EARLIER this week, Pakistan lost its fastest man (John Permal), at the age of 72 after fighting pancreatic cancer. The country mourns him today for his great services. He represented the country at the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Asian Games in 1966 and 1970.

From 1965 to 1974, the sprint champion was the undisputed fastest human in Pakistan. He first became Pakistan’s fastest man at the 1965 National Games in Lahore, where he finished second. Gert Metz, a German athlete, won the race.

He retained the 100m fastest-man-in-Pakistan title in Rawalpindi in 1967, Dhaka in 1968, Karachi in 1970, Nawabshah in 1971, and again in Lahore for the last time in 1973. His best time came in 1969 at a Bonn athletics meet where he clocked in at 10.4 seconds for the 100 metres event.

He will be missed. I hope his story inspires more young men and women.

Rest in peace.

Mohammad Ali

Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2019