ATHLETES from Pakistan

Top 9

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Pakistani Athletes of all time. This list of famous Pakistani Athletes is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.

1. Milkha Singh (1935 - 2021)

With an HPI of 57.09, Milkha Singh is the most famous Pakistani Athlete.  His biography has been translated into 38 different languages on wikipedia.

Milkha Singh (20 November 1929 – 18 June 2021), also known as "The Flying Sikh", was an Indian track and field sprinter who was introduced to the sport while serving in the Indian Army. He is the athlete to win gold at 400 metres at the Asian Games as well as the Commonwealth Games. He has won gold medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games. He represented India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Singh was awarded the Padma Shri in 1959, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his sporting achievements. The race for which Singh was best remembered is his fourth-place finish in the 400 metres final at the 1960 Olympic Games, which he had entered as one of the favourites. He led the race till the 200 m mark before easing off, allowing others to pass him. Various records were broken in the race, which required a photo-finish and saw American Otis Davis being declared the winner by one-hundredth of a second over German Carl Kaufmann. Singh's fourth-place time of 45.73 seconds was the Indian national record for almost 40 years. From beginnings that saw him orphaned and displaced during the Partition of India, Singh has become a sporting icon in his country. In 2008, journalist Rohit Brijnath described Singh as "the finest athlete India has ever produced". Singh died from complications of COVID-19 on 18 June 2021, at the age of 91, five days after his wife, Nirmal Saini.

2. Abdul Hamid (1927 - 2019)

With an HPI of 51.47, Abdul Hamid is the 2nd most famous Pakistani Athlete.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Abdul Hamid Hamidi (7 January 1927 – 11 July 2019) was a field hockey player from Pakistan. He was born in Bannu. He scored 48 International goals in just 55 appearances for Pakistan. He won silver medal at 1956 Summer Olympics and was captain of the gold medal-winning national team at 1960 Summer Olympics. After his retirement from professional competition, he managed the national team on several occasions, including during the 1966 and 1970 Asian Games. He also served as the secretary general of the Pakistan Hockey Federation. As of 2017, he lived in Islamabad.

3. Noor Alam (1929 - 2003)

With an HPI of 48.00, Noor Alam is the 3rd most famous Pakistani Athlete.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Noor Alam (5 December 1929 – 30 June 2003) was a field hockey player from Pakistan. He won gold medal in 1960 Summer Olympics and a silver medal, the country's first Olympic medal, at the 1956 Summer Olympics. He was also a member of winning Pakistani team of 1958 and 1962 Asian Games.

4. Robbie Brightwell (1939 - 2022)

With an HPI of 44.40, Robbie Brightwell is the 4th most famous Pakistani Athlete.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Robert Ian Brightwell MBE (27 October 1939 – 6 March 2022) was a British track and field athlete and silver medallist.

5. Prithipal Singh (1932 - 1983)

With an HPI of 43.46, Prithipal Singh is the 5th most famous Pakistani Athlete.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Prithipal Singh (28 January 1932 – 20 May 1983) was an Indian field hockey player who played as a halfback. He was a member of the India national team that won a gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and silver and bronze at the 1960 Rome Olympics and bronze at the 1968 Mexico Olympics respectively. Singh was nicknamed the 'King of short corner' by hockey commentators. He was known for sharp reflexes, tremendous strength in his long and powerful arms produced firm and sticking shots which unfailingly fetched him goals and often the winners. The Evening Post (New Zealand) commented in 1961 that to face the fury of Prithipal's hit is to risk one's life. Another author commented that if Arjuna was the maharathi (great warrior) of the Mahabharata war, Prithipal was the maharathi of the International Hockey game. The first-ever Arjuna Award to a hockey player was conferred upon him in 1961, which was later followed by the Padma Shri in 1967.

6. Arshad Nadeem (b. 1997)

With an HPI of 34.66, Arshad Nadeem is the 6th most famous Pakistani Athlete.  His biography has been translated into 34 different languages.

Arshad Nadeem (Punjabi / Urdu: ارشد ندیم; Punjabi pronunciation: [ˈɐrʃɐd nəˈdiːm]; born 2 January 1997) is a Pakistani javelin thrower. He is considered as one of the best javelin throwers in the world and is the reigning Olympic, Asian and Commonwealth Games champion. His 92.97 metres (305.0 ft) throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics is an Olympic and Asian record, and it's also the sixth longest throw in the history of javelin throw, when considering only the best throw from each athlete. He is a two-time Olympian, and the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any track and field event at the Olympic Games and the World Championships. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he set a new national and Commonwealth Games record with a throw of 90.18 m (295.9 ft) and became the first South Asian athlete to breach the 90 m mark. In the 2023 World Championships, he became the first Pakistani athlete to win a medal at the World Championships, a silver. He represents WAPDA in the National Games of Pakistan.

7. Najma Parveen (b. 1990)

With an HPI of 18.19, Najma Parveen is the 7th most famous Pakistani Athlete.  Her biography has been translated into 8 different languages.

Najma Parveen (born 20 December 1990) is a Pakistani sprinter. She represented Pakistan at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics, becoming the first female athlete to represent the country in two Olympics. As of July 2021, she is the national record holder in 200m, 400m and 400m hurdles.

8. Muhammad Khalil Akhtar (b. 1984)

With an HPI of 14.05, Muhammad Khalil Akhtar is the 8th most famous Pakistani Athlete.  His biography has been translated into 5 different languages.

Muhammad Khalil Akhtar (born 15 April 1984) is a Pakistani sports shooter. He competed in the men's 25 metre rapid fire pistol event at the 2020 Summer Olympics Tokyo, finishing 15th. He was also the flag-bearer at the opening ceremony along with Mahoor Shahzad. After receiving an Olympic scholarship, he qualified at the 2019 International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Rio, where he finished sixth. In September 2019, Akhtar rose to the 15th place in the ISSF world rankings.

9. Talha Talib (b. 1999)

With an HPI of 9.82, Talha Talib is the 9th most famous Pakistani Athlete.  His biography has been translated into 5 different languages.

Talha Talib (Urdu: طلحہ طالب) (born 3 October 1999) is a Pakistani weightlifter from Gujranwala. Talha made history by finishing fifth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, delivering one of the best Olympic performances by a Pakistani weightlifter in decades. In 2021, Talha tested positive for the banned steroid 19-norandrosterone in two separate tests, and received a three-year ban from January 25, 2022, to January 24, 2025. With his suspension now over, Talha is eligible to return to competition. He is set to compete in the 79 kg category going forward and is expected to participate in upcoming national and international events.