What important event happened in sports in 2022?

SPORTS: What with a number of world cups being held across different sports, there was no dearth of action in 2022. While the T20 World Cup that concluded in November and the FIFA World Cup that saw a thrilling climax in December were easily the biggest highlights of the year, there was plenty more on show, both on and off the field. Indians too had plenty to celebrate in the sporting arena as our stars sizzled in different disciplines. Here's a quick wrap of all the big sporting news from the year that went by...

1. Djokovic's deportation

The first big sports news of 2022 didn't even take place in a sporting arena. Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic's vaccination status (he isn't vaccinated for COVID-19) remained a point of contention throughout the year and it started in January 2022 itself. Djokovic was deported from Australia before the start of the Australian Open and was banned from travelling to the country (a ban that has since been lifted).

Despite all the off-field drama, the Australian Open saw Ashleigh Barty end the country's 44-year wait for a home winner by clinching the women's section, while Rafael Nadal won a record 21st Grand Slam men's title.

2. IPL franchises splurge on players

When India's wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan was snapped for a whopping 15.25 crore during the IPL full auction in February 2022, he became the second most expensive Indian to have ever been bought at the auctions, behind only the 16 crore spent on Yuvraj Singh in 2015.

In the mini auction that was held in December, England's Sam Curran, Australia's Cameron Green, and England's Ben Stokes all matched or broke the record for the most expensive bids at IPL auctions (Chris Morris 16.25 crore). Curran's Rs. 18.50 crore, in fact, makes him the most expensive player in IPL history, even more than what is offered to retained players.

3. The King of Spin is no more

The fourth of March was a difficult day for Australian cricket in 2022. While veteran wicketkeeper Rod Marsh died aged 74 eight days after suffering a heart attack, spin legend Shane Warne died of a suspected heart attack aged 52. Warne, often hailed as the King of Spin, was not only a great cricketer, but also a brilliant showman. The leg spinner is the second-most highest wicket-taker of all time in Test cricket, with 708 wickets to his name. Australia kept their emotions in check to claim a 1-0 series win against Pakistan later in the same month, their first series in Pakistan in almost 25 years.

4. Pallikal makes the mother of all comebacks

Dipika Pallikal Karthik and Dinesh Karthik gave birth to twins in October 2021. Less than six months after becoming mother to the two newborns, the squash star did the unthinkable, claiming two golds at the World Doubles Championships in April 2022.

Playing her first competitive event since October 2018, she first clinched the mixed doubles by teaming up with Saurav Ghosal. Just an hour and a half after winning the mixed doubles final with Ghosal, she teamed up with long-time teammate Joshna Chinappa (left) to triumph in the women's doubles final as well.

5. Zareen boxes her way to gold

Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen joined elite company by winning gold at the Women's World Boxing Championships at Istanbul in May 2022. She became just the fifth Indian woman to achieve the feat, following in the footsteps of six-time champion Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny R.L and Lekha K.C

Zareen clinched India's first world title since 2018 by defeating Thailand's Jutamas Jitpong 5-0 in the final. While India finished the event with a gold and two bronze medals, it took their overall tally in the history of the competition to 10 gold, eight silver, and 21 bronze medals.

6. India wins Thomas Cup for first time

Until 2022, India had never won the Thomas Cup, the premier team competition in men's badminton. That changed in May when India stunned 14-time champion Indonesia 3-0 in the final. After Lakshya Sen gave India a 1-0 lead by defeating Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made it 2-0 by beating Mohammad Ahsan and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo in the doubles encounter. Kidambi Srikanth then ensured that India scripted history when he got the better of Jonatan Christie in the second singles encounter. For the first time since the tournament's inception in 1949, India were on top of the world.

7. Real Madrid continue their winning ways

In April 2022, Real Madrid secured a record-extending 35th La Liga title with four matches to spare. With that, their coach Carlo Ancelotti became the first manager ever to steer his sides to victory in each of the top five European Leagues (England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain).

Less than a month later, Real were at it again in May, this time claiming a record-extending 14th Champions League title by defeating Liverpool 1-0 in the final.

Real's French forward Karim Benzema had been the star of their show for much of the season, earning him the prestigious Ballon d'Or award in October.

8. Nadal takes his tally to 22

There is no doubt that Rafael Nadal has forever etched his name in the clay courts of the French Open. He won it for a record-extending 14th time in June 2022, by defeating Norwegian Casper Ruud in the final. With that he won his 22nd grand slam men's singles title and extended his lead at the top-two more than what Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic had at the time.

Even though 2022 was marred by off-field drama for Djokovic, and despite the fact that he had to miss both the Australian Open and the US Open, he notched up his 21st title when he won his seventh Wimbledon title in July.

9. Warriors make it four out of eight

After the heady heights achieved in the last decade, many believed that the Golden State Warriors had fallen off the top and there were even murmurs that the franchise were a shadow of their past when they failed to make it to the NBA play-offs for two consecutive seasons. They bounced back in style in the 2021-22 season, clinching the title for a fourth time in eight seasons in June 2022.

Despite finishing last in the 2019-20 season, they continued with their strategy of holding onto star players while grooming young ones. After clinching the Western Conference, they defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals 4-2 for the title.

10. Neeraj Chopra continues to make history

Indian athletics' poster boy Neeraj Chopra rewrote history again and again. It began at the World Athletics Championships in July 2022, when he clinched silver in men's javelin throw with a best of 88.13 m. With that, he became the first Indian to clinch a silver at the worlds, and the second Indian after Anju Bobby George to medal at the worlds.

He scripted history again in August by becoming the first Indian to clinch a Diamond League meet title by winning the Lausanne leg and qualifying for the final. Things got better in September when he won the final at Zurich, becoming the first Indian to win a Diamond League title.

11. Indians shine at the Commonwealth Games

At about the same time when Chennai was hosting the Chess Olympiad, the Commonwealth Games took place in Birmingham. India competed at the event that took place in July-August

 

2022, and finished fourth in the medals tally with 22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze medals. Indian wrestlers were on top of their game as the sport provided for maximum golds (6) and maximum medals (12) at the event. While weightlifters accounted for 10 medals, athletes won eight, paddlers and boxers won seven, and the badminton players won six medals. Star paddler Sharath Kamal was India's most successful player at the Games, clinching three golds and a silver in table tennis events.

