2022 was nothing short of a roller-coaster ride of emotions for many people, especially for the World of Sports. In 2022, People witnessed many joyous memorable moments such as the England cricket team winning the ICC T20 World Cup, Roger Federer’s Emotional Farewell Match, and Messi and Argentina National Team winning the most memorable final of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar on the other hand, the same people witnessed the tragic moments of the demise of some of the most notable names of the sporting world. We are here to read about and remember the Top 5 sportspersons who passed away in 2022.
1 Pele
Pele was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. He was one of the greatest players of all time and labeled as “the greatest” by FIFA. Pele was the most popular and successful player of the 20th century. He was the player who revolutionized football not only for his country but also for the whole world. Pele’s 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, are recognized as a Guinness World Record. He still holds many records under his name. Apart from his records, He ruled the world of football for almost two decades which makes him still the greatest player of all time.
On 21 December 2022, the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, where Pelé was being treated, stated that his tumor had advanced. After a few days, He died at the age of 82, due to multiple organ failure, a complication of colon cancer.
2 Bill Russell
Bill Russell was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of The NBA. He played professional basketball for 13 years. In these 13 years, Bill Russell won record 11 NBA championships with Boston Celtics. He even the NBA most valuable player award 5 times in his professional career. Russell captained the gold-medal-winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics. He is considered one of the greatest players to ever play the game by almost every basketball fan.
As a Coach, Russell helped the Boston Celtics win the NBA championship twice (1968 and 1969). Bill Russell was one of the greatest rebounders in the history of the NBA, and he was also very clutch when it came down to winning games.
Russell died a natural death due to old age on July 31, 2022. He was 88 at the time of his death. In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that Russell was “the greatest champion in all of the team sports”.
3 Lusia Harris
Lusia Harris was an American professional basketball player. Harris is considered one of the pioneers of women’s basketball. She played basketball for Delta State University. She led her team to three straight AIAW national titles and was also named MVP all three seasons. On the International level, she represented the United States national team and won the silver medal in the 1976 Olympic Games, the first women’s basketball tournament in the Olympic Games. She even won a gold medal in the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City. She was the first and only woman ever officially drafted by the National Basketball Association (NBA), a men’s professional basketball league. For all her achievements she was inducted into the Women’s Hall Of Fame. She is regarded as “The Queen of Basketball” by many.
Harris died at a therapy facility in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, on January 18, 2022. The cause of death is still unknown to public knowledge. She was 66 years old at the time of her demise.
4 Shane Warne
Shane Warne was an Australian professional cricketer whose career ran from 1991-07. He played as a right-arm spin bowler. Warne was one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the sport. he made 145 Test appearances, taking 708 wickets, and set the record for the most wickets taken by any bowler in Test cricket, a record he held until 2007. Warne revolutionized cricket thinking with his mastery of leg spin, then regarded as a dying art. He was regarded as the “King Of Spin” by many cricket pundits and fans. Warne was part of the infamous Australian Cricket Team that won the ICC Cricket World two times in a row (1999 and 2003). He even won the inaugural Indian Premier League title as the captain of Rajasthan Royals in 2008.
On 4 March 2022, at the age of 52, Warne died of a suspected heart attack while holidaying on the island of Ko Samui, Thailand. Also Read: Top 5 Best Bowling Spells by Shane Warne of all time
5 Andrew Symonds
Andrew Symonds was an Australian professional cricketer who played all three formats of the game as a batting all-rounder. He was one of the greatest all-rounders of the Australian Cricket Team. His contribution with bat and ball in crucial games helped Australian Cricket Team achieve so much success over the years. He played professional cricket from 1998 to 2009. He was part of the infamous Australian Cricket Team that won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2003 and 2007.
In 2022, Symonds died in a single-vehicle car crash about 50 km (31 mi) outside Townsville, Queensland. He was 46 years old.
Also Read– Top 5 Highest-Paid Female Athletes in 2022
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