Pittsburgh Penguins' Mario Lemieux (who scored 199 points) for the Hart Trophy as MVP.

Despite being underdogs against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers in the Smythe Division semifinals, Gretzky led the Kings to a shocking upset of his old squad, spearheading the Kings' return from a 3–1 series deficit to win the series 4–3. He was nervous Edmonton would greet him with boos, but they were eagerly waiting for him. However, the Kings were then swept by the Calgary Flames who would go on to win their first Stanley Cup.

In 1990, the Associated Press named Gretzky Male Athlete of the Decade. For the second year in a row, the Kings eliminated the defending champions in the first round when they defeated the Flames in six games, but also for the second year in a row their season ended in a second round sweep, this time at the hands of Gretzky's former team. The Oilers would go on to win their fifth Cup (and first without Gretzky). In his post-championship interview, Messier (who had replaced Gretzky as Edmonton's captain following the trade) paid tribute to his former teammate by dedicating the Oilers' Cup win to him.

Gretzky's first season in Los Angeles saw a marked increase in attendance and fan interest in a city not previously known for following hockey. The Kings now boasted of numerous sellouts. Many credit Gretzky's arrival with putting non-traditional American hockey markets on "the NHL map"; not only did California receive two more NHL franchises (the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and San Jose Sharks) during Gretzky's tenure in Los Angeles, but his popularity in Southern California proved to be an impetus in the league establishing teams in other parts of the U.S. Sun Belt.[

Gretzky was sidelined for much of the 1992–93 regular season with a back injury, and his 65-point output ended a record 13-year streak in which he recorded at least 100 points each season. However, he performed well in the playoffs, notably when he scored a hat trick in game seven of the Campbell Conference Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This victory propelled the Kings into the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, where they faced the Montreal Canadiens. After winning the first game of the series by a score of 4–1, the team lost the next three games in overtime, and then fell 4–1 in the deciding fifth game where Gretzky failed to get a shot on net.

The next season, Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's career goal-scoring record of 801, and won the scoring title, but the team began a long slide, and despite numerous player and coaching moves, they failed to qualify for the playoffs again until 1998. After the financially troubled McNall was forced to sell the Kings in 1994, Gretzky's relationship with the Kings' new owners grew strained. Under both McNall and the new ownership group, the team was fiscally unstable, to the point that paychecks to players bounced. Finally, in early 1996, Gretzky requested a trade. During the 1994–95 NHL lock-out, Gretzky and some friends (including Mark Messier, Marty McSorley, Brett Hull and Steve Yzerman) formed the Ninety Nine All Stars Tour and played eight exhibition games in various countries.

St. Louis Blues (1996)

On February 27, 1996, Gretzky joined the St. Louis Blues in a trade for Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, Craig Johnson and two draft picks (Peter Hogan and Matt Zultek). He partially orchestrated the trade after reports surfaced that he was unhappy in Los Angeles. At the time of the trade, the Blues and New York Rangers emerged as front-runners, but the Blues met his salary demands. Gretzky was immediately named the team's captain. He scored 37 points in 31 games for the team in the regular season and the playoffs, and the Blues came within one game of the Conference Finals.

However, the chemistry everyone expected with winger Brett Hull never developed. Gretzky was also forced to endure public criticism from his head coach for the first time in his career. Long prior to either him or Gretzky joining the Blues, Mike Keenan (nicknamed "Iron Mike" due to his reputation as one of the harshest disciplinarians of his era) had refused to moderate his coaching style even while coaching Gretzky while with Team Canada during international tournaments. Gretzky's professional relationship with Keenan was thus never particularly warm, and the coach's public rebukes effectively ended any realistic prospect of Gretzky remaining in St. Louis once he became a free agent. Gretzky rejected a three-year deal worth $15 million with the Blues, and on July 21, signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent, rejoining longtime Oilers teammate Mark Messier for a two-year, $8 million (plus incentives) contract.

New York Rangers (1996–1999)
Gretzky with the New York Rangers in 1997

Gretzky ended his professional playing career with the New York Rangers, where he played his final three seasons and helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997. The Rangers were defeated in the Conference Finals in five games by the Philadelphia Flyers, despite Gretzky leading the Rangers in the playoffs with 10 goals and 10 assists. For the first time in his NHL career, Gretzky was not named captain, although he briefly wore the captain's "C" in 1998 when captain Brian Leetch was injured and out of the line-up. After the 1996–97 season, Mark Messier signed a free agent contract with the Vancouver Canucks, ending the brief reunion of Messier and Gretzky after just one season. The 1997 playoff run would be Gretzky's last as a player, and Rangers did not return to the playoffs until 2006, well after Gretzky retired. Along with Jaromir Jagr, he topped the NHL in 1997–98 with 67 assists. It was the 16th time in 19 seasons that Gretzky earned at least a share of the league lead in the statistic.

In 1997, prior to his retirement, The Hockey News named a committee of 50 hockey experts (former NHL players, past and present writers, broadcasters, coaches and hockey executives) to select and rank the 50 greatest players in NHL history. The experts voted Gretzky number one. Gretzky said he would have voted Bobby Orr or Gordie Howe as the best of all time.

The 1998–99 season was his last as a professional player. He reached one milestone in this last season, breaking the professional total (regular season and playoffs) goal-scoring record of 1,071, which had been held by Gordie Howe. Gretzky was having difficulty scoring this season and finished with only nine goals, contributing to this being the only season in which he failed to average at least a point per game, but his last goal brought his scoring total for his combined NHL/WHA career to 1,072, one more than Howe. As the season wound down, there was media speculation that Gretzky would retire, but he refused to announce his retirement. His last NHL game in Canada was on April 15, 1999, a 2–2 tie with the Ottawa Senators and the Rangers' second-to-last game of the season. Following the contest, in a departure from the usual three stars announcement, Gretzky was awarded all three stars. Upon returning to New York, Gretzky announced he would retire after the Rangers' last game of the season.

