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Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men

March 18, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men

Women have been taking on the world of sports for a long time now. Most sports have separate events for men and women. It is hardly seen that a woman competes in a man’s game against male competitors, except in some rare sports like car racing. However, down the history of sports, it has been seen that many women have dared to challenge men. Many of such players have done so in the earlier times because at that time, women were not even considered eligible to participate in sports, and to prove themselves they had to compete with men. Now, since the men’s teams often get more attention than the female teams, and it is kind of a subtle idea that the men’s teams are much stronger than the women’s, some female athletes have proven themselves strong enough to be at par with men. Let’s take a look at the Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men.

Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men

10. Katie Hnida

Katharine Anne Hnida, popular by her nickname, Katie, is a football player who is noted as one of the famous female athletes who competed against men in football. Born on May 17, 1981, This American footballer is an accomplished placekicker, who competed in an NCAA Division I-A game, which is the highest level of college football. Though she is not the first woman to play in one, she is the first to score points in it and is one of the Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men. She kicked 2 extra points for the University of New Mexico Lobos in 2003. She was the third woman to score in college football. She was also the second woman to dress for a Division I-A game and the first to do so for a bowl game. She also played for the University of Colorado, before she transferred to the University of New Mexico. After her success in college football, she was invited to join the Colorado Buffaloes football team as a walk-on freshman placekicker, and she suited up for the games, but due to health issues, she could not compete for a roster spot.

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9. Julie Krone

SD-JulieKrone-1 — Top 10 Female Athletes who challenged Men

Julieann Louise Krone, known by her nickname Julie, is a retired jockey, and is reputed as one of the top female athlete who competed against men. Born on July 24, 1963, in Michigan, US, she became the first ever woman to achieve the Triple Crown race, as she bagged the Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair which was her biggest win. She had grown up as a show horse rider, after which she made her debut as a professional thoroughbred jockey in the year 1981, and captured her first victory just 2 week later. Throughout her career as a jockey, during which she achieved 3704 wins, she retired and un-retired several times. After her first retirement in 2000, she was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame for her performances while being one of the Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men.

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8. Manon Rhéaume

SD-ManonRhéaume-1 — Female Athletes who Competed against Men – Top 10

Manon Rhéaume is an ice hockey player who is noted as the first and only female player to play in the National Hockey League, as she appeared in the 1992 preseason exhibition game for the Tampa Bay Lighning as it marked the first appearance of a woman in a professional sporting event for men in any major league. Born on February 24, 1972 in Canada, she plays as a goaltender, and has clinched a number of historic firsts in her ice hockey career and is also one of the Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men. For Trois-Rivières Draveurs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, she became the first woman to play in the Junior A hockey game for men in 1991-92 season. In 1992, she was the first woman to appear in a regular season professional game in the International Hockey League for the Atlanta Knights.

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7. Jackie Tonawanda

SD-JackieTonawanda-1 — 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men

Jackie Tonawanda, who was born as Jackie Garrett, is often dubbed as the Female Ali, and is one of the greatest female boxer of all time. Born on September 4, 1933 in the New York, USA, she is one of the most famous female athletes who competed against men. She was a pioneer heavyweight boxer in the 1970s and 1980s. As a child, she grew up watching the sport of boxing, but at that domain, there were no women boxers in the scenario and eventually became one of the Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men. In 1975, she sued the New York State Athletic Commission over their refusal to allow women to fight. She won the case, and is thus responsible for women’s boxing event. Her notable match was in 1975 at Madison Square as she took on kickboxer Larry Rodania and knocked him out. She has had several other achievements in this sport.

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6. Billy Jean King

SD-BillyJeanKing-1 — One of the Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men

Billie Jean King is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player, and one of the most famous female athletes who competed against men. Born on November 22, 1943 in California, USA, she is noted for her iconic competition which is often dubbed as the Battle of the Sexes. She was not looking to fight men, and she only looked to earn respect by playing tennis, but as a response to Bobby Riggs’ challenging comments towards female tennis players, she accepted the invitation to play against him in 1973. In front of 30,000 people, she defeated Riggs in straight sets of 6-4, 6-3 and 6-3. Her achievements include 39 Grand Slam titles which helped her to become one of the Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men. She won the singles title at the inaugural WTA Tour Championships. She is still considered one of the best among tennis players, male and female alike.

