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10 Most Famous Soccer Stadiums in the World

March 4, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

10 Most Famous Soccer Stadiums in the World

Soccer, as we know, is one of the biggest sports in the world. The sport is plated at a professional level all around the world. Millions of people regularly frequent the football stadiums to enjoy a good game of soccer as their favorite teams battle it out with opponents. The soccer stadiums have been developed from the earliest of times to have the right dimensions of the pitch based on the Laws formulated in England. The stadiums are built largely to fit in the viewers so that they can watch the matches and show their support. Here is a list of the 10 Most Famous Soccer Stadiums in the World. Let us take a quick look at them, and learn a little about these grounds.

10 Most Famous Soccer Stadiums in the World

1. Old Trafford

Old Trafford is the home of English football club Manchester United F.C. and is located in the Old Trafford area of Stretford, Greater Manchester, England. With its capacity of 75,635 spectators, it is the second-largest football stadium in the United Kingdom and also the ninth-largest soccer stadium in Europe. Old Trafford was nicknamed the “Theatre of Dreams” by Bobby Charlton. The stadium had its record audience of 76,962 visitors in the FA Cup semi-final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Grimsby Town in 1939. This ground has hosted FA Cup semi-finals and several matches of the 1966 FIFA World Cup, Euro 96 and also the 2003 Champions League Final. Old Trafford hosts annual Super League Grand Final of the rugby league and also hosted two Rugby League World Cups finals. Old Trafford hosted the football matches at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

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2. Camp Nou

The Camp Nou with its capacity of 99,354 is the largest stadium in Europe and also the fourth largest soccer stadium in the world. It is situated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and is the home of Spanish club Barcelona since 1957. Camp Nou hosted two UEFA Champions League finals and also the matches of football at the 1992 Summer Olympics. The ground hosted its first European Cup Winners’ Cup final in May 1972 between Rangers and Dynamo Moscow. This ground also witnessed the inauguration ceremony of the 1982 FIFA World Cup on 13 June and also hosted several matches of the event. Recently the board of directors of Barcelona club announced the project of remodeling the Camp Nou in January 2014 to bring its capacity up to 105,000. The work will start in 2017 and has a completion date of early 2021 with an expected project cost around £495 million.

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3. Santiago Bernabéu

The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and has been the home ground of the Spanish Club Real Madrid Club de Fútbol ever since. It has a current capacity of 81,044 spectators and is situated in Madrid, Spain. This ground is the second-largest stadium in Spain and also the second-largest home ground of a top-flight European club. Santiago Bernabéu ground was renamed in honor of their former chairman Santiago Bernabéu Yeste. The ground hosted the European Cup finals four times and also hosted the UEFA Champions League Final in 2010. Santiago Bernabéu also previously hosted the 1982 FIFA World Cup final and 1964 European Nations’ Cup final. The ground was estimated to have a construction cost of €1,732,943. A redevelopment project was announced in 2013 to increase the capacity from 81,000 to about 87,000 which will cost nearly €300 million.

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4. Allianz Arena

The Allianz Arena is considered as one of the most gorgeous stadium due to its complete exterior of inflated ETFE plastic panels and for being the world’s first stadium with a full color-changing exterior. The ground has a seating capacity of 75,024, and is located in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is the third largest soccer stadium in Germany. Allianz Arena is the home of two professional Bundesliga clubs FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München. FC Bayern Munich purchased the 50% share of the stadium from TSV 1860 München in April, 2006, for 11 million euros. Financial services giant Allianz purchased the naming rights of the stadium for 30 years. Allianz Arena was nicknamed “Schlauchboot” which stands for inflatable boat. The museum of Bayern Munich is also located inside the Allianz Arena.

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5. San Siro Stadium

The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza famously known as San Siro is the home ground of A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano of the Italian Seria A. The stadium holds the UEFA five-star stadium status. San Siro Stadium was named after Giuseppe Meazza who is a member of Internazionale and is also a two-time consecutive World Cup winner. The ground hosted the UEFA Champions League finals three times in 1965, 1970 and 2001. The Italian national soccer team also plays occasional games in this ground besides A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. The ground was actually the property of AC Milan but FC Internazionale became the tenants in 1947 and two clubs started sharing the ground ever since. San Siro Stadium will host the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League Final. The average attendances at the San Siro were 46,246 and 39,874 in the last respectively for Inter Milan and AC Milan.

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6. Anfield Stadium

Anfield soccer Stadium is the seventh largest football stadium in England and is located in Anfield, Liverpool, England. It has a current capacity of 45,276 spectators and is the home of Liverpool F.C. since their establishment in 1892. The ground was actually used as the home ground of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1891, and later they moved after a dispute over rent to Goodison Park. Two of the stadium gates are named after former Liverpool managers Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley. Recently, a construction for an extension of the Main Stand has been started on Monday, 8 December 2014, to increase the stadium capacity to around 55,000. As an interesting fact, after Manchester United were banned from playing their first two home matches at Old Trafford due to United hooligans attack into the away section at a match, Manchester United F.C. played their first home match at this stadium in the 1971-72 season.

