Pakistan is a land of diversity, and this is clearly evident in the wide range of sports that are popular here. From cricket to hockey to squash, there is something for everyone. Here is a look at the 14 most popular sports in Pakistan.
Top 14 Most popular sports in Pakistan – Sports Lovers
1. Hockey
Pakistan is one of the best teams when it comes to field hockey. Although not as much as cricket, still many people are crazy about hockey. It is not a common but still a strong competitor for cricket as far as being the most popular sport in Pakistan is concerned. Hockey is also a national sport of Pakistan.
Famous Hockey Player of Pakistan
- Abdul Haseem Khan
- Fareed Ahmed
- Imran Butt
- Imran Shah
- Kashif Shah
- Muhammad Imran
- Muhammad Irfan
- Muhammad Rizwan Jr.
- Muhammad Rizwan Sr.
- Muhammad Tousiq
- Muhammad Umar Bhutta
- Muhammad Waqas
- Rashid Mehmood
- Rehan Butt
- Shafqat Rasool
- Shakeel Abbasi
- Sohail Abbas
- Waseem Ahmad
2. Cricket
Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan. Cricket is not just a game it’s a passion of all Pakistani people from children to old age citizens. Almost every person has their own cricket team at home and plays on the streets as well as they love to watch their favorite cricketers playing live on the ground.
Famous Cricket Players of Pakistan
- Imran Khan
- Wasim Akram
- Javed Miandad
- Shahid Khan Afridi
- Waqar Younis
- Younis Khan
- Inzamam-ul-Haq
- Hanif Mohammad
- Zaheer Abbas
- Misbah-ul-Haq
- Abdul Qadir
3. Football
Football is also among the favorite sports in Pakistan. The country has produced many international players and teams that have proved their worth time and again on regional as well as global levels.
Famous Football Player of Pakistan
- Kaleemullah Khan
- Nabil Aslam
- Hassan Bashir
- Zeeshan “Zesh” Rehman
- Muhammad Essa Khan
- Saadullah Khan
- Muhammad Adil Iqbal
- Yousuf Ijaz Butt
4. Squash
This is another popular sport in Pakistan that has produced great players at the national as well as international levels. Many international squash events are held in the country and people enjoy them a lot.
Famous Squash Players from Pakistan
- Jansher Khan
- Jahangir Khan
- Qamar Zaman
- Mohibullah Khan Senior
- Azam Khan
- Roshan Khan
- Hashim Khan
5. Volleyball
Volleyball is a very popular indoor sport in Pakistan, especially among girls. Boys also love to play it in their leisure time. There are many volleyball clubs in the country that regularly participate in different tournaments both on regional as well as national levels.
Best Vollyball Players from Pakistan
- Zohaib Qamar
- Osama Zafar
- Shoaib Khan
- Pashah Khan
- Rashid Maitla
- Kazim Khan
- Sher Younas Sher
- Akram Khan Khan
- Hammad Rajpoot
- Aqeel Bin Saeed
6. Basketball
Basketball is also among famous sports in Pakistan, though not very much popular like football or hockey. The game has become more interesting since the entry of former NBA star, center for the L. A Lakers, center for Sacramento Kings and Hall of Famer, Mr. Adbul-Jabbar (Hafiz Abdul Kareem) to Pakistan National Basketball team as its coach.
7. Motor sports
Pakistan’s favorite motorsport is Rallying, which has flourished in the country due to an abundance of rally racing tracks and rising domestic interest in the sport.
8. Boxing
Though not as popular as cricket but still boxing has a great fan following in the country. Many great pugilists have come from Pakistan and people love to watch them fight.
9. Athletics (Track & Field)
It is also among famous sports in Pakistan, though not very much popular like football or hockey. Many athletes have made their name known both on the national as well as international levels.
10. Table Tennis
Pakistan’s domination in the sport is one of the longest in the world; it was also the first country outside the Commonwealth to become a world champion in any sport in the Commonwealth Games.
11. Snooker
Pakistani snooker players have also won six World Amateur Snooker Championships and two Asian Games gold medals, as well as being three-time IBSF World Snooker Champions.
12. Taekwondo
Pakistani taekwondo players have won many international taekwondo competitions, as well as the commonwealth games and Asian Games.
13. Chess
Chess is also among famous sports in Pakistan, though not very much popular like football or hockey. Many grandmasters and international chess tournaments are held in the country where people love to watch and play chess.
14. Karate
Pakistan is the place of origin of Shigeru Egami, founder of Shotokan karate, who taught karate in Japan before founding his own style. Pakistan Karate Federation has been affiliated with World Karate Federation since 2003. Pakistan’s performance in international events has been average but still, people love this sport.
Pakistan’s national sport is hockey, though cricket is more popular in Pakistan due to foreign players’ entry to the Pakistani team and the success of the Pakistan team in international tournaments. Other sports include football, volleyball, basketball, squash, boxing, athletics (track & field), taekwondo, table tennis, etc. People really enjoy watching these sports on their television or in the stadium.