Manvir Singh is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a centre-forward for the Indian National Football Team and the Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan SG.

Wiki/Biography

Manvir Singh was born on Monday, 6 November 1995 (age 28 years; as of 2023) in Duhre village, Jalandhar district, Punjab. His zodiac sign is Scorpio. He studied at Khalsa College and later joined the Minerva Academy (Now Punjab FC) in Chandigarh. He represented Minerva Academy and Mohammedan SC in the 2nd division of the I League between 2015 and 2017. In the 2017 Santosh Trophy Final, Manvir scored the winning goal for West Bengal against Goa, which ended 1-0 to West Bengal.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 6′ 2″

Weight (approx.): 80 kg

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family

Parents & Siblings

Manvir’s father Kuldip Singh was a professional football player and has represented Punjab in the Santosh Trophy. He has played for JCT Mills FC (now Jagatjit Cotton & Textile Football Club) and Punjab State Electricity Board. His father met with an accident at work in 2014 and became handicapped.

Manvir Singh’s photo with his parents

He has a brother named Harkamal Singh.

A photo of Manvir Singh with his brother (right)

Wife & Children

His marital status is not known.

Fiancée

Manvir Singh got engaged to Asmi Sheikh on 17 April 2021.

Manvir Singh with his fiance Asmi Sheikh at their engagement ceremony

Religion

He follows Sikhism.

Manvir Singh at a Gurudwara in Australia, along with his friends

Career

International Career

Manvir represented India U23 in the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers in which he played against Syria, Qatar, and Turkmenistan. He scored his debut goal for India U23 against Turkmenistan on 23 July 2017. Following this, he got his senior national team call by coach Stephen Constantine to play in the 2017 Hero Tri-Nation Series. Manvir made his debut for the senior national team on 19 August 2017 against Mauritius, which ended 2-1 for India. His debut goal for the national team came in the match against Maldives on 9 September 2018 in the 2018 SAFF Championship, the match ended 2-0 for India with Manvir scoring the second goal in the match.

Manvir Singh with the SAFF Championship 2021 trophy

He then scored a brace against arch-rivals Pakistan in the competition’s semifinals, which India won 3-1. On 16 November 2023, India registered a historic victory against the host Kuwait in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, when he scored the only goal of the match which ended 1-0 for India.

Club Career

FC Goa 2017-2020

Manvir joined FC Goa on 28 July 2017. He made his debut for the club against Chennaiyin FC on 19 November 2017 in the Indian Super League 2017-18. His debut goal for the club came in the 2018-19 season of the Indian Super League on 11 November 2019 against Kerela Blasters FC. Manvir won his first silverware with the club in the 2019-20 season which included the ISL League Winners Shield and the 2019 Indian Super Cup.

A photo of Manvir Singh with League title 2019-2020

Mohun Bagan: 2020-present 

Manvir signed a 3-year contract with the club ATK Mohun Bagan on 25 August 2020 for a record transfer fee. He debuted for the club in a match against Kerala Blasters on 20 November 2020, the match was won 1-0 by ATK Mohun Bagan. On 27 November, Manvir scored his debut goal for the club against ‘SC East Bengal,’ and guided his team to a 2-0 victory.

Manvir Singh during a match for ATK Mohun Bagan

Manvir helped his team to reach the finals of the 2020-21 ISL season by scoring in the second leg of the semifinal against NorthEast United FC, the tie ended 3-2 in favour of ATK Mohun Bagan. Manvir’s contributions helped his team to win the 2022-23 Indian Super League title and the Durand Cup in 2023.

Car Collection

Manvir Singh owns a BMW and an Audi car.

A photo of Manvir Singh with his Audi car

Tattoo(s)

Manvir Singh has a tattoo on his left hand.

A photo of Manvir Singh’s tattoo on his hand

Salary/Income

Manvir received Rs 1 Crore in 2023 for playing for ATK Mohun Bagan.

Favourites

• Food: Sarson Ka Saag

• Actor: Akshay Kumar

• Travel Destination: Canada

Facts/Trivia

• Manvir’s inspiration for football came from his father who himself was a professional football player.

• Manvir endorses brands like Optimum Nutrition and GNC India, as seen in his Instagram pictures.
  

  A photo of Manvir Singh endorsing a product of an associated brand on Social Media

Hardik

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is an Indian professional footballer, who plays for the Indian national football team and the Indian Super League club, Bengaluru, as a goalkeeper. He is the first Indian player to play for a top-division European team.

Wiki/Biography

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was born on Monday, 3 February 1992 (age 32 years; as of 2024) in Chamkaur Sahib, Punjab ^[1]The Times of India. His zodiac sign is Aquarius.

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s childhood photo

He joined the St Stephen’s Academy at 8 and was later selected for the U16 Punjab youth football team. He made his debut for Punjab in 2006 in Haldwani. He joined the I-League club East Bengal FC as a youth player in 2009.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 6′ 5″

Weight (approx.): 95 kg

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family & Caste

He belongs to a Jatt Sikh family.

Parents & Siblings

Gurpreet’s parents serve in the Punjab police, his father Tejinder Singh Sandhu is an SP (Superintendent of police) in the Punjab police and his mother, Harjit Kaur, is a DSP (Deputy superintendent of police). His sister Aman Sandhu is a makeup artist. ^[2]The Times of India

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s family picture, starting from the left: Gurpreet’s brother-in-law, Sister, Father, Grandfather (sitting), Mother, Gurpreet’s wife, Gurpreet (himself)

Wife & Children

Gurpreet got married to Devenish Singh in July 2022. Devenish is a resident of Sydney, Australia, and runs a YouTube channel.

Signed the most important contract of my life. Our lives, now. The thought of spending the rest of our days together ends up making everyday after this one, the happiest of our lives.
This is what we dreamed of. It's happened. Let's live it now, Devenish. pic.twitter.com/vekbbQcZdH

— Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (@GurpreetGK) July 8, 2022

Relationships/Affairs

Before getting married, both Gurpreet and Devenish dated each other for some time.

A photo of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Devenish Singh in a cafe

Signature/Autograph

Career

Club Career

East Bengal 2000-2014

Gurpreet signed a professional contract with East Bengal Football Club in 2010. He only made five appearances in the 2009-10 season and was later loaned out to Indian Arrows FC (now Pailan Arrows) for the 2010-11 season, due to insufficient game time. He returned to East Bengal FC in 2011 and began to play regularly as the first-choice goalkeeper after the 2011 Federation Cup. His first start for the East Bengal FC in the 2011-12 season resulted in a 0-1 loss to Churchill Brothers FC. His debut for AFC Cup came on 6 March 2012 against Al-Oruba, which resulted in a 0-1 loss for East Bengal FC. His last league match for East Bengal FC came on 28 April 2014 against United SC, which resulted in a 0-3 victory for East Bengal FC.

Stabæk FC 2014-2017

Gurpreet signed a 3 years contract with the Norwegian club Stabæk on 15 August 2014 ^[3]The Times of India. He made his senior debut for the club in a friendly match against a second-tier club Follo in a 4–1 win, on 18th January 2015. He made his league debut against IK Start FC in May 2016, which resulted in a 5-0 victory.