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7. Signal Iduna Park

Signal Iduna Park is the home ground of the Borussia Dortmund football club of the German Bundesliga. The ground was originally called as Westfalenstadion and is located in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The name of the stadium has officially been changed from December 2005 to 2021, after the purchase of the naming rights by the investment company the Signal Iduna Group. The ground has a current capacity of 80,720 spectators and is the biggest stadium of Germany and also the third-largest home ground of a top-flight European club. Signal Iduna Park set the record audience with almost 1.37 million spectators in the 2011–2012 season and also has the European record in average fan attendance of 1.354 million in 2004–2005 season. The museum of Borussia Dortmund club called The Borusseum is also located inside the Signal Iduna Park stadium.

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8. Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium is a UEFA category-four stadium, and is located in Wembley Park, London, England. This ground has its current capacity of 90,000, and is the largest stadium in the United Kingdom and the second largest stadium in Europe. The ground is owned by The Football Association through their subsidiary Wembley National Stadium Ltd. HOK Sport and Foster and Partners are the designer of this stadium and was built by Australian firm Multiplex with an estimated cost of £798 million. The stadium features a partially retractable roof and the 440 feet high Wembley Arch. Wembley Stadium hosts the season-opening FA Community Shield, the finals of the Football League Cup, the Football League play-offs and the Football League Trophy. The ground also previously hosted FA Cup Final and several matches of the England national soccer team.

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9. Stade de France

The Stade de France is located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis, and is the national stadium of France. With its current all-seater capacity of 75,000, Stade de France is the sixth largest stadium in Europe. The ground is the home of both the France national football team and French rugby union team. The stadium is currently owned and operated by the Consortium Stade de France. Stade de France was built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and French legend Michel Platini recommended its name. The ground hosted the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final where France defeated Brazil 3–0 on 12 July 1998. Stade de France also hosted several matches of the 1999 Rugby World Cup, 2003 World Championships in Athletics and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The stadium hosted two UEFA Champions League finals in 2000 and 2006.

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10. Stamford Bridge

Stamford Bridge is the eighth largest ground in the Premier League with its current seating capacity of 41,798. The stadium is located in Fulham, London, and is the home ground of Chelsea F.C. The stadium is often referred to as simply The Bridge and was inaugurated in 1877. Stamford Bridge was used by the London Athletic Club Gus Mears founded Chelsea Football Club until 1905. Stamford Bridge hosted international matches for the English national team, FA Cup Finals, FA Cup semi-finals and Charity Shield games. The stadium also hosted numerous matches for various other sports event such as cricket, rugby union, greyhound racing, speedway, baseball and American football. The stadium was used as the venue of the FA Cup Final between 1920 and 1922. Stamford Bridge hosted three England matches, ten FA Cup semi-finals and ten Charity Shield matches till now. The stadium is also one of the home grounds of the representative London XI team in the original Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.

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The soccer stadiums are much more than just the ground where the matches are played and the events are held. Soccer grounds are places that witness history of the sport being made. They are places where the passionate sports fans witness such historic soccer moments being created. They are the places where the fans, in wild colours and sounds, express their joy and sorrow, all associated with one thing that binds them together: the love of soccer.

Top 10 Players with Premature End of Career

March 3, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Players with Premature End of Career

An athlete needs years of training and diligence, and several great performances to gain the position of a star in the eyes of the patrons, or be regarded as a great player with his name written in gold in the history of sports. But, however skilled they might be, they are mere mortals, to, and have no way to deal with what is on their fate. The careers of many of the players meet an untimely end. There might be several reasons for this to happen. For some, it might be a medical or physical condition that incapacitates them. Some players lose their interest in the sport and often move to other career options. The reasons are many, but the end consequence is the same: a premature retirement of a bright sports star from the industry. Let us take a look at Top 10 Players with Premature End of Career.

Top 10 Players with Premature End of Career

1. Jim Brown

James Nathaniel Brown, popularly known in the world of sports as Jim Brown, is a former American football player. He was born on February 17, 1936 in St. Simons of Georgia, and played as a running back for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He debuted for the team in 1957, and continued till 1965 until he had a premature ending to his football career. He played only for nine season in the NFL, which is an exceptional record. He is considered one of the greatest professional athletes in the history of the US, and was declared the greatest professional football player ever by Sporting News. When he retired at the age of 29, he was the NFL’s rushing leader. He acted in a western action film called Rio Conchos before the 1964 season, and entered the field of acting after the end of his sporting career, much to the frustration of Browns owner Art Modell.

