ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan's anointment as Pakistan's new prime minister caps a greater than two decade transformation from a World Cup winning cricket captain to a world leader, striking him in command of a nuclear armed state.
But he is not the one one to have swapped enjoying fields for the hustings. Here are five different game stars who have made a identical switch:
Khan's elevation to premier is only matched by means of George Weah, who used to be inaugurated as Liberia's president in January.
Weah first learned to kick a ball in the slums of Monrovia, however went on to turn into one in every of Africa's biggest footballers, enjoying for a string of best European golf equipment and winning each FIFA's World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or.
Weah avoided the brutal civil war that destroyed much of Liberia however vowed to put his wealth and reputation to make use of, unsuccessfully operating for president in 2005.
Twelve years later he used to be triumphant, succeeding Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia's first democratic transition since 1944.
He put education, activity introduction and infrastructure on the centre of his platform, even though critics stated he used to be obscure on specifics.
Before the silver screen and politics, Austria-born Arnold Schwarzenegger used to be one of the vital global's very best bodybuilders.
While beefing up in a bid to get on his local football crew, Schwarzenegger become infatuated by means of body-building, racking up identify after identify, until he become the youngest-ever winner of the Mr. Universe festival.
He moved Stateside to pursue acting and, in spite of his thick accessory, in spite of everything made the massive time in the 1980s with roles akin to Conan the Barbarian and the Terminator.
A moderate Republican, he become Governor of California in 2003, serving two phrases.
He has lengthy distanced himself from the Republican mainstream on a range of social problems, akin to abortion, gay marriage and gun keep an eye on, and stays a staunch environmentalist, continuously clashing with President Donald Trump on Twitter.
Manny Pacquiao is idolised by means of millions in the poverty-afflicted Philippines after rising from the streets to the head of boxing.
The winner of an unparalleled 12 global titles in 8 other weight divisions, he has effectively parlayed his boxing reputation into a political career.
He used to be elected to the House of Representatives after which, in 2016, to the Senate, a high-profile nationwide position which generally is a stepping-stone to the presidency, an workplace he openly admits to having aspirations for.
In 2012 he discovered Christianity — turning his back at the many vices reputation, cash and tool brought him — and social conservatism permeates his politics.
Pacquiao stirred world anger when he compared homosexuals to animals in a 2016 interview, later mentioning the Bible in his defence.
Two-metre (6 toes 6 ins) -tall Klitschko went from a heavyweight champion who never suffered a knockdown, to a Ukrainian protest leader and present Mayor of Kiev.
He used to be at all times viewed as one thing of a quiet highbrow at the global boxing circuit, a fighter fluent in different languages with a PhD in sports science who favored to loosen up with a thick Dostoyevsky novel.
An early supporter of the pro-democracy Orange Revolution, he become a significant determine in the continuously treacherous enviornment of Ukrainian politics, in the end winning the capital's mayoralty in 2014.
"It's much easier to be the heavyweight champion of the world than to be the mayor of Kiev," he advised the Guardian newspaper previous this year. "It's hitting you in the back. It's hitting you under the belt line. It's really tough."
Four years after Imran Khan captained Pakistan to World Cup cricket victory, Arjuna Ranatunga did the same for Sri Lanka in 1996.
He entered politics soon after retiring, in brief serving as a junior tourism minister, ahead of spending years in the opposition.
In 2015 he become the primary former Sri Lankan world to be named a cupboard minister and has held a slew of ministerial positions since, together with his present activity as petroleum minister.
In fresh years Ranatunga has been in an increasingly acerbic confrontation with Sri Lanka Cricket, the rustic's notoriously scandal-plagued cricket board which he has lengthy had aspirations to run.
But he is not the one one to have swapped enjoying fields for the hustings. Here are five different game stars who have made a identical switch:
Khan's elevation to premier is only matched by means of George Weah, who used to be inaugurated as Liberia's president in January.
Weah first learned to kick a ball in the slums of Monrovia, however went on to turn into one in every of Africa's biggest footballers, enjoying for a string of best European golf equipment and winning each FIFA's World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or.
Weah avoided the brutal civil war that destroyed much of Liberia however vowed to put his wealth and reputation to make use of, unsuccessfully operating for president in 2005.
Twelve years later he used to be triumphant, succeeding Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia's first democratic transition since 1944.
He put education, activity introduction and infrastructure on the centre of his platform, even though critics stated he used to be obscure on specifics.
Before the silver screen and politics, Austria-born Arnold Schwarzenegger used to be one of the vital global's very best bodybuilders.
While beefing up in a bid to get on his local football crew, Schwarzenegger become infatuated by means of body-building, racking up identify after identify, until he become the youngest-ever winner of the Mr. Universe festival.
He moved Stateside to pursue acting and, in spite of his thick accessory, in spite of everything made the massive time in the 1980s with roles akin to Conan the Barbarian and the Terminator.
A moderate Republican, he become Governor of California in 2003, serving two phrases.
He has lengthy distanced himself from the Republican mainstream on a range of social problems, akin to abortion, gay marriage and gun keep an eye on, and stays a staunch environmentalist, continuously clashing with President Donald Trump on Twitter.
Manny Pacquiao is idolised by means of millions in the poverty-afflicted Philippines after rising from the streets to the head of boxing.
The winner of an unparalleled 12 global titles in 8 other weight divisions, he has effectively parlayed his boxing reputation into a political career.
He used to be elected to the House of Representatives after which, in 2016, to the Senate, a high-profile nationwide position which generally is a stepping-stone to the presidency, an workplace he openly admits to having aspirations for.
In 2012 he discovered Christianity — turning his back at the many vices reputation, cash and tool brought him — and social conservatism permeates his politics.
Pacquiao stirred world anger when he compared homosexuals to animals in a 2016 interview, later mentioning the Bible in his defence.
Two-metre (6 toes 6 ins) -tall Klitschko went from a heavyweight champion who never suffered a knockdown, to a Ukrainian protest leader and present Mayor of Kiev.
He used to be at all times viewed as one thing of a quiet highbrow at the global boxing circuit, a fighter fluent in different languages with a PhD in sports science who favored to loosen up with a thick Dostoyevsky novel.
An early supporter of the pro-democracy Orange Revolution, he become a significant determine in the continuously treacherous enviornment of Ukrainian politics, in the end winning the capital's mayoralty in 2014.
"It's much easier to be the heavyweight champion of the world than to be the mayor of Kiev," he advised the Guardian newspaper previous this year. "It's hitting you in the back. It's hitting you under the belt line. It's really tough."
Four years after Imran Khan captained Pakistan to World Cup cricket victory, Arjuna Ranatunga did the same for Sri Lanka in 1996.
He entered politics soon after retiring, in brief serving as a junior tourism minister, ahead of spending years in the opposition.
In 2015 he become the primary former Sri Lankan world to be named a cupboard minister and has held a slew of ministerial positions since, together with his present activity as petroleum minister.
In fresh years Ranatunga has been in an increasingly acerbic confrontation with Sri Lanka Cricket, the rustic's notoriously scandal-plagued cricket board which he has lengthy had aspirations to run.
Batting for ballots: Sports stars turned politicians
![Batting for ballots: Sports stars turned politicians]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
August 18, 2018
Rating:
