Pakistan is a country located in southern Asia. The region now straddling the border of present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan is one of the most torn regions of the world.The area has seen the arrival and departure of a number of civilizations, through invasions and migrations: Alexander’s period, the January Uprising of 1857 by the Sepoys, establishment of British Raj, and all the way through to Partition in 1947. Despite this history, or perhaps because of it, sport plays an important role in Pakistani culture.
Cricket is undoubtedly the most popular sport in Pakistan. It was introduced to the region during British colonial rule and quickly gained popularity. The Pakistan national cricket team has won many international tournaments including the Cricket World Cup (1992), ICC Champions Trophy (2017) and ICC T20 World Cup (2009).
Some famous Pakistani cricketers include Imran Khan, Waqar Younis, Shahid Afridi, Javed Miandad and more recently Babar Azam. Hockey is also a very popular sport in Pakistan with the national team having won 3 Hockey World Cups (1971, 1982, 1994). Field hockey is also an Olympic sport and Pakistan have won 8 medals including gold at Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics.
Notable Pakistani hockey players include Hassan Sardar , Samiullah , Sohail Abbas and Manzoor Jr.. Football is another widely played sport in Pakistan although not as popular as cricket or hockey . The national football team did qualify for FIFA World Cup 1970 but have not qualified since then.
However club football teams from Karachi regularly compete in AFC Champions League matches which are very popular with fans.
Traditional Sports of Pakistan
Pakistan is home to a wide variety of traditional sports. Among the most popular are cricket, hockey, Kabaddi and Polo. Cricket is by far the most popular sport in Pakistan.
It is played all over the country, at all levels of society. The Pakistani national cricket team has been very successful over the years, winning the Cricket World Cup in 1992 and reaching the final on three other occasions. Hockey is also a very popular sport in Pakistan.
The Pakistani national hockey team has won the Hockey World Cup four times and finished as runners-up on three occasions. Kabaddi is another popular sport in Pakistan which is similar to rugby. It is traditionally played between two teams of seven players each who try to score points by tackling opponents to the ground.
Polo is also a popular sport in Pakistan, particularly among the wealthier classes. It was introduced to Pakistan by British colonialists and has remained popular ever since.