TOP SPORTS STARS

JOAO MOUTINHO

2013-07-07T07:00:00.000+07:00

João Filipe Iria Santos Moutinho (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʒwɐ̃w fɨˈlip iˈɾi.ɐ ˈsɐ̃tuʒ mo(w)ˈtĩɲu]; born 8 September 1986) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for AS Monaco FC in Ligue 1 and the Portuguese national team. Mainly a central midfielder he can also operate as a holding or attacking midfielder, and on either flank.

He started his professional career with Sporting, moving in 2010 to Porto and winning 12 major titles between the two clubs combined.

A Portuguese international since 2005, Moutinho represented the nation in two European Championships.

Moutinho was born in Portimão, Algarve. After showing great promise as a boy playing for hometown club Portimonense SC, he signed with Sporting Clube de Portugal when he turned 13 to continue his football education.

During the 2004–05 pre-season, at only 17 years old, Moutinho was called by manager José Peseiro to the main squad, where he played some games and displayed some talent early on. After that, however, he returned to the junior team coached by Paulo Bento and featuring players such as Miguel Veloso and Nani, helping it win the national title that season although he was also regularly training with the first side setup.

From Wikipedia

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI

2013-06-14T07:00:00.000+07:00

Robert Lewandowski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈrɔbɛrt lɛvanˈdɔfskʲi]; (born 21 August 1988) is a Polish footballer who plays for German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Poland national football team as a striker. Having previously played for Delta Warsaw, Legia Warsaw, Znicz Pruszków and Lech Poznań, he joined Dortmund in 2010.

Lewandowski started his career at Varsovia Warsaw, where as a teen he played for seven years. The following year he moved to Delta Warsaw where he finally managed to play in a first team scoring four goals.

In 2006–07, Lewandowski was the Polish third division's top goal scorer with 15 goals, helping Znicz Pruszków win promotion. The next season he was the top scorer in the Polish second division with 21 goals.

Lewandowski made three appearances for Poland's U21 team, in friendly matches against England, Belarus and Finland.

His debut for the senior national team came on 10 September 2008, three weeks after his 20th birthday, against San Marino where he came on as a sub and scored one goal. Only Włodzimierz Lubański, who is widely considered a "legend", scored a goal on his debut for the national team at a younger age than Lewandowski, having been 16 at the time.

Playing in Warsaw in the opening match of the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament against Greece, Lewandowski scored the first goal of the competition and was named Man of the Match. He played in all three games for Poland in the tournament, as the co-hosts crashed out of the group stage with two points earned.

From Wikipedia

EDEN HAZARD

2012-09-11T14:58:00.001+07:00

Eden Hazard (French pronunciation : [edɛn azɑʁ]; born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian international footballer who plays for English club Chelsea in the Premier League and the Belgium national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger. Hazard is known for his creativity, speed, and technical ability and is described as a "fearless, explosive attacking midfielder who can change the game with a turn of pace or a dribble".

He has also been described as "a defender's nightmare" and has earned critical acclaim for his playing style, which has led to the media, coaches, and players drawing comparisons to FIFA World Player of the Year winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hazard is the son of former Belgian footballers and began his football career in Belgium playing for local clubs Royal Stade Brainois and Tubize. In 2005, he moved to France joining first division club Lille. Hazard spent two years in the club's academy and, at the age of 16, made his professional debut in November 2007.

In his first full season as a starter, he won the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year award becoming the first non-French player to win the award. In the 2009–10 season, Hazard captured the award again becoming the first player to win the award twice.

He was also named to the league's Team of the Year. Since making his debut in 2007, Hazard has become an integral part of the club under manager Rudi Garcia racking up over 190 appearances.

In the 2010–11 season, he was a part of the Lille team that won the league and cup double and, as a result of his performances, was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year becoming the youngest player to win the award. Hazard was also given the Bravo Award by Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo for his performances during the 2010–11 season. In June 2012, after over eight years at Lille, Hazard departed the club, amid much transfer speculation, to join English club Chelsea.

Hazard is a Belgium international, having represented his nation at under-17 and under-19 level. Prior to starring for the senior team, he played on the under-17 team that qualified for the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship and 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Hazard made his senior international debut in November 2008, at the age of 17 years and 316 days, in a friendly match against Luxembourg. Nearly three years after his debut, Hazard scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan in October 2011.

From Wikipedia

LEONARDO BONUCCI

2012-07-03T07:00:00.000+07:00

Leonardo Bonucci (Italian pronunciation: [leoˈnardo boˈnuttʃi]; born 1 May 1987) is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team.

Bonucci started his career at Viterbese but was loaned to Internazionale in the summer of 2005. He played a number of pre-season friendlies for Inter first team. He then became a member of Inter's Primavera Under-20 Team. Bonucci made his Serie A debut in the last match of 2005–06 season, against Cagliari Calcio.

At the end of the season, Inter bought Bonucci outright. He played his first Coppa Italia match against Messina on 9 November 2006 when he came off the bench for substitute Fabio Grosso in the 86th minute.

Bonucci featured in two more Coppa Italia games for Inter that season when he was brought on for the substituted Walter Samuel at half-time during the quarter final second leg match against Empoli and as a starter in the semi final second leg tie against Sampdoria.

In January 2007, 50% of Bonucci's registration rights were sold to Treviso by Inter along with 50% of the registration rights for fellow Primavera Team team-mate Daniel Maa Boumsong. At that time Bonucci was tagged for a peppercorn fee of €500.

Bonucci subsequently remained at Inter until 30 June 2007 while Maa Boumsong returned from Treviso where he spent the first half of the season on loan. During Bonucci's last season with Inter's U-20 Youth Team, he won the Italian "Primavera" U20 Youth League.

At youth level, he played for Under-21 Serie B representative team. He was call-up to the friendly against Renate on 6 November 2007, and against Under-20 Serie C representative team on 4 December 2007. He also capped for the team in an internal friendly, which split the Under-21 Serie B team into two on 9 October 2007, on 21 October 2008, on 25 November, and on 24 March 2009 as blue team captain.

He also received a call–up from Italy U20 team on 31 May 2007. He was an unused bench in the match that 0–1 lost to Serie D Best XI. Bonucci made his debut with Italy senior team on 3 March 2010, in a friendly match against Cameroon which took place in Monaco.