12. Chennai hosts the Chess Olympiad

The Chess Olympiad came to India for the first time as Chennai hosted the 44th Chess Olympiad in July-August 2022. With a knight clad in traditional attire serving as the mascot, and roads and bridges turning into chess boards, everything was done to catch the public attention.

The event was a success with more than 1500 participants representing over 180 countries competing in the Open and Women's events. Uzbekistan clinched gold in the Open category, while war-torn Ukraine won top honours in the Women's event. India had more reason to celebrate as it won the prestigious Gaprindashvili Cup awarded to the team with the best combined performance in the Open and Women's tournaments.

13. Satwik-Chirag medal at the worlds

Having contributed to India's maiden Thomas Cup triumph and having won gold at the Commonwealth Games, Indian men's doubles badminton duo Satviksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were brimming with confidence. They make it count where it mattered as they became the first Indian pair to win a medal in the men's doubles event at the World Badminton Championships in Tokyo in August 2022. They lost to Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wool Yk in the semi-final and settled for bronze. Satvik Chirag also became the first Indian doubles pair to win a BWF Super 750 tournament when they won the men's double crown at the French Open Super 750 event in October.

14. Federer announces his retirement

Shortly after tennis legend Serena Williams announced that she would be evolving away from tennis in August 2022, tennis fans had to endure another bombshell when Roger Federer announced his retirement in September. Just days after Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz had won the US Opens to become the youngest-ever men's world number one at the age of 19, Federer announced his decision to retire from tennis after Laver Cup on social media.

The 41-year-old, who has won 20 men's single grand slam titles, is seen by many as the greatest to have ever played the game. Federer ended his retirement announcement saying, "Finally, to the game of tennis: I love you and will never leave you."

15. Verstappen breaks record for most wins in a season

Dutch driver Max Verstappen not only defended his F1 title in 2022, but did it in style. He clinched the title after winning the Japanese Grand Prix in October 2022. With four races still remaining at that point, there was more to come from Verstappen.

Verstappen won three of those four races in the US Grand Prix, Mexico City Grand Prix and the season finale at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. When he won the race in Mexico, he broke the record for most wins in a single season held previously by Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013). He added another win at Abu Dhabi for good measure, finishing the season with a record 15 race victories.

16. England are the white ball champions

Every cricketing country in the world played a lot of T20 cricket in 2022 as they built form towards the T20 World Cup held in Australia in October-November 2022.

Barring a loss to Ireland by Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in a rain-curtailed game, England were undefeated throughout the tournament. After thumping India by 10 wickets in the semi-final, England then defeated Pakistan in the final by five wickets to lift the T20 World Cup for a second time.

Already possessing the ODI World Cup following their victory in 2019, England became the first team in history to hold both the ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup at the same time.

17. Messi is finally a World Cup winner

Despite the controversy surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup during its build-up, Qatar delivered one of the finest tournaments in recent history in November-December 2022. The fact that Lionel Messi's Argentina came out on top seemed to many like the perfect icing on the cake.

Argentina got off to a nightmare start, losing to Saudi Arabia. They put that behind them and kept moving forward, with their talisman Messi leading from the front. The final against France was a spectacle as Messi and Kylian Mbappe put on a show in a 3-3 draw. Argentina came out on top in the penalties to lift the World Cup for a third time.

18. A shocking end to 2022

Just as an off-field event had kick-started the year, it was events off the field that left the sporting world in disbelief in December 2022.

On December 29, Brazilian football legend Pele passed away aged 82, plunging the football world into sadness. One of the greatest footballers of all time, Pele was a giant in the sporting world in the 20th Century.

Just a day later, cricketing fans were in for a rude shock as Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant met with a car accident. Owing to injuries in his leg and head, Pant is expected to be out of action for months, and maybe even a year.

Events that almost made it to our list

Mohammad Arif Khan became the first Kashmiri Olympian and the first Indian to participate in two events at the Winter Olympics in February.

Australian women won a record-extending seventh Women's World Cup title when they won the ODI tournament held in New Zealand in March-April.

Indian women's cricket team lost a couple of stalwarts as batter Mithali Raj (left) called time on her international career in June while pacer Jhulan Goswami (right) bid her farewell with a fairytale finish in September.

With four golds at the FINA World Championships in Budapest in June-July, American swimmer Katie Ledecky took her overall tally to 19, second only to Michael Phelps' 26.

Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia won bronze at the World Wrestling Championships in September. While Phogat became the first Indian woman to win two medals at the worlds, Punia took his tally to four.

Spain defended their FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in October in a tournament held in India.

Maharashtra's Ruturaj Gaikwad struck a world record seven 6s in an over in a Vijay Hazare quarter-final game against Uttar Pradesh in November.

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Why is promoting fair play important?

Use of banned substances and doping to enhance performance to gain an edge over rivals. Employing tools like a sandpaper to rub on a cricket ball to make its swing more pronounced, thereby making batting more difficult. Accepting money for spot-fixing or even fixing the outcome of a game. If you think about what links all these different things, it is the fact that these are all forms of cheating prevalent in sports, even at the elite level.

The mentality of winning at all costs through your own performance is a good one to have, both individually and as a team. But when that same mentality pushes you to the brink and makes you adopt malpractices, then it is definitely wrong.

Even though there are checks and balances already in place in most elite sports, this hasn't been enough. Be it bans that prevent participation for a fixed number of years or even a lifetime, it still hasn't proven to be foolproof.

The allure of winning at the greatest of stages is one that might push even the best-intentioned to wrongdoings. It is therefore important to educate from a very young age on the importance of playing clean, regardless of what sport it is.

The reputation of professional cycling as a sport was battered when the repeated doping offences of U.S. cyclist Lance Armstrong, once considered an icon in the sport, was proved beyond doubt. Here, a 30-foot effigy of the disgraced American cyclist burns during Bonfire Night celebrations in Edenbridge, south east England in November 2012.

