Players Statistics

Top 10 Female Goal Keepers in the world

February 28, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Female Goal Keepers in the world

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is played by a large number of players, and is watched and enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. The participation, as well as audience, is irrespective of age and gender. Soccer is just as popular a sport among men as it is among women. Women’s soccer teams are exceedingly strong, and display immense skills on the grounds. An important position in each football team is that of the goal keeper. Goalkeepers defend the goal posts, and keep the number of goals in check, preventing the opponent teams from scoring. Just like in case of men’s football, women’s football teams, too, have extremely powerful goalkeepers. They have displayed excellent talent, focus, skill and fitness, and have proven that they are no less than the men’s teams’ goalkeepers. Here is a list of the Top 10 Female Goal Keepers in the World. Let us take a look at their achievements:

Top 10 Female Goal Keepers in the world

1. Hope Solo

American professional soccer goalkeeper Hope Amelia Solo was born on July 30, 1981 and has been serving her duty as the goalkeeper for the United States women’s national soccer team since 2000. She was a member of the Saint Louis Athletica, Atlanta Beat and MagicJack in the Women’s Professional Soccer League from 2009 to 2011. Solo currently plays for the Seattle Reign FC at the top division of women’s soccer in the United States, the National Women’s Soccer League. She is a member of the gold winning United States team at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. Solo achieved the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and also received the Bronze Ball award for her overall performance. She appeared in several fashion magazines such as the “Body Issue” of ESPN The Magazine, and also participated in Dancing with the Stars.

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2. Nadine Angerer

Current captain of the German national women’s team and professional soccer goalkeeper Nadine Marejke Angerer was born on 10 November 1978, and currently plays for the Portland Thorns FC in the NWSL besides her international appearances. She became the first goalkeeper ever to be named as the FIFA World Player of the Year on 13 January 2014. Angerer started her career as a forward with the ASV Hofstetten club and later moved to FC Bayern Munich as a goalkeeper in 1999. She was transferred to 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam in 2001 and gradually achieved the 2005 UEFA Women’s Cup, two Bundesliga championships and three German Cup with the club. Angerer achieved the UEFA European Championships thrice, FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2003, and won the Olympic bronze medals twice in 2000 and 2004.

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3. Briana Scurry

Retired American professional soccer goalkeeper Briana Collette Scurry was born on September 7, 1971, and was a founding player in the world’s first women’s league, the Women’s United Soccer Association, for the Atlanta Beat where the players were paid as professionals athletes. She achieved the 3rd place at the 1995 FIFA World Cup and the 2003 FIFA World Cup, won the gold medal at the 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympic Games, and became the champion of the 1999 FIFA World Cup with the American women’s team. Scurry earned a record 173 caps in her tenure with the United States women’s team from 1994 to 2008. She received the Best Goalkeeper Award in the 1999 FIFA World Cup. Scurry was appointed as the new manager of the WPS franchise MagicJack since 2011, after her retirement from professional football.

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4. Almuth Schult

German professional soccer goalkeeper Almuth Schult was born on February 9, 1991, and currently plays for VfL Wolfsburg club besides her national appearances for the German national women’s team. She started her career with the FC SG Gartow at the age of 5 and later moved to Hamburger SV in 2007. Schult then moved to Magdeburger FFC in 2008 and also achieved third place at the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup with the German -17 Women’s team. Schult was the goalkeeper of the 2010 U-20 Women’s World Cup winning German team. She made her debut in the senior team as the third goalkeeper for Germany’s 2011 Women’s World Cup squad. She made her debut for the national team against Turkey on February 15, 2012. Schult became the winner of the UEFA Women’s Championship in 2013.

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5. Emma Byrne

Irish professional soccer goalkeeper Emma Anne Byrne was born on 14 June 1979, and currently plays for the English club Arsenal and the national women’s team of the Republic of Ireland as a goalkeeper. She moved to Arsenal from St Patrick’s Athletic in January 2000 and gradually became the Arsenal Player of the Year twice in 2003 and 2005. She was a pioneer member of the European Championship winning Arsenal team in 2007. Byrne made her debut for the Republic of Ireland women’s national football team on 31 March 1996. She earned her 100th cap of the national team on 26 September 2013. Byrne, besides her professional career, is also now employed as a coach in Arsenal’s Academy. She achieved the FA Women’s Premier League Cup a record five times and won the FA WSL Cup thrice in her career.

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6. Ashlyn Harris

American professional soccer goalkeeper Ashlyn Michelle Harris was born on October 19, 1985, and currently plays for the NWSL club the Washington Spirit and the national women’s soccer team of the United States. She was also previously a member of the Saint Louis Athletica, Washington Freedom and Western New York Flash. Harris played for Fußball-Bundesliga club FCR 2001 Duisburg and Swedish Damallsvenskan club Tyresö FF. Just days after the end of 2013 NWSL season, she made her debut for the Tyresö FF on August 21, 2013. Harris represented the United States in the U-16, U-17, and U-19 teams. She was then inducted into the senior national team and made her professional debut for the United States women’s national soccer team against Sweden on March 11, 2013.

