Muhammad Younis

Muhammad Younis (4 November 1948 – 29 October 2024) was a Pakistani middle distance runner who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and the 1976 Summer Olympics.^[1] He still holds the national records in 1500 metres, 2000 metres, 3000 metres and 5000 metres with times of 3:41.4, 5:09.7, 8:05.65 and 14:08.4 respectively, all set in West Germany during the 1970s.^[2][3][4]

Muhammad Younis

Personal information
Nationality	Pakistani
Born	(1948-11-04)4 November 1948
Died	29 October 2024(2024-10-29) (aged 75)
Sport
Country	Pakistan
Sport	Athletics
Event	Middle-distance running
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Pakistan Asian Games 1974 Tehran 1500m 1978 Bangkok 1500m 1970 Bangkok 1500m Asian Championships 1973 Marikina 800m 1973 Marikina 1500m

Career

Younis represented Pakistan in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events across multiple international competitions throughout the 1970s. Younis clinched 56 gold medals domestically^[5] and 27 golds internationally.^[6] His most notable victories include a gold medal at the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran and a double podium finish at the 1973 Asian Athletics Championships in Marikina, where he won gold and silver. His national record in the 1500m, set in 1970 in Cologne, Germany, with a time of 3:41.4, remains unbroken to this day. He also set national records in the 3000m (8:05.65) and 5000m (14:08.4) events in 1971 and 1977, respectively, during competitions in Germany. His participation in the 1976 Montreal Olympics became a turning point after an alleged administrative error led to his entry in the 800m event instead of his favoured 1500m.^[7] Despite the setback, Younis set a new national record in the 800m at the Games.

In 1979, Younis’ competitive career was abruptly cut short due to a serious motorcycle accident, which left him unable to continue at the elite level.^[8] Yet, he remained deeply involved in athletics and served as an inspiration to young athletes across Pakistan.^[9]

His contributions were officially recognised in 1991 when he was awarded the Pride of Performance, one of Pakistan’s highest honours for contributions to the arts, sciences, and sports.^{[1][10][11][12]}

See also

• Athletics in Pakistan
• List of Pakistani records in athletics