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu at Stabaek FC’s stadium

His Europa League debut came in the first leg of the qualifying round tie against ‘Connah’s Quay Nomads FC’ at Belle Vue in Rhyl, Wales.

India's number one goalkeeper, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, starts for Stabaek tonight. pic.twitter.com/oz714HPayM

— Connah's Quay Nomads FC (@the_nomads) June 30, 2016

On 3 June 2017, Gurpreet played his last match for Stabæk against Lillestrøm SK FC, which resulted in a 2-4 loss.

Bengaluru FC 2017-

Gurpreet joined Bengaluru FC in August 2017. His debut for the club came in a knockout stage match of the AFC Cup against April 25 FC. His league debut started with a clean sheet against Mumbai City FC. Gurpreet recorded seven clean sheets in his first season and helped his team to reach the finals of the Indian Super League 2017-18 edition, which they lost 3-2 to Chennaiyin FC. He signed a 5 years contract with the club, extending his tenure until May 2023. In the 2018-19 season, Gurpreet kept seven clean sheets and helped his team win the 2018-19 edition of the Indian Super League trophy.

Bengaluru FC celebrations after winning the Indian Super League title 2018-19

In the 2019-20 season, Gurpreet topped the chart with 11 clean sheets and won the Golden Glove award. He was appointed the team’s vice-captain in the 2021-22 season, after the departure of Dimas Delgado by the end of the 2020-21 season. In Feb 2023, he signed a 5-year extension with the club stretching his contract till 2028.

What’s a second five year stint with the same football club in India? Unthinkable? Unprecedented? Unorthodox? Unreal? Then again, when have we been fans of the ordinary? #2028 #GSS1 pic.twitter.com/8o5ElAkqeP

— Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (@GurpreetGK) February 3, 2023

International Career

Gurpreet’s debut for the India U19s came on 5 November 2009 against Iraq U19s in the 2010 AFC U-19 Championship qualification. His senior Indian football team’s debut match was against Turkmenistan in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, ending in a 1-1 draw. Gurpreet’s first clean sheet came against Guam on 12 November 2015 with the score ending 1-0 on India’s side. Gurpreet was included in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier squad against Nepal but remained on the bench in both legs. He captained the Indian national team for the match against Puerto Rico in 2016. He led the Indian football team in a group stage match of the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers against Qatar, the match ended 0-0, with Gurpreet saving 11 shots on target.

Gurpreet’s photo from the World Cup Qualifiers match against Qatar

Controversies

Gurpreet was once accused of making derogatory gestures towards the supporters of his team East Bengal FC at Kalyani Stadium during a match. In response, Gurpreet was temporarily suspended from the team and faced criticism from the home fans. However, the shot-stopper publicly apologized later for his actions on social media. ^[4]The Times of India

Awards

• Arjuna Award (2019)

• Indian Super League Golden Glove (2018–19, 2019–20)

• Tri-Nation Series Golden Glove (2023)

Car Collection

The first car Gurpreet purchased was a Mahindra XUV 500. Later, his parents sold the car when Gurpreet moved to Norway. Now he owns two Lexus LX470s, out of which one is a six-cylinder diesel car and the latter is a V8 petrol.

Net Worth

His net worth is around Rs 30 crores as of 2024.

Favourites

• Food: Aloo Paratha

• Footballer(s): Edwin van der Sar, Subrata Pal

• Destination(s): Japan, Hawaii, Egypt

Facts/Trivia

• Gurpreet declined the offer by the Norwegian club Stabaek in 2023 for a second stint at the club as he wanted to continue with Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League.

• Gurpreet wanted to be a cricketer when he was young, he even joined the Punjab Cricket Association Academy in Mohali but later dropped the idea of pursuing cricket further despite his father’s insistence.
  

  Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s childhood photo while going to cricket practice

• Gurpreet endorses multiple brands like Puma, Red Bull, and MuscleBlaze.
  

  A picture of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu drinking Redbull, a brand he endorses

• Gurpreet likes to go on cycling regularly.
  

  A photo of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu while cycling

Hardik

Kylian Mbappe is a French footballer who has played for France in international tournaments and for AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in club tournaments. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of all time. He was a member of the French national team which won the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Wiki/Biography

Kylian Mbappe Lottin was born on Sunday, 20 December 1998 (age 25 years; as of 2023) in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius.

A childhood photo of Kylian Mbappe with Thierry Henry

He attended a private Catholic school in Bondy where he studied till Bac STMG (Management and Management Sciences and Technologies) in 2016. He also went to Conservatory Music School from age 6 to 11 where he learnt music and to play the flute. He started playing football during childhood and later became a professional footballer.

Kylian Mbappe during his school years

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 10″

Weight (approx.): 70 kg

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Body Measurements (approx.): Chest 42″, Waist 32″, Biceps 12″

Family

Parents & Siblings

His father, Wilfried Mbappe, is a football coach at AS Bondy, and his mother, Fayza Lamari, is a former handball player and is an agent of Kylian Mbappe. His parents separated later as a couple but co-parented Kylian and his younger brother.

Kylian Mbappe with his father

Kylian Mbappe’s mother

He has an elder adopted brother named Jires Kembo Ekoko who is a retired footballer.

Kylian Mbappe (right) with his elder brother

He has a younger biological brother named Ethan Mbappe who also plays football for the youth development team of PSG.

Kylian Mbappe (left) with his younger brother

Wife & Children

He is unmarried and does not have any children.

Relationships/Affairs

In 2021, it was rumoured that he was dating Emma Smet as the pair were spotted watching a sports game.

Kylian Mbappe with his alleged girlfriend, Emma Smet

He was later linked to a transgender model named Ines Rau in 2022 after the couple were clicked vacationing on a yacht.

Kylian Mbappe with his rumoured girlfriend, Ines Rau

Allegedly, he also had been in a relationship with Stella Maxwell and Belgian model Stephanie Rose Bertram.

Kylian Mbappe with Stella Maxwell (left)

Stephanie Rose Bertram

Religion

He follows Christianity. ^[1]YouTube – will griggs on fire

Ethnicity

His father belongs to Djebale village near Douala in Cameroon, and his mother belongs to a Berber ethnic group in the Kabylia region of northern Algeria. ^[2]Radio France Internationale ^[3]The Athletic

Nationality/Citizenship

He is a French citizen. ^[4]Forbes

Signature

Kylian Mbappe’s signature

Career

Club

AS Bondy

When Kylian Mbappe was four years old, the president of the AS Bondy Club gave him the equipment to train. When he reached the required age of six, he joined the club.

Kylian Mbappe when he trained at AS Bondy

He later toured Real Madrid and Chelsea where he practiced with their trainee players for a few sessions. He also trained occasionally at the Clairefontaine Academy. He played for the Under-13, Under-15, and Under-17 teams of AS Bondy club.