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7. Karina LeBlanc

Canadian professional soccer goalkeeper Karina Chenelle LeBlanc was born on March 30, 1980, and currently plays for the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League and also for the Canadian national women’s team. She also played in the United States’ first women’s professional soccer league, the Women’s United Soccer Association, for the Boston Breakers. LeBlanc became a member of the W-League club Montreal Xtreme in 2004, and later moved to the New Jersey Wildcats where she played from 2005 to 2006. She then joined the Portland Thorns FC on January 11, 2013, and later traded to the Chicago Red Stars on January 13, 2014. LeBlanc won the gold medal at the 2011 Pan Am Games with her the national team and also achieved the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

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8. Sarah Bouhaddi

French-Algerian professional soccer goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi was born on 17 October 1986, and currently plays at the Division 1 Féminine for the Olympique Lyonnais and also for the France women’s national football team. She made her debut for the France national team in 2004 and was France’s number 1 goalkeeper ever since. She helped her national under-19 team to achieve the 2003 UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship where she received two clean sheets. Bouhaddi again helped the U-19 team to reach the final of the 2005 UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship. She made her debut in the senior team in a friendly match against Scotland on 21 February 2004. Bouhaddi was named as the starting goalkeeper by Coach Elisabeth Loisel for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2005. She is also a part of the French team that participated at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2009.

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9. Karen Bardsley

American-born English professional soccer goalkeeper Karen Louise Bardsley was born on 14 October 1984, and currently plays for the English club Manchester City of the English FA WSL and also the England women’s national football team. She first joined the Swedish club Linköpings FC in August 2011 and later moved to Lincoln Ladies of the FA WSL in November 2012. Bardsley then signed a two year deal with Manchester City at the end of the 2013 season. She was a member of the England U-19s team at the 2003 UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship. Bardsley made her debut in the English national senior team in the Algarve Cup in March 2005. She was inducted in the English squad for UEFA Women’s Euro 2009 by Coach Hope Powell. Bardsley was an 18–player Great Britain squad member for the 2012 London Olympics.

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10. Cecilia Santiago

Mexican professional soccer goalkeeper Aurora Cecilia Santiago Cisneros was born on 19 October 1994, and became the youngest-ever goalkeeper to appear in a World Cup during her appearance for the German national women’s soccer team at the age of 16 years and 251 days at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She made her club debut with the Santos Laguna in the Super Liga Femenil de Fútbol in October 2010, and later moved to the Boston Breakers in the National Women’s Soccer League. Santiago was also the youngest player at the 2008 U20 World Cup while becoming the member of the Mexican squad less than two months after her fourteenth birthday. Cecilia Santiago is the only female player to be inducted in the squad for four FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup which she did in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014.

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These goalkeepers have made huge contributions to the industry of women’s football. In each and every match, they have played an important part, keeping the games together and helping their teams. These female goalkeepers are no less than their male counterparts.

Top 10 Male Gymnasts of All Time

February 27, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Male Gymnasts of All Time

Gymnastics is a sport in which the athletes perform exercises of various forms. To become good at this sport, gymnasts need to acquire great deal of physical strength, flexibility, agility, balance and control, and at the same time, they also need to have coordination and grace to make the performances aesthetically pleasing to the audience. Gymnastics is internationally popular, and every country has its own national team, and its national governing body. There are various events in gymnastics. Of them, the men’s events are floor exercise, vault, parallel bars, high bar, pommel horse and still rings. Let us take a look at the Top 10 Male Gymnasts of All Time.

note: you may want to read our list about All Time Best Female Gymnasts.

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Top 10 Male Gymnasts of All Time

10. Takashi Ono

Legendary former Japanese artistic gymnast Takashi Ono was born on July 26, 1931 in Noshiro, Akita, Japan, and is a dominating force in the discipline of Men’s artistic gymnastics during 1950s and 1960s. He participated in four consecutive Summer Olympics in 1952, 1956, 1960 and 1964, and took the Olympic Oath in 1964 in Tokyo. Takashi Ono led the Japanese gymnastic team to win the Gold Medal at the 1964 Olympic Games. He also achieved the title of World Championship an astounding 20 times in his active gymnastic career. He was inducted in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1998. Takashi Ono, aged 83, now resides in Japan with his wife Kiyoko Ono and their two children.

9. Akinori Nakayama

Legendary former Japanese artistic gymnast Akinori Nakayama was born on March 1, 1943, and is one of the only two gymnasts besides Albert Azaryan to win the rings event twice in Olympic. He achieved a total of six medals which include three gold medals in the team all-around, the floor exercise and the horizontal bar at the World Championships in 1966. Nakayama became the most successful male athlete at the 1968 Summer Olympics with four gold medals, a silver medal and one bronze medal. He then achieved another four world titles in 1970 and again won four more medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He served as the vice-president of the Japanese Gymnastics Federation after his retirement from the professional gymnastic. Nakayama was inducted in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2005.