He was included by Marcello Lippi in the starting line-up along with national team regulars Fabio Cannavaro and Giorgio Chiellini to form the defense line in a 3–4–3 formation. Then he was included in the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first goal on 3 June 2010, in a 1–2 friendly loss against Mexico. In the World Cup, he appeared as unused substitutes for all three matches played by Italy.

From Wikipedia

ROBERTO DI MATTEO

2012-06-01T06:00:00.000+07:00

Roberto Robbie Di Matteo (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto di matˈtɛo]; born 29 May 1970) is an Italian former footballer and the interim manager of Chelsea for the remainder of the 2011–12 season. During his playing career as a midfielder, he played for Swiss clubs Schaffhausen, Zürich and Aarau before joining Lazio of Italy and Chelsea of England.

He was capped 34 times for Italy, scoring two goals, and played in Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup.

He retired as a player in February 2002 at the age of 31 following injury problems. He has since managed Milton Keynes Dons, West Bromwich Albion, and Chelsea. As manager of The Blues, he has won the 2012 FA Cup and the 2012 UEFA Champions League, becoming the first Chelsea manager to preside over the winning of the Champions League.

Club career Switzerland and Italy
Born in Switzerland to Italian parents from Paglieta, Chieti, Abruzzo, Di Matteo began his career with Swiss club Schaffhausen, before joining Aarau in 1991. He won the Swiss Nationalliga A with Aarau in 1993 and in the same season achieved Switzerland's Player of the Year award. He signed for Lazio in the summer of 1993 on a free transfer. Di Matteo became a regular in the Lazio side and made his debut for Italy during his three seasons with the Rome club. However, a falling out with coach Zdeněk Zeman over a defensive error which resulted in a loss to Internazionale, ended his career with the Lazio. As a result he was signed by Ruud Gullit for English side Chelsea for a then club record fee of £4.9 million.

Chelsea
Di Matteo scored the winner against Middlesbrough on his home debut for Chelsea. His passing ability and accurate long-distance shooting saw him become one of the driving forces of Chelsea's resurgence in the late 1990s. He contributed nine goals in his first season, including long-range efforts against both Tottenham Hotspur and Wimbledon. He helped the club finish 6th in the league, their highest placing since 1989–90, and reach the 1997 FA Cup Final at Wembley.

Within 42 seconds of the kick-off of the final against Middlesbrough, Di Matteo scored the opening goal from 30 yards and Chelsea won 2-0. Di Matteo's goal was the fastest in an FA Cup final until the record was broken by Louis Saha for Everton in 2009.

The following season Di Matteo again proved his worth to the team, chipping in with ten goals and numerous assists, as Chelsea went on to claim the Football League Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup, their first European honour since 1971.

In the League Cup final, again against Middlesbrough, Di Matteo scored the second goal in a 2–0 win. Di Matteo played in midfield next to Gustavo Poyet, Dennis Wise and Dan Petrescu in the 1998-99 season as Chelsea finished third.

During the 1999–2000 season Di Matteo was sidelined by injury but returned late in the season to score a handful of crucial goals, including his third Cup-winning goal at Wembley, once again in the FA Cup.

In a dour match, Di Matteo capitalised on an error by Aston Villa goalkeeper David James to score the winner in the 71st minute, handing Chelsea their fourth major trophy in three years. This lead Di Matteo to comment on the old Wembley Stadium saying "It's a shame they're tearing the old place down – it has been a very lucky ground for me."

Early into the 2000–01 season, Di Matteo sustained a triple leg fracture in a UEFA Cup tie against Swiss side St. Gallen and did not play for the next eighteen months. He gave up on hopes of returning from this injury in February 2002 and retired at the age of 31.

In "gratitude for the midfielder's contribution to the transformation of the club", then-manager Claudio Ranieri handed Di Matteo the honour of leading the Chelsea team out in the 2002 FA Cup Final, which Chelsea went on to lose 2–0 to London rivals Arsenal. Di Matteo was selected in a Chelsea greatest-ever XI. In his six years at Chelsea, he made 175 appearances and scored 26 goals. He never lost at Old Trafford.

From Wikipedia

ROBERTO MANCINI

2012-05-15T11:05:00.002+07:00

Roberto Mancini (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto manˈtʃini]; born 27 November 1964) is an Italian football manager, formerly an international player and current manager of Premier League club Manchester City.

As a player Mancini was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped them win the Serie A league title, four Coppa Italias and the Cup Winners Cup, whilst being capped 36 times by Italy. As a player, he gained a penchant for becoming a future manager and would often give team talks at half-time and ultimately became an assistant to Sven-Göran Eriksson at Lazio in the twilight of his playing career.

After his retirement, Mancini embarked on a successful managerial career. A cup specialist, Mancini had never failed to reach a semi-final of a major national cup competition, from 2002 to 2011. He also guided the Italian clubs he managed to a record 5 consecutive Coppa Italia finals from 2004 to 2008, with Lazio once in 2004 and with Inter in the following four seasons.

Mancini's first managerial role was at a cash stricken Fiorentina at only 35 years old and managed to win a Coppa Italia, but left with Fiorentina facing bankruptcy. Months later, he took over as manager at Lazio, where again he inherited financial constraints and was forced to lose a number of key players.

With limited resources during his two season tenure, he still managed to win another Coppa Italia, reach a UEFA Cup semi-final, and secure a lucrative Champions League place. In 2004, Mancini was given the chance to manage a major club, being offered the manager's job at Internazionale.

During his tenure at Inter, the club won three consecutive Serie A titles (an Inter club record) and a European record 17 consecutive league game victories stretching nearly half a season and became Inter's most successful manager in 30 years. Despite his domestic success, many pundits saw the repeated failure to win the coveted Champions League as the main reason for his sacking in 2008.

After being out of football for over a year, Mancini was appointed Manchester City manager in December 2009 and his team-building achievements at Lazio and Inter were a factor in his appointment. In the 2010–11 season, his first full season at Manchester City, Mancini guided the club to Champions League football and the FA Cup, and has moulded City into a sound defensive unit.