The final game of Gretzky's career was a 2–1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 18, 1999, in Madison Square Garden. Although the game involved two American teams, both national anthems were played, with the lyrics slightly adjusted to accommodate Gretzky's departure. In place of the lyrics "O Canada, we stand on guard for thee", Bryan Adams ad-libbed, "We're going to miss you, Wayne Gretzky". "The Star-Spangled Banner", as sung by John Amirante, was altered to include the words "in the land of Wayne Gretzky". Gretzky ended his career with a final point, assisting on the lone New York goal scored by Brian Leetch. At the time of his retirement, Gretzky was the second-to-last WHA player still active in professional hockey. Mark Messier, who attended the game along with other representatives of the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty, was the last.

Gretzky told journalist Scott Morrison that the final game of his career was his greatest day. He recounted:


My last game in New York was my greatest day in hockey...Everything you enjoy about the sport of hockey as a kid, driving to practice with mom [Phyllis] and dad [Walter], driving to the game with mom and dad, looking in the stands and seeing your mom and dad and your friends, that all came together in that last game in New York.

International play

Medal record

Representing  Canada





Gretzky made his first international appearance as a member of the Canadian national junior team at the 1978 World Junior Championships in Montreal, Quebec. The Canadian coach, Punch McLean, was originally sceptical of Gretzky's ability as he was the youngest player to compete in the tournament at the age of 16. He went on to lead the tournament in scoring with 17 points to earn All-Star Team and Best Forward honours. His 17 points remain the most scored by a 16-year-old in the World Junior Championships. Canada finished with the bronze medal.

Gretzky debuted with the Team Canada's men's team at the 1981 Canada Cup. He led the tournament in scoring with 12 points en route to a second-place finish to the Soviet Union losing 8–1 in the final. Seven months later, Gretzky joined Team Canada for the 1982 World Championships in Finland. He notched 14 points in 10 games, including a two-goal, two-assist effort in Canada's final game against Sweden to earn the bronze. Gretzky did not win his first international competition until the 1984 Canada Cup, when Canada defeated Sweden in a best-of-three finals. He led the tournament in scoring for the second consecutive time and was named to the All-Star Team.

Gretzky's international career highlight arguably came three years later at the 1987 Canada Cup. Gretzky has called the tournament the best hockey he had played in his life.Playing on a line with Pittsburgh Penguins' superstar Mario Lemieux, he recorded a tournament-best 21 points in nine games. After losing the first game of a best-of-three final series against the Soviets, Gretzky propelled Canada with a five-assist performance in the second game, including the game-winning pass to Lemieux in overtime, to extend the tournament. In the deciding game three, Gretzky and Lemieux once again combined for the game-winner. With the score tied 5–5 and 1:26 minutes to go in regulation, Lemieux one-timed a pass from Gretzky on a 3-on-1 with defenceman Larry Murphy. Lemieux scored to win the tournament for Canada; the play is widely regarded as one of the most memorable plays in Canadian international competition.

The 1991 Canada Cup marked the last time the tournament was played under the "Canada Cup" moniker. Gretzky led the tournament for the fourth and final time with 12 points in seven games. He did not, however, compete in the final against the United States due to a back injury. Canada nevertheless won in two games by scores of 4–1 and 4–2. Five years later, the tournament was revived and renamed the World Cup in 1996. It marked the first time Gretzky did not finish as the tournament's leading scorer with seven points in eight games for fourth overall.
Team Canada sweater worn by Gretzky during the 1998 Winter Olympics

Leading up to the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, it was announced that NHL players would be eligible to play for the first time. Gretzky was named to the club on November 29, 1997. However, Gretzky was passed over for the captaincy, along with several other Canadian veterans including Steve Yzerman and Ray Bourque in favour of the younger Eric Lindros. Expectations were high for the Canadian team, but the team lost to the Czech Republic in the semi-finals. The game went to a shootout with a 1–1 tie after overtime, but Gretzky was controversially not selected by coach Marc Crawford as one of the five shooters, all of whom failed to score Team Canada then lost the bronze medal game 3–2 to Finland to finish without a medal. The Olympics marked Gretzky's eighth and final international appearance, finishing with four assists in six games. He retired from international play holding the records for most goals (20), most assists (28), and most overall points (48) in best-on-best hockey.

Skills and influences
Style of play
Gretzky in 1997

Gretzky's size and strength were unimpressive—in fact, far below average for the NHL—but he is widely considered the smartest player in the history of the game. His reading of the game and his ability to improvise on the fly were unrivaled, and he could consistently anticipate where the puck was going to be and execute the right move at the right time. His coach at the Edmonton Oilers, Glen Sather, said, "He was so much more intelligent. While they were using all this energy trying to rattle his teeth, he was just skating away, circling, analyzing things."

He was also considered one of the most creative players in hockey. "You never knew what he was going to do", said hockey Hall of Famer Igor Larionov. "He was improvising all the time. Every time he took the ice, there was some spontaneous decision he would make. That's what made him such a phenomenal player." Gretzky's ability to improvise came into the spotlight at the 1998 Olympics in Japan. Then an older player in the sunset of his career, he had been passed over for the captaincy of the team. But as the series continued, his unique skills made him a team leader.


The Canadians had trouble with the big ice. They had trouble with the European patterns and the lateral play and the endless, inventive cycling. … Slowly, as game after game went by and the concern continued to rise, Wayne Gretzky began climbing through the line-up. He, almost alone among the Canadians, seemed to take to the larger ice surface as if it offered more opportunity instead of obligation…. His playing time soared, as he was being sent on not just for power plays but double shifts and even penalty kills. By the final round … it was Wayne Gretzky who assumed the leadership both on and off the ice.