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8. Alexander Dityatin

Former Russian artistic gymnast Aleksandr Nikolaevich Dityatin was born on August 7, 1957 in Leningrad, and is noted for setting the record for achieving the most medals of any type at a single Olympic Games while winning eight medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics. He is a three-time Olympic Champion and was honored as the Master of Sports of the USSR. Dityatin achieved his first Olympic success while winning two silver medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He is also the first male gymnast to score a perfect 10 in an Olympic which he accomplished in the long horse vault event. Dityatin also competed for the Leningrad Dinamo sports society besides his international appearance. He was inducted in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2004.

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7. Viktor Chukarin

Legendary former Russian artistic gymnast Viktor Ivanovich Chukarin was there with us from his birth on November 9, 1921 till he died on August 25, 1984, and is widely considered as the first of the great Soviet gymnasts. Chukarin was the most successful athlete at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He then achieved 5 medals at the age of 35 at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He became the All-around World Champion in 1954 and achieved eleven medals including seven gold medals at the 1952 and 1956 Olympics. Chukarin was named as the USSR’s gymnastic individual all-around champion thrice consecutively from 1949 to 1951 and again achieved the same in 1953 and 1955. He led the USSR team to the victory at the 1954 World Championships. He was awarded the first ever Order of Lenin given to an athlete in 1957.

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6. Boris Shakhlin

Legendary former Russian artistic gymnast Boris Anfiyanovich Shakhlin was there with us from his birth on 27 January 1932 till he died on 30 May 2008. He is the 1958 all-around World Champion and 1960 all-around Olympic champion. Shakhlin was the most successful athlete at the 1960 Summer Olympics and won a total of 13 medals which include seven gold medals at the Summer Olympics. He also won a total of 14 medals at the World Championships. Shakhlin is noted for winning gold medals at three successive Olympic Games. He also set a career record of 10 individual titles in the world championships. He received the Red Banner of Labor in 1956 and the Order of Lenin in 1960. Boris Shakhlin retired from international competition after suffering a heart attack at the age of just 35.

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5. Nikolai Andrianov

Legendary former Russian artistic gymnast Nikolai Yefimovich Andrianov was there with us from his birth on 14 October 1952 till he died on 21 March 2011. He achieved a total of 15 Olympic medals including 7 gold medals, 5 silver medals and 3 bronze medals and held the record for most Olympic medals until he was surpassed by Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Andrianov still holds the men’s record for most individual Olympic medals in gymnastics. He became the most successful athlete at the 1976 Summer Olympics while winning six individual medals and one team medal. He coached the Japan Olympic gymnastics team from 1994 to 2002. Andrianov was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2001. He developed degenerative neurological disorder multiple system atrophy during his final years and died at the age of 58 on 21 March 2011.

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4. Sawao Kato

Retired Japanese artistic gymnast Sawao Kato was born on October 11, 1946, and is one of the most successful athletes of all time in Olympiad. He achieved a total of twelve medals which include eight gold medals in three Olympics he participated. Kato is one of the only ten athletes to win eight or more Olympic gold medals. He made his international debut as a member of the Japanese team at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics where the team dominated in all events. He was involved in a controversy in the men’s team competition at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Sawao Kato currently works as a professor at the University of Tsukuba after his retirement from the gymnastic world. He was inducted in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2001.

3. Alexei Nemov

Former Russian artistic gymnast Alexei Yurievich Nemov was born on 28 May 1976 in Barashevo, Mordovia, and is one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time. He achieved a total of 12 Olympic medals in his active gymnastic career. Nemov made his international debut at the 1993 World Championships when he was just 16-year old. He then won two gold medals, one silver and three bronze medals at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. Nemov achieved the gold medal in Vault in 1995 and 1996, achieved the gold in Floor in 1997, and achieved the title in both the Floor and Pommel Horse event at the 1999 World Championships. The Russian Olympic Committee as the recognition of his class and character awarded him $40,000. Nemov currently resides in his hometown of Tolyatti.

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2. Vitaly Scherbo

Former Belarusian artistic gymnast Vitaly Venediktovich Scherbo was born on 13 January 1972 in Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, and is one of the most successful gymnasts of all time. He is the only male gymnast ever to achieve world titles in all 8 events. Scherbo won six out of the eight awarded gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and created one of the most dominant gymnastic performances in history. He started practicing gymnastics at age 7 under his mother. Scherbo made his international debut as a member of the USSR team at the World Championship and the World Cup in 1990. He then achieved the 1993 World All-Around title and the American Cup twice consecutively in 1993 and 1994. Scherbo currently owns and runs his own gymnasium in Las Vegas.

