Athletics in Pakistan is overseen by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) which organizes athletic tournaments in Pakistan. Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking.
History
editMany Pakistani athletes have excelled in various global events including the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Athletics Championships.[1]
The 1950s and 1960s are often regarded as the Golden Age of Pakistani athletics, with Abdul Khaliq, Ghulam Raziq, Mubarak Shah, Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Nawaz, Jalal Khan, Allah Ditta and Muhammad Ramzan Ali achieving various milestones.[1] In the early decades, Pakistanis held many Asian records including the Asian 100 m and 200 m record held by Abdul Khaliq.[1]
Other notable athletes include Mirza Khan, Ghulam Abbas, Nadir Khan, Aqarab Abbas, Muhammad Sharif Butt, Khwaja Muhammad Aslam, Abdul Malik, Mehboob Ali and Liaquat Ali who got prominence at either Asian or International levels, winning gold medals for Pakistan.[2] Female athletes have also represented Pakistan at the international level, including Shabana Akhtar, who was the first Pakistani female athlete to participate at the Olympics. Among Pakistan's notable women athletes are Naseem Hameed, Najma Parveen, Sadaf Siddiqui and Sumaira Zahoor.
Pakistan has hosted several major international athletics events including the 1989 and 2004 South Asian Games. International events such as the Lahore Marathon also take place in the country.
In recent times, Arshad Nadeem is the reigning Olympic champion in Men's javelin throw with an Asian and Olympic record throw of 92.97 metres (305.0 ft) at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[3]. He became the first Pakistani to qualify for the finals of any track and field event at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships.
In 2023, he became the first Pakistani athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, a silver. In 2022, he also created a Commonwealth Games record with a throw of 90.18 m and became the first ever athlete from South Asia to breach the 90m mark.[4]
National Championship
editNational Athletics Championships is held annually by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan.[5]
Major international medallists
edit| Competition | Athlete | Medal | Event | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | Arshad Nadeem | Javelin throw | 2024 | |
| World Championships | Arshad Nadeem | Javelin throw | 2023 | |
| Commonwealth Games | ||||
| Arshad Nadeem | Javelin throw | 2022 | ||
| Muhammad Nawaz | Javelin throw | 1966 | ||
| Muhammad Iqbal | Hammer throw | 1966 | ||
| Ghulam Raziq | 120 yards hurdles | 1966 | ||
| Ghulam Raziq | 120 yards hurdles | 1962 | ||
| Jalal Khan | Javelin throw | 1958 | ||
| Muhammad Iqbal | Hammer throw | 1958 | ||
| Muhammad Ramzan Ali | Long jump | 1958 | ||
| Ghulam Raziq | 120 yards hurdles | 1958 | ||
| Muhammad Iqbal | Hammer throw | 1954 | ||
| Muhammad Nawaz | Javelin throw | 1954 | ||
| Jalal Khan | Javelin throw | 1954 |
Notable performance at Summer Olympics
editTotal medals won by Pakistani athletes in major tournaments
edit| Competition | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympics | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Paralympics | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| World Championships | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Commonwealth Games | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Asian Games | 14 | 13 | 13 | 40 |
| Asian Championships | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| Asian Indoor Championships | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Asian Cross Country Championships | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 21 | 23 | 26 | 70 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "The Golden Age of Pakistani Athletics: The 50s and the 60s | Sports | thenews.com.pk". thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ Zuberi, Anwar (2006-11-16). "Pakistan's golden past in athletics: Asian Games in perspective". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ Topping, Alexandra (2024-08-08). "Arshad Nadeem throws his way into history for Pakistan with javelin gold". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ Desk, The Bridge (2022-08-08). "Watch: Arshad Nadeem becomes first South Asian to breach 90m mark". thebridge.in. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "AFP to conduct two national c'ships in Sept, Oct: Sahi". 15 July 2021.
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