Sportspersons To Represent Country In Multiple Sports

Here's a look at some famous sportspersons who represented their country in multiple sports.

For a sportsperson, representing their country is a significant achievement and a source of pride for every sports person, reflecting the immense hard work required to reach such heights. While many struggle to break into national teams of their respective sporting domains and may fade away without recognition, there are some exceptional individuals who have represented their country in more than one sport at the international level. Let’s take a look at them.

Yuzvendra Chahal: Yuzvendra Chahal gained prominence after standout performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2015 and 2016 IPL seasons, leading to his debut for India's cricket team. While known for his cricketing success, many are unaware that Chahal also represented India in chess before switching sports, making him the only individual to represent India in both chess and cricket, with his name listed on the World Chess Federation’s website. (Image Credits: PTI)

Jonty Rhodes: Jonty Rhodes, widely regarded as one of the greatest fielders in cricket, also represented South Africa in hockey and was selected for the 1992 Olympics, though the team didn't qualify. He was invited to join the 1996 Olympic squad but had to withdraw due to a hamstring injury. Rhodes played 52 Tests and 245 ODIs for South Africa, averaging 35 in both formats, and is best remembered for his iconic diving run out of Inzamam-ul-Haq in the 1992 World Cup. (Image Credits: Getty)

Andrew Flintoff: Andrew Flintoff, a 6-foot tall powerhouse, played a key role in England's 2005 Ashes victory, scoring 402 runs with three fifties and a century and also taking 24 wickets to earn the Man of the Series award. After retiring from cricket in 2009, Flintoff ventured into boxing, leveraging his strong physique. He won his debut match against Richard Dawson in November 2012 but retired from the sport soon after. (Image Credits: Getty)

Ian Botham: Ian Botham is celebrated as one of cricket's greatest all-rounders, with over 5,000 runs and 383 Test wickets. He made history by becoming the first player to score a century and take 10 wickets in the same Test match, with his standout performance in the 1981 Ashes becoming legendary. Beyond cricket, Botham also had a football career, playing as a centre-half from 1978 to 1985 for Yeovil Town and Scunthorpe United, including 11 English Football League appearances for Scunthorpe. (Image Credits: Getty)

Suzie Bates: Suzie Bates is one of the top all-rounders in women's cricket, holding the record as New Zealand's leading run-scorer in ODIs with over 5700 runs, including 13 centuries. Beyond cricket, Bates represented New Zealand in basketball at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and played in the Australian Women’s National Basketball League. She gave up basketball after becoming New Zealand's cricket captain in 2011. (Image Credits: Instagram/ @suziebates)

Ellyse Perry: Ellyse Perry, a celebrated figure in women's cricket, debuted internationally at 17 in 2007 and was Australia's top wicket-taker in the 2010 Women's T20 World Cup final. Simultaneously, she was a talented footballer, representing Australia in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and becoming the first to compete in both cricket and football World Cups. (Image Credits: PTI)

Vivian Richards: Vivian Richards, known as one of cricket’s greatest ever, briefly played football for Antigua and Barbuda in the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. His cricket career was marked by his aggressive batting, pivotal roles in West Indies' World Cup victories in 1975 and 1979, and impressive run-scoring ability, highlighted by 8,540 runs in Tests and 6,721 in ODIs. (Image Credits: PTI)