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5. Lottie Dod

SD-LottieDod-1 — Female Athletes who Competed against Men – List

Charlotte Dod, known by her nickname Lottie, was most successful in tennis, though she was also accomplished in other sports like field hockey, archery, golf and winter sports. Born on 23 September, 1871, she is one of the earliest women to challenge male athletes in many different sports, and win many against them. In 1896, she took the St. Moritz Men’s Skating Test, and became the second woman ever to pass it. She was known for winning matches against male tennis players which lead her to become one of the Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men. But her biggest accomplishments are her five Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Championship wins. Her first win came when she was only 15, in the year 1887. She also won the British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship, and the achieved a silver medal in archery at the 1908 Summer Olympics.

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4. Jackie Mitchell

SD-JackieMitchell-1 — Female Athletes who Competed against Men – Best 10

Virne Beatrice Mitchell Gilbert, known by her nickname, Jackie, was a baseball player, and one of the first female pitchers in the history of professional baseball. Born on August 29, 1913 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, she is one of the most notable of female athletes to compete against men and occupies the 4th place in our list of Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men. In an exhibition game against the New York Yankees, she pitched for the Chattanooga Lookouts Class AA minor league baseball team, and caught attention as she struck out the famous Babe Ruth, followed by Lou Gehrig. This came as a big surprise as from the point of view of the team, she was just a publicity stunt. Her contract was soon voided, and women were declared unfit to compete with men. She played, often donning a false beard, for a men’s team, House of David, till she was 23.

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3. Madge Syers

SD-MadgeSyers-1 — List of Female Athletes who Competed against Men

Florence Madeline Syers, known by her nickname, Madge, was a figure skater, noted for bringing about a change in the sports. Born on 16 September 1881 in the UK, she is considered one of the most successful female athletes who competed against men. She became the first woman to ever compete in the World Figure Skating Championships in the year 1902, and she managed to clinch a silver medal in the competition against men in an all-male event. Her success led the International Skating Union to create a separate ladies’ championship and she became one of the Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men. Syers emerged victorious in the first two ladies’ events in 1906 and 07, as well as the 1908 Summer Olympics, the first one to include figure skating. As a pair-skater with her husband, Edgar, she won bronze at the 1908 Olympics.

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2. Danica Patrick

SD-DanicaPatrick-1 — Hottest of all Female Athletes who Competed against Men

Danica Sue Patrick, commonly known as just Danica Patrick, is an auto race driver, though she is also a model and advertising spokeswoman. Born on March 25, 1982, in Wisconsin, US, she is known to routinely compete against men directly, because car racing is the only major sport where men and women compete against each other, and Patrick is the most visible racer right now. In fact, she is noted to confidently compete against beau and fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. She is considered the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing as the only woman to win in the IndyCar eries, with her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300. She has several other feathers to her hat, making her one of the most famous female athletes in the list of Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men.

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1. Babe Zaharias

SD-BabeZaharias-1 — Female Athletes who Competed against Men – The Best

Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias, known by her nickname, Babe, was most successful in golf, basketball and track and field, though she also played other sports like baseball, softball, etc. Born on June 26, 1911, in Texas, US, she is noted as one of the earliest women to compete against men and leave a mark. In 1938, she competed in a Professional Golfers’ Association tournament called the Los Angeles Open, though she missed the cut. In 1945, she became the first woman to make a cut as she competed against men. But, competing against men was not her only achievement. Besides 48 golf titles, she had a gold medal in the Olympics in hurdles and javelin throw and a silver medal in high jump. She led her team to an AAU Basketball Championship win in 1931 and is one the top spot in our list of Top 10 Female Athletes who Competed against Men.

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In an age when gender equality is on the agenda of all sports associations all over the world, it is likely that the demarcations between male and female teams will soon go away. Whether or not men and women should compete on the same standards against each other is a subject of nuanced discussions. For the time being, we salute the women who have broken all barriers and dared to challenge their male counterparts.

