{"id":10560,"date":"2025-08-17T18:48:44","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T13:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/?p=10560"},"modified":"2025-08-17T18:48:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T13:48:46","slug":"pakistan-announces-civil-awards-for-nine-sporting-icons-including-shahid-afridi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/?p=10560","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan Announces Civil Awards for Nine Sporting Icons Including Shahid Afridi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Lahore (August 16, 2025):<\/strong> In honor of Pakistan\u2019s <strong>78th Independence Day celebrations<\/strong>, the Government of Pakistan has announced <strong>civil awards for nine distinguished personalities from the field of sports<\/strong>. The prestigious honors will formally be conferred on <strong>Pakistan Day, March 23, 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shahid Afridi Honored with Hilal-i-Imtiaz<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the awardees, the most celebrated name is former Pakistan cricket team captain and legendary all-rounder <strong>Shahid Afridi<\/strong>. Known as \u201cBoom Boom Afridi\u201d for his explosive batting style and match-winning bowling, Afridi represented Pakistan in <strong>524 international matches<\/strong> across formats. He was also a key member of the <strong>2009 ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup-winning squad<\/strong>, which remains one of Pakistan\u2019s most cherished cricketing triumphs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In recognition of his stellar contributions to cricket, Afridi will be awarded the <strong>Hilal-i-Imtiaz<\/strong>, the country\u2019s second-highest civilian award. His inclusion highlights Pakistan\u2019s tradition of honoring sports heroes who have inspired generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mountaineer Shehroze Kashif and Equestrian Legend Malik Muhammad Atta<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another prominent honoree is <strong>Shehroze Kashif<\/strong>, the young mountaineering prodigy who has made Pakistan proud by becoming the <strong>youngest climber to scale all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters<\/strong>. His extraordinary achievements in extreme mountaineering have not only broken records but also brought global recognition to Pakistan in adventure sports. He too will be awarded the <strong>Hilal-i-Imtiaz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The late <strong>Malik Muhammad Atta<\/strong>, a pioneer in equestrian sports and a revered figure in tent pegging, will also be posthumously honored with the <strong>Hilal-i-Imtiaz<\/strong>. His lifelong contributions helped elevate Pakistan\u2019s standing in traditional sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sana Mir: A Trailblazer in Women\u2019s Cricket<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former Pakistan women\u2019s cricket team captain <strong>Sana Mir<\/strong>, who was recently inducted into the <strong>ICC Hall of Fame<\/strong> (the first Pakistani woman cricketer to achieve this honor), will be decorated with the <strong>Sitara-i-Imtiaz<\/strong>. Sana represented Pakistan for nearly <strong>15 years<\/strong>, serving as an inspiration for young girls across the country. Her leadership and achievements have been pivotal in transforming women\u2019s cricket in Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Haider Ali: Champion Para-Athlete<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pakistan\u2019s most successful <strong>para-athlete<\/strong>, <strong>Haider Ali<\/strong>, will also receive the <strong>Sitara-i-Imtiaz<\/strong>. Haider has brought immense pride to Pakistan by securing <strong>four medals at the international level<\/strong>, including his recent <strong>bronze medal in discus throw at the 2024 Paris Paralympics<\/strong>. He remains a symbol of determination and perseverance for differently-abled athletes worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pride of Performance for Shahzaib Rind and Muhammad Sajjad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the martial arts and kabaddi arenas, <strong>Shahzaib Rind<\/strong>, Pakistan\u2019s leading <strong>Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter<\/strong>, and <strong>Muhammad Sajjad<\/strong>, a renowned <strong>kabaddi player<\/strong>, will be awarded the <strong>Presidential Award for Pride of Performance<\/strong>. Both athletes have played vital roles in popularizing and excelling in their respective sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tamgha-i-Imtiaz for Rising Stars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Tamgha-i-Imtiaz<\/strong> has been reserved for three more sporting talents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hamza Khan<\/strong> \u2013 the squash prodigy who continues Pakistan\u2019s proud legacy in the sport.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mohsin Nawaz<\/strong> \u2013 a rising star in shooting sports, known for his consistency and medal-winning performances.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rashid Malik<\/strong> \u2013 a veteran <strong>tennis player and coach<\/strong>, recognized for his services in promoting the sport in Pakistan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">National Recognition and Legacy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The distribution of civil awards reflects the government\u2019s commitment to <strong>recognizing excellence beyond politics and entertainment<\/strong>, focusing on athletes who bring pride to the nation on international platforms. From cricket to mountaineering, and from para-sports to martial arts, this diverse list reflects Pakistan\u2019s <strong>sporting diversity and talent pool<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year\u2019s awards are also symbolic, as they coincide with the country\u2019s <strong>78th Independence Day<\/strong>, reminding citizens of the importance of celebrating those who raise the national flag high across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In summary, Pakistan\u2019s announcement of <strong>civil awards for Shahid Afridi, Sana Mir, Shehroze Kashif, Haider Ali, and other icons<\/strong> underscores the government\u2019s appreciation for sporting excellence. As these awards are conferred on <strong>March 23, 2026<\/strong>, the nation will celebrate not just their achievements, but also the values of <strong>courage, determination, and resilience<\/strong> that they embody.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lahore (August 16, 2025): In honor of Pakistan\u2019s 78th Independence Day celebrations, the Government of Pakistan has announced civil awards for nine distinguished personalities from the field of sports. The prestigious honors will formally be conferred on Pakistan Day, March 23, 2026. Shahid Afridi Honored with Hilal-i-Imtiaz Among the awardees, the most celebrated name is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10561,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","inline_featured_image":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_3859443944190656_798604363342440":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10560"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10562,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10560\/revisions\/10562"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}