Most elite athletes grow up spending countless hours in their chosen field, losing out on other standard rounded education that most of us undergo. This does come at a cost at times, as implications of a wrong move might not be fully understood before it is done. Apart from ruining their own reputation, that of the sport in which they are involved also takes a huge beating when an individual or a team resorts to cheating to gain an advantage.

What we can do is to keep driving at the message that victory is worthy only if it is attained in the right way. By playing it clean, irrespective of the level at which you are playing the sport, you display gamesmanship that is often remembered, even if in a losing cause. Victories are important, yes. But only when it is attained without bending the rules.

Nurture the young stars

Despite our burgeoning reputation as a powerhouse in a number of sports, India as a country is still lacking and lagging in many others. While the lack of skill might be a reason, it doesn't paint the complete picture.

It is hard to accept that for a country of our size and population, we do not have enough competing at the highest level in many sports. We can make progress in this if we are able to identify talent at a young age and groom them.

In India, there is sometimes a strong emphasis on education, even if it is at the cost of other skills. Without the right backing, many youngsters talented in sports and arts have had to stick to academics. Within sports too, the focus has been in a few select ones, like cricket.

By widening our view as a society, we can make steady improvement. If you are good in a sport and wish to pursue it, you are bound to do better if you feel encouraged to do it. When this goes along with the financial and infrastructural backing of the government and the corporates, then chances are that a new star will be born!

Picture Credit : Google 

What can we do to bring about CHANGE in the way we promote sports and encourage leisure activities?

Quite a lot, actually. From changing the way we foster sports to tweaking the ways in which we perceive our sportspersons, there are many things that we can work on, right from the time we are at school. Here are five such aspects that we can change, along with activities to make you dwell further on these subjects....

There's more than one sport

Ask anyone who their favourite sports star is and chances are that the answer will be a cricketer. For a country of over a billion, our perspective seems to be rather limited when it comes to sport, as most of us take to just cricket.

From badminton to tennis, hockey to football, athletics and many others, India has a presence in a wide range of sports other than cricket. What's more, we have even had great performances in recent times in a number of these sports.

While backing our cricketers and following the sport religiously does no harm, it shouldn't come at the cost of other sportsperson losing out on our backing. Fans play a central part in performances and the support that we can offer might even enhance how they fare on the day.

It is important to go out and show the support, filling the stadiums and pouring messages of love and support online. While we are already getting better at it and giving more and more attention to those playing other sports, there's plenty of room for improvement.

If we start doing this, then there will be more takers for other sports as well. And when that happens, we might stop looking at whether we have got on the medals tally at the Olympics, and rather look at where exactly we are on the table.

Win or lose, back your stars

We live in an age when there are extremes of emotions all the time. We celebrate our stars and even hero-worship them when they produce favourable results. When these very stars are at the receiving end of heavy defeats, we rubbish them and question their intent.

Even though this has been something that has been around almost all the time, it is now more vitriolic in the virtual world, where everyone's opinions can easily be amplified. Not even in public offices is the public scrutiny so harsh at times, making the position of sportspersons really difficult at times.

While many stars say that they are inside their own bubble and aren't affected by stringent criticism that is sometimes endless, it is our responsibility as fans to indulge in our following in a more effective manner. There is no need to go overboard with our praise, nor is it necessary to tarnish reputations when our country's representatives fail at the first hurdles.

Brewing hate does a lot of harm, not just for the one at the receiving end, but to the sport as a whole. It is important to remember that those representing a country are the finest in their sport in their nation and they would likely want to win, as much if not more, than the fans following the sport.

It might be easy to forget that in the end, elite athletes and sportspersons are also humans. Even though many high-profile sportspersons have voluntarily come out with their mental health issues in recent years, fans continue to associate their stars with superhuman performance all the time. While this creates a lot of euphoria, it also pushes fans to unruly behaviour when their expectations aren't met.

As fans, it is necessary that we change our perspectives and back our stars throughout, regardless of the results. We all want the team we support and the individual representing our country to win all the time. But we also know that there can be only one winner in any tournament as opposed to many losers. It is therefore pivotal that we back our stars during their setbacks, as much as we cherish their wins like our own.

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What was the journey of hockey player Dhyan Chand?

Born on August 29, 1905, in Allahabad to Sharadha Singh and Sameshwar Singh - a soldier in the British Indian Army, Dhyan Singh was drawn towards hockey at a very early age. Like his father, he too enrolled himself in the army at the age of 16 and continued to play his favourite sport there.

At the Mexico Olympics, when Bob Beaman jumped beyond 29 feet; the world record at that time being a few inches above 26 feet, the field judges went on to change the measuring tape to ensure that they were using the right measurement. Beamon's 'Leap to Infinity' was attributed later to the low gravitational pull at the altitude at which the jump was taken. Legend has it that something similar happened with Dhyan Chand after a match in the Netherlands where his hockey stick was changed as people thought that he had some sort of a magnet in his stick that made the ball stick to it. In fact, it was a great tribute to his dribbling talent.

To summarize Dhyan Chand's achievements, he played a major role in India winning gold medals in three successive Olympic Games; in 1928 (Amsterdam), 1932 (Los Angeles) and 1936 (Berlin) and scored 570 goals in his career which span from 1926 to 1949, during which he played 185 matches. The number of goals would exceed a thousand if his domestic matches were included in his total score. He indeed deserved titles like 'The Wizard' and 'The Magician'. It is a result of his exceptional career that India's highest sports award in any sportsperson's lifetime achievements is named after this great sportsman as 'Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award'.

Dhyan Singh was born on 29 August 1905 in Allahabad, which at that time was a part of the United Province of Agra and Oudh, and is named now as Prayagraj in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Dhyan's father, Sameshwar Singh, was a part of the British Indian Army and his frequent transfers affected the study of his three sons; Mool, Dhyan and Roop, till the family settled finally in Jhansi, another district in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Dhyan Chand hardly played any hockey till he was recruited as a sepoy in the 1st Brahman Regiment of the British Indian Army, in 1922, as a seventeen-year-old teenager. The Regiment was reorganised later as the 1st Punjab Regiment. Once Dhyan Chand joined the army, he started participating in various Regimental and Army games and hockey was one of them. Young Dhyan Singh was seen practising hockey even under the moonlight, which earned him the nickname of 'Chand' (the Moon), a name that stuck with him till the very end.

When an Army team was sent to New Zealand, Dhyan Chand was a member of that team. The team performed exceptionally well and Dhyan Chand started getting recognition as an attacking forward. In 1925, the Indian Hockey Federation started selections for forming an Indian hockey team for the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics; five Province teams were formed for the players to demonstrate their hockey skills. The teams played again in 1927 before the Indian team for the Olympics was finalised. Incidentally, before leaving for the Olympics, the team played against a Bombay team and lost. Obviously, not much was expected from the team who lost to their home team.

However, what happened thereafter was totally unexpected. The Indian team played a few matches in England, winning all of them and also all its pre-Olympic matches. In its pool matches in the Olympics, the Indian team beat Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland convincingly and despite some of its players indisposed and even an unfit Dhyan Chand taking field, the Indian team won the final match against the home team with Dhyan Chand scoring two out of three goals. The Indian team not only won the gold medal, but what was even more remarkable was that none of the teams could score even a single goal against India. Dhyan Chand scored 14 out of 29 goals scored by the Indian team in five matches.

The Indian Army did not relieve Dhyan Chand for the 1932 Olympic trials but the IHF selected him without any trial. This time, his younger brother Roop Singh was also in the Indian team and once again the Indian team routed all teams to win the gold medal. In the finals, India defeated the host team with a record margin of 24-1. Of the 35 goals scored by the Indian team during the Games, the two brothers had a combined tally of 25 goals.

In 1936, the Army refused to relieve Dhyan Chand once again for the trials and once again the IHF included him in the final team and as the proposed captain refused to participate, this time Dhyan Chand was called upon to lead the Indian team. In a pre-Olympic match, India suffered a defeat against Germany but when it mattered, India defeated Germany 8-1. It is said that Adolf Hitler was so impressed with Dhyan Chand's play that he offered the player a citizenship of Germany and the rank of Colonel in the Army which Dhyan Chand refused politely.

Dhyan Chand's scoring blitz can be measured from the fact that the second-highest international goal scorer is Sohail Abbas of Pakistan with 348 goals; way behind Dhyan Chand's tally of 570. For his achievements, Dhyan Chand was given an Emergency Commission in 1943. In 1956, the Indian Government honoured him with the Padma Bhushan and after his death in 1979, in 1980, the Indian Post and Telegraph Department issued a 35 paisa commemorative postage stamp in honour of him. In 2002, the National Stadium in New Delhi was also renamed as the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

What Donald Bradman is to cricket or Muhammad Ali to boxing, Dhyan Chand is to hockey. Among all the sports' personalities of India, Dhyan Chand stands tall, head and shoulder above the rest just as his statue on Sipri Hill in Jhansi.

Credit : Gp Capt Achchyut Kumar

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HOW IS MATHS USED IN FOOTBALL?

You see the player advancing towards the goal, clearly trying to score. But the goalkeeper doesn't stand his ground. He runs towards the player instead of staying on the post. Why would he do that? The reason is maths!

Football is often referred to as "O jogo bonito", Portuguese for The beautiful game' - a nickname popularised by the Brazilian great, Pele. And rightly so.

Just like any other beautiful movement, football requires rhythm, coordination, and balance. And at the same time, it also requires skill. However, just being a master at tackling, shooting or goalkeeping does not necessarily make you a great player.

Some of the best football players on the field today are also terrific mathematicians, who use maths in football. The instinctive understanding of the concepts of geometry, speed-distance-time, and calculus which they utilise isn't determined by the ability to solve equations on a blackboard. And this application itself gives them the edge over other players. If you've watched the popular television show Ted Lasso, you will probably understand this claim by watching the coaches and players strategising how to tackle their opponents So, how is maths used in football? Let's look at calculations used by players for some of the most common goals and defence strategies in this beautiful game:

United we stand! Tiki taka football strategy

A great example of real-time use of geometry to create space and beat defenders is the tiki taka-a popular method that became the talk of town when Spain claimed the Euro Cup and the World Cup in 2008 and 2010. This is a systematic approach to football founded upon team unity and a comprehensive understanding in the geometry of space on a football field.

How do players perform tiki taka?

The football players try to form triangles all around the pitch to maintain the ball possession, making it difficult for the opponent to obtain the ball and organise their game. Tiki taka has proven to be very successful as a football strategy.

Eyes on the prize. Goalkeeper's one on one

One of the best examples where football and maths go hand in hand is distracting a striker. The goal is to create a larger obstruction to reduce the space available to score, hence lowering the probability of a goal

Often when a striker is in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper (like in our introduction), the latter charges towards the striker rapidly to close the space thereby reducing the angle and space available to strike the ball. This is another successful ideology of mathematical football.

How to hit a chip shot?

One of the most beautiful moves in football is chipping a charging goalkeeper. As the space reduces, the cool minded striker notices the increase in space to score. A 3-dimensional view allows the striker to kick over the charging goalkeepers head, and into the goalpost.

The chip shot, which is quite popular among both fans and players, doesn't require power, rather a deft touch that follows a perfect parabola into the net.

Know thy enemy! Save thy penalties

Teams these days are aware of the past penalties taken by players. Most players follow a pattern in their penalty shots and this analysis of the previous shots puts the keeper in a much better situation to predict the next shot.

Goal posts: to go square or to go round?

The goalposts we see now are circular and have an elliptical cross-section. The goalposts before 1987 had the square cross-section. This invariably meant that most of the shots that hit the posts, came out instead of going in which brought unnecessary disappointment to the teams.

Does football strategy need data analysts and mathematicians?

 While football maths was initially used for strategising the buying and selling of players, it is now integrated to what it can also do on the tactical analysis of the game.

