My Top 5: Sportspeople of All Times

#1: Martina Navratilova:

It is a herculean task to enumerate her achievements, but I would make an attempt alright. She's won 18 Grand Slam Singles title, 31 Grand Slam women's doubles titles (an all-time record) and 10 Grand Slam Mixed Doubles titles. She has a record 10 Wimbledon titles, a record she shares with Billie Jean King. She holds the open era record for most Singles titles (167) and most Doubles titles (177). She has the longest winning streak in tennis history (74 matches). All this lead to Billie Jean king calling her "the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who ever lived."

What Goes For Her: The sheer volume of her achievements. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can ever achieve all that she has. And the more important fact is that she has played with other greats in the game like Steffi Graf, Chris Evert and Billie Jean King and has a neutral to favourable win-loss record against all of them.

What Goes Against Her: Nothing. Martina Navratilova's career has been a perfect fairytale. She is the oldest grandslam winner and the oldest winner of a singles match in tennis. What more?

#2: Mohammad Ali:

Mohammad Ali has been declared "Sportsperson of the Century" several times towards the end of the last century. In terms of victories and achievements, his career may pale in comparision to others in the list. But he scores above everybody else by the sheer number of 'greatest ever' matches that he has had. His bouts with George Foreman ('Rumble in the Jungle') and Joe Frazier ('The Fight of the Century') are the stuff of legend.

What Goes For Him: He is truly a 'legend'. His repeated combacks, his cerebral style of boxing and his iconic status worldwide.

What Goes Against Him:There is little consensus on his name as the greatest heavyweight in boxing history in the boxing fraternity.

#3: Michael Phelps:

When he smashed Mark Spitz's record of seven Olympic medals, what was most notable was the fact that everyone expected him to. That is how dominant Phelps has been been. Even in Athens in 2004, just incase you didn't notice, he won 6 golds and 2 bronzes. He's been awarded the World Swimmer of the Year from 2003-2008 (except 2005) and the American Swimmer of the Year from 2001-2008 (except 2005). He's just three medals from breaking Larissa Latynina's record of most medals in the Olympics, but already has more golds.

What Goes For Him: His dominance had been unchallenged and unrivalled. He is arguably the greatest Olympian of all times, far ahead of Spitz by dint of his longevity.

What Goes Against Him: His conduct in his personal life leaves a lot to be desired. He cannot be called an idol unless his private life too stands is like that of a role-model.

#4: Lance Armstrong:

Lance Armstrong is an icon in every sense of the word. He dominated cycling for seven years, winning the Tour de France for a record-breaking seven times. He was named the Associate Press Male Athlete of the Year in 2002-2005 and ESPN's Best Male Athlete in 2002-2005. But what sets him apart from the rest is his battle, and eventual victory, with testicular cancer. The prognosis wasn't good, but Armstrong never let it affect his performance in the track.

What Goes For Him: His battle with cancer and his complete, unrivalled dominance of the cycling world right until his retirement.

What Goes Against Him:The fact that cycling is, for most parts, not a very popular sport. But it is the sport's fault, not his.

#5: Sachin Tendulkar:

If cricket is a religion in India, then Sachin has got to be the God. You might argue that there are equally talented cricketers like Brian Lara, Sunil Gavaskar, Vivian Richards or even Sir Don Bradman, but Sachin somehow towers above them all. Perhaps it is because he started playing at such a young age and is still playing, and playing well for that matter, today. Perhaps it may also have to do with his off-field conduct, which is impeccable. He is a symbol of cricket in the modern world - being among one of the richest sportspersons of all times.

What Goes For Him: His impeccable off-field conduct, his longevity and most importantly, the fact that he is perhaps a perfect idol. Whenever the word 'cricket' is mentioned in India, perhaps the word 'Sachin' would follow.

What Goes Against Him:The fact that cricket is played by only about a dozen serious nations. Cricket is not an Olympic sport and is played in very few regions, mostly the Commonwealth nations.