Obama and the story of American Presidents who love sports

Barack Obama and many previous US Presidents are all sports lovers and have contributed a lot to the development of sports in the US.

On May 19, 2012, when Frank Lampard and Philipp Lahm led Chelsea (England) and Bayern Munich (Germany) onto the pitch for the Champions League final, they had no idea that, more than half a world away, special eyes were watching them - among them a German woman and a handsome English gentleman.

At a lodge on the slopes of Catoctin Mountain, Maryland (USA), at around 3pm, a meeting was adjourned so that the members could rest. The hospitable host brought a chocolate cake for the guests to celebrate the birthday of a member present.

A spur-of-the-moment proposal was made: the whole group should watch the game. The host replied, “Sure,” because he was known for his friendliness, his infectious smile, his desire to please everyone, and his love of football, as he had once told his cousin in London, a lifelong supporter of the English Premier League club West Ham United.

Obama, Cameron, Merkel and other guests watch the 2012 Champions League final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich. Photo: The White House.

The hospitable host was Barack Obama. The two guests who expressed their opinions on watching the Champions League final were Angela Merkel - German Chancellor and David Cameron - British Prime Minister. The guest who was surprised to receive a birthday cake was Yoshihiko Noda, the Prime Minister of Japan at the time. Among the other people attending this meeting were French President Francois Hollande, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, former President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso...

The mountain house, officially called Naval Support Facility Thurmont, commonly known as Camp David, is where US presidents retreat and host distinguished guests. And it is where Obama chose to host the G8 summit, between the leaders of the world's leading powers.

Born to a Kenyan father and a European-American mother, who lived in Honolulu and Jakarta, Indonesia, Obama's passion for sports also stems from his diverse cultural experiences as a young man. He especially loves soccer, basketball, golf, and is also good at table tennis.

While playing basketball for Punabu High School, Obama was nicknamed “Barry O’Bomber” by his teammates because of his unstoppable dunks. Obama was once ranked in the top 25 fittest men in America thanks to his hard work in sports, according to Men’s Fitness magazine.

Obama loves sports and sees sports as an important channel to communicate with the American public. Photo: The White House.

The US President, whenever he has the chance, tries to meet with sports figures. In April 2016, he met with members of the Golden State Warriors to congratulate the basketball team on winning the NBA championship. A month earlier, while on a trip to Argentina, Obama had wanted to arrange for his daughters to meet soccer superstar Lionel Messi, but he was too busy playing so the plan fell through.

As his term nears its end, one of the things that President Obama is not happy about is that the United States under his leadership has not been given the honor of hosting a World Cup. In 2009, Obama wrote a letter to the International Football Federation FIFA pledging its support for the campaign to host the world's number one football tournament.

Obama is the second US president to do so. Former President Ronald Reagan was the first world leader to write a letter to the late FIFA president Joao Havelange proposing that the US host the World Cup. Following that letter, Reagan invited Havelange to a wine lunch at the White House. It was Ronald Reagan’s close relationship with Joao Havelange that was the deciding factor in bringing the World Cup to the US in 1994.

Reegan (second from left) was instrumental in helping the US host the World Cup for the first time in 1994. Photo: The White House.

If you play sports well, you get into the White House. Obama is not the only US President who loves sports. The winning teams of a US sports tournament often have the honor of meeting the President at the White House.

According to ESPN, this tradition originated from an event that took place on30/8/1865, Andrew Johnson - the 17th US president - welcomed two amateur baseball teams, the Brooklyn Atlantics and the Washington Nationals, to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Continuing that tradition, Gerald Ford became the first US president to invite a football team to the White House.

Ronald Reagan was one of the presidents who loved and contributed significantly to the development of sports in the United States. In addition to his letter requesting to host the World Cup, Reagan also made meetings at the White House with sports champions an annual event. He once organized a friendly match between two youth teams, one led by the King of Football, Pele, and the other by American player Steve Moyers, right on the White House grounds.

President Gerald Ford watched Pele demonstrate his soccer skills on the White House lawn in 1982.

In 2002, President George W. Bush delayed a phone call with the Mexican president for a few minutes to call the U.S. soccer team before a historic World Cup quarterfinal against Mexico, saying how “proud” the country was that the U.S. had reached the quarterfinals of the world's top soccer tournament for the first time.

In October 2015, at a party to celebrate the US women's soccer team's World Cup victory, President Obama praised "you guys have inspired American kids to play soccer." Obama is also extremely hospitable to sports figures. He once promised University of Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma that "there will always be a bed for you in my house."

Not only champions, in 2009, Chicago Fire - the team from the city where the Obama family lived before he became President - became the first non-champion team to be invited to the residence of the most powerful family in America.

Not only US presidents but also their children show a special love for the king sport. Chelsea Clinton and President Obama's two daughters played their first soccer matches at the White House. The twin daughters of President George W. Bush, during their visit to Argentina, showed great interest in the story between the two traditional football teams of this country, Boca Juniors and River Plate. Malia, President Obama's eldest daughter, also has an Argentina national team jersey signed by superstar Lionel Messi.

According to VNE