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Abdul Khaliq (athlete)

Subedar Abdul Khaliq, also known by his nickname Parinda-e-Asia پرندہ ایشیاء (Urdu for The Flying Bird of Asia), was a Pakistani sprinter. He won 36 international gold medals, 15 international silver medals, and 12 international bronze medals while representing Pakistan, including as a military officer for the 8th Medium Artillery Regiment at military games.

Early life
Khaliq was born on 23 March 1933, in Jand, in the Chakwal district of Punjab province, British India to an Awan family. He developed an interest in Kabaddi, and during one of his matches, his performance caught the attention of Brigadier Rodham, the head of the Pakistan Army Sports Control Board, who subsequently recruited Khaliq to join the Army's Boys Company. == International career ==
International career
1954 Asian Games In the 1954 Asian Games, Abdul Khaliq set a new Asian Games record of 100 meters in 10.6 seconds by beating the previous record of 10.8 seconds, held by Lavy Pinto of India in 1951, and was dubbed the Fastest Man of Asia. Abdul Khaliq won gold and silver medals in 100-meter and relay races, respectively, in the 1954 Asian Games. Commonwealth and British Empire Games Abdul Khaliq was a 100-yard semi-finalist and a 4x110-yard finalist in the 1954 Commonwealth and British Games. His other two bronze medals came in the 200 m individual, and 4x100 meter relays. Pakistan Athletics Training Program in England During the Pakistan Athletics Training Program in England, Abdul Khaliq defeated Britain’s top sprinters, Shaton and Spooner, in both the 100-yard and 200-yard sprints. He won the 100-yard sprint in 10.1 seconds at an international meet during the Highland Games on a turf track made wet by heavy morning rain. In this event, he triumphed over athletes from 15 European countries. Victorian Relay Championship Abdul Khaliq ran a 100-meter race in 10.4 seconds, equaling the Australian National record at Olympic Park. Khaliq's time was only one-tenth of a second slower than Bobby Morrow's gold medal-winning time in the Olympic Games 100-meter final. He won the Gold medal in the 100 meters and the 4x100 yards. Melbourne Olympics In the 1956 Summer Olympics, Abdul Khaliq reached the semi-finals in both the 100-meter and 200-meter races at the Olympics. In the 200-meter semi-finals, he clocked a time of 21.1 seconds, securing 4th place. This performance placed him among the top seven athletes in the competition. On 24 November 1956, the day of the semi-finals and finals of the 100-meter race, Abdul Khaliq ran as the anchor for Pakistan’s winning team in the 4x110-yard Victorian Relay Championship. He helped his team extend a 10-yard lead and finish in 41.6 seconds—just one-tenth of a second shy of the national record held by the Australian Olympic team. Final Standings in Melbourne Olympics 1957 In 1957, Abdul Khaliq won 11 international gold medals and 1 international silver medal by participating in multiple events held in England, Iran, Greece, and Scotland. Abdul Khaliq won 3 medals: gold in the 100 meter race, silver in the 200-meter race, and bronze in the relay race. With Khaliq's performance, Pakistan secured 2nd position in Athletics and 6th in the overall rankings. Commonwealth Games Abdul Khaliq also won 3 more medals in 1958 by taking part in different events held in Japan, China, and Scotland. He also participated in the 1958 Commonwealth Games held in Cardiff and was a semi-finalist in 100 yards, clocking 9.8 seconds. == Coaching career ==
Coaching career
Following his retirement, Khaliq started his coaching career with Army, where he coached in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970 and 1971. He coached Punjab in 1974 and 1975, before becoming the national coach from 1974 to 1978. == Personal life and death ==
Personal life and death
Coming from a family of athletes, Khaliq's younger brother Abdul Malik also was an athlete. Khaliq was held as a prisoner of war in India after the 1971 war. In recognition of his athletic achievements, the Indian government offered to release him but Khaliq turned down the offer, refusing any preferential treatment. Khaliq had four sons. The eldest Ghulam Abbas and his younger brother Mohammad Ashfaq also served in the Pakistan Army. Mohammad Ashfaq died when the tractor he was driving overturned near his village. The third son, Mohammad Ejaz was a coach of athletics in Pakistan Sports Board while the youngest son, Abdul Razzaq, was an instructor of physical education in the village school. Khaliq died on March 10, 1988 in Rawalpindi. == Legacy ==
Legacy
Khaliq is often regarded as one of Pakistan's greatest sportsmen, and known as one of the pioneers of the Golden Age of Pakistani athletics in the 1950s and 1960s. ==Achievements==
Achievements
International Medals (numbers as per events) Presidential Award Khaliq was given the Presidential Award Pride of Performance in 1958 by President Ayub Khan for his achievements. == Medals (international) ==
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