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1. Kōhei Uchimura

Japanese artistic gymnast Kōhei Uchimura was born on January 3, 1989 in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, and is regarded by many as the greatest gymnast of all time. He is a 16-time World medalist at several events including all-around, team, floor, high bar and parallel bars. He achieved five Olympic medals in the all-around, team and floor exercise event. Uchimura was praised as the “combination of tremendous difficulty, supreme consistency and extraordinary elegance of performance” by the International Gymnast Magazine. Uchimura is the first gymnast ever to win every major all-around title in a single Olympic cycle. He is also the 2012 Olympic All-Around Champion and achieved the World all-around titles consecutive five times from 2009 to 2014. Uchimura was featured as the older version of “Dekisugi” in the Toyota’s 2012 ReBorn ad campaign.

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These gymnasts show incredible physical flexibility, which is what attracts the audience and keeps them glued to the shows. These gymnasts are capable of capturing the attention of the audience whose sense of awe is maintained, as beautiful performances, filled with grace and elegance, are displayed by the most charming men in the world of sports.

Top 10 Female WWE Wrestlers of All Time

February 24, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Female WWE Wrestlers of All Time

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is known as WWE is short, and is an American company that deals with professional wrestling. Wrestling is a form of entertainment that is popular with millions of people. It is particularly a favorite with youngsters, who are in awe with the physical power and stature of the wrestlers. Since it is a sport where victory of the wrestler is primarily dependent on the physical strength and the ability to exert the power in the right way, it is generally associated with men. But, women have broken the stereotype, and have entered the world of wrestling, to absolutely dominate the industry. Here is a list of Top 10 Female WWE Wrestlers of All Time. Let us take a look:

Top 10 Female WWE Wrestlers of All Time

1. Torrie Wilson

Born on July 24, 1975, Torrie Anne Wilson is a retired professional wrestler, former WWE Diva, and fitness competitor from America, as well as a model and actress. She is popular mainly for her tenure with the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). In 1999, she won the Miss Galaxy competition as a fitness competitor. Soon after, World Championship Wrestling signed her, that same year, and she stayed till 2001, when WWE purchased it. In 2001, started making appearances on the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) television as part of The Invasion storyline. Wilson has also been a part of Vince’s Devils, the all-female stable, which ended its run in 2006. Apart from professional wrestling, Wilson has been featured on the cover of numerous magazines, including FHM, and even the Playboy, for which she posed twice.

2. Trish Stratus

Born on December 18, 1975, Patricia Anne Stratigias, better known by her stage name and former ring name Trish Stratus, is a retired professional wrestler, fitness model, and fitness guru from Canada, as well as an actress and television personality. She is popular mainly for her tenure with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). She began her career as a fitness model. Soon after, she started working for the World Wrestling Federation. She became a one-time WWE Hardcore Champion, three-time “WWE Babe of the Year” and “Diva of the Decade”. On September 17, 2006, after having won her seventh WWE Women’s Championship, the most in WWE history, she retired from professional wrestling. Stratus was a trainer for WWE Tough Enough. She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame 2013. She debuted as an actor in a Canadian movie, Bail Enforcers, where she played a bounty hunter.

3. Chyna

Born on December 27, 1970, Joan Marie Laurer, better known as Chyna, is a former professional wrestler and bodybuilder from America, as well as a pornographic film actress. Her first claim to fame was in the professional wrestling promotion the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1997, as she performed under the ring name Chyna. She was called the “Ninth Wonder of the World”. She was the only female wrestler to participate in the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring events, and hold the WWF Intercontinental Championship twice. She also held the WWF Women’s Championship once. After leaving the WWF in 2001, Chyna has wrestled sporadically, most notably in 2002 with New Japan Pro Wrestling, and in 2011 with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Laurer was featured in Playboy magazine twice. In 2005, Laurer was a cast member on VH1’s The Surreal Life, besides other celebrity reality appearances.

4. Maryse Ouellet

Born on January 21, 1983, Maryse Ouellet Mizanin, better known as Maryse, is a French-Canadian professional wrestler and professional wrestling valet, as well as a model and business woman. She is popular mainly for her tenure with the WWE between 2006 and 2011. She began her career as a model, and in August 2006, she was hired by WWE, after her participation in the WWE Diva Search competition. She spent time in Ohio Valley Wrestling and Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE’s developmental territories, till 2008, after which she was assigned to the SmackDown brand. In December 2008, Maryse captured her first title with the WWE Divas Championship, and held it for seven months, the longest reign in the championship’s history at the time, only to win it again in 2010, thus becoming the first wrestler to win it twice. In 2011, she announced plans for a clothing and jewellery line, and later began working as a realtor.