He passed and shot with prodigious skill. Hall of Fame defenceman Bobby Orr said of Gretzky, "He passes better than anybody I've ever seen." In his first two seasons in the NHL, his deft passing skills helped earn him a reputation as an ace playmaker, and so opposing defencemen focused their efforts on foiling his attempts to pass the puck to other scorers. In response, Gretzky started shooting on goal himself—and with exceptional effectiveness He had a fast and accurate shot. "Wayne Gretzky was one of the most accurate scorers in NHL history", said one biography. Statistics support the contention: whereas Phil Esposito, who had set the previous goal-scoring record, needed 550 shots to score 76 goals, Gretzky netted his 76th after only 287 shots—about half as many. He scored his all-time record of 92 goals with just 369 shots. Because he was so light compared to other players, goalies were often surprised by how hard Gretzky's shot was. Goalies called his shots "sneaky fast." He also had a way of never shooting the puck with the same rhythm twice, making his shots harder to time and block.

Size and strength

When he entered the league in 1979, critics opined that Gretzky was "too small, too wiry, and too slow to be a force in the [NHL]." His weight was 160 pounds (73 kg), compared to the NHL average of 189 pounds (86 kg) at that time. But that year, Gretzky tied for first place in scoring, and won the Hart Trophy for the league's most valuable player. In his second year in the league, weighing just 165 pounds, he broke the previous single-season scoring record, racking up 164 points. The next year (1981–82), at 170 pounds—still "a wisp compared to the average NHL player"—he set the all-time goal-scoring record, putting 92 pucks in the net. He weighed "about 170 pounds" for the better part of his career. He consistently scored last in strength tests among the Edmonton Oilers, bench pressing only 140 pounds (64 kg).

Stamina and athleticism

Despite his lack of strength, Gretzky had remarkable physical stamina. Like his hero, Gordie Howe, Gretzky possessed "an exceptional capacity to renew his energy resources quickly." In 1980, when an exercise physiologist tested the recuperative abilities of all of the Edmonton Oilers, Gretzky scored so high that the tester said he "thought the machine had broken." His stamina is also indicated by the fact that Gretzky often scored late in the game. In the year he scored his record 92 goals, 22 of them went in the net during the first period, 30 in the second—and 40 in the third.

He also had strong general athletic skills. Growing up, he was a competitive runner and also batted .492 for the Junior Intercounty Baseball League's Brantford CKCP Braves in the summer of 1980. As a result, he was offered a contract by the Toronto Blue Jays. History repeated itself in June 2011, when Gretzky's 17-year-old son, Trevor, was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. Trevor signed with the Cubs the next month. Gretzky also excelled at box lacrosse, which he played during the summer. At age ten, after scoring 196 goals in his hockey league, he scored 158 goals in lacrosse.

According to him, lacrosse was where he learned to protect himself from hard checks: "In those days you could be hit from behind in lacrosse, as well as cross-checked, so you had to learn how to roll body checks for self-protection." Gretzky adroitly applied this technique as a professional player, avoiding checks with such skill that a rumour circulated that there was an unwritten rule not to hit him. Defencemen found Gretzky a most elusive target. Fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Potvin compared attempting to hit Gretzky to "wrapping your arms around fog. You saw him but when you reached out to grab him your hands felt nothing, maybe just a chill." The 205-pound (93 kg) Potvin, a three-time winner of the Norris Trophy for best defenceman, added that part of the problem in hitting Gretzky hard was that he was "a tough guy to dislike... what was there to hate about Gretzky? It was like running Gandhi into a corner."

He received a good deal of cover from burly Oiler enforcers Dave Semenko and Marty McSorley. The latter was traded with Gretzky in 1988 to the Los Angeles Kings, where he played the same policeman role for several more years. But Gretzky discouraged unfair hits in another way. "If a guy ran him, Wayne would embarrass that guy", said former Oiler Lee Fogolin. "He'd score six or seven points on him. I saw him do it night after night."

Commentators have noted Gretzky's uncanny ability to judge the position of the other players on the ice—so much so that many suspected he enjoyed some kind of extrasensory perception. Sports commentators said that he played like he had "eyes in the back of his head." Gretzky said he sensed other players more than he actually saw them. "I get a feeling about where a teammate is going to be", he said. "A lot of times, I can turn and pass without even looking."

Veteran Canadian journalist Peter Gzowski says that Gretzky seemed to be able to, in effect, slow down time.  "There is an unhurried grace to everything Gretzky does on the ice. Winding up for the slapshot, he will stop for an almost imperceptible moment at the top of his arc, like a golfer with a rhythmic swing." "Gretzky uses this room to insert an extra beat into his actions. In front of the net, eyeball to eyeball with the goaltender … he will … hold the puck one … extra instant, upsetting the anticipated rhythm of the game, extending the moment. … He distorts time, and not only by slowing it down. Sometimes he will release the puck before he appears to be ready, threading the pass through a maze of players precisely to the blade of a teammate's stick, or finding a chink in a goaltender's armour and slipping the puck into it … before the goaltender is ready to react."

Major coaching influences

However, Gretzky denied that he had any exotic innate abilities. He said that many of his advantages were a result of his father's brilliant coaching.

Some say I have a "sixth sense" … Baloney. I've just learned to guess what's going to happen next. It's anticipation. It's not God-given, it's Wally-given. He used to stand on the blue line and say to me, "Watch, this is how everybody else does it." Then he'd shoot a puck along the boards and into the corner and then go chasing after it. Then he'd come back and say, "Now, this is how the smart player does it." He'd shoot it into the corner again, only this time he cut across to the other side and picked it up over there. Who says anticipation can't be taught?

Gretzky learned much about hockey from his father on a backyard rink at his home. Walter Gretzky had been an outstanding Junior B hockey player. He cultivated a love of hockey in his sons and provided them with a backyard rink and drills to enhance their skills. On the backyard rink, nicknamed the "Wally Coliseum", winter was total hockey immersion with Walter as mentor-teacher as well as teammate. Walter's drills were his own invention, and were ahead of their time in Canada. Gretzky would later remark that the Soviet National Team's practice drills, which impressed Canada in 1972, had nothing new to offer him: "I'd been doing these drills since I was three. My Dad was very smart."

In his autobiography, Gretzky describes how at practices his father would drill him on the fundamentals of smart hockey:


Him: "Where's the last place a guy looks before he passes it?"
Me: "The guy he's passing to."
Him: "Which means..."
Me: "Get over there and intercept it."
Him: "Where do you skate?"
Me: "To where the puck is going, not where it's been."
Him: "If you get cut off, what are you gonna do?"
Me: "Peel."
Him: "Which way?"
Me: "Away from the guy, not towards him."

Gretzky also salutes his coach at the Edmonton Oilers, Glen ("Slats") Sather, as an important influence in his development as a hockey player. Gretzky played for 10 years with the Oilers, with Sather as coach. "It's as if my father raised me until age 17, then turned me over to Slats and said, 'You take him from here.'"

Early start

Where Gretzky differed from others in his development was in the extraordinary commitment of time on the ice. "From the age of 3 to the age of 12, I could easily be out there for eight to 10 hours a day", Gretzky has said. In his autobiography, he wrote:

All I wanted to do in the winters was be on the ice. I'd get up in the morning, skate from 7:00 to 8:30, go to school, come home at 3:30, stay on the ice until my mom insisted I come in for dinner, eat in my skates, then go back out until 9:00.

When asked how he managed, at age ten, to score 378 goals in a single season, Gretzky explained,

See, kids usually don't start playing hockey until they're six or seven. Ice isn't grass. It's a whole new surface and everybody starts from ground zero. … By the time I was ten, I had eight years on skates instead of four, and a few seasons' worth of ice time against ten-year-olds. So I had a long head start on everyone else.

Study of game

Much has been written about Gretzky's highly developed hockey instincts, but he once explained that what appeared to be instinct was, in large part, the effect of his relentless study and practice of the game, in co-operation with his coaches. As a result, he developed a deep understanding of its shifting patterns and dynamics. Peter Gzowski says that the best of the best athletes in all sports understand the game so well, and in such detail, that they can instantly recognize and capitalize upon emerging patterns of play. Analyzing Gretzky's hockey skills, he says, "What we take to be creative genius is in fact a reaction to a situation that he has stored in his brain as deeply and firmly as his own phone number." Gzowski presented this theory to Gretzky, and he fully agreed. "Absolutely", Gretzky said. "That's a hundred percent right. It's all practice. I got it from my Dad. Nine out of ten people think it's instinct, and it isn't. Nobody would ever say a doctor had learned his profession by instinct; yet in my own way I've put in almost as much time studying hockey as a medical student puts in studying medicine."

Post-retirement

Gretzky was named honorary chairman of the Open Ice Summit, held in August 1999 to discuss ways to improve Canadian ice hockey. He stressed the need to play and practice hockey for the love of the game, and felt that skill was more important to develop than talent and that Canada had the potential to be world leaders in skill development.

Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 22, 1999, becoming the tenth player to bypass the three-year waiting period. The Hall of Fame then announced that he would be the last player to do so. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000 In addition, Gretzky's jersey number 99 was retired league-wide at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game, a decision inspired by Major League Baseball's retirement of the number 42 worn by Jackie Robinson. In October 1999, Edmonton honoured Gretzky by renaming one of Edmonton's busiest freeways, Capilano Drive – which passes by Northlands Coliseum – to Wayne Gretzky Drive. Also in Edmonton, the local transit authority assigned a rush-hour bus route numbered No. 99 which also runs on Wayne Gretzky Drive for its commute.
Gretzky's star on Canada's Walk of Fame. He received the honour in 2002.

In 2002, the Kings held a jersey retirement ceremony and erected a life-sized statue of Gretzky outside the Staples Center; the ceremony was delayed until then so that Bruce McNall, who had recently finished a prison sentence, could attend. Also in 2002, Gretzky received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. His hometown of Brantford, Ontario, renamed Park Road North to "Wayne Gretzky Parkway" as well as renaming the North Park Recreation Centre to The Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre. Brantford further inducted Gretzky into its "Walk of Fame" in 2004. On May 10, 2010, he was awarded The Ambassador Award of Excellence by the LA Sports & Entertainment Commission. Gretzky was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017.

Phoenix Coyotes

Almost immediately after retirement, several NHL teams approached him about an ownership role. In May 2000, he agreed to buy a 10% stake in the Phoenix Coyotes in a partnership with majority owner Steve Ellman, taking on the roles of alternate governor, managing partner and head of hockey operations. The Coyotes were in the process of being sold and Ellman convinced Gretzky to come on board, averting a potential move to Portland, Oregon.The sale was not completed until the following year, on February 15, 2001, after two missed deadlines while securing financing and partners before Ellman and Gretzky could take over. Trucking magnate and Arizona Diamondbacks part-owner Jerry Moyes was added to the partnership. Gretzky convinced his long-time agent Michael Barnett to join the team as its General Manager.

In 2005, rumours began circulating that Gretzky was about to name himself head coach of the Coyotes, but were denied by Gretzky and the team. Ultimately, Gretzky agreed to become head coach on August 8, 2005. Gretzky made his coaching debut on October 5, and won his first game on October 8 against the Minnesota Wild. He took an indefinite leave of absence on December 17 to be with his ill mother. Phyllis Gretzky died of lung cancer on December 19. Gretzky resumed his head-coaching duties on December 28 The Coyotes' record at the end of the 2005–06 season was 38–39–5, a 16-win improvement over 2003–04; they were 36–36–5 in games Gretzky coached.