During the 2011–12 season, Mancini guided Manchester City to the Premier League title in an enthralling last day of the season. City won the league title on goal difference with the club winning its final game 3-2, with two injury time goals.

This was the clubs first league title for 44 years. He maintains a tradition of wearing a scarf of his club's colours, something which has been continued at Manchester City. He became the second Italian manager who won Premier League after Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea in 2010. From Wikipedia

GEOFF OGILVY

2011-12-14T13:23:00.005+07:00

Geoff Charles Ogilvy (born 11 June 1977) is an Australian professional golfer. He won the 2006 U.S. Open and has also won three World Golf Championships.

Ogilvy was born in Adelaide, South Australia to an English-born father Mike and Australian born mother Judy. He turned professional in May 1998 and he won a European Tour card at that year's Qualifying school.

He played on the European Tour in 1999 and 2000, finishing 65th in his first season and improving to 48th in his second. He joined the U.S. based PGA Tour in 2001, and finished in the top 100 in each of his first five seasons.

His first professional tournament win came in 2005 at the PGA Tour's Chrysler Classic of Tucson. In February 2006 he beat Davis Love III in the final of the 2006 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Ogilvy won his first major championship at the 2006 U.S. Open, becoming the first Australian to win a men's golf major since Steve Elkington at the 1995 PGA Championship.

Ogilvy finished his round with a champion's flourish, making improbable pars on each of the last two holes. He holed a 30-foot chip shot at the 17th, and then got up-and-down for par at the 18th, dropping a downhill six-footer for his final stroke as all his competitors collapsed around him.

Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie needed pars on the final hole to win, or bogeys to tie with Ogilvy, but they ruined their chances by producing double-bogey sixes to give Ogilvy a dramatic win. Jim Furyk needed par to force a playoff but bogeyed the final hole.

This success moved Ogilvy into the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time, at Number 8. He reached his highest placing to date on 9 July 2006 when he was ranked Number 7, and he returned to that rank in February 2007 after finishing as runner-up to Henrik Stenson while defending his title at the 2007 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. He has spent over 120 weeks in the top-10 of the rankings.

Ogilvy won the 2008 WGC-CA Championship, his second World Golf Championship title, by one shot shooting 17-under par. It was his first PGA Tour win since the 2006 U.S. Open. In his next start at the 2008 Shell Houston Open he finished tied for 2nd moving him up to number 5 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

In late June 2008, he rose to 3rd in the rankings. In 2009 Ogilvy continued his success at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship defeating Paul Casey. Ogilvy moved into second alone in World Golf Championship wins. This win brought him up to 4th in the Official World Golf Rankings.

In January 2010, Ogilvy won the SBS Championship, the opening event of the 2010 PGA Tour.

Personal
Ogilvy claims to be a distant relative of the Royal Family member Angus Ogilvy, and even more distantly related to Robert The Bruce on his fathers side. Ogilvy's father was born in Cambridgeshire, England, and emigrated to Australia with his family as a young boy, however his family had originally migrated from Scotland to England.

Ogilvy is married to Juli and they have a daughter Pheobe Elizabeth and son Jasper Michael. The family formerly lived in Scottsdale, Arizona but now reside in San Diego, California, in the United States.

Ogilvy is a partner in Exotic Pebbles & Aggregates based in Scottsdale.

Ogilvy is a founding partner of MOJO Pies, "The Original Australian Pie", based in Scottsdale and is a proud supporter of the St Kilda Football Club.

From Wikipedia

KARIM BENZEMA

2011-11-15T15:03:00.006+07:00

Karim Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga.

He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability. He is described as an "immensely-talented striker" who is "strong and powerful" and "a potent finisher from inside the box".

Benzema was born in the city of Lyon beginning his football career with local club Bron Terraillon. In 1996, he joined the biggest club in the city Olympique Lyonnais and, subsequently, came through the club's youth academy.

Benzema made his professional debut in the 2004–05 season and appeared sporadically in his first three seasons as Lyon won three titles in that span. In the 2007–08 season, Benzema became a starter and had a breakthrough year scoring over 30 goals as Lyon won its seventh straight league title.

For his performances, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 1 Player of the Year and named to the organization's Team of the Year. Benzema was also the league's top scorer and given the Bravo Award by Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo.

After another season at Lyon, in July 2009, Benzema signed a six-year contract with Spanish outfit Real Madrid. After struggling to establish himself in his debut season with the club, in the 2010–11 season, Benzema reached prominence scoring over 25 goals en-route to helping Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey.

Benzema is a former French youth international and has represented his nation from under-17 level onwards. Prior to playing for the senior team, he played on the under-17 team that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship. Benzema made his senior international debut in March 2007 in a friendly match against Austria.

On his debut, he scored his first international goal in a 1–0 win. Benzema has represented France at one major international tournament; UEFA Euro 2008. He made two appearances in the competition against Romania and Italy in the group stage.

Personal Life
Benzema was born in Lyon, to parents of Algerian descent. Benzema grew up with nine siblings and his father Hafid in the nearby town of Bron. His grandfather, Da Lakehal Benzema, lived in the village of Tighzert, located in the northern town of Beni Djellil in Algeria before migrating to Lyon, where he eventually settled in the 1950s.

On 18 April 2010, it was first reported by French television service M6 that four members of the French national team were being investigated for their roles as clients in a prostitute ring that was being operated inside of a Paris nightclub with some of the women possibly being underage.

The report also stated that two of the players were already questioned as witnesses by judge André Dando and a group of magistrates. The report described the two players as being one who "is a major player in a big foreign club" and that the other "plays in the championship of France Ligue 1". Later that day, the players were discovered to be Franck Ribéry and Sidney Govou.

The other two players were later discovered to be Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa. Benzema was alleged to have had a sexual rendezvous with a prostitute when she was 16 years of age, an act Benzema has denied through his lawyer. On 29 April, the country's Secretary of State for Sports Rama Yade, after refusing to publicly comment on the case in its infancy, declared that any player placed under investigation should not represent the France national team.

The following day, a judicial source confirmed that Benzema would not be questioned, if at all, before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. On 20 July, Benzema was questioned by Paris police and, following questioning, was indicted by judge Dando on the charge of "solicitation of a minor prostitute."