5. Lita

Born on April 14, 1975, Amy Christine Dumas, better known by her stage name/ring name Lita, is an American professional wrestler, as well as a singer. She was associated with WWE from 2000 to 2006, and has made part-time appearances with them. She was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame 2014. After her brief stint on the independent circuit and in Extreme Championship Wrestling, she was signed by World Wrestling Federation in 1999. She achieved the WWE Women’s Championship four times. During her tenure with the company she became the most popular Diva in their history. After retiring from wrestling in 2006, she formed a punk rock band named The Luchagors. She appeared oon television shows like Dark Angel, Fear Factor and The Weakest Link’s “WWF Superstars Edition” in 2002, etc. Lita started hosting a radio show called Amy’s Discordia in 2013.

6. Stacy Keibler

Born on October 14, 1979, Stacy Ann-Marie Keibler is a former professional wrestler and valet from America, as well as an actress and model. She popular, mainly for her tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a WWE Diva. She began her career as a professional wrestler, as a part of the Nitro Girls in WCW. Known as both “The Legs of WCW” and “The Legs of WWE”, because of her unusually long legs, she is the tallest WWE Diva. Keibler was also the manager of Test and Scott Steiner. She was nicknamed “Super Stacy” and was affiliated with The Hurricane and Rosey, before her departure. She participated on the second season of Dancing with the Stars, where she placed third. She has appeared on ABC show, as well as in Maxim and Stuff magazines.

7. Maria Kanellis

Born on February 25, 1982, Maria Kanellis Bennett, better known as just Maria, is a professional wrestler from America. She is popular mainly for her tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment. She works for Ring of Honor as the valet of her real-life husband Mike Bennett. She began her career as a contestant on the reality show Outback Jack in 2004, and later that year, she placed fifth in the Raw Diva Search, after which she was hired by WWE as a backstage interviewer. She began wrestling in the ring in 2005. She was featured on the cover of Playboy magazine in 2008, which was incorporated into a storyline on Raw. Her debut album Sevin Sins was released on April 13, 2010 on iTunes, and her first single was Fantasy. In 2004, she participated in the reality show, Outback Jack and made it to the final three, after which she was eliminated.

8. AJ Lee

Born on March 19, 1987, April Jeanette “AJ” Brooks, better known ring name AJ Lee, is a professional wrestler from America. Mendez began her career as Miss April by on the New Jersey independent circuit, mainly in Women Superstars Uncensored. In 2009, she was signed by WWE, and was later assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling, the developmental system of WWE. In 2012, she was featured in several storylines, like the relationships with wrestlers engaged in feuds over the world championships WWE, with a stint as the General Manager of Raw for three months. In later years, she achieved the WWE Divas Championship thrice, of which, the first reign was the longest in the history of the title, at 295 days. She was also honored as the “Diva of the Year” Slammy Award in 2012 and 2014 and declared the “Woman of the Year” for three consecutive years by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

9. Kelly Kelly

Born on January 15, 1987, Barbara Jean “Barbie” Blank, better known by her ring name Kelly Kelly, is a professional wrestler and professional wrestling valet from America, as well as a model. She is popular, mainly for her tenure with the WWE. She was in gymnastics and cheerleading in the early years of her career. She was a student of broadcast journalism, and wanted to become a television anchor, as she went on to work as a model for Venus Swimwear and Hawaiian Tropic. In 2006, Blank was signed by WWE and sent to a WWE developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling. In 2006, she debuted on the ECW brand as ‘Kelly Kelly’, assuming the character of an exhibitionist, performing a striptease, which she continued in a segment known as Kelly’s Exposé, every week on ECW. She also became the valet of her on-screen boyfriend Mike Knox. She formed Extreme Exposé with Layla and Brooke Adams.

10. Candice Michelle

Born on September 30, 1978, Candice Michelle Beckman Ehrlich, better known as Candice (Michelle), is a former WWE Diva and retired professional wrestler from America, as well as a model and actress. She is popular, mainly for her tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment. She spent several years at the beginning of her career in the industry of modeling and acting. In 2004, she was signed by, after participating in the WWE Diva Search. Outside the wrestling world, she is known as the Go Daddy Girl, featured in the annual Super Bowl commercials of the company. She was featured for a cover and nude pictorial in the April 2006 issue of Playboy. At Vengeance in 2007, she defeated Melina and won her first WWE Women’s Championship to become the first former Diva Search contestant to win a WWE title. She was released from her WWE contract.

Female wrestlers have crushed all kinds of common ideas and images about wrestlers. Mostly, when we think of wrestlers, we imagine someone who id intimidating and huge, with huge muscles and scary looks. But, the female wrestlers have maintained their femininity and charm in physical features, and have even entered the world of acting and modelling.