AS Monaco

When Mbappe was fourteen, he signed a 3-year contract with the youth academy of Monaco in July 2013. On 2 December 2015, he made his debut for Monaco against SM Caen in Ligue 1, the French football league. He scored his first goal for the club on 20 February 2016.

Kylian Mbappe playing for AS Monaco

Mbappé signed his first professional contract (of three years) with the club on 6 March 2016. He helped AS Monaco win the league by scoring 26 goals in 44 matches during the 2016–17 season of Ligue 1. Mbappe praised Colombian striker Radamel Falcao for helping him to remain calm during the matches.

Kylian Mbappe during a match for AS Monaco

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)

Mbappe signed up with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from AS Monaco, on 31 August 2017, on loan with a mandatory purchase option of 180 million euros. He played his first match for PSG on 8 September 2017 against FC Metz. He helped PSG win the 2017-2018 Ligue 1 season and Coupe de France Tournament.

Kylian Mbappe playing for PSG

He received his first red card of his club career on 1 September 2018 after he reacted to Teji Savanier’s defence challenge from behind. He was the top goal scorer in the 2018-19, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 seasons of Ligue 1; PSG won the 2018-19, 2019-2020, and 2021-2022 Ligue 1 seasons.

Kylian Mbappe during a match for PSG

In May 2022, there were rumours that he was signing up with Real Madrid for a monthly salary of 4 million euros which would have made him the highest-paid athlete in the world; however, he denied those rumours and signed up with PSG till the 2025 season. He played for PSG in the 2022-2023 season and helped them win Ligue 1 for a record 11th time. In February 2024, he said that he wanted to leave PSG after his contract ended in June 2024.

Kylian Mbappe when he played for PSG

Real Madrid

In June 2024, he joined Real Madrid for a yearly salary of 15 million euros and a signing bonus of more than 100 million euros. On 16 July 2024, he received a Cristiano Ronaldo-like welcome at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Real Madrid unveiled him as a new France Captain amid 80,000 fans.

Kylian Mbappe was unveiled by Real Madrid in front of 80,000 fans at the Santiago Bernabeu

International

France Under-19

Kylian Mbappe played for France Under-19 in July 2016 and helped them win the 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship held in Germany.

Kylian Mbappe when he played for France Under-19

France

He made his debut for the national football team of France on 25 March 2017 against Luxembourg. He scored his first international goal on 31 August 2017 against Netherlands. On 13 November 2022, he scored his first international hat-trick against Kazakhstan during the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. He became the captain of France in 2023 and led them to qualify for UEFA Euro 2024.

Kylian Mbappe during an international match for France

FIFA World Cup

Kylian Mbappe helped France win the 2018 World Cup held in Russia by scoring four goals in the tournament. In the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar, he scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina but failed to win the tournament after losing on penalties.

Kylian Mbappe with the 2018 FIFA World Cup Trophy

Jersey Number

He used to wear jersey number 29 while playing for AS Monaco and PSG in club tournaments; he later started wearing jersey number 7 for PSG.

Jersey number 29 of Kylian Mbappe for AS Monaco

Kylian Mbappe’s jersey number 7 for PSG

When he played for France in international competitions, he wore jersey number 10.

Kylian Mbappe’s jersey number 10 for France

He received the iconic No. 9 shirt when Real Madrid signed him in July 2024.

Kylian Mbappe jersey number 9 for Real Madrid

Records

Club

• The youngest player to play for AS Monaco in Ligue 1 (at the age of 16 years, 11 months, and 13 days; on 2 December 2015)

• The youngest player to score a goal for AS Monaco in Ligue 1 (at the age of 17 years and 2 months; on 20 February 2016)

• Most expensive transfer within a domestic league (for 180 million euros; in 2017)

• The youngest player to score 10 goals in the Champions League (at the age of 18 years, 11 months, and 17 days; on 6 December 2017)

• The youngest player to score four goals in one game in Ligue 1 (at the age of 19 years, 9 months, and 19 days; on 8 October 2018)

• The youngest player to score 15 goals in the Champions League (at the age of 20 years, 10 months, and 2 days; on 22 October 2019)

• The youngest player to score 25 goals in the Champions League (at the age of 22 years, 2 months, and 21 days; on 10 March 2021)

• The first player to score four goals against Barcelona in a single Champions League season (in 2021)

• The youngest player to score 30 and 31 goals in the Champions League (at the age of 22 years, 11 months, and 18 days; on 7 December 2021)

• The youngest player to score 100 goals for a single team in Ligue 1 (at the age of 22 years, 11 months, and 23 days; on 12 December 2021)

• First player to finish as both top scorer and top assist provider in Ligue 1 (in 2021-2022 season)

• First PSG player to score five goals in a match (on 23 January 2023; against US Pays de Cassel)

• Highest goalscorer for PSG

International

• Second youngest player to play for France (at the age of 18 years, three months and five days; behind Maryan Wisniewski)

• The youngest French player to score in a World Cup match (at the age of 19 years, 6 months and 1 day; in the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Peru)

• Second youngest player to score twice in a World Cup match (at the age of 19 years, 6 months and 10 days; in the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Argentina; behind Pele)
  

  Kylian Mbappe with Pele (left)

• The youngest player to score in the World Cup final (at the age of 19 years, 6 months, and 26 days; in the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Croatia; behind Pele)

• The second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final (in the 2022 FIFA World Cup; since Geoff Hurst for England in 1966)

• The youngest player to play 70 matches for France (at the age of 24 years, 5 months, and 30 days; on 19 June 2023)

Controversy

Rumoured Transfer to Real Madrid

In 2024, there were rumours that PSG management did not want Kylian Mbappe to move to the Spanish club Real Madrid despite Real Madrid offering a huge salary and a signing fee of around 100 million dollars. There were some escalations with the PSG manager Luis Enrique who substituted him during the Ligue 1 match on 1 March 2024 against AS Monaco.

Kylian Mbappe with Luis Enrique (right)

Instead of watching the match from the team camp, he changed his clothes and went to the stands with his mother where he watched the remainder of the match. After this incident, many of his fans alleged that things were not going well and Mbappe could move to Real Madrid anytime. ^[5]Hindustan Times

Awards, Honours, Achievements

• Named in Team of the Tournament of 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship

• Kopa Trophy by France Football on 3 December 2018

• FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award in 2018
  

  Kylian Mbappe with FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award

• Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2018

• Ligue 1 Conforama Player of the Year Award and Best Young Player Award in 2019
  

  Kylian Mbappe with Ligue 1 Conforama Player of the Year Award

• Golden Boot in the 2021 Nations League Tournament

• Ligue 1 Player of the Year Award and named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season in 2021, 2022, and 2023

• Named in the 30 under 30 list of sports and games category of Europe by Forbes in 2022

• FIFA World Cup Golden Boot and Silver Ball in 2022
  

  Kylian Mbappe with Golden Boot

• Named among the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023

• Ranked third in the list of world’s highest-paid athletes by Forbes magazine in 2023

Car Collection

He owns many cars including a Ferrari 488 Pista, Mercedes-Benz V Class, Volkswagen Touareg, and Volkswagen Multi Van. ^[6]The Financial Express

Kylian Mbappe in his Volkswagen Touareg car

Kylian Mbappe with his Volkswagen Multi Van

Sponsorship Deals

Mbappe signed a sponsorship deal with Nike in 2017 and has launched multiple football boots such as the Kylian Mbappé Nike Hypervenom 3 in 2018.

