Kohli only cricketer in top-10 highest-earning athletes
London: India skipper Virat Kohli emerged as the only cricketer in the world’s top-10 list of highest-earning athletes through sponsored Instagram posts during the lockdown, according to a report. The cricket superstar was sixth on the list, the figures for which were collected by ‘Attain’ during the period between March 12 and May 14, when the world literally shut down to stem the growth of the coronavirus outbreak. According to the list, Kohli earned a total of 379,294 pounds through his sponsored posts, raking up 126,431 pounds per post. Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list with an estimated earning of 1.8 million pounds while Argentina and FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi and PSG’s Neymar were second and third with earnings of 1.2 million and 1.1 million respectively. Basketball great Shaquille O’Neal and (583,628 pounds) former England football captain David Bekham (405,359 pounds) wrap up the top five. Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic (184,413 pounds), ex NBA star Dwayne Wade (143,146), Brazillian footballer Dani Alves (133,694) and boxer Anthony Joshua (121,500) complete the top-10 list of highest earning athletes during the lockdown period worldwide. (PTI)
Leander Paes wants to complete 100 Grand Slam appearances
NEW DELHI: Leander Paes is just three shy of completing a century of Grand Slam appearances but is now unsure whether uncertainty caused by COVID-19 pandemic will allow him to complete the coveted milestone or for that matter compete at the next year’s Tokyo Olympics. However, he said that he is happy with his career. Paes had announced that 2020 would be his last season as a professional player but his plan to bid adieu on a high with a record eight appearance at the Olympics, was stalled by the pandemic, which has wrecked the sporting calender. “Olympics is still far away. As of now, I find it difficult to believe that sports will start by July or August. Would it start October or November, who knows. But my team and I are very well prepared that when the lockdown opens up, we will revaluate then and look at ‘One Last Roar’ as season whether we should look at 2021 or not,” Paes told table tennis player Mudit Dani on his chat show ‘Sportlight’. (PTI)