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Top 10 Male Swimmers of All Time

February 22, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Male Swimmers of All Time

Swimming is a water-based sport which is popular all over the world, and considered to be one of the most difficult sport to play. It is an event in the Olympic Games in which swimmers, both male and female, can participate. There are 16 recognized events each for the male and female athletes, and these are held in a 50 meter pool, which is called a long-course pool. There are officially 40 events that are recognized, but the International Olympic Committee only recognizes 32 of them. Among the Summer Olympic sports, swimming is one of the most watched, and the swimmers are among the most respected athletes in the world. As they compete in different styles, they are required to be incredibly skilled. Let us take a look at Top 10 Male Swimmers of All Time.

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Top 10 Male Swimmers of All Time

10. Johnny Weissmuller

Austro-Hungarian-American competition swimmer Johnny Weissmuller was with us from his birth on June 2, 1904 till he died on January 20, 1984. He is widely known for playing Tarzan in films of the 1930s. He also had one of the best competitive swimming records of the 20th century. Weissmuller is by far the best known Tarzan, though many other actors have also played Tarzan. He won five Olympic gold medals for swimming and one bronze medal for water polo during the 1920s. He also achieved 52 US National Championships and created fifty world records during his active swimming career. Weissmuller signed a contract as a model and representative of BVD in 1929 and later starred in six Tarzan movies for MGM. He is also known as an amateur golfer and participated in two official PGA Tour tournaments.

9. Alexander Popov

Former Russian competition swimmer Aleksandr Vladimirovich Popov was born on November 1971, and is widely regarded by many as the greatest sprint freestyle swimmers of all time. He is the only swimmer in the Olympic history to achieve four individual Olympic gold medals in freestyle events. He started training in the Fakel Sports Complex at the age of just 8 and later moved from Russia to Australia for advance training. Popov was inducted as a member of the International Olympic Committee in December 1999. He served as chairman of the RC Lokomotiv Moscow rugby league club in 2009 and is the member of the supervisory board of Adidas since May 2009. Sadly, Popov was stabbed in the abdomen with a knife a month after the Atlanta Olympics which sliced his artery and grazed one of his kidneys which he later recovered.

8. Gary Hall Jr.

Former American competition swimmer Gary Wayne Hall, Jr. was born on September 26, 1974, and is widely known for winning ten Olympic medals including five gold, three silver and two bronze while representing the United States at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics. Gary is popular for his “pro-wrestling like” antics as he frequently shadow boxing onto the pool deck in boxing shorts and robe. He with his father Gary Hall, Sr. established The Race Club to serve as a training camp for elite swimmers across the world before the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He received the Humanitarian Award in 2004 and was inducted in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in July, 2012.

7. Aaron Peirsol

Former American competition swimmer Aaron Wells Peirsol was born on July 23, 1983, and is widely known as a backstroke specialist who still holds the world record in backstroke events. He participated in three Olympic Games and won seven Olympic medals including five gold and two silver medals. Peirsol holds the world record in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke individual events. He achieved a total of 36 medals including twenty-nine gold, six silvers and a bronze medal in major international competitions such as the Olympics, the World championships, Pan American and the Pan Pacific Championships. He was debuted in the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of just 17 and achieved his first gold medal four years later at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Peirsol is now serving as an ambassador for the Global Water Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation.

6. Denis Pankratov

Retired Russian swimmer Denis Pankratov was born on 4 July 1974, and is widely known for winning the butterfly double at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. He won the event while swimming more than 25 meters of the first lap and then 15 meters in the opposite direction completely underwater which was unique in an Olympic event. He started training at the Volgograd club and achieved the Junior European Championships in the butterfly twice in 1990 and 1991 at the age of just 16. Pankratov won all three gold medals in the 1995 European Championships in Vienna. He also set world records in the 50 meter, 100 meter and 200 meter butterfly during his active swimming career. Pankratov was named the male World Swimmer of the Year twice consecutively in 1995 and 1996 by Swimming World magazine.

5. Ryan Lochte

American competitive swimmer Ryan Steven Lochte was born on August 3, 1984, and is an eleven-time Olympic medalist which includes five gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals. He achieved a total of 77 medals including 49 gold, 17 silver and 11 bronze in major international competition such as the Olympics, the World championships, Pan American and Pan Pacific Championships. Lochte holds the world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay as a part of the American national swimming team, and also holds the record in the 100-meter individual medley and200-meter individual medley. He twice received the World Swimmer of the Year Award and the American Swimmer of the Year Award and became the FINA Swimmer of the Year three times in his career.

4. Matt Biondi

American former competition swimmer Matthew Nicholas Biondi was born on October 8, 1965, and is an eleven-time Olympic medalist. He is also the former world record-holder in five different events. He participated in the Summer Olympic Games in 1984, 1988 and 1992, and achieved eight gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze during that time. He is also known for creating seven individual world records during his active swimming career. Biondi won five gold medals and created new world records in the 50-meter freestyle event at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. He received the NCAA Swimmer of the Year thrice from 1985 to 1987. He won 11 medals in two World Championships. Biondi was inducted in the United States Olympic Hall of Fame and also in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

3. Mark Spitz

American former competition swimmer Mark Andrew Spitz was born on February 10, 1950, and is a nine-time Olympic champion. He created record after winning seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He set new world records in all seven events he participated at the 1972 Munich Olympics. He achieved nine Olympic gold medals, a silver and a bronze between 1968 to 1972. Spitz also won five Pan American gold medals, 31 Amateur Athletic Union awards and eight National Collegiate Athletic Association titles during that time. He is also recognized for creating 35 world records during his active career. Spitz was named World Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World Magazine three times in 1969, 1971 and 1972. He was ranked No. 33 on ESPN SportsCentury 50 Greatest Athletes 1999. He was inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1977.

2. Ian Thorpe

Australian swimmer Ian James Thorpe born on October 1982, and specializes in freestyle. He also competes in the individual medley and backstroke. He holds the record of most medals by any Australian with five Olympic gold medals. He achieved three gold and two silver medals and became the most successful athlete at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He became the youngest male ever to represent Australia when he was just 14 years old. Thorpe became the first person to achieve six gold medals in one World Championship in the 2001 World Aquatics Championships. He won eleven World Championship gold till now which is the third-highest of any swimmer. Ian Thorpe was also the first person to be named Swimming World Swimmer of the Year a record four times. He received the Australian Swimmer of the Year award from 1999 to 2003.

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1. Michael Phelps

American swimmer Michael Fred Phelps II was born on June 30, 1985, and is the most decorated Olympian of all time. He achieved 22 medals in Olympic Games which include 18 Olympic gold medals. He also holds the record of most Olympic gold medals in individual events with 11 medals and most Olympic medals in individual events for a male with 13 medals. Phelps also created the record of most first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games during his achievement of eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games. He won a total of 77 medals which include 61 gold, 13 silver and 3 bronze medals in major international championships such as the Olympics, the World championships and the Pan Pacific Championships. Phelps was named the World Swimmer of the Year seven times and received American Swimmer of the Year Award nine times.

Swimming is a sport that is more like a performance, where there is no tool or accessory to enhance the performance. The performance of the others cannot change the game of a swimmer, unlike other sports. A swimming star is responsible for his own achievements, with no one else to give credit to or blame. These make swimming a one of a kind sport, and the swimmers, some of the greatest athletes in the world.

10 Most Entertaining Athletes in the World

February 16, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

10 Most Entertaining Athletes in the World

Sports is a part of the entertainment industry, and athletes are among the greatest of stars who, with their skill and contributions of greatest moments in the history or sports, win a special place in the hearts of the sports watchers, as they prove themselves to be among the top entertainers in the world, at par with Hollywood celebrities. Sure enough, the superstars in sports have created some of the greatest moments in the world. But, for many athletes, it is more than just these moments. Many athletes have made a place in the memories of people by being entertaining in some other ways. Be it the way they present themselves in terms of their style, or how they show their personality, they are just memorable. Let us take a look at 10 Most Entertaining Athletes in the World.

10 Most Entertaining Athletes in the World

1. Muhammad Ali

American former professional boxer Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942, as Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. and is considered the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. His career is studded with several historic boxing matches which also earned him his nickname “The Greatest”. Muhammad Ali was named “Sportsman of the Century” by Sports Illustrated. He was honored as the “Sports Personality of the Century” by the BBC. Ali is the only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion which he achieved in 1964, 1974, and 1978. He reigned as the Undisputed Heavyweight Boxing Champ between February 25, 1964 and September 19, 1964. Writer Joyce Carol Oates once stated about him that he “defines the terms of his public reputation.” Ali became the titular bearer of the Olympic Flag on July 27, 2012, at the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Bonus: Most Difficult Sports to Play

2. Alex Rodriguez

American professional baseball third baseman and shortstop Alexander Emmanuel “Alex” Rodriguez was born on July 27, 1975, and currently plays for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He got his nickname “A-Rod” and is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Rodriguez previously played for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers. He achieved All-Star 14 times, has won the American League Most Valuable Player Awards three times, and achieved ten Silver Slugger Awards and two Gold Glove Awards. He joined the Texas Rangers after the 2000 season with a $252 million contract for ten years. Rodriguez signed a new 10-year $275 million contract after the 2007 season with the Yankees. Rodriguez is also known for leading a highly controversial career due to his use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

Bonus: Top 10 Extreme Sports

3. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

American professional boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. was born on February 24, 1977, as Floyd Joy Sinclair, and is a five-division world champion. He is currently standing as an undefeated champion and achieved the world titles ten times. Mayweather achieved the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named Fighter of the Year twice by the Ring magazine in 1998 and 2007. Mayweather achieved the Fighter of the Year award by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2007. He also achieved the Best Fighter ESPY Award six times till now. Mayweather is considered by many as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. He topped the Forbes and Sports Illustrated lists of the 50 highest-paid athletes in 2012 and 2013 and again achieved the highest place in the list of Forbes in 2014.

