10 Indian sportspersons who entered politics

A number of sportspersons from different sports have chosen to serve the people through politics.

How often have you heard about sportspersons entering politics? You must have come across this phenomenon quite often, as a number of athletes from different sports have chosen to serve the people as their representatives. While some have been successful, some were not accepted by the citizens and failed to gain votes in elections. 

Sports and politics are two distinct realms that do not typically intersect. However. the representation of the nation in sports can sometimes elevate athletes to a level of public prominence that paves the way for successful forays into politics. 

In this article, we will take a look at 10 Indian sportspersons who entered politics:

Gautam Gambhir (Cricket)

Although Gautam Gambhir has stated that he will not be contesting the upcoming 2024 general election in order to focus on cricket commitments at the moment, the two-time World Cup-winning batter emerged victorious in the 2019 general election. 

He contested from East Delhi while representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and secured a resounding victory by 6,95,109 votes, defeating Atishi Marlena and Arvinder Singh Lovely.

Navjot Singh Sidhu (Cricket)

Whether it is the cricket field, the commentator’s box, comedy shows or the political arena, Navjot Singh Sidhu has consistently captured attention, excelling in whichever field he has ventured into. The former Indian opening batter, renowned for his 51 test matches and 136 ODIs, made his political debut in 2004 as a BJP candidate from Amritsar, successfully securing a victory in the election.

In 2016, he was also made a member of the Rajya Sabha and after resigning from the post after a month, he joined the Indian National Congress in the same year. He contested the 2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly election from Amritsar East and won by a margin of 42,809 votes.  

Devendra Jhajahria (Para-athlete)

The para-athlete Devendra Jhajharia is a new addition to the list, having recently announced his foray into politics. He is a decorated athlete, having secured gold medals at the 2004 Athens and 2016 Rio Paralympics, along with a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. 

In the initial list of candidates released by the BJP, Jhajharia was named as the candidate from Rajasthan’s Churu constituency. Additionally, he holds the distinction of being the first Paralympian to receive the prestigious Khel Ratna, which he was honoured with in 2017.

Karni Singh (Shooting)

Karni Singh was born as the Prince of Bikaner and served as the final Maharaja of Bikaner state. He gained renown as a clay pigeon trap and skeet shooter, representing India on the international stage. Notably, he achieved the distinction of being the first Indian athlete to compete at five Olympic Games. His most notable Olympic performance came at the 1960 Rome Olympics, where he secured an eighth-place finish. 

Transitioning to the realm of politics in 1952, he successfully contested and secured the Lok Sabha seat from the Bikaner constituency as an independent candidate. His political career was marked by five victorious terms as a Lok Sabha member, representing the same constituency from 1952 to 1977.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Shooting)

The Olympic silver medalist in double trap at the 2004 Athens Olympics made a foray into politics in 2013 by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. Subsequently, he ran for and secured the Jaipur Rural constituency in the 2014 general election. During his initial term, he served in the capacities of the Minister for Information and Broadcasting and the Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs. He sought re-election in the 2019 general election and successfully retained the seat. 

In 2023, he contested the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election and emerged victorious from the Jhotwara constituency. Following his win in the assembly election he relinquished his Lok Sabha membership. Furthermore, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has clinched three gold and one silver at the Commonwealth Games, as well as one silver and one bronze at the Asian Games.

Babita Phogat (Wrestling)

The 34-year-old Babita Phogat gained widespread attention when she achieved a gold medal at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games in the 55kg category, which remains her most notable accomplishment in the realm of wrestling. Furthermore, she attained two silver medals at the Commonwealth Games, one in 2010 and the other in 2018. Additionally, she earned a bronze medal at the 2012 World Wrestling Championships. 

In 2019, she ventured into the realm of politics and contested in the Haryana Legislative Assembly election with a BJP ticket from the Dadri constituency, ultimately losing to Sombir Sangwan.

Kalyan Chaubey (Football)

The current All India Football Federation president has been involved in politics as well. Kalyan Chaubey joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2015 and ran as a candidate in the 2019 general election from the Krishnanagar constituency. However, he was defeated by Mahua Moitra of the All India Trinamool Congress. 

Chaubey had a brief career in football, being a part of the Indian team that achieved victory at the SAFF Championship twice. Furthermore, he represented both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal during his professional career. 

Mohammad Azharuddin (Cricket)

The flamboyant Indian cricketer and former captain Mohammad Azharuddin ventured into politics in 2009 by contesting in the general election and securing victory from the Moradabad constituency while representing the Indian National Congress. Subsequently, he participated in the 2014 general election and the 2023 Telangana Assembly election, albeit without success. 

Notably, Azharuddin led the Indian cricket team at three World Cups – in 1992, 1996 and 1999. His impressive career statistics include scoring 6215 runs in 99 tests and 9378 runs in 334 ODIs. 

Prasun Banerjee (Football)

The former Indian midfielder has been successful in securing the Lok Sabha seat thrice during his political career, representing the All India Trinamool Congress. His initial election was in 2009 through a by-election, representing the Howrah constituency. Subsequently, he was re-elected from the same district in 2014 and 2019. 

Banerjee’s football career was relatively brief but notable with 44 appearances for India and three goals to his name. Additionally, he was the vice-captain of the India U-20 team that achieved victory at the 1974 AFC Youth Championship.

Vijender Singh (Boxing)

The bronze medalist boxer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics transitioned to a career in politics in 2019 and ran as a candidate from the South Delhi constituency representing the Indian National Congress. Despite his efforts, he was unsuccessful in the general election. Since then, he has remained actively engaged in the political arena, advocating on various issues. 

Furthermore, Vijender has achieved notable success in sports, securing one gold and one bronze medal at the Asian Games, as well as two silvers and one bronze at the Commonwealth Games.

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