Top Indian Sports Stars of all time

Dhyan Chand (Hockey)

Dhyan Chand was an Indian hockey player and one of the greatest hockey players in the history of the sport. He was known for his extraordinary goal-scoring feats, in addition to earning three Olympic gold medals, in 1928, 1932 and 1936, during an era where India dominated field hockey.

Balbir Singh Sr (Hockey)

Balbir Singh Dosanjh, popularly known as Balbir Singh Senior has been a former Indian Hockey player who has represented the nation in 3 Olympic Games and won gold every time he participated in Olympics. He also coached Indian Hockey team for some time. He was the first hockey player to be awarded the Padma Shri.

Baichung Bhutia (Football)

This Sikkimese – Indian origin footballer is considered as the torch – bearer for Indian Football in International Circuit. Playing at striker position he is considered as “Gift to Indian Football” because of his skilled technique and aggressive gaming.

Leander Paes(Tennis)

With eight doubles and nine mixed doubles awards under his name, Leander Paes is considered one of the best doubles and mixed doubles player in the country. Currently ranked at number 29 in international rankings, he is believed to have adaptive playing style that changes according to the game.

Milkha Singh(Athletics)

Famous by the name of “Flying Sikh”, he is a former Indian track and field sprinter who was introduced to the game while serving the Indian Army. He is considered as the finest athelete produced by the country with various awards and accolades won at international level.

Sachin Tendulkar(Cricket)

Considered as the “God” of cricket, he is known to be the best cricketer alive. His records have set the next level of benchmarks for cricketers all over the world.

Vishwanathan Anand(Chess)

One of the leading starlets of chess world, this sportsman has earned various awards and accolades. He made our country proud not only in national circuit, but also in international games.

Anjali Bhagwat(shooter)

Warne is generally believed to be the greatest leg spin bowler in the history of cricket. Described by Martin-Jenkins as “most influential Australian cricketer since Bradman”, he is also one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet. His first ever delivery against England, against Mike Gatting, is known as the “Ball of the Century”.

Mary Kom(Boxing)

Five-time World Amateur Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships, Mary Kom is truly magnificient in every sense. Hailing from Manipur, she is the first Indian Woman Boxer to win a gold medal in Asian Games in 2014.

PT Usha(Athletics )

Queen of Indian track and field, she is associated with Indian Athletics since 1979. Recepient of the Arjuna Award, she started a sports school where she traines young women.

Saina Nehwal(Badminton)

Currently ranked as number 1 in world by Badminton World Fedration in Women’s Singles, this badminton starlet became the first Indian to win a medal in badminton at the olympics. She is also the first Indian woman to become world’s number 1 in badmintion.

Sania Mirza(Tennis)

Married to a Pakistani cricketer, she continues to represent India in tennis. She has many records under her name and her recent win in the Wimbeldon and US Open made her rose to number 1 in International rankings.

Top World Famous Sports Stars of all time

Roger Federer (tennis)

The Swiss was in most peoples’ eyes regarded as the greatest tennis player to have picked up a racquet after winning the French Open in May. Setting a new world record by collecting his 15th grand slam – in just six years – at Wimbledon backs it up. Almost as staggering as winning 15 majors, he has reached at least the semi-finals of the last 21 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments.

Jack Nicklaus (golf)

It is one of the most worn arguments in golf. Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? Just as Federer needed to surpass Pete Sampras’ record of 14 grand slams to prove himself as the undisputed greatest tennis player of all time, so must Woods break Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors. Until then, Nicklaus remains the best professional golfer of all time.

Muhammad Ali (boxing)

Ali is not just known as the greatest boxer to have lived, he is also considered one of the greatest sportsmen of all time – in 1999, Ali was named “Sportsman of the Century” by Sports Illustrated magazine. The boxer defeated almost every top heavyweight in his era, and was named “Fighter of the Year” by Ring Magazine more times than any other boxer.

Michael Jordan (basketball)

The undisputed greatest basketball player in history. The 6’ 6” shooting guard for the Chicago Bulls dominated the sport in the '80s and '90s, and then took time out to try and make it as a professional baseball player. It didn’t work out, so he returned to the Bulls and led them to three championships. He also starred in the film Space Jam – although that actually counts against him.

Michael Phelps (swimming)

If Mark Spitz was always held up as the No 1 swimmer in history, that ended at the Beijing Games last year, when Micheal Phelps broke Spitz’s record of seven gold medals (set in Munich in 1972) by winning eight. The American has won 14 Olympic gold medals in his career, the most by any Olympian, and currently holds seven world records in swimming.

Shane Warne (cricket)

Warne is generally believed to be the greatest leg spin bowler in the history of cricket. Described by Martin-Jenkins as “most influential Australian cricketer since Bradman”, he is also one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet. His first ever delivery against England, against Mike Gatting, is known as the “Ball of the Century”.

Martina Navratilova (tennis)

Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 Grand Slam doubles titles (an all-time record), and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, and is one of just three women to have accomplished a career Grand Slam in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Not for nothing did Billie Jean King call her “the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who’s ever lived.”

Pele (football)

Edison Arantes do Nascimento, or Pele as we know him, dominated football for two decades. This Brazilian legend is the all-time leading scorer of the Brazil national football team, scoring on average a goal in every game he played, and he is still the only footballer to have been a part of three World Cup-winning teams. Between 1956 and 1974, Pele scored a total of 1,220 goals. But it is not only what he achieved that makes him the greatest footballer ever, but that he achieved it with such charm.

Usain Bolt (athletics)

The Jamaican sprinter’s performance at the Beijing Games last year was one of the most remarkable in history. It was there that he set the Olympic and world records for the 100 metres at 9.69 seconds (even though he slowed down at the finish to celebrate), the 200 metres at 19.30 seconds, and also the world record for the 4x100 relay, making him the first man to win all three events at a single Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984, and the first man in history to set world records in all three at a single Olympics. That he set these records without seemingly trying makes it all the more unbelievable.

Valentino Rossi (MotoGP)

This Italian is the Michael Schumacher of motorcycling. Rossi, who has won 8 Grand Prix World Championships, is known on the circuit as “The Doctor”, because of the way that he goes about clinically dismantling of his opponents. However, fellow motorcycle racer and former team-mate Colin Edwards has a different nickname for him: the GOAT, which stands for Greatest Of All Time.

Babe Ruth (baseball)

Along with Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth is one of the two most recognised sports stars to have lived. The baseball player, who played from 1914–1935, changed the face of his sport, and was the first to hit 60 home runs in one season (1927), a record which stood for 34 years until 1961. Such was his standing in America that during WW2 Japanese soldiers, seeking the ultimate insult, are said to have sometimes shouted at US troops: “To hell with Babe Ruth!”

Don Bradman (cricket)

Quite simply, the best batsman to have played the game, and a sports star who became Australia’s idol during the Great Depression. This Australian had a career Test batting average of 99.94, so no wonder he came in at No 1 on Christopher Martin-Jenkins’ list of the Top 100 cricketers of all time. Even though he hated the limelight, he was also once described by the Australian Prime Minister at the time, John Howard, as the “greatest living Australian”.