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2. Björn Borg

Björn Borg is a former Swedish tennis player. He was born on June 6, 1956, in Södertälje of Sweden, and became a professional tennis player in the year 1873. After a brief but successful career, he retired in April, 1983, and had another short failed stint from 1991 to 1993. Retired when he was just 26 years old, and within that age, he had already achieved the position of the World No. 1. He achieved 11 Grand Slam singles titles, with 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles and 6 French Open titles. He is considered as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He won 41% of the Grand Slam singles tournaments in which he participated. He has several other feathers in his hat, and is the first player to have earned more than one million dollars in the form of prize money from his participation in a single season, which was in the year 1979. Yet, he surprised the world of tennis by retiring at the prime of his career, which is believed to be because his passion for tennis dwindled.

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3. Sandy Koufax

Sanford Koufax, popularly known in the world of sports as Sandy Koufax, is a retired American baseball player. He was born on December 30, 1935, in Brooklyn of New York. He was a left-handed pitcher for the Brooklyn/ Los Angeles Dodgers in the Major League Baseball. He debuted in the MLB in June 1955 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and then retired after a brief career in October 1966. In 1963, he was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player, and in 1972, he became the youngest player to ever be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame at the age of 36 years and 20 days, both of which went his way several years after his premature retirement. He was at the peak of his career when he decided upon giving up the sport, since he had a chronically arthritic left arm. Due to lack of surgical solutions for baseball players at that time, he could have lost the ability to use it.

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4. Barry Sanders

Barry Sanders is a former American football player. He was born on July 16, 1968, in Wichita of Kansas, and he played as a running back in the Detroit Lions in the National football League. He debuted in 1989 and retired in 1998. He was ranked as the most elusive runner in NFL history by NFL Top 10, topped the list of the greatest players never to reach the Super Bowl, and was also a member of both the college and professional football halls of fame. With an average of more than 1,500 rushing yards in each season, Sanders retired from the sport when he was only 1,457 yards short of holding the first place on the list of players with NFL all-time rushing records at that time. His retirement came as a shock to the entire world of sports. He retired out of frustration with the lack of success of the Lions, when he himself had neither medical conditions, nor any other problem.

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5. Magic Johnson

Earvin Johnson, Jr., popularly known as in the world of sports as Magic Johnson, is a retired American basketball player. He was born on August 4, 1959, in Lansing of Michigan, and played as the shooting guard with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. His professional career began in 1979 and continued till he retired in 1991, only to have a brief stint in the year 1996 again. He achieved a championship, as well as a NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season. In 1991, he announced his retirement, an abrupt decision, and shocked the world with the declaration that he had contracted HIV. His participation in the 1992 All-Star Game, after which he won the All-Star MVP Award, was met with protests from fellow players. He retired for 4 years, and returned in 1996, to play 32 games for the Lakers, after which he retired.

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6. Thurman Munson

Thurman Lee Munson, popularly known in the world of sports as just Thurman Munson, was an American Major League Baseball player. He was born on June 7, 1947, in Akron of Ohio, and was a catcher for the New York Yankees. His MLB debut was in the year 1969 and was a part of the season for 11 years, till his sudden demise in the year 1979. He was a perennial All-Star, and was the only Yankee to achieve not just the Rookie of the Year but also the Most Valuable Player awards. He was considered the ‘heart and soul’ of the Yankees, and became the team captain for the first time since Lou Gehrig. He led his team to three World Series appearances between 1976 and 1978, of which, the Yankees won two in 1977 and 1978. But, in 1879, he was practising landing his Cessna Citation at Akron-Canton Airport, and crashed the vehicle. He died of asphyxiation from a broken neck.

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7. Steve Prefontaine

Steve Roland Prefontaine was an American runner. He was born on January 25, 1975, in Coos Bay of Oregon. He competed in the 1972 Olympics in the middle and long-distance divisions in which he specialized. He, along with Bill Rogers, Frank Shorter and Jim Ryun, generated enough media coverage to inspire the “running boom”, i.e. he helped build the popularity of running back in the 1970s. He is still a record holder as an American for the 2,000 meter and 3 mile races. His prowess in the events of 10,000 meters, 5,000 meters, 2 miles, 1 mile and 1,500 meters led him to the Summer Olympics in the year 1972, though he was unable to win a medal there. He was also noted for his moustache and his locks. At just 24, his career was cut short by a car accident in 1975. He crashed his car, and there is a disputed theory that he was under the influence of alcohol while driving.

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8. David Duval

David Robert Duval, popularly known in the world of sports as David Duval, is a former American World No. 1 Golfer. He was born on November 9, 1971, in Jacksonville, Florida, and competed in the PGA Tour. He became a professional golfer in the year 993, and has achieved 19 victories. This quiet man ascended to the position of World No. 1 in the year 1999, and in 2001, when he was 29 years old, Duval won in the Open Championship. But, after that, his career started to plummet, as he dropped out of top 200 on the money list of PGA Tour in the year 2003. He had had to go through the sectional qualifying as well, just so that he could get a spot in the 2009 US Open, where he tied for second. There are several theories about his back and wrist problems, vertigo and personal issues to which his deteriorating performance is attributed. He declared his retirement in 2014.