From Wikipedia

RYAN GIGGS

2011-06-01T10:00:00.001+07:00

Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE (born Ryan Joseph Wilson; 29 November 1973) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season.

He established himself as a left winger during the 1990s, and continuing in this position well into the 2000s, though he has been increasingly used in a deeper playmaking role in his latter years. He holds the club record for competitive appearances.

Giggs is also the most decorated player in English football history. He has won 12 Premier League winner's medals, four FA Cup winner's medals, three League Cup winner's medals and two Champions League winner's medals.

He has runner-up medals from the Champions League, three FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals, as well as being part of five United teams to have finished second in the league. In recent years, Giggs has captained the team on numerous occasions, particularly in the 2007–08 season when regular captain Gary Neville was ruled out with various injuries.

Giggs has a number of personal achievements. He was the first player in history to win two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards (1992 and 1993), though he did not win the PFA Player of the Year award until 2009.

He is the only player to have played and scored in every season of the Premier League and he also holds the longest run of successive scoring seasons in UEFA Champions League history. He has been elected into the PFA Team of the Century in 2007, the Premier League Team of the Decade, in 2003, as well as the FA Cup Team of the Century.

At international level, Giggs played for the Welsh national team prior to his retirement from international football on 2 June 2007, and was once the youngest player to ever represent his country.

In addition to the many honours Giggs has received within football such as being named in the Football League 100 Legends (the last active player in the list), he was appointed an OBE in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours List, and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005, for his services to English Football. He was named as BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2009. On 31 January 2011, Giggs was named Manchester United's greatest ever player by a worldwide poll conducted by United's official magazine and website. Sir Alex Ferguson presented him with the award.

From Wikipedia

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS

2011-05-25T06:00:00.004+07:00

Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas (born 17 October 1977) is a Portuguese football manager currently managing FC Porto in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. He is regarded as unique in the sense that he has no football playing experience, became a coach of a major club with very little head coaching experience, and achieved this role at a very young age. He is currently the youngest football manager in the Portuguese league.

At the age of 16, Villas-Boas lived in the same apartment block as the English Bobby Robson, who was managing FC Porto at the time. Following a debate between the two, Robson appointed Villas-Boas to FC Porto's observation department.

Under the guidance of Robson, who was impressed with his fluent knowledge of the English language, he achieved his UEFA C coaching licence as a minor at the age of 17 in Scotland.

He then had a short stint as head coach of the British Virgin Islands national team at the age of 21, before he moved onto a career as an assistant under the management of José Mourinho at Porto, another protégé of Robson's. As Mourinho moved clubs to Chelsea and Internazionale, Villas-Boas followed suit.

At the start of the 2009–10 season, Villas-Boas abandoned Mourinho's staff to pursue a career as manager, and he soon found a job in the Primeira Liga with Académica de Coimbra, filling a vacancy created by Rogério Gonçalves' resignation in October 2009.

At the time of Villas-Boas' appointment, Académica were at the bottom of the league and still without wins, but their luck started to change as he introduced a new style, leading them to a safe 11th place, ten points clear of the relegation zone.

In addition to that, Académica also reached the 2009–10 Portuguese League Cup semi-finals, losing against FC Porto at the Estádio do Dragão with a late goal from Mariano González. His impact at Académica was immediate, not only because of solid results, but also because of the attractive football displayed by the team, which led to intense media speculation linking him with the vacant job at Sporting Clube de Portugal after the departure of Carlos Carvalhal in the summer of 2010.

When Jesualdo Ferreira left FC Porto, his name was also linked with the job at Estádio do Dragão, and Villas-Boas was finally announced as their new manager on 2 June 2010, having been presented on 4 June. On 7 August 2010, he won his first trophy when Porto beat Benfica 2–0 in the Portuguese Supercup.

From Wikipedia

JOSEP GUARDIOLA

2011-05-15T07:00:00.001+07:00

Josep "Pep" Guardiola i Sala (Catalan pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛb ɡwəɾðiˈɔɫə]; born 18 January 1971 in Santpedor, Barcelona, Catalonia), is a Spanish football manager and former player. Guardiola played as a defensive midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona, whom he currently manages.

He was part of Johan Cruyff's dream team that won Barcelona's first European Cup. Guardiola also played for Brescia Calcio and A.S. Roma in Italy; Al-Ahli in Qatar; and for Dorados de Sinaloa in Mexico while attending managing school. While playing in Italy, he served a four-month ban for a positive drug test although he was cleared of wrongdoing on appeal by Michel Platini as President of UEFA. As an international, he played for Spain and Catalonia.

After retiring as a player, Guardiola became coach of FC Barcelona B. On 8 May 2008, Barcelona president Joan Laporta announced that Guardiola would succeed Frank Rijkaard as the first team manager. He signed his contract on 5 June 2008.

In his first season as manager, Barcelona won the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. In doing so, Guardiola became the youngest UEFA Champions League winning manager ever.

The following season, Guardiola and Barcelona won the Supercopa de España against Athletic Club Bilbao, the UEFA Super Cup against Shakhtar Donetsk, and the FIFA Club World Cup against Estudiantes, bringing the manager's tally to the maximum of six trophies in six competitions in one year, thus completing the first ever sextuple. He is considered by some critics one of the world's best football managers.

From Wikipedia

JOSE MOURINHO

2011-05-07T18:37:00.003+07:00

José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛ moˈɾiɲu]; born 26 January 1963 in Setúbal) is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He has the nickname "The Special One", a self-proclaimed title which was later taken up by the British media. Mourinho is widely regarded among experts, players and coaches, as one of the greatest coaches in football history.

The son of Portuguese goalkeeper José Félix Mourinho, Mourinho started out as a player but he was unable to forge a meaningful career in the game and eventually switched to management. After spells working as an assistant manager and a youth team coach in the early 1990s, he became an interpreter for Sir Bobby Robson.

There, Mourinho learnt much from the veteran coach and worked with him at Sporting Clube de Portugal and Porto in Portugal, before following him to Spanish club Barcelona. He remained in the Catalonian club after Robson's departure and worked with the successor, Louis van Gaal.

He began focusing on coaching and impressed with brief but successful managerial periods at Benfica and União de Leiria. He returned to Porto in 2002, this time as head coach, and soon became a force to be reckoned with, achieving the treble, winning the Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal, and UEFA Cup in 2003. Greater success followed in 2004 as Mourinho guided the team to the top of the league for a second time and won the highest honour in European club football, the UEFA Champions League.