Top 10 Female Motorcycle Racers

March 13, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Female Motorcycle Racers

There are some things for which the world deems women unfit. These may not always be big, but are just ways in which women are stereotypes. Women have been to the space ad back, and they fly airplanes, but all hell breaks loose when women are seen riding a bike. Bikes or motorcycles are considered strictly a man’s sport. It is almost expected that if women ever do venture into the sport, they should be butch and unfeminine. But, here is the list of Top 10 Female Motorcycle Racers. Let’s take a look at how these women have broken all kinds of stereotypes, and succeeded in the field of motorcycle racing. Let us take a look at these women and their achievements.

Top 10 Female Motorcycle Racers

1. Ana Carrasco

Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer Ana Carrasco Gabarrón was the first female rider to achieve points in the Moto3 class of the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2013. He is also the first female rider to achieve points since 2001 in any class. She participated in 17 races for KTM at Moto3 class in 2013 and appeared in 14 races more for the same company in 2014. Carrasco won the title of the Extremeña 125cc class. The Copa de España 2T and the Murcia 125cc class in 2009. She became the first female rider to achieve points in the CEV 125 Championship in 2011 and became the first female rider to be promoted to the Moto3 format in the same competition. Carrasco participated at the Moto3 class with the RW Racing GP outfit in 2014 and then started to ride for the RBA Racing Team with a KTM in 2015 besides Gabriel Rodrigo and Niklas Ajo.

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2. Jenny Tinmouth

English motorcycle racer Jennifer Rosanne Tinmouth is the current female record holder in the Isle of Man TT for lap timing. She achieved the Guinness World Record as she sets a new record in her first ever TT in 2009 and eventually broke the record during her second TT in 2010. She achieved an average lap speed of 119.945 mph thus creating another Guinness World Record in 2010. Tinmouth is the first and the only female rider to participate in the British Superbike Championship. She currently rides for her own team Two Wheel Racing in the British Superbike Championship since 2013 with the support from Manx Glass & Glazing Ltd. She is also the first British female rider to participate at the World Supersport. Tinmouth received The Women’s International Film and Television Showcase International Visionary Awards ‘IT Girl’ in 2012.

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3. Katja Poensgen

German motorcycle racer Katja Poensgen is the only female rider to score a point at the Road Racing World Championship in the 250 cc class. She first achieved the fourteenth place in the 205 cc class at the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello in 2001. She started her racing career while participating in the ADAC Junior Cup at the Nürburgring in 1993 and won the junior cup besides being named as the “ADAC Junior Athlete of the Year” in 1995. Poensgen achieved 6th place on Suzuki in the Superstock Championship in 2002 and scored 2 points in the 250 cc class at the Road Racing World Championship in 2001. She participated in the 7108 kilometer long Transsyberia Rally for the Suzuki team in 2007 and achieved 15th place overall. Poensgen achieved the runner-up in the 2012 E-Bike World.

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4. Gina Bovaird

Former American motorcycle racer Gina Bovaird is regarded as a pioneer female rider ahead of her time and is the first and only female rider to participate in the 500 cc class of the motorcycle world championship. She participated in the well-known American race Daytona 200 at the Daytona International Speedway in 1979 and broke the record for the fastest newcomer for her average speed of 228 kilometres per hour. Bovaird rides a white Yamaha TZ 500 that bore no advertising at the moto-race in Brands Hatch in 1980. She drove the MBA 125 at the Grand Prix of Germany in Hockenheim. Even after the Japanese factory teams were boycotted at the Grand Prix of France in Nogaro in 1982, they managed to provide their Yamaha TZ 500 for Bovaird for the grid which she later resigned.

