Athletics in Pakistan

Athletics in Pakistan
Governing bodyAthletics Federation of Pakistan
International competitions

Athletics in Pakistan is overseen by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) which organizes athletic tournaments in Pakistan. Athletics in Pakistan encompasses a diverse range of competitive sporting events, including running, jumping, throwing, and walking disciplines. The country's athletics landscape is dominated by four primary categories: track and field, road running, cross country running, and racewalking.

History

Many 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 Muhammad Younis, Muhammad Siddique, Mirza Khan, Ghulam Abbas, Nadir Khan, John Permal, Aqarab Abbas, Muhammad Sharif Butt, Khwaja Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Sadaqat, Muhammad Fayyaz, Abdul Aziz, Abdul Malik, Mohsin Ali, Mehboob Ali, Banarus Muhammad Khan, Rashid Khan, Abdul Rashid, Zafar Iqbal, Nusrat Iqbal Sahi, Norman Brinkworth, Muhammad Youssef, Allah Ditta, Muhammad Ayub, Muhammad Yasir and Liaquat Ali who got prominence at either Asian or International levels, winning gold medals for Pakistan.[2] Haider Ali is Pakistan's most successful para-athlete, holding the distinction of winning the country's first ever Paralympic gold, silver, and bronze medals. He won a silver medal in the long jump in 2008 and a bronze in 2016. He switched to discus throw, an event in which he won a gold medal in 2020 and a bronze medal in 2024. His achievements have made him an icon in Pakistani sports and a source of inspiration for many. He is the first and only Pakistani to have won four medals at the Paralympic Games.[3][4] 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, Rabia Ashiq, Shazia Hidayat, Faiqa Riaz and Sumaira Zahoor.

Arshad Nadeem, javelin thrower and Pakistan's first Olympic Gold medallist in athletics.

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.[5] He is the first Pakistani track and field athlete to earn direct qualification for the Olympics under modern entry standards,[6] and the first Pakistani athlete to reach the final of any event at the World Championships.[7] At the 2024 Summer Olympics, he became the first Pakistani ever to win an Olympic medal in athletics and the country’s first individual Olympic gold medalist.[8]

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.[9]

Hosting rights

Multi-Sport Events

Pakistan has hosted several major international athletics events including the athletics competitions at the 1989, 2004 South Asian Games and is scheduled to host the 2027 edition.[10][11]

Cross-Country Championships

Pakistan hosted the 2025 SAAF Cross Country Championships on 23rd February 2025 at Fatima Jinnah Park, Islamabad. The event featured a senior men's 10 km and junior (U‑20) 8 km race with athletes from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Maldives. Pakistan won gold in both categories, followed by Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the senior race, and Sri Lanka and Nepal in the junior race.[12][13][14]

Marathons and Road Races

International events such as the Lahore Marathon also take place in the country. It was Pakistan's first international marathon, held on 30 January 2005. It featured approximately 60 elite international athletes from 20 different countries.[15]

The Karachi Marathon is Pakistan's first World Athletics and AIMS certified marathon, organized as part of the Vision 2032 initiative to help Pakistani athletes qualify for major world marathons and the Olympics.[16][17] The sponsors announced they would send the men's and women's winners to compete in the London Marathon to boost the international profile of local athletes.[18]

The Lok Sahaita Marathon, held annually in Sukkur, is Pakistan's second World Athletics recognized marathon.[19] The event attracts elite athletes from over 10 countries, with thousands of local participants.[19] In the 2025 edition, Morocco's Alyoussouf Abdelmajid won the marathon title (2:22:35), while Kenya's Munyoni Mutoko won the women's 10K race (40:25).[20]

The Islamabad Marathon, organized by Islamabad Run With Us (IRU), is Pakistan's premier annual road running event, held since 2020.[21] The 2022 race marked the first-ever full marathon in the federal capital, with President Arif Alvi and First Lady Samina Alvi participating in the 10 km run.[21][22] The event features five categories: Full Marathon (42.2 km), Half Marathon (21.1 km), 10 km, 5 km, and a Kids' Fun Run, drawing thousands of participants from over 30 countries.[21]

1960 International Lahore Meet

The 1960 Triangular Athletics Meet in Lahore was a major international invitational event featuring teams from Pakistan, India, and Iran. Pakistan won the overall competition, securing 10 out of 20 gold medals. A notable moment occurred when India's Milkha Singh defeated Pakistan's Abdul Khaliq in the 200m dash, leading to Singh being nicknamed the "Flying Sikh".[23] In this meet, Khaliq won a gold medal in the 100-meter race with a time of 10.4 seconds, a bronze medal in the 200-meter race, and another gold medal in the 4 x 100-meter relay race, clocking 41.5 seconds. This event was depicted in the Indian movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.[24]

National Championships

National Athletics Championships is held annually by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan.[25]

Major international medallists

Competition Athlete Medal Event Year
Olympic Games Arshad Nadeem 1st place, gold medalist(s) Javelin throw 2024
Paralympic Games Haider Ali3rd place, bronze medalist(s)Discus Throw - F372024
1st place, gold medalist(s)Discus Throw - F372020
3rd place, bronze medalist(s)Long Jump - T372016
2nd place, silver medalist(s)Long Jump - F37/382008
World Championships Arshad Nadeem2nd place, silver medalist(s)Javelin throw2023
Commonwealth Games
Arshad Nadeem1st place, gold medalist(s)Javelin throw2022
Muhammad Nawaz3rd place, bronze medalist(s)Javelin throw1966
Muhammad Iqbal3rd place, bronze medalist(s)Hammer throw1966
Ghulam Raziq3rd place, bronze medalist(s)120 yards hurdles1966
Ghulam Raziq1st place, gold medalist(s)120 yards hurdles1962
Jalal Khan2nd place, silver medalist(s)Javelin throw1958
Muhammad Iqbal2nd place, silver medalist(s)Hammer throw1958
Muhammad Ramzan Ali3rd place, bronze medalist(s)Long jump1958
Ghulam Raziq3rd place, bronze medalist(s)120 yards hurdles1958
Muhammad Iqbal1st place, gold medalist(s)Hammer throw1954
Muhammad Nawaz2nd place, silver medalist(s)Javelin throw1954
Jalal Khan3rd place, bronze medalist(s)Javelin throw1954

Notable performance at Summer Olympics

Athlete(s) Event Games Result
Arshad Nadeem Men's Javelin Throw 2024 Paris 1st place 1st place, gold medalist(s) (92.97m) OR
Arshad Nadeem Men's Javelin Throw 2020 Tokyo 5th place in Final (84.62m)
Bashir Ahmed, Mohammad Sadaqat, Mohammad Afzal, Muhammad Fayyaz Men's 4 × 400 metres relay 1988 Seoul Semi-Final
Muhammad Iqbal Men's hammer throw 1960 Rome 12th place in Final (61.79m)
Abdul Malik,
Muhammad Ramzan Ali,
Ghulam Raziq,
Abdul Khaliq		 Men's 4 x 100 metres relay 1960 Rome Semi-Final
Ghulam Raziq Men's 110 metres hurdles 1960 Rome 4th in Semi-Final heat
Abdul Aziz,
Muhammad Sharif Butt,
Abdul Khaliq,
Ghulam Raziq		 Men's 4 x 100 metres relay 1956 Melbourne Semi-Final
Ghulam Raziq Men's 110 metres hurdles 1956 Melbourne Semi-Final
Abdul Khaliq Men's 200 metres 1956 Melbourne 4th in Semi-Final heat – Stands in top seven athletes
Abdul Khaliq Men's 100 metres 1956 Melbourne 4th in Semi-Final heat
Muhammad Iqbal Men's hammer throw 1956 Melbourne 11th place in Final (56.97m)
Muhammad Nawaz Men's javelin throw 1956 Melbourne 14th place in Final (62.55m)
Muhammad Aslam,
Abdul Aziz,
Muhammad Shariff Butt,
Muhammad Fazil		 Men's 4 x 100 metres relay 1952 Helsinki Semi-Final

Total medals won by Pakistani athletes in major tournaments

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
Islamic Solidarity Games 2 2 1 5
Asian Championships 3 3 3 9
Asian Indoor Championships 0 1 1 2
Asian Cross Country Championships 0 1 1 2
South Asian Games 48 57 91 196
Total7282118272
Correct as of the conclusion of 2026 Commonwealth Games.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Golden Age of Pakistani Athletics: The 50s and the 60s | Sports | thenews.com.pk". thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  2. ↑ Zuberi, Anwar (2006-11-16). "Pakistan's golden past in athletics: Asian Games in perspective". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  3. ↑ "Haider Ali makes history by winning Pakistan's first-ever gold medal at Tokyo Paralympics". Dawnlocation=Pakistan. 2021-09-03. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  4. ↑ "Haider Ali puts Pakistan on top of the podium for first time ever". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ "Arshad Nadeem — from Mian Channu to Pakistan's hope for Olympic glory". dawn.com. 7 August 2021. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "World Athletics Championships: Arshad makes history, qualifies for final". Express Tribune. 22 July 2022. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  8. ↑ Jan, Paras. "2024 Paris Olympics: Arshad Nadeem Wins First-Ever Olympic Gold For Pakistan With An Olympic Record". Forbes. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  9. ↑ "Watch: Arshad Nadeem becomes first South Asian to breach 90m mark". thebridge.in. 2022-08-08. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  10. ↑ "14th South Asian Games deferred to 2027". The Daily Star. 2026-01-27. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  11. ↑ "Pakistan to host 14th South Asian Games in March 2027". Daily Times. 2026-01-28. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  12. ↑ "Pakistan makes history at the South Asian Cross Country Championships with unprecedented sweep". Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 2025-02-23. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  13. ↑ "Pakistan team wins SAAF Cross Country Championships 2025". Radio Pakistan. 2025-02-24. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  14. ↑ "Pakistan dominate South Asian Cross Country Championships with double gold". MSN News. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  15. ↑ "60 foreigners arrive for Lahore Marathon". Dawn. 2005-01-29. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  16. ↑ "First Karachi Marathon was held successfully". PPI News Agency. 2026-08-08. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  17. ↑ "Set to boost running culture, Karachi Marathon returns with growing participation". Dawn. 2026-01-01. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  18. ↑ "Marathon spirit". Dawn. 2026-01-06. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  19. 1 2 "Over 3,000 athletes participate in Sukkur's first int'l marathon". The Nation. 2025-12-22. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  20. ↑ "Moroccan runner wins 2nd international marathon in Sukkur". Daily Times. 2025-12-22. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  21. 1 2 3 "Full marathon of 42.2km held in Islamabad for first time, President Alvi participates". Associated Press of Pakistan. 2022-01-30. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  22. ↑ "Pakistan's President Alvi leads first full marathon in Islamabad". Gulf News. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  23. ↑ dawn.com
  24. ↑ "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag". Box Office India. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  25. ↑ "AFP to conduct two national c'ships in Sept, Oct: Sahi". 15 July 2021.
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