Malik Ata Muhammad Khan (Late) | Tent Pegging Photography

Malik Ata Muhammad Khan (late) was a legendary tent pegger and a national hero of Pakistan. He was born in the village of Allahabad, Gujranwala, Punjab, in 1932, and grew up in a family of traditional tent-peggers.

Tent-pegging is an equestrian sport that originated in Central Asia and involved galloping on horseback and using a sword or lance to pick up a small wooden or metal peg from the ground. Malik Ata Muhammad Khan became an expert in this sport and represented Pakistan in numerous international competitions.

In 1958, Malik Ata Muhammad Khan led the Pakistani tent-pegging team to the World Championship in New South Wales, Australia, where they won the gold medal. He went on to win numerous other international competitions and was considered the best tent pegger in the world for many years.

Malik Ata Muhammad Khan was not only a sportsman but also a philanthropist and a social worker. He established the Malik Ata Muhammad Khan Charitable Trust to provide free education and healthcare to the people of his village and surrounding areas. He also built a hospital and a school in his village, which are still operational today.

In recognition of his services to sports and philanthropy, Malik Ata Muhammad Khan was awarded numerous awards and honours, including the Pride of Performance Award, the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, which are among the highest civilian awards in Pakistan.

Malik Ata Muhammad Khan passed away in 2018, but his legacy lives on through his charitable work and his contributions to the sport of tent-pegging. He will always be remembered as a national hero and a source of inspiration for future generations.