Pakistan at the Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pakistan at theOlympics |
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| IOC code | PAK | ||||||||
| NOC | Pakistan Olympic Association | ||||||||
| Medals Ranked 78th |
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| Olympics appearances (overview) | |||||||||
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| Summer appearances | |||||||||
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| Winter appearances | |||||||||
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The Olympic Games are a huge international sports event where athletes from all over the world compete. Pakistan first joined the Olympics in 1948, which were held in London. Since then, Pakistan has sent athletes to almost every Summer Olympic Games. They only missed the 1980 Summer Olympics because of a boycott.
Pakistan also started competing in the Winter Olympic Games in 2010. The first Pakistani to qualify for a Winter Olympics event was alpine skier Mohammad Abbas.
Overall, Pakistani athletes have won 11 medals, all from the Summer Olympics. Four of these medals are gold! Most of these medals were won by Pakistan's men's field hockey team. They won eight medals between 1956 and 1992. This included an amazing streak of 5 finals in a row from 1956 to 1972, where they earned 2 gold and 3 silver medals.
Recently, Arshad Nadeem made history. He is the only Pakistani athlete to win an individual Olympic gold medal. He also set a new Olympic record!
Contents
Pakistan's Olympic Journey
Early Days: Before 1947
Before Pakistan became an independent country in 1947, athletes from the region competed as part of the team from British India. Some famous field hockey players who won gold medals for India were born in what is now Pakistan. These included Muhammad Aslam (1932), Lal Shah Bokhari (1932), Sayed Jaffar (1932 and 1936), Ali Dara (1936), and Peter Paul Fernandes (1936). Lal Shah Bokhari even carried India's flag in the 1932 opening ceremony. After 1947, many of these players chose to play for Pakistan.
First Steps: 1948 – 1952
Pakistan's first time competing as an independent nation was at the 1948 Summer Olympics. They sent 39 athletes to compete in seven different sports. The men's hockey team was the star. They won all their group matches but lost in the semi-finals to Great Britain. They then played for the bronze medal against the Netherlands but lost, finishing in 4th place.
At the 1952 Summer Olympics, the hockey team had a similar result. They reached the semi-finals but lost to the Netherlands. They then lost the bronze medal match to Great Britain, again finishing 4th. The Men's 4 x 100 metres relay team also did well, reaching the semi-finals.
The Golden Age of Men's Hockey (1956 – 1984)
1956 Melbourne: First Olympic Medal
The "Golden Era" for Pakistan's men's hockey team began in 1956. They made it to the finals by beating Great Britain. In the final, they faced their rivals, India. Pakistan lost 0–1 but won their first-ever Olympic medal: a silver! In other sports, Abdul Khaliq reached the semi-finals in both the 100 and 200 metres races. Ghulam Raziq also reached the semi-final in the 110 metres hurdles.
1960 Rome: First Gold Medal
At the 1960 Summer Olympics, the hockey team was unstoppable. They won all their group matches by big scores. They then beat Germany and Spain to reach the final. Once again, they faced India. This time, Pakistan won 1–0, securing their first-ever Olympic gold medal! This win also ended India's streak of 6 gold medals in a row.
In wrestling, Muhammad Bashir made history. He won Pakistan's first individual Olympic medal, a bronze, in the Men's freestyle welterweight event. This was also Pakistan's first Olympic medal outside of hockey.
1964 Tokyo: Another Silver Medal
The hockey team continued their strong performance at the 1964 Summer Olympics. They reached the semi-finals and beat Spain. However, in the final, they lost to India 0–1. They took home a silver medal.
1968 Mexico City: Gold Again!
For the 1968 Summer Olympics, Pakistan sent a smaller team, focusing on men's field hockey and wrestling, where they had found success. The hockey team was amazing, staying undefeated in their group. They beat Germany in the semi-final and then Australia 2–1 in the final. This earned them their second Olympic gold medal!
1972 Munich: A Controversial Silver
At the 1972 Summer Olympics, Pakistan's hockey team played well and reached the semi-finals, beating India. They then faced West Germany in the final. The match was full of arguments, with Pakistan disagreeing with the referee's decisions. West Germany won the gold medal with a single goal from a penalty corner. After the match, all eleven Pakistani players were suspended for bad behavior during the medal ceremony. The Pakistan Hockey Federation was also suspended for four years. The bans were only lifted in 1974 after the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, apologized for the incidents.
1976 Montreal: Bronze Medal and New Surfaces
For the first time since 1952, Pakistan's hockey team did not reach the Olympic final at the 1976 Summer Olympics. They topped their group but lost to Australia in the semi-final. They won the bronze medal by defeating the Netherlands 3–2. This Olympics was also important because it was the first time field hockey matches were played on astro-turf instead of grass.