In 2006, Moyes became majority owner of the team. There was uncertainty about Gretzky's role until it was announced on May 31, 2006 that he had agreed to a five-year contract to remain head coach. The Coyotes' performance declined in 2006–07, as the team ended the season 15th in their conference. During Gretzky's coaching tenure, the Coyotes did not reach the postseason, and their best finish in the Western Conference standings was 12th.

On May 5, 2009, the Coyotes' holding company, Dewey Ranch Hockey LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. An ownership dispute involving Research in Motion's Jim Balsillie (with the intention of relocating the team to Hamilton, Ontario) and the NHL itself arose, which eventually ended up in court. Gretzky did not attend the Coyotes' training camp, leaving associate head coach Ulf Samuelsson in charge, due to an uncertain contractual status with the club, whose bankruptcy hearings were continuing. Bidders for the club had indicated that Gretzky would no longer be associated with the team after it emerged from bankruptcy, and on September 24, 2009, Gretzky stepped down as head coach and head of hockey operations of the Coyotes. Gretzky's final head coaching record was 143–161–24.
Winter Olympics

Gretzky was Executive Director of the Canadian men's hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. On February 18, he lashed out at the media at a press conference, frustrated with media and fan comments regarding his team's uninspiring 1–1–1 start. His temper boiled over after Canada's 3–3 draw versus the Czech Republic, as he launched a tirade against the perceived negative reputation of Team Canada amongst other national squads, and called rumours of dissent in the dressing room the result of "American propaganda". "They're loving us not doing well", he said, referring to American hockey fans. American fans online began calling Gretzky a "crybaby"; defenders said he was merely borrowing a page from former coach Glen Sather to take the pressure off his players. Gretzky addressed those comments by saying he spoke out to protect the Canadian players, and the tirade was not "staged". The Canadian team won the gold medal, its first in 50 years.

Gretzky again acted as Executive Director of Canada's men's hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, though not with the success of 2002; the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals and failed to win a medal. He was asked to manage Canada's team at the 2005 Ice Hockey World Championships, but declined due to his mother's poor health.
The lighting of an Olympic cauldron inside BC Place Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Gretzky served as an ambassador to Vancouver's successful bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics, and was named Special Advisor to Canada's men's hockey team at the Games During the Games' opening ceremony, Gretzky, basketball player Steve Nash, skier Nancy Greene, and speed skater Catriona Le May Doan jointly lit the Olympic cauldron inside the ceremony venue of BC Place.[ Due to BC Place being an indoor stadium, and Olympic protocols stating that the lighting of the cauldron should be visible to the public, Gretzky was then escorted out of the stadium to light a second, outdoor cauldron outside the Vancouver Convention Centre, making him the de facto final torchbearer.

Alumni games

Although Gretzky had previously stated he would not participate in any "old-timers exhibition games", on November 22, 2003, he took to the ice to help celebrate the Edmonton Oilers' 25th anniversary as an NHL team. The Heritage Classic, held at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, was the first regular season NHL game to be played outdoors. It was preceded by the Mega Stars game, which featured Gretzky and many of his Oiler Dynasty teammates against a group of retired Montreal Canadiens players (whose likes included Claude Lemieux, Guy Lafleur and others). Despite frigid temperatures, the crowd numbered 57,167, with an additional several million watching the game on television. The Edmonton alumni won the Megastars game 2–0, while Montreal went on to win the regular season game held later that day, 4–3.

Thirteen years later, on December 31, 2016, Gretzky participated in the Winter Classic Alumni Game, which was held between teams of former Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues players two days before the 2017 Winter Classic. Gretzky represented the Blues in the game, which his team won 8–7.

Edmonton Oilers

In October 2016, Gretzky returned to the Oilers as a partner and vice-chairman of the team's parent company, Oilers Entertainment Group, to work closely with owner Daryl Katz and Oilers Entertainment Group CEO Bob Nicholson on the business side of the Oilers' operation.

On May 25, 2021, Gretzky announced that he would step down from his role with the Oilers, stating that "The Oilers, their fans, and the city of Edmonton have meant the world to me and my family for over four decades — and that will never end. Given the pandemic and other life changes, I realize I will not be able to dedicate the time nor effort needed to support this world-class organization." It was subsequently reported by various outlets that Gretzky had signed with new U.S. NHL rightsholder Turner Sports to become an analyst.

Personal life

Gretzky has made several TV appearances, including as a Dance Fever celebrity judge, and acted in a dramatic role alongside Victor Newman in The Young and the Restless in 1981. In 1984, he travelled to the Soviet Union to film a television program on Russian goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. Gretzky was a guest host of the American late night variety show Saturday Night Live in 1989. A fictional crime-fighting version of him served as one of the main characters in the cartoon ProStars in 1991. In December 2016, Gretzky appeared briefly in a cameo on a Christmas episode of The Simpsons as a winter character.

Family
Janet and Wayne Gretzky in December 2013

While serving as a judge on Dance Fever, Gretzky met actress Janet Jones. According to Gretzky, Jones does not recall his being on the show. They met regularly after that, but did not become a couple until 1987 when they ran into each other at a Los Angeles Lakers game that Gretzky and Alan Thicke were attending. Gretzky proposed in January 1988, and they were married on July 16, 1988, in a lavish ceremony the Canadian press dubbed "The Royal Wedding". Broadcast live throughout Canada from Edmonton's St. Joseph's Basilica, members of the Fire Department acted as ceremonial guards. The event reportedly cost Gretzky over US$1 million.

He and Jones have five children: Paulina, Ty, Trevor, Tristan, and Emma. Paulina and golfer Dustin Johnson announced their engagement on August 18, 2013.Ty played hockey at Shattuck-Saint Mary's, but quit the sport, and attended Arizona State University. Trevor is a former minor league baseball player.