Mourinho moved to Chelsea the following year and won two consecutive English Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006, among other domestic honours. He often courted controversy for his outspokenness, but his victories at Chelsea and Porto established him as one of the world's top football managers, well regarded by both his peers and the press. Additionally, he was named the world's best football manager by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) for both the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons.

After an alleged fall-out with the Chelsea hierarchy, he moved to Italy's Serie A, signing a three-year contract with Internazionale in mid-2008. Within three months he had won his first Italian honour, the Supercoppa Italiana, and completed his first season in Italy by winning the Serie A league title. Mourinho followed on from that the next season by winning the first treble in Italian history, the Serie A league title, Coppa Italia, and the UEFA Champions League, thus becoming the third manager in football history to win two UEFA Champions League with two different teams, after Ernst Happel and Ottmar Hitzfeld. Due to these achievements he again won the IFFHS best football manager for the 2009–10 season and the first ever FIFA Ballon d'Or Best Coach Award in 2010.

On 28 May 2010, his appointment as head coach at Real Madrid was confirmed, signing a four-year contract. Mourinho is commonly noted by many as the best manager in world football today. In April 2010, while still at Internazionale, before their semi-final second-leg clash, Josep Guardiola of Barcelona said: "In terms of the world's best managers, when you compare José [Mourinho] to Sir Alex [Ferguson], Arsène [Wenger] and Fabio [Capello], he is still very young. But even at his age there is a very strong case for him being the best manager in the world. That's the truth."

The legendary multi-time World Champion and previous World No.1 former chess player, Grandmaster Garry Kasparov, has used the Portuguese coach as an example of strategy and leadership in a February 2011 press conference, and said: "Whoever shows such good results with several teams, as is the case of José Mourinho, has to be a great psychologist and strategist".

The famous North American sports magazine, Sports Illustrated, published a report in March 2011, conducted by Grant Wahl, in which Mourinho is considered one of the best coaches of all time in any sport. Sir Alex Ferguson has said: "He's at the top, there's no doubt about that, you have certain criteria in terms of top management, and that is longevity of success – which is very difficult today – and what you win. You have to regard his achievements as really first-class." In a 2011 interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Formula One driver Fernando Alonso commented, "Whenever he speaks, he is almost always right, even though some people don't like to hear it."

From Wikipedia

STEVEN GERRARD

2011-04-15T18:23:00.004+07:00

Steven George Gerrard MBE (pronounced /ˈdʒɛrɑrd/; born 30 May 1980), is an English professional association football player who plays for and captains English Premier League club Liverpool and the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role; however, since the arrival of Fernando Torres at Liverpool in 2007, he has been used mainly as a second striker for his club team and as a winger for England since 2006. Gerrard is best known for his long shots and also has scored in numerous cup finals including the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final and the 2006 Fa Cup Final.

Gerrard, who has spent his entire career at Anfield, made his début in 1998 and cemented his place in the first team in the 2000–01 season, succeeding Sami Hyypiä as Liverpool team captain in 2003.

His honours include two FA Cup wins, two League Cup wins, a UEFA Cup win, and a UEFA Champions League win in 2005. In 2005, Gerrard came third in the voting for Ballon d'Or, given to the top player in Europe.

Gerrard made his international début in 2000, and represented England in the UEFA European Championships in 2000 and 2004 as well as the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where he was the team's top goalscorer with two goals. Gerrard is the current vice-captain of the England national football team. However, he captained his country at the 2010 World Cup in the absence of regular captain Rio Ferdinand who missed the tournament through injury. Gerrard came second in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop, a Liverpool F.C. fan poll.

From Wikipedia

DAVID BECKHAM

2011-04-12T18:22:00.003+07:00

David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE (born 2 May 1975) is an English footballer who currently plays in midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He is also an established member of the England national team.

Twice runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year and in 2004 the world's highest-paid footballer when taking into account salary and advertising deals.Beckham was the first British footballer to play 100 Champions League matches. He was Google's most searched of all sports topics in both 2003 and 2004. With such global recognition he has become an elite advertising brand and a top fashion icon.

Beckham was captain of England from 15 November 2000 until the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, during which he played 58 times. Since then he has continued to represent his country and earned his much-publicised hundredth cap for England against France on 26 March 2008. He is currently England's most-capped outfield player with 115 appearances.

Beckham's career began when he signed a professional contract with Manchester United, making his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17. During his time there, United won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999. He left Manchester United to sign for Real Madrid in 2003, where he remained for four seasons, clinching the La Liga championship in his final season with the club.

In January 2007, it was announced that Beckham would leave Real Madrid and sign a five-year contract with Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy. Beckham's contract with Los Angeles Galaxy became effective on 1 July 2007 and gave him the highest player salary in MLS history. His playing contract with Galaxy in 2007, 2008 and 2009 was worth $6.5m per year. He debuted for the team on 21 July 2007 in a friendly versus Chelsea at The Home Depot Center, and on 15 August, he had his first start with the team, scoring his first goal in the 2007 SuperLiga semi-final. His first league start then came on 18 August in front of a record crowd at Giants Stadium.

Beckham is married to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham (née Adams). The couple have three sons and currently reside in Beverly Hills, California.

From Wikipedia

FRANK LAMPARD

2011-04-11T18:21:00.002+07:00

Frank James Lampard, Jr. (born 20 June 1978) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chelsea and at international level for the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for both his club side and national side. He plays most often as a box-to-box midfielder and has also enjoyed spells in a more advanced attacking midfield. He is considered to be one of the best footballers in the world.

Lampard began his career at West Ham United, his father's former club. He had secured a place in the first team by the 1997–98 season, and the following year helped the team finish 5th in the Premier League, their highest ever Premier League placing. In 2001, he moved to rival London club Chelsea for £11 million.