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9. Andrés Escobar

Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga, popularly known in the world of sports as Andrés Escobar, was a Columbian football player. He was born on March 13, 1967, in Medellin of Columbia, and played as a defender for Atlético Nacional, BSC Young Boys, and the national football team of Colombia. He was only 27 years of age when his career, and everything else, came to a stop due to his death in the year 1994. It is sad enough when a youthful person’s dreams are shattered by death. But this, time, it was no natural death, or illness or accident that took him. Escobar was murdered. In the FIFA World Cup of 1994, Columbia faced the United States in the group stage. Escobar made the mistake of scoring own goal. Columbia got eliminated from the competition, and upon returning, he was murdered, despite his efforts to change the image of the country in the world of football.

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10. Pat Tillman

Patrick Daniel Tillman, popularly known in the world of sports as Pat Tillman, was an American football player. He was born on November 6, 1976, in Fremont of California, and he played the safety position for the Arizona Cardinals in the National Football League. He debuted for the Cardinals in the year 1998, and played for the team till 2001. Tillman was a man of principles, which is why he had the capability to turn down a 5 year contract offer of $9 million from St. Louis Rams, all out of his loyalty for the Cardinals. It was his principle that once again came in the path of his football career, because in 2002, he turned down an offer of $3.6 million over 3 years, but this time, it was the Cardinals’ offer that he refused. Having finished the 2001 season with the Cardinals, he retired from football to join the US Army, after the 9/11 attack. He died in a friendly fire incident.

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Thus, we have seen that the players have had several reasons for retiring from the game. For some, the decision was justifiable, bout for many, it was not, at least in the eyes of the fans or the teams they were a part of. Many had no choice but to retire. Whatever be the reason, it is these premature retirements have only meant one thing: the deprivation of the world of sports from some potentially great moments.

Top 10 Hitters in PGA

March 3, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Hitters in PGA

When we use the term ‘hitter’ in the context of golf, we mean a golf player “who favors a forceful, aggressive style of swing, ” as described by the PGA Golf Glossary. A hitter’s movement is less about smooth and fluid swings, and more violent to look at. A look at the driving distance stats of a golfer for the past five years will give the information about how many times he has been able to clinch a place in the top 10, and hence an idea about the skill of the longest hitters. The leaders in driving distance for the season will also help to understand the same, but, it is never enough to look at a single season, as a player can get mired or injured in the middle of it. Let us take a look at the Top 10 Hitters in PGA.

Top 10 Hitters in PGA

1. Brooks Koepka

American professional golfer Brooks Koepka was born on May 3, 1990, and played college golf at Florida State University. He achieved three events during his college days and became All-American three times. While still being an amateur, Koepka was qualified for the U.S. Open in 2012. As of the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open in Feb 01, 2015, he covered an average of 315.0 meters per shot. He covered a total of 7,560 meters in this season with 24 drives in professional tournaments. Koepka turned professional in 2012 and started playing on the Challenge Tour in Europe. He won his first major event at the Challenge de Catalunya in September, 2012, and achieved the Montecchia Golf Open in 2013. Koepka won the Waste Management Phoenix Open, his first PGA Tour event, on February 1, 2015.

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2. Tony Finau

American professional golfer Tony Finau was born on September 14, 1989, and turned professional at the age of just 17. He has college scholarship offers in basketball but later continued with Golf. Finau started participating in several mini-tours including the Gateway Tour, NGA Hooters Tour and National Pro Tour in his college days. As of the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open in Feb 01, 2015, he covered an average of 309.5 meters per shot. He covered a total of 17,334 meters this season with 56 drives in professional tournaments. Finau made seven cuts in eight starts on the PGA Tour Canada in 2013. Tony Finau earned his PGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season after he finished in the 12th position in the Web.com Tour Finals. He with his brother Gipper also competed on the Golf Channel’s The Big Break in 2009.

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3. Ryan Palmer

American professional golfer Ryan Hunter Palmer was born on September 19, 1976, and currently plays on the PGA Tour. He started playing the Nationwide Tour in 2003 and won the Clearwater Classic. Palmer finished on the 6th position on the money list to earn his 2004 PGA Tour participation. As of the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open in Feb 01, 2015, he covered an average of 308.6 meters per shot. He covered a total of 7,406 meters in this season with 24 drives in professional tournaments. Palmer achieved his PGA Tour win at the 2004 FUNAI Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort. He also achieved the Sony Open in Hawaii as his third career PGA Tour title in January 2010. Recently, he lost a sudden-death playoff at the Honda Classic in March 2014.

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4. Hiroshi Iwata

Japanese professional golfer Hiroshi Iwata was born on 31 January 1981, and currently regarded as one of the most promising golfer from Japan. The 34-year old golfer is the current world no. 74. With his listed height of 5 feet 10 inches and listed weight of 163 lb, he recently created a sensation on ground for his amazing driving skill. As of the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open in Feb 01, 2015, he covered an average of 307.5 meters per shot. He covered a total of 1,230 meters in this season with 4 drives in professional tournaments. Hiroshi Iwata turned professional in 2004 when he started participating on the Japan Golf Tour. He achieved his first victory at the Fujisankei Classic in 2014. Iwata also achieved second place at the Dunlop Phoenix Open and Token Homemate Cup in 2014.

