The ex-Man City player set to become president – and other stars who turned to politics

From the boxing ringing to the statesmanlike palace, the way to Parliament, the worlds of sports and authorities often intersect successful mysterious ways.

In caller years, a increasing fig of athletes person tried to swap their kits to suits – and Georgia’s Mikheil Kavelashvili is 1 of them.

The erstwhile Manchester City striker is looking to leverage his fame into a palmy vocation successful politics.

Georgian Dream, the pro-Russian ruling party, connected Wednesday picked him arsenic its campaigner for the statesmanlike elections owed to beryllium held connected December 14.

The 53-year-old – an ex-national squad and Premier League subordinate – volition look sitting president Salome Zourabichvili.

Although the station is mostly ceremonial, the prime of Kavelashvili is apt to beryllium viewed by the European Union and the US arsenic a yet different motion that Georgia is turning distant from the West and moving person to Russia.

Who is Georgia’s Mikheil Kavelashvili?

Kavelashvili started his vocation successful shot for Dinamo Tbilisi and was past a striker successful the Premier League for Manchester City in the mid-1990s and successful respective clubs successful the Swiss Super League.

He moved into authorities successful 2016, and was elected to parliament connected a summons by the Georgian Dream party, earlier leaving successful 2022 to co-found People’s Power party.

He has made a sanction successful Georgia’s governmental country for his anti-Western views and for being 1 of the astir openly pro-Russian players successful mainstream politics.

Under the veil of his party, Kavelashvili has, for example, championed the overseas cause and anti-LGBT laws.

His information was announced by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire erstwhile premier curate who founded Georgian Dream and is wide seen arsenic the country’s astir almighty figure.

Ivanishvili praised the ex-football subordinate arsenic an ‘outstanding’ person and athlete, contrasting him with Zourabichvili, who helium accused of ‘gross betrayal’ of the country.

His predetermination is each but assured, arsenic Georgian Dream dominates the electoral assemblage of members of parliament and section authorities representatives.

Other athletes who gave authorities a go

Figures similar Vitali Klitschko, the heavyweight boxing champion turned Kyiv mayor, and shot fable George Weah, who became Liberia’s president, are further examples of sporting heroes utilizing their fame to power the governmental country successful their country.

Vitali was lone a twelvemonth into his status from boxing erstwhile helium was elected arsenic politician of the Ukrainian superior Kyiv successful 2014.

Once a unit successful the ring, helium recovered himself facing adjacent worse threats 8 years later, successful 2022, erstwhile Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale penetration of his country.

His younger member and chap boxer Wladimir, who won a golden medal successful the super-heavyweight division astatine the 1996 Olympics, travels overseas to drum up support for Ukraine.

In the UK, Sebastian Coe, a two-time Olympic golden medalist successful middle-distance running, transitioned into politics, serving arsenic a Conservative MP from 1992 to 1997.

He aboriginal became instrumental successful securing and organiding the London 2012 Olympics arsenic the caput of the London Organising Committee.

Ballon d’Or-winning footballer, Andriy Shevchenko, ventured into Ukrainian authorities aft retiring.

Though his 2012 parliamentary bid with Ukraine Forward! was not a win, the erstwhile striker for Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan and Chelsea remains progressive successful governmental and societal initiatives.

Manny Pacquiao – nicknamed ‘PacMan’ – is wide regarded arsenic 1 of the top nonrecreational boxers of each time. 

The eight-division satellite boxing champion built a governmental vocation alongside his sporting achievements, serving arsenic a legislator from 2016 until 2022 successful the Philippines.

Though unsuccessful, helium ran for presidency successful 2022, campaigning connected anti-corruption and poorness alleviation, but mislaid to Bongbong Marcos.

Pakistan’s Imran Khan began his international cricket career successful a 1971 Test bid against England and aboriginal captained the nationalist squad during the 1992 Cricket World Cup, their lone triumph successful the competition.

The 72-year-old past serves arsenic premier curate from 2018 to 2022, earlier being jailed for corruption.

In the US, Arnold Schwarzenegger is 1 of the biggest examples that an jock tin beryllium palmy successful authorities too.

The bodybuilding champion and Hollywood enactment prima entered authorities arsenic the Republican Governor of California. He served from 2003 to 2011.

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