1984 Los Angeles: Back to Gold
After not participating in the 1980 Summer Olympics (due to a protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan), Pakistan returned for the 1984 Summer Olympics. The hockey team continued their winning ways. They finished second in their group, then beat Australia in the semi-final. In the final, they defeated West Germany 2–1 to win their third Olympic gold medal!
More Medals: 1988 – 1992
1988 Seoul: Boxing Bronze
The hockey team had a tough time at the 1988 Summer Olympics, finishing fifth. However, Hussain Shah saved the day for Pakistan. He reached the semi-finals in boxing, guaranteeing himself a bronze medal. He became the second Pakistani to win an individual Olympic medal, and the first in boxing!
1992 Barcelona: Hockey Bronze
After their disappointing performance in 1988, the hockey team bounced back at the 1992 Summer Olympics. They remained unbeaten in their group. They lost to Germany in the semi-final but came back to win the bronze medal match against the Netherlands 4–3.
A Quiet Period: 1996 – 2016
During this time, Pakistan's Olympic success, especially in hockey, slowed down. The hockey team did not win any Olympic medals. Their best performance was reaching the semi-finals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, but they lost both the semi-final and the bronze medal match. The lowest point was in 2016, when the hockey team didn't even qualify for the Olympics, and no Pakistani athlete made it past the first rounds.
A New Hope: 2020 – Present
Tokyo 2020: Close Calls
At the 2020 Summer Olympics, 10 athletes represented Pakistan. There was a new sense of hope thanks to Arshad Nadeem and Talha Talib. Arshad Nadeem became the first Pakistani athlete to directly qualify for the Olympics. He reached the javelin throw final, placing third in his group. In the final, he finished 5th, saying that nerves affected his performance. Talha Talib also came very close to a medal in weightlifting. He finished 5th overall, missing a bronze medal by just 2 kilograms!
Paris 2024: Arshad Nadeem Wins Gold!
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Pakistan sent 7 athletes to the 2024 Summer Olympics. Arshad Nadeem made history again! He won Pakistan's first-ever individual Olympic gold medal with an incredible javelin throw of 92.97m. This throw was an Olympic record and more than 3 meters farther than the second-place thrower, Neeraj Chopra. Arshad also had another throw over 90m, showing his amazing skill. This gold medal was Pakistan's first since 1984 and their first Olympic medal since 1992. His 92.97m throw is also the 6th longest in history!
Medal Tables
Peach colour indicates best performance
Summer Olympics
| Games | Athletes | Athletes by sport | Medals | Total | Rank | Ref. | |||||||||||||
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| 1900–1936 | as part of  India |
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 1948 London |
39 | 5 | - | 3 | 2 | 19 | - | - | - | 4 | - | 2 | 4 | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
 1952 Helsinki |
44 | 16 | - | 4 | 2 | 18 | - | - | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
 1956 Melbourne |
62 | 19 | - | 6 | 4 | 18 | - | - | 2 | 3 | - | 3 | 6 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 31 | |
 1960 Rome |
49 | 12 | - | 4 | 2 | 18 | - | - | 4 | - | - | 2 | 7 | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 20 | |
 1964 Tokyo |
41 | 6 | - | 4 | 4 | 18 | - | - | 5 | - | - | 1 | 6 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 30 | |
 1968 Mexico City |
20 | - | - | - | - | 18 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 29 | |
 1972 Munich |
25 | 5 | - | 2 | - | 18 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 33 | |
 1976 Montreal |
24 | 2 | - | 2 | - | 16 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 37 | |
 1980 Moscow |
did not participate | ||||||||||||||||||
 1984 Los Angeles |
29 | 3 | - | 4 | - | 16 | - | 6 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 25 | |
 1988 Seoul |
31 | 7 | - | 2 | - | 16 | - | 2 | - | - | 1 | - | 3 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 46 | |
 1992 Barcelona |
27 | 4 | - | 4 | - | 16 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 54 | |
| 1996 Atlanta |
24 | 2 | - | 4 | - | 16 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
| 2000 Sydney |
27 | 2 | - | 4 | - | 16 | - | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
 2004 Athens |
26 | 2 | - | 5 | - | 16 | - | - | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
 2008 Beijing |
21 | 2 | - | - | - | 16 | - | - | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
| 2012 London |
21 | 2 | - | - | - | 16 | - | - | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
 2016 Rio de Janeiro |
7 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
 2020 Tokyo |
10 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | 3 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
 2024 Paris |
7 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 62 | |
| 2028 Los Angeles |
future event | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 78 | ||||||||||||||
Winter Olympics
| Games | Athletes | Athletes by sport | Medals | Total | Rank | Ref. | |||
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| 1924–2006 | did not participate | ||||||||
| 2010 Vancouver |
1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
 2014 Sochi |
1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
 2018 Pyeongchang |
2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
| 2022 Beijing |
1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | – | |
| 2026 Milan/Cortina |
future event | ||||||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | ||||
Medals by Sport
| Medals by sport | ||||||
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| Sport |  Gold |
 Silver |
 Bronze |
Total | Rank | |
| Field hockey | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 6 | |
| Athletics | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 74 | |
| Boxing | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 74 | |
| Wrestling | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 65 | |
| Total | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 78 | |
List of Medalists
| Medal | Name/Team | Games | Sport | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver |
Abdul Rashid Akhtar Hussain Munir Dar Ghulam Rasul Anwar Khan Habib Ali Kiddie Latif-ur-Rehman Manzoor Hussain Atif Motiullah Naseer Bunda Noor Alam Khursheed Aslam Abdul Waheed Mushtaq Ahmad Zakir Hussain |
1956 Melbourne |
Field hockey |
Men's tournament | 6 December 1956 |
| Gold |
Abdul Hamid Rashid Abdul Abdul Waheed Bashir Ahmad Ghulam Rasul Anwar Khan Khursheed Aslam Habib Ali Kiddie Manzoor Hussain Atif Mushtaq Ahmad Motiullah Naseer Bunda Noor Alam Munir Dar |
1960 Rome |
Field hockey |
Men's tournament | 9 September 1960 |
| Bronze |
Muhammad Bashir | Wrestling |
Men's freestyle welterweight | 6 September 1960 | |
| Silver |
Abdul Rashid Akhtar Hussain Munir Dar Ghulam Rasul Anwar Khan Habib Ali Kiddie Latif-ur-Rehman Manzoor Hussain Atif Motiullah Naseer Bunda Noor Alam Anwar Khan Nawaz Khizar Khurshid Azam Muhammad Manna Manzoor Hussain Atif< Mohammed Rashid Motiullah Tariq Niazi Saeed Anwar Aziz Tariq Hayat Zafar Uddin Zaka |
1964 Tokyo |
Field hockey |
Men's tournament | 23 October 1964 |
| Gold |
Abdul Rasheed Jahangir Butt Tanvir Dar Gulraiz Akhtar Khalid Mahmood Muhammad Asad Malik Ashfaq Ahmed Tariq Niazi Riaz Ahmed Riazuddin Saeed Anwar Tariq Aziz Zakir Hussain |
1968 Mexico City |
Field hockey |
Men's tournament | 26 October 1968 |
| Silver |
Rashid Abdul Akhtar Rasool Ul Akhtar Jahangir Butt Ur Fazal Islahuddin Siddique Muhammad Asad Malik Shahnaz Sheikh Munawwaruz Zaman Ahmad Riaz Saeed Anwar Saleem Sherwani Iftikar Syed Mudassar Syed Zahid Sheikh |
1972 Munich |
Field hockey |
Men's tournament | 10 September 1972 |
| Bronze |
Rashid Abdul Akhtar Rasool Mahmood Arshad Arshad Chaudhry Khan Haneef Islahuddin Siddique Samiullah Khan Manzoor-ul Hassan Manzoor Hussain Munawwaruz Zaman Zia Qamar Nazim Salim Shahnaz Sheikh Saleem Sherwani Iftikar Syed Mudassar Syed |
1976 Montreal |
Field hockey |
Men's tournament | 30 July 1976 |
| Gold |
Syed Ghulam Moinuddin Qasim Zia Nasir Ali Abdul Rashid Al-Hasan Ayaz Mahmood Naeem Akhtar Kaleemullah Khan Manzoor Hussain Hassan Sardar Hanif Khan Khalid Hamid Shahid Ali Khan Tauqeer Dar Ishtiaq Ahmed Saleem Sherwani Mushtaq Ahmad |
1984 Los Angeles |
Field hockey |
Men's tournament | 11 August 1984 |
| Bronze |
Hussain Shah | 1988 Seoul |
Boxing |
Men's middleweight | 27 September 1988 |
| Bronze |
Saeed Anjum Hasan Farhat Khalid Bashir Muhammad Khawaja Mansoor Ahmed Asif Bajwa Ikhlaq Muhammad Mohammad Khalid Sr Qamar Muhammad Hussain Musaddaq Rana Mujahid Shahbaz Ahmed Muhammad Shahbaz Shahid Ali Khan Tahir Zaman Wasim Feroz |
1992 Barcelona |
Field hockey |
Men's tournament | 8 August 1992 |
| Gold |
Arshad Nadeem | 2024 Paris |
Athletics |
Men's javelin throw | 8 August 2024 |
Men's Field Hockey Team at the Summer Olympics
| Team | 1948 |
1952 |
1956 |
1960 |
1964 |
1968 |
1972 |
1976 |
1980 |
1984 |
1988 |
1992 |
1996 |
2000 |
2004 |
2008 |
2012 |
2016 |
2020 |
2024 |
2028 |
2032 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Pakistan |
4th | 4th | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | DNP | 1st | 5th | 3rd | 6th | 4th | 5th | 8th | 7th | DNQ | TBD | 16 | |||
TBD (to be determined), DNQ (did not qualify), DNP (did not participate)
Milestones
Firsts for Pakistan at the Olympics
- First Medal: 1956 Melbourne, , National field hockey team
- First Gold Medal: 1960 Rome, , National field hockey team
- First Individual Medal: 1960 Rome, , Mohammad Bashir, Wrestling
- First Individual Gold Medal: 2024 Paris, , Arshad Nadeem, Javelin throw
Pakistani Athletes with Multiple Medals
| Athlete | Sport | Games |  Gold |
 Silver |
 Bronze |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manzoor Hussain Atif | Field hockey | 1952–64 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Munir Dar | Field hockey | 1956–64 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Anwar Khan | Field hockey | 1956–64 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Motiullah | Field hockey | 1956–64 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Saeed Anwar | Field hockey | 1964–72 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Muhammad Asad Malik | Field hockey | 1964–72 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Abdul Rashid | Field hockey | 1968–76 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Abdul Hamid | Field hockey | 1948–60 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Habib Ali Kiddie | Field hockey | 1952–60 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Chaudhry Ghulam Rasool | Field hockey | 1956–60 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Noor Alam | Field hockey | 1956–60 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Naseer Bunda | Field hockey | 1956–60 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Zakir Hussain | Field hockey | 1956–68 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Khwaja Zakauddin | Field hockey | 1960–64 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Khalid Mahmood | Field hockey | 1964–68 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Tariq Aziz | Field hockey | 1964–68 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Tariq Niazi | Field hockey | 1964–68 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Jahangir Butt | Field hockey | 1968–72 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Riaz Ahmed | Field hockey | 1968–72 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Manzoor Hussain | Field hockey | 1976–84 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Hanif Khan | Field hockey | 1976–84 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Shahid Ali Khan | Field hockey | 1984–92 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Saleem Sherwani | Field hockey | 1972–76 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Munawwar uz Zaman | Field hockey | 1972–76 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Akhtar Rasool | Field hockey | 1972–76 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Mudassar Asghar | Field hockey | 1972–76 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Islahuddin Siddique | Field hockey | 1972–76 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Shahnaz Sheikh | Field hockey | 1972–76 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Iftikhar Ahmed Syed | Field hockey | 1972–76 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Top Performances in Individual Events
| Athlete(s) | Event | Games | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muhammad Iqbal | Men's hammer throw | 1960 Rome |
12th place (61.79m) |
| Muhammad Bashir | Men's freestyle welterweight | 1960 Rome |
3rd place  |
| Talha Talib | Weightlifting – Men's 67 kg | 2020 Tokyo |
5th place (320 kg) |
| Arshad Nadeem | Men's javelin throw | 2020 Tokyo |
5th place (84.62m) |
| Arshad Nadeem | Men's javelin throw | 2024 Paris |
1st place  (92.97m) OR |
Best Performances in Athletics Track Events
| Athlete(s) | Event | Games | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muhammad Aslam, Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Shariff Butt, Muhammad Fazil |
Men's 4 x 100 metres relay | 1952 Helsinki |
Semi-Final |
| Abdul Khaliq | Men's 100 metres | 1956 Melbourne |
4th in Semi-Final heat |
| Abdul Khaliq | Men's 200 metres | 1956 Melbourne |
4th in Semi-Final heat – Stands in top seven athletes |
| Ghulam Raziq | Men's 110 metres hurdles | 1956 Melbourne |
Semi-Final |
| 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 | 1960 Rome |
4th in Semi-Final heat |
| Abdul Malik, Muhammad Ramzan Ali, Ghulam Raziq, Abdul Khaliq |
Men's 4 x 100 metres relay | 1960 Rome |
Semi-Final |
| Bashir Ahmed, Mohammad Sadaqat, Mohammad Afzal, Muhammad Fayyaz | Men's 4 × 400 metres relay | 1988 Seoul |
Semi-Final |
See also
In Spanish: Pakistán en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños
- List of flag bearers for Pakistan at the Olympics
- Olympic competitors for Pakistan
- Pakistan at the Paralympics
- Pakistan at the World Athletics Championships
- Pakistan at the Commonwealth Games
- Pakistan at the Asian Games
- Pakistan at the World Games
