10 athletes who ran for political office

There’s a foolish idea that politics must separate from everything else. If a sportswriter expresses a political opinion, they’re told to “stick to sports”. But politics is linked to everything around us – from betting on Brexit to biryanis – because they involve people and their actions – it’s part of the meaning of the root word (from the Greek polis, meaning “city” or “body of citizens”). And if a reality TV star and 12x bankrupted businessman can become president, why can’t an athlete.

 

This list contains 10 athletes who ran for political office, some from the most unlikely of places.

George Weah

Before: World Footballer of the Year 1995

Now: President of Liberia

 

From one of the poorest areas in Liberia to the most important positions in the country, George Weah’s ascension is the stuff of folklore. The turning point came when Weah was spotted by then-Cameroon manager Claude Le Roy, who let his friend and fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger know of his prowess. He moved to Monaco for a mere £12,000 and the rest is history. His appointment made him the first democratically-elected leaders since 1944.

Imran Khan

Before: Pakistan cricket captain, winner of the 1992 Cricket World Cup

Now: Prime Minister of Pakistan

 

The former Pakistani cricket captain was one of the fastest bowlers on the planet during his peak. His technique influenced many of his countrymen, who perfected his style, and this helped Pakistan to its only World Cup victory in 1992. He retired soon after and launched his own political party four years later. He first won a seat in the National Assembly in 2002 and became prime minister in 2018. Fun fact: Khan’s salary as Prime Minister is less than the average UK salary (£18,819 vs. £29,588).

Jesse Ventura

Before: WWF wrestler, WWE Hall of Famer

After: Mayor of Brooklyn Park and Governor of Minnesota

 

The WWE Hall of Fame contains a couple of notable politicians (the 45th POTUS and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger). But Jesse Ventura is the only one of the three who actually wrestled. He went on to become a colour commentator before taking office in Minnesota as their governor. It was a notable victory as an independent beating both Republican and Democratic candidates.

Romário

Before: 1994 World Cup and World Player of the Year winner, scorer of over 1000 career goals

After: Brazilian federal senator

 

Romario knew how to score. His tally jumped over 1000 goals (allegedly) in 2007 and after retirement, a mini comeback, and final retirement in 2009, he turned his hand to politics. It’s said the move was prompted by the birth of his sixth child, who had Down’s Syndrome. He started as a campaigner for disabilities and then became a federal senator in 2015. In 2018, he ran for governor of Rio de Janeiro but finished fourth. Random fact: His new casino, Podemos, is Portuguese for “we can”.

Lord Sebastian Coe

Before: 2-time Olympic gold medallist

After: Conservative MP and Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Opposition

 

To win an Olympic gold medal is an astonishing achievement. To win two is a test of determination. Sebastian Coe did that at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics in Moscow and Los Angeles. In fact, he won four medals in total (2 gold and 2 silver). After retirement, the London man became an MP for Falmouth and Camborne between 1992 and 1997 and a Life Peer in 2000. He’s currently the President of the IAAF which is another major achievement. Even if you hate Sebastian Coe.

Manny Pacquiao

Before: Octuple boxing champion

After: Senator of the Philippines

 

Pacquiao covered all bases in his boxing career, becoming the first octuple champion in history. Beyond that, he’s also had stints in basketball, acting, music, and politics. With the latter, Pacquiao was elected as a congressman for the province of Sarangani before being as a senator in 2016. It’s also claimed that Pacquiao is favourite to become president in 2022, with the current president ready to make him his successor.

Vitali Klitschko

Before: World Heavyweight boxing champion

After: Mayor of Kyiv

 

Another champion boxer who traded in gloves for grass roots politics. After an illustrious career that saw a 45-2 career garner two WBO heavyweight title runs. Dr Ironfist managed to mix politics with boxing when he was appointed an advisor to then-President Yushchenko of Ukraine. He was elected into the Kyiv City Council in 2008 and the Ukrainian parliament in 2012. He had intentions to run for president in 2014 but pulled out, instead opting for mayorship in Kyiv, which he won that year.

Marat Safin

Before: 2-time grand slam tennis champion and former World #1

After: Member of Russian parliament

 

On his day, Safin could beat anyone and that was evident when he beat the likes of Pete Sampras in straight sets in the 2000 US Open final. Five years later, he won his second and final grand slam in Australia, beating Lleyton Hewitt (he also beat Roger Federer in the semi finals). After retirement, Safin became a member of the United Russia Party and was elected into Parliament in 2011 as a representative of Nizhny Novgorod.

Alexey Smertin

Before: Premier League champion with Chelsea

After: Member of Russian parliament

 

Another Russian athlete swapping sports for Russian parliament was Alexey Smertin. He signed for Fulham on a two and a half year deal in 2007 but terminated it early and a year later, saw his bid to become an MP succeed. In March 2009, he was elected as an MP in the Altai region of Russia. He later turned his focusses on politics within football, working with the Russian federation during the 2018 World Cup.

Garry Kasparov

Before: Chess grandmaster

After: Russian political activist

 

Although he didn’t get elected into roles as higher as the others in this list, Kasparov’s activism has certainly been the most strenuous of the group. His emphatic career as a grandmaster saw him travel the world during a troubling time between two major chess nations – the United States and the Soviet Union. Kasparov became a Communist in 1984 and was elected to the Central Committee of Komsomol in 1987. After the USSR broke up, he helped create the Democratic Party of Russia but left a year later. From there he hopped between parties with a main focus on opposing the parliament of Putin which he still does today.

 

(And for anyone wondering why chess is mentioned in this list, the FIDE is a member of the International Olympic Committee which effectively classes it as a sport and sportspeople are athletes. For the purposes of this list at least.)

Nova Peris

Before: Olympic gold medallist in 1996

After: Australian senator

 

Our final athlete in the list is Nova Peris. She became the first Indigenous Australian to win an Olympic gold medal as part of Australia’s hockey team at Atlanta 1996. 2 years later, the hockey stick was gone and running shoes were put on as she moved to the track. She won two gold medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and qualified for the semi-finals of the 400m at the Sydney Olympics. In 2013, she broke records again but this time in the Australian senate as she became the first Indigenous Australian to be elected as a federal parliamentarian.

 

There are a few more athletes who became involved in politics not mentioned in the above list:

 

• Former Minister of Sport, Tracey Crouch, is a qualified FA Coach and used to play football in the 80s. She recently resigned over delays to controversial fixed-odds betting terminals legislation
• Although not actually running for office, Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson and former England cricket captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint were awarded peerages
• Former world karate champion Molly Samuel-Leport stood as a Conservative Party candidate in Walthamstow in the 2015 general election.

 

It’s fair to say a career dedicated to some of the toughest sporting achievements is the perfect launchpad for a time in politics.