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5. Charlie Beljan

American professional golfer Charlie Beljan was born on October 10, 1984, and currently plays on the PGA Tour. He achieved the U.S. Junior Amateur at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia, in 2002 and later also achieved the 2006 Arizona Amateur. As of the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open in Feb 01, 2015, he covered an average of 306.7 meters per shot. He covered a total of 8,587 meters this season with 28 drives in professional tournaments. Beljan turned professional in 2007 and started to participate on the Gateway Tour from 2008 to 2011. He held the first place on the money list in 2009. Beljan earned his 2012 PGA Tour entry by at the 13th place in a tie at 2011 PGA Tour Qualifying School. He achieved his first PGA tour title at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic on November 11, 2012.

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6. Morgan Hoffmann

American professional golfer Morgan Hoffmann was born on August 11, 1989, and was a member of the golf team at the Oklahoma State University for two years. He achieved the no. 1 spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in 2009. Hoffmann turned professional in 2010 and participated in his first professional major tournament at the 2012 U.S. Open where he achieved the 29th place in a tie. As of the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open in Feb 01, 2015, he covered an average of 306.7 meters per shot. He covered a total of 6,133 meters in this season with 20 drives in professional tournaments. Hoffmann played in 13 events on the Web.com Tour in 2012 and achieved 19th place on the money list which qualified him to participate in the PGA Tour.

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7. Cory Whitsett

American professional golfer Cory Whitsett replaced England’s Matthew Fitzgerald as no. 1 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking in October 2013. He helped his team to achieve the Walker Cup and made a record of 2-1-1. Whitsett achieved consecutive titles at the Linger Longer Invitational and Aggie Invitational. He was also a member of the U.S. Palmer Cup team. As of the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open in Feb 01, 2015, he covered an average of 306.7 meters per shot. He covered a total of 4,907 meters this season with 16 drives in professional tournaments. Whitsett was placed in the first position in Golf World’s 2013-14 preseason top 50 watch list. He also achieved the no. 8 spot in the 2012-13 Golfweek’s preseason top-10 individuals.

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8. Paul Casey

Professional English golfer Paul Alexander Casey was born on 21 July 1977, and currently participates in the US-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. He achieved world no. 3 position which is also his highest in 2009. Casey was the first man in the United States to win three consecutive Pac-10 Championships from 1998 to 2000. As of the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open in Feb 01, 2015, he covered an average of 306.6 meters per shot. He covered a total of 4,293 meters this season with 14 drives in professional tournaments. Paul Casey won his 13th European Tour title in September 2014 at the KLM Open in the Netherlands. He recently declared that he will only focus on the PGA Tour to minimize his travel to get better performance.

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9. Patrick Rodgers

American professional golfer Patrick Rodgers was born on 30 June 1992, and considered as one of the promising golfer of recent times with his listed height of 6 feet 2 inches and listed weight of 165 lb. He played amateur golf during his days at the Stanford University and later turned professional in 2014. As of the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open in Feb 01, 2015, he covered an average of 306.0 meters per shot. He covered a total of 7,343 meters in this season with 24 drives in professional tournaments. Rodgers was named 1st team Ping All-Americans by College Golf Association of America for three consecutive seasons. He achieved Stanford’s highest award, the Al Masters Award, in 2014 as the top athlete. Rodgers achieved Ben Hogan Award as nation’s finest golfer in 2014.

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10. Brendan Steele

American professional golfer Brendan Steele was born on April 5, 1983, and currently participates on the PGA Tour. He played college golf at the University of California. Brendan turned professional in 2005 and started to participate in the Golden State Tour which he won four times. He also participated in the Canadian Tour in 2006 and 2007. As of the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open in Feb 01, 2015, he covered an average of 305.7 meters per shot. He covered a total of 14,675 meters this season with 48 drives in professional tournaments. Steele started playing on the Nationwide Tour in 2008 and won the final event of the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island in 2010. He achieved his first PGA Tour event at the Valero Texas Open on April 17, 2011. His amazing performance placed him in the 19th place in the FedEx Cup standings.

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A detailed study of the golfer’s stats helps to understand and rank the best hitters in the PGA Tour. By the end of 2015, the whole ranking may just change, based on the performances of these golfers and the others during the ongoing season. We only have to wait and watch to find out if the players’ ranks change, or if they get replaced by other golfers who are not on this list.