Believe it or not, almost every football team today has a team of mathematicians or statisticians who help the coach define football strategies based on data. A huge amount of data is collected and analysed to understand opposing teams game-play, strengths and weaknesses of players, and to define tactics.

For example, if two players pass the ball 300 times to each other on average in a game, what kind of advantage can the opposition gain by reducing their total number of passes to 100?

Football tessellation

One very obvious example of mathematical football is the shape of the ball itself. The most familiar spherical polyhedron is the ball used in football, thought of as a spherical truncated icosahedron.

What does football tessellation mean?

 The football is usually made of white hexagon shapes and black pentagon shapes - this is an example of a tessellation figure.

PAKISTAN’S 2009 T20 WORLD CUP TRIUMPH

Here, we will sharpen our sports quotient by taking a look at one iconic moment from sporting history. Here's a look at the 2009 edition of the T20 World Cup that was won by Pakistan...

After losing against India in the final hurdle of the 2007 T20 World Cup. Pakistan went on to win the next edition that was held in England in 2009.

The 12 teams in the competition were split into four groups of three, with two teams from each group progressing to the Super 8s.

Pakistan lost their first game against England, but won against the Netherlands to finish second in Group B and qualify for the Super 8s stage. Pakistan were grouped along with Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Ireland in Group F during the Super 8 stage. After losing their first game in this stage against Sri Lanka, Pakistan notched up victories against New Zealand and Ireland to finish second behind Sri Lanka in the group and qualify for the semis. Pakistan defeated South Africa by seven runs in the semi-final to set up a final against Sri Lanka, who defeated West Indies convincingly in their last four clash.

Chasing 139 for victory, Pakistan lost just two wickets, reaching the target with eight balls to spare to become just the second side to lift the T20 World Cup title.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Pakistan were the losing finalist in the inaugural T20 World Cup held in 2007 that was won by India.
  • With 13 wickets in the tournament, Pakistan's Umar Gul was the highest wicket taker of the 2009 T20 World Cup.
  • Runners-up Sri Lanka had the top-scorer of the tournament. Tillakaratne Dilshan, who notched up 317 runs, was also named the player of the series.

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WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MATH AND SPORTS?

Behind the title-winning or record-breaking kick, hit, home run, or throw, we can uncover the mystery of maths in sports.

Sprinter Usain Bolt's world record of completing a 100-mt race in 9.58 seconds; cricketer Don Bradman's batting average of 99.94; and swimmer Michael Phelps' overall tally of 28 Olympic medals are a few statistics that indicate athletic brilliance. However, if you think about it, statistics is just one mathematical topic used in sports. For athletes, timing is everything. From finding the right corner of the goal to identifying the perfect arm angle to create history, most successful sportspeople are secret mathematicians at heart.

Let's look at five interesting aids that maths provides in sports:

1. Geometry of angle and elevation: What did David Beckham do to bend a ball? Well, timing and probably his foot staying at the perfect angle to execute that shot. If you observe his old videos, and understand the angle and the timing of the perfect free kick, then you too can bend it like Beckham!

2. The art of gaining body agility: It is important to preserve balance when you jump, spin, and dive in a pool or flip and spin effectively while performing gymnastics. The athletes must learn to be symmetrically aligned and distribute body mass. Olympics 2020's javelin throw gold medallist Neeraj Chopra's speed of projectile was calculated to be 105.52 kmph. This was a result of years of practice to acquire the posture and position to throw the javelin with the right force in the right direction and at the right angle.

3. Assess the teams and schedule tournaments: Graph theory uses geometrical diagrams to come up with the number of people or teams in a tournament along with the permutation and combination of teams that will compete with each other. For example, the FIFA World Cup based on the number of teams, the match schedule is decided such that all teams play a certain number of matches and each team gets an evenly distributed resting period.

4. Collecting data and keeping scores: You can calculate the trajectory of a running course by taking into consideration the distance of the race, lung capacity, energy intake, propulsion force, and friction. Maths is part of statistical information-from collecting data for analysis and monitoring the ongoing game to measuring the world records, which impact practice, performance, and - results in the sports world.

5. Player selection vis-a-vis budget management: Heard of Moneyball or The Art of Winning an Unfair Game? The book-turned-movie is based on the real-life story of the Oakland Athletics baseball team where the club manager and a baseball executive used equations and statistics to determine the value of players. They calculated wins needed for the postseason and runs required by using the Pythagorean theorem. In 2002, the team won the American League West Division, with a record of 103-59.

It's intriguing how maths can flip numbers and change the course of a game-from applying human intelligence or sports tech to planning tactics and predicting upcoming playoffs. Behind every title-winning or record-breaking kick, hit, home run, or throw, we can uncover the mystery of maths in sports!

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WHEN DHONI WORKED HIS MAGIC IN DHARAMSALA

Here, we will sharpen our sports quotient by taking a look at one iconic moment from sporting history. With the league phase action of IPL 2022 coming to a close today, here's a look at one of the last league matches from 2010 which saw Chennai Super Kings qualify for the last four stage...

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won the first of their four Indian Premier League (IPL) titles so far in 2010. But at one point in the tournament, it looked like they wouldn't even make it to the knock-out stages of the event.

Having finished runners-up in the inaugural edition in 2008 and semi-finalists in 2009, CSK were in a spot of bother in the third season. In match 54, CSK'S last league stage game, they found themselves in a must-win situation to qualify to the last four.

Playing Kings XI Punjab (KXIP, now Punjab Kings) at the picturesque Dharamsala, CSK won the toss and elected to field first. An unbeaten 88 from Australian Shaun Marsh allowed KXIP to post a strong total of 192 for three in their 20 overs.

After losing both their openers, CSK were 27 for 2 after 4 overs. Suresh Raina's 27-ball 46 and S Badrinath's 36-ball 53 paved the way for captain MS Dhoni, who finished the game in style.