Kylian Mbappe showing his Nike shoe

He became the global ambassador of Swiss watchmaker brand Hublot in 2018. In 2021, he became an investor and ambassador of the fantasy NFT platform, Sorare. In 2023, he became the brand ambassador of the German electronics brand Loewe.

Kylian Mbappe after becoming the brand ambassador of Loewe

Salary/Income

As of 2023, he earns around 120 million dollars which includes 100 million from playing soccer and 20 million from sponsorship deals. ^[7]Forbes

Net Worth

As of 2022, his net worth has been estimated at around 180 million dollars (around 1500 crore rupees).

Philanthropy

Kylian Mbappe supports the sports development projects in Africa. In 2019, he donated more than 50 thousand pounds to a funding campaign to find Argentinian football player Emiliano Sala whose plane had gone missing. In November 2021, he became the godfather of two baby pandas at the Beauval Zoo in a move to raise awareness about the species. He also has a charitable foundation named ‘Inspired by KM’ which funds the education of many poor children.

Kylian Mbappe (extreme right) after becoming the godfather of baby pandas

Favourites

• Food: Spaghetti Carbonara

• Footballer: Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden Hazard

• Football Club: Chelsea FC

Facts/Trivia

• Mbappe mostly plays as a winger and can play on either flank. From the left wing, he cuts through the defence with his stronger right foot and creates assists from the right wing due to his vision.

• He is popular for his dribbling, acceleration, agility, and quick feet. He uses sudden changes of pace or direction to beat defenders during his attacks.
  

  Kylian Mbappe dribbling the football

• He knows three languages English, French, and Spanish.

• People of his father’s village, Djebale, near Douala in Cameroon, fondly call him ‘the little place of Djebale.’
  

  Kylian Mbappe during his visit to his father’s ancestral village in Cameroon

• Kylian Mbappe has been featured in various editions of the FIFA video game including FIFA 18 and FIFA 19 and featured on the cover of FIFA 21.
  

  Kylian Mbappe on the cover of FIFA 21 video game

• He is very popular on social media, and as of March 2024, he has more than 100 million followers on Instagram and more than 10 million followers on Twitter. ^[8]Instagram – Kylian Mbappé ^[9]Twitter – Kylian Mbappé

• In an interview, Mbappe said that although he liked being popular as one of the best footballers in the world, he missed going out in public, eating out in restaurants, and travelling around in markets like a common man.

• In 2018, a wax statue of Kylian Mbappe was installed in the Grevin Museum in Paris; he is the youngest athlete whose statue has been installed.
  

  Kylian Mbappe with his wax statue (right)

• In 2023, the Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal proposed a billion-dollar deal that included around 300 million euros as the signing bid for PSG and a yearly salary of 700 million euros for Mbappe; however, he declined the offer. ^[10]The Indian Express

• Mbappe revealed in an interview that he copied his style of celebration which includes folding his hands and putting them under his armpits from his younger brother Ethan who celebrated in that style whenever he defeated Kylian in a video game.

• His fans and teammates call him by his nicknames Donatello and Kiki. His teammate Benjamin Mendy calls him ‘Casse-bonbon’ – meaning ‘pain in the neck.’

• Before making his international debut for France, Mbappe tried to play for Cameroon; however, an official of the Cameroon football board asked for a bribe which he did not like and dropped the idea and went on to play for France.

• He often works out in the gym to maintain his fitness.
  

  Kylian Mbappe exercising in the gym

• He likes to read books when he is at his home.

• In an interview, he revealed a strange habit that when he takes a bath in the shower, he listens to music otherwise he prefers to stay in bed if he cannot listen to music during the shower. ^[11]YouTube – WSJ. Style

• His mother also works as his agent and is regarded as a very stubborn deal broker who does not lower her demands and does not allow any type of pressure to be put upon Kylian Mbappe.
  

  Kylian Mbappe with his mother

Amit

Annu Rani is an Indian javelin thrower who is famous for being the first Indian female to reach the World Athletics Championships finals, held in Doha in 2019.

Wiki/Biography

Annu Rani Dharayan was born on Friday, 28 August 1992 (age 31 years; as of 2023) in Bahadurpur village, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Her zodiac sign is Virgo. When she was young, she used to play cricket with her brother who noticed that Annu’s upper body was strong and she had the strength to throw javelin. He started training her by asking her to throw sugarcane sticks in an empty field. When she was 18, she threw her first javelin in 2010. She discussed the traditional values of her childhood in an interview and said that, contrary to the stereotype of an Indian girl cooking Rotis in the kitchen, she was a sports-loving girl who aspired to become a professional athlete. In an interview, she recalled that once her school prohibited her from practising after she accidentally broke a flower pot during a practice session.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 5″

Weight (approx.): 70 kg

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family

Parents & Siblings

Annu’s father’s name is Amarpal Singh, who is a farmer.

Annu Rani with her father

Her mother’s name is Munni Devi. She has two brothers and two younger sisters. One of her brother’s names is Upendra Singh, who is a long-distance runner.

Wife & Children

Annu is unmarried.

Religion

She follows Hinduism.

Annu Rani’s post about her religious values

Career

Struggles faced after choosing to play

Annu could not afford a javelin stick so she made her first stick with a long piece of bamboo. Because of inadequate facilities in the village and limited practice opportunities at school, Annu created a makeshift ground in her father’s field to practice. She would travel 13 miles daily to practise. Her sister would stay with her until late into the night to ensure her safety. Her father did not support her playing sports but her brother paid for her training. In 2012, when she received the call for the Indian camp, her father refused to send her alone to Patiala, where the camp was taking place. In an interview, her brother disclosed that his family’s financial situation was so bad that Annu had to borrow money to purchase shoes for her training. In an interview, she recalled that during her early days, the family faced financial struggles to afford tickets for her competitions. There were instances when she had to sleep on the train floor during travels or borrow money from neighbours to purchase tickets.

Training for the game

She used to play in many national tournaments and after witnessing her performance in one of the matches, Commonwealth Bronze Medallist Kashinath Naik was keen to coach her for competitions abroad; however, this needed him to persuade her father to permit her to train away from home. After his father gave his approval, Annu enrolled in Kashinath’s classes in 2013. Kashinath inspired her to dream about the Olympics. She asked her to watch motivational movies like Sultan, Dangal and Sachin: A Billion Dreams. After that, Annu received training at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, where she would lift 180 kg of weight intensely several times a day to develop a powerful body. Her javelin used to weigh about 600 grammes. Annu claimed that she increased her strength by using a heavier weapon. Later, she received training from Baljeet Singh.