Top 10 Female Swimmers of All Time

March 3, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Female Swimmers of All Time

Swimming is one of the biggest and the most popular events in the Summer Olympics. There are 16 recognized events in swimming foe each male and female swimmers at the Olympics, although officially, 40 swimming events are recognizable. Swimmers are among the highest medal winners at the Olympics for their nations. This holds true for female swimmers, as well. Just like male swimmers, female swimmers, too, have to put in a huge deal of energy and time into practice and physical fitness. They wish to give the best they can, because this is one sport where the athletes are responsible completely for their own achievements or failures, and cannot have other athletes’ performances influence theirs in any way. Let us take a look at the Top 10 Female Swimmers of All Time.

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Top 10 Female Swimmers of All Time

10. Leisel Jones

Australian former competition swimmer Leisel Marie Jones was born on 30 August 1985, and is an Olympic gold medallist. She debuted at the 2000 Summer Olympics when she was just 15 years old. She achieved the gold medal in the 100 meter breaststroke event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She was selected to compete at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London on 17 March 2012, and became the first Australian swimmer to participate at four Olympic Games. Jones was named Female World Swimmer of the Year in 2005 by Swimming World magazine. She became the face of the World Animal Protection Australia & New Zealand in 2009 for anti-whaling campaign. She announced her retirement on 16 November 2012. Jones appeared in the Australian version of “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” in 2015.

9. Inge de Bruijn

Dutch former swimmer Inge de Bruijn was born on 24 August 1973, and is a four-time Olympic champion. Bruijn is also a former world record holder and was nicknamed “Invincible Inky”. She made her debut at the World Aquatics Championships in January 1991 where she achieves a bronze medal. She then achieves the gold medal at the European LC Championships the same year in August. Bruijn made her Olympic debut at the 1992 Summer Olympics. She achieved gold medals in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle and the 100 m butterfly in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney while setting world records in all three events. Bruijn was named Female World Swimmer of the Year twice consecutively in 2000 and 2001 by the Swimming World. She is the second most successful Dutch Olympian of all time.

8. Kornelia Ender

Former East German swimmer Kornelia Ender was born on 25 October 1958, and became the first woman swimmer to win four gold medals at a single Olympic Games at the 1976 Summer Olympics all in world record times. She won her first Olympic medals at the 1972 Olympics in Munich at the age of just 13. She broke 32 world records in individual events over the next following years of her debut in professional swimming. She created controversy regarding the illegal use of steroids in 1976 when she started to exhibits symptoms like deep voice and overdeveloped body. She was married for four years to multiple Olympic champion Roland Matthes and is now married to former East German track and field athlete Steffen Grummt.

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7. Dawn Fraser

Australian champion swimmer Dawn Fraser was born on 4 September 1937, and is one of only three swimmers to achieve the same Olympic event three times in a row which she did in the event of 100 meters freestyle. She is also known as a former politician. Fraser achieved a total of eight Olympic medals which include four gold medals. She also achieved six Commonwealth Games gold medals and held 39 records in her active career as a professional swimmer. She held the record of 100 meters freestyle from 1 December 1956 to 8 January 1972. She became the first female swimmer to cover meters freestyle under a minute in October 1962. Fraser was named Australian of the Year in 1964 and became a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1967. Fraser was named Australian Female Athlete of the Century by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

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6. Natalie Coughlin

Former American competition swimmer Natalie Coughlin Hall was born on August 23, 1982, and is a twelve-time Olympic medalist. She became the first woman to cover 100 meter backstroke under a minute just ten days before her 20th birthday in 2002. Coughlin became the first U.S. female athletic history to achieve six medals in one Olympiad at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She is also the first female swimmer to achieve 100 meter backstroke gold in two consecutive Olympiad. Coughlin is one of the only three women to achieve a total of twelve Olympic medals by an American woman. She also participated in Dancing with the Stars season 9 with season 1 professional champion Alec Mazo. Natalie Coughlin appeared in the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

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5. Krisztina Egerszegi

Former Hungarian competition swimmer Krisztina Egerszegi was born on 16 August 1974, and is one of the greatest Hungarian Olympic champions of all time. She is a former world record holding swimmer and a five time Olympic champion in three Olympic Games. She made her debut at the age of just 13 in the 1987 European Aquatics Championships. Egerszegi won three individual gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics and became the only female athlete to achieve that feat. She is also the first and the only female swimmer to achieve 5 individual Olympic gold medals. Egerszegi is considered by many as the greatest female backstroke swimmer of all-time. She was inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2001. Egerszegi became the Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year a record seven times and became the Female World Swimmer of the Year three times.

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4. Amy Van Dyken

Former American competition swimmer Amy Deloris Van Dyken was born on February 15, 1973, and is a former world record holder in swimming. She is also an Olympic champion winning six Olympic gold medals in her career. She achieved four medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics and became the most successful athlete at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Dyken is also known as a national radio sports talk show co-host. She suffered from severe asthma in her childhood and advised to start swimming by her doctor to strengthen her lungs. Dyken won numerous awards for her contributing in swimming, which include the ESPY Female Athlete of the Year award, Swimming World magazine’s female Swimmer of the Year award and Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award. Dyken was also inducted in the list of Top 10 Women of the Year by the Glamour magazine.

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3. Kristin Otto

Former German Olympic swimming champion Kristin Otto was born on 7 February 1966, and was widely known as the first woman to achieve six gold medals at a single Olympic Games which she did at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. She is also the first woman to cover 100 meter backstroke under a minute which she did at the meet at Indiana University in 1983. She competed in her first world championships when she was just sixteen years old at the 1982 World Aquatics Championships and achieved the gold medal in the 100 meter backstroke event. Otto is currently working as a sports reporter for German television after her retirement from active sports in 1989. She was named the Female World Swimmer of the Year thrice till now by the Swimming World magazine.

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2. Dara Torres

Former American competition swimmer Dara Grace Torres was born on April 15, 1967, and is a twelve-time Olympic medalist. She also held the world record-holder in three different events of swimming. She is the only swimmer in history to participate in five Olympic Games as a member of the United States team and also became the oldest swimmer to be inducted on the U.S. Olympic team at age 41. Torres won five medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics and won silver medals in all three events she participated at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Torres won at least one medal in each of the five Olympics she ever participated in her active swimming career. She is also the first elite swimmer to be appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in the 1994 edition. Dara Torres was inducted in the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

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1. Jenny Thompson

Former American competition swimmer Jennifer Beth Thompson was born on February 26, 1973, and is regarded as one of the most decorated Olympians in history. She won twelve medals which include eight gold medals. She first won the 50-meter freestyle at the Pan American Games in 1987 when he was just 14 years old. Thompson achieved her first world championship in 1991. Besides her international appearances, she also swam for the Stanford Cardinal swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association. Thompson received the Honda Sports Award in 1995 as the outstanding college female swimmer of the year. She was named as the Female World Swimmer of the Year in 1998 by Swimming World Magazine and also became the Female American Swimmer of the Year thrice in her career.

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When it comes to Olympic medals, swimmers contribute to the earning of a large percentage of the medals won by a nation. These athletes, including the female swimmers, have to be fit and healthy, and always at their best game. Naturally, it is one of the most popular sports. The female swimmers, who also bring home several medals, are among the most popular female sports stars in the world.

Top 10 Female Badminton Players of All Time

March 2, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Female Badminton Players of All Time

Badminton is an extremely popular racquet sport, played all over the world. It is played using a feathered cock, whose speed and direction are largely influenced by the wind if played outside, which is why, at a competitive level, this sport is played indoors. However, since it is very often played as a recreational activity among non-professional player, it is often played outdoors, as well. Badminton requires incredible physical and mental skills, as well as diligence on the athlete’s part to develop such skills. It is not only exceptionally popular among male athletes, but is played with equal fervor by female players as well. Let us take a look at the list of Top 10 Female Badminton Players of All Time.

Top 10 Female Badminton Players of All Time

1. Zhang Ning

Retired Chinese female professional badminton player Zhang Ning was born on 19 May 1975 in Jinzhou, Liaoning, China, and is widely regarded by many as the greatest female badminton player of all time. She achieved the Olympic gold medal twice at the women’s singles event in both 2004 and 2008, and became the only female player to win two consecutive Olympic singles gold medals. Zhang Ning represented China in Uber Cup from 1994 to 2006. She achieved the French Open in 1994, Swedish Open in 1996, Malaysia Open in 1998, Singapore Open in 2001 and Korea Open in 2002. Zhang Ning Also achieved the title of World Badminton Grand Prix and Copenhagen Masters in 1998 and became the winner of the Asian Championships in 2001. She won a silver medal at the 1998 All-England Championships and won a bronze at the 2001 IBF World Championships.

2. Gao Ling

Chinese female professional badminton player Gao Ling was born on March 14, 1979, in Wuhan, Hubei; China, and is regarded by many as the most successful doubles players in the women’s badminton history. She achieved nine medals in total which includes four gold medals at the BWF World Championships. She and her partner Zhang Jun achieved gold medals in mixed doubles event twice consecutively in 2000 and 2004 Olympics. Gao Ling achieved a total of four Olympic badminton medals which is the most by any female player. She won the women’s doubles titles consecutive six times at the All-England Championships from 2001 to 2006. Gao Ling is also the pioneer member of the world champion Chinese Uber Cup team since 2000.

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3. Wang Yihan

Chinese female professional badminton player Wang Yihan was born on January 18, 1988 in Shanghai, and is a former world champion in the women’s singles event. She started her badminton training under her coach Wang Pengren at the age of just nine and selected for the junior team in 2004. She was promoted to the Chinese senior team in 2006 and started to represent her country in major championships. Wang Yihan achieved both the Asian Junior championship and the World Junior Championships in 2006. She achieved the Badminton World Cup in 2006 and the Russian Opens in 2007. She achieved a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics in the Women’s singles event. Wang Yihan recently achieved two gold medals at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games in Women’s singles and Team event.

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4. Han Aiping

Retired Chinese female professional badminton player Han Aiping was born on April 22, 1962, and is considered by many as one of the greatest female badminton players of all time. She with her doubles partner Li Lingwei dominated international badminton for most of the decade during 1980s. The duo also led Chinese teams to victory in Uber Cup and won the IBF World Championships twice each. Han Aiping achieved two gold medals in singles and another in women’s doubles at the World Championships. She also won a silver medal in both singles and doubles event of the World Championships. She achieved the singles and doubles event twice each at the Hong Kong Open. Han Aiping was inducted in the Badminton Hall of Fame in 1998.

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5. Gu Jun

Retired Chinese female professional badminton player Gu Jun was born on January 3, 1975 in Wuxi, Jiangsu, and is widely regarded by many as the greatest female badminton player of 1990s. She with her partner Ge Fei dominated the women’s doubles events in all the major championships from the mid-1990s to their retirement after the 2000 Olympics. They achieved more than thirty top tier international championships which include two IBF World Championships and two Olympic competitions. The duo also led China to regain the Uber Cup in 1998 and retain the same in 2000. Gu Jun with her partner defeated Huang Nanyan and Yang Wei from China and won the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She achieved the World Grand Prix six times from 1994 to 1999. Gu Jun was inducted in the World Badminton Hall of Fame in 2008.

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6. Li Lingwei

Retired Chinese female professional badminton player Li Lingwei was born on January 4, 1964 at Lishui, Zhejiang, and was the most dominant force in female badminton in 1980s. She is considered by many as one of the greatest player in the history of the women’s badminton and particularly noted for court coverage and net play. She with her partner Han Aiping achieved the IBF World doubles in 1985 and also led the biennial Uber Cup competitions. She won two gold medals in the women’s singles event and one in women’s doubles event at the World Championships. Li Lingwei with her partner Han dominated most of the 1980s in women’s badminton. Li Lingwei was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee in July 2012. She was inducted in the Badminton Hall of Fame in 1998.

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7. Mia Audina

Retired Chinese- Indonesian female professional badminton player Mia Audina Tjiptawan was born on 22 August 1979, and also later represented the Netherlands in international championships besides representing Indonesia in the world championships. She became a part of the Uber Cup team of Indonesia at the age of just fourteen and started to get attention for his exceptionally mobility and flexibility on court. She achieved the silver medal twice in the singles event of the 1996 and 2004 Olympics. Mia Audina won a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2003. She won the USA open in 1996, Singapore Open in 1997, Japan Open twice in 1997 and 2004, Indonesia Open in 1998, Korea Open in 2003, the Netherlands Open twice in 2001 and 2002, Switzerland Open in 2002 and Taiwan open twice in 2000 and 2003.

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8. Saina Nehwal

Indian female professional badminton player Saina Nehwal was born on 17 March 1990 in Hisar, Haryana, and achieved her career best ranking of World Number 2 by Badminton World Federation in December 2010. She is currently coached by former Indian badminton champion U. Vimal Kumar and plays for the Hyderabad Hotshots in Indian Badminton League. She achieved the Bronze medal at the London Olympics 2012 and became the first Indian to win a medal at the Olympics in Badminton. She is also the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament which she achieved twice in Indonesia Open on 21 June 2009 and again in China Open Super Series in November, 2014. Saina achieved the India Open Grand Prix Gold Tournament on 26 January 2014 and again achieved the same in 2015 India Open Grand Prix Gold.

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9. Wang Xin

Chinese female professional badminton player Wang Xin was born on November 10, 1985 in Shenyang, Liaoning, and was a former World No 1 women’s singles player. She achieved her career best ranking of World Number 1 by Badminton World Federation in September, 2010. Wang Xin achieved a silver medal in 2010 Paris World Championships and a bronze medal in 2011 London World Championships in the Women’s singles event. She also led his national team to win the 2012 Wuhan Uber Cup. Wang Xin achieved the gold medal in the 2011 Qingdao Sudirman Cup in team event. She won the gold medal in Women’s team event and the silver medal in Women’s singles event at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.

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10. Susi Susanti

Retired Indonesian female professional badminton player Lucia Francisca Susi Susanti famously known as just Susi Susanti was born on 11 February 1971 in Tasikmalaya, West Java, and widely regarded by many as one of the most successful players in the history of Women’s Badminton. She achieved the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in the women’s singles event. Susanti won the All-England Cup four times in 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994. She achieved the title of World Badminton Grand Prix consecutive five times from 1990 to 1994 anad again in 1996. Susanti won the IBF World Championships in 1993. She was also the pioneer member of the Uber Cup winning Chinese national team in 1994 and 1996. Susanti was inducted in the International Badminton Federation Hall of Fame in May 2004.

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Badminton is an event in the Olympic Games, as is an important sport that contributes to achieving medals, and it is not just male players who win such medals, but female players, too. In fact, all the major tournaments have events for women, alongside male players, where they display excellent gameplay.