LAHORE: Pakistan’s renowned Olym­pian wrestler Haji Mohammad Afzal died of coronavirus in New York on Wednesday. He was 81.

Afzal represented the country at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics where he was ruled out of the semi-final due to an injury.

For the last month or so Afzal had been in New York, where he suffered from coronavirus and could not survive. New York has been hit hardest by the epidemic in the US.

Afzal was born on April 7, 1939. Due to his prominence as a wrestler, President Ayub Khan gave him the title of ‘Sher-e-Pakistan’ in 1960.

Afzal trained a number of prominent wrestlers. His famous students include Bas­hir Bholabhala, Tayyab Raza Awan, Tiger Wrestler and Usman Majeed Blue Wrestler.

The deceased wrestler has left three sons in the US and one in Lahore to mourn his death.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2020

Opinion

Revival? For whom?

Revival? For whom?

Numerous sets of numbers, not quoted by govt sources, suggest that things are not as dazzling as claimed by those who run the country.

Editorial

Premature alarm
Updated 20 Feb, 2025

Premature alarm

Improvement in headline inflation gives policymakers chance to fix investment policies, implement structural reforms.
Forsaken province
20 Feb, 2025

Forsaken province

AND the endless cycle of violence continues. The brutal killing on Tuesday night of seven Punjab-bound passengers in...
In poor health
20 Feb, 2025

In poor health

THE absence of decent and affordable healthcare in the country continues to ruin lives. An example of this is ...
Out of control
Updated 19 Feb, 2025

Out of control

AS bodies continue to fall in Kurram despite a state-sanctioned ceasefire, one wonders how long local militants’...
Hollow words
19 Feb, 2025

Hollow words

IT is not uncommon for politicians to resort to the use of hyperbole in order to boost their public standing. ...
Migration matters
19 Feb, 2025

Migration matters

THE grass, it seems, did appear greener on the other side to millions of people as evidenced by the latest UN ...