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5. Maria Costello

British motorcycle racer Maria Costello held the Guinness World Record for being the fastest female rider at the Isle of Man TT with her average lap speed of 114.73 mph until Jenny Tinmouth surpassed the achievement at the 2009 TT. She is the first female rider to stand on the podium at the Isle of Man MGP 2005 after she rides her RLR Motorsports Honda RVF400. She achieved third place in the Ultra Lightweight category in the Manx Grand Prix in 2005 while riding her RLR Motorsports Honda RVF400 and became the first female rider ever to take a podium finish. Costello was named BBC Northampton Sports Personality of the Year in 2005 and was nominated for the East Midlands Sports Personality of the Year award in the same year. Costello received the Outstanding Achievement Award twice from the EMRA in 2002 and 2004.

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6. Beryl Swain

Former female motorcycle road racer Beryl Swain was there with us from her birth on 22 January 1936 till she died on 15 May 2007. She was the first female rider to compete in one of the world’s most famous closed public road races “TT race” on the perilous Isle of Man TT. She created sensation in the male-dominated racing world but sadly her international license was later revoked due to the perception of the sport being too dangerous for women. Her participation created so much attention that the authority banned female entrants until 1978. In 1962, the 50 cc event was included in the Island’s program which carried World Championship points and Beryl Swain achieved the 22nd place on a 50 cc Itom at the Mountain circuit Race on that same year. She married a motorcycle shop owner Edwin Swain in 1958.

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7. Inge Stoll

Former female German motorcycle racer Ingeborg Stoll-Laforge was there with us from her birth on 11 February 1930 till she died on 15 May 2007 in an accident on the track. She started competing as a female passenger with sidecar driver Jacques Drion and achieved the title of French Sidecar Championship twice in 1952 and 1954. The duo participated in the World Sidecar Championship from 1952 to 1957. She became the first female rider to participate in the 1954 Isle of Man TT Race. The sidecar outfit of their bike hit a fence and turned over on a right-hand corner on the penultimate lap while Drion and Inge Stoll held the 2nd place at the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix in 1958. The incident immediately took the life of Inge Stol and Jacques Drion also died after he was admitted to hospital.

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8. Taru Rinne

Former Finnish motorcycle racer Taru Rinne was the first female rider to score points in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. She started her career in kart racing and competed against Formula One drivers Mika Häkkinen, Mika Salo and Jyrki Järvilehto, and won the Finnish Karting Championship in 1979 in the 85cc class. She made her debut on the bikes at the Road Racing World Championship which is now known as the MotoGP in 1988. Rinne qualified with the second place and eventually achieved seventh place overall at Hockenheim in 1989 for the 125cc class. She received a letter from Bernie Ecclestone after she met with an accident at Paul Ricard which stated female riders are no longer allowed to compete in the series. The letter ended her career at top-level and Rinne described that letter as the biggest disappointment of her life.

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9. Elena Rosell

Female motorcycle racer Elena Rosell was the first female rider to participate in the Moto2 class. She made her debut in the circuit as the alternative of injured Julián Simón in 2011 at the Assen circuit. She was eventually invited to race as a wildcard by Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez and secured 33rd and 25th place respectively at the Aragon and Valencia GPs. Elena Rosell raced for the Aspar sponsored Team Laglisse in the last three rounds of the CEV Moto2 Championship. She made history after joining the QMMF Racing Team and became the first female rider to race full time in the Moto2 World Championship class in 2012. She appeared in 2 races for Suter at Moto2 class in 2011 and then made her participation in 17 races for Moriwaki and Speed Up in 2012. Rosell achieved 23rd position in the 2012 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix and her career’s best 19th position in the 2012 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix.

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10. Tomoko Igata

Japanese former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer Tomoko Igata is one of the very few female racers to participate at Grand Prix level over the course of racing Championships history. She competed at the All Japan Road Race Championship in the 125cc class from 1991 to 1993 and secured her place among top10 in every race she participated during that time. Igata made her Grand Prix debut as a wild card entry riding a Suzuki in 1992 and created media sensation while achieving 20th place at the treacherous wet track. She signed a full time contract with the FCC Technical Sports team for riding a Honda RS125 at the 125cc World Championship since 1994. She, immediately after joining the team, scored two points at the first race in Australia. Tomoko Igata achieved her career best 7th place finish at the Czech Grand Prix in 1995.