Wayne Gretzky's uncle, Al Gretzky, ran as a Conservative candidate in London West in the 2006 federal election and for the libertarian Freedom Party of Ontario in the 2013 provincial by-election for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He was unsuccessful both times.
His father, Walter Gretzky, died in 2021 at the age of 82.

Business ventures

Gretzky has owned or partnered in the ownership of two sports teams before becoming a partner in the Phoenix Coyotes. In 1985, Gretzky bought the Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for $175,000 CA. During his ownership, the team's colours were changed to silver and black, presaging the change in team jersey colours when he played for the Los Angeles Kings. For the first season that Gretzky played in Los Angeles, the Kings had their training camp at the Olympiques' arena. Gretzky eventually sold the team in 1992 for $550,000 CAD.
Gretzky has operated a restaurant named Wayne Gretzky's in downtown Toronto since 1993.

In 1991, Bruce McNall purchased the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) with Gretzky and John Candy as minority owners. The club won the Grey Cup championship in the first year of the partnership, but struggled in the two following seasons, and the partnership sold the team before the 1994 season. Only McNall's name was engraved on the Grey Cup as team owner, but in November 2007, the CFL corrected the oversight, adding Gretzky's and Candy's names. In 1992, Gretzky and McNall partnered in an investment to buy a rare Honus Wagner T206 cigarette card for $451,000 US, later selling the card. It most recently sold for $2.8 million US. The pair also owned Thoroughbred race horses; one of them, Saumarez, won France's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1990. Gretzky was a board member and executive officer of the Hespeler Hockey Company.

Gretzky's appeal as a product endorser far surpassed that of other hockey players of his era. By 1995, he was among the five highest-paid athlete endorsers in North America, with deals from The Coca-Cola Company, Domino's Pizza, Sharp Corporation, and Upper Deck Company among others. Forbes estimates that Gretzky made US$93.8 million from 1990 to 1998. He has endorsed and launched a wide variety of products, from pillow cases to insurance. Gretzky is a partner in First Team Sports, a maker of sports equipment and Worldwide Roller Hockey, Inc., an operator of roller hockey rinks. The video game brand EA Sports included Gretzky in its 2010 title NHL Slapshot, and he had previously been an endorser for the 989 Sports games Gretzky NHL 2005 and Gretzky NHL  Gretzky also made an appearance on the music video for Nickelback's "Rockstar".

In 2017 as part-owner with Andrew Peller Ltd., Gretzky opened a winery and distillery bearing the name of Wayne Gretzky Estates in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, and with products labelled by the trademark, No. 99. From 1993 to 2020, Gretzky and a business partner operated the Wayne Gretzky's restaurant near the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto. Gretzky has other restaurants opened in 2016 at the Edmonton International Airport and named No. 99 Gretzky's Wine & Whisky, and in 2018 called Studio 99 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.
Books

Gretzky has written several books, including Gretzky: An Autobiography (1990), with Rick Reilly,and 99: My Life in Pictures (1999), with John Davidson and Dan Diamond. His most recent work, 99: Stories of the Game (2016), with Kirstie McLellan Day, was an in-depth look at the history of hockey. It was the best-selling Canadian book of 2016.

Political activity
Gretzky with President Ronald Reagan in 1982

In 2003, while not criticizing Canada for declining to participate in the invasion of Iraq, Gretzky praised President of the United States George W. Bush and his handling of the conflict, saying: "the President of the United States is a great leader, I happen to think he's a wonderful man and if he believes what he's doing is right, I back him 100 per cent."

During the 2015 Canadian federal election campaign, Gretzky endorsed the Conservative Party and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and was featured at a campaign rally praising Harper by calling him "wonderful to the country." As a non-resident, Gretzky came under some criticism for this endorsement. In 2014, Gretzky praised Harper at a United for Ukraine Gala event in Toronto calling him "one of the greatest prime ministers ever". Earlier in 2015, Gretzky endorsed Patrick Brown during his successful campaign for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Legacy
An exhibit on Gretzky at the Hockey Hall of Fame

Gretzky's career achievements include many awards and honours. He won a record nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player in the NHL. Between 1981 and 1994, he won the Art Ross Trophy, presented to the NHL's season points leader, 10 times. Gretzky was named the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 1985 and 1988, receiving the Conn Smythe Trophy. In addition, he earned the Lester B. Pearson Award (now Ted Lindsay Award) on five occasions; the award is given to the NHL's "most outstanding player", as determined by National Hockey League Players' Association members. The Lady Byng Trophy, awarded for sportsmanship and performance, was presented to Gretzky five times between 1980 and 1999.

A number of awards and trophies have been created under his name. The Wayne Gretzky International Award is presented by the United States Hockey Hall of Fame to honour international individuals who have made major contributions to the growth and advancement of hockey in the United States. The Wayne Gretzky 99 Award is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. The Wayne Gretzky Trophy is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the OHL's Western Conference. The Edmonton Minor Hockey Association also has an award named for Gretzky.

In May 2021, one of his 1979 O-Pee-Chee hockey cards sold for $3.75 million dollars in a private sale.
Yashaswini Singh Deswal
From Wikipedia
Yashaswini Singh Deswal
Deswal at the 2016 South Asian Games
Personal information
Nationality Indian
Born 30 March 1997 
New Delhi, India
Sport
Country India
Sport Shooting
Coached by Tejinder Singh Dhillon

Women's shooting
Representing  India
 2019 Rio de Janeiro 10 m air pistol
 2021 Delhi 10 m air pistol
 2021 Delhi Women's 10 m pistol team
 2019 Rio de Janeiro 10 m air pistol mixed team
 2021 Delhi 10 m air pistol mixed team
 2021 Osijek Women's 10 m pistol team
 2019 Doha 10 m air pistol mixed team
 2017 Suhl 10 m air pistol
 2014 Kuwait City 10 m air pistol
 2016 Qabala Women's 10 m pistol team
 2016 Suhl 10 m air pistol
 2016 Suhl Women's 10 m pistol team

Updated on 6 July 2021.

