In the second of our three-part special, Rediff.com takes you back in time through captivating photographs that marked the big moments on the playing field.
From a bloodied face of Spanish club Atletico’s Madrid’s Mario Mandzukic, to Australia’s ICC World Cup triumph, Sania Mirza’s fabulous run and more scintillating moments are frozen in time in this beautiful photo-feature.
IMAGE: Switzerland's Martina Hingis and India's Sania Mirza pose after winning their women's doubles final against Russian duo Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London on July 11. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters
IMAGE: Barcelona's Neymar (left) is tackled by Espanyol's Lucas Vazquez during their La Liga match on April 25. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters
IMAGE: British comedian Simon Brodkin (not pictured) throws cash at FIFA president Sepp Blatter, interrupting his speech during a press event in Zurich on July 20. Photograph: Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images
IMAGE: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Austin Dillon car (3) crashes against the catch fence during the finish of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 6. Photograph: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
IMAGE: Atletico Madrid's Mario Mandzukic remonstrates with referee Milorad Mazic as he walks off the pitch to receive treatment after sustaining a head injury against Real Madrid during their UEFA Champions League first leg quarter-final match at the Vicente Calderon, in Madrid on April 14. Photograph: Juan Medina/Reuters
IMAGE: Newcastle's Moussa Sissoko clashes with Liverpool's Glen Johnson during their English Premier League match on April 12. Photograph: Lee Smith/Reuters
IMAGE: American golfer Jordan Spieth retrieves his ball from the Swilcan Burn on the first hole during a practice round ahead of the British Open golf championship on the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, on July 15. Photograph: Lee Smith/Reuters
IMAGE: Australia's Steven Smith celebrates with teammate Shane Watson after hitting the winning runs to beat New Zealand and win the 2015 ICC World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 29. Photograph: DQuinn Rooney/Getty Images
IMAGE: United States forward Sydney (2) celebrates with husband, Dom Dwyer, after the United States crushed Japan 5-2 to win the women's World Cup in Vancouver on July 5. Photograph: Michael Chow-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
IMAGE: Argentina's Lionel Messi walks with his silver medal past the Copa America trophy after losing the Copa America final to Chile on July 4. Photograph: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters
IMAGE: Venkatesh Shetty, astride his Honda Deo, negotiates the challenging track at the Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally along the backwoods of Navi Mumbai on August 10. Photograph: Sahil Salvi
10-year-old Bahraini Alzain Tareq looks on after finishing last in her event. Tareq became the youngest ever competitor to race at the World Swimming Championships when she swam in the heats of the women's 50-metre butterfly on August 7. Photographer: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters
IMAGE: Force India’s Sergio Perez celebrates on the podium after finishing third in the Formula One Grand Prix of Russia at Sochi on October 11. Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images
IMAGE: Brazilian football legend Pele waves to fans after his arrival at the Netaji Airport in Kolkata on October 11. Photograph: Abhiroop Dey Sarkar