From his debut onwards he was ever-present in the Chelsea first team, setting a record 164 consecutive Premier League appearances. He established himself as a prolific scorer at the West London club and was a key part of the sides which won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004–05 and 2005–06 and a domestic cup double in 2007. He signed a new contract in 2008, becoming the highest paid Premier League footballer at that time, and scored in his first Champions League Final that same year. He won the FA Cup for the second time in 2009, scoring the winning goal in the final. On 23 December 2009, he was named the Premier League's Player of the decade by official statistics. In the 2009-10 season Lampard won the Premier League title and FA Cup (domestic cup double) with Chelsea and had his best prolific season with Chelsea scoring 22 league goals and 17 league assists.

Lampard has won the Chelsea Player of the Year award three times and is Chelsea's 3rd all-time goalscorer with 157 goals in all competitions, including over 100 league goals, the most in the club's history for a midfielder. Lampard is the highest goalscoring midfielder in Premier League history with 129 league goals and he's 2nd in the Premier League's all-time assists table with 156 assists. Also Lampard completes over 1400 successful passes and has 10 or more assists every season. In 2005, Lampard was voted second place in both the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year and the 2005 Ballon d'Or.

Internationally, Lampard has been capped 82 times by England since making his debut in October 1999, and has scored 20 goals. He was voted England player of the year for two consecutive years in 2004 and 2005. He played in Euro 2004, where he was named in the team of the tournament after scoring three goals in four games. He was top scorer for England in their successful 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign with five goals, and played in the 2006 World Cup. In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers he scored four goals, helping England qualify for the tournament proper in South Africa.

From Wikipedia

ANA IVANOVIC

2010-11-10T19:12:00.009+07:00

Ana Ivanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Ана Ивановић) Serbian pronunciation: [ˈana iˈvaːnɔvitɕ](born November 6, 1987, in Belgrade, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia) is a former World No. 1 Serbian tennis player. As of November 8, 2010, she is ranked World No. 17 on the WTA rankings. She won the 2008 French Open and was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open.

Personal Life
Ivanović's mother Dragana, a lawyer, supports her daughter during most of her matches. Her father Miroslav, a self-employed businessman, attends as many events as he possibly can. Ana has a younger brother, Miloš, with whom she loves to play basketball.

Aside from her tennis career, Ivanović also studies finance at a university in Belgrade and Spanish in her spare time. Her inspiration to begin playing was that time Serbian player, Monika Seleš.

On September 8, 2007, Ivanović became a UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia, alongside Aleksandar Đorđević, Jelena Janković and Emir Kusturica. She takes a special interest in the fields of education and child protection. Ivanović visited a primary school in Serbia during her inauguration and said that she is "also looking forward to going into the classroom and meeting many kids."

Ivanović confirmed in November 2008 that she was romantically involved with Spanish tennis player Fernando Verdasco, but it was reported that the relationship ended in January 2009. Ivanović was then in a relationship with Australia's golf player Adam Scott but their relationship apparently ended in August 2010. Some of her best friends include close childhood family friend Novak Djokovic, whom she has known since the age of 5, and current ATP World No. 1 Rafael Nadal.

She admires former No. 1 Roger Federer, for his professionalism on and off the court. They've met during the Wilson Player Party, Ivanovic interviewing Federer for the Tennis Channel, and after Federer won the French Open 2009. She admitted this during her press conference after defeating Samantha Stosur in her third round match in Wimbledon 2009.

From Wikipedia

LIU XIANG

2010-10-20T18:00:00.002+07:00

Liu Xiang (simplified Chinese: 刘翔; traditional Chinese: 劉翔; pinyin: Liú Xiáng; born July 13, 1983 in Putuo, Shanghai, China) is a Chinese 110 metre hurdler.

Liu is an Olympic Gold medalist and World Champion. His 2004 Olympic gold medal was the first in a men's track and field event for China.

Liu is one of China's most commercially successful athletes and has emerged as a cultural icon. He is the first Chinese athlete to achieve the "triple crown" of athletics : World Record Holder, World Champion and Olympic Champion.

That he would win another gold in the 110 metre hurdles at the Beijing Olympics was "China's great hope", but he had to withdraw from competition at the last moment after a false start and aggravation to a previously unrevealed injury.

In May, he won at East Asian Games in Osaka, Japan with 13.42 seconds. In August, he won at World University Games in Beijing, China with 13.33 seconds.

In May 2004 at an IAAF race in Osaka, Japan, Liu managed to beat Johnson with a personal best record time of 13.06 seconds. Liu had become his hero's equal just before the Athens Olympic Games.

Beijing Olympics
Leading up to the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Liu bore national expectations of a repeat victory on home soil. China deemed another gold medal from Liu essential for a successful Olympics.

On August 18, Liu withdrew from the Olympic 110 metre hurdles. He walked off the track after a false start by another runner in his first-round heat, leaving the crowd at the Beijing National Stadium in stunned silence, confusion, and tears.

According to China's track and field association, Liu suffered from a recurrence of chronic inflammation in his right Achilles tendon. Liu's coach, Sun Haiping addressed the media during a press conference and stated that the hurdler had been hampered by a tendon injury for six or seven years.

He commented on the situation, saying "We worked hard every day, but the result was as you see and it is really hard to take" Sun, who was in tears for most of the press conference, stated that Liu would be unable to compete for the remainder of 2008.

Liu made a public apology to the Chinese media the following day, saying he could "do nothing but pull out of the race" because of his foot injury. He believes that the injury would not prevent him from future competitions and vows to "come back" for the next Olympics.

Liu's injury was significant and also ruled him out of the following year's major competition, the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. However, coach Sun Haiping was confident that he would return in time for the Chinese national championships and 2009 Asian Championships in Athletics in November.

From Wikipedia

ANNA KOURNIKOVA

2010-10-15T20:05:00.009+07:00

Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova (Russian: Анна Сергеевна Ку́рникова; born 7 June 1981) is a Russian American professional tennis player and model. Her celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis players worldwide.

At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name one of the most common search strings on the Internet search engine Google.

Although also successful in singles, reaching No. 8 in the world in 2000, Kournikova's specialty has been doubles, where she has at times been the World No. 1 player. With Martina Hingis as her partner, she won Grand Slam titles in Australia in 1999 and 2002.

Based on their looks, Hingis and Kournikova facetiously referred to themselves as the "Spice Girls of Tennis".

