Fidel Castro’s announced his retirement – and almost since he’s been around there’s been a sporting myth attached to the big beardy fella. It’s popularly circulated that he was rejected by a US baseball team, and was so annoyed that he overthrew the Batista regime and made Cuba Communist.

Er…. if you say so.

Like most Cubans Fidel’s partial to a bit of baseball, but sadly there’s no truth in the rumour. This means he only makes it to number 5 in our list of top sporting politicians….

4. Jeffrey Archer – once a sprinter on the GB Athletics team, allegedly, now a peer of the realm and all-round upstanding citizen.

3. Jesse Ventura – pro wrestler turned Minnesota governor, brought some much-needed seriousness and tights-wearing to the political process.

2. Sebastian Coe – light-years ahead of his fellow Tory peer in athletic achievement and holder of one of the longest-standing world records in history for 800m. Otherwise see (4) above.

1. OK, so it’s just another chance to mention CB Fry : capped for England at cricket and football, world record holder for the long jump, rugby player for Barbarians and he could jump backwards from the floor onto a mantelpiece. Politics? He was offered the throne of Albania but turned it down. Howzat?

(Image: from YouTube)