Dhoni hit a 29-ball 54 with five fours and two sixes as CSK reached 195 for 4 in 19.4 overs. The end of the match saw one of the few times Dhoni was visibly ecstatic on the playing field.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 2010 IPL was the last season to have semi-finals and finals. The IPL has had a play-off format since 2011, to give the teams finishing top two in the table an added chance to get to the final.

CSK defeated Deccan Chargers in the semi-final and Mumbai Indians in the final to lift their first IPL title in 2010.

Mumbai Indians' Sachin Tendulkar, who was the top run scorer in the tournament with 618 runs, was also named the player of the series. Deccan Chargers Pragyan Ojha finished with the most wickets, 21.

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WHO WON THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE IN 2009 2010?

Chelsea have won the 2009-10 Premier League in some style following a thumping 8-0 home win over Wigan Athletic on the final day of the season.

Thus Carlo Ancelotti's men lift their first league title since Jose Mourinho's second and last Premier League conquest in 2006, while the Italian boss himself becomes one of the very few managers to have won the Premier League at the first time of asking.

For all but eight rounds Chelsea have led the English standings, last regaining it from Manchester United in week 33.

Despite nervy moments off the top spot, though, the early season favourites were always able to steer themselves back to the summit, largely thanks to a superb attacking record that saw the Blues finish the 38-game campaign with an amazing 103 goals - a new Premier League record.

Both Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard had banner seasons in this regard, with a supporting cast including Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka also chipping in.

This was especially true on the final day: Anelka gave Chelsea a 1-0 lead over Wigan just six minutes in and the Blues did not look back from there, eventually running out eight-nil victors over their 10-man visitors.

But for all their goalscoring flair, Chelsea's two biggest wins of the campaign were also among the narrowest.

In early November, with the Blues newly re-topping the table, Manchester United came to Stamford Bridge aiming for at least a draw. However, John Terry - a figure for whom off-pitch problems would soon loom large - netted a late goal to give Chelsea an all-important psychological advantage.

The return match at Old Trafford was Sir Alex Ferguson's chance to put Chelsea to the sword, but again the Blues came up trumps.

It was a less-than-convincing performance from the visitors, but despite some weak links Joe Cole and (controversially) Didier Drogba produced the goods. Florent Malouda, for so long a figure of derision in London, also came of age with a splendid individual showing.

With wins like this Chelsea atoned for avoidable defeats at the hands of lesser teams. Giving away soft goals and cheap points has not been a Chelsea hallmark in past years - certainly not in the days of Mourinho - but winning vital domestic games generally has. This did not change despite the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti, nor the ever-present spectre of off-field scandal. Indeed, Didier Drogba noted this week that "Terrygate", perversely, was a source of inspiration for the Blues squad - a clear throwback to the bunker mentality of Mourinho's squad that seldom fails to produce team spirit.

But how stressful those preventable point losses were at the time. Everton proved to be formidable opponents, coming from behind at the Bridge to grab a draw before once again fighting back at home, this time for the win.

Card-happy Chelsea also had problems with discipline, best shown by the 4-2 home loss to Manchester City back in February - a result that threatened to end their season as Craig Bellamy ran rampant against his nine-man hosts.

But recovery followed with 5-0 and 7-1 wins before that trip to Old Trafford. Indeed, it was this kind of goalscoring form that ultimately saw Chelsea safe - a habit of netting early on is vital for preserving nerves late in the season.

Sadly for Chelsea the same could not take place in Europe. Former coach Jose Mourinho bested his old side both at the San Siro and Stamford Bridge as Inter progressed through the first knockout stage at the Blues' expense - not a massive surprise, but disappointing for the Blues faithful nonetheless.

Other cup competitions may bring more succour. The FA Cup final is fast approaching, and in it Chelsea need to defeat financially-stricken Portsmouth at Wembley. This is surely not too tall an order given an aggregate scoreline of 7-1 against the Fratton Park men so far this season.

But such a competition lacks prestige these days: it is the league, and then the Champions League, that captures the imagination. Chelsea have well and truly succeeded on one of these fronts this season, but what about next time? The current squad is aging, with the key players generally on the wrong side of thirty. How long they can continue to challenge at a top level is open to debate.

For now, though, Carlo Ancelotti can celebrate mission accomplished in his first season in London, adding his name to the Chelsea history books as a result. Didier Drogba, too, has ensured beyond doubt that he will be forever mentioned as one of the top Premier League strikers. Frank Lampard, ahead of the 2010 World Cup finals, has had perhaps his best campaign to date. As for the fans, they will demand more of the same next time.

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WHEN MUMBAI INDIANS SNEAKED INTO THE PLAY-OFFS

Here, we will sharpen our sports quotient by taking a look at one iconic moment from sporting history. With the last week of league phase action of IPL 2022 ahead of us, here's a look at the last league match from 2014 which saw Mumbai Indians sneak through into the play-offs...

The odds were stacked against Mumbai Indians (MI) when they took the field against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the last league game of the 2014 season. Playing at home, MI decided to chase, aware that they not only had to win, but reach the target in 14.3 overs to edge ahead of RR in net run rate as well and dinch the fourth and final play-off spot.

Sanju Samson scored a 47-ball 74. Karun Nair hit a 27-ball 50 and RR posted a mammoth first innings total of 189 for four. The target of 190 was huge and getting there in 14.3 overs seemed impossible.

MI, however, came out all guns blazing. Corey Anderson, brought into the playing 11 for his hitting prowess, was central to MI's chase. He was unbeaten on 95 from 44 deliveries when he found himself in the non-strikers end with MI needing eight off two balls to reach the target in 14.3 overs.

Ambati  Rayudu hit a six to bring the equation down to two from a ball, but was run out running the second run, leaving MI on 189 in 14.3 overs. Just when it seemed they had fallen just short, it was conveyed that a boundary off the next ball would still see MI through.

Aditya Tare hit a six off the only ball he faced in the match and MI reached 195 for five in 14.4 overs in their chase of 190, winning in spectacular fashion and progressing to the IPL 2014 play-offs.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Corey Anderson's 44-ball 95 included nine 4s and six 6s.
  • Despite making it to the play-offs in stunning fashion, Mumbai Indians failed at the first hurdle thereafter, losing to Chennai Super Kings in the Eliminator.
  • Kolkata Knight Riders won the title in 2014, lifting the trophy for a second time.