Kournikova's professional tennis career has been curtailed for the past several years, and possibly ended, by serious back and spinal problems. She currently resides in Miami Beach, Florida, and plays in occasional exhibitions and in doubles for the St. Louis Aces of World Team Tennis.

Personal Life
Kournikova started dating pop star Enrique Iglesias in late 2001 (she appeared in his video, "Escape"), and rumors that the couple had secretly married circulated in 2003 and again in 2005.

Kournikova herself has consistently refused to directly confirm or deny the status of her personal relationships. But in May 2007, Enrique Iglesias was (mistakenly, as he would clarify later) quoted in the New York Sun that he had no intention of marrying Kournikova and settling down because they had split up.

The singer would later deny these rumors of "divorce" or simply separation. In June 2008, Iglesias told the Daily Star that he had married Kournikova the previous year and that they are currently separated.

Enrique has stated in interviews after that it was simply a joke, and they are still very much together. In an interview with Graham Norton in 2010, Kournikova confirmed that she and Iglesias have been together for over eight years but have no plans to marry in the near future.

Kournikova has a younger brother, Allan. She became an American citizen in late 2009.

From Wikipedia

KOBE BRYANT

2010-10-06T21:15:00.009+07:00

Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country.

He decided to declare his eligibility for the NBA Draft upon graduation, and was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

As a rookie, Bryant earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest. Bryant and then-teammate Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. After O'Neal's departure following the 2003–04 season, Bryant became the cornerstone of the Lakers franchise.

He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, setting numerous scoring records in the process. In 2006, Bryant scored a career high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second most points scored in a single game in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point performance.

In the 2007–08 season, he was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP. After losing in the 2008 NBA Finals, Bryant led the Lakers to two consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010 and was named NBA Finals MVP on both occasions.

Bryant currently ranks 4th and 12th on both the league's post-season scoring and all time scoring lists, respectively. In 2010, he became the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history. Since his second year in the league, Bryant has started in every NBA All-Star Game that has been hosted, winning the All-Star MVP award in 2002, 2007, and 2009.

He is a twelve-time member of the All-NBA team and ten-time All-Defensive team, and is the youngest player ever to receive defensive honors. In 2008, he won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics as a member of the USA national team. Bryant was named NBA player of the decade by TNT and Sporting News.

In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexual assault at a hotel in Edwards, Colorado, by a hotel employee. Bryant admitted an adulterous sexual encounter with the accuser, but denied the sexual assault allegation. In September 2004, prosecutors dropped the case after his accuser informed them that she was unwilling to testify.

From Wikipedia

ZHANG NING

2010-09-11T13:32:00.002+07:00

Zhang Ning (simplified Chinese: 张宁; traditional Chinese: 張寧; Pinyin: Zhāng Níng; born 19 May 1975 in Jinzhou, Liaoning, China) is a female badminton player from the People's Republic of China.

She won the Olympic gold medal twice for women's singles in both 2004 and 2008.

She has played badminton on the world scene since the mid-1990s and has been particularly successful since 2002 while in her late twenties and early thirties, relatively late for singles at the highest level, and especially for top players in the Chinese system who are developed very early.

She is the only player of either sex to win consecutive Olympic singles gold medals.

Zhang first represented China in Uber Cup (women's world team championship) competition in 1994 and last represented it in 2006. Though she was not always chosen to play in each of the biennial editions of this tournament, her professional career is the longest of any Chinese player to date.

Having previously announced her plans to retire after the 2008 Olympic Games, a retirement ceremony for Zhang and other retiring members of the Chinese national team was held at the 2008 China Open Badminton Championships in Shanghai in November 2008. After her retirement, Zhang Ning immediately began working with the Chinese national team in coaching and developing the up and coming women's singles players.

From Wikipedia

ZHENG JIE

2010-09-05T08:00:00.000+07:00

Zheng Jie (simplified Chinese: 郑洁; traditional Chinese: 鄭潔; pinyin: Zhèng Jié; born 5 July 1983 in Chengdu, Sichuan) is a Chinese professional tennis player. Her career high ranking is World No. 15 which she achieved on May 18, 2009. As of May 17, 2010, Zheng is ranked World No. 24 in singles and World No. 16 in doubles.

Zheng is one of the most successful tennis players in China's history. She has won three WTA singles titles at Hobart in 2005 and Estoril and Stockholm in 2006. She has also won twelve doubles titles, eleven of them with Yan Zi including Wimbledon and the Australian Open in 2006.

Her career high doubles ranking is World No. 3. Zheng has reached the singles semi-finals at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first Chinese player to reach the semi-finals at a Grand Slam, and at the 2010 Australian Open. She also won the bronze medal in doubles with Yan Zi at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was the first Chinese player to defeat a World No. 1 (by defeating Ana Ivanović at Wimbledon in 2008) as well as the first Chinese player to reach the top 15.

Zheng's game is characterized by consistency and intellect. She is not the strongest player, but makes up for this with her careful thinking about where to place her shots and willingness to change game plans if a strategy is not working.

Her shots are very well placed and can be quite deep in the court, making Zheng an excellent defensive counterpuncher. Zheng has good foot speed which allows her to keep points in play that normally would be winners ; so few shots get by her that some admiring journalists have begun calling her "the Great Wall of China."

Having played many years in doubles, Zheng is also a comfortable net player. Zheng has powerful ground strokes that are often deep enough to push opponents off the baseline. Zheng's best shot is her backhand. Zheng's main weakness is her serve; however she is sometimes able to neutralize her weak serve with her quickness or by serving to the body or to the opponent's weaker groundstroke.

From Wikipedia

MARIA SHARAPOVA

2010-09-03T07:00:00.000+07:00

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (Russian: Мари́я Ю́рьевна Шара́пова, Mariya Yur’evna Shara'pova [pronounced sha-RAH-po-va] Russian pronunciation: [mɐˈrʲijə ʂɐˈrapəvə]; born April 19, 1987) is a former World No. 1 Russian professional tennis player.

Sharapova has won 22 WTA singles titles, 3 WTA doubles titles and 3 Grand Slam singles titles, including 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open. She was also runner-up at the 2007 Australian Open. She has also won the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in 2004. The Women's Tennis Association has ranked her World No. 1 in singles on 4 separate occasions. She regained this ranking for the fourth time on May 19, 2008. She became the World No. 1 for the first time on Aug 22, 2005. She is currently ranked World No. 12.

