XXVII Olympic Games- SYDNEY-2000. (2000-10)

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan came into being in 1947 after independence with the withdrawal of Great Britain from its Indian Empire. Its area is 801,400 square km. with a population of 117,490,000 (in 1991). The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad. The languages are Urdu, English (both official), Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtu Baluchi and Brahvi. The religions are Sunni Muslims 77% and Shiite Muslims 23%.

The Pakistan Olympic Association was founded in 1947 and recognised by the International Olympic Committee the same year. Pakistani players first competed at the London Olympic Games in 1948. They did not attend the 1980 Moscow Games. They have not yet competed at the Olympic Winter Games.

The Olympic history of Pakistan does not start in 1948, as Pakistanis were part of the all-Indian delegations before, and mainly were players in the field hockey team. Pakistan owes almost its entire Olympic success to one sport - field hockey. They won a medal in this sport at every celebration from 1956 through 1984, fourth in 1948 and 1952, fifth in 1988, and again third in 1992. In 1960 they won the gold medal, defeating India in the final and ending its 20 year Olympic wining streak. They again won the gold medal in 1968 and 1988.

HOW THE PAKISTAN TEAM STARTED IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Sports 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1984 1988 1992 Total Athletics 5 17 18 12 6 - 5 2 4 7 4 80 Boxing 3 4 6 4 4 - 2 2 4 2 4 35 Cycling 2 2 4 2 4 - - - - - - 14 Hockey 18 11 14 15 16 13 15 16 15 15 16 164 Shooting - 1 2 4 5 - - - - - - 12 Swiming 4 2 4 - - - - - - - - 10 T. Tennis - - - - - - - - - 1 - 1 W.Lifting 2 1 3 2 1 - 1 2 - - - 12 Wrestling - - 6 7 6 2 2 2 2 3 1 31 Yachting - - - - - - - - 6 2 2 10 Team Total 34 38 57 46 42 15 25 24 31 30 27 369

GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL Boxing - - 1 1 Field Hockey 3 3 2 8 Wrestling - - 1 1 TOTAL 3 3 4 10

Olympic philately started with the first Olympic Games of the modern era, in 1896. A special set of 12 stamps was issued, and the revenue earned was used for the benefit of the Organising Committee. The venues were constructed, and the Games could start. Since 1896, special postal services, commemorating stamps, special cancellations and other philatelic documents were associated with all Olympic Games.

Pakistan issued its first Olympic stamps in 1969, to honour its field hockey team which won a gold medal in the 1968 Mexico Games, again in 1984 for the Los Angeles Games, 1988 for the Seoul Games, in 1991 on special Olympic Games and finally in 1996 for Atlanta Games. A stamp to commemorate a century of Olympic Games, depicting Pierre de Coubertin and the Athens Stadium was also issued.

The modern game of hockey, was developed in England in the late 19th century. It spread throughout the British Empire and as a result most of the dominating nations in the sport have been nations who are, or were, members of that Empire. This includes Pakistan, India, Australia, New Zealand and England. Field-Hockey appeared on the Olympic Games program in 1908 and 1920. In 1928 it was held in Amsterdam and it has been on Olympic sport since then. In 1980, hockey for women was first included as an Olympic Sport, in Greece.

Since 1948, with the exception of 1980, Pakistan participated in all the Olympic field-hockey tournaments and won 8 medals including 3 gold medals. To honour the Pakistan success in this sport, one stamp is dedicated to field-hockey.

Boxing:

made its first appearance in 1904 at the St. Louis Olympic Games. All the entrants were Americans and the event doubled as the AAU Championships for that year. Boxing was again contested at the 1908 Olympic in London. In 1912, boxing could not be on the Olympic program because boxing was illegal in Sweden at that time. Since 1920, boxing has been on the programme of every Olympic Games. 45 countries have won medals in boxing.

Pakistani boxers participated in all the Olympic Games, with the exception of 1968. After hockey, boxing is the sport in which the largest number of Pakistan athletes competed. The first Olympic medal was won by Hussein Shah Syed, born on 14-8-1964. He won a bronze medal in Seoul in 1988, in the Middleweight class.

Wrestling:

With the possible exception of athletics, wrestling is the most ancient sport to have been continuously practiced as a competitive sport. Wrestling was introduced into the ancient Olympics in 708 B.C., shortly after that the recorded history of Games begins in 776 B C.

Only in 1900 the wrestling was not on the Olympic programme. There are four main forms of amateur competitive wrestling practiced in the world; GrecoRoman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, judo wrestling and sombo wrestling. Judo is considered a separate sport and the Olympic Sombo is a combination of freestyle and judo and is most popular in Russia but it has not yet been contested in the Olympics. Currently, both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling are contested at the Olympics and both have been held since 1920. Prior to that (except in 1908), only one form was used, usually which is Greco-Roman.

The Freestyle wrestling is similar to the American collegiate style, or folk-style wrestling. Holds are relatively unlimited, provided they are not dangerous, and can be applied to any part of the body. Greco-Roman wrestling limits holds to the upper body.

Pakistani wrestlers participated in all Olympic Games sine 1964. After hockey and boxing wrestling is the sport in which the Pakistani athletes competed most. The first Olympic medal was won by Muhammad Bashir, born on 23-12-1934. He won a bronze medal in Rome, in 1960, in freestyle wrestling in the Welterweight class.

Courtesy: (international Olympic Committee.

To commemorative the xxvii Olympic games, Sydney - 2000 Pakistan Post Office is issuing a set of 4 commemorative Postage stamps of Rs. 4/- denomination each on September 20, 2000.