Yashaswini Singh Deswal is an Indian sport shooter. She won the gold medal in the 10 metre air pistol event at the 2019 ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro and secured a quota position for India at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Early and personal life

Deswal was born on 30 March 1997 in New Delhi. Her father Surjeet Singh Deswal is an IPS officer who works as the Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police and mother Saroj Deswal is the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax in Panchkula. As of August 2019, Deswal studies at DAV College in Chandigarh.

Career

Deswal started practicing shooting in 2012. She qualified for the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China, where she finished sixth in the final of the 10 metre air pistol event. At the 2016 ISSF Junior World Cup, she won silver medals in both the individual event and the team event in Suhl, Germany, and gold in the team event at Qabala, Azerbaijan. At the 2016 South Asian Games, she bagged the gold medal in the team event and bronze medal in the individual event. At the 2017 ISSF Junior World Championship, she equaled the world junior record of 235.9 and won the gold medal.

In 2019, Deswal won the gold medal at the 2019 ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro to book a quota spot for the 2020 Summer Olympics. She defeated Olena Kostevych, a former Olympic and world champion, in the final round.

At the 2021 ISSF World Cup in Delhi, Deswal won gold in the women's 10m air pistol event with a tally of 238.8, after topping the qualifications with 579.
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3394010766677208856/4574124720746168373

Yuvraj Walmiki

Yuvraj Walmiki, affectionately known as the "Prince of Indian Hockey," is a trailblazing Indian field hockey player whose story embodies resilience, family bonds, and an unyielding passion for the sport. Born into poverty in the bustling slums of Mumbai, Yuvraj rose from humble beginnings to become a national hero, earning over 90 international caps and etching his name in Indian hockey history. As a forward renowned for his composure in the shooting circle and precise strikes, he not only represented India on global stages but also inspired a generation through his brotherly partnership with Devindar Walmiki. Today, at 36, he continues to contribute to the sport as a national selector and mentor, while planning a hockey academy for underprivileged youth.

Early Life and Humble Beginnings

  • Birth and Family Background: Yuvraj Walmiki was born on November 29, 1989, in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, to a Valmiki (Balmiki) family from the Dalit community. His family relocated to Mumbai, where they lived in a cramped 10x10-foot shanty under the stairs near Marine Lines railway station—a stark symbol of urban poverty. His father was a sanitation worker, and his mother struggled to provide basics, often taking loans to support the boys' hockey dreams. Yuvraj has two brothers: an elder sibling and younger brother Devindar Walmiki, who would later follow in his footsteps to become an Olympian (Rio 2016). The Walmiki brothers' story highlights the challenges faced by marginalized communities in accessing sports infrastructure.
  • Introduction to Hockey: At age 10, Yuvraj's journey began playfully to "bunk classes." Inspired by a friend's newspaper photo, he borrowed an old kit from the father of schoolmate Boon Dsouza, who was the curator at a local hockey ground. Under coach Mehezbaan Patel (affectionately "Bawa Sir"), Yuvraj trained rigorously despite lacking resources—his mother once bought ice with her meager earnings to treat his injuries. Hockey quickly evolved from fun to passion, becoming the family's "bread and butter."

Rise to Prominence: Breakthrough and Domestic Success

Yuvraj's talent shone early, propelling him from local fields to elite circles:

  • Debut and Milestones: He started his senior career with Bombay Republicans in 2003 at age 14. In his maiden official match, he scored five goals in a 15-goal rout, earning a newspaper headline that read "Yuvraj Walmiki struck hat-trick." This catapulted him into the spotlight, dubbing him the "Prince" due to his name (Yuvraj means "prince" in Hindi).
  • Club Career:
    • Joined Air India in 2007 as the youngest player on the team, which boasted India's top talents—no junior camp needed.
    • Played for Bank of India and Mumbai Republicans.
    • In the Hockey India League (HIL), he was auctioned to Delhi Waveriders for US$18,500 in the inaugural 2013 season (base price US$9,250) and retained for 2016/17 at US$40,000. He dazzled with drag-flicks and circle penetrations.
  • German League Pioneer: Yuvraj made history as the only Indian to play continuously in the German Hockey League for 8 years (2009–2017), becoming its highest goal-scorer for two seasons. This stint honed his skills against world-class opposition.

International Career: Caps, Glory, and Regrets

Yuvraj debuted for India at the 2010 South Asian Games in Dhaka, a moment he cherishes as his career's pinnacle. He amassed over 90 international caps (exact figures vary: 52 senior matches noted in some records), playing as a forward (#9 jersey).

  • Key Achievements:
    • Gold Medal: 2011 Asian Champions Trophy (Ordos, China) – Scored the decisive tie-break goal against Pakistan in the final, clinching India's first-ever title and earning hero status.
    • 2014 FIH Hockey World Cup (The Hague, Netherlands) – Competed in all 6 matches, contributing to 2 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses.
    • Bronze Medal: 2012 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (Malaysia).
    • Gold Medal: 2012 Olympic Qualifiers (Delhi) and South Africa Test Series (2012).
    • Played in the FIH World League Semifinals (2015, Antwerp), where he and Devindar became the first brothers to score in the same international match (3-0 win over Poland).
  • Team Synergy with Brother: The "Walmiki Brothers" symbolized unity, playing together for India, clubs, and Maharashtra. Their 2015 Poland game made headlines: "Walmiki Brothers do India proud."
  • Unfulfilled Dream: Despite his prowess, Yuvraj never competed at the Olympics—a lingering regret. He attributes this to selection politics but remains grateful for his journey.

Personal Life, Challenges, and Off-Field Ventures

  • Struggles and Recognition: Rising from slums, Yuvraj faced caste barriers and financial woes. In 2011, after his Asian Champions Trophy heroics, Mumbai's Chief Minister promised a house and job, but promises faded. He worked as a ticket collector for Central Railway to fund training, balancing day jobs with night practices.
  • Media and Entertainment: Broke barriers as the first hockey player on Khatron Ke Khiladi Season 7 (2016), hosted by Arjun Kapoor, showcasing his adventurous side.
  • Public Persona and Controversy: Active on social media (@YWalmiki on X), Yuvraj shares motivational content, tributes to legends like Dhyan Chand and Dhanraj Pillay (his idol), and family moments. In 2022, he sparked a viral feud with actress Urfi Javed over a comment on her Dubai detention post, where he jokingly said "keep her forever"—she fired back with screenshots of alleged DMs, highlighting his bold online presence.
  • Family and Legacy: Married (details private), Yuvraj credits his mother and brother Devindar for his success. The duo plans a hockey academy in 4–5 years to train underprivileged kids, emphasizing guidance he lacked.

Current Status and Contributions (as of November 29, 2025)

Turning 36 today, Yuvraj remains deeply involved in hockey:

  • Role: Serves as a national hockey selector for Hockey India, scouting talent and promoting the sport.
  • Recent Activities:
    • Reunited with Devindar for Maharashtra at the 2022 National Games (Rajkot), winning bronze in 2011 as a player.
    • Participated in the Murugappa Gold Cup (2024), reflecting on his career.
    • On X, he honored Hockey India's 100th anniversary (November 7, 2025), paid tribute to coach Manuel Frederick (October 31, 2025), celebrated the women's Asia Cup silver (September 14, 2025), and shared training videos (September 3 and June 20, 2025).
  • Philosophy: "You only live once, but if you play hockey, once is enough." His bio reads: "Mumbai made me, Hockey raised me." Yuvraj idolizes Dhanraj Pillay and Bawa Sir, crediting them for his path.

Why Yuvraj Matters: An Inspiration Beyond the Field

Yuvraj Walmiki's tale is a testament to breaking cycles of poverty through sport. From scoring under flyovers to silencing critics with match-winners, he challenged stereotypes about Dalit athletes and advocated for better support in Indian hockey. As he told Sportstar in 2024, "We still have international quality; all we need is one chance." His legacy—fostering the next generation—ensures the "Prince" continues ruling hearts. Shat shat naman to this Mumbai marvel on his birthday! 🇮🇳🏑

Zohmingliana Ralte

Zohmingliana Ralte, popularly known as Zotea, is a retired Indian professional footballer from Mizoram, celebrated for his tenacious defending and leadership on the pitch. Born into the football-crazy hills of Northeast India, Ralte rose from youth academies to captaining underdog Aizawl FC to their historic first I-League title in 2016-17—a feat that captured national attention as a "fairytale" story of grit and quick-passing football. As a versatile right-footed centre-back (also capable at right-back or central midfield), he embodied Mizoram's growing football prowess, contributing to clubs across I-League, ISL, and Federation Cup triumphs. Standing at 1.78m, Ralte's career spanned over a decade, marked by loans, comebacks, and a quiet retirement in 2021 to prioritize family. Today, October 2, 2025, marks his 35th birthday, though recent social media buzz remains low, with fans occasionally reminiscing about his title-winning goal.

Early Life and Entry into Football

Zohmingliana was born on October 2, 1990, in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, to a Mizo family in a region where football is more than a sport—it's a cultural lifeline. Growing up amid the lush hills, he started kicking a ball at age seven in local village games, honing his skills in the competitive Northeast youth scene. At 15, he joined the prestigious Mohun Bagan Academy in Kolkata in 2005, but homesickness forced him to return after just one year. Undeterred, he moved to Meghalaya's Rangdajied United youth team in 2007, then to Shillong Lajong in 2008, where he transitioned to senior football. These early stints in I-League 2nd Division built his resilience, exposing him to professional pressures far from home.

Club Career

Ralte's professional journey was a mix of steady progression in the Northeast and stints with bigger clubs in mainland India. He debuted in the I-League with Shillong Lajong in 2009, establishing himself as a reliable defender. His breakthrough came with Pune FC, where he spent three formative years, scoring his first professional goal in 2015. A loan to ISL newcomers NorthEast United followed, but it was his return to roots with Aizawl FC that defined his legacy—he captained the minnows to I-League glory, scoring the decisive goal against giants Mohun Bagan. Later moves to ISL sides like Chennaiyin yielded limited playtime, leading to a winding down in lower divisions before retirement.

International Career

Ralte did not earn senior caps for India, though his club form positioned him as a Northeast representative. Mizoram's national team successes, like the 2014 Santosh Trophy win, indirectly boosted his profile, but he focused on domestic leagues.

Personal Life

Details on Ralte's personal life are private, aligning with Mizo cultural reserve. Married with family in Aizawl, he cited "family priorities" as the reason for his 2021 retirement after 12 years pro. A devout Christian (common among 90%+ Mizos), he remains tied to his roots, occasionally mentoring youth in Mizoram's booming football ecosystem—fueled by the Mizoram Premier League since 2012. No controversies or off-field scandals mark his career; he's remembered for humility and loyalty to Northeast clubs.

Retirement and Legacy

Ralte hung up his boots on October 14, 2021, at age 31, transitioning to coaching young talents in Aizawl. His I-League heroics with Aizawl—beating powerhouses like Mohun Bagan—symbolize Northeast football's rise, inspiring a generation amid Mizoram's talent pipeline (e.g., producing stars for ISL). In a 2017 interview, he reflected on the title's emotional weight: "People have no idea how much it means to us... it's like a fairytale." As of 2025, he's not in major coaching roles but contributes to local development, with fans hoping for a Northeast comeback story.

Zotea's journey from homesick academy kid to title-winning captain underscores football's power in bridging India's diverse regions.

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