Often sports stars are marred with injuries, fractures and broken backs that hamper their playing careers.
Often sports stars are marred with injuries, fractures and broken backs that hamper their playing careers.
Many a times, the players are forced to take a ‘break’ full time or shorter one to recover from the life threatening injury. But not always the player gets what he/she wished for.
The following players are the ones who started brightly, won many accolades but unfortunately, had to force retirement due to various reasons:
Bjorn Borg
Tennis legend Bjorn Borg is one of tennis world’s finest players ever with an impressive 11 Grand Slams including 5 Wimbledon and 6 French Open titles in the bag. But unfortunately, the Swede forced an early retirement at the age of 26 but made a comeback in the 1990s but hardly found the same rhythm going.
Michael Jordan
Without a doubt, Michael Jordan was the face of American basketball and remains the greatest basketball player of all time in the NBA. But in October 1993 at the age of 30, Michael hanged up his boots and soon after decided to enter minor league baseball in 1994 with Chicago White Sox. But basketball never left as the iconic player came back on the basketball court with the Chicago Bulls but untimely retired with the Washington Wizards.
Ravi Shastri
Indian cricket produced some world class talent especially from Mumbai and one of them was Ravi Shastri. At the raw age of 17, Ravi Shastri became the youngest player to represent Mumbai when he played during the Ranji Trophy season. Soon after, Ravi went on to represent the country and even led the team in the late 80s and 90s. But sadly, Ravi retired from cricket at the age of 30 following a recurring knee injury. But the cricketer now has taken up commentating role as well as been declared by the BCCI, the team director for the current Indian side.
Eric Cantona
Manchester United and France player, Eric Cantona remains one of the greatest players signed by Sir Alex Fergurson. But Cantona shocked the Old Trafford faithful when the former decided to quit football at the age of 30 in 1997. In his playing career, Cantona went on to score 143 goals in 64 appearances for the Red Devils and 45 goals in 20 appearances for the French national team.
Andrew Flintoff
Considered one of English cricket’s finest all-rounders, Andrew Flintoff, too bid the ‘gentleman’s game’ an early goodbye after a series of injury woes hampered his playing career. After leading his side to a famous Ashes win in 2005, ‘Freddie’, bid adieu to the game at the age of 32 only to return back, but in a boxing ring. This year, Flintoff made a return to international cricket to play the Twenty20 format.
Ian Thorpe
The Aussie swimmer announced his arrival on the world stage during the 2000 Sydney Olympics by clinching a gold medal at the age of 17. Since then, Thorpe went on to win 4 more Olympic gold medals but the 11-time World Champion, gave up the sport at a very young age of 24 after missing out on the 2006 CWG due to a grandular fever.
