From football legend Bobby Charlton to India’s own Bishan Singh Bedi, 2023 saw the passing away of several sportspersons had created an unforgettable legacy over time.
Following is a list of 10 sportsperson the world lost in 2023.
Sir Bobby Charlton
Manchester United and England star Sir Bobby Charlton died aged 86 after a fall at his care home. After hearings in the court and assessment by the Willows care home, the causes of death were given as “traumatic hemopneumothorax, a fall and Alzheimer’s dementia”.
Bobby Charlton raises the World Cup trophy in the air following England’s 4-2 victory after extra time over West Germany in the World Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, 30th July 1966. Amongst his team mates celebrating with him are goalkeeper Gordon Banks, Alan Ball on his right and team captain Bobby Moore (1941 - 1993) at his left. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Some of his major achievements include:
- He was a key member of the Three Lions team who lifted the World Cup on home soil in 1966.
- On the international front, he represented England as a schoolboy for the junior teams before he went on to earn 106 senior caps (seventh highest) and scored 49 goals (third highest after Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney).
- Aside from ’66, when he also won the Ballon D’Or, he played in three other World Cups in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
- He was knighted in 1994 and was given freedom of the city of Manchester in 2009.
Bishan Singh Bedi
The former India captain and one of India’s finest left-arm spinners died aged 77 after battling a prolonged illness.
Born in Amritsar in 1946, Bedi played 67 Tests for India and took 266 wickets with 14 five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul.
Bishan Singh Bedi (left) and Kapil Dev of India during the 2nd Test Match between England and India at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, 4th August 1979. The match ended in a draw. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
He was also the longest-serving Delhi Ranji team captain from 1974 to 1982 and under him, the team became a force to reckon with.
Bedi is also the top wicket-taker among Indians in First-Class cricket, with a total of 1,560 scalps in 370 games.
Heath Streak
The former Zimbabwe captain passed away at the age of only 49 after battling liver cancer.
Streak is a standout cricketer of his time playing 65 Test matches for the national team.
Heath Streak of Zimbabwe on the pitch during the ICC KnockOut One Day International cricket match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe in Nairobi on October 09, 2000. New Zealand won by 64 runs. | Photo Credit: V.V. KRISHNAN / THE HINDU ARCHIVES
In Test cricket, Streak claimed 216 wickets and scored one century and 11 half-centuries for Zimbabwe.
In 189 ODIs, he bagged 239 wickets and made 2,943 runs with 13 fifties. He is the highest wicket-taker for Zimbabwe by a long margin in both Tests and ODIs.
In 68 ODIs as captain, he led Zimbabwe to win in 18 and lost 47 while three finished without any result. In 21 Tests, Streak captained Zimbabwe to wins in four matches, lost 11 and drew six.
Mohammed Habib
Indian football legend Mohammed Habib passed away at the age of 74 after suffering from dementia and Parkinson’s syndrome for the last couple of years.
Habib represented India in many international tournaments from 1965-76. He was considered by many experts as one of the best players the country has ever produced.
(From L-R) - Syed Nayeemuddin, Mohammed Habib and Victor Amalraj at Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad. | Photo Credit: V.V. Subrahmanyam/The Hindu
He was also a bronze medallist in the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok led by his fellow Hyderabadi Syed Nayeemuddin and managed by the great P.K. Banerjee.
Habib was also instrumental in shaping the Tata Football Academy into a force to be reckoned with his sincerity, passion and professionalism.
Tori Bowie
American track and field athlete Tori Bowie tragically passed away aged just 32 owing to complications with her 8-month-old pregnancy and childbirth.
She was born in Sand Hill, a relatively unknown town until Bowie herself put it on the map by bringing home a set of medals from the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Tori Bowie of the United States celebrates winning gold in the Women’s 100 Metres Final during day three of the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 at The London Stadium on August 6, 2017, in London, United Kingdom. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
In 2011, Bowie became “the first athlete from the university to achieve an indoor and outdoor NCAA long jump title double in a single season”.
When she turned pro, Bowie quickly shot to No. 1 in the women’s 100 meters. Her career highlights include a 100-meter world championship and three Olympic medals, including one gold.
Gianluca Vialli
The Former Italy and Chelsea striker died aged 58 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Vialli was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017 and then for a second time in 2021, shortly after Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph.
Vialli played for Cremonese, Sampdoria and Juventus in the 1980s and 1990s before joining Chelsea in 1996. In 1998 he became player-manager of the Blues following the departure of Ruud Gullit and that year led the club to glory in the League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
Chelsea players Dennis Wise and Gianluca Vialli hold up the winner’s cup after winning their match against VFB Stuttgart in Stockholm on May 13, 1998. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Vialli played 59 times for Italy, scoring 16 goals, and had most recently been the national side’s head of delegation. As part of Italy’s back-room staff, the Azzurri won Euro 2020 with victory over England at Wembley in July 2021.
Jim Brown
Jim Brown, one of the greatest rugby players of all time, passed away peacefully in his sleep, aged 87.
His wife Monique described him as a “loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather”.
In 2020, Brown was selected to the NFL 100 all-time team and also was ranked as the No. 1 all-time player on the College Football 150 list to celebrate those sports’ anniversaries.
American football player Jim Brown sits on the bench during a game, wearing his helmet and uniform for the Cleveland Browns, circa 1960. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
He was named the greatest football player ever by the Sporting News in 2002.
Brown, who was selected in the first round of the 1957 draft, played nine seasons for the Cleveland Browns (1957-65) and led the league in rushing eight of those years. Brown also worked to empower the Black community during the Civil Right sMovement.
In June 1967, Brown organised “The Cleveland Summit,” a meeting of the nation’s top Black athletes.
Bray Wyatt
Wrestler Bray Wyatt, whose real name was Windham Rotunda, died this year aged 36 from a heart attack. The tragic incident took place months after the wrestler had Covid-19 and developed heart complications from it.
Wyatt was a three-time world champion in WWE, including the WWE Championship once and the Universal Championship twice.
Christian Atsu
Christian Atsu, former Premier League footballer, was found dead in Turkey 12 days after the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023.
He also played for the Premier League teams Chelsea and Newcastle United, among others, before leaving the Magpies in 2021. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Atsu was a Ghanaian professional footballer who played for the Turkish club Hatayspor in the Hatay province.
He also played for the Premier League teams Chelsea and Newcastle United, among others, before leaving the Magpies in 2021.
Willis Reed
Two time NBA champion Willis Reed died aged 80. The cause was not released, but Reed had been in poor health recently and was unable to travel to New York when the Knicks honoured the 50th anniversary of its 1973 NBA championship team during its game against New Orleans on February 25.
Nicknamed “The Captain”, the Knicks legend is fondly remembered for dramatically emerging from the locker room minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to spark the New York Knicks to its first championship and create one of the sport’s most enduring examples of playing through pain.
He was the first player to be named MVP, Finals MVP and All-Star Game MVP in the same season.
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