John Permal, who earned the title of Pakistan’s fastest man from 1965 to 1974, died aged 72 on Wednesday.
According to the sources, he died of pancreatic cancer which was diagnosed in June 2018.
The news of his death was shared by his son on microblogging platform, Twitter. He said:
John Permal, the Fastest Man in Pakistan, has passed into eternity with the Lord. His last race has been won. May his soul rest in peace.
Those who followed athletics in Pakistan in those days would definitely remember the athlete as he represented Pakistan in two Asian Games in 1966 and 1970 and Munich Olympics in 1972.
When it comes to Pakistan, he was undeniably the fastest man in the country, starting from National Games in Lahore in 1965.
Although he came second, it was a German athlete named Gert Metz who defeated him. From there on, the sprint champion proved his mettle in Rawalpindi (1967), Dhaka (1968), Karachi (1970), Nawabshah (1971), and Lahore (1973), retaining the title of the fastest man.
Featured Image via The Azb
