Top 5: World leaders' sporting feats

Russian President Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday playing hockey with NHL stars. Photo / Sasha Mordovets / Getty Images)

It was Russian President Vladimir Putin's 63rd birthday on Wednesday, and he marked the occasion with an eyebrow-raising show of sporting excellence.

In a live televised broadcast, Putin took to the skating rink in Sochi to play a specially arranged celebrity ice hockey game. Putin's team included current and former hockey professionals, but proved to be the real showstopper himself, scoring seven goals in a 15-10 victory. The feat helped Putin live up to his reputation as a macho sporting leader.

Here's four of his rivals:

KIM JONG-UN (North Korea)

In April this year, teachers in North Korea were issued with a manual that required them to instruct their charges that Kim Jong-un was a prodigy who could drive at the age of three and was winning yachting races at just nine. Efforts to build a cult of personality around the current leader of North Korea echo similar campaigns - and equally outlandish claims - in support of his late father, Kim Jong-il.

The North Korean leader, who died in December 2011, had reportedly learned to walk at just 3 weeks and was talking at 8 weeks.

But his most outlandish claim came in the sporting arena. His biography claimed that he first picked up a golf club in 1994, at North Korea's only golf course, and shot a 38-under par round that included no fewer than 11 holes in one. Satisfied with his performance, he immediately declared his retirement from the sport.

GEORGE 'Dubya' BUSH (USA)

Well before he entered the White House, George Bush was consumed with sports and rather fancied a fulltime career there. He daydreamed about being a major league baseball player and growing up in Texas played three years for the Central Midland Cubs with his dad Big George as the manager. At Yale University (where interestingly he used to play rugby as well), Bush would never rise above the level of relief pitcher on the junior varsity team but as a Little League catcher he was good enough to make the Midland All-Star team.

His love of baseball led him to become a part-owner of MBL franchise Texas Rangers in 1989. He remained a controversial minority owner for a decade during which time he even considered a run at the MLB Commissioner's job before settling for the Governor of Texas instead.

MANNY PACQUIAO (Philippines)

The Philippine boxing hero is the reverse of political leaders who try to claim sporting fame. Pacquiao did it the opposite way. The born-again Christian announced this month that he would likely retire next year after one last fight to focus on his career in politics, hopefully as a senator. A winner of an unprecedented eight world titles in as many weight divisions and at times touted as a future president of the Philippines, he said he had taken career advice from God.

"I think I'm ready (to retire). I've been in boxing for more than 20 years," Pacquiao, 36, said. "I prayed to God for guidance and I am happy about it." Pacquiao turned professional when he was 16 years old and has won 57 fights, including 38 knockouts while losing six, three of them knockouts. Two other bouts ended in a draw.

GERALD FORD (USA)

Gerald Ford can probably lay claim to being the best sporting POTUS in history. Ford was athletic enough to give Putin a run for his money. Gridiron was big Gerry's speciality and he was good enough to become an All-American centre who led Michigan's football team to National Championship in 1933. That tops Ronald Reagan who was a handy footballer at Eureka College and portrayed "The Gipper", the coach of the Notre Dame football team, in the movie Knute Rockn.