NEW DELHI: For years their exploits on the field helped them find their way into the hearts of sports fans all over the country.
Two weeks from now a galaxy of sports persons who have entered the equally competitive field of electoral politics will know if their popularity can also get them seats in the country’s Parliament.
Fighting at the hustings along with them are several sports administrators who derive 2 large part of their power from being political heavy weights.
Leading the sports persons in the fray for the Lok Sabha elections is Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi who led Indian cricket with distinction in the “60s and early 70s’.
He is contesting for the Bhopal seat as a Congress (I) nominee. For the cricketer-turned-model-cum editor this will be the second attempt to enter the Lok Sabha. The earlier bid in 1971 as a candidate of the Vishal Haryana Party ended in a fiasco for him when he lost badly.
Another cricketer in the fray is former opener Chetan Chauhan who has been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh.
Chauhan formed one of the most formidable opening pairs for India with the legendary Sunil Gavaskar but could never score a century in Test cricket though he had got into the nervous nineties several times in his distinguished career.
Hoping luck will stand by him in his new vocation ‘Chauhan has chucked ‘a lucrative banking job.
Aslam Sher Khan who steered India into the final of the 1975 World Cup Hockey has already served one term in the Lok Sabha but ended up on the losing side in 1989. He is again con: testing as a Congress (I) candidate from Betul in Madhya Pradesh.
Another Congress (I) candidate Ms Krishna Tirath has represented India in Volleyball. She was a last-minute nominee of the party replacing former MP Dharam Das Shasti in the Karol Bagh reserved constituency of Delhi.
Seventy-eight year old Monohar Aich the former Mr Universe is a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for the Lok Sabha seat of Dum Dum (Calcutts).
Among the sports administrators leading the list are Mr Madhuv Rao Scindia president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) the former Railway Minister is a Congress (I) candidate from his traditional seat of Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh).
All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi is also in the fray. The former Union Minister of State for Commerce and firebrand Youth Congress leader is trying his luck again from Howrah (Calcutta).
President of the Archery Association of India (AAI) Vijay Kumar Malhowa is contesting on the BJP ticket to retain his Sadar Bazar seat in Delhi.
Giving him a fight is Mr Jagdish Tytler a former Union Minister and a former president of the Judo Federation of India.
Another former Union Minister and Congress (I) candidate K.P Singh Deo is battling it out in Dhenkanal (Orissa). Mr Singh Deo president of the Rowing Federation of India (RFI) was also chef de mission of the Indian contingent in the Seoul Olympics.
Former president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Vidya Charan Shukla is fighting on a Congress (I) ticket to get into the Lok Sabha from Raipur (Madhya Pradesh).
Mr Shukla who recently lost the election of the IOA president ship is also a former president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
President of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) Natwar Singh is trying to regain the Bharatpur seat in Rajasthan on a Congress (I) ticket Former Union Minister and president of the Kho Kho Federation V.N.Gadgil is engaged in a battle for retaining the Pune Lok Sabha seat for the Congress (I).
Chairman of the Indira Gandhi International Hockey Tournament Lok Pati Tripathi is involved in a keen fight for the Varanasi scat in Uttar Pradesh. Mr Tripathi is a Congress (I) candidate.
Former FIFA approved football referee S.M.Das is the Congress (I) nominee for one of the Tripura’s Lok Sabha.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 31, 1991