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WHO TOOK THE FIRST HATTRICK IN IPL?

The Indian Premier League was played for the first time in 2008 and saw three hat-tricks in the first season itself. The first of those was taken by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Lakshmipathy Balaji.

In the match between CSK and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) on May 10, 2008 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Punjab won the toss and elected to field first. Even though CSK were in a spot of bother at 64 for three, fifties from S Badrinath and MS Dhoni helped them post 181 for four in their 20 overs. Punjab were on track at the end of 12 overs, as they were 95 for 2 in their chase of 182. In the space of five balls, however, Balaji dismissed both their set batsmen - Ramnaresh Sarwan (20) off the first ball of the 13th over and opener Shaun Marsh (38-ball 58) off the fifth ball.

Having derailed Punjab's chase, Balaji added more gloss to his figures with the first ever IPL hat-trick.

Bowling the final over of the match, Balaji dismissed Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla and Vikram Singh of the third, fourth and fifth deliveries for his hat-trick. CSK won the match by 18 runs.

DID YOU KNOW?

L Balaji, who finished with figures of 5 for 24 from his four overs, was declared the player of the match.

Including Yuzvendra Chahal's hat-trick in the ongoing season, there have been 21 hat-tricks in the IPL so far, taken by 18 bowlers.

Amit Mishra is the only bowler to have taken three hat-tricks in the IPL Yuvraj Singh comes second with two hat-tricks. The remaining 16 bowlers have taken one hat-trick each in the IPL.

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AN INTERVIEW OF YOUNG ACHIEVER ANANYA KAMBOJ (INDIA'S AMBASSADOR FOR FOOTBALL)

She is a social entrepreneur youth changemaker author and young ambassador for Football for Friendship programme She is also the founder of Sports to Lead, an organisation working towards empowering girls and women.

Tell us about your journey, and how you got into football.

My journey began in 2017 when India hosted the FIFA Under-17 World Cup. It included an essay writing competition organised by Mission XI Million. I had written an article about how football fosters friendship and global relationships, and my essay was selected to represent India as a young journalist at the Football for Friendship programme in St. Petersburg, Russia. That programme changed me from a shy girl to a confident one. During the programme, we became united by a desire for a safer world with equal prosperity in all fields. We were also united by a passion for writing, communication, and curiosity. It reinforced my idea that you have to fight for honest and free journalism. I had both specialised as well as general training for various aspects of reporting and covering the major events during the programme. It taught me how to look at what makes a good human-interest story, and how to tell it in an informative and entertaining way. And when to look back for more background details, and why accuracy and fairness remain the cornerstones of reporting.

Describe your book "My Journey from Mohali to St. Petersburg".

This book is an anthology of 21 short stories about my experience and learnings from the Football for Friendship programme. The book focusses on the nine basic values promoted by the programme - fairness, equality, health, friendship, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour. The book aims to present a holistic picture of what constitutes a good life, which transcends the prevalent, narrow understandings of success, fulfilment, and unhappiness in life.

What does your organisation Sports to Lead work for?

Through a series of workshops and awareness sessions, Sports to Lead will help empower young girls to fight discrimination and gender inequality. It also aims to bring to light several challenges faced by women sportspersons in India, which includes sexism and the lack of infrastructure, contracts, and popularity.

Why do you think Sustainable Development Goals are important?

It's very important to implement SDGS at the ground level. For instance, one can provide football pitches for government school students so they can have an opportunity to play and improve their mental as well as physical abilities. It's very important to have sessions regarding SDGS in schools to raise awareness among children so that they can take actions at their level to help this world become a safer, more peaceful and beautiful place for everyone.

What are your career plans?

I would like to become a journalist. I would also like to pursue the FIFA master programme, an international sports management course. I would like to pen down stories of inspirational sportspersons for FIFA and the Olympics.

What are your hobbies?

 I like to write in my free time, and read novels and other books. This has been my habit since I was in Class III or IV. I play sports such as football or basketball in the evening. I also cycle regularly with my younger sister.

Do you think having many achievements makes one a successful person?

I feel having many achievements doesn't make us a successful person, it is important to have values.

How do you manage your time between studies and sports?

 I follow a schedule. I have time slots for the activities I have been involved in. I guess maintaining a proper schedule or a timetable is the key for balancing all the activities we are involved in.

Who is your inspiration?

The biggest inspirations are my grandfather and father. My grandfather motivated me to read newspapers, and towards public speaking. He was involved in various social causes. He would take me along with him and ask me to speak there about social causes and so on. That helped build my confidence. My father is a journalist, and from him I understood how to develop the skills for journalism.

What is something about society that you wish to change?

There are two things I would like to change in society. The first one is to change people's mindsets - they should treat everyone equally. The second thing is that I would like to have sport as a main subject for the curriculum. Skills such as leadership and learning to differentiate between winning and losing, etc. can be learnt through sports.

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WHAT IS THE CRICKET JOURNEY OF YASH DHULL?

For all Indian cricket lovers, one name would be under a perpetual scanner during this year's Indian Premier League - Yash Vijay Dhull. The 19-year-old cricketer from Delhi has announced his entry into senior cricket with a big bang.

Having led the India Under-19 team to a World Cup victory, Yash made his Ranji Trophy debut for Delhi on 17 February 2022 against Tamil Nadu at Guwahati and scored 113 runs in the very first innings. What was more remarkable about the innings was that he came to the crease with Delhi having lost two wickets with the total at just seven runs. Yash played a matured innings which was quite in keeping with the maturity of an experienced cricketer. He came back in the second innings as an opening batsman to score yet another century in the second innings, 113 not out to be precise. Consequently, he became only the third player in the history of the Ranji Trophy to score a century in each innings on debut. In the process, he also had an unbroken partnership of 228 runs with Dhruv Shorey who remained unbeaten on 107.

Yash joined a select band which has only Nari Jamshedji Contractor of Gujarat and Virag Sripad Awate of Maharashtra on the list. Nari Contractor had scores of 152 and 102 in 1952-53 while Virag Awate had scored 126 and 11, in 2012-13. However, cricket is a great leveller, as they say. In the next Ranji match, Yash could muster just 24 runs in two completed innings but Yash Dhull being Yash Dhull came back into his own in the second innings of his third Ranji match. He scored a modest 29 runs in the first innings but in the second he scored an unbeaten double hundred to save the Delhi team from defeat.

So at the time of this article going to press, in four completed Ranji Trophy innings Yash has scored 479 as an average of 119.75. What more can one expect from a 19-year old? In 2021, Yash led the Under-19 Indian team to a title victory in the Asia Cricket Championship and again this year in the World Cricket Championship, played in the West Indies. Consequently, when the International Cricket Council announced its Under-19 team, it named Yash as its skipper.

In the West Indies, the Under-19 Indian team suffered a severe drawback when five of the team members tested positive for Covid. The five included the team's captain and vice-captain. Despite this, the Indian boys made it to the semi-final without losing a single match. When Yash joined the team, he celebrated it with a century against Australia and then the final title victory against England. In the World Cup Yash scored a total of 229 runs at an average of 76.33 per innings. Apart from exhibiting his batting talent, Yash exhibited the coolness of a Dhoni in leading the team. It only augurs well for the future of Indian cricket.

In eight Under-19 ODIS in which Yash has played, he has scored a total of 281 runs with a century and a half century to maintain a healthy average of 46.83. With such credentials, Yash Dhull's purchase in the 2022 version of the Indian Premier League was a foregone conclusion and Delhi Capitals was quick to include Yash in its team at a purchase price of Rs 50 lakh.

Yash was born to Neelam and Vijay Dhull on 11 November 2002 in New Delhi. He had his schooling in Bal Bhawan Public School and started playing cricket from the age of six. He was coached at the Bal Bhawan Cricket Academy by Pradeep Koachar.

Yash has a remarkable patience for his age. While Delhi coach, Raj Kumar Sharma, feels that Yash should get a quick inclusion in the Indian senior team, Yash, himself, is of the opinion that he would be playing in the Indian senior team in another 18 to 24 months with a lot of runs scored behind him to put forth his claim.

Nari Contractor's career had a sad end when a ball from West Indian fast bowler, Charlie Griffith, hit him on the head. Contractor averaged just about 32 runs in Test matches and less than 40 in First Class matches. Virag Awate made his Ranji debut at the ripe age of 31 years and his career ended after playing just seven First Class matches, scoring at an average of just above 32. However, Yash makes his First Class entry under totally different conditions. He will have a helmet to protect his head and he starts at the young age of just 19.

Playing in the IPL, Yash will have another advantage over Contractor and Awate. He would be facing quality international bowlers that would help him fine tune his batting. It is only a matter of time before Yash Dhull would be playing alongside the likes of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, but in him also lies the potential to lead the Indian senior team someday.

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WHO WON THE IPL TROPHY 2014?

The 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was completed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after the tournament had been suspended abruptly due to the pandemic situation in India.

The last time a part of the IPL was played in the UAE (the entire 2020 edition was played in the UAE) was in 2014. The first 20 matches of the 2014 edition were played in UAE as the tournament took place at the same time as the 2014 Indian general elections. At the end of the group stages of the 2014 tournament. Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) finished on top with 11 wins and 22 points. Both Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) finished with 18 points, but KKR had a better net run rate and hence finished second.

Mumbai Indians (MI) took the final play-off position with 14 points and a superior run rate than Rajasthan Royals. KKR defeated KXIP in the first qualifier by 28 runs to progress to the final. CSK defeated MI by seven wickets in the eliminator to make it to the Qualifer 2 against KXIP. The high-scoring thriller in Qualifier 2 finished in KXIP'S favour, who won the match by 24 runs to earn a place in the final.

Chasing 200 against KXIP to win the final, KKR did the unthinkable, winning by three wickets and just three balls remaining. KKR won the 2014 title to win the IPL for a second time.

DID YOU KNOW?

Losing finalist Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) produced the player of the tournament. Glenn Maxwell won the award for his batting fireworks through the tournament.

The Orange Cap went to a player from the champions Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR'S Robin Uthappa took the honour with 660 runs from 16 matches.

 The Purple Cap went to Chennai Super Kings' Mohit Sharma. Mohit finished with 23 wickets from 16 matches.

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How many Olympic medals does Michael Phelps have?

Michael Phelps is without doubt the best swimmer of all time and one of the greatest Olympians ever. He finished his Olympics career, which he started as a 15-year-old at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Phelps has 28 medals in total: his 23 gold medals are more than double the count of his nearest rivals, and its not as if other swimmers have accrued silly numbers of medals, either. Apart from Spitz, Matt Biondi (USA, eight golds) and Jenny Thompson (USA, eight golds), no other swimmer worldwide has managed more than six gold medals in total. 23 is astonishing.

 Having not picked up a single medal on his debut, he ran riot in the next four editions that he participated to finish with an all-time record haul at the Olympics, in addition to the innumerable medals that he has picked up in swimming championships worldwide.

Phelps towers over the rest of the individuals in the Olympics medal tally and he is often peerless when looking to compare with other athletes. So instead, if we were to consider Phelps as a country, where would he be on the all-time medals tally? With 23 golds - 13 of which were individual golds - three silver and two bronze, Phelps the one-man country will have less than one-fourth of the over 200 countries that participate at the Olympics above him. And this is through the history of the games - meaning Phelps currently has a medal haul that is better than over 150 countries, including India. Yet this ranking sells him short in some ways, because four of the countries ahead of him are Germany, which over time has competed as Germany, West Germany, East Germany and the Unified German Team. Russia, the Soviet Union and and the 1992 Unified Team (made up of the 15 former Soviet republics) account for three more countries ahead of Phelps. If measured against the 205 countries now in Rio, the Republic of Phelps has more gold medals than all but 32 of them.

Credit : Archive.KPCC

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