This, indeed, is a year of sports politicians. Legendary Pakistani cricketer,Imra Khan,is the Prime Minister-elect of his country following elections this week. He thus joins Liberian soccer hero, George Oppong Weah who was sworn as President of the West African nation on January 21, 2018 as head of government after quitting sports.
Imra Khan is remembered as the man who captained Pakistan to a first and only cricket world cup title in 1992. He retired six months after that triumph. The man has been in politics for a while and on his way to electoral victory, defeated the brother of a former Prime Minister and the grandson of a former leader whose daughter was also like her father, Prime Minister.
It is a hearty list of world leaders who were sportsmen before mounting the rostrum as Presidents of their respective countries. In the group are Russian President, Vladmir Putin, former American Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W.Bush, Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama. We also have African leaders like Idi Amin of Uganda and Ghana’s John Evans Atta- Mills.
Weah began his soccer career in Liberia but showed he was meant for the top when French side, Monaco, managed by Arsene Wenger, in 1988, flew him away from Tonnerre Kalara Cameroon. The journey continued to PSG, another French side. From there to AC Milan, Italy, Manchester City, England and Marseille.
If was at AC Milan that Weah won the world. In 1995, he was voted World Footballer of the Year . That was,the height of it all. However, Weah, not only emerged as Europe’s best,the Liberian became African Footballer of the Year. Perhaps the first and only time an African was so crowned.
Putin is identified easily as a former KGB Lt.Col. He was more than that. He still does Horse riding baring something to cheer. The Russian leader played Ice Hockey and is also a damn good judoka, the first man in Russia to earn an Eight dan Black belt. His presence at the last World Cup was not just due to protocol.
Teddy Roosevelt was a boxer at Harvard. Ike Eisenhower was also into pugilism and more. American football, fencing, gymnastics and horse racing turned him on. In one of his famous quotes, the Five – Star general said: ” One of the greatest dissapointments of my life, maybe my greatest”. Not making the base ball team.
JFK was a good swimmer and this helped him during World War two when as a Navy pilot, he was downed by a Japanese war ship in the Far East. Kennedy swam to safety and in his bravado helped keep an injured colleague afloat until they were away from harm ‘s way.
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Carter also went through the military and played baseball. As a naval officer, he was a marathoner just like President Muhammadu Buhari. Ford who came before Carter captained his high school football squad and continued with the game at Michigan University. That was what General Babangida did at Provincial Secondary School Bida.
IBB captained the school soccer team and was known as ‘Block burster’. He also played cricket and hockey. The school goalie was General Abdusalami Abubakar. General Sani Abacha met them at the Nigeria Military Training College (NMTC) Kaduna in I962. Abacha’s nickname was ‘ Obi de Pele’.
George H.W.Bush was baseball captain at Yale University. Bill Clinton played basketball while Barack Obama was a school boy basket baller in Honolulu, Hawai.Even as President,Clinton made out time to watch dunking. Obama did not stay away from the game all through his White House years.
His Excellency, President For Life Field Marshal Alhaji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC,DSO,MC,CBE.Lord of All Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in General and Uganda in Particular. That one was the country’s Light Heavy weight boxing champion for nine years, 1951-1960.
Amin was neither certain of his date of birth nor did he know where he was born. Some accounts say Koboko, others talk of Kampala.From the rank of corporal to Warrant Officer, Amin was a swimmer,as well. He played rugby and was a member of Nile Football Club.
Professor Atta- Mills played Hockey for Ghana and moved over to soccer administration as President of Accra Hearts of Oaks. While he was in that position, John Agyekum Kuffour sat as Chairman of rival Asante Kotoko, Kumasi. Both men later became presidents of their country.
