Pakistan may be an underdog in the sports world, but it is far from being insignificant. Despite having its share of devastating defeats, Pakistani sporting history has also seen many glorious moments. From world cups to world records, Pakistani sport has made its mark and still has much more to give.
Here are 10 Pakistani sporting achievements, ranging from iconic to comparatively unknown, that you are bound to be inspired by:
1. The First Pakistani Woman at a Grand Slam – Parveen Sheikh Ahmad
Born in the 1930s, Parveen Sheikh Ahmad was passionate about tennis from a young age. She used to spend hours playing tennis at the Lahore Gymkhana, and went on to win 4 career singles titles in 1954, 1955, 1958 and 1961. She also won a number of doubles titles, with various partners. She also toured Europe between 1955 and 1956. In 1963, she represented Pakistan at Wimbledon – a prestigious tennis championship that is 1 of the 4 Grand Slams. She made it to the second round of the tournament, in which she lost to Brazilian Maria Bueno.
2. Pakistan’s First Individual Olympic Medal – Mohammad Bashir
Mohammad Bashir was a freestyle wrestler born in March, 1935. He represented Pakistan at the 1960 Olympics in Rome in the 73 kg weight division. His efforts won him a bronze medal, which was also Pakistan’s first individual medal in the Olympic games. Before this, Pakistan had only won a medal in men’s hockey. Bashir’s medal, along with Pakistan’s first gold medal (in men’s hockey) the same year, made it the most successful Olympic games for Pakistan to date.
3. The First Ever Hat Trick in ODI Cricket – Jalal-ud-Din
Jalal-ud-Din was a right-arm fast bowler who made his debut in 1982 against Australia in Lahore. In this match, he took 5 wickets for 92 runs, performing significantly well on this debut. The same year, he took the first hat trick in ODI cricket, also against Australia in September. He swiftly removed Rod Marsh, Bruce Yardley and Geoff Lawson. Along with this remarkable achievement, Pakistan won the match.
4. The Most Successful Team in the Men’s Hockey World Cup – Pakistan Men’s National Hockey Team
Many people keenly remember the Pakistan hockey team’s glory days. The team was successful in various tournaments, and was dominating at the world stage. In fact, the Pakistani team is the most successful team in the men’s hockey world cup, with 4 titles. They emerged victorious in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994. Ironically, the World Cup’s inaugural edition of 1971 was meant to be held in Pakistan, but was moved to Spain due to political conflict in Asia at the time. Along with this, they were runner ups in 1975 and 1990. Their success also extended to the Olympics, with 8 medals between 1956 and 1992.
5. The Longest Winning Streak in Sports History – Jahangir Khan
Jahangir Khan is an iconic athlete not only for Pakistan, but the entire sporting world. He was an outstanding squash player in his time, and is still a role model for many. He won the World Squash Open 6 times and the British Open 10 consecutive times, alongside various other victories. He is especially known for the longest winning streak by any athlete in top-level professional sports. Between 1981 and 1986, he won 555 consecutive games. Despite these figures often coming under scrutiny, he remained unbeaten for 5 years and 8 months!
6. The Fastest Woman in South Asia – Naseem Hameed
Naseem Hameed started running as a sprinter when she was 14. She went on to represent her college at the National Championships, winning herself a spot on the national squad for the 2010 South Asian games. She won a gold medal in the 100 meter race at this tournament, and became South Asia’s fastest woman after clocking 11.81 seconds! Due to financial barriers and other issues, Naseem ultimately left the sport; but now she is a mentor and inspiration for other athletes.
7. The Youngest Person to Summit K2 – Shehroze Kashif
Born in March, 2002, Shehroze Kashif started climbing in his early teens. At 17, he climbed the world’s 12th tallest mountain, Broad Peak. Thus, he gained the nickname “The Broad Boy”. In 2021, at 19 years old, Shehroze reached the summit of the world’s second tallest mountain, K2. Alongside this achievement, he became the youngest person in history to summit the mountain. He did so without the help of supplemental oxygen! Earlier the same year, he became the youngest Pakistani to summit Mount Everest.
8. Pakistan’s First Professional Figure Skater – Malak Faisal Zafar
Malak Faisal Zafar started ice skating as a hobby at the age of 4. By 5 years old, she started training and entered professional figure skating by 9. She went on to participate in many national, and even international competitions. Malak was the first to formally introduce figure skating in Pakistan, by doing so at a competition in Naltar, Gilgit Baltistan. She is based abroad, but has expressed her love of Pakistan many times. She wants to represent Pakistan at the Winter Olympics one day, and become the first Pakistani woman to do this.
9. The First Pakistani Woman to Summit Eight of the World’s Highest Peaks – Naila Kiani
There are 14 mountains 8000 meters above sea level in the world, and these peaks are known as the “8000ers”. Naila Kiani has climbed nine of these peaks with just around two years of mountaineering experience. A mother of two and originally a banker based in Dubai, Naila received viral fame in 2018 after her wedding photos at a K2 base camp circulated on social media. In 2023, she became the first Pakistani woman to summit Mount Manaslu in west Nepal. With this climb, she became the first Pakistani Woman to summit 9 of the 14 8000ers. She also successfully climbed Mount Lhotse only a few days after climbing Mount Everest! She is still not done, and aims to summit all 14 of the world’s highest peaks.
10. The Youngest Pakistani Player to Win The IBSF World Snooker Championship – Ahsan Ramzan
In 2022, Ahsan Ramzan became the youngest Pakistani player to win the IBSF World Snooker Championship. He accomplished this feat at 16 years old, beating Iran’s Amir Sarkosh in the finals. Before this win, he already had Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 titles under his belt. He made his way into the final of this event after beating defending champion, and fellow Pakistani, Muhammad Asif. By winning the World Championship, he also became the second youngest player to do so in the event’s history.
