New Delhi, January 15: Four formidable names make the list of nominees for the Sports category of the NDTV Indian of the Year award this year, being co-sponsored by The Indian Express. All nominees being leaders in their respective sports, the category sparkles with names of super achievers. From chess grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand, who has proved himself time and again, to the cool captain of Indian Twenty20 and ODI team M S Dhoni, there are two other young and riveting players of tennis and football — the sensational Sania Mirza and the magical Bhaichung Bhutia.

The factfile

Vishwanathan Anand: Chess grandmaster and the current World Chess Champion, Anand is the two-time world chess champion. He was ranked number one in the world in the FIDE Elo rating list released in April 2007, is the youngest Indian to become an International Master and youngest recipient of the Padma Shri. Anand is the only player to win the Corus Chess Tournament titles five times (1989,1998, 2003, 2004 and 2006) and was winner of the Monaco Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess Championships in 1994, 1997, 2003, 2005 and 2006.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni: Cricketer and the current captain of the Indian Twenty20 and ODI team, Dhoni is the second Indian captain to have won a World Cup in any form of cricket, after Kapil Dev. In June 2007, he earned the record for highest individual innings by a number seven batsman in One-Day Internationals by scoring an unbeaten 139. He holds the record for the highest score by a wicket-keeper in ODIs and for the most dismissals by an Indian wicketkeeper.

Bhaichung Bhutia: Captain of the Indian team, he plays for Mohun Bagan. He has led India to a win in the Nehru Cup, scored three goals himself and led East Bengal club to win the LG Asean Club Cup in Jakarta in 2003. He was the first Indian to play professional football in England. Silenced all his critics after a stellar performance in the ONGC Nehru Cup 2007 with 3 goals in 5 matches.

Sania Mirza: The highest ranked female tennis player ever from India, Mirza had the best results of her career during the 2007 summer hardcourt season, finishing eighth in the 2007 US Open Series standings. First Indian woman to win a WTA Singles title. Currently, she stands at the 31st position in the WTA ranking (August 8, 2007).