Sporting icons who passed away in 2022

Many sporting icons including Shane Warne, Bill Russell and Charanjit Singh passed away in 2022. Images: AP/SAI Media

Sports is inspiring and captivating. Sporting icons become immortal to their fans, but life has to end for everyone one day. Several big names from the sporting fraternity, athletes and sports personalities, passed away in the year which is now about to come to an end.

We take a look at notable deaths in the sporting fraternity, as of 2022, and celebrate their legacies.

Bill Russell

Bill Russell, one of the greatest NBA players of all time, passed away on 31 July this year at the age of 88. He was part of the legendary Boston Celtics side of the 1950s and 1960s and won 11 NBA championship titles with the team including two as a player-coach. He was the first black coach in any major US sport. Russell also won MVP awards five times and All-Star MVP once.

The biggest legacy of Russell is his work as a civil right activist. The legendary baller once marched with Martin Luther King Jr, supported Muhammad Ali and was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Shane Warne

The cricket world was in for a major shock on 4 March this year when the news broke that Shane Warne passed away at the age of 52. He was found unconscious in his villa at a Thailand resort and could not be revived. Later, the autopsy report stated that he died of “natural” causes.

Considered the greatest spinner of all time, Warne took 1,001 wickets in 339 international matches. More than that Warne is credited for reviving leg spin as an art of bowling and for being the greatest exponent of the skill.

Charanjit Singh

On 27 January this year, India lost its 1964 Tokyo Olympics gold medal-winning hockey team captain, Charanjit Singh. He died of cardiac arrest at 90.

Charanjit was also a part of the team that won the silver in the 1960 Olympics which was held in Rome and the one that won the second prize in the 1962 Asian Games.

Rod Marsh

Australia lost another great cricketer on the same day as Warne’s demise as Rod Marsh died at age 74. The former keeper-batter had suffered a heart attack and was put in an induced coma before passing away.

He was the first Australian wicketkeeper to score a century in Test. Having played 96 Tests and 92 ODIs, he scored 4,858 runs across the two formats. Marsh made his name as a solid wicketkeeper who could score crucial runs.

Andrew Symonds

Things got worse for the cricketing world when legendary Australian Andrew Symonds was killed in a car crash on 14 May at age 46.

Considered to be one of the best all-rounders to play the game, Symonds played 26 Tests, scoring 1,462 runs and picking up 24 wickets. A big-hitter, he also played 198 ODIs, making 5,088 runs and taking 133 wickets. In 14 T20Is, he made 337 runs and took eight wickets.

Rudi Koertzen

One of the most known umpires in cricket, Rudi Koertzen died in a car accident on 9 August. He was aged 73.

A reputed professional during his time Koertzen was part of the ICC’s elite panel of umpires for eight years from 2002 till his retirement in 2010. He officiated in 331 international matches.

Nick Bollettieri

One of the greatest Tennis coaches, Nick Bollettieri passed away on 4 December 2022. He was 91. According to the International Tennis Federation, Bollettieri helped at least 10 players become world No 1 in tennis including Andre Agassi and medallists Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova.

As of now, six of Bollettieri’s coached players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Mino Raiola

The ‘super agent’ in football, Mino Raiola died on 30 April 2022 at the age of 54. Raiola was often criticised for the hefty commission that he charged but he also boasted a client list of some of the best footballers that included Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Erling Haaland.

Scott Hall

Scott Hall also known by his ring name Razor Ramon was one of the most recognisable faces in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in the 1990s. He passed away on 14 March 2022 at the age of 63. Popular for his style and charisma, Hall won the Intercontinental Championship in WWF four times.

He later joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and won the Heavyweight Championships twice. Hall is also remembered for being that part of the New World Order with Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash.

Vin Scully

One of the best known broadcasters in US sport, Vin Scully died on 2 August 2022. He was aged 94. A Hall of Famer, Scully was known for calling games for Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers games for 67 years, beginning in 1950. He stopped calling games in 2016.

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