From Chetan Chauhan to Diego Maradona: 6 prominent sportspersons who passed away in 2020

2020 has already been brutal owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, as millions across the world have lost their lives. However, just like any other year, it also saw some of the prominent sportspersons saying adieu to the world, leaving fans shattered in disbelief.

The year 2020 has been harsh on the entire world, as the COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed a million lives. Furthermore, the regular deaths of prominent personalities have added to the misery.

As the year comes to an end, we take a look back at some of the breaking incidents. Just like any other year, it has also seen some notable sports personalities breathing their last and bidding farewell to the world, leaving fans shell-shocked, as we take a look at some of them.

PK Banerjee: The prolific former Indian footballer was a legend, having led Team India and later even coached the side. He played 45 matches for India and scored 15 goals. He played for a couple of clubs (Aryan and Eastern Railway), scoring 101 goals in 246 games. He passed away at the age of 83 in March, citing a chest infection.

Chuni Goswami: Another leading former Indian footballer, Chuni Goswami was a multi-talented sportsperson. He played 30 matches for India and had scored nine goals. Besides, he also represented Mohun Bagan between 1954-68. Later, he also went on to manage Tata Football Academy, where he was the director and Team India. He also happened to be a First-Class cricketer, as he played for Bengal, scoring 1,592 runs in 46 matches, at an average of 28.42, including a century and seven half-centuries, while his highest score remains 103. Being an all-rounder, he was also a pacer and claimed 47 wickets at an average of 24.08, including a five-for. It was in April he passed away, at the age of 82, due to a cardiac arrest, following a prolonged illness.

Kobe Bryant: A famous basketball player from the United States of America (USA), Kobe Bryant made a name for himself in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing for Los Angeles Lakers. He was a five-time NBA champion and a two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). He passed away in January after a tragic helicopter crash, along with his daughter and seven other family friends. He was aged 41.

Dean Jones: The former Australian batsman, too, became a part of this list. He had represented Australia in over 200 matches across formats and scored around 10,000 runs, besides playing for domestic teams like Victoria, Durham and Derbyshire. It was in September when he suffered a cardiac arrest in Mumbai while being on commentary duty for the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was aged 59.

Chetan Chauhan: A prominent former Indian cricketer, Chauhan played 40 Tests for India, along with seven One-Day Internationals (ODI), besides scoring more than 2,000 runs in the Tests. He also played for domestic teams, like Maharashtra and Delhi. Later, he went on to try his luck in politics, as he was associated with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He passed away at the age of 79, in Gurgaon, citing a cardiac arrest.

Diego Maradona: The most shocking death among sportspersons has to be when the Argentine footballing legend, Diego Maradona, passed away. He hardly needs any introduction, as he is a FIFA World Cup winner too. He passed way in November after suffering a heart attack, while he was aged 60.