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These women have taken up an area of sport that is absolutely dominated by men. They have broken down all clichés, and have made sure that as women who are into motorcycle racing, they are not typecast as butch or in any way. These women have done exceedingly well in motorcycle racing, and have done so by being themselves. Sports fans are hopeful that more and more women will be seen on the tracks in the future.

Basketball Players Hall of Fame 2015

March 9, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Basketball Players Hall of Fame 2015

The fan world of basketball has seen some amazing players last season showing their breathtaking skills on the basketball field while playing games full of adrenaline in front of a huge crowd. Starting from the recent legendary players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant till the rookies of last season, all the players of each team tried their best while showing their shooting skills with the ball to achieve a special place in the hearts of the fans and also to achieve great height of success as the legendary Michael Jordan or Karim Abdul Jabbar did in the past. Our team tracked all the statistics of the players of each team while choosing this year’s hall of fame. Some important statistics like total points scored in the season, assist-to-turnover ratio and NBA efficiency rating also played a key role while selecting the inductees of the hall of fame. Many players scored huge points throughout the last season of NBA and established themselves as the hall of famers, so here is the Basketball Players Hall of Fame 2015.

Basketball Players Hall of Fame 2015

1. Kevin Durant

American basketball small forward and power forward Kevin Durant plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. He played a total of 3122 minutes in 81 games in the last season of NBA while scoring 2593 points and made 849 field goals in 1688 field goal attempts with the field goal percentage of 50.3. He made a total of 192 three-point field goals out of 491 three-point field goal attempts with the three-point field goal percentage of 39.1. Durant made 703 free throws out of 805 free throw attempts with the percentage of 87.3. He also reached a total of 598 rebounds out of which 58 are offensive, and 540 are defensive rebounds. He made a total of 445 assists and 285 turnovers with 103 steals and 59 blocks and made 174 personal fouls. Durant obtained assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.56, steal-to-turnover ratio of 0.36 and achieved 2572 NBA efficiency rating.

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2. Carmelo Anthony

American basketball small forward and power forward Carmelo Anthony plays for the New York Knicks of the NBA. He played a total of 2982 minutes in 77 games in the last season of NBA while scoring 2112 points and made 743 field goals in 1643 field goal attempts with the field goal percentage of 45.2. He made a total of 167 three-point field goals out of 415 three-point field goal attempts with the three-point field goal percentage of 40.2. Anthony made 459 free throws out of 541 free throw attempts with the percentage of 84.8. He also reached a total of 622 rebounds out of which 145 are offensive, and 477 are defensive rebounds. He made a total of 242 assists and 198 turnovers with 95 steals and 51 blocks and made 224 personal fouls. Anthony achieved assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.22, steal-to-turnover ratio of 0.48 and achieved 1942 NBA efficiency rating.

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3. LeBron James

American basketball small forward and power forward LeBron James plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. He played a total of 2902 minutes in 77 games in the last season of NBA while scoring 2089 points and made 767 field goals in 1353 field goal attempts with the field goal percentage of 56.7. He made a total of 116 three-point field goals out of 306 three-point field goal attempts with the three-point field goal percentage of 37.9. LeBron made 439 free throws out of 585 free throw attempts with the percentage of 75.0. He also gained a total of 533 rebounds out of which 81 are offensive, and 452 are defensive rebounds. He made a total of 488 assists, and 270 turnovers with 121 steals and 26 blocks and made 126 personal fouls. LeBron achieved assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.81, steal-to-turnover ratio of 0.45 and achieved 2255 NBA efficiency rating.

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4. Kevin Love

American basketball Center and power forward Kevin Love plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. He played a total of 2797 minutes in 77 games in the last season of NBA while scoring 2010 points and made 650 field goals in 1421 field goal attempts with the field goal percentage of 45.7. He made a total of 190 three-point field goals out of 505 three-point field goal attempts with the three-point field goal percentage of 37.6. Kevin made 520 free throws out of 633 free throw attempts with the percentage of 82.1. He also completed a total of 963 rebounds out of which 224 are offensive, and 739 are defensive rebounds. He made a total of 341 assists and 196 turnovers with 59 steals and 35 blocks and made 136 personal fouls. Kevin obtained assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.74, steal-to-turnover ratio of 0.30 and achieved 2328 NBA efficiency rating.

