As sportsmen and women set their goals for 2024, others who achieved theirs in the past died. We highlight some of those whose stars were extinguished in 2023:
Cricket
Bishan Singh Bedi
Indian cricketing hero who was part of the famous spin quartet of Erapalli Prasanna, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Bhagwath Chandrasekhar died on October 23 aged 77 after a long illness. Left-arm spinner Bedi claimed 266 wickets in 67 Tests in an illustrious international career between 1967 and 1979. He went on to become coach of the national side with a young Sachin Tendulkar beginning his extraordinary international career. "To Bishan Paaji (elder brother), I wasn't just another cricketer; I was like a son. Under his nurturing guidance, I scored my first 100 in England," Tendulkar wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "The world seems a little emptier without you, Paaji."
Heath Streak
One of Zimbabwe's greatest cricketers who took 236 Test wickets - no other Zimbabwean bowler has taken more than 80 - died of cancer aged 49 on September 3. His career had ended in ignominy when he received an eight-year ban from the International Cricket Council for passing on information and contact details of players to an unnamed Indian man - Streak though denied he had been involved in match-fixing. Streak was an outstanding fast bowler and capable batsman. He was a key member of Zimbabwe teams that were competitive against cricket's bigger nations in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He showed the same fight as he battled liver and colon cancers and had to rebut claims he had died earlier in the year. "RIP Streaky. You were a titan," former teammate Henry Olonga posted on Facebook.
Football
Sir Bobby Charlton
One of English football's all-time greats and one of the last of the only England side to lift the World Cup died aged 86 after an accidental fall at a care home on October 21. The Manchester United legend had been diagnosed with dementia - just as his late brother and fellow 1966 World Cup winner Jack had been - in 2020. A survivor of the 1958 Munich air crash which killed eight of his team-mates, Charlton helped United win two league titles and their first European Cup in 1968. Sir Alex Ferguson - who was Charlton's pick to be United manager in 1986 - said he "was the greatest English player of all time". "My dad used to say humility in success is a sign of greatness, and that was Bobby," said Ferguson.
Christian Atsu
The 31-year old Ghanaian international died on February 6, one of over 44,000 victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria. The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations player of the tournament, who had played for Porto and Newcastle United, had been due to fly out hours before the earthquake struck but had stayed after scoring the winner for his Turkish club Hatayspor. The 65-time capped star's funeral was attended by Ghana's vice-president. "Ghana football has lost one of its finest personnel and ambassadors, one who will be difficult to replace. He'll be sorely missed," Ghana president Nana Akufo-Addo said.
Gianluca Vialli
The Italian great who played an integral role assisting then head coach Roberto Mancini in leading his country to the European Championship crown in 2021 died aged 58 of pancreatic cancer on January 6. He made his name as a player at Sampdoria alongside Mancini, winning the Serie A title and European Cup Winners' Cup before joining Juventus in 1992 for a then world record 16.5m euros. Vialli won the Champions League with Juve and was also a pivotal member of the Italy side that reached the 1990 World Cup semi-finals. He became Chelsea player-manager in 1998 leading them to victory in the League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup. He also guided Chelsea to victory in the 2000 FA Cup final. "We have come a long way together, growing and searching, winning and dreaming. You came as a boy, we salute you as a man," Genoa-based Sampdoria said.
Terry Venables
The charismatic former England, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona boss died aged 80 on November 26 after a long illness. Regarded as one of England's best managers, he guided the Euro 96 hosts to the semi-finals - where they lost on penalties to eventual winners Germany. He also coached Barca to the 1986 European Cup final and won the 1991 FA Cup with Tottenham. Venables' vibrant personality and love of attacking football established him as a firm favorite with players and fans alike. "The best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for," said Gary Lineker, who played under him at Barca and Spurs. For Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who was a youngster at the Barca academy when Venables was manager, it was not only his skillset as a coach but his character that stood out. "He was so funny, singing Frank Sinatra on Catalan shows. He was a proper, proper man," said Guardiola.