Achievements 

In 2014, she broke the 14-year-old national record with her throw of 58.83 metres in the National Inter-State Athletics Championship in Lucknow. After this, she qualified for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, finishing eighth. In the same year, she threw 59.53 metres in the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, which gained her a bronze medal.

Annu Rani during Asian Games 2014

In 2016, she made a throw of 60.01 metres at the Open National Athletics Championship breaking her record. Unfortunately, Annu had numerous injuries in the year that followed. For the first time, an Indian woman surpassed the 60-meter mark. In March 2019, she broke her record again with a throw of 62.34 meters at the National Senior Athletics Championships in Patiala, Punjab. In the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships on 21 April 2019 in Qatar, she became the first Indian woman javelin thrower to participate in the World Athletics Championship and won the silver medal.

Annu Rani during the World Athletics Championship 2019

She did not meet the qualifying standards for the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha.

Annu Rani during the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha

However, her world ranking of 18 earned her a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Annu Rani at 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Maintaining her strong performance, Annu won the gold medal in the 59th National Open Athletics Championships in October 2019 while competing in the women’s javelin throw event. At the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium, she won with scores of 56.97, 55.97, 58.31, 57.29, and 56.86 before earning the final mark of 58.60 metres. In 2021, she gave her career best of 63.24m which helped her win the gold in the National Interstate Athletic Championship, Patiala, 2021. In the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, she became the first Indian female javelin thrower to win a bronze medal.

Annu Rani at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games

In 2023, she became the first Indian Javelin thrower to win a Gold medal in the Asian Games at Hangzhou. She recorded a season-best throw of 62.92 meters to secure her first-ever gold medal at a major international event. In an interview, she said that she felt depressed before the Asian Games and said,

I was trying the whole year and I was not able to give my best. I was feeling depressed and under pressure because the government spent a lot of money sending me abroad for training. This was my last competition of the season, and I did not give up. So I was determined to give my best.”

Annu Rani after winning at Asian Games 2023

Medals

Gold

• National Inter-State Athletics Championship in Lucknow in 2014

• 59th National Open Athletics Championship in 2019

• National Interstate Athletic Championship, Patiala in 2021

• Qosanov Memorial Championship, Almaty, Kazakhstan 2022

• Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in 2023

Silver

• 23rd Asian Athletics Championships in Qatar on 21 April 2019

Bronze

• Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea in 2014

• IAAF World Challenge event called the Ostrava Golden Spike Athletics Meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic in 2019

• Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022

Records

• In 2019, she became the first Indian female to reach the World Athletics Championships finals, held in Doha.

• In 2023, she became the first Indian woman to win gold in javelin throw at the Asian Games

Awards

• Sportstar Aces Sportswoman of the Year Award in Athletics in 2020
  

  Annu Rani receiving Sportstar Aces Sportswoman of the Year Award in Athletics in 2020

• Times of India Sports Award for the Best Female Athlete 2022
  

  Annu Rani posing with Times of India Sports Award for the Best Female Athlete 2022

• Trailblazer of the Year Award at the CNBC TV18 IBLA 2023
  

  Annu Rani posing with Trailblazer of the Year Award at the CNBC TV18 IBLA 2023

Facts/Trivia

• She likes shopping and reading books.

• She follows a vegetarian diet.

• According to her, during her early career, she encountered challenges practising with boys due to cultural norms in her village. She was taught to walk with her head bowed down and avoid making eye contact with men and boys.

• In an interview, while talking about the techniques used in javelin throw, Annu Rani said,
  

  Javelin is all about technique. Of course, power does matter, but I think I have enough strength to throw long. It is about fine-tuning the technique, and once that is done, I am confident of breaching the qualification mark. In this sport, you can make up 3-4 metres just by getting your technique right.”

• Her performances have even earned her an officer-rank job with the Indian Railways.

Tanvi

Anmol Kharb is an Indian badminton player. In 2023, she became the youngest woman to win the senior badminton singles national championship. In 2024, she hit the headlines after winning a gold medal at the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 in which she defeated some of the world’s top-ranked players while holding a very low world ranking of 472 herself.

Wiki/Biography

Anmol Kharb was born on Saturday, 20 January 2007 (age 17 years; as of 2024) in Faridabad, Haryana. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius. She pursued her schooling at Dayanand Public School, Faridabad, Haryana.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 6″

Weight (approx.): 55 kg

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Body Measurements (approx.): 32-28-34

Family

Parents & Siblings

Anmol Kharb’s father, Devender Singh, is an advocate and also a former national-level kabaddi player. Her mother’s name is Rajbala. She has an elder brother named Hardik.

Husband

Anmol Kharb is unmarried.

Career

Anmol Kharb initially competed in various inter-school badminton competitions as a member of the Dayanand Public School badminton team. At her first state championship, Anmol Kharb reached the finals. In the same year, she lost in the quarterfinals of her first U-13 nationals and the next year, she lost in the U-15 nationals to the then-Indian number 1 player Samayra Pawar. Later, she joined the Sunrise Shuttlers Academy in Noida. In 2019, Anmol won her first national-level title with the U-17 All India Ranking title in Hyderabad. She was only 12 years old then. In the same year, she also reached the semi-finals of the Senior All India Ranking tournament in Visakhapatnam. In 2020, she competed in the U-17 Sub-Junior National championships and won both singles and doubles championships. In the doubles championship, she was paired alongside Vennala K.

Anmol after winning the Sub Junior National Badminton Championship

In 2022, she competed in the Asian Junior Championships but could only make it to the pre-quarterfinals of the Championship. Anmol won a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in 2023. In December 2023, she competed in the 85th Senior National Badminton Championship held in Guwahati and won a gold medal by defeating Tanvi Sharma in the finals. In January 2024, she became the champion of the Yonex Sunrise All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament held in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Anmol on becoming the champion of Sunrise All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament 2024

In 2024, she was a member of the Indian Badminton team that represented India at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships held in Selangor, Malaysia. The other members of the team were P. V. Sindhu and Ashmita Chaliha. The Indian women’s badminton team went on to win the gold medal at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships which was also India’s first-ever medal in the women’s category in the Badminton Asia Team Championship. She played 3 matches at this championship and all 3 were knockout matches. In the first knockout match, she defeated Wu Luo Yu of the People’s Republic of China who held a world ranking of 149 with a score of 22-20, 14-21, 21-18. In the semi-finals, she played against Natsuki Nidaira of Japan who held a world ranking of 29 with a score of 21-14, 21-18. In the finals, she played against world No. 45 Pornpicha Choeikeewong of Thailand and easily won the finals with a score of 21-14, 21-9 in just 43 minutes.

Meet the rockstars who led us to victory today at #BadmintonAsiaChampionships2024????????

Can't thank 17- year old Anmol Kharb enough! The girl has got nerves of steel as she secured the final victory in style for ???????? ????????

Our experienced @Pvsindhu1's dominance and the dynamic… pic.twitter.com/q1VCmQ1Z5V

— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) February 18, 2024

Achievements

In December 2023, Anmol Kharb was honoured by Dr. Amit Bhalla, Vice President of Manav Rachna Educational Institutions and the President of FDBA with a cash award of INR 1,00,000, in the presence of Sarkar Talwar, Sports Director at MREI. She was also given five years of free support from the state-of-the-art Manav Rachna Sports Science Centre and a full scholarship for her academic pursuits at the Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies.

