The Most Famous
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 51.68, 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 only 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 200m 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 39.79, Abdul Hamid is the 2nd most famous Pakistani Athlete. His biography has been translated into 18 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 in 1956 Summer Olympics and gold medal in 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. Robbie Brightwell (1939 - 2022)
With an HPI of 35.75, Robbie Brightwell is the 3rd most famous Pakistani Athlete. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Robert Ian Brightwell MBE (27 October 1939 – 6 March 2022) was a British track and field athlete and silver medallist.
4. Noor Alam (1929 - 2003)
With an HPI of 33.53, Noor Alam is the 4th most famous Pakistani Athlete. His biography has been translated into 15 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 in 1956 Summer Olympics. He was also the member of winning Pakistani team of 1958 and 1962 Asian Games.
5. Prithipal Singh (1932 - 1983)
With an HPI of 32.69, Prithipal Singh is the 5th most famous Pakistani Athlete. His biography has been translated into 15 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 16.62, Arshad Nadeem is the 6th most famous Pakistani Athlete. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Arshad Nadeem (Punjabi / Urdu: ارشد ندیم; Punjabi pronunciation: [ˈɐrʃəd nɐˈdiːm]; born 2 January 1997) is a Pakistani javelin thrower. He is the reigning Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion. He is also the current silver medalist in the World Athletics Championship. He set an Olympic and Asian record with a throw of 92.97 metres (305.0 ft) at the 2024 Summer Olympics. His throw was 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 Athletics 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 athlete from South Asia to breach the 90 m mark. In the 2023 World Athletics Championships, he became the first Pakistani athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, a silver. He represents the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in the National Games of Pakistan.
7. Najma Parveen (b. 1990)
With an HPI of 0.00, Najma Parveen is the 7th most famous Pakistani Athlete. Her biography has been translated into different languages.
Najma Parveen (born 20 December 1990) is a Pakistani sprinter. She represented Pakistan at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics. As of July 2021, she is the national record holder in 200m, 400m and 400m hurdles
8. Talha Talib (b. 1999)
With an HPI of 0.00, Talha Talib is the 8th most famous Pakistani Athlete. His biography has been translated into different languages.
Talha Talib (Urdu: طلحہ طالب) (born 3 October 1999) is a Pakistani weightlifter from Gujranwala. He is the Pakistani national champion in the 62 kg category. He set a new record at the games in snatch as he lifted 132 kg in the third attempt with 127 kg and 130 kg in the first two attempts, respectively. He was also a gold medalist at the 2016 Commonwealth Youth Weightlifting Championships in Penang. He lifted 258 kg to clinch the gold. He is currently the top No. 1 ranked weightlifter of Pakistan.
9. Muhammad Khalil Akhtar (b. 1984)
With an HPI of 0.00, Muhammad Khalil Akhtar is the 9th most famous Pakistani Athlete. His biography has been translated into 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.
People
Pantheon has 9 people classified as Pakistani athletes born between 1927 and 1999. Of these 9, 4 (44.44%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Pakistani athletes include Arshad Nadeem, Najma Parveen, and Talha Talib. The most famous deceased Pakistani athletes include Milkha Singh, Abdul Hamid, and Robbie Brightwell. As of April 2024, 6 new Pakistani athletes have been added to Pantheon including Robbie Brightwell, Prithipal Singh, and Arshad Nadeem.
Living Pakistani Athletes
Go to all Rankings
Arshad Nadeem
1997 - Present
HPI: 16.62
Najma Parveen
1990 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Talha Talib
1999 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Muhammad Khalil Akhtar
1984 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Deceased Pakistani Athletes
Go to all RankingsMilkha Singh
1935 - 2021
HPI: 51.68
Abdul Hamid
1927 - 2019
HPI: 39.79
Robbie Brightwell
1939 - 2022
HPI: 35.75
Noor Alam
1929 - 2003
HPI: 33.53
Prithipal Singh
1932 - 1983
HPI: 32.69
Newly Added Pakistani Athletes (2024)
Go to all RankingsRobbie Brightwell
1939 - 2022
HPI: 35.75
Prithipal Singh
1932 - 1983
HPI: 32.69
Arshad Nadeem
1997 - Present
HPI: 16.62
Najma Parveen
1990 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Talha Talib
1999 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Muhammad Khalil Akhtar
1984 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Overlapping Lives
Which Athletes were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 5 most globally memorable Athletes since 1700.
