The Most Unlikely Link Between A Historic Olympic Gold Medal And A Zimbabwean Cricketer

The sporting world is gripped with Olympic fever. With the best of athletes from all over the world competing at the biggest stage of them all, all eyes are fixed on Rio 2016 Olympics. Even for those who follow cricket, it is a very busy time with India taking on the West Indies in the Caribbean, Australia struggling against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe playing New Zealand at home.

AFP

There's one unique connection that cricket has with Olympics apart from the fact that third division expats from England and France competed in 1900 Olympics and now Sachin Tendulkar is pushing for cricket to become an Olympic sport soon.

AFP

Did you know the mother of Zimbabwean top cricketer Sean Williams, Patricia McKillop, won the first-ever gold medal in women's Olympic field hockey history.

Williams recently was in the news for scoring his maiden hundred against New Zealand in the first Test at Bulawayo. Williams comes from a family of rich sporting heritage. His father Colin Williams and brother Mathew played first class cricket in Zimbabwe. He is married to a top playball coach named Chantelle.

Wikimedia

But Sean has big shoes to fill, that's what he feels, remembering the feat achieved by his mother.

Very proud of my mom,then known as pat Mckillop,going through the cuttings,I have big boots to fill. pic.twitter.com/kpdyR9gQ5M

¡ª Sean Williams (@sean14williams) September 24, 2015

At the 1980 Moscow Olympics, women's field hockey was making its debut at the Summer Games. Patricia McKillop, known as Pat then, was the highest scorer for Zimbabwe in the tournament. En route the gold medal, Zimbabwe women's team beat Poland 4-0, Drew 2-2 with Czechoslovakia, beat USSR 2-0, drew India 1-1, and triumphed 4-1 over Austria in the final tie.

It was for the first time Zimbabwe competed in their name as the previous three editions they were barred due to political reasons and before that they took part by the name of Rhodesia.