Sharapova made her professional breakthrough in 2004 when, at age 17, she upset two-time defending champion and top seed Serena Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final for her first Grand Slam singles title. She entered the top ten of the WTA Rankings with this win.

Despite not winning a major in 2005, Sharapova briefly held the number one ranking, and reached three Grand Slam semifinals, losing to the eventual champion each time. She ultimately won her second major at the 2006 US Open defeating then-World No. 1 Amélie Mauresmo in the semifinals and World No. 2 Justine Henin in the final.

Sharapova's 2007 season was plagued with a chronic shoulder injury, and saw her ranking fall out of the top 5 for the first time in two years. She ultimately won her third Grand Slam at the 2008 Australian Open, defeating Henin in the quarterfinals and Ana Ivanović in the final.

After reclaiming the number one ranking in May 2008, Sharapova's shoulder problems re-surfaced, ultimately requiring surgery in October and forcing her out of the game for nearly ten months. Sharapova returned in May 2009 and was ranked No. 126 in the world due to her extensive lay-off. Since her comeback, Sharapova has won 3 singles titles (bringing her career total to 22) and recovered her ranking to World No. 12.

Sharapova's public profile extends beyond tennis, as she has been featured in a number of modeling assignments, including a feature in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Also she has been featured in many advertisements including: Nike, Prince, Canon and many more, also being the face of many fashion houses, primarily Cole Haan. Sharapova was the most searched-for athlete on Yahoo! in both 2005 and 2008.

Since February 2007, she has been a United Nations Development Project Goodwill Ambassador, concerned specifically with the Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme.

From Wikipedia

MICHAEL JORDAN

2010-09-01T08:00:00.001+07:00

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a former American professional basketball player, active businessman, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

After a standout career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he led the Tar Heels to a National Championship in 1982, Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring.

His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball.

In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball at the beginning of the 1993–94 NBA season to pursue a career in baseball, he rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships (1996, 1997, and 1998) as well as an NBA-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons in 2001 as a member of the Washington Wizards.

Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include five MVP awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances, three All-Star Game MVP awards, ten scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA records for highest career regular-season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame on April 6, 2009 and was inducted on September 11, 2009.

Jordan is also noted for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film Space Jam as himself. He is the majority owner and head of basketball operations for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats; he recently won a bidding war to buy controlling interest in the team from founding owner Robert L. Johnson.

From Wikipedia

LI NA

2010-08-22T08:00:00.000+07:00

Li Na (Chinese: 李娜; pinyin: Lǐ Nà; born February 26, 1982 in Wuhan, Hubei), is a Chinese professional tennis player. She became the first Chinese player to reach the top 30 (in June 2006), top 20 (in August 2006) and top 10 (2010).

Li was also the first Chinese tennis player to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinals, doing so at Wimbledon in 2006. She has been one of the most successful tennis players in the country's history and with her highest ranking achieved on February 2009 as Asia and China's No. 1 female player, with a world ranking of No. 10 at the time. By reaching the semi-finals of the 2010 Australian Open, Li became the first Chinese player to enter the top 10. She is currently ranked World No. 11.

From the central China metropolis of Wuhan, Li was a badminton player when she was 6 but her coach kept noticing that she looked as if she were playing tennis. By the time she was 8, her coach asked her parents if she could switch to tennis. Her father died when she was 14.

Between 1999 and 2004, Li won 20 women's singles titles : 19 ITF events and one—the first ever won by a Chinese woman—on the WTA Tour. In January 2008, she won her second WTA Tour title after a drought of over three and a quarter years.

She is noted in her playing style for quick reflexes and athleticism around the court and fast groundstrokes which she scatters unpredictably to all corners of the playing surface.

Li also frequently enters doubles tournaments at events alongside singles, and has won two WTA doubles titles and 16 further ITF doubles events. Her early success in doubles came mostly with Ting Li; but more recently she has made a habit of forming temporary women's doubles partnerships with players with whom she has previously enjoyed a healthy rivalry through repeated head-to-head meetings in singles tournaments, notably Liu Nan-Nan, Nicole Pratt, Yan Zi, Jelena Janković, and Peng Shuai.

Her career has been plagued by injuries that have interrupted her from playing for lengthy periods, and often preventing her from being highly ranked. She suffered a two-year hiatus from competition in her early 20s, lost several months at the height of the 2005 season to an ankle injury, and lost the second half of 2007 to a rib injury.

During the 2010 Australian Open, Li and compatriot Zheng Jie made history for becoming the first two Chinese players to reach the top four of a Grand Slam tournament simultaneously.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC

2010-08-21T17:00:00.001+07:00

Novak Djokovic (Serbian: Новак Ђоковић, Novak Đoković), (born 22 May 1987) is a Serbian professional tennis player, who is currently ranked the World No. 3. Novak Djokovic was born in Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia. His two younger brothers, Djordje and Marko, are also tennis players with professional aspirations.

He has won one Grand Slam singles title, the 2008 Australian Open, becoming the first player representing Serbia to win a Grand Slam singles title and the youngest player in the open era to have reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slam events. He was also the runner-up at the 2007 US Open and a bronze medallist representing Serbia at the 2008 Olympic Games. In addition, Djokovic won the Tennis Masters Cup in 2008 and has won five Masters Series tournaments.

He started playing tennis at the age of four, and was spotted by Yugoslav tennis legend Jelena Genčić at the age of eight, who stated: "This is the greatest talent I have seen since Monica Seles." At 12 years old, he spent three months at Nikola Pilić's tennis academy in Munich, Germany, and at age 14, his international career began, winning European championships in singles, doubles, and team competition.[4] He currently resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco and has been coached by a former Slovak tennis player, Marián Vajda; in August 2009 he also began working with former US top-five player Todd Martin.

Djoković is also known for his often humorous off-court impersonations of his fellow players, many of whom are his friends. This became evident to the tennis world after his 2007 US Open quarterfinal win over Carlos Moyà, where he entertained the audience with impersonations of Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova. He also did an impression of American tennis great John McEnroe after his final preliminary game at the 2009 US Open, before playing a brief game with McEnroe, much to the delight of the audience.

From Wikipedia