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5. Blake Griffin

American basketball power forward Blake Griffin plays for the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. He played a total of 2863 minutes in 80 games in the last season of NBA while scoring 1930 points and made 718 field goals in 1359 field goal attempts with the field goal percentage of 52.8. He made a total of 12 three-point field goals out of 44 three-point field goal attempts with the three-point field goal percentage of 27.3. Griffin made 482 free throws out of 674 free throw attempts with the percentage of 71.5. He also completed a total of 757 rebounds out of which 192 are offensive, and 565 are defensive rebounds. He made a total of 309 assists and 224 turnovers with 92 steals and 51 blocks and made 265 personal fouls. Griffin reached assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.38, steal-to-turnover ratio of 0.41 and gained 2082 NBA efficiency rating.

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6. Stephen Curry

American basketball Point guard Stephen Curry plays for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. He played a total of 2846 minutes in 78 games in the last season of NBA while scoring 1873 points and made 652 field goals in 1383 field goal attempts with the field goal percentage of 47.1. He made a total of 261 three-point field goals out of 615 three-point field goal attempts with the three-point field goal percentage of 42.4. Stephen made 308 free throws out of 348 free throw attempts with the percentage of 88.5. He also reached a total of 334 rebounds out of which 46 are offensive, and 288 are defensive rebounds. He made a total of 666 assists, and 294 turnovers with 128 steals and 14 blocks and made 194 personal fouls. Stephen obtained assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.27, steal-to-turnover ratio of 0.44 and achieved 1950 NBA efficiency rating.

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7. James Harden

American basketball shooting guard James Harden plays for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He played a total of 2777 minutes in 73 games in the last season of NBA while scoring 1851 points and made 549 field goals in 1205 field goal attempts with the field goal percentage of 45.6. He made a total of 177 three-point field goals out of 483 three-point field goal attempts with the three-point field goal percentage of 36.6. Harden made 576 free throws out of 665 free throw attempts with the percentage of 86.6. He also completed a total of 344 rebounds out of which 61 are offensive, and 283 are defensive rebounds. He made a total of 446 assists, and 265 turnovers with 115 steals and 29 blocks and made 177 personal fouls. Harden achieved assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.68, steal-to-turnover ratio of 0.43 and achieved 1775 NBA efficiency rating.

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8. DeMar DeRozan

American basketball Shooting guard and Small forward DeMar DeRozan plays for the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. He played a total of 3017 minutes in 79 games in the last season of NBA while scoring 1791 points and made 604 field goals in 1407 field goal attempts with the field goal percentage of 42.9. He made a total of 64 three-point field goals out of 210 three-point field goal attempts with the three-point field goal percentage of 30.5. DeRozan made 519 free throws out of 630 free throw attempts with the percentage of 82.4. He also completed a total of 343 rebounds out of which 51 are offensive, and 292 are defensive rebounds. He made a total of 313 assists, and 176 turnovers with 86 steals and 28 blocks and made 197 personal fouls. DeRozan achieved assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.78, steal-to-turnover ratio of 0.49 and achieved 1471 NBA efficiency rating.

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9. Paul George

American basketball Shooting guard and Small forward Paul George plays for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA. He played a total of 2898 minutes in 80 games in the last season of NBA while scoring 1737 points and made 577 field goals in 1362 field goal attempts with the field goal percentage of 42.4. He made a total of 182 three-point field goals out of 500 three-point field goal attempts with the three-point field goal percentage of 36.4. George made 401 free throws out of 464 free throw attempts with the percentage of 86.4. He also reached a total of 542 rebounds out of which 64 are offensive, and 478 are defensive rebounds. He made a total of 283 assists, and 224 turnovers with 151 steals and 22 blocks and made 198 personal fouls. George obtained assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.26, steal-to-turnover ratio of 0.67 and achieved 1663 NBA efficiency rating.