Anmol being honoured at the Manav Rachna Sports Academy

Favourites

• Badminton Player(s): Saina Nehwal and Tai Tzu Ying

• Drink: Chocolate-flavoured bubble tea

Facts/Trivia

• She is coached by Kusumm Singh who is a former national-level badminton player and a peer of Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal and Ashwini Ponnappa.

• Anmol’s mother, Rajbala, moved to Noida from Faridabad with her in order to support her passion for badminton and take care of her.

• In 2019, she was selected under the Government of India’s Khelo India scheme, which aims to provide assistance to budding athletes.

• Anmol takes physical training classes from a former international boxer every day at 5:00 AM to build her stamina and core strength.

• Anmol is popularly known for her outstanding smashes on the badminton court.

• In 2022, she was ranked as India’s top badminton player in both the under-17 and under-19 categories.

• Anmol won her first senior national title only at the age of 16 by defeating Tanvi Sharma in the 85th National Badminton Championship.
  

  Anmol after winning the 85th Senior National Badminton Championship 2023

• She trains for six hours every day.

• Before she started playing badminton, she used to skate. In an interview, while talking about why she chose to pursue badminton professionally and not skating, she said,
  

  In skating, I would often get pushed from behind by other competitors. My feet were always grazed and bruised, so I got fed up. Badminton was indoors and safe.”

• In her leisure time, she enjoys travelling with friends and family and exploring different places.

• In her diet, she includes a lot of milk, halwa, and bajra rotis to gain strength.

• After winning the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championship, her world ranking moved up by 136 places to reach the 336th spot in the world rankings from 472.

Kritika

Salima Tete is an Indian hockey player who plays in the midfielder position.

Wiki/Biography

Salima Tete was born on Thursday, 27 December 2001 (age 22 years; as of 2023) in the village Barkichhapar, District Simdega, Jharkhand. Her zodiac sign is Capricorn. Salima completed her schooling at the S. S. Girls High School, Simdega, Jharkhand.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 5″

Weight (approx.): 55 kg

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Dark Brown

Body Measurements (approx.): 32-28-30

Family

Parents & Siblings

Salima Tete’s father, Sulakshan Tete, is a farmer. Her mother, Subhani Tete, is also a farmer.

Salima Tete (right) with her mother, Subhani Tete

Salima Tete’s father, Sulakshan Tete

Salima Tete has one brother and 4 sisters. Her sister Mahima Tete is also a national hockey player.

Salima Tete (second from left) with his father (extreme left), brother (second from right), and sister Mahima Tete (extreme right)

Husband 

Salima Tete is unmarried.

Career

Hockey Player

Salima Tete made her senior debut by playing for the Indian Women’s National team in 2016. In 2017, she became part of the Indian squad in the 7th Sub Junior National Hockey Championship which was held in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu. Salima represented the Jharkhand hockey team and ended up winning the title. In 2018, Salima was appointed as the captain of the Indian hockey team to lead the Summer Youth Olympics which were held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Indian team won the silver medal in the tournament finals. In 2021, she represented India in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. In 2022, Salima Tete became part of the Indian squad that participated in the Women’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup which was held in Valencia, Spain. The Indian team won the title by defeating Spain in the tournament finals by the score of 1-0.

Salima Tete (standing, extreme right) with the complete Indian squad at the Women’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup (2022)

In the same year, she represented India in the XXII Commonwealth Games which was held in Birmingham, England. The Indian team won the bronze medal in the tournament finals.

Salima Tete (extreme left) posing with her bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022

In 2022, Salima became part of the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup which was held in Muscat, Oman in which the Indian hockey team won the bronze medal.

Salima Tete posing with her medal at the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2022

In 2023, she represented India in the 19th Asian Games which were held in Hangzhou, China. The Indian hockey team won the bronze medal in the championship by defeating Japan by the score of 2-1.

Salima Tete posing with a bronze medal at the 19th Asian Games 2023

In the same year, Salima Tete participated in the 7th Women’s Asian Champions Trophy which was held in Ranchi, India in which the Indian hockey team won the title by defeating Japan by the score of 4-0 in the finals.

Salima Tete after winning the 7th Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2023

In 2023, Salima also represented the Railway Sports Promotion Board’s hockey team in the 3rd Hockey Indian Senior Women Inter-Department National Championship in which the team won the silver medal.

Kanica

Hetal Dave is an Indian sumo wrestler. As of 2024, she is India’s first and only female professional sumo wrestler. She is No. 5 on the list of top female sumo wrestlers in the world. She received the Shiv Chhatrapati Award from the Government of Maharashtra. She is also a judo trainer.

Wiki/Biography

Hetal Sudhir Dave (also known as Hetal Sujit Sharma after marriage) was born on 8 December 1987 (age 36 years; as of 2024) in Rajasthan, India. Her zodiac sign is Sagittarius. Hetal holds a Commerce degree.

A picture of young Hetal Dave

Physical Appearance

^[1]The Telegraph Online Height: 5′ 6″

Weight (approx.): 80 kg

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family & Caste

Hetal Dave was born into a Brahmin Rajasthani family.

Parents & Siblings

Hetal’s father’s name is Sudhir Dave. She has a brother named Akshay who is also a sumo wrestler.

Hetal Dave (extreme right) with her parents and brother

Husband & Children

Hetal is married to Sujeet Sharma. The couple got married on 26 April 2018.

Hetal Dave with Sujeet Sharma

Career

Hetal Dave was interested in sports from a very young age, she started by learning judo when she was five years old. She trained in judo for over ten years. She came across sumo wrestling when her coach Cawas Billimoria (Indian judo champion and professional coach for sumo wrestling) was discussing the sport. Hetal’s father and brother encouraged her to pursue the sport. Training was difficult as there were no girls for Hetal to train with, so she started practising with her brother and other male players.

Hetal Dave (left) practising sumo wrestling with her brother

She also had to practice in an open space since there was no sumo ring in India. She started training by observing the men who used to play the sport and then turned to YouTube to get well-versed in the basics of sumo wrestling. Hetal started practising at the Oval Maidan in South Mumbai. She faced issues with receiving funding to participate in events and championships. Speaking of her funding difficulties in an interview, Hetal said,

The association can only forward the names to the World Championship organisers. We have to fund our own tickets, stay, basically everything. People don’t know much about Sumo, hence they don’t care. That is why I haven’t been able to participate since 2012. Some potential sponsors even go to the extent of saying, ‘Ladki hoke sumo khelte ho (you play sumo being a girl?),’ which is difficult to hear.” ^[2]sportskeeda

Although India has the SUMO Federation of India, they do not provide monetary support. Hetal also provides training to students from different schools in wrestling and judo. She taught self-defence and judo at the BJPC Institution Jr. College and the Walsingham House School in Mumbai.

