[Glice]

It's tricky, because you'd have to go for a sport with a broad appeal. If you were saying snooker players, I'd go with Davis or (in a few years time) Hendry or O'Sullivan. In itself this shows my age, as I can't remember Willie Thorn as a player. But snooker is hardly the most popular of sports.

I wonder if it's asking about their personality, their life, general influence as well? Y'know, in a Martina Navratilova kind of way.

Obviously, some smart-arse is going to say Kasparov, who's probably a million times closer to 'real' genius than Pele, but chess isn't a sport. It is something, but that something isn't a sport.

I don't think cricketers would get the mass appeal either. For all Warne's absurd ability, or Lara's legend, or the sheer 'how the fuck?!' of Muralitharan, do these players mean anything to non-cricket fans? I'm a non-football fan, and Péle certainly means something to me.

I'd expect some might say Tiger Woods. Is he as good as Sebe? I dunno, but he's certainly high-profile.

Anyway. The obvious answer is Fred Perry. Table Tennis champion, last Brit to win Wimbledon and inventor of a shirt so ubiquitous no-one ever thinks to associate it with Fred.