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Muhammad Iqbal (athlete)

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Muhammad Iqbal
Personal information
NationalityPakistani
Born(1927-07-12)12 July 1927[1]
Murid, Sindh, British India[1]
DiedMarch 1996
Height1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Weight97 kg (214 lb)[1]
Sport
SportAthletics
Event
Hammer throw
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing Image Pakistan
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Asian Games 1 1 1
Commonwealth Games 1 1 1
Total 2 2 2
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place1954 VancouverHammer throw
Silver medal – second place1958 CardiffHammer throw
Bronze medal – third place1966 KingstonHammer throw
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place1958 TokyoHammer throw
Silver medal – second place1954 ManilaHammer throw
Bronze medal – third place1962 JakartaHammer throw
Muhammad Iqbal
AwardsPride of Performance award by the President of Pakistan in 1959

Muhammad Iqbal or Subedar Muhammad Iqbal (12 July 1927 - March 1996) was a Pakistani hammer thrower who competed at the 1952, 1956, and 1960 Summer Olympics.[1]

Iqbal is regarded as one of the most renowned hammer thrower in South Asia’s history. He remains the only South Asian hammer thrower to have won a gold medal at both the Commonwealth Games (Vancouver 1954) and the Asian Games (Tokyo 1958).[2] He was also the flag bearer for Pakistan at the 1960 Rome Olympics.[3][4]

Biography

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Muhammad Iqbal was born on 12 July 1927 at Murid, Sindh, British India.[1] Like many Pakistani athletes in the country's early years, Iqbal was an employee in the Pakistan Army. He also participated in the World Military Games.[2]

Iqbal won the silver medal at the 1954 Asian Games held in Manila. At the 1958 Asian Games, in Tokyo, his gold-medal-winning throw of 60.96 meters was an Asian Games record.[2]

Iqbal qualified for the finals in both the 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympics, where he finished 11th and 12th respectively.[2]

At the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, Iqbal secured the bronze medal.[2]

Iqbal also participated in four consecutive Commonwealth Games. In the 1954 edition, he won the gold at Vancouver, followed by a silver at Cardiff in 1958. He missed out on a medal in 1962 but secured another bronze at Kingston in 1966 at the age of 39.[2]

Iqbal finished runner-up three times behind Mike Ellis at the British AAA Championships in 1958, 1959 and 1960.[5][6][7]

Awards

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Ribbon Decoration Country Year
Image Pride of Performance Image Pakistan 1959

Iqbal was awarded the Pride of Performance Award in 1959 by President of Pakistan in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to athletics.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Muhammad Iqbal". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Salman Faridi (30 August 2020). "The Golden Age of Pakistani Athletics: The 50s and the 60s". The News International newspaper. Archived from the original on 31 August 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  3. ↑ "Flagbearers for Pakistan". Olympedia. OlyMADMen. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Olympedia – Athlete Profile 74402". Olympedia. OlyMADMen. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "Ibbotson quits... Pirie flops". Sunday Sun (Newcastle). 13 July 1958. Retrieved 2 May 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  7. ↑ "AAA Championships (men)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  8. ↑ "Award for Muhammad Iqbal by the Government of Pakistan". Pakistan Sports Board website. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
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