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Malik Ata Muhammad Khan
ملک عطا محمد خان
Prince Malik Ata.jpg
Vice-President, Member of Executive Committee of International Tent Pegging Federation/ President of the Equestrian & Tent pegging Federation of Pakistan.
Malik
Personal details
Born
Malik Ata Muhammad Khan

(1937-10-25)25 October 1937
British India
Died 6 February 2020(2020-02-06) (aged 82)
Attock
Citizenship Pakistan
Nationality Pakistani
Spouse (Daughter of Nawab of Kalabagh)
Relatives Nawab Malik Ameer Muhammad khan (Father in law)
Residences Kot Fateh Khan, District of Attock
Occupation HSH Prince of Principality of Kot Fateh Khan

Malik Ata Muhammad Khan ( , Punjabi: ملک عطا محمد خان, 25 October 1937 – 6 February 2020), also known as Prince Malik Ata, was a Pakistani leader and politician. He was the chief of Kot Fateh Khan, a town in the Attock District of Punjab, Pakistan. He also served as a member of the Punjab Assembly from 1990 to 1993.

Malik Ata was famous for his love of horses and horse sports. He was the first elected President of the Equestrian & Tent Pegging Federation of Pakistan. He worked hard to make tent pegging and bull races popular in Pakistan. He also helped start the International Tent Pegging Federation, which is recognized by the FEI. He was the Vice-President of this international federation.

His Family and Background

Malik Ata Muhammad Khan came from a respected family in Kot Fateh Khan. His grandfather, Sardar Muhammad Nawaz Khan Gheba, was the chief of the Gheba-Rajput tribe. This family had controlled the Kot Fateh estate, which included many villages, for about 350 years.

Malik Ata became the head of his family because his grandfather had no sons. He was the eldest grandson, so he took on this important role. His father was Malik Yar Muhammad Khan. Malik Ata was also related to the Nawab of Kalabagh, Nawab Malik Ameer Muhammad Khan Awan, who was a former Governor of West Pakistan.

His Time in Politics

Malik Ata Muhammad Khan was also involved in politics. In 1988, he ran for election with the Islami Jamhoori Ittihad (IJI) party.

Later, in 1990, Malik Ata Muhammad Khan ran for election again from his home area (PP-15 – Attock). He won and served in the provincial assembly of Punjab. He was a member of the assembly from 5 November 1990 to 28 June 1993. After his father passed away in 1996, Malik Ata took on more family duties and managed their estate. This meant he could not continue his political work.

A Champion of Horse Sports

Nawab Malik Ata's unique style
Malik Ata's unique style of tent pegging (step by step)

Malik Ata was a skilled horseman. He took part in many tent pegging and other horse riding competitions around the world. He competed in Europe, South Africa, Australia, the United States, and India.

He once said, "When the horse is running 65 to 70 miles per hour and you have to pick a small, one-inch peg from the ground it is very spectacular, either with the sword or with the lance." This shows how exciting tent pegging can be!

  • In 1982, Ata competed in the Ninth Asian Games held in Delhi, India. He won a silver medal for Pakistan.
  • Ata and the Pakistan team also took part in the 1982 Hyde Park games in London.
  • He led the Pakistan tent pegging team at the annual Royal Adelaide Show in 2010 in Adelaide, South Australia.
  • Malik Ata also led the Pakistan team in the Penta Grand World Equestrian Tent Pegging Championship in 2010, 2012, and 2013.
Prince Malik Ata with Pakistan team in France 2014
Malik Ata with the Pakistan team at the World Equestrian Games in France, 2014
  • In 2014, the FEI (International Federation for Equestrian Sports) invited Ata to show tent pegging at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France. He was honored to lead all the countries with the Pakistani flag on the opening day.
  • In February 2013, an international tent pegging competition was held at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad in Pakistan. This was a big event because it was the first time more than two international teams visited Pakistan for a competition. Teams from England, South Africa, and a United Nations team joined Pakistan. Malik Ata was the main organizer of this event.

International Tent Pegging Federation

Malik Ata wanted to create a global organization for tent pegging. At the 2013 World Equestrian Tent Pegging Championship in Gurgaon, India, he shared this idea. The participants then created the World Tent Pegging Federation, and Ata was chosen as its honorary president.

At the second World Tent Pegging Federation Meeting in Oman on 27 October 2013, Ata was elected as a member of the Executive Committee. He served on this committee for four years.

Appearing in Media

Malik Ata Muhammad Khan was featured in several TV shows and movies.

  • He was mentioned in the BBC series Michael Palin's Himalaya production. Michael Palin visited Malik Ata's home and saw traditional activities and bull races there.
  • In 1983, the BBC made a short documentary about him called "One Man and his Horse."
  • He was also the subject of a documentary called "Malik Ata and his love for the traditional sports." This was shown on the Trans World Sport Channel with help from the BBC.
  • He appeared in the 1998 PTV drama Alpha Bravo Charlie, which was directed by Shoaib Mansoor.
  • Malik Ata also acted in the movie "Verna," released on 17 November 2017. He played the role of a governor, and many scenes were filmed at his home in Kot Fateh Khan.

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