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10. Dirk Nowitzki

German professional basketball Power forward Dirk Nowitzki plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. He played a total of 2628 minutes in 80 games in the last season of NBA while scoring 1735 points and made 633 field goals in 1273 field goal attempts with the field goal percentage of 49.7. He made a total of 131 three-point field goals out of 329 three-point field goal attempts with the three-point field goal percentage of 39.8. Nowitzki made 338 free throws out of 376 free throw attempts with the percentage of 89.9. He also achieved a total of 498 rebounds out of which 40 are offensive, and 458 are defensive rebounds. He made a total of 216 assists and 117 turnovers with 73 steals and 45 blocks and made 165 personal fouls. Nowitzki achieved assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.85, steal-to-turnover ratio of 0.62 and achieved 1772 NBA efficiency rating.

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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.

♦ Get Some Inspiration From ⇒ Farhan Saeed: A Disabled Cricket with an Unbreakable Spirit

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.

Farhan Saeed: A Disabled Cricket with an Unbreakable Spirit

February 27, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Farhan Saeed: A Disabled Cricket with an Unbreakable Spirit

Farhan Saeed is a right-arm pacer from Pakistan. He has a one-of-a-kind bowling action. So what sets him apart in the crowd of cricketers who play for Pakistan? Well, he is a part of the disabled team of the nation. What he has lacking in his physical condition, he makes up with unbreakable spirit. He has enviable determination which is probably the reason that he has been successful in beating the odd and capturing the attention of the world with his unique style. Instead of hesitating to play his favorite sport, Saeed has chosen to show the world what he is capable of.

During the first ever T20 match between physically challenged cricket teams, played on 27 February 2015 between the Disability teams of Pakistan and England at the ICC Global Cricket Academy, in Dubai Sports City, Saeed led his team to a victory by 14 runs. The 29 year old player from Korangi, Karachi, overcame his disability caused due to polio that affected his left leg when he was just 2 years of age. In fact, the match is just one of the many hurdles that this brave-heart has crossed.

Due to his disability, Saeed was unable to attend a regular school, or play with other children. He has also been subjected to ridicule and negligence from other children for the same. He has been dejected with his own life many a times, and future was bleak. However, he did not lose heart. Once, when other children were playing cricket with a tennis ball, he tried his hand at bowling, and became successful. In 2007, encouraged by his friend, he attended the trial for the Physically Disabled Cricketers, where he found several others like him, with similar disabilities, and similar dreams.

Founder of Disability Cricket Mr. Saleem Karim started this unique team to give the disabled young boys, passionate about a sport, a new opportunity to and purpose in life. After a few practice sessions, their excitement was palpable. Since then, they have played several matches, including, National Championship, Pentangular Cups, Local Tournaments, Friendly Matches, etc. They even toured Singapore and Malaysia in March 2010 to introduce Physically Disabled Cricket at an international level. Saeed, who had lived on just one leg, practically for his entire life, was one of those who benefited from this initiative greatly.

With a burning passion for bowling, Saeed uses a crutch for mobility, and has been able to develop great skill. With legendary Pakistan bowler Shoaib Akhtar as his idol, Saeed has mastered the craft of fast bowling from a long distance, with exceeding fierceness. His crutch propels him along the way. His performance has been able to turn heads. According to Mohammad Nizam, the side’s media manager and joint-secretary of PDCA, “The first time Pakistan’s disabled cricket team played international series was in 2012 against England in the UAE.” He also added, “Many high-profile people of cricket, including the former ICC Chief Haroon Lorgat and the former PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf, were present at the venue when Farhan Saeed delivered first ball.”

It is true that when the man, who has reached where he has today with no formal training, and has had his cricketing skills honed on the streets, created an emotional moment with his incredible performance. Indeed, a moment as this is a moment of pride for everyone associated with cricket. Saeed, who prefers to bowl with a run up and over-arm action, is proud of have met all the greatest players. He attributes his success to his passion for the game and the prayers of his parents.