10 sportspersons who served their country during war
The world over, action for the athletes hasn’t been confined to their respective arenas. Many are the sportspersons who acquired as much fame and renown for their lives off the field as much as they did on it. However, athletes, too share along with their countrymen the one trait that sets them on par with everyone else, their many marvellous feats notwithstanding, that of patriotism. In times of war, many athletes have rose to the occasion, answering in earnest their nation’s call for aid and serving bravely on the battlefront. It is now time to look at some of the most illustrious names in the field of sport who served their countries in war.
#1 Don Bradman (Cricket)
Dubbed by then Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2001 as ‘The Greatest Australian alive’, months before he would breathe his last, Don Bradman warrants no introduction. Even those unfamiliar with the game of cricket are likely to be familiar with his name, if not the astounding feats that he accomplished with the willow.
However, few are aware that, when World War II broke out, Bradman volunteered for active service and enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1940, before being persuaded by the Australian Governor-General Lord Gowrie, who was wary of losing Bradman as a casualty to war, to settle for the post of Lieutenant in the Army.
The latter option, perceived largely as a safe bet, would result in Bradman being severely criticized for choosing an easy exit from the battlefront. However, his stint as a supervisor of physical training would end up leaving Bradman debilitated and battling fibrositis.