Competitions 

In 2008, Hetal participated in her first international championship, the 2008 World Championship in Estonia. She was sponsored by a Gujarati businessman who came across her story in the Gujarati Mid-day newspaper. She also participated in the 2009 World Games in Taipei, Taiwan, where she won fifth place in the middleweight category. Hetal was the only female participant representing India the the World Games. She has also taken part in tournaments in Poland and Finland.

Hetal Dave striking a sumo wrestling pose

Sumo Didi

Sumo Didi is a film based on the life of Hetal Dave’s life and wrestling career. It was released in 2023. It was the only Indian film screened at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival and the 35th Palm Springs International Film Festival where it reached the “Best of Fest” list and received lots of applause. Actress Shriyam Bhagnani plays the role of Hetal in the film.

A still from the film based on Hetal Dave’s life, Sumo Didi

Controversies

Case Regarding Anticipatory Bail

In 2021, under the Bombay High Court’s criminal jurisdiction, Hetal Dave applied for anticipatory bail in connection to a case registered at a police station in Mumbai. The case involved allegations under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which related to financial transactions and fraud. Sudha Sharma, the aunt of the complainant (Hetal Dave), was accused of fraudulent activities regarding a housing project. It was alleged that Sharma persuaded Hetal to make payments under false pretences, leading to charges of cheating. Hetal’s legal counsel claimed that the allegations were fabricated. They highlighted discrepancies in the case and emphasized that Hetal’s involvement was very less compared to Sharma’s alleged actions. The court rejected Sudha Sharma’s application for anticipatory bail but granted relief to Hetal Dave. The court also ordered Hetal to cooperate with the investigating officer when required. ^[3]Indian Kanoon

Awards, Honours, Achievements

• In 2008, Hetal Dave’s name was entered in the Limca Book of Records.

• In 2009, Hetal Dave was included in Newsweek’s list of “150 Fearless Women”.

• Hetal Dave won the Fempowerment Women Achievers Award in 2016 under the sports category.

• In 2019, Hetal Dave won a Women Super Achiever award at the 6th World Women Leadership Congress and Awards Ceremony.
  

  Hetal Dave posing with her Women Super Achiever award

• Hetal Dave holds the Yokozuna rank, the highest rank in sumo wrestling.

• Hetal Dave won the Maharashtra Achievers Awards 2021 from Femina under the Outstanding Contribution to Sports category.
  

  A still from Hetal Dave’s acceptance speech at the Maharashtra Achievers Awards 2021

Tattoo

Hetal has a tattoo of an infinity sign with the word “faith” on her left hand.

A picture of Hetal Dave with the tattoo on her left hand

Facts/Trivia

• Hetal Dave is often referred to as “Sumo Didi”.

• Hetal Dave loves animals and has a pet dog named Mogli.
  

  Hetal Dave with her pet dog, Mogli

• In an interview, Hetal stated that she used to watch martial arts movies with Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee to inspire herself.

• Hetal failed the ninth standard twice until she moved to a different school that supported her sports training.

• Hetal follows a strict vegetarian diet. In an interview, she stated that her standard diet consisted of rice, dal, vegetables or dosas. She also said that she occasionally ate junk food like the “McAloo Tikki” burger from McDonald’s. ^[4]The World

• In 2009, when Hetal went to the World Championships in Taiwan, she had to borrow the mawashi (belt worn by sumo wrestlers) from the Japanese team who tied the belt for her as she didn’t know how to put it on.
  

  Hetal Dave wearing the traditional sumo wrestling mawashi

Sharon

Sangita Kumari is an Indian hockey player who plays in the forward position.

Wiki/Biography

Sangita Kumari was born on Monday, 24 December 2001 (age 22 years; as of 2023) in the village Karangaguri Nawatoli, District Simdega, Jharkhand. Her zodiac sign is Capricorn. Sangita completed her schooling at the RC MS Karangaguri Middle School, Simdega, Jharkhand.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 6″

Weight (approx.): 50 kg

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Dark Brown

Figure Measurements (approx.): 32-28-30

Family & Caste

She belongs to a Gond family in Jharkhand. ^[1]Sangita Kumari – Instagram

Parents & Siblings

Sangita Kumari’s father, Ranjit Manjhi, is a farmer, and her mother, Lakhmani Devi, is a homemaker.

Sangita Kumari with her father, Ranjit Manjhi

Sangita has three sisters and one of them is Sandeepa Kumari who is also a hockey player. She also has a brother named Sanjay Manjhi.

Sangita Kumari (left) with her elder sister

Sangita Kumari (centre) with her brother Sanjay Manjhi (left) and her mother Lakhmani Devi (right)

Sangita Kumari (left) with her sister

Sangita Kumari’s younger sister Sandeepa Kumari

Husband

Sangita Kumari is unmarried.

Religion

Sangita Kumari follows Sarnaism which is a religious faith of the Indian subcontinent. The followers of this religion are mostly nature worshipers and it is claimed to be India’s largest tribal religion.

Sangita Kumari’s Instagram bio in which she represents the ‘Sarna’ religion of the tribals

Career

Hockey Player

In 2016, Sangita Kumari was selected for the junior national camp and in the same year she played her Indian junior debut match in the Five-nation Invitational Hockey Tournament which was held in Valencia, Spain. She scored her first international goal against Spain in only her second game in this series. In the same year, she represented the Indian women’s hockey team in the 4th Women’s U18 Asia Cup 2016 in which she scored eight goals and helped India win a bronze medal by defeating South Korea by a score of 3-0. In 2018, Sangita became part of the Indian squad at the 2018 Asian Youth Olympic Games Qualifier for girls’ field hockey in which the Indian team won the silver medal. In 2022, she represented India in the XXII Commonwealth Games which was held in Birmingham, England. The Indian team won the bronze medal in the tournament finals.

Sangita Kumari posing with her bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022

In 2023, Sangita Kumari was selected for the Indian hockey team squad for the 19th Asian Games which were held in Hangzhou, China. The Indian hockey team won the bronze medal in the championship by defeating Japan by the score of 2-1.

Sangita Kumari posing with her bronze medal at the 19th Asian Games in 2023

In the same year, Sangita participated in the 7th Women’s Asian Champions Trophy which was held in Ranchi, India in which the Indian hockey team won the title by defeating Japan by the score of 4-0 in the finals. Sangita was the highest goal scorer of India with a total of 6 goals in the tournament.

Sangita Kumari after winning the 7th Women’s Asia Championships Trophy (2023)

In 2023, Sangita represented the Railway Sports Promotion Board’s hockey team in the 3rd Hockey Indian Senior Women Inter-Department National Championship in which the team won the silver medal.

Sangita Kumari posing with her silver medal at the 3rd Hockey Indian Senior Women Inter-Department National Championship (2023)

Awards

• 2023: ‘Jharkhand Player of the Match’ at the 7th Women’s Asian Champions Trophy
  

  Sangita Kumari receiving the ‘Jharkhand Player of the Match’ (2023)

• 2023: ‘Rising Star of the Tournament’ at the 7th Women’s Asian Champions Trophy
  

  Sangita Kumari receiving the ‘Rising Star of the Match’ award

• 2023: ‘Player of the Match’ at the 3rd Hockey Indian Senior Women Inter-Department National Championship
  

  Sangita Kumari with her ‘Player of the Match’ award (2023)

Facts/Trivia

• Sangita started playing hockey when she was in 2nd standard. In those days, her school had made it mandatory for them to bring a hockey stick.

• As Sangita belonged to a poor household, she didn’t have the finances so her father made her a hockey stick himself from a bamboo log.

• Her mother was against her decision to play hockey as she wanted Sangita to learn household chores whereas, Sangita’s father was always supportive of her journey.

• At the age of 11, Sangita Kumari joined the Astro Turf Hockey Stadium in Simdega and started living in their hostel and began her hockey journey.

• In 2018, Sangita suffered from a major injury due to which she had to undergo an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery on her right leg. Sangita took a break from the game for a year and returned to the field in 2019.

• In 2021, Sangita was offered a class third employee job in the Indian Railways as she also became part of the Railway Sports Promotion Board’s hockey team. On that occasion, Sangita bought dhotis for the elderly in her village and gifted hockey sticks and balls to the kids.
  

  Sangita Kumari distributing dhotis in her native village

• Sangita was the first person in her village to get a government job.

• When she received her first salary as an Indian Railways employee, Sangita gifted hockey balls to the children living in her village.

• One day, Sangita’s school headmaster organised the screening of an international hockey match on TV. Sangita immediately started learning the skills and moves. After seeing the match, she felt like she could also play for India one day and that’s when she decided to pursue it as a career option.

• The very first hockey stick that Sangita earned was when she was named the best player during a school competition.

Kanica

Nikki Pradhan is an Indian hockey player who plays in the defender position.

Wiki/Biography

Nikki Pradhan was born on Wednesday, 8 December 1993 (age 30 years; as of 2023) in the village of Hesel in the Murhu subdivision of the tribal heartland Khunti district in Jharkhand. Her zodiac sign is Sagittarius. Nikki completed her schooling at St. Paul’s Middle School in Goilkera block of Pashchimi Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 5″

Weight (approx.): 50 kg

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Dark Brown

Figure Measurements (approx.): 32-28-30

Nikki Pradhan

Family

Parents & Siblings

Nikki Pradhan’s father, Soma Pradhan, is a Bihar police constable, and Nikki’s mother, Jitan Devi, is a homemaker.

Nikki Pradhan’s father, Soma Pradhan, and her mother, Jitan Devi

Nikki has three sisters named Kanti Pradhan, Shashi Pradhan, and Sarina Pradhan. She also has a brother named Govind Pradhan. Shashi Pradhan is also a former hockey player who has been working as a ticket checker at Hatia railway station since 2009.

Nikki Pradhan (extreme left) with her siblings

Other Relatives

Indian former field hockey player Pushpa Pradhan is Nikki Pradhan’s cousin.

Husband

Nikki Pradhan is unmarried.

Career

In 2011, Nikki Pradhan participated in the Jharkhand National Games which was also known as the 34th National Games of India. The tournament was held in Ranchi and Nikki’s performance in the tournament landed her in the national camp which took place in 2012. Nikki represented India for the first time in 2011 at the Under-17 Asia Cup which was held in Bangkok. In 2012, she was selected in the Indian hockey team for the Under-21 Women’s Hockey Junior Asia Cup which was held in Bangkok, Thailand. The Indian team won the silver medal in the tournament finals. In 2015, Nikki was selected for the national camp. In 2016, she made her international hockey debut on the South Africa Tour. Later, Nikki was selected as a member of the squad of the Indian Women’s Hockey team, which represented India in the Rio Olympics in Brazil in which the Indian team stood at the 6th position.

Nikki Pradhan (sitting at right corner) with the Indian women’s hockey squad at the Rio Olympics 2016

Nikki Pradhan was also part of the Indian squad for the 2017 Women’s Hockey Asia Cup which was held in Kakamigahara, Gifu, Japan. The Indian women’s team won the title after beating China in the final by a score of 4-1.

Nikki Pradhan (bottom row, third from left) with her teammates after winning the 2017 Women’s Hockey Asia Cup

She was also part of the Indian team that won a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang. Nikki also represented India in the 2018 Women’s Asian Champions Trophy which was held in Donghae, South Korea in which India won the silver medal in the finals.

Nikki Pradhan (bottom row, fourth from right) with the selected squad of the 2018 Women’s Asian Champions Trophy

Nikki was also part of the team’s victory in the FIH Women’s Series Finals Hiroshima 2019. In 2022, she represented India in the XXII Commonwealth Games which was held in Birmingham, England. The Indian team won the bronze medal in the tournament finals.

Nikki Pradhan posing with her bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022

In 2023, Nikki Pradhan was selected for the Indian hockey team squad for the 19th Asian Games which were held in Hangzhou, China. The Indian hockey team won the bronze medal in the championship by defeating Japan by the score of 2-1.

Nikki Pradhan after winning the bronze medal at the 19th Asian Games in 2023

Facts/Trivia

• Nikki Pradhan considers the former Indian hockey player and Olympian Sylvanus Dung Dung her biggest inspiration in Hockey.

• Nikki Pradhan’s cousin Pushpa Pradhan was invited to her school for a motivational session and Nikki was a student at that time. Pushpa made a speech where she shared her experience of travelling to New Jersey by flight.

• The speech Pushpa Pradhan gave at Nikki’s school about her flight experience was what fascinated Nikki more to join hockey professionally as she always wanted to travel in an aeroplane. She even asked her teacher
  

  Is she telling the truth? Did she really ride an aeroplane and go to the US?” ^[1]The Times of India

• She was initially scared of playing hockey because of her lean figure. She was scared that she would break a bone while playing the sport; however, as she developed her confidence, she made a hockey stick of bamboo and started to play.

• In 2004, Nikki joined the Rajyastariya Balika Hockey Center in Bariatu where she began receiving her professional hockey training.

• Dasrath Mahato was an assistant teacher at Pilaul Middle School who also gave Nikki her initial hockey training.

• Dasrath Mahato was the person who took responsibility for Nikki’s hockey career and told her parents
  

  It’s my responsibility now to make her good’ and we couldn’t say no to a guru. He gave her shoes and sticks.” ^[2]The Indian Express

• It was their family’s dream to go on a flight one day and Nikki made it happen as she took her siblings and extended family to Puri on a trip in 2023.
  

  Nikki Pradhan’s Instagram post about taking her family on a flight for the first time

• Nikki had to face a lot of struggle during her initial training days as she belonged to a very backward community. She was quoted saying in an interview
  

  We are five kids, the state of our livelihood at that time, we couldn’t afford (much). We used to play by making a stick out of broken pieces, bamboo sticks or any available material.” ^[3]Revsportz

• Nikki was the first woman hockey player from Jharkhand to represent India in the Olympics.

• In 2023, Nikki Pradhan completed her 150 international caps during the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-24.

Kanica