Sport in Pakistan

Sport in Pakistan is a significant part of Pakistani culture. Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan.^[1] Football has also gained popularity in recent years, and is the second most popular sport in the country.^[2]^[3] Field hockey is the national sport, and was popular for several decades, with some of Pakistan's greatest sporting accomplishments having taken place in this sport, along with squash. Polo and traditional sports like kabaddi and other well-known games are also played.^[1]

In cricket, the country has had an array of success in the sport over the years, and has the distinct achievement of having won each of the major ICC international cricket tournaments: ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC World Twenty20, and ICC Champions Trophy;^[4] as well as the ICC Test Championship.^[5] Pakistan Super League is one of the largest cricket leagues of the world with a brand value of about Rs. 32.26 billion (US$110 million).^[6]

Football in Pakistan is as old as the country itself. Shortly after the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) was created, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah became its first Patron-in-Chief.^[7] The highest football division in Pakistan is the Pakistan Premier League. Pakistan is known as one of the best manufacturers of the official FIFA World Cup ball.^[8]^[9]

In field hockey, Pakistan is one of the most successful national teams with a record four Hockey World Cup wins, eight Asian Games gold medals, three gold medals in the Olympic Games, and the only Asian team to have won the prestigious Champions Trophy, with three championships.^[1]^[10]^[11]

Squash player Jahangir Khan is widely regarded as the greatest squash player of all time, followed by Jansher Khan.^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15] From 1981 to 1986, Jahangir was unbeaten and during that time won 555 consecutive matches – the longest winning streak by any athlete in top-level professional sport as recorded by Guinness World Records.^[16]^[17]

In Northern Pakistan, the annual Shandur Polo Festival at Shandur Top is an international event attended by enthusiasts from all over the world.^[18] The Shandur polo ground at Shandur Pass is the world's highest, at approximately 3,734 metres (12,251 ft).^[19]

Pakistan's sporting prowess has declined sharply in recent years, while cricket remains widely popular, other sports have suffered due to neglect from both the government and sporting authorities.^[20]^[21]^[22]^[23]^[24] The corporatization of sports in Pakistan has led to a lack of investment in nurturing talented athletes and providing adequate facilities and training.^[25] Government patronage and funding for sports are at an all-time low, resulting in outdated equipment, obsolete training methods, and dilapidated sports infrastructure.^[26] The focus on cricket has overshadowed other sports, exacerbating the decline across various disciplines.^[27]^[28]

The Pakistan Sports Board was created in 1962 by the Ministry of Education as a corporate body to promote and develop uniform standards of competition in sports in Pakistan comparable to the standards prevailing internationally, and regulating and controlling sports in Pakistan on a national basis. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, now has control over the Pakistan Sports Board. The PSB controls all 39 sporting federations. The Pakistan Sports Board is supported by the Pakistan Sports Trust, which assists hard-up players and associations so they can continue participating in sports in the Olympic Games, Asian Games, World Games, and Commonwealth Games.

^ ^a ^b ^c Abbott, David (1 January 2015) [1st pub. 2010]. "Chapter 3: Social Changes". In McCann, Jacqueline (ed.). Changing World – Pakistan. Encyclopædia Britannica. pp. 100–110. ISBN 978-1-62513-365-6.
^ Hussain, Abid. "A 'very different' Pakistan? National football team aim to end dire record". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
^ "'Football played more than cricket in Pakistan in last five years'". www.geosuper.tv. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
^ Narayanan, Deepu (19 June 2017). "CT17 final stats: Pakistan become fourth team to win all three ICC crowns". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
^ "David Richardson presents ICC Test Championship mace to Misbah-ul-Haq". International Cricket Council. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
^ "PSL's brand value stands at $230m or Rs 32.258 bn". The News International. 13 February 2019.
^ Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part I". Dawn. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
^ Waraich, Omar (11 February 2014). "Where soccer gets made". The Far Post. Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
^ "Footballs made in Pakistan to be used in FIFA World Cup 2018". The Express Tribune. 28 January 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
^ Bill Mallon; Jeroen Heijmans (2011). Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement (4th revised ed.). Scarecrow. p. 291. ISBN 978-0-8108-7249-3.
^ V.V.K.Subburaj (30 August 2004). Basic Facts of General Knowledge. Sura College of Competition. p. 771. ISBN 978-81-7254-234-4.
^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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^ "How Pakistan sport hit rock bottom". Hindustan Times. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
^ "The dismal state of sports in Pakistan – DW – 07/19/2016". dw.com. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
^ "Decline of Pakistan hockey | Sports | thenews.com.pk". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
^ "Sport in Pakistan hits low point, qualifying debacle looms". Hindustan Times. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
^ "Pakistan's Olympic humiliation in national sport". BBC News. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
^ Khan, Saad (15 March 2010). "The Death of Sports in Pakistan". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^ "Sports pitch for level playing field in cricket-mad Pakistan". The Independent. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
^ Hussain, Fawad. "How Pakistan hockey went from world-beaters to Olympic absentees". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
^ "Despite waning popularity, field hockey still has place in Pakistan, says German legend". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

[:2-1] Abbott, David (1 January 2015) [1st pub. 2010]. "Chapter 3: Social Changes". In McCann, Jacqueline (ed.). Changing World – Pakistan. Encyclopædia Britannica. pp. 100–110. ISBN 978-1-62513-365-6.

[2] Hussain, Abid. "A 'very different' Pakistan? National football team aim to end dire record". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

[3] "'Football played more than cricket in Pakistan in last five years'". www.geosuper.tv. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

[4] Narayanan, Deepu (19 June 2017). "CT17 final stats: Pakistan become fourth team to win all three ICC crowns". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 21 August 2022.

[5] "David Richardson presents ICC Test Championship mace to Misbah-ul-Haq". International Cricket Council. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2022.

[6] "PSL's brand value stands at $230m or Rs 32.258 bn". The News International. 13 February 2019.

[7] Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part I". Dawn. Retrieved 22 August 2022.

[8] Waraich, Omar (11 February 2014). "Where soccer gets made". The Far Post. Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2021.

[9] "Footballs made in Pakistan to be used in FIFA World Cup 2018". The Express Tribune. 28 January 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2022.

[10] Bill Mallon; Jeroen Heijmans (2011). Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement (4th revised ed.). Scarecrow. p. 291. ISBN 978-0-8108-7249-3.

[11] V.V.K.Subburaj (30 August 2004). Basic Facts of General Knowledge. Sura College of Competition. p. 771. ISBN 978-81-7254-234-4.

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[20] "How Pakistan sport hit rock bottom". Hindustan Times. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

[21] "The dismal state of sports in Pakistan – DW – 07/19/2016". dw.com. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

[22] "Decline of Pakistan hockey | Sports | thenews.com.pk". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

[23] "Sport in Pakistan hits low point, qualifying debacle looms". Hindustan Times. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

[24] "Pakistan's Olympic humiliation in national sport". BBC News. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

[25] Khan, Saad (15 March 2010). "The Death of Sports in Pakistan". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 July 2010.

[26] "Sports pitch for level playing field in cricket-mad Pakistan". The Independent. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

[27] Hussain, Fawad. "How Pakistan hockey went from world-beaters to Olympic absentees". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

[28] "Despite waning popularity, field hockey still has place in Pakistan, says German legend". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

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