4. Mario Balotelli

Italian footballer Mario Barwuah Balotelli was born on 12 August 1990, as Mario Barwuah, and currently plays as a striker for the Italian national team and Premier League club Liverpool. He was nicknamed Super Mario for his activity on the field and outside of it. He debuted for his national team on 10 August 2010, in a friendly match against Côte d’Ivoire. Balotelli was a member of his national team at the UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and till now played more than 30 matches for the Italian national soccer team. He was selected in Italy’s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on 1 June 2014, and scored the team’s winning goal in Italy’s opening match against England on 14 June. Balotelli for his unmatched foot skill is now considered as one of the best penalty kick takers in the world of football.

Bonus: Top 10 Highest Paying Sports

5. David Beckham

English former professional footballer David Robert Joseph Beckham was born on 2 May 1975, and played for several reputed club teams such as Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, Milan, LA Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain during his active soccer career. He is noted for his performance as a member of the England national team. Beckham was the first English player to win league titles in four different countries, England, Spain, the United States and France. He made his debut for the Manchester United at the age of just 17 in 1992, and later won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice and the UEFA Champions League in 1999. Beckham then played for the Real Madrid where he also achieved the La Liga championship. He is the first player from England to play 100 Champions League games.

Bonus: Richest Soccer Players 2015

6. Wilt Chamberlain

Former American basketball player Wilton Norman “Wilt” Chamberlain was born on August 21, 1936, and played for the San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA during his active sports career. He started playing basketball for the University of Kansas and played for the Harlem Globetrotters before appearing in the NBA. Chamberlain is the only player to achieve 100 points in a single NBA game and has the record of average more than 40 and 50 points in a season. He became the scoring leader seven times, field goal percentage leader nine times, rebounding leader eleven times and became the assists leader once during his basketball career. Chamberlain achieved the NBA championships twice and became the Most Valuable Player of the regular season four times.

Bonus: Highest Paid NBA Players 2015

7. Sean Avery

Canadian former professional ice hockey player Sean Christopher Avery was born on April 10, 1980, and played left wing for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League. He is also known for his connection with the fashion industry most notably as an intern at Vogue magazine. Avery is also popular as a model and restaurateur besides his active ice hockey career with several reputed teams. He worked with men’s fashion label Commonwealth Utilities during Fashion Week in New York City in 2009. Avery began working at advertising and creative agency Lipman in New York City after he declared his retirement in 2012. He is also known as an investor of “Twtmob” which connects users with advertisers and campaigns, and also monitors social Medias such as Twitter and Facebook.

Bonus: Highest Paid NHL Players 2015

8. Novak Djokovic

Serbian professional tennis player Novak Djokovic was born on 22 May 1987, and is the current world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals. Owing to his amazing tennis skills, he is considered as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He held the world No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings for a total of 133 weeks and achieved eight Grand Slam singles titles till now. Djokovic became the sixth male player to win three Grand Slams in a calendar year in 2011. He achieved the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 series matches consecutive 31 times and achieved eight ATP World Tour Masters 1000 series titles. Djokovic won the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year in 2011, Best Male Tennis Player ESPY Award in 2012 and achieved the ATP World Tour Player of the Year three times. He is also a recipient of the Order of St. Sava and the Order of the Star of Karađorđe.

Bonus: Highest Paid Tennis Stars 2015

9. Nick Young

American professional basketball player Nicholas Aaron “Nick” Young was born on June 1, 1985, and currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. He usually plays both shooting guard and small forward positions with his 6 feet 7 inches in height. He is quite popular with his nickname “Swaggy P” and with that he also handles his twitter account. He stated at the Lakers’ 11th Annual All-Access Event in January 2015 that it is a pseudo-biblical reference to “the Prophet of Swag”. Young recently re-signed with Lakers to a reported four-year, $21.5 million contract on July 21, 2014. Young made his season debut on November 18, 2014 against the Atlanta Hawks after he missed first ten games of the season due to his complete tear of the radial collateral ligament in his right thumb.

10. Aaron Rodgers

American football quarterback Aaron Charles Rodgers was born on December 2, 1983, and currently plays for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He played college football for the University of California and set the record of lowest single-season and career interception rates. Rodgers is the only quarterback having career passer rating of over 100.0 in the regular season and has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history at 3.96 touchdowns per interception. He was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player in the 2010 NFL season. Rodgers was named Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in 2011. He also became the league Most Valuable Player twice till now. Rodgers is also known as “The King of Photobombing” as he was noted that he was constantly in the background of every captain’s photo since 2006.

Thus, these athletes, and many more, have found their signature style to entertain the world. There are millions and millions of sports fans out there who keep their eyes on such entertaining athletes, to see what new move or style they will bring to the field.