Sports In Pakistan

Sports in Pakistan

The majority of the sports played in Pakistan originated and were substantially developed by the United Kingdom who introduced them during the British India. Field Hockey is the national sport of Pakistan; it has won three Gold medallions in the Olympic Games held in 1960, 1968, and 1984. Pakistan has also won the Hockey World Cup a record four times held in 1971, 1978, 1982, and in 1994.

Cricket, however, is the most popular game across the country. The cricket team (popular as Shaheen) has won the Cricket World Cup held in 1992; it had been runners-up once, in 1999, and co-hosted the tournament in 1987 and 1996. Pakistan were runners-up in the inaugural World Twenty20 (2007) in South Africa and won the World Twenty20 in England in 2009. In March 2009, militants attacked the touring Sri Lanka’s cricket team, after which no international cricket was played in Pakistan until May 2015, when the Zimbabwean team agreed to a tour.

In athletics, Abdul Khaliq participated in 1954 Asian Games and the 1958 Asian Games. He won 34 international gold, 15 international silver and 12 bronze medals for Pakistan. In squash, world-class players such as Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan won the World Open Squash Championship several times during their careers. Jahangir Khan also won the British Open a record ten times. In Mountaineering Nazir Sabir is Pakistan’s first Mountaineer who Climbed Mount Everest. In Cave exploration Adventure Sports Hayatullah Khan Durrani is Pakistan’s first Eminent Cave Explorer / Speleologist and Founder of Caving adventure sports in Pakistan. Pakistan has competed many times at the Olympics in field hockey, boxing, athletics, swimming, and shooting. Pakistan’s Olympic medal tally stands at 10 of which 8 were earned in hockey. The Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medal tallies stand at 65 and 160 respectively. At national level, polo is popular, with regular national events in different parts of the country. Boxing, billiards, snooker, rowing, Canoeing, kayaking, caving, tennis, contract bridge, golf and volleyball are also actively pursued, and Pakistan has produced regional and international champions in these sports. Basketball enjoys